Page 70 of Prisoner of Steel and Shadow

Running his knuckles down her cheek, Bast softly informed her, “So which one of us impressed you most?”

“W-why choose when you’re both right here and so clearly up to the task?”

Bast gave her a wicked grin. “You promised,mon ange.Don’t get greedy.”

“Um... well...” Her gaze darted between both of them, finally landing on Bast. “I choose you.”

Sebastian’s eyes went wide, and he let out a little laugh. “I won even after throwing the last line. Ah well, better luck next time, Ronan.” He clapped him on the shoulder. “At least now you’ve seen a professional at work. Hopefully you can put your new skills to use, and next time it will be you who gets the girl. But as they say, to the victor go the spoils,non?” He curled his arm around the blonde’s waist. “So what do you say,mon ange? Are you ready for me to spoil you?”

She nodded eagerly. “Oh yes. Quite ready.”

Ronan watched them walk away with a glower, his words definitely slurring as he called after them, “You only won because my heart wasn’t in it!”

When he returned his attention to the bar, he found a fresh bottle of the shimmering liquor waiting for him. He looked up with a frown, not recalling asking for another. The bartender stood at the other end of the bar drying off a glass but met his searching gaze with an amused grin and a shrug. As if to say, ‘It looked like you needed it, mate.’

Ronan barely suppressed a groan as he realized there had been a witness to his shame.

This night just keeps getting better.The only silver lining was that none of his friends—or Shadow—had been here to see him. Von would never let him live it down. Helena or Effie either, for that matter. They’d probably take turns smacking him upside the head for uttering such nonsense in the first place. Thank the Mother for small favors.

Grasping the bottle by the neck, he drank long and deep, trying hard to shove Sebastian’s mocking words from his mind.

‘Maybe you said something to turn her off.’

‘It’s no wonder why you struck out... You’re absolute shit.’

Ronan pinched the bridge of his nose. Fuck. What if the smug bastard was right?

Was hethatout of practice? Did he imagine Shadow’s reaction earlier?

No.

There was no mistaking the desire burning in her eyes. He just needed to come up with a better plan. Something that would guarantee their next encounter ended with his lips on hers.

Having enough remaining sense to realize he was in no state to come up with said plan in his current condition, Ronan let out a heavy sigh.Tomorrow, then.At the trial, perhaps.

Realizing he hadn’t so much as unsealed the envelope he’d been given earlier, Ronan pulled it out and tapped it on the counter a few times, wondering about its contents. He wasn’t near drunk enough to open it here and risk getting disqualified. Probably best to head home. Sleep off the humiliation of the night and get his head on straight for tomorrow. Yes, that’s what he should do.

Tucking the missive away, his eyes fell back on the bartender’s consolation prize.

Well... maybe he’d have just one more for the road.

CHAPTER21

RONAN

“Get your fat ass up!”

Sebastian’s annoyed shout was punctuated with the slam of a pillow atop Ronan’s face. He sat up, sputtering and spitting little bits of downy fluff out of his mouth.

“What the fuck, Bast? I was sleeping,” he growled, peeling a bleary eye open to glare at the current bane of his existence.

“Yes. I can see that.” Bast stood in the doorway, arms crossed and mouth twisted in a scowl.

“What crawled up your arse and died?” Ronan asked, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes. His head hadn’t pounded like this since... hell, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this hungover.

“Do you seriously not remember our conversation”—Bast stormed across the room and flung open the windows, nearly blinding Ronan with the flood of sunlight—“almost three hours ago?”

Pressing the heels of his palms to his eyes, he groaned. “No?”

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