Content Note: This backstory takes place two years before the start of Nick and Karina’s book. Some parts have been omitted due to spoilers. This story contains graphic language and alcohol use.

Luna Cove, MA

Two Years Ago

Three reasons Ash needed to dump her boyfriend:

  1. He was an egotistical prick who lacked emotional maturity.
  2. He was a self-absorbed workaholic with the communication skills of a toddler.
  3. He was a cheating asshole who couldn’t keep his tongue in his own mouth.

Ash bit back a scream, clenching her jaw tight as her boyfriend rammed his tongue down his assistant’s throat. She had to be hallucinating, because there was no way in hell Ben would humiliate her like this. Not at his stuffy holiday work party. Not in front of all his co-workers, and most definitely not in front of her. She blinked, hoping the elegantly decorated ballroom’s dim lighting was fucking with her vision—that the tall, dark-haired man making out with the beautiful brunette was not her boyfriend—but nope. Her vision worked just fine.

Ash grabbed her merlot and weaved her way through the sea of crimson-clothed tables with their glowing crystal candelabras acting like beacons. As she cut across the dance floor, she debated on how to handle the situation. One, she could confront him like a mature adult and dump him without causing a scene, or two, she could channel her inner petty bitch and dump her drink all over Ben’s stupid head.

She hated wasting booze, but being petty was way more fun. Ash marched up to the long bar, stopping a couple of feet away from Ben, and cleared her throat. Twice. But Ben was too busy sucking his assistant’s face to even notice Ash’s presence. Oh well. Sucked to be him.

With the will of her magical mind, the goblet shot up into the air, hovering just an inch above Ben’s six-foot-two frame. Ash flicked her finger, and the glass tipped over, the burgundy wine raining down on Ben’s short, espresso-brown hair. The wineglass shattered onto the ivory floor, and the entire room came to a standstill as Ben broke the kiss and spun around. He scowled, nailing her with a vicious glare. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He hissed, wiping the wine away with his sleeve. “Are you insane?”

“Oh, I’m perfectly sane,” Ash snapped, folding her arms over her chest. “But it’s your mental faculties that I’m worried about. Did you hit your head? Develop a sudden case of amnesia? Or were you planning on surprising me with a threesome?” Ash demanded. “Because if it’s the latter, then I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not into skanky, boyfriend-stealing brunettes who smell like they bathed in cheap perfume.” She daggered a glare at the brunette. “No offense.”

“It’s not what you think.” Ben dabbed his face with the stack of napkins his assistant handed him.

“No?” Ash arched her brow. “While I’d love to hear all about this fantasy fairytale, I think it’s best that you save your breath and my time.” She shot the brunette a saccharine smile. “Have fun with my leftovers.”

Ash turned on her heel and stormed out of the glass encased-room, ignoring all the hushed whispers and gaping stares as she beelined for the exit. She snagged her coat from the coat attendant and stepped outside, where she was greeted by a whirlwind of wind-whipped snow. Her loose curls swirled around her, the wind turning the strands into lashing weapons. Ash huddled into herself as the vortex of icy flakes wrapped itself around her, the blustery gusts stealing her breath.

Fuck. She probably should’ve figured out a way home before making her melodramatic escape. But then she hadn’t expected to be rushing out into the middle of a snowpocalypse either. It was just another unwelcome surprise on a surprisingly shitty night. Could her life possibly get any worse?

“Ash?” A deep, velvety timbre sliced through the snowy silence.

Ryan. Ash lifted her head, her gaze landing on the black luxury SUV parked by the curb; its twin headlights cutting through the thick, fluffy flakes. She couldn’t believe her luck. As if getting cheated on hadn’t been mortifying enough? Now, her unrequited crush—the ridiculously gorgeous guy she’d spent years fantasizing about—just happened to be the guy who rescued her. It should’ve been a literal dream come true. But Ryan had just gotten into a relationship, while she’d just ended one. Fate was a cruel bitch.

“What are you doing out here?” Ryan shouted, looking absolutely bewildered. He shook himself and rolled up the window, shoving the passenger-side door open. “Hop in.”

She wished she could blend into the night, but it was too late for any magic tricks. Ash forced a smile, taking her time crossing the slick, snow-covered sidewalk. She climbed into the SUV and yanked the door shut, sealing away the bitter cold. Warmth flooded the darkened cabin; the scent of amber musk mixed with spiced citrus and leather enveloped her, making her feel safe and secure.

Ryan reached over, his arm brushing up against hers as he cranked up the heat on her side of the car. And she couldn’t stop herself from staring. She really couldn’t. Dressed in a black leather jacket with a forest-green dress shirt underneath and black pants, he looked like the polished bad boy he was. With his impeccably chiseled features, he had the face card of a god and the body to match. He was all beauty and danger and charm rolled into a tall, immaculately sculpted package.

“Thanks.” Ash flashed him a grateful smile, and clasped her hands, resisting the urge to run her fingers through his short, thick sandy-brown hair.

“You okay?” Ryan shifted in his seat, the leather creaking beneath his weight as he angled his body towards her. Concern flickered in his dark emerald depths. “What happened?”

“Um…” Ash shoved her hands in front of the vents, examining her manicured nails. She didn’t want to talk about Ben. She didn’t want to admit that Ryan’s suspicions about Ben being an unfaithful shitbag had come to fruition. But then, she’d known the truth all along. The warning signs had all been there, spelling out “cheater” in bright neon lights right above Ben’s head.

But she ignored all the signs, refusing to believe that another guy would cheat on her. Again. So, she lied to herself—convinced herself that everything was fine, that she was fine—because lying was so much easier than dealing with the devastating truth. But she only delayed the inevitable. What could she say? Her denial game was strong.

“Ash?” Ryan cupped her chin, his touch gentle and electric, as he lifted her gaze until it met his. “Talk to me. Please.”

She couldn’t lie to him. She wouldn’t.

Ash heaved out a sigh. “I caught Ben ramming his tongue down his assistant’s throat. So, I poured my drink all over his stupid head and dumped the lying douche canoe,” Ash blurted.

“He cheated on you?” Ryan frowned, disbelief flaring in his eyes. “Just now?”

“Yup,” Ash replied. “He didn’t bother hiding it either. Just gave everyone front-row seats to his little make-out show,” Ash scoffed. “It’s like he forgot I existed. Guess I’m forgettable.” She shrugged, swallowing past the lump in her throat.

“You are not forgettable.” Ryan swept her hair back, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “Far from it.”

“Ben doesn’t think so,” she mumbled.

“Fuck that dude. I’ll kill that dude.” Ryan’s gaze darkened, turning positively murderous. “You want me to kill that asshole?” He nodded toward the waterfront restaurant. “Cause I will gladly put that fuckwit in the ground.”

“Tempting, but no,” Ash replied. As much as she’d love to watch Ryan beat Ben to a bloody pulp, she didn’t want to see her ex, let alone think about him. “He’s not worth the time or effort.”

“I could make it quick.” A diabolical smirk played up on his sensual lips. “Not that the asshole deserves a swift death, but I could erase him out of existence in less than thirty seconds flat.” Ryan snapped his gloved fingers. “Just say the word and it’s done.”

“I appreciate the sentiment. I do.” Ash choked out a strangled giggle, which sounded more like a sob. Oh no. She was not gonna cry. Not over Ben. Not now. Not ever. That douche nozzle was not worth a single teardrop. She smothered her sadness and blinked back the tears, plastering another fake smile on her face. “But I just want to forget all about Ben and this shitty night.”

Ryan’s expression softened. “Come here.” He leaned across the console, pulling her against him.

Ash burrowed her head against Ryan’s hard, leather-clad shoulder; his spiced, musky scent falling over her like a comforting blanket. Pleasant chills raced up her spine and zipped through her neural pathways, setting her nerve endings ablaze as he stroked her back, holding her tight.

She found blissful solace in Ryan’s embrace, his powerful arms quieting her tumultuous thoughts. And she wanted to stay like this forever. Never wanted him to let go. She wished things were different. She wished he was single, wished he reciprocated her feelings, and wished that they were more than friends, but they weren’t. They were just friends. Only friends. And didn’t that just suck?

Ryan pressed a tender kiss on the top of her head. “Think I might be able to help you forget all about that asshat.”

“Does it involve copious amounts of booze?” Ash asked. “Or were you planning on scrubbing my memories, because I’d prefer the former, but would totally be cool with the latter.”

“Pretty sure Illusion has plenty of alcohol.” Ryan’s lips twitched, amusement twinkling in his dark eyes. “I was gonna meet the guys there. Why don’t you join me?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t want to crash guys’ night out,” Ash replied. “Besides, Val would blow a fucking gasket if we hung out.” Ash heaved out a heavy sigh, resting her head against the soft leather seat. Ryan’s girlfriend hated her, and she didn’t know why. “I don’t want to stir up any drama. I’ve had plenty for one night.”

“You wouldn’t be crashing,” Ryan replied. “And Val’s a nonissue. We broke up.”

“What?” Ash’s jaw dropped, hope bubbling up in her chest. Not that she stood a chance with Ryan, but she couldn’t help the elation zinging through her veins. She sat up, trying hard to hide her curious excitement. “Don’t tell me you got dumped too.”

“Nah.” Ryan shook his head. “I dumped her.”

“When?” Ash’s brows shot up, her heart skipping along to a happy little beat inside her ribcage. “What happened?”

Ryan peeled the leather back from his wrist and checked his designer watch. “About twenty minutes ago.” He shifted his attention back to her, the corners of his mouth tipping up in a mischievous smile. “How about I tell you all about it over a few drinks? You drink. I’ll drive.”

“Are you trying to bribe me?” Ash teased.

“No,” he replied, shooting her a pointed stare. “I’m just trying to save you from that solo pity party you plan on throwing when you get back home.”

Gods, it was like he could read her mind, like he knew her better than she knew herself. Because she had totally planned on spending the rest of the night drowning her sorrows in several bottles of wine. And as much as she hated the idea of hanging out all alone, she also didn’t want to ruin guys’ night by showing up uninvited. No one liked surprise guests.

“Come on. The night’s still young, and you look stunning,” Ryan said. “You really want to trade in that gorgeous dress for a set of sweats?”

Blood rushed to her cheeks as a hot flush swept over her body. Ryan had a point. The shimmery rose-gold dress was beautiful—even though Ben hated it, not that his shitty opinion mattered—and it was the perfect outfit for the upscale nightclub. She hated wasting a perfectly good dress. And she didn’t want Ryan driving out of his way to take her home, especially in this storm, not when Illusion was just up the road. “Are you sure you’re okay with me tagging along?”

“Positive.” A  warm smile crept up on his lips. “So, what’s the verdict? You in or out?”

“I could use a little fun.” Ash met his gaze. “Fuck it. I’m in.”

“That’s my girl.” Ryan winked, and she was pretty sure her heart stopped at that very moment. “Let’s go celebrate being single.”

“Let’s.” She grinned as he gripped the wheel and shifted the car into gear. She never imagined she’d be happy about being cheated on, but maybe it was for the best. Maybe it was a chance for a fresh start. And maybe, just maybe, fate didn’t hate her after all.

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