Page 56 of The Reluctant Heir

“Yes, he’s my advisor. But he also accused me of murdering Lucien the first time we met.” I lick my lips. “Look, I like you. Whatever Kaine feels about you isn’t going to change that.”

Damek’s shoulders relax slightly.

I lead him to a large sectional couch. There is a large screen TV with video games and a ton of movies and TV shows. I don’t turn it on though. I’d much rather talk with Damek and get to know him better.

“What do you want?” Damek asks.

I turn on the couch so that I’m facing him. “What do you mean?”

He sinks back onto the couch, relaxing. “With life. You have options. You don’t have to stay with the vampires if you don’t want to.”

“Oh.” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “I guess I’m not sure what I want.”

“Do you want to go back with the succubi?” he asks.

“No.” I shake my head. “I don’t know that I want to be a queen, but I do know that I love being here. I feel more like myself than I ever have. Nobody seems to care that I’m a hybrid. I like that.”

“Earlier, you said you won’t allow Kaine’s opinion of me to change how you feel about me.” Damek’s brown eyes seem to glow brighter as his gaze meets mine. “Howdoyou feel about me, Madeline?”

I swallow hard.

That wasn’t something I was expecting him to ask.

My brain completely freezes as I try to come up with the words to answer his question.

“You don’t have to answer,” he says, after a few seconds of my non-verbal staring.

I blink slowly. “I am going to answer, I’m just trying to think of the right words to say.” I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders. “I like you. I think you’re fun to hang out with and you’re attractive and nice. I want to get to know you better and I want to spend time with you. You make my heart race and you give me butterflies.” I hesitate.

“I feel like there is a but coming,” Damek says.

I nod. “Not really a but. I just don’t want to rush things. I don’t want to feel like we’re being pressured to get married right now. I want to build a friendship with you. I don’t want to rush into something and lose what we have going on right now.”

“I’m okay with taking things slow—more than okay.” He sighs. “I don’t like the idea of rushing things.”

I lick my lips. “How do you feel about me?”

He grins. “I am feeling things far beyond friendship for you.”

My heart stammers.

I too am feeling things beyond friendship for Damek. I like him a lot. But I know how my cousins always were when they’d get crushes on guys. They’d be ‘in love’ and then somethingwould happen and they’d hate their boyfriend or girlfriend within a week or two. I don’t want that for us.

“If we’re going to be just friends, does that mean we can’t kiss?” Damek’s gaze flickers to my lips.

I chew on my lip to stop my grin. “Maybe we could be friends who kiss.”

He chuckles and my stomach twists at the deep sound.

This boy is too attractive for my own good.

“I’m not sure it’s supposed to work like that.” He grins, not bothering to hide his amusement.

I shrug. “Who cares? We’re the ones setting the rules.”

He nods. “Fine. Since I like this rule, I won’t disagree with it.”

Meaning he wants to kiss me too. I try to ignore how much it excites me that he feels the same.

---