Page 44 of His Ruthless Match

“A distraction?” I echoed, smiling slyly. “From what, exactly? Theo’s relentless attempts to figure me out?”

The look she gave me could’ve frozen hell itself. “I’m serious. Go check on my apartment or something. Surely you could be doing something more productive.”

She wasn’t wrong. Her office was safe, and frankly, I could use a break from Theo’s starry-eyed attitude.

“Fine. But don’t think I’m letting my guard down.”

She sighed in relief, waving me off. “Good. I’ll see you later.”

Getting into Eva’s apartment was laughably easy since The Shadow’s wards gave me automatic access. The moment I stepped inside, I was hit with the scent of her: a heady mix of flowers with just a dash of arrogance. The place was still perfectly pristine, which only made me irrationally irritated. Not a single thing out of place.

I made a quick sweep of the apartment, then checked the wards for any weaknesses, but they were holding strong. Satisfied, I drifted into the kitchen, my stomach growling.

I opened cabinet after cabinet, finding little more than ramen noodles and coffee. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered as I closed the cupboard. “How does she survive on this crap?”

Since food was a lost cause, I wandered into her bedroom, where her scent was stronger. There wasn’t a single crease on her bed, not a pillow out of place. Gods, she really was a control freak. There wasn’t a single crease on her bed.

I walked over to her dresser, trailing my fingers along the smooth wood. I hesitated for half a second before pulling open the drawer and taking out the black lace panties I’d discovered the other day.

My mind instantly conjured an image of her wearing them. My cock twitched at the thought of the delicate fabric hugging her curves, and I cursed under my breath, dropping the panties back into the drawer like they’d burned me.

“Focus, Jareth. You’re here for security, not... this.”

Trying to shake off the image, I turned to her nightstand. Pulling the drawer open, I found a small journal, a pen, and a half-empty bottle of lotion. I shut it quickly, my curiosity at odds with my conscience. For all my bluster, I didn’t really enjoy invading her privacy.

I sat down on her bed. It was absurdly comfortable. The exhaustion of the day—first the Crimson Dominion riots, then looking for Eva and trailing her around—caught up with me, and I flopped onto my back.

“Ridiculously comfortable.”

Eva’s voice echoed through my mind.I don’t want to get cat hair on my Egyptian cotton sheets.

Smirking, I closed my eyes. “We’ll see about that.” I wiggled out of my shirt and pants, tossing them onto the floor.

Within seconds, I was out cold, the lingering floral scent wrapping around me like a blanket.

A piercing scream woke me.My heart lurched into overdrive as I bolted upright. The room was dark, disorienting, the scent of faint lavender pulling me back to reality. Not my home. Not some random hookup.

Eva stood in the doorway of her bedroom, her face a mix of rage and disbelief. “What the actual fuck are you doing in my bed?”

Right. I was at Eva’s place. And apparently, sleeping in her bed like an overgrown Goldilocks. “Good morning to you too,” I mumbled, groaning as I stretched. The mattress was so comfortable I nearly curled up and dropped off to sleep again.

“Don’t give me that crap!” she shot back, storming into the room and flipping on the overhead light. “How dare you break into my apartment, crawl into my bed, and—ugh!”

She ripped the comforter off me, leaving me sprawled in just my boxers. Wincing at the blinding light, I brought a hand up to shield my eyes. “Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep here? You’re really ruining the vibe.”

Eva looked like she was on the verge of throwing something at my head. Her voice hit an octave that made me regret having supernatural hearing. “Explain. Now.”

I sat up slowly, scrubbing a hand over my face. “I didn’t break into your apartment. You told me to come check on it, remember? So, I checked the wards. You know, the ones your dear brother installed to keep you alive? Everything was secure, but I was... exhausted.”

“Exhausted? That’s your excuse?” she snapped, arms crossed so tightly I thought she might snap her own spine. “You can’t just?—”

“It’s been a long day, Delgado,” I snapped. “Let’s just say it involved a riot, a bomb, and faceless creatures that don’t seem to die. So, I crashed. Sue me.”

Her mouth opened, then closed, her expression shifting from anger to confusion. She was silent for a blessed moment, staring at me like I’d grown a second head.

I glanced at the clock on her nightstand. Seven p.m.

“Look,” I said as I sat up, “I’m starving because, clearly, you don’t know how to order groceries. Why don’t I make it up to you? Come to my place for dinner.”