Chapter 34: The Star Comes Home - How the Stars Fall

The soft glow of the oil lamp flickered by the front door, casting a faint, warm light over the small porch. Though it was too dim to make out details, Nova could see the figure of a man sitting in a rocking chair, slowly swaying back and forth.

A warm breeze played with her hair as it danced through the fields, collecting seeds and brushwood as it frolicked through the grass. Nova closed her eyes and drew in a long breath. As she released it, she opened her eyes, letting them wander over the world around her. It felt so good to smell the scent of Earth. Everything seemed so much richer the second time around. And though it was evening, she could still feel the end of the day’s warmth. She’d missed the kiss of heat upon her skin, and she couldn’t wait to have the sun’s gaze forever on her moon-bathed flesh.

Crickets sang beneath her feet, their rhythmic chirps filling the air. Owls called out with their haunting cries, perched silently on branches at the forest’s edge. The trees she had come to know swayed gently around her, their dark silhouettes blending together like charcoal strokes on a canvas.

Her gaze returned to the man in the chair. A familiar tingle coursed through the red blood in her veins and as the warmth seeped through her body, her skin came alive. She glowed, the azure blue light gleaming from her as she stood on the grassy knoll, her heart racing a million miles an hour.

Ryker—her love.

He stood from the chair and slowly made his way to the top step.

Nova stayed still, wanting to savour this single moment. For five celestial years, she’d watched over him, wishing she could be the one sitting at his side. She soaked in every sound, every scent, and every sight. This was the last time she’d experience seeing him for the first time again. Once she was in his arms, she was never leaving.

Ryker started down the steps torturously slowly, his gaze fixed in her direction. Every deliberate step he took towards her only made her glow brighter.

All the emotions bubbled to the surface, tightening her chest and causing her breath to hitch. She never thought this day would come, but it was here, and it was real, just like the grass that brushed against the skirts of her silver embellished gown. Real like the frogs she could hear down by the banks of the lake. Real like the man walking towards her.

The need to feel Ryker in her arms propelled her forward. She wanted to bury her face in his chest and breathe in all his essence. Her feet carried her willingly towards the Hound, and with every step she took, her celestial glow brightened.

A sob caught in her throat as Ryker ran. Seeing him race for her was all the permission Nova needed to do the same. She picked up her skirts and dashed forwards. The wind caught her hair, sending it around her in a whirlwind of swirling white strands. Each one glowing just for him. Tears spilled down her cheeks and mingled with the smile that had plastered across her face. Who knew one could cry and be happy at the same time?

Cypress and vanilla drenched her senses as Ryker’s arms crushed her body against his chest. The world around her faded as she melted into his embrace. The sounds of the distant owl dissolved. No longer could she hear the crickets. Even the frogs were silent.

“Ryker,” she sobbed as clutched her arms around his neck.

“Hello, my little star.”

His voice was soft but laden with emotion as they sank to the emerald grass below. Their bodies mingling together to become a cocoon of shared tears and joy. Azure blue wrapped around them, sealing them from the world, creating a place where only she and her hunter existed.

After some tears had subsided, Nova gently pulled from his embrace. She brushed a tear from his face with her glowing hand and smiled. “Hello.”

Russet eyes met her. “How . . . how are you here?”

“I could not bear to be from your side for one more moment. My sisters sent me back.”

Ryker cupped her face. “But how? Have you been flying through the heavens all this time?”

Nova shook her head, her gleaming white hair brushing her shoulders. “No, I came through a portal from Ara straight to Earth.”

“Does this mean no one knows you’re here?”

“No one knows.”

Ryker’s brow pinched. “So . . . we’re safe?”

“As long as I can keep my glow under control—we are safe.”

Strong arms encased her once again. Nova breathed in Ryker’s scent. She’d missed it. Woody aromas of cypress leaves mixed with the sweet smell of vanilla. She’d recognise it anywhere.

“I can’t believe you’re really here,” Ryker whispered against the side of her head.

“I’m really here.”

Nova sat in his embrace for a while, simply soaking him in. Not once did his arms ease their hold. She smiled against his chest. She didn’t want him to let go.

He pulled back, tucking her hair from her face before his warm gaze found hers again. He glanced down at her lips. She wanted that, too. Nova had dreamed of this moment.

He pulled her face closer, his nose almost touching hers. The world melted away once again as Ryker’s lips found hers in a tender kiss. He tasted just as she remembered. Warmth and rum. His tongue danced with hers and fingers became entwined in hair as they locked their bodies together.

Nova sighed contently as the kiss deepened. There was no place she would rather be. She belonged in this world with him, under the blanket of black velvet skies, while the moon shone down upon them.

The kiss didn’t need to be full of passion. It was sweet, and it was true. Every movement of his lips on hers cemented the love Ryker felt for her. She knew how he felt by the way his fingers dug into the back of her neck, cradling her head with such a gentle caress. He held her as if she might suddenly shatter or worser yet—disappear.

Nova gripped him tighter, reassuring him she wasn’t going anywhere. She was here to stay.

Their kiss broke, leaving her breathless and flushed.

Ryker reached out to smooth her unruly hair gently, then helped her to her feet. His hands enveloped hers as she stood facing him, her eyes lifting to meet his warm russet gaze. He smiled down at her. “I have so many questions.”

“And I shall answer them all. Tell me what you wish to know?” Nova murmured.

He cupped her face. “Why did you come back here? I thought we agreed it wasn’t safe.”

“This had been my perception, too, until the portal. And I tried Ryker. I truly tried to be happy in Ara. But everything I did, or everywhere I looked, I would see you. I had to find a way to come back to you that kept us both safe.”

Ryker’s brow pinched. “So, the portal? . . .”

Nova nodded. “There is a portal that joins our worlds. Like the pool of reflections. It’s not something that is widely talked about in Ara, for fear of too many stars might wish to come to Earth. But the elder stars could see how broken my heart was, and they offered me a way back.”

“Did you travel here all the way from the Twin Peaks mountain range?”

Nova shook her head gently, a smile dancing on her lips. “No, this time I could choose what body of water to come from . . . You have a beautiful lake here.”

Ryker’s eyes grew wide as he glanced in the direction of the lake near the cottage. “But you’re not wet?”

She grinned. “I was encased in a celestial orb. No elements could touch me.”

“That’s handy.” Ryker grinned.

“I thought so too.”

Ryker brushed his thumb over her cheek before he leant down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Then he rested his forehead on hers. “I watched for you every night.” His voice was barely a whisper.

Nova placed her free hand over his heart. “I know you did.”

“You saw me?”

Nova nodded. “Sometimes. But my position in Ara wasn’t always where you were. It was torture to see you and then have to wait months to catch another glimpse. Five years was too long.”

Ryker huffed softly. “I forgot our time is different. An entire year was unbearable for me.”

Tears gathered in Nova’s eyes again. “Let us never be parted again.”

Ryker pulled her closer, his warmth seeping into her content heart and wrapping its way around every cell in her human body. “Never.”

She stayed in his embrace for a few moments. Allowing the meadow breeze to wash over them. The sounds of Earth had returned, and Nova smiled. Every single syllable of nature’s symphony was a song she never wanted to end. It was music she would cherish for the rest of her living days.

Nova eased back a little to look up at Ryker. She brought her hand up to brush the ends of his curls that sat around his neck, closer to his shoulders. “Your hair is longer.”

“When I retired, I grew it out.” Ryker smiled. “Do you like it?”

Nova tugged on the curls. “Do I like your hair or that you are no longer a bounty hunter?”

Ryker shrugged. “Both?”

A smile danced across Nova’s lips. The idea that she would have him wholly to herself without the interruption of needing to return people to their rightful place was very enticing. “I quite like the idea of not sharing you. As for your hair . . . I love it.”

Warm hands cupped her face again. “I can’t believe you’re here,” Ryker murmured.

Nova smiled up at the hunter. “I can’t believe it too.”

“Will you stay forever?”

Nova didn’t hesitate to answer his question. From the moment the elder star had offered her the choice to return to Earth, she knew she would never leave again. Not as long as Ryker was by her side, walking through life with her.

She placed her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes. “My home is wherever you are, Ryker Thornebrooke.”

He grinned before pulling her close and covering her mouth with his. The kiss was more fervent this time—hungry. Warmth blossomed between her legs. Her body craved the pleasure only Ryker could offer her, and she couldn’t wait for the moment until clothing would be discarded and together they would disappear into a world where only they existed.

Ryker broke the kiss gently. “Let me show you where we will live for the rest of our days.”

The night was soft around them; the world bathed in silvery moonlight as Nova walked hand in hand with Ryker. Cool air whispered through the meadows, carrying the scent of blossoms and nectar, while above them, stars dotted the sky in a blanket of shimmering light. Her fingers intertwined with his, the warmth of his skin grounding her.

Nova nodded as she offered him a smile. “How’s retirement treating you?”

Ryker grinned down at her as they strolled. “Just dandy. I finished the canoe I was building. Remind me to show you later.”

“And Charlie? Is he here too?”

The Hound glanced off to the right of the cottage. “He’s the proud occupant of the stable over there and a pasture full of grass.”

Nova’s heart swelled. She couldn’t wait to see the black stallion who’d become her friend. “Take me to him in the morning?”

Ryker nodded. “I shall.”

Ahead, the small white cottage waited, its windows glowing faintly with the light of the fireplace. The grass beneath their feet was barely visible, but Nova felt safe, as if the darkness couldn’t touch them, not while Ryker was beside her. His thumb brushed softly against the back of her hand, and her heart fluttered, the simple touch igniting a warmth inside her that no fire could match.

She glanced up at him. His strong, familiar features were softened by the moonlight, casting shadows across his face. He caught her gaze and smiled, a small, quiet smile that made her chest ache with love and something bittersweet.

“You must be starving?” Ryker murmured.

Nova rested the side of her face on Ryker’s shoulder. “Do you have any peaches?”

* * *

Nova sat beside Ryker on the porch step, their knees brushing together as they embraced the quiet of the evening. The sky above them was darker than when she’d arrived a few hours ago. Dinner had been a full meal of roast chicken topped with a dill and garlic butter. With a side of steamed greens and whipped potatoes. Ryker had even shown her how to make an apple pie.

In between the dinner preparations, Nova had found herself trapped in Ryker’s arms, her face being peppered with kisses. The laughter that had rung through the room was like pure sunshine. She couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.

“Your home is beautiful, Ryker,” Nova murmured as she glanced sideways at him, watching the way his russet eyes reflected the heavens. His hand rested beside hers, fingers entwined together.

He looked down at her, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Our home.”

Nova wrapped an arm around his thick, muscular one. “Say it again.”

Ryker chuckled before tenderly kissing the spot right above her temple. “This house right here is yours just as much as it is mine.”

The cottage was small, cosy, with whitewashed wooden walls that had aged under the sun. The roof was made of black tiles, neatly covering the cottage and giving it a sharp contrast against the pale exterior. It was smaller than his last house she’d visited a handful of times over a year ago. It also felt different, in a good way. It was as if the home made him happier. His smile was brighter, and his eyes no longer tried to hide the ghosts of his past.

It was too dark to fully make out the gardens, but Nova was already excited to plan all the flower and vegetable beds with Ryker. She dreamed of having an abundance of produce, enough to overflow and share with the nearby villages. “Can we have ducks?”

Ryker’s warm, russet eyes met her sea-green ones. “As many as you like . . . within reason.” He stood, holding his hand out to her. “Come, let us walk.”

Nova and Ryker eased through the tall, soft grasses of the meadow, their steps in perfect rhythm. The breeze swept gently over them, carrying the scent of wildflowers. As they reached the top of a grassy knoll, she paused, looking out at the rolling landscape beneath the soft twilight sky. The world felt peaceful, quiet. Ryker stood close, their shoulders brushing, and Nova couldn’t help but feel that in this moment, everything was as it should be.

She reached inside her dress pocket and grasped something in her hand. “I have something for you.”

Ryker’s brow knitted softly as she pulled her hand from the folds of her skirts and placed the teardrop shaped moonstone pendant on his outstretched palm.

“I made this in Ara for you.”

“But how?”

“It’s from the seed of the star fruits, infused with a little celestial star dust—and magic,” Nova murmured.

Nova noted the apparent emotion written on Ryker’s face and she stepped closer to him. He took the gold chain from around his neck, placing the new silver pendant beside the ruby red one. Together they made an upside-down heart shape.

He gazed at them shimmering under the light of the moon.

Nova hugged his side. “Now, you can hold both Yolanda and I close to your heart.”

A single tear stole its way down Ryker’s sun kissed skin. Nova reached up to wipe it away, but he caught her hand, stilling it on his cheek.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “This means more to me than you will ever know.”

Nova smiled up at him. “You’re welcome.”

He looked down at her with such adoration, and she feared her heart would burst.

“Let me show you something,” Ryker pulled her along.

They walked down the small grassy knoll towards the lake. At night it was a mirror of darkness, its surface smooth and still, reflecting the silver glow of the moon above. Ripples from the breeze shimmered like liquid light as the moonbeams danced across the water, creating a soft, ethereal glow. The edges of the lake faded into shadows where the trees hugged the shoreline, their silhouettes barely visible in the dim light.

There was something about water that captivated Nova. Perhaps there was so much of it she’d seen from high in the cosmic, but could never actually touch it. Now, not only could she touch it, but she could smell and swim in it. “It’s so beautiful Ry—are those fish I see?”

A flash of something darted across the edge of the water. Silver scales glinted in the light.

Ryker chuckled. “They certainly are.”

Nova glanced up at Ryker and grinned. “What are they?”

“Little minnows.”

The silver flash caught her attention again. “Do you hunt them?”

Ryker crouched down, his hands resting between his legs. “No, these are purely for you.”

Nova crouched beside him. “I could sit here and watch them all day.”

“They reminded me of you. Of that day in the forest when you couldn’t look away from them. Actually, Yolanda always enjoyed watching the fish in my father’s pond too—sorry. I probably shouldn’t talk about her.”

Nova turned to face him. “Never apologise for talking about your first love. She was real, and those memories will never go away. Don’t shut them out. Just bring me with you when you talk about them.”

Ryker stood, drawing her up with him, gently cupping her face. “How are you even real?”

She reached to entwine her fingers into Ryker’s hair, pulling him closer. “Why don’t you kiss me and find out?”

“I’d be delighted,” he replied, leaning down to kiss her.

The kiss was thrilling. All their kisses were intoxicating, but something in this one was so pure and wanting. She opened her mouth for him and moaned at his taste.

Rum and apple pie.

Ryker’s hands slowly slid down her back to grasp the back of her thighs. He gently lifted her so she could wrap her legs around his waist. Their mouths and breath were tangled together in a dance of desire. Heat pooled at the most sensitive part of her body.

She broke the kiss and pulled back, her arms still around his neck and his arms around her waist. “Does that feel real enough to you?” she whispered.

“Not quite. I think we should do it again,” Ryker answered in a low voice that had Nova trembling with delight.

He sat down amongst the flowers and Nova straddled his lap. “It’s beginning to feel much more real now,” Ryker murmured into her neck as he nuzzled it.

The feeling of his teeth scraping against her pulse and his lips sucking at her skin brought little bumps to the surface of her skin. Throwing her head back, Nova looked towards the stars as Ryker explored her neck and ear with his lips and tongue. Arching into his chest, Nova tried to press them closer, but it wasn’t enough. She needed to feel his skin against hers.

She dropped her head back down to face him, reached for his face and clasped it between her hands, kissing him like it would be their last. He groaned into her mouth, and she grinned. Her fingers found the buttons on his shirt, and she undid them one by one, allowing the fabric to ease from his shoulders and fall onto the surrounding grass.

Nova pulled her lips from his and took in Ryker’s naked torso. By the stars, this man was incredibly beautiful. Exploring hands found their way to his chest as she drew a finger across each crevice of carved muscle on his stomach. She wanted to kiss each one of them.

Ryker stilled, holding her hands in both of his. “Nova . . . I love you.”

Nova’s heart hammered in her chest.

“I want you . . . And I must have you as my own,” Ryker murmured.

Tears welled in Nova’s eyes. He’d said he loved her before she left. But hearing them again on her return was even sweeter. “I love you too and I’m all yours,” she whispered.

Light flashed across the sky in the distance, drawing Nova’s attention. A storm was approaching. Her eyes travelled to Ryker’s ruby pendant. She waited for him to reach for it, but as the sky lit up and thunder rumbled in the distance, his eyes stayed focused on her.

The heavens lit up again. Surely, he would grasp his pendant now. It was the only way he could calm the turmoil in his mind. Yet his hands did not reach for it. Instead, Ryker reached for Nova, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

“Do you want to go inside?” She whispered.

Ryker gently shook his head. “No . . . No, I do not.”

“But what about—”

“You are my peace, Nova. You are my anchor in the storm and right now I would like to make love here in this field. You will be mine and only mine and I will be yours and only yours.”

Tears welled in her eyes.

She knew the enormity of marriage to Ryker. It wouldn’t be something he would consider lightly.

“What are you saying, Ryker Thornbrooke?” Nova smiled through her tears.

Ryker leaned to his right and pulled a grass stalk from the ground. He twisted it around his pinky a few times before tying both ends in a knot. Reaching for her left hand, Ryker looked her deep in the eyes and as he slipped the ring of grass onto her finger. “Nova Seraphine, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

This was it. This was the moment Nova had witnessed many times from her celestial realm above. When a man asks a woman to pass through life at his side—as his partner and lover. Nova smiled at Ryker, who looked as if he might die if she didn’t answer him soon.

Nova drowned in his russet eyes. “Yes, Ryker Thornbrooke. I will gladly marry you.”

The Hound grinned and pulled her lips to meet him, but before they could touch, she stopped him. “Promise me one thing.”

Ryker lifted a brow. “Anything, my little star,” he said as his warm breath tickled her jaw and ear.

“That you will take me on adventures. Show me the world and while we are exploring it, you will teach me all the ways we can please each other,” Nova whispered as she leaned forward and kissed a line across his jaw. “I want to experience life with you in all its forms.” Her lips kissed his closed eyelids and travelled over the bridge of his nose. A soft groan escaped Ryker’s throat as his hands found her backside and squeezed it.

Nova arched into him. “I want to go on adventures during the day, and at night I want to feel your hands all over my body while we moan each other’s name.”

Ryker’s rough yet tender fingers worked at the buttons along the back of her dress, his eyes darkening with desire as he slowly slid the fabric from her skin. It bunched at her waist, leaving Nova’s torso bare to the cool touch of the night air.

“Starting now?” Ryker whispered as he pressed light kisses across her collarbone.

Nova nodded, illuminating strands of hair floating around them. “Right here and right now.”

Ryker dragged his fingers up her spine. “Is this good?”

A small moan escaped her lips at his touch. It felt incredible, but it wasn’t enough. She gently eased from Ryker’s embrace and stood, letting the rest of her dress fall to the ground. “It is, but—no fabric, get naked,” she ordered.

Ryker obeyed, hastily removing his boots and trousers.

Nova stood in only the bottom half of her undergarments and took in the hunter’s fully naked body. Ryker’s well-defined chest looked as if it had been carved from marble. The way the moonlight hit his skin, creating shadows along the dips and grooves of his muscles. The sharp v shape that guided her eyes down further caught her breath. His cock stood tall and proud.

The last time Nova saw it and how it fit so beautifully between her legs came to her mind. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen him naked, but it was the first time seeing him as her future husband.

He caught her gaze. Warmth flooded her cheeks as it travelled over the length of her body. “Like what you see, Hound?” she murmured.

Ryker grinned up at her. “Yes, I do, little star.”

Nova slowly eased the lightweight fabric of her undergarments down her hips, then to the floor. Stepping out of them, she stood fully naked before him, relishing his obvious pleasure with what he saw.

He held out his hand and beckoned. “You need to come back over here and sit on my lap again because I would very much like to do some things to you.” Ryker’s voice was low, sending a shiver up her spine.

Nova took a few steps towards him and climbed back onto his lap, her knees digging into the soft bed of flowers beneath them.

His arms encircled her waist, and his lips found hers with hunger and need. She breathed him in. This is what she’d been craving since the moment she saw him sitting on his porch. The feel of his lips upon her skin, searing heat with every touch. It was different this time, knowing she was his, and he was hers.

Ryker’s teeth nipped at her bottom lip before he sucked it between his lips. She whimpered into this mouth as his hardened length rubbed against the sensitive part between her legs.

“I need more, Ryker,” Nova cried as she pulled her mouth from his.

“What is it you need, my little star?” He asked as he gently cupped one of her breasts and rolled her nipple between his thumb and finger. Nova arched into his hand and cried out with pleasure.

“You,” she whispered in response.

Ryker chuckled and dropped his mouth to the nipple he’d been toying with. He sucked on it softly and flicked it with his tongue. Nova cried out in pleasure again as she dug her fingers into his hair. Pulling his head up to meet her gaze, she held him there. “It’s my turn.”

She pushed on Ryker’s chest until he lay back against the flowers. Nova remained straddled over his hips. The sight of him beneath her with the moon’s glow upon his skin was almost more than she could bear. This perfectly sculptured man was her and hers forever. She leaned down, scattering kisses across his chest. Her fingers lightly scraped his skin. The hunter groaned and Nova grinned as she kissed along the line where the belt on his pants usually sat.

“Oh, my sweet girl, I’m not sure how much more of this perfectly wonderful torture I can take.”

Nova giggled as she crawled her way back to his face. “Then shall I show you what comes next?”

Ryker nodded.

Nova dipped her head lower, catching the tip of his cock with her tongue. Ryker’s moan vibrated through his body. Nova smiled at the sound. She was going to make him come undone.

She wrapped her delicate hand around the girth of his length and squeezed it, slipping the head of his cock between her warm lips. Sucking him as she slowly pumped her hand up and down. Ryker’s hips bucked off the ground as Nova’s pace quickened. A hint of a salty flavour touched her taste buds, and she swallowed it down.

Ryker moaned with pleasure, his hands fisting into the grass beneath them. “Fuck, Nova.”

She flicked her gaze up towards him as he supported himself on his elbows, watching her take as much of him as she could fit into her mouth. His russet eyes were heavy with pleasure, and Nova felt the warmth between her legs grow. She pumped his cock a few more times as she gently sucked it before releasing him with a light popping sound.

Nova sat back on her heels. “Did I do that alright?”

“Any longer and I was going to find my release a lot quicker than I’d like too,” Ryker growled as he wrapped his arms around her waist and flipped them so Nova was now under the weight of his body. Warm lips found her breasts again, and she arched into his mouth. His hand slid effortlessly over the smooth skin of her stomach and hovered just between her legs.

“Please . . .” Nova whimpered.

“Please what, my little star?” Ryker asked as his fingers grazed her skin.

Nova groaned. “Please don’t stop.”

Ryker dipped his fingers into the slick warmth between her legs and Nova cried out. He covered her mouth with his to quiet her sounds as his fingers gently plunged in and out.

“You’re so ready for me,” he whispered against her lips.

Nova nodded, her eyes begging him for more. Disappointment filled her as he removed his hand, but she was quickly pleased again when Ryker placed his hands on either side of her head and softly pressed his tip against her entrance.

“Tonight, I’m going to make love to you,” Ryker said as he smiled down at her.

Nova nodded again. “Over and over, I hope.”

Slowly, he pressed into her, and Nova sucked in her breath. The feel of him inside made her dissolve on the spot. With a gentle thrust, he buried himself inside her and Nova cried out.

“By the stars,” he murmured.

Nova arched her back, baring her breasts to the moon’s glow. She could feel the silver rays penetrating her skin and filling her veins with life. The thrum of energy reverberated through her and in its wake, the star in the centre of her chest pulsed with light. She couldn’t hold back any longer, allowing her powers to ebb and flow, casting out of her in waves of blues, purples and greens.

She reached for the Hound and brought his lips to hers. “I love you, Ryker.”

Ryker chuckled and kissed her as he pulled out and thrust back in. Nova whimpered against his lips each time he did. The coil inside her wound tighter and she knew it wouldn’t be long before it would spring free and send her mind and body to the stars.

“I love you, Nova Seraphine.”

The pace quickened, and Nova gripped Ryker’s back, his muscles flexing with every thrust.

“Ryker,” she whimpered.

Ryker grinned. “Let’s go over the edge together, my love.”

Love. There was that word again. It was music to her soul.

A cold, sudden breeze swept through the meadow, setting the flowers into a gentle dance as the draping boughs of the weeping willows swayed gracefully. The crickets sang their evening serenade, a soothing melody that harmonised with the frogs croaking on the banks of the lake.

Above them, millions of stars glittered in the darkened sky, their light shimmering like diamonds scattered across a velvet canvas. Nova basked in all of it. Here, on Earth, was exactly where she wanted to be.

Come what may.

“You know how stars bring joy when they fall to Earth?” Ryker asked as he pulled out ever so slowly and thrust back into her warmth.

Nova whimpered as the walls inside her clenched around Ryker’s rigid length. “Yes,” she answered, sounding breathless.

“You are that joy Nova . . . my joy.”

Ryker slammed into her over and over. His eyes rolled back into his head as his climax built. Nova was lost in him, in the heat and power of his touch, in the way he seemed to light up from within. The sensation of his body moving against hers, the rhythm of their shared desire, sent waves of pleasure crashing through her. She was radiating with him, feeling the overwhelming energy between them intensify to where she thought she might explode into a million tiny pieces, scattering like stardust across the sky.

It was all she needed. Those two little words with the man she loved making love to her beneath the vast, starry night sky pushed her over the edge. Her whole body felt a powerful surge of pleasure, shaking and arching as she reached for the stars, as if she could touch the sky.

Nova cried out as a wave of pleasure washed over her body, pulsing like electricity. Colours in her mind burst as she whispered, “You are my joy, Ryker Thornbrooke.”

Ryker thrust a few more times and then softly groaned as his pleasure took him. His cock pulsing inside of her as he spilled himself into her warmth.

Nova trailed her fingers over his chest, making her way up to his face as he caught his breath. His skin was clammy beneath her touch and glistened in the moonlight. He was perfect.

Ryker collapsed against her body, and she smiled as her eyes flicked to the stars above. Two bodies entwined in a heap of ecstasy and bliss. Hundreds of tiny specks shot across the sky. It was almost like her sisters were celebrating with her. What once was her home in the heavens above was now wherever he was.

Nova glanced down at the hunter, who lay against her chest. Nova reached over and brushed the hair from his sleepy eyes. “How long until we can do that again?”

Ryker chuckled as he propped himself up on an elbow. “At least give me five more minutes.”

Nova smiled as she pulled him close.

Life here was definitely going to be fun.

“Ryker . . . ?”

“Yes, little star?”

“Thank you for being my last first kiss.”