Chapter Five
Nova
Flowers mean more to me than pretty petals or sweet scents.
White roses can mean a peace offering, a token of forgiveness. Tulips can speak of romance or new beginnings. There is a lot more to a beautiful bouquet than weaving together the right flowers and foliage. In their beauty, flowers can tell stories and whisper secrets—if you try to listen.
When a huge spread of ruby red amaryllis shows up on my front door, I am trying to listen to what they could mean. I could be offended that Niko went to another florist, but how could I be? They’re beautiful and as I put them in a crystal vase on the old marble island in my kitchen, they light up the entire room.
“Pride, strength,” I whisper to no one as I touch the soft, ruby red petals.
On a card scribbled in boxy writing, he has left note. “Hopefully these make your eyes sparkle a little. What about that brunch?”
Smiling as I trace the words with my fingertip, I sigh. I was too harsh on him after that sweet forest lunch date. It has been a few days and despite my stalking off as if I were a sulking teenager, I cannot get him out of my head. All I can think about is the sweet words he said to me in that romantic spot in the woods, where it felt like just the two of us existed.
“ They’re so damn pretty, but so sad. I want them to sparkle ,” his voice echoes in my head as it has since he said those words.
Orion used to say I was a real-life Tinkerbell. Happy thoughts filled my head while I sprinkled a little fairy dust wherever I went. It was why that night he and those cute lost boys came to my shop, I was so enchanted by him. Because I have been looking for happier thoughts for a long time.
Losing my parents was hard on both of us, of course. I took the brunt of things because I had to take care of us. I had to keep us in the house we grew up in and get him through school. I sprinkled all the fairy dust I could on what was left after we lost them. In the end, it wasn't enough to keep us both happy, it wasn't enough to earn a sense of loyalty from my brother.
I have thought time and again about his relationship with Oaklin. If I forget she is my best friend—and has been since we were in the second grade—and I forget he is my little brother, they make perfect sense. I think I even considered setting them up once or twice, to keep the two most important people I had left close to me. It was their lies, their sneaking behind my back, that hurt me. It was so simple for them to abandon me.
What do I have to celebrate on my own?
Niko seems to think he can give me something to celebrate. I do not need to be fixed or taken apart to be put back together how he sees fit. There is nothing wrong with me hating the holidays. Nothing wrong with me refusing to celebrate the emptiness of my life.
“Didn't feel that empty in that clearing,” as if from somewhere deep inside me, a soft voice says this. I am challenging my own stubborn thoughts. I smile and fuss with the flowers for a little while longer, admiring their red blooms and light perfume.
Outside it is snowing again, so I tug on my wool jacket after I pull on a stocking cap and gloves. I do love the snow, even if I hate its ties to the festive season. I consider each snowfall a brand-new start—and don't we all need one of those from time to time?
Trudging through the wet layers of snow, I stop in my tracks when I hear it. Not just the usual carolers. No, it's louder than that. Bigger and bolder than a handful of good wishers wandering the streets. I see bright lights up ahead, twinkling and dancing, shouts of crowds and peals of laughter. I get a little lightheaded as I realize what it is. The one thing I cannot avoid no matter how I try.
True Ridge's winter festival is in full swing.
“Well, hell,” I mutter, yanking my hat down lower. “Not what I was hoping to walk up on today,” I sigh the words as I weave through crowds.
Each year it gets bigger and brighter. I remember when it was just some hot chocolate, sleigh rides, and a jolly Santa Clause waiting to hear what each child was wishing for. Now it's carriage rides and hot cider, fresh donuts and small trinkets for sale. It has become less about holidays and more about the bottom line, so I am justified in hating it a little more each year.
“Never thought I would find you here,” a familiar, husky voice calls.
Stopping my attempt to escape the madness, I turn. Oh, no. Why is he so damn handsome? In a flannel top, leather jacket, and boots, Niko could be the hot guy on a man-of-the-month calendar. He could be Mr. December, with that beard, those light eyes, and that dimpled smile.
“Well, you have not found me here,” I correct him, smiling despite my feigned annoyance. “I am trying to escape, can't you tell?”
Grinning at me, he cocks his head at me, as if checking to see if I mean what I say. Holding his hand out to me, he waits. I can't help myself, I move to slip my hand into his. His palm is huge, wrapping around mine, and so warm I feel it against my skin even through my glove. He draws my hand to his mouth, pushing my glove up. I bite back a gasp as he presses a soft kiss to the inside of my wrist.
“Well, let me help you escape. Come with me?”
It is earlier on a Sunday evening, so I have no reason to deny him. My shop is closed, I have nowhere to be. I was headed to my shop because after his flowers arrived, I was hit with inspiration. I have not seen him since leaving him in the woods. I find I very much want to go with him.
“You will get me out of here?”
“Honey, I would take you anywhere you asked me to,” he tells me, voice low as he steps close. “I have not let you down yet, have I?”
Smiling, I shake my head. No, he has not. That lunch was the most romantic thing I've ever seen. Even if he upset me by talking about Christmas, he gave me space once I demanded it. Those flowers were not just pretty flowers, he could have sent roses or any of a dozen other flowers. He chose those flowers to say what I wouldn't let him say—he saw my strength, he appreciated it…but maybe I don't have to be strong all the time.
Nodding, I follow him, lacing my fingers tighter within his. He lets out a chuckle that makes my heart twitter in my chest. Weaving through the crowd, he takes me away from the flowing festivities. Loading me into a big, black truck, he climbs in beside me and pulls from the street. He doesn't go too far as he winds through a low mountain range.
“This is my second favorite spot,” he tells me with a crooked grin, dimple flashing, as he backs up along a gravel plateau overlooking town.
Climbing from the truck, he jerks his head with another big smile, urging me to follow him out. Rounding the back of his truck, he pauses, both of us taking a moment to take in the view of True Ridge in all its' splendor. It is beautiful with the dusting of snow, with the bright twinkling lights of the festival and the many houses decked out for the season.
For a moment, I forget that I hate the holiday. That it has brought me so much pain. It once was my favorite time of year. I loved hanging lights and wrapping presents. Now, it just seems so pointless. To be honest, a lot of things seem pretty pointless to me since I have lost so much.
“Come here,” Niko urges gently, voice deep, soft, his hand reaching for mine again. I turn, almost laughing when I see what he has done.
Spread in the back of his truck are several blankets and a mountain of pillows. It looks absolutely inviting and all I want to do is snuggle in with him. I cock a brow at him, as if asking how he put this together. He flushes, his cheeks going pink as he rubs the back of his neck shyly.
“Well, I was on my way to your shop, honey. I hoped if I could not have brunch or dinner with you, maybe I could talk you into some sweets beneath the stars. It is a perfect night for it. I reckoned you wouldn't want to entertain that festival so I might be able to convince you to take a drive with me.”
“I asked if you often do this sort of thing before. You said no…. how am I to believe that if you keep doing these…cute things?”
“Believe that I never thought to do anything remotely cute before I met you, Nova. I upset you last time, I had to pull out all the stops this time. Come on, honey. Let's just sit here for a little while.”
There is not a moment of hesitation in my head as I let him help me inside. It is cold out, but the bed of the truck is warm as we crawl to the very back, leaning against the pillows stacked there. I frown at how warm it is, my hand running over a thick duvet that must be a heated blanket.
“Pull out all the stops you did. This is divine,” I admit, snuggling into the warmth as he pulls me close to his side. “It's warmer than it has a right to be. Very cozy, Niko. If you do this again, don't change a thing.”
“I will do this again, if you want me to. Like I said before, I never thought to do something cute before, but now that I have…well, I said I liked how your pretty eyes sparkle. To be the one to make them sparkle feels like I am winning something special.”
Touched by his sweet words, I sigh, lying back against his chest. He drags another stack of blankets up over us as the snow falls slowly. Niko smells clean and crisp like fresh laundry, and I love the warmth of his big body as I settle back against it. We don't talk for a long time. It doesn't feel to me as if we need to say anything at all.
I am good at pushing people out. Keeping them a safe distance from my heart so they can't hurt it. It's been pretty battered by life. Sitting here with him, I wonder if I am putting it on the line with him. If I am risking it being damaged in a way I have never known before. He is not the only one who has never thought of doing something cute with some, or for someone.
Romance was just never at the top of my list of things to do. I dated in high school before the accident, but it was impossible after that. It was too much of a risk, too much of a waste of time when I had my brother to take care of a life to hold together with no idea how to do it. I’ve often wondered if it would have been easier if I had just let someone in.
Could I let Niko, this sweet, cute, Peter Pan of man, in my life?
“It is beautiful up here,” he whispers as his arms close tight around me. “Even if you hate the holidays—which I aim to fix—you can’t deny that. True Ridge might be the prettiest place on the planet.”
Laughing softly, I nod. He is not wrong. With the snow dusted peaks of the Appalachian Mountains, the smokestacks reaching to the dim skies, and the twinkling lights of town below, it is the prettiest place on the planet. I think that being up here with him, in this too-cute setting, is making it even prettier than usual.
We sit in a comfortable quiet for a long time. There doesn’t seem to be a need for words. Watching the snowfall and the festival going on below is enough. I snuggle back against him, sighing as his arms tighten, the warmth of him flushing my skin beneath my coat, beneath my clothes. Turning my head, I smile up at him, surprised by the comfort, the familiarity we share.
Something darkens his eyes as he stares back at me. My heartrate skyrockets as his breathing quickens, my body rising faster with his. His hand comes up, warm against my cheek, fingers sliding into the hair at my temple. My eyes fall closed because I am welcoming what is coming.
“Nova...” his voice is hot enough to send warmth spreading through me.
His mouth brushes over mine as he twists me slightly. He is sweet, like butter mints, his tongue licking at my lips. I open to him, gasping at the heat that washes over me, pooling low in my belly. I turn more to press closer, almost straddling his lap as his tongue strokes mine, his mouth taking, taking, but also giving, giving.
Pressing against him, I slide my fingers into his thick hair, the waves silky as they tangle in my fingers. His hands slide beneath my coat, beneath my top, scorching my skin as he grasps me tight. Pulling me even closer, he tears his mouth from mine, both of us panting to catch our breath.
“Look at that,” he hums against my mouth, eyes searching mine. “Those eyes are sparkling so pretty, honey,” he teases, tracing his thumb over my brow.
“I wonder why,” I whisper back, biting my lip.
Niko lets out a little groan before his teeth nip at my bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth. This starts a new round of hotter, wetter kisses. I cannot seem to get close enough to him. I ache between my thighs, so I rock against him, seeking some sort of release. I gasp when he growls and grips my hips, angling me over himself so I feel how hard he is.
“Niko,” I whimper in a needy voice I’ve never used before. “Please...”
Trailing off because I have no idea what I am asking for, I keep rocking against him. His hands tighten on my hips before they move, sliding beneath my top. I gasp against his mouth when his big, rough hands cup me through my lace bra. His thumbs find my stiff nipples and rub, slow, circling the tight buds as bolts of pleasure shoot between my thighs.
“Jesus, you’re so soft,” he murmurs against my jaw as he drags his lips there, a path of heat following the touch. “Wish I could get you bare so I could feel all of you. I’d love to have you beneath me, even here, with the snow falling,” he rambles, his touch turning rougher, his fingertips plucking at the budded flesh.
My eyes just about cross as pleasure I have never felt before floods between my legs. I rock faster, feeling his hardness pressing against my leggings, thick and hard. I reach between us, brazenly touching him, yanking at his zipper, wanting to feel his hardness in my hands.
“Honey, if you touch me right now,” he pants against my throat, “I cannot be blamed for what I do to you.”
“Who said I would blame you,” I whisper as bravado overcomes me. “Would you blame me for wanting to touch you.... or for wanting you to touch me ?”
“Hell no, honey. You can do whatever you want to me, Nova. Would you let me touch you now?”
“Yes,” I almost moan the word as his fingers pluck at my nipple again.
Niko pushes me back, startling me. Until I catch on. Flipping us over, he pins me beneath him in one fluid motion. His hand yanks at my thick fleece leggings. Groaning when he finds my lace panties, his fingers hook inside the little waistband and tug. Then his palm is on my skin, his fingertips brushing the wetness between the aching slit of my sex.
“Oh God,” I cry out, arching to his touch. “Niko...please. I don’t know...I need to.... please,” I whimper and whine as I twist beneath him.
“Shh, honey, I will take care of you. I promise you,” he hums, his mouth whispering kisses over my throat as his fingers delve inside of me. I cry out again, my body shaking beneath his touch. His fingertips brush over my swollen clit and I whimper again, rocking against his hand. “That’s it, that’s a sweet girl. Show me what you need, little flower.”
Pleasure ripples through me like waves on the shore as he touches me. His thumb continues to rub swift, hard swipes over my clit as two others curl as he pushes them inside me. I buck beneath the invasion before it feels so good, I never want to feel anything else. I stare up at him with wide eyes, enraptured by the beauty of what I am feeling, of the falling snow, of him.
“Hell, you’re so pretty when I touch you.” He is praising me even though he is the one doing the work here. Reaching up, I cup the back of his neck to draw him closer. “Show me how pretty, little flower. I want to see it all,” his words are hot against my mouth before I seal my lips to his in a hungry, heated kiss that sends me over the edge at last.
Coming beneath his touch is unlike anything I have felt before. I have touched myself, heck, I even got a toy for myself last year after I started reading some smutty romances. This is not even close. I might hate the holidays, but as I come, I feel like a lit up, sparkling Christmas tree with all the trimmings. I moan into his mouth as he strokes me, rubbing magic against my clit, his thick fingers pumping inside of me still.
“Niko,” somehow his name becomes several syllables as I moan it, my fingers clutching at his hair, my tongue licking at his sweet mouth.
“Do you need more, honey? Do you need to come again?”
“No, no, please...oh God, yes!” I shout as his teeth close around my nipple through my sweater. When did he push my jacket off? I don’t care. All I care about is the pleasure pounding through me now, not just in waves, but in a whole tsunami. I shudder beneath him as a second orgasm overtakes me.
“That’s it, sweet little flower. That’s my girl.”
Niko strokes me softly, gently, almost petting my pussy. Curling into him, I just about purr like a content kitten. When he brings his sticky fingers to his mouth, sucking them with a groan, I swear I could come again. Smirking at me, he draws me close to his chest, brushing his lips against mine. I flush because I can taste myself on his tongue, but it doesn’t taste wrong or feel dirty.
Lying in the bed of the truck, we cuddle close together as the sun sinks lower in the skies, the snow falling heavier. I am not cold. I do not want to go home or end the night. All I want is to be right here, cuddled in the back of this truck, with his arms holding me.
It might not be the winter festival, but it feels like a celebration to me.