Everything Vampire Academy belongs to Richelle Mead!
"What are you reading?"
The cafeteria was loud, dingy, and institutional green, with uncomfortable chairs and long lines of barracks-style tables. It was lunchtime, and it was crowded. Groups of Moroi and dhampirs clustered in their usual areas, generally self-segregating. Dimitri had found a quiet corner near a dark window. His tray was empty.
Malina Ivashkov pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down. The fact that her leg brushed against his may have been an accident – he was slouched in the cafeteria chair and he did have long legs – but it could also have been on purpose. Dimitri suppressed a sigh. Malina had asked in English – probably because the cover of his book showed a Roman typeset instead of a Cyrillic one. He was both impressed and resigned that she was being so observant. Just to be difficult, he answered in Russian.
"An American western."
She switched to Russian and feigned interest. "Oh? What's it about?"
On another day he might have told her. The Moroi girls had a bizarre fascination with him, and it was almost fun sometimes to see their eyes glaze over while pretending to understand his near-obsession with the American Old West. Today, though, he really did want to be left alone.
Her leg brushed against his again. Still could have been an accident. He closed the book and sat up in his chair. "Just about a guy – Shane – who was kind of a guardian. I doubt you'd be interested."
She reached across the table and put her hand over his, and her foot brushed over his ankle bone and up his calf, just a little. Definitely not an accident. He forced himself to meet her eyes. She was pretty, he admitted to himself, but most Moroi were. Malina in particular had the green eyes that ran so prominently through the Ivashkov family tree, and hers were surrounded by long, dark lashes. Her hair was dark also, and her curls spiraled down to the middle of her back. He did like long hair. Too bad today he had other things on his mind.
"What makes you think I wouldn't be interested?" Her voice was playful, and more than a little suggestive.
He didn't answer, but without meaning to, his eyes flicked over to an especially crowded table of royals. Still touching him, she turned her head. "What?"
He shook his head and pulled his hand away.
She reached out again, confused this time, but stopped herself when she saw his face.
He stood up. "I'll be late for practice." He pushed away from the table with a little more force than necessary. He felt her eyes follow him as he walked away.
Author's note - thanks for checking out my new story! If you've author-alerted me from my other, M-rated HON story, don't worry, I'm still working hard on it and I promise a new chapter by the 21st! This is what I've been working on when my writer's block gets too bad, and it's taken on a life of its own. It's a very different story and a different style, so I hope you like it.
Review and let me know what you think of this bit!