Page 24 of The Heir's Bargain

I could admit, though, some of them were attractive.

My gaze landed on a man standing in the corner of the room. He wore black slacks and a white cotton button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up. The stranger looked like he wanted to be there as much as I did.

"You," I commanded, pointing at him. "Let's go."

Shock colored his face. But without seeing if he followed, I left the room and headed for the front door.

My mother's eyes widened as I flew out of the room. "Danisinia, where are you going?"

"Out, Mother," I said over my shoulder without slowing my pace.

"Out? What do you mean?—?"

Someone cleared their throat and said, "Mrs. Ferrios, I will bring her home safe."

Gag.

Hurried footsteps sounded behind me, the suitor finally catching up to me.

"Name?" I asked, not turning around.

"Kaleb, my lady," he said.

I snorted. "My Lady?"

"Well, you are a lady. Your father is?—"

I stopped at the door and faced him. Kaleb skirted to a stop, snapping his mouth shut and straightening as I surveyed him.

Kaleb was not a soldier. He was tall, a little lanky, but handsome enough. Definitely not a love-at-first-sight type of man, nor a man I would fall head over heels with in the next hour—or however long this affair needed to be. But that wasn't why I picked him.

My mother said try, and try I would.

But that was all I would do.

I would let Kaleb take me for a walk—or whatever frivolous activity people courting one another did. I would let him think he had a chance. Then, I would chase him away the moment I could so that he never came back.

One by one, the suitors would disappear.

"All right, Kaleb, where to?"

"Miss Ferrios?" Kaleb scratched his short blond hair.

Folding my arms over my chest, I arched a brow. "Where are you taking me?"

"Oh, right." Kaleb cleared his throat, straightening. "Uhm, right this way."

Kaleb didn't work out.

Nor did Jasper.

Or Felix.

Or Martin.

They were all so. . .boring.

One afternoon, one of them—which one? I couldn't recall—had decided to take me to the kingdom's archery competition. However, when the judge opened the competition to volunteers, I decided to put my name in the hat, needing something to entertain myself. The suitor of the day (Felix perhaps?) had decided to do the same, flexing his biceps in a vain display of masculinity.

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