3. Spell Gone Awry

Chapter 3

Spell Gone Awry

Though Nova’s heart pounded in her chest and nerves fluttered in her belly, it still felt right. She loved Ramsey and was ready to commit herself to him in every way.

“It’s your turn, snow,” he whispered.

He made quick work of pulling his pants and shirt off. Her cheeks flushed at the sight of him completely bare before her, as she’d never seen a naked man before. He had a tuft of dark hair on his lean chest and a dark line that began below his belly button and continued until it reached his cock.

“You’re beautiful,” she said, hiding behind a curtain of hair.

It had been one thing for her to get caught up in the moment earlier. But now that she faced a choice, she didn’t want to stop. Ash gently lifted her chin with his hand and brushed her hair back.

“Don’t get shy on me now, Snow.”

He leaned in and kissed her fervently. A gentle caress was all it took to make her tingle with pleasure. She whimpered as they broke apart.

“Lift your arms,” he said.

She did as she was told, and he pulled her blouse over her head and twisted the fabric to capture her arms. Losing the sense of sight and function of her arms left her vulnerable to his ministrations.

“Ash!” she squeaked.

“You are gorgeous,” he said.

He rubbed his thumbs over the lacy fabric of her black bra, causing her nipples to strain. A shiver ran down her spine as he freed them from their confines. Ash peppered her chest with scorching kisses before sucking a painful pebble into his mouth.

He lowered his hand to her hip and pulled her closer. He forced her back to arch as he bit her. Pleasure shot through her and immediately settled between her legs.

“I’m burning, Ash.”

“I’ve got you, Nova. Trust me. I promise to take care of you.”

Little did they know some promises were easily broken, no matter how well-intentioned. But at that moment, they were lost to each other. Consequences were the last thing on their minds.

Ash slowly gathered Nova’s skirt in his hands and tugged it down her hips. It fluttered to the rug, pooling around her ankles. He captured her lips once more and removed her blouse before scooping her up and laying her on the couch. He adjusted her body and pulled her legs over his shoulders.

Nova squealed as his hot breath blew across her folds. It almost broke her when he spread her lips and repeated the treatment to her throbbing clit.

“I can’t… please…”

She tried to squirm away, but he grasped her thighs so she couldn’t escape.

“It’s alright, snow. Say no or tell me to stop if you want me to and we’ll be done.”

He lifted his blue eyes to meet her gaze, and she shook her head.

“Okay,” he said. “Remember what I told you.”

That was easy until he returned his attention to her pleasure. She fell apart the moment he sucked on her clit. Ash kept his promise to hold her and didn’t let go as she was lost in a sea of torrent emotion. He added his tongue and gently probed her with his index finger.

She whined and squirmed at the foreign feeling. With his concentration on her clit, Ash pushed through her resistance into her slick core. His finger worked in tandem with his mouth as the coil in her belly tightened once more. Her inner walls clenched around him, trying to pull him deeper.

“Fuck, Nova. You taste incredible!”

“I… I…” she stammered.

He kissed her inner thigh to shepherd her through the next wave.

“Ash!” she cried. “I wish...”

In that moment of pleasure, she wished to freeze that bliss forever. The image of the snow globe popped into her mind. She wanted to make love for the first time in Ash’s wonderland.

They collapsed on the couch, trying to catch their breath before pulling their clothes back on. The fire had dwindled in the hearth as they cuddled and a shiver ran down Nova’s spine.

“Are you cold?” Ash asked.

“I’m fine.”

But he didn’t believe her. He got up and pulled his boxers on before adding another log and stoking the fire. Then he collected her clothes and handed them to her with a dopey grin.

They put on White Christmas and soon after fell asleep.

The snow swirled around Nova as the songbird sang for its mate. There was something truly magical about spending Christmas with Ash at his family's cabin. But maybe there was nothing special at all beyond the fact that they were in love. That was more than enough.

Nova didn’t care that Ash’s family came from money. She had all she needed to be happy, and he accepted her unconditionally.

She held two steaming cups of cocoa in her hands as she met him beneath the tree. He took the cup from her and gave her a kiss in thanks. She’d made her special recipe, adding a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. He pulled a pocket knife from his jeans and carved the letters A and N in a heart in the bark.

Nova awoke from her fantasy to a waking nightmare. She stretched on the couch and wiped the sleep from her eyes, missing the warmth and weight of Ash next to her.

“Ash?” she called out in the darkness.

The warm blanket wrapped around her was her gift to Ash. It took her a week to knit it. She’d picked yarn in his favorite color with an accent thread that matched his eyes. He seemed to love it almost as much as she loved her snow globe. Nova pulled it off her lap and stretched her arms. She still had on his flannel shirt—the only proof that he had been there. She rose from the couch and adjusted her skirt.

Her eyes skimmed the room but didn’t stop 0n the snow globe on the mantle. She rushed from room to room in search of him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there.

Panic set in as she opened the cottage door and saw his pickup in the driveway. She ran up to it and found it unlocked. He wasn’t inside.

“Ash!” she hollered, not caring that it was late.

Their property was an acre and a half, giving them space from the neighbors. Nova rubbed her hands over her goose-pimpled arms, shivering in the chilly night, and returned to the warm cottage. It failed to provide relief.

She tried Ash’s cell, and the haunting piano melody he’d called her song filled the otherwise silent home. Hopeless tears pricked her eyes as she picked his ringing phone off the dining room table. The automated female voice on his voicemail said he was unavailable.

Her parents, who should’ve been home from the shop, weren’t there either. Nova called her mother.

“Hello, Nova.”

Her voice sounded tinny, as though she were far away.

“Mom,” she cried. “Ash is missing.”

There was a moment of silence, and Nova pulled the phone away from her ear to check if the call had disconnected.

“Mom?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, Nova.”

“Please, come home,” the girl cried. “I need you.”

“We’ll be home at dawn.”

Geralt, her father, came on the line. “Don’t panic, Nova.”

“Daddy! Please, I need you. I can’t find Ash.”

She wrapped an arm around herself as she sobbed.

“I’m sorry, Nova,” he said sympathetically. There’s a barrier around the house. We won’t be able to cross until dawn.”

“A barrier?” she asked. “Who cast it?”

Before she could get an answer, the call dropped. She hurriedly tried to call them again, but her cell lost the signal. Nova clutched the device so tight that her knuckles turned white.

The distraught girl plopped on the couch, holding Ash’s blanket to her chest. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths, attempting to center herself. Ash’s kisses remained on her skin. It wasn’t all in her head. They loved each other and pledged their love. He wouldn’t just disappear or leave her.

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of a tinkling piano melody. She almost tripped over her feet in her haste to reach the mantle. The lights in the tree were lit up, and smoke billowed from the squat cabin chimney. Snow swirled around the glass before falling to the ground.

The deer in the yard weren’t the only ones watching her. A minuscule Ramsey Ashford Hayes blinked at her.

Nova collapsed.