Page 77 of His Ruthless Match

And yet, it wrecked me. My fingers twitched, aching to be buried in her hair, to tilt her face up and taste the challenge on her lips. But I didn’t move.

Because if I touched her now—if I let myself have her—there would be no stopping.

By the time we reached her building, I was barely holding it together. We stepped into the elevator, and when she pressed the button, her hand brushed against mine. The air between us sparked, and before I could think better of it, I backed her against the wall.

Our reflections in the mirrored elevator walls caught my eye, and I thought about pulling back. But I didn’t.

I didn’t want to.

Eva tilted her head up, daring me, challenging me. And fuck, I couldn’t resist her. I brushed my lips against hers in the gentlest kiss I’d ever given anyone. It was tentative, testing. But then her hands slid around my neck, pulling me closer, and I stopped second-guessing.

I kissed her properly, pouring everything I couldn’t say into it. Her body pressed against mine, her hands gripping my collar as if she didn’t want to let go. And I knew there was no going back.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, but I barely noticed. My focus was solely on Eva. My hands gripped her hips, slid up her back, tangled in her hair. Her lips were red and swollen, her lipstick smeared. She stumbled down the hall to her door, laughter spilling from her in low, breathless notes,and I followed, getting the door open and then slamming it shut behind us without breaking contact.

This was a fucking terrible idea. Every rational part of me screamed to stop. To remember who she was and what she meant to The Shadow. My job was to protect her, not fool around. But then her hands slipped under my shirt, her nails grazing my skin, and whatever restraint I had left shattered.

Her mouth was demanding, insistent, and a low growl rumbled in my throat as I pulled her closer. She was so perfectly soft and warm against me, and she fit into my arms like she belonged there.

“Eva,” I rasped, my voice rough against her lips. “Tell me to stop. Right now. If you’re not sober—if you want me to stop—now’s your chance to say so.”

“Don’t you dare fucking stop.”

Those words hit me like a match to dry tinder. Another growl tore from my throat, and I lifted her with ease. Her legs wrapped around my waist as I carried her farther into the apartment, our mouths never breaking contact.

Her back hit the edge of the kitchen counter, and for a moment, I paused. I pulled back just enough to look at her. Her dark hair was mussed, her cheeks flushed, and her lips were parted as she gasped for breath. She was a fucking vision, and I couldn’t stop staring.

“You’re…” My voice caught, and I shook my head, trying to clear it. “You’re gonna ruin me, Delgado.”

She smirked, her fingers curling into the open collar of my shirt to pull me closer. “Good,” she whispered, her lips brushing against mine, soft and teasing, before she dragged me back into another kiss.

Her shoes hit the floor with a clatter. My tie was ripped off and tossed aside. Her dress slid down her body, pooling at her feet in a whisper of fabric. My hands skimmed over bare skin,and I felt like I was losing my damn mind. The taste of her lingered on my tongue, and it intoxicated me more than any alcohol could.

We didn’t make it to the bedroom without interruption. Halfway down the hallway, I pressed her against the wall, one hand braced beside her head while the other slid over her thigh, lifting her leg higher around my hip. I reveled in her scent, her warmth, and the way she moaned my name like it was sacred.

By the time we reached the bed, she was in nothing but lace, and I was shirtless, my chest heaving with every breath. My eyes raked over her as she lay back against the sheets, her gaze locked on mine, full of challenge.

“You’re staring,” she said, her tone teasing.

“No shit.” My voice was thick with want as my gaze dipped lower, taking in every glorious inch of her. “You’re perfect.”

I knelt between her legs and slid my hands up her thighs. She shivered at the touch and sucked in a breath. The first taste of her was hot, sweet, and utterly addictive. I groaned against her skin as I feasted on her.

She gasped my name, and the sound nearly undid me. It was raw, desperate, and I could’ve sworn I was going to come undone just from hearing it. But I wanted more. Needed more.

“Jareth—” Her voice broke on a moan. She tangled her fingers in my hair as I sucked and licked with a hunger that bordered on feral. I murmured praise and filth against her skin, but it was lost beneath her moans.

Her thighs trembled as I slid two fingers inside her, curling them just right. She cried out, her head tipping back against the pillow. The sight of her so wild and unguarded drove me to the edge.

“Come for me,” I growled against her. “I want to feel you come on my tongue.”

She cried out as she shattered, clenching around my fingers and bucking against my mouth. I drew out every ounce of her pleasure until she was pulling at my hair and begging for a moment to breathe.

I pulled back and licked my lips, savoring the taste of her as I looked at her. She was sprawled on the bed, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her skin flushed and glowing.

“Fucking hell, Delgado,” I muttered, wiping the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand before crawling up to hover over her. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”

Her fingers trailed lazily along my jaw, her featherlight touch sending sparks of electricity through me. Every logical thought in my head screamed for me to stop. The Shadow’s sister. A human. All the reasons to walk away lined up in stark clarity. But I didn’t care. I couldn’t.