Chapter 3

"It's your turn, snow," he whispered.

He pulled his pants off and shirt off and stood completely bare before her. Her cheeks flushed at the sight of his brazenness. Nova had never seen a naked man before.

"You're beautiful," she said, blushing.

He gently lifted her chin with his hand and said, "Don't get shy on me now."

He leaned in and kissed her. She whimpered as his hands explored her body. They broke apart as he pulled her blouse over her head. Her nipples strained beneath her black lace bra. He ran his thumbs over them, causing a shiver to run down her spine. A moment later he freed her breasts were free from their confines.

Ash peppered her chest with scorching kisses before taking her nipple into his mouth. He lowered his hand to her hip and pulled her closer, encouraging her to arch her back. Pleasure shot through her and settled immediately 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 that some promises were easily broken, no matter how well-intentioned. But at that moment, they were lost to each other. Thoughts of consequence 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. Without breaking the kiss, he scooped her up in his arms and placed her on the couch. He pulled her to the edge of the cushion and lowered to his knees.

She squealed as his hot breath blew across her folds. He separated her lips and repeated the treatment directly to her clit.

"I can't… please…"

"It's alright, snow. You're so gorgeous."

She fell apart the moment his lips touched her. Nova was lost in a sea of torrent raw emotion. But Ash kept his promise to hold her and not let her go.

He added his tongue to the mix and gently probed her with his index finger. She whined and squirmed at the intrusion.

With his concentration on her clit, he was able to push through her resistance into her slick core. His finger worked in tandem with his mouth, focusing on her pleasure. The coil in her belly tightened once more. Her inner walls clenched around him, trying to pull him deeper.

"Fuck, Nova. You're incredible!"

"I… I…"

Ash withdrew his finger and replaced it with his tongue. He drummed her clit with his finger. It was enough to plunge her beneath the waves once more.

"Ash!" she cried. "I wish..."

In that moment of pleasure, she wished to freeze that moment, 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 put their clothes back on while trading dopey grins. Ash stoked the fire and added an additional log and Nova made popcorn. They cuddled on the couch to watch White Christmas and soon fell asleep.

Nova dreamt of the swirling snow and heard the songbird singing for its mate. There was something magical about spending her Christmas with Ash at his family cabin. Maybe there was nothing special beyond the fact that she was in love with him.

But she was jerked out of her fantasy into a waking nightmare. Nova stretched on the couch and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She missed the warmth and weight of Ash next to her.

"Ash?" she called out in the darkness.

Ash's real gift, the blanket she knitted for him, was still across her lap. She had slept in his flannel shirt, while he was in his white undershirt and jeans. Nova grabbed her skirt from the floor where it lay and slipped it on.

She didn't glance at the snow globe as she went in search of him. Once she was certain he wasn't in the cottage, she decided to check outside. His pickup was still in the driveway.

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

Her home sat on an acre and a half, they weren't that close to neighbors. Nova rubbed her hands over her goose-pimpled arms, shivering in the chilly night and returned into the warm cottage. It failed to provide relief.

Nova tried Ash's cell, and a cheery preset melody filled the otherwise quiet home. Tears pricked her eyes as she ran to pick it up off the dining room table. His outgoing message wasn't even personalized.

Her parents, who should've been home from the shop, weren't home either. She called her mother's cell.

"Hello, Nova."

"Mom," she cried. "Ash is missing."

"We'll be home at dawn. I'm sorry, Nova."

"Please, come home," the girl cried. "I need you."

Geralt, her father, came on the line. "There's a barrier around the house, Nova. I'm sorry, but we can't cross until dawn."

"A barrier?" she asked. "Who cast it?"

The call dropped, and Nova lost signal. She clenched the phone until her knuckles turned white.

The distraught girl plopped on the couch. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, attempting to center herself. Ash's kisses remained on her skin. They pledged themselves to each other, there was no way he would disappear on 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. 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 to the floor.