Page 75 of His Ruthless Match

Good girl, keep up the act.

“She’s full of surprises, isn’t she?” I said with a bit of bite in my voice. “Though I imagine you’d know that already, wouldn’t you, Dr. Hayes?”

Hayes’s eyes darted between me and Eva. He was recalculating, trying to figure out how to get the upper hand.

“Well, Eva and I do go way back,” he said. “Don’t we?”

Eva’s nails dug into my arm. “Not far enough back to make this conversation worth continuing,” she replied sweetly.

I bit back a grin. That’s my girl.

Frustration flashed across his face. He wasn’t used to being dismissed. “Of course. It was a pleasure meeting you… Jareth, was it?”

“Doctor,” I said, my voice low and dangerous.

His lips twitched, as if he were fighting the urge to snarl. “Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, Eva, you know where to find me.”

I stepped forward, angling myself between them. “I think you’ve said enough, don’t you?”

He looked like he might push back, but then he glanced at Eva again and forced a tight smile. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

The moment he was out of earshot, Eva pried my arm from her waist. “You didn’t have to enjoy that so much.”

“Oh, I absolutely did.”

Her eyes narrowed, though I caught the faintest flicker of a smile tugging at her lips. She quickly smothered it and smoothed down her dress with more force than necessary.

“You owe me for that performance, sweetheart,” I added.

She huffed. “Fine. Add it to your list of things to lord over me.”

“Anytime you need a fake boyfriend, Delgado, you know where to find me.”

“Ugh!” She turned on her heel and headed back into the crowd with her head held high.

The warmth of her body against mine lingered, refusing to be ignored. Damn her and her ability to get under my skin.

The champagne was definitely workingits magic. Eva and I had knocked back a few more glasses, and with every sip,she became a little less uptight. Even I could feel the warmth spreading through me, loosening muscles that were always too tight, although I knew within a few minutes I’d be back to normal. Only magical drinks could really impair me. Even though I wasn’t getting much of anything from the alcohol, Eva clearly needed to let loose.

She leaned her head back with a carefree laugh, swaying slightly on her heels. “You know what?” she said, her voice bubbly and unguarded. “I think I’m ready to go.”

I smiled at her, a little more openly than I usually allowed myself. “Whenever you want, Delgado.” I scanned the room, cataloging every face, every movement. Security was heavy at this event, but that didn’t mean I could relax. It was my job to keep her safe, no matter how tipsy or ridiculous she got.

I trailed behind her as she made her rounds to say goodbye. I couldn’t help but draw parallels between this room of glittering elites and the underworld politics of The Below. Different setting, same games: flattery, veiled threats, and plenty of ego-stroking. Eva played her part perfectly, but I could tell the constant politicking was wearing on her.

When we finally made it outside, Eva sighed with relief, then let out a giggle that was pure champagne-fueled joy.

“What’s so funny?” I asked, unable to stop myself from smiling at the sight of her. There was something infectious about her lightness. I hadn’t seen it in her before.

She turned to me, her cheeks flushed. “I can’t stop thinking about you playing the boyfriend role earlier,” she said.

I raised an eyebrow. “Why is that so funny?”

She laughed again, louder this time. “Because it’s impossible to imagine you as anyone’s boyfriend.”

That should have annoyed me, but I was too caught up with this carefree side of her. “Ouch,” I said, clutching my chestin mock pain. “You wound me, Delgado. What makes it so impossible to imagine?”

She looked up at me with those stunning hazel eyes of hers, her lips curling into a teasing smile. “Because you’re…” She gestured vaguely at me, as if that explained everything. “You.”