Page 66 of His Ruthless Match

I opened my eyes and glanced down at my wrist. At the fucking bracelet.

My heart dropped into my stomach. If my heart rate suddenly increased…

“Shit,” I muttered, sitting up abruptly, water sloshing over the edge of the tub as I stared at the innocuous piece of jewelry.

Would Jareth know what I’d been doing? I cringed at the thought, my cheeks heating as I imagined him showing up in the bathroom, all smug and knowing. God, if he had any idea…

I held my breath and listened closely. No sound of heavy boots stomping toward the door, no sarcastic quip or cocky grin. I let out a shaky sigh of relief and sank back into the water.

But the fantasy lingered. As much as I hated to admit it, I wasn’t sure I wanted it to.

19

JARETH

As Grelth placed a steaming plate of food in front of me, I rolled my shoulders to ease the tension in my shoulders. The aroma of perfectly roasted meat and seasoned vegetables wafted through the air, but my mind wasn’t on dinner. It was on Eva. Specifically, on what she’d been doing in the bath I’d drawn for her.

I’d felt the spike in her heart rate. The unmistakable rhythm of her heart had quickened before settling into softer beats. I didn’t need to see her to know what was happening. I’d drawn the bath to help her relax, but damn, I hadn’t expected her to take full advantage of it.

Dirty girl.

My cougar stirred.

Heat sparked low in my stomach as I heard her footsteps behind me. I pushed the image aside and turned as Eva entered the room, dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans, her damp hair spilling down her back. She was effortlessly beautiful, but there was a slight hesitation in her step when our eyes met.

Recognition. Shame.

She glanced away quickly, her cheeks tinged with the faintest pink, and I couldn’t stop a smirk from tugging at my lips. Iknew exactly why she wouldn’t hold my gaze, and I knew exactly where her mind had gone when she saw me sitting there.

Grelth remained oblivious as he set another plate on the table. “Dinner is served,” he announced flatly.

Eva sat down stiffly, her eyes fixed on her plate. “Thank you, Grelth.” She fidgeted with her fork and refused to look up at me. It was almost endearing how flustered she was.

The meal passed in silence. Eva kept shooting glances at me, but quickly averted her eyes whenever I looked at her. I wondered if she was still thinking about the orgasm she’d had.

Halfway through the meal, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and saw a message from Orvash, an old vampire I’d been under contract with for the past year. Orvash rarely called on me unless it was urgent, which meant I couldn’t ignore this.

The message was straightforward. Someone in his employ had been caught stealing enchanted artifacts from House Orvash’s collection and selling them on the black market. The thief had fled to a vampire den, using insider knowledge to gain protection. Orvash needed me to retrieve or eliminate the smuggler quietly to send a clear message to anyone else considering crossing his family.

“What’s going on?” Eva’s voice broke through my thoughts. Her tone was light, almost teasing. “Do you need to leave? What a shame. Grelth and I will hold down the fort while you’re away.”

I looked up, catching her lips curving into a mocking pout. My gaze lingered on her mouth a moment too long, and my thoughts took a decidedly inappropriate turn. Shaking it off, I stood and shoved my phone into my pocket.

“I have an assignment. And you’re coming with me.”

Eva froze, her fork hovering midair. “I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard me.”

“No.” She dropped her fork, and it clattered against her plate. “Absolutely not. I’m not going anywhere with you, especially not for some nonsense in The Below.”

“You don’t have a choice, sweetheart. I’m not leaving you behind. I can handle my job and keep an eye on you at the same time.”

“Jareth, this is ridiculous. I have the bracelet. That’s what it’s for, right? And Grelth can stay with me. I’ll be fine.”

I shook my head, although my insistence at this point was less based on fear that Eva would come to harm while I was gone and more because of Eva’s stubborn insistence that she stay home. “Nope. Can’t risk it. I won’t be able to focus on the job if I’m waiting for a distress signal. And trust me, no one in The Below will touch you while you’re with me.”

The look she gave me could have cut glass. “Where are you even going?”