Page 45 of His Ruthless Match

Eva blinked at me. Once. Twice. Then she laughed. “Not a chance in hell. I’m not going to The Below, and I’m definitely not having dinner with you.”

I clutched my chest dramatically. “You wound me, truly. Trust me, though, it’ll be the best meal you’ve had in years. Grelth is a fantastic cook, and he only occasionally gets his hair in the food. It’s black, so easy to spot.”

Her face twisted in horror. “What the hell is aGrelth?”

“Great guy,” I said as I stood and stretched, ignoring the way her gaze darted away when my muscles flexed. “You might even like him.”

She glared at me as I made my way to her bathroom. “If you don’t mind...” I gestured vaguely before closing the door behind me. I could hear her muttering and grumbling even as I relieved myself.

When I stepped out, Eva was pacing like a caged animal. Her arms were crossed, her glare sharp enough to cut steel. “You’re unbelievable.”

“So I’ve been told,” I said with a smirk.

Her glare deepened. “Why the hell would I have dinner with you in The Below?”

“Because,” I said, crossing the room and stopping just short of her personal space, “your boyfriend’s theory about Genevieve is wrong, and I’m willing to tell you why. Over a nice meal.”

Her eyes narrowed to slits. “If you think Gabe is wrong, just tell me why now.”

“Nope,” I said, popping the P. “You’ll have to come enjoy yourself at dinner with me first.”

She searched my eyes like she was trying to decipher my angle. Truth be told, I didn’t have one. I never invited anyoneto my place, let alone frustrating women like her. But for some inexplicable reason, I wanted her to say yes.

After a long, tense silence, Eva sighed. “Fine. But if this turns out to be some elaborate joke, I’ll make you regret it.”

Grinning, I picked my shirt up from the floor. “Looking forward to it, Delgado.”

13

EVA

The lush trees, glowing flora, and winding paths humming with the undercurrent of magic in my brother’s territory almost made me forget how much I hated being in The Below. But no matter how beautiful it was, this place sent a shiver up my spine. It was a world built on power, secrets, and danger, and it always made my skin crawl.

Jareth was completely at ease, one arm draped over the steering wheel as if he didn’t have a single care in the world. His casual indifference was maddening.

“Where exactly do you live down here?” I asked, partly to distract myself and partly because I was genuinely curious.

“On the edge of your brother’s territory,” he replied without taking his eyes off the road.

“Like...the actual edge? Or is that just your dramatic way of saying you don’t live in the middle of the action?”

He smirked. “The actual edge. By the ocean.”

I blinked. “You live at the beach?”

“Yeah. A little cottage by the ocean. It’s nice and quiet. Private.”

“You don’t strike me as the little-cottage-by-the-ocean type.”

He quirked an eyebrow, his smirk widening. “Oh? And what type am I? Go on, Delgado. Enlighten me.”

I rolled my eyes, already regretting my words. “Forget it.”

“You’ve been picturing where I live, haven’t you?”

Heat crept up my neck. “I have not been picturing where you live.”

“Sure you haven’t,” he said, his voice dripping with smugness.