Chapter 20

After dinner, Becket asked the limo driver to take them to view Christmas lights. They both could feel a need to not want the night to end. Everything had been going smoothly and Nova was actually enjoying herself for the first time in years.

It was snowing and they found a place with a walk through light display. It was Nova's favorite time of year; snow on the ground glistening under the lights, the moon and stars peeking through the clouds overhead, with the sounds of soft holiday music that made the night almost magical.

Walking along the path, Nova closed her eyes letting snowflakes fall on her tongue, giggling as they tickled her nose. They stopped and Becket just watched her smiling to herself. She closed her mouth and smiled as the flakes fell on her face. For the first time in his life, he was nervous about being with a girl. It finally occurred to him why he was really so hard on her for those first few weeks. He had his own crush on Nova and wasn't willing to admit he was a mess since she arrived.

Her eyes were closed. The perfect night. This was his chance. The moment he had been planning in his head for weeks. Becket moved in front of her, close enough to feel her breath brush over his lips. He ran his hands up to her scarf pulling her lightly to him. Slowly and sweetly, he laid a tender and warming kiss on her soft rosy lips.

His lips curled at the corners as she slowly opened her eyes seeing him looking down at her.

Nova's big doe eyes looked up at him with a flicker from the nearby Christmas tree, with wonder.

Trembling, she lifted her fingertips to touch the pout of his lips. Thinking to herself this couldn't be real. It was a dream and at any moment she would wake up. She had wanted it for so long it couldn't be real. Could it?

Becket pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her waist resting his forehead against hers. Letting out a slow breath that he had been holding since she saw the first snowflake fall on her lips, he felt a peace wash over him.

Nova pulled his head down to meet hers, grazing her lips slowly over his. She could feel his heat radiate between them warming her down to her toes. Exploring him slowly to memorize the way he felt the kiss deepened. His arms, his chest, those lips. She had to memorize every second. If it didn't last, she never wanted to forget this feeling.

Becket pulled her closer and kissed her with sweet tender passion like nothing she had felt before. Their kiss intensified as Nova leaned in to allow him to consume her. Taking her mind, body, and soul; how could a kiss mean so much?

Nova felt like her body was on fire. No one had ever kissed her that way. Never had anyone kissed her with such tender care. With the intensity of a simple kiss, she felt like all her fears and insecurities could fade away with this man. She could learn to be everything he wanted. Everything he needed. She was his. She always had been and she knew it.

Becket always seemed like he wasn't interested in her, but here he was kissing Nova in ways she had never been kissed before. Looking into his piercing blue eyes, she searched for answers to what this really was. Not sure what to say she swallowed hard, afraid any words would ruin the moment. She had dreamed of this for years and finally in the arms of the man of her dreams, the giddy teenager deep within was leaping with joy.

Nova looked away and pulled back from Becket's embrace. He saw the glint of hope in her eyes quickly turn to fear. His arms wrapped around her tightly as she turned her back to him. Nothing was ever good for long. Not for her. Not ever.

Good things always had a way of turning bad and she wasn't going to risk her heart. Not with him.

"What happened to you, Nova? How can I help you?"

"No one can. Just tell me that was because you actually care for me. Not because… never mind."

"Because of what?" Becket turned her to face him.

"Because you think I'll get in bed with you."

He felt hurt at the accusation as much as it hurt her saying it.

"What? I did it because I find you very attractive. Because the truth is, as much as I try to hide it, I like you. Since you've been acting more like yourself again, I like this side of you. I want to get to know you again. No. I want to know the woman. Not the girl. I'm starting to really care about you, more than I have ever cared for anyone. Truth is, it scares the hell out of me. I don't know how to get close to women. It's never been a priority before. You're so different from what I remember, and I want to try with you. The thing is, you have this wall up and I don't know how to get through."

She shivered as the cold wind blew through her, then realizing it was late.

"I think we should go. It's getting late." She started to walk away. Before she did, she muttered softly, "If anyone could get past the wall, it's you. The hardest part is, I'm not sure if you knew what was waiting on the other side, you would even want me."

Nova wrapped her arms around herself and started to walk away. Becket grabbed her shoulders pulling her back. Leaning down he kissed her cheek, then resting his head against hers.

"Let me be the one to decide that for myself. I'm not going anywhere. I want to get to know you. If you feel like at some point you can trust me with whatever is bothering you, I'm ready to listen."

***

Back at the hotel, Nova flopped on her bed while picking up the envelope Liam left behind. Claire had just got in and was sitting on the other bed, taking off her makeup. They had been sharing a room since Nova officially started at Powerbomb.

Inside the envelope were photos of Nova in bed with the men Liam forced her to have sex with. None showing their faces, only hers. Drunk and drugged, photos of her that were never released to the public in compromising positions. Nova pulled out the copies of non-disclosure contracts she had with the names of the powerful men involved. Including one from the night that Liam raped her himself. He must have had her sign it the night she overdosed and almost dead on her bathroom floor. The night she tried to end her life.

Nova slammed the contents on the bed. "He must be out of his damn mind if he thinks these contracts hold any water. They were all sexual assaults. You can't have a contract for illegal activity, you fucking idiot," she mumbled to herself.

"Nova, what is all that?"

"Nothing."

She shoved it all back into the envelope, after she took screenshots of each one to send to her email for safekeeping. She had been gathering evidence for months with no one's knowledge. Nova was too afraid of Liam's threats to actually report him to the authorities just yet. She knew that a lot of people in the industry in his circle had very unexplained deaths, and she didn't want to become one of them. The wealthy men involved had far more pull than she did, and had deep pockets in higher authorities and underground crime syndicates.

This was going to be a fight. One she wasn't sure she was ready for. It was worth it if she meant she would finally be free.

Then she thought about Becket. What would he think of her? Would he want her after he discovered her past? Would any chance she had with him be gone as quickly as it came. She didn't want to think about it. Her heart felt like it would die if he turned her away now. After all these years she yearned for him to say he cared for her, and kiss his lips, she could bear the thought. She knew what it felt like to be in his arms and she never wanted that to end.