The Flirting Games (The Flirting Series - Young Adult) by Stella Wilkinson Page B

he was playing at. Did he genuinely want Rose? Even if he did it
was reason for concern. Rose was far too nice for him. Ellie was extremely fond
of her cousin and didn’t want to see her get hurt. She had a very bad feeling
that this was a game to Nate and not a genuine desire to be with Rose.
    Ellie looked at Alex to see if he
had noticed anything. Of course, he hadn’t. He was as naïve as Rose. She wished
again that Jack was still at Compass Court; he would have stamped on any
pretensions Nate might have.
    Mentally squaring her shoulders,
Ellie decided she would have to keep an eye on the situation herself.
    ***
    Nate felt smug. Stage One was a
success. He wanted Rose to be aware of him and now she was. He had flattered
her and he had touched her so she noticed him. He had been fully aware that the
hairs on the back of her arm had gone up when he’d intimately stroked the
inside of her wrist. Not too much to draw attention, just enough to confuse
her. He concentrated on Alex and tried not to look too pleased with himself. A
few more moments like that and he would have her where he wanted her.
    His second opportunity was at the
bar. Rose was helping carry out drinks. He put one hand on the small of her
back, leaned in close behind her and curved his arm around her to reach for his
drink. She jumped and came right up against him. He smiled at her and didn’t
step back. She blushed yet again. It was quite endearing really. This was going
to be easy.
    At dinner that evening, Alex
suggested that Nate join them on the West Tower table. There were assigned
house tables, but students were free to sit anywhere. The Headmistress was a
fan of house integration and tried to get them to all mix as much as possible.
    Nate accepted the invitation, much
to the obvious confusion of his friends watching from the North Tower table as
he walked in and went over to the West Tower table instead with Alex.
    He caught the eye of his best
friend, Gabriel, who was staring at him with a look of disapproval. He gave a
subtle wink and Gabe acknowledged it and nodded. They had been friends a long
time and he didn’t need to do more than wink. He hadn’t told Gabe what he was
doing, but his friend would know he was up to something. He watched as Gabe
returned to his food reassured.
    Gently steering Alex, Nate managed
to get himself seated between Alex and Rose. At dinner he directed most of his
conversation to Alex, but under the table he concentrated on pressing his leg,
very slightly, against Rose’s. She moved away a little. He shifted a tiny bit
and again his knee was touching hers. She shot her hand out for her water glass
and knocked it over. He wanted to laugh, but instead he reached for a pile of
paper napkins and helped her mop it up.
    “Alright there, Rose?” he asked
innocently while refilling her glass.
    She looked like a deer in
headlights. Again he placed his hand on her back, supposedly in a reassuring
manner, but really just to assert that it was his touch that was making her
jumpy.
    It was at that moment he really
noticed Ellie Parkhurst for the first time. She was sat across the table from
Rose and giving him a very speculative look.
    He quickly withdrew his hand and
turned back to Alex, but his thoughts were on the look in Ellie’s face. He had
the feeling that she might be on to him. The suspicious gleam in her eyes,
coupled with the disdainful curve of her lip, suggested that she was
questioning his motives and drawing conclusions he didn’t want her to.
    He shrugged to himself. So what. She
was two years below him, only a fourth year, beneath his notice. He didn’t
doubt his own power to conquer Rose, and Ellie wouldn’t be able to do anything
about it. Did Rose listen to Ellie? As far as he was aware they weren’t especially
close. They were cousins, but he was confident that it was Alex he needed to
get on side. Rose listened to Alex. Ellie Parkhurst didn’t figure in his plan.
    ***
    Ellie had seen enough. Nate