Page 61 of Prisoner of Steel and Shadow

The Butcher had piqued the High Lord’s interest. That was rarely a good thing. One of two outcomes came to pass when he discovered a rare and unusual creature. He tamed it, or he killed it, and Ronan didn’t strike her as the kind of man who could be tamed.

Why did the thought send a bolt of lust shooting through her?

Annoyed by her uncontrollable reaction to him, she didn’t bother with a greeting. “Have you come to gloat?”

She felt like a coward sitting there, unable to even look at him. She knew he'd already guessed that she'd been avoiding him, but not for the reasons he might suspect. He probably thought she was off nursing her injured pride. The reality was so much more complicated than hurt feelings.

When his answer came, she wasn’t prepared for it. Not the way his warm voice caressed her ears or for the words themselves.

“No, I've come to tell you a story.”

She straightened in her chair, the wood creaking softly as she pushed back so she could look over at him. “A story? What kind of story?”

For all that Ronan seemed to be a straight shooter, she knew next to nothing about him. And if she was being honest with herself, she both loved and hated how much space he took up in her mind as she tried to fill in the blanks. There was no way she was going to pass up an opportunity to finally get some answers if he was willingly handing out information.

He claimed the empty seat at her table and sat down without invitation, splaying his legs wide and resting one arm on the back of it. “I figured it's past time I tell you how we met.”

And here he goes again.The man was either delusional or truly in need of a healer. He refused to let go of his belief that they knew each other.

Suddenly exhausted, Shadow let out a heavy sigh. “What’s to tell? I was there, right?”

“You were, though you went by a different name at the time.”

She rolled her eyes, adopting an unaffected air, though there was no denying she was curious. Perhaps she was about to learn just who this mysterious Reyna was. Jealousy speared her at the reminder of the other woman, and a wave of frustration built on its heels as she berated herself for the unwanted emotion.

What does it matter, Shadow? He can never be yours.

An even softer voice in the back of her mind chased the reminder.But you wish he could.

Ice filled her veins as that little revelation crashed into her. She had no businesswantinganyone. Least of all him. No,especiallyhim.

As if he’d picked up on the direction of her thoughts, Ronan smiled, his eyes flashing with mischief as he rested both forearms on the table so he could lean in and invade her space. His sudden proximity set off a little flutter in the center of her rib cage, telling her she was fooling herself. It was too late; she was already a long way fromwanting.

Stars, she was in trouble.

Why?Whywas this happening?

She’d never responded like this to any man. Why now? Whyhim?

Shadow mentally threw her hands in the air and let out a scream of frustration. She didn’t even know him, for darkness’s sake.

He stretched out a finger, running it along the back of her hand. “Don’t you want to hear my story?”

The small caress had her jerking in her seat like she’d been hit with a cattle prod. She caught the quiet rumbles of laughter rolling through him as he noted her reaction.

Ass.

“You mean your made-up story about our nonexistent past? Sounds riveting.”

“Oh, but it is.”

“You’re wasting my time.”

“You’re stuck here until Dmitri shows, so you might as well pass the time with me.”

“I don’t require a clown to entertain me. I’m not a child.”

“No, you certainly aren’t.”

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