Page 64 of His Ruthless Match (Below #3)

Lightning flashed outside, revealing her silhouette in stark relief. Her hair was tousled, her cheeks flushed. I pressed up against her, and she reciprocated by wrapping her legs around my waist, making my heart twist with a fierce kind of joy.

“Jareth,” she murmured breathily, and that drove me wild. My lips caught hers before she could say anything else, swallowing whatever words hovered there. Our connection felt elemental, raw, like a force of nature that was as unstoppable as the storm raging outside.

I slowly nudged Eva’s thighs apart. She giggled, her cheeks flushing.

She didn’t know how fucking perfect she was. I just stared at her, mesmerized by how much I fucking wanted to be near her, inside of her… to be everything at once.

“Touch me, Jareth.” Eva shifted on the dresser, no longer able to contain her want. And if her words didn’t give her away, the wetness at her center did.

“As you wish.” I traced my finger along her slit.

She moaned and arched into my touch, pressing herself against my fingers.

My cougar purred, its approval filling me up as I slowly teased her entrance with my fingers.

I let myself lose control as instinct and desire guided me.

She was so wet, so ready for me. As I slipped a finger inside her, she cried out in pleasure, her body quaking under my touch.

A new kind of heat ignited within me—one that had nothing to do with lust. This was love, raw and intense.

It was fate pulling us together, binding us in ways that went beyond our understanding.

Yet even as I knew this in every fiber of my being, I couldn’t bring myself to say the words aloud. Not yet.

I leaned in to kiss her again, needing the connection more than anything else right now. The world seemed to shrink down to just the two of us: two souls intertwined in a dance that was both familiar and new.

With each stroke of my fingers inside her, I felt the pull between us deepen—a rush of adrenaline and desire coursing through my veins like lightning itself. She moaned against my lips again and again, urging me onward.

Eva’s hand slipped between us and gripped my cock, eliciting a groan from deep within me. Her touch was like fire on my skin. She guided me towards her, urging me to be the one to take her.

Every nerve ending seemed to light up as I positioned myself at her entrance, giving her one last look before I entered her.

She gasped, arching into the invasion but staying with it.

I’d never felt so much trust or anticipation in my life before.

We both fought for breath as we adjusted to the sensation of being joined like this.

I started to move, slowly at first, until we were in perfect sync. Each thrust sent a shockwave through me. Each moan from Eva was my undoing.

Her hands reached behind me and grabbed my ass, pulling me deeper into her soaking wet pussy. She arched, and I watched our reflection in the mirror behind her. She was so fucking perfect. I wanted every part of her.

I kissed down her neck to her breasts and took her nipple into my mouth. She cried out and bucked under me, needing more. It was too much, yet not enough. I had to have her. I had to feel every inch of her beneath me.

I scooped her into my arms, careful to stay firmly planted in her perfect pussy. She gasped at the motion but never even opened her eyes.

I placed her on the edge of the bed, thrusting into her one last time before pulling out. She stared at me with wide eyes.

“I want you against the wall. Get your perfect ass over there.”

She stood and sauntered over to the far wall. She slowly turned and pressed her breasts against the wall, arching her back slightly and thrusting out her ass.

I growled and stood behind her, lining up my cock with her entrance. One hand on the wall, I leaned forward and pressed against her, feeling her heat surround me once again. She let out a moan and gripped the wall, holding herself up.

Our bodies moved together in perfect harmony, lost in the storm that raged outside.

The smell of rain and sex filled the air, an intoxicating mix that fueled our passion.

The shadows dancing across the walls only added to the intensity of it all—a reminder that this was more than just lust or desire.

This was fate.

And we were its fucking playthings.

Eva moaned as I thrust deeper into her. I reached around her and pinched her nipple while my other hand found her swollen clit.

Eva cried out my name as she came apart in my arms. My own release followed soon after, and I poured everything I had into her.

We collapsed against the wall, still entwined, before falling onto the bed together.

Eva nestled her head on my shoulder, her damp hair spread out across my skin.

I pressed a kiss to her forehead, feeling the subtle tremor still running through her.

Even in the subdued light, I could see the faint flush on her cheeks and the contentment in her gaze.

But there was also something else—uncertainty, maybe.

Or curiosity. Like she was waiting for me to say something.

My heart still pounded, not merely from the physical intensity but from the enormity of what this moment meant.

If only she knew how deeply it resonated inside me.

I couldn’t keep my feelings locked away much longer, but we had enough complications without me tossing in a revelation about fate and mates. I needed to choose my moment carefully.

She shifted, looking up at me with those luminous eyes, her expression gentle but questioning.

It was as if she sensed that I was holding something back.

Part of me worried she’d ask about it right then, corner me into a confession.

Part of me wanted her to, so I wouldn’t have to find the courage on my own.

“Jareth,” she whispered, her voice thin in the hush of the bedroom.

I swallowed, suddenly as anxious as a child caught in a lie. “Yeah?” My voice emerged rough, nearly cracking from the emotion lodged in my throat.

She opened her mouth to speak, then paused. Several beats passed in silence, broken only by our breathing. Finally, she shook her head. “Nothing,” she murmured, though her eyes said otherwise.

I exhaled, relief warring with guilt. I wanted to reach into her mind, soothe whatever concerns stirred there.

But I also knew there was no going back once I told her about our bond.

Instead, I pulled her closer and buried my face in the crook of her neck.

My lips brushed her skin, a silent reassurance that I was here, that I cared.

“Eva,” I whispered against her ear, “just rest for now.”

She let out a soft hum of agreement. Her fingers traced lazy patterns across my chest, and I felt her breathing slow as the adrenaline seeped away. Outside, the storm continued, but here, in the darkness, we had found our own quiet refuge.

As we lay there, content in the afterglow of that powerful joining, my mind wandered.

I thought about all the times I’d fought against letting someone in, all the reasons I’d built walls around my heart.

Now, with Eva nestled against me, those walls felt like they were built of sand, eroding in the face of a gentle but unrelenting tide.

I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so content. Relaxed, even. It was terrifying.

She shifted slightly, her weight pressing into me as she propped herself up on one elbow. Her hair spilled over her shoulder in damp, messy waves. “Can I ask you something?” she said hesitantly.

“You can ask me anything.” I meant it. Whatever she wanted to know, I’d tell her.

Her lips curved in a small smile, curiosity sparking in her eyes. “Have you always lived on my brother’s estate?”

I chuckled softly, shaking my head. “No, not even close. My life before that was… complicated.”

She tilted her head, her dark eyes locking onto mine. “Complicated how?”

I didn’t talk about my past often. Hell, I didn’t talk about it at all. But with her, the words didn’t feel so hard to say.

“I was born into a powerful cougar shifter pack,” I started, keeping my voice low. “We were… well, think of it as a mafia, but with claws. Smuggling magical goods, black-market deals—you name it, we did it.”

Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t interrupt, which made it easier for me to keep going.

“My father was the alpha. He was ruthless and not exactly big on affection. In our pack, you didn’t get anything handed to you—not respect, not loyalty, not even love. You had to earn it. My childhood was spent proving myself. Over and over.”

The memories rose unbidden, sharper than I liked. My father’s piercing gaze, the weight of his expectations, the constant fight to measure up. It had forged me, shaped me into the man I was, but it had left its scars, too.

“When I was in my late teens, everything fell apart. A rival pack set us up, and we were ambushed during a deal. Most of my pack was wiped out, including my parents. The survivors scattered. Trust was a luxury none of us could afford anymore.”

She put her hand on my chest, tracing slow patterns against my skin. I felt a flicker of peace—at least, something really close to it.

“So you ran.” It wasn’t a question, more like a quiet understanding.

I nodded, my voice quieter now. “I lived as a rogue in The Below. For weeks, it was just me and my instincts. Hunting, fighting, surviving.” I smiled bitterly. “Then one night, I crossed paths with a vampire. He claimed the area as his hunting grounds. We fought like hell.”

Her eyebrows lifted, and she shifted closer, clearly intrigued. “A vampire? Who?”

“His name is Cain Corvell,” I said, a genuine smile tugging at my lips for the first time in hours. “At first, we were ready to kill each other. But after fighting off a pack of ferals together, we realized we made a good team. He’s been my best friend ever since.”

Her jaw dropped slightly, and she laughed, soft and incredulous. “Wait. You have a friend? You mean you’re not just some loner who only tolerates Grelth?”

I chuckled warmly. “Cain’s not just a friend. He’s like a brother. I trust him with my life.”

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. “You have to tell me more. What’s he like?”

“Mysterious, cocky, and an absolute pain in the ass,” I said, grinning. “But he’s also one of the smartest, most dangerous people I’ve ever met. I’ll introduce you someday. You’d probably like him.”

Her laughter softened, turning into a smile that made something in my chest ache. “I’d like that.”

The moment of levity didn’t last long. My thoughts turned darker, my expression sobering as I asked carefully, “Speaking of introductions, The Shadow told me a little about your connection to Lord Thorne.”

She stiffened, and regret flashed through me. But she didn’t pull away. “What did he tell you?”

“Just that he was your father,” I said honestly. “I didn’t want to pry, but…”

She exhaled slowly. “Lord Thorne didn’t know I existed until my mother showed up demanding money when I was a teenager.

Like I mentioned before, she was a human prostitute.

” Her voice wavered, but she didn’t stop.

“He killed her without hesitation. Raffaele saved me. Got me back to the city. Gave me a new life.”

Anger surged in my chest, hot and sharp. “You didn’t deserve that.”

She shook her head. “Raffaele set me up in New York, but I didn’t want to live off his charity. I wanted to prove I could thrive on my own. So, I went to law school. Graduated top of my class. Built my career from the ground up.”

Gods, I admired this woman. “You’re incredible, Eva. You know that, right?”

“I don’t always feel that way. But thank you.”

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding. This was it. I couldn’t keep it from her any longer. “Eva,” I started, “there’s something I need to?—”

A loud pop resonated through the room. Grelth appeared at the foot of the bed, waving a foil packet. “Master Grelth heard coital sounds and thought you might need protection,” he announced cheerfully.

I growled, yanking the blanket higher over Eva’s body. “Get the fuck out, Grelth.”

Eva buried her face in my shoulder, her laughter shaking the bed. “You have the strangest servant.”

I sighed, but despite myself, I smiled. “I don’t know why I put up with him.”

I pulled Eva close again, silently promising myself I wouldn’t wait much longer to tell her the truth. She had to know. Soon.