Chapter 3: The Elevator Kiss

Ten minutes later, Cyrus walked out of the locker room wearing a clean black t-shirt that stretched tight across his chest and a pair of dark jeans. He carried his whole life in one small gym bag over his shoulder.

When they drove back to the tall glass building downtown so Nova could pick up the final stamped copy of her divorce papers and her mom’s land deeds, Cyrus walked half a step behind her like a real bodyguard—his sharp eyes watching everyone on the street.

Just as they walked into the shiny marble lobby in front of the private elevators, an angry voice shouted Nova’s name.

"Nova! Stop right there!"

Nova turned around.

Luke Palmer and Bella Martin were marching through the glass front doors. Luke’s face was bright red because the bank had just called to tell him all his credit cards were canceled!

"Nova, what kind of crazy game are you playing?!" Luke yelled, stomping right up to her. "The bank just told me you moved all two billion dollars out of our family account! And my secretary said your lawyer called about a divorce? Stop throwing a baby tantrum and put the money back right now!"

"Oh, big sis, don't be stupid," Bella said in her fake, sweet voice, hiding a mean laugh behind her hand. "We all know you only said the word divorce to make Luke pay attention to you. Who else would ever want a boring, weak girl who faints at a drop of blood? If Luke actually leaves you, you'll be crying alone in an empty bed for the rest of your life!"

Luke puffed out his chest, thinking Nova would start crying and say sorry like she always used to.

"Hear that, Nova?" Luke smirked. "I'm the only real man who will ever put up with a cold little fish like you. Now get in the car, apologize to your dad, and—"

Luke didn't even finish his sentence.

Cyrus stepped right up behind Nova.

He was a whole head taller than Luke and twice as wide. Without saying a word, Cyrus wrapped one big, muscular arm right around Nova’s waist and pulled her back against his hard chest, looking down at Luke like he was a bug on the floor.

Luke took two steps backward, his face turning white. "W-Who the heck are you?! Let go of my wife!"

"Ex-wife," Nova corrected smoothly, leaning back into Cyrus’s warm chest. "And you don't have to worry about my bed being empty, Luke. In fact, I just realized the reason I was so bored with you was because you aren't a real man at all."

Before Luke or Cyrus could blink, Nova turned in Cyrus’s arms, grabbed the front of Cyrus’s black t-shirt with both hands, pulled his head down, and pressed her lips right onto his!

Gasp!

Bella’s jaw dropped to the floor. Luke’s eyes looked like they were about to pop right out of his head.

Cyrus froze for half a second in shock—and then a low growl rumbled in his chest. His big hand came up to cup the back of Nova’s head, holding her steady against his mouth while his other arm locked around her waist like steel.

When Nova pulled back a few seconds later, her cheeks were pink and her lips were bright red.

"See?" Nova smiled sweetly at a shaking, furious Luke. "I don't faint around real men. Just around losers."

"You—you shameless witch!" Luke screamed, pointing a shaking finger at her. "You won't get a single dime from me in this divorce! Not one penny!"

"Oh, I don't want your pennies," Nova said, pretending to look worried as she opened her purse so a thick red folder inside was easy to see. "I just hope you don't try to take my new Silver Creek Diamond Mine contract! My mom’s friend told me there are five hundred million dollars' worth of diamonds in that hill, and I only have to pay the seller fifty million dollars cash today!"

The second Luke and Bella heard the words five hundred million dollars' worth of diamonds, their greedy eyes lit up like green flashlights.

Neither of them knew that in five days, a heavy rainstorm was going to wash Silver Creek Hill into a mudslide—and that the hill didn't have a single diamond in it! Even better, the man selling the land was Boss Razor, the scariest loan shark in the city, who offered high-interest loans right on the spot.

"Give me that!" Bella shrieked.

Thinking she was stealing Nova’s big chance to get rich, Bella lunged forward, snatched the red folder right out of Nova’s open purse, and shoved Nova backward.

Cyrus caught Nova in one arm before she could stumble, his dark eyes flashing with murder as he reached for Bella’s throat.

Nova quickly squeezed Cyrus’s hand to stop him, pretending to stamp her foot in anger as Luke and Bella ran out the front doors with the fake diamond mine folder.

"Hey! Bring back my diamond mine contract!" Nova called out—before bursting into a quiet giggle as soon as the glass doors closed behind them. "Go ahead and run, you two idiots. By tomorrow morning, you'll owe Boss Razor fifty million dollars!"

Ding!

The private elevator doors slid open behind them.

Nova stepped inside, smiling to herself—until Cyrus stepped in right behind her, hit the Door Close button, and stepped right into her space.

Before the elevator even reached the second floor, Cyrus placed both hands against the wall on either side of Nova’s head, trapping her gently between his big body and the mirror.

Nova looked up, her heart suddenly racing fast. "C-Cyrus? What are you doing?"

Cyrus looked down at her swollen lips, his breathing heavy and his dark eyes burning hot.

"You just used me to make your ex-husband mad, princess," Cyrus said, his voice so low and rough it made her toes curl inside her shoes.

"Did... did you mind?" Nova whispered.

"I minded that it was only three seconds long," Cyrus murmured.

He slid one rough, warm hand under her chin, tilted her face up, and brought his mouth crashing back down onto hers.

This kiss wasn't for show. It was hot, deep, and hungry—like a man who had been starving in the dark for three years and finally got a taste of heaven.

Nova let out a soft gasp, and Cyrus used that moment to deepen the kiss, his tongue brushing hers until her head spun. He lifted her up by the waist without even trying, pressing her back against the cool elevator wall while his hard, hot body pressed close against hers.

Nova wrapped her arms around his broad neck, tangling her fingers in his short dark hair as her heart beat completely out of control.

When the elevator finally dinged on the top floor and Cyrus pulled back an inch, both of them were breathing hard. His forehead rested against hers, his thumb gently wiping a smudge of pink lipstick from the corner of her mouth.

"Next time you kiss me, Nova," Cyrus whispered against her lips, "make sure you mean it. Because I'm done holding back."