Page 103 of His Ruthless Match
But it did.
Jareth finally broke the silence. “You don’t talk much in the morning, do you?”
“Not usually,” I said, forcing a light tone. “But this isn’t exactly a usual morning, is it?”
His lips twitched, but it wasn’t quite a smile. He took another sip of coffee, but he still didn’t look at me.
Great.I bit back a sigh.This is going well.
I wanted to ask him if he regretted it, but the words stuck in my throat. I was too afraid of the answer.
What if he does regret it?Panic bubbled beneath the surface, sharp and suffocating.What if this was just another night for him, while I’m sitting here catching feelings like an idiot?
I couldn’t afford to make things more awkward between us. We were stuck together for the foreseeable future, and I didn’t want this to turn into a soap opera.
Jareth finished his bagel and stood. When he stretched, his muscles rippled. I caught myself staring and quickly looked away, my cheeks heating.
“You good?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said quickly, too quickly. I busied myself with my coffee, willing my face not to betray me. “Thanks for breakfast.”
He nodded as he strode to the door. “I’ll be in the other room if you need anything.”
The door clicked shut behind him, and I exhaled sharply, setting my mug down with more force than necessary.
What the hell was that?I ran a hand through my hair. I couldn’t tell if Jareth was acting weird because he regretted it or because he didn’t know how to deal with me. Either way, it was driving me insane.
I clenched the sheet, twisting it around my fingers.Get it together, Delgado. You’re overthinking this.
Closing my eyes, I leaned back against the pillows. For a brief moment, I let myself replay the night before—his hand on my skin and how he’d looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered.
Boy, was I in trouble.
Because as much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, as much as his constant presence infuriated me, I knew I was starting to fall for him. And that terrified me more than anything else.
I stared up at the ceiling and willed myself to move. The emotional whirlwind of the previous night still clung to me,leaving my thoughts scattered. Images of Jareth, coffee, and the awkward silences that followed flitted through my mind like an annoying reel on repeat.
The sound of the door swinging open snapped me out of my haze.
“What the…” I started, sitting up in alarm as the familiar, rigid figure of Grelth stepped into the room. He looked as if he were on a mission of utmost importance, his posture as straight as a ruler, his hands clasped neatly in front of him, and his expression deadly serious.
“Master Grelth regrets to inform you that he will not be preparing breakfast for you this morning,” he declared in his usual monotone, dripping with exaggerated formality.
My gasp was more out of indignation than surprise as I yanked the covers up to my neck. “Do you not knock?” I demanded, my voice rising with a mixture of irritation and disbelief. “You can’t just barge in here like this!”
From the living room, Jareth laughed. “Guess privacy isn’t a thing here,” he muttered as he stepped up behind Grelth. His grin widened when our eyes met, and I wished I could throw something at him.
“I’ll deal with you in a second,” I snapped, turning my attention back to Grelth. “Well?”
Grelth ignored my outrage entirely, his composure unshaken as he continued with his statement, as though my question was irrelevant. “Master Grelth has a prior engagement this morning, which prevents him from fulfilling his usual duties.”
Jareth’s brow furrowed, and he lowered his mug. “Prior engagement?” he asked skeptically. “Since when do you have a social life?”
Grelth shifted awkwardly, his hands tightening slightly in front of him. For a moment, he seemed uncertain, as thoughdebating whether to elaborate further. Finally, he cleared his throat, clearly annoyed by the interruption.
“If you must know,” he said, his tone taking on an air of faint exasperation, “today is Master Grelth’s birthday, and I should like to have the day off. If it pleases you.”
My jaw dropped. “Your birthday? Why didn’t you say anything sooner? We could’ve done something for you.”
