“No, but I can certainly try.”
“Right, then.”Sebastian nodded to the girls.“We’ll be back shortly.”
“Sorry to interrupt, ladies.Mind if we join you?”
The two women playing darts paused their conversation, turning to find Sebastian smiling warmly.They looked to be in their early twenties at most and shared a likeness that made Kieran think they might be sisters or even twins.Both had straight blond hair, blue eyes, and pale skin and wore heavy woolen dresses to keep out the cold.One had the flush of someone who’d had a bit too much to drink, while the other seemed sober.
“I don’t recognize you,” the sober sister said, swirling sparkling pink wine around in her glass.“You tourists?”
“Tourists.”The drunker girl laughed.“No way.What tourist would want to come to a horrible place like this?They must have family here or something.”
“We’re just passing through,” Sebastian replied breezily.“Thought we’d try our hand at mingling a bit with some kind locals like yourselves before we head out tomorrow.Learn about the town, get a sense of what there is to do around here—you know.I’m Sebastian, by the way, and this is my friend Kieran.”
The drunker one scoffed.“You think we’rekind?”
“I suppose that remains to be seen.”Sebastian ran his handback through his hair, offering her a wink.“I probably shouldn’t just assume that every beautiful woman is kind, should I?”
Kieran’s stomach flipped as the color drained from his face.Is he…flirting with them?He’s definitely flirting with them.Shit, does that mean he wantsmeto flirt with them?Because he’s made some wildly incorrect assumptions about me if he thinks I’m well-versed in wooing women.The last girl I kissed was my mother when I was five.
“Well, aren’t you smooth?”The drunker girl laughed, not seeming to notice Kieran’s internal meltdown.“But you’re not gonna have much luck mingling around here.Nobodywantsto be in Raven’s Roost anymore.”
Her sister immediately shot her a sharp look, and it was obvious she’d said too much.The drunker sister rolled her eyes.
“What,Deena?”
Before the more sober woman—Deena—could respond to her sister, Sebastian cut in: “It sounds like this place has a bit more going on than meets the eye.”
“What’s it to you?”Deena asked, though she didn’t sound accusatory as she said it—more wondering why in the world Sebastian would even be interested.
He shrugged.“Just a sense I got.We were thinking of checking out the lake tomorrow before we leave, since it’s a warm spring, but no one we’ve met wants to tell us about it.Why is that?”
Deena froze and quickly shot her sister a look before she could say anything.“It’s a…touchy subject.”
Sebastian just chuckled.“Well, fair enough.But what if we made a friendly bet on it?”
The drunker sister barked a laugh.“A bet?What kind of bet?”
“Lila,” Deena warned.
Sebastian hooked a thumb toward Kieran.“How about a few rounds of darts?If Kieran and I can beat you, we get to ask you one question about Raven’s Roost and you have to answer truthfully.”
The drunker sister, Lila, broke into a grin.“Sure.But I should warn you, we’reverygood at darts.Maybe the best in town.And I might ask a little favor if we beat you.”
“Ask away.”
“If we win”—Lila giggled—“you have to give me a kiss.”
Sebastian gave another smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.“I think I can handle that.”
Kieran’s hands turned clammy.He suddenly wondered if he’d misread Sebastian.Did he only like women?Not that it mattered, of course.It wasn’t as if Kieran cared who Sebastian kissed.They’d just met, after all, and Kieran had Ash.Kind of.
So why did he have to fight to stop his jaw from clenching and his fingers from tightening at his sides?
“Well, then.”Lila dimpled, fluttering her eyelashes.“Get ready to lose, pretty boy.”
Lila tossed her hair and went to retrieve the darts from the board.As she did, her sister shook her head, letting out a sigh as she crossed her arms over her chest.If Kieran had to guess, this was far from the first time Lila had agreed to a challenge like this and dragged Deena along with her.Part of him wanted to commiserate with her, but that would probably blow his cover if he was, in fact, supposed to pretend he had any interest in flirting with women.
Meanwhile, Sebastian met Kieran’s gaze.He offered a quarter smile and flexed his eyebrows.
