Ours For Forever (The Wicked Holiday Duet Book #2)

Prologue

Aria

Two Weeks After Halloween Night

The scent of books and freshly brewed coffee fills the air as I organize the shelves with a fresh batch of titles.

I recently stumbled upon this wild series while reading on my Kindle after my Halloween night with Skull and Ghost, and I knew my customers would devour it faster than I did.

I had been searching for the perfect why choose romance that would give me the same thrill and unholy joy I had that night.

Then… boom…I found Taila Cantrell’s Reclaiming Wonderland Series.

Being a lifelong fan of Alice in Wonderland, I was hooked faster than you can say down the rabbit hole.

Taila’s take on Wonderland—chef’s kiss—is so rich, so emotionally twisted, and it gave me feelings I didn’t think I would have again.

This right here is my happy place. Discovering authors who haven’t had their “big break” yet and sharing their work. It is undoubtedly my favorite part of owning this store.

As I slot the last copy of Blue Dreams onto the shelf, a chime rings, signaling the entrance of a customer. I turn with a smile, ready to greet whoever walked into my little sanctuary.

As I round the corner to the counter, my eyes immediately lock on two men standing there like they just stepped out of one of these over-the-top romance novels.

Both of them have to be over six feet tall, no chance they're under.

I can practically feel their presence smothering my tiny little bookstore.

The first guy who turns to me is the kind of man you look at and immediately think, he probably listens to music that sounds like a thunderstorm and doesn't get surprised by plot twists. He’s got shaggy black hair that looks like it's been styled with pure attitude, and those eyes, baby blue, are easy to get lost in. His muscular build gives off the vibe that he could lift a car or at least help you move your couch without breaking a sweat. And when he smiles at me, it’s like someone just turned up the heat in the store.

Then there's the other guy, leaning against the counter like he’s too cool to stand up straight.

He has long brown hair that flows past his shoulders, he kind of looks like a Viking in some ways.

His muscular build screams that he works out every single day, but he carries it with a laid-back confidence that makes me think he’s used to women drooling over him.

He’s got that I know I’m trouble vibe, and honestly, I’m not sure if I should be scared or intrigued.

Together, they’re like temptation incarnate. There’s something about them. Something I can’t quite place. It’s the feeling you get when you think you might have been stalked in a past life, but you know… in a sexy way.

“Hey there,” the one with black hair says, voice smooth as honey. “We’re looking for… something really special.” He winks, and I melt. I’m not sure if he’s being serious or if he’s just trying to get me to laugh so he can steal my soul and leave me thanking him for it.

“Welcome in!” I blurt out, mentally kicking myself.

“What kind of books are you into?” I step behind the counter.

What the hell is happening with me? I need to wrestle back control before I spiral into a fantasy I'll regret later.

I think I might be reading too much smut if this is the way I act anytime I am around hot men.

The guy with shaggy black hair, let's call him Mr. Blue Eyes, is still watching me. He's looking at me like he's reading every filthy, unspoken thought before I even have it. Great. I hope I'm not that obvious.

The other guy, Mr. Green Eyes, leans in and tilts his head.

Just that simple move makes me feel like he’s studying me under a microscope.

“Do you have something with a good mystery?” He asks, placing a hand on his chest, his eyes sparkling.

“But only if it comes with a side of adventure. And a splash of danger. Maybe a hint of romance about a hot bookstore ow—”

“And snacks,” the first guy interrupts. “No good mystery is complete without chips or cookies.”

A snort escapes before I can stop it, followed immediately by a mental slap… no way that just happened in front of these two. Familiarity creeps in like a shadow, teasing the edge of recognition. Their faces stir something, though the connection stays frustratingly out of reach.

"That logic's hard to argue with," I say with a nervous laugh. My eyes dart between them, searching for answers. "But… have we met before? There's something about you guys that feels way too familiar."

“So,” Mr. Green Eyes says. His that ridiculously inviting voice causes my stomach to flip. “What do you think of mysterious strangers? The kind who shows up when you least expect them?”

I give a short laugh, trying to keep it cool. “Well, to be honest, I’m usually into mystery, but I also suck at surprises.”

Mr. Green Eyes laughs. “Good answer, Aria. But here’s a question for you. Have you looked at your back since Halloween night?”

I freeze. Did he just say-

“What?” I practically spit the word out before I can stop myself. That night… that Halloween night. It had been one of the most bizarre, mind-blowing evenings of my life, but how do they know that!

“Don’t look so panicked. We’re not here to freak you out… Well, not completely.” Mr. Blue Eyes says, with a knowing smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

I stand taller, trying to shake the creeping feeling that my whole life is about to get a lot weirder. “What the hell does that have to do with anything? And who are you?”

Mr. Green Eyes leans a little closer, his eyes flicking over my face. “The marks, Aria,” he says, his voice low, like we’re in on some secret that only they understand, “The ones you got that night…have you looked at them?”

I swallow hard. Of course I’ve looked at them.

How could I not? It’s the only reminder I have that Halloween night actually happened.

Every time I shower, every time I look in the mirror…

I get a reminder of Skull and Ghost, their initials left on my skin permanently.

But still…how do they know about them? How do they know about that night?

A flash of panic creeps up my spine. “Yeah, I’ve looked,” I say, more cruelly than intended. “But what the hell does that have to do with you two?”

Their eyes meet for a moment, and that’s when I realize something. These guys aren’t normal. No, scratch that, these guys are weird as fuck.

“What do they say, Aria?” Mr. Blue Eyes asks, his tone teasing but serious at the same time. “The marks, baby. What do they say?"

I glance at them both, trying to read their expressions, but I’m getting nowhere.

I sigh. “Fine. I’ll tell you.” I pause, looking between them. “The initials. On my back. They say JR and BA.”

The room goes quiet, my words hang in the air for a moment, like the space between thunder and lightning, and I’m about to say something snarky, because what else do I do in situations where I feel like I’m being played when Mr. Green Eyes surprises me.

His hand comes out over the counter, palm open, his smirk gone, replaced with something like longing. “Jackson Rivers,” he says smoothly, his voice just a touch softer now, like he's shedding a persona and stepping into something more real. “Nice to officially meet you, Aria.”

My stomach does a flip as I take in the name. Jackson Rivers. The initials…JR.

Before I can process it, Mr. Blue Eyes extends his hand. “Beau Ashford,” he says, his voice deep, low, and laden with a smugness that sets me off balance in the best possible way.

Jackson. Beau.

JR and BA…

No fucking way.

The realization hits me like a freight train, and suddenly, the world feels like it’s spinning.

These two men, this pair of impossibly handsome strangers who have been playing with my mind for the last five minutes…

are Skull and Ghost. I’m staring at Skull and Ghost, no face paint, in full light. These are my men.

My breath catches as recognition sets in. Without thinking, I practically fly over the counter. There is a newfound frantic surge of energy pushing me forward.

They catch me instantly, their arms locking around me like instinct.

The world feels like it pauses for a moment.

For a second, I almost forget where I am.

The confusion, the strangers, the mystery of who the men were on Halloween night.

None of that matters anymore. I’m here. I’m with them. With Jackson and Beau.

I press my face into Beau’s chest, trying to steady my breath. It’s like my heart forgot how to beat. “I thought I would never see either of you again.” I manage to whisper, my voice trembling. “I thought…I thought you were both just…just gone.”

Jackson wraps his arms around me too, his grip warm and firm. “You think we’d leave you after the perfect night we had together, sweetheart? No chance in hell.” He is full of the same dark, possessive hunger that's haunted my dreams.

I can feel my emotions bubbling up, threatening to spill. It’s not just the shock of seeing them again, it’s the relief. The overwhelming, soul deep relief that they’re here. They’re back. I know it's crazy to feel this way after having them for one night, but these two changed something in me.

“You two—” I pull back slightly, wiping my face with the back of my hand, embarrassed at how emotional I’ve gotten in front of them.

They probably regret coming here. Who wouldn't after getting body slammed by a weepy bookstore owner. They probably think I am crazy for almost knocking them down with my full body weight going over the counter. “You two…showed me what it’s like to be claimed. I didn’t think I would ever feel that again.

In one night, you made me feel things I never felt for Jacob, and after he hurt me the way he did and you two swooped in to fix that. ”

Jackson places a finger on my lips, cutting off my words. His expression softens, but there’s something more intense in his gaze now. “We didn’t forget you, Aria. Not for a single moment. We had some things to talk through and work out before we knew if we could come back to you.”

Beau shifts slightly, his hand still on my waist, but his grip loosens just enough to allow me to step back, to look at them both properly.

“You’re ours, Aria,” he says, voice like a dark promise.

“Not just ours for tonight… Ours for forever, baby. We’ve never stopped thinking about you since the moment we laid eyes on you. ”

I let out a breath. “But… why? I don’t understand. You both made me promise it was a one-night thing, and then boom, you were supposed to be gone, just… gone.” I shake my head, stunned by emotions I never thought would resurface…at least not like this.

Jackson chuckles, a dark, indistinct sound.

“You think we’d let you go that easily?” He tilts my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes, his gaze full of that familiar, heated intensity that makes my heart race just like on Halloween night.

“You belong with us, Aria. We've marked you and claimed you. That’s not something we walk away from.”

I don’t even care about the questions swirling in my mind anymore. I don’t care that the last week or so has felt like a mystery that’s been eating away at me.

What I care about is that they’re here. They’re mine. And I’m not letting them go again. No matter what.

I step closer, and this time it’s me pulling them in, wrapping my arms around both of them. “I missed you,” I breathe, the tears finally falling freely.

Jackson’s grip tightens. “We missed you too, sweetheart. We’ll never leave you again. You’re ours now, in ways you don’t even know yet.”

Beau leans in, pressing his lips to the top of my head. “We’re just getting started, Aria. The story you thought ended? It's only begun.”