Page 43 of The Reluctant Heir

“It’s probably stress.” I grab my bottle of water from the desk, sloshing it around to make sure there is still ice. It rattles against the cup. “Maybe I should ask Julien to pick me a husband instead.”

Then again, Julien is mischievous enough that he’d probably set me up with a bad date just to torture me.

Kaine just looks at me, waiting for me to realize just how bad of a decision that would be.

“Okay, fine.” I put my cup down with a thump. “Then what do you suggest, Mr. Smarter-Than-Everybody?”

“Can’t you just, I don’t know, stop being awkward on dates?” he asks.

Oh, now it’smy faultthat I’ve had bad dates?

Okay, I will admit a few times it has been my fault. But I won’t say it out loud because it will only make Kaine look smug and I hate when he’s smug about being right.

“The problem is, I don’t knowhowto date. It’s not like I had guys lining up to take me out. I’m a hybrid, remember? Nobody wanted to go out with me. What does one even do on a date? How do I act? What do I say?” I run my fingers through my hair, letting out an exasperated sigh.

“It’s a simple solution,” Kaine says.

I lift my head to meet his gaze. “What?”

He leans forward. “I will just have to teach you how to date.”

“And how will you do that?”

“By taking you out on a date. You can practice on me.”

I try to picture Kaine on a date, but the guy is about as cuddly as a cactus. But then I think about the warm feelings I got when he called mehisgirl. Going out with Kaine could be a huge mistake. What if I end up falling for him instead of a monarch?

I groan, letting my head hit my desk again. “I’m doomed.”

What doesone wear on a pretend date?

This would be so much easier if my mom were here. She could help me pick outfits and talk to me about boys. She could guide me on what I should do.

I hit my head against the wall of my closet.

“If you’re trying to obtain brain damage so you can get out of being heir, it won’t work. Vampires have supernatural healing.”

Julien’s voice startles me, making me jump.

“Nice dress,” he says.

I look down at one of the dresses I tried on but hadn’t made up my mind about wearing yet.

“Does it scream ‘I might be forced to go on a date with you, but I’m not marrying you’?” I ask. “Because that’s the vibe I’m going for.”

Julien raises an eyebrow. “I think you’re asking too much from a dress. It’sjusta dress.”

He may be right, but I still wish my outfit could talk.

If I were going on dates with an incubus, they absolutely would critically eye my outfit and wonder what it meant. Then again, vampires aren’t as vain as incubi.

“I don’t know why I agreed to this.” I cross my arms over my chest. “As if all my regular dates aren’t bad enough.”

“Who did you agree to go out with?” Julien asks.

I hesitate before mumbling, “Kaine.”

He hears because of vampire hearing and he busts out laughing. He laughs so hard that he has to hold the side of the doorframe to keep from falling over. I’m about two seconds away from pushing him over when he straightens and abruptly stops laughing.

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