Page 35 of His Ruthless Match (Below #3)

I thought about going to The Shadow and asking to be reassigned. Surely someone else could take over this job, someone who wouldn’t be so fucking affected by her. But even as the thought crossed my mind, I knew it wouldn’t happen. I couldn’t leave her now, no matter how much I told myself I should.

Eva’s lips parted slightly, as if she was about to say something, but I scooted away from her like a coward. I cleared my throat, suddenly uncomfortable.

“Grelth would probably be happy to be your pretend boyfriend, too,” I said, my voice strained.

She blinked at me, startled, before chuckling. “Grelth? Oh, God, I can only imagine.”

Her laughter was warm honey, thick and golden, slipping into the cracks of my control and threatening to undo me.

It pulled a reluctant grin from me, easing some of the tension in my shoulders, but not all of it.

It didn’t ease the tension simmering beneath my skin as the limousine glided to a stop.

I pulled the door open and stretched my hand out in invitation.

She moved past me with a graceful sway of her hips, her perfume lingering in the space between us.

I clenched my jaw and followed her inside, my frame too big for the sleek interior, or maybe it was the heat between us making everything feel too godsdamn tight.

The moment the door shut, it was like all the air had been sucked out of the limo.

Silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken words and something far more dangerous.

Eva crossed her legs, the slit in her dress parting just enough to show the curve of her thigh. She knew exactly what she was doing.

Her gaze dragged over me slowly, from the undone top button of my shirt to the fingers I curled into a fist against my knee, straining to keep still. And then—fuck me—she bit her lip.

It wasn’t a teasing grazing. No, it was a slow, deliberate pull between her teeth, like she was imagining something indecent, like she wanted me to see exactly what was running through her wicked little mind.

Heat pooled low in my stomach. My cock strained against my pants, throbbing in time with the pulse hammering in my throat. Her lips curved knowingly, and I swore if she kept looking at me like that, the driver would have to take a detour to the nearest hotel.

I shifted in my seat, gripping my knee so hard I was surprised I didn’t tear the fabric. “You keep looking at me like that, and I won’t be responsible for what happens next.”

Eva let out a husky laugh, but she didn’t look away. She scooted over, closing the space between us. Her perfume wrapping around me.

“Who said I want you to be responsible?” she murmured, voice silk and sin, her fingers ghosting along the seat between us.

I swallowed. My restraint was hanging on by a thread. She was playing with fire, and she knew it. It took every ounce of my willpower not to touch her, not to pin her to the seat and kiss her until she wasn’t smirking anymore—until she was begging.

“Eva.”

She smiled again, slow and smug. And gods help me, I didn’t know if I wanted to kiss her or punish her for it. The limousine hit a bump in the road, jolting her closer—close enough that I could feel the whisper of her breath against my throat. Her knee brushed mine. A small touch. Barely anything.

And yet, it wrecked me. My fingers twitched, aching to be buried in her hair, to tilt her face up and taste the challenge on her lips. But I didn’t move.

Because if I touched her now—if I let myself have her—there would be no stopping.

By the time we reached her building, I was barely holding it together. We stepped into the elevator, and when she pressed the button, her hand brushed against mine. The air between us sparked, and before I could think better of it, I backed her against the wall.

Our reflections in the mirrored elevator walls caught my eye, and I thought about pulling back. But I didn’t.

I didn’t want to.

Eva tilted her head up, daring me, challenging me. And fuck, I couldn’t resist her. I brushed my lips against hers in the gentlest kiss I’d ever given anyone. It was tentative, testing. But then her hands slid around my neck, pulling me closer, and I stopped second-guessing.

I kissed her properly, pouring everything I couldn’t say into it. Her body pressed against mine, her hands gripping my collar as if she didn’t want to let go. And I knew there was no going back.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, but I barely noticed.

My focus was solely on Eva. My hands gripped her hips, slid up her back, tangled in her hair.

Her lips were red and swollen, her lipstick smeared.

She stumbled down the hall to her door, laughter spilling from her in low, breathless notes, and I followed, getting the door open and then slamming it shut behind us without breaking contact.

This was a fucking terrible idea. Every rational part of me screamed to stop. To remember who she was and what she meant to The Shadow. My job was to protect her, not fool around. But then her hands slipped under my shirt, her nails grazing my skin, and whatever restraint I had left shattered.

Her mouth was demanding, insistent, and a low growl rumbled in my throat as I pulled her closer. She was so perfectly soft and warm against me, and she fit into my arms like she belonged there.

“Eva,” I rasped, my voice rough against her lips. “Tell me to stop. Right now. If you’re not sober—if you want me to stop—now’s your chance to say so.”

“Don’t you dare fucking stop.”

Those words hit me like a match to dry tinder. Another growl tore from my throat, and I lifted her with ease. Her legs wrapped around my waist as I carried her farther into the apartment, our mouths never breaking contact.

Her back hit the edge of the kitchen counter, and for a moment, I paused. I pulled back just enough to look at her. Her dark hair was mussed, her cheeks flushed, and her lips were parted as she gasped for breath. She was a fucking vision, and I couldn’t stop staring.

“You’re…” My voice caught, and I shook my head, trying to clear it. “You’re gonna ruin me, Delgado.”

She smirked, her fingers curling into the open collar of my shirt to pull me closer. “Good,” she whispered, her lips brushing against mine, soft and teasing, before she dragged me back into another kiss.

Her shoes hit the floor with a clatter. My tie was ripped off and tossed aside.

Her dress slid down her body, pooling at her feet in a whisper of fabric.

My hands skimmed over bare skin, and I felt like I was losing my damn mind.

The taste of her lingered on my tongue, and it intoxicated me more than any alcohol could.

We didn’t make it to the bedroom without interruption.

Halfway down the hallway, I pressed her against the wall, one hand braced beside her head while the other slid over her thigh, lifting her leg higher around my hip.

I reveled in her scent, her warmth, and the way she moaned my name like it was sacred.

By the time we reached the bed, she was in nothing but lace, and I was shirtless, my chest heaving with every breath. My eyes raked over her as she lay back against the sheets, her gaze locked on mine, full of challenge.

“You’re staring,” she said, her tone teasing.

“No shit.” My voice was thick with want as my gaze dipped lower, taking in every glorious inch of her. “You’re perfect.”

I knelt between her legs and slid my hands up her thighs. She shivered at the touch and sucked in a breath. The first taste of her was hot, sweet, and utterly addictive. I groaned against her skin as I feasted on her.

She gasped my name, and the sound nearly undid me. It was raw, desperate, and I could’ve sworn I was going to come undone just from hearing it. But I wanted more. Needed more.

“Jareth—” Her voice broke on a moan. She tangled her fingers in my hair as I sucked and licked with a hunger that bordered on feral. I murmured praise and filth against her skin, but it was lost beneath her moans.

Her thighs trembled as I slid two fingers inside her, curling them just right. She cried out, her head tipping back against the pillow. The sight of her so wild and unguarded drove me to the edge.

“Come for me,” I growled against her. “I want to feel you come on my tongue.”

She cried out as she shattered, clenching around my fingers and bucking against my mouth. I drew out every ounce of her pleasure until she was pulling at my hair and begging for a moment to breathe.

I pulled back and licked my lips, savoring the taste of her as I looked at her. She was sprawled on the bed, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her skin flushed and glowing.

“Fucking hell, Delgado,” I muttered, wiping the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand before crawling up to hover over her. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”

Her fingers trailed lazily along my jaw, her featherlight touch sending sparks of electricity through me. Every logical thought in my head screamed for me to stop. The Shadow’s sister. A human. All the reasons to walk away lined up in stark clarity. But I didn’t care. I couldn’t.

Her thumb brushed my lower lip. “You’re staring again.”

I caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “I’m trying to figure out if you’re real or if I’ve finally lost my damn mind.”

She laughed softly, her eyes sparkling with heat and mischief. “Does it matter?”

“Not anymore.”

I claimed her mouth again, slowly and possessively. She moaned, her body arching against mine, but I pulled back before I came on her like a teenage boy. “Come here.”

Scooping her up, I carried her to the bathroom. She gasped and looped her arms around my neck. “Jareth, what are you?—”

“Shower. You need one. So do I.”

The bathroom was sleek and modern with an oversized shower.

I set her on her feet and flicked the handle.

The water cascaded down in a steady, steamy stream.

The heat between us didn’t fade. Eva stepped into the shower first, the water slicking over her skin and making her look like something out of a dream.

She glanced at me over her shoulder. “Are you going to stand there all night, or…?”

I stripped off my pants and stepped into the shower behind her. The water was scalding, but it didn’t compare to the fire already burning between us.

I gripped her waist and pulled her back against me.

She fit perfectly, her smaller frame melting into mine as the water cascaded over us.

I poured some body wash into my hands and lathered it.

I slid the soap over her shoulders, her back, her arms, my touch firm but reverent.

She sighed softly and tilted her head forward to give me more access.

My hands moved lower, skimming over her stomach and hips. She glanced back at me, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. “Good.”

She turned to face me and slid her hands up my chest, the water washing away the soap as she moved. My muscles tensed under her touch, my self-control hanging by a thread.

“Eva,” I warned. “If you don’t stop…”

She didn’t stop. Eva dropped to her knees in front of me and looked up at me through the cascading water. “I don’t want to stop,” she said as she stroked my thighs.

I inhaled sharply as she took me into her mouth. I wrapped her hair around my fist, and my cougar purred at Eva’s moan. The first touch of her tongue had a groan tearing from my throat.

She was slow at first, teasing, her nails grazing my thighs. The sensation was pure, blinding heat, every nerve in my body lighting up as she took me deeper.

“Fuck, Eva,” I growled, my voice rough and strained.

My hands tightened in her hair, guiding her movements without forcing, my hips thrusting forward instinctively.

The way she looked at me—like she was daring me to lose control—was almost too much.

Her name fell from my lips like a prayer, a plea, a curse, every syllable edged with desperation.

“You’re killing me,” I rasped, my grip tightening as heat coiled in my stomach. “You—fuck—you don’t even know what you’re doing to me.”

She hummed around me, the vibration shooting through me like electricity. My hips jerked involuntarily, a string of curses tumbling from my lips as I struggled to hold on.

But I couldn’t. Not when she looked at me like that. Not when her mouth was working me with perfect precision, her hands keeping me grounded and unraveling me all at once.

“Eva,” I groaned as my body tensed, the pleasure overwhelming and all-consuming. She didn’t stop, didn’t let up, and I fell apart with her name on my lips.

My breathing was ragged as I came back down and guided her to her feet. She gave me a smug, satisfied grin, and I couldn’t even bring myself to be annoyed. I pulled her close, pressing my forehead against hers as the water washed over us.