The office holiday party was already a nightmare. The room was packed, the air smelled of cheap wine and expensive perfume, and the twinkling lights overhead felt more like interrogation lamps than festive decor.

And then she saw him—her ex.

Standing near the buffet table in a perfectly tailored suit, laughing like he hadn’t broken her heart six months ago. Worse, he wasn’t alone. Draped over his arm was someone new. Gorgeous, statuesque, and wearing a dress that made her own cocktail number feel like a sack of potatoes.

She froze. Her drink sloshed dangerously in her glass.

“Hey!” her best friend hissed at her side, following her gaze. “Don’t you dare run to the bathroom and hide again. You’re not letting him win tonight.”

She swallowed, nodded, and tried to force a smile. “Right. Right, I’ll just—”

But then his eyes met hers across the room. And he smirked.

That was the final straw.

In a burst of panic, she spun on her heel—and collided with someone.

A warm hand shot out to steady her. “Easy,” a deep voice murmured.

She looked up.

And up.

Standing there was a man she’d never seen before, tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a dark wool coat and a grey scarf, snow still clinging to his hair from outside. He was holding a cup of coffee, his blue eyes sharp but faintly amused as he watched her flail.

“I—sorry—I didn’t mean to—” she stammered.

But then, over his shoulder, she caught her ex still watching. And that cruel little smirk deepened.

That’s when she acted on impulse.

She grabbed the stranger’s free arm and blurted out, “You’re my boyfriend.”

Adrian blinked. “…Excuse me?”

She tightened her grip and plastered on a wide, fake smile. “My boyfriend. Just go with it, please.”

For a long, terrifying moment, he said nothing.

Then his mouth curved into the smallest, most devilish grin. “Ah. Got it.”

Before she could even process his change in demeanor, he leaned down and pressed a kiss—soft, but sure—against her temple. His arm slipped easily around her waist. “Sorry I’m late, love,” he murmured loud enough for her ex to hear.