Chapter 4

Nova pulled her hair frustratedly and rapped her knuckled against the mahogany table before her. Maybe she should spar with Brittney and let off some steam or maybe go raiding with the gang and have a good shoot out, no the former sounds like a better option. With Elijah and his family on her case like hounds, she will not make the mistake of getting involved in gang violence. It had been two weeks since she came back from her hometown and she was slammed with lawsuits after numerous visits from Elijah and his parents, suggesting equal rights to have Jasmine but she wouldn't budge. She could get a good lawyer but what were the odds, that family had become ridiculously wealthy and will go to any lengths to make sure she didn't have her child by the time she walks out of the court room. She paced her office where she retreated since morning and avoided the guests because God knows she didn't have manners then.

"Why don't you get Rachel to be your lawyer?", Sarah chirped and beamed up at her but she could only scoff, remembering her encounter with the blonde enigma.

"That self absorbed dickheaded woman who thinks the world should bow at her feet", she ranted at a wide eyed Sarah.

"Damn! That's one hell of a description for someone you don't even know"

"I know enough to know that that woman is a walking nightmare"

Sarah hummed and tilted her head waiting for her to continue but Nova only groaned and stood up from he chair she sat on not up to a minute ago.

"Her cousin and my mother are best friends so..... I was cursed with her presence for a couple of hours and let me tell you, that woman is infuriating. Who checks a woman they just met out one minute and goes to eat her head off the other minute?! That bitch is bipolar", she screeched and Sarah could only raise an eyebrow.

"That she is and also a damn good lawyer", Sarah added and sat back to watch Nova make a dent in her office.

"Boss?", Juan called from the door without opening it and Nova called for him to enter.

"There's this guest, he says to get you"

She stared at him for a moment before deciding that it was a good idea to go and see the guest herself.

"I'll be right here", Sarah waved her off and turned to dial her girlfriend while Nova walked out of the room with a lot of troubled thoughts in mind but those thoughts were cut short when she came face to face with a dark haired man. A very expensive looking tailored three piece suit adorned his lean but built physic and he looked handsome, the type of handsome girls should throw themselves at but Nova was different. His angular face widened into a big grin the minute she walked into the lounge area.

"Hello Milady", he bowed playfully and Nova smiled at the man she knew to be a serious looking goofball.

"Christan! What...", She jumped him and hugged him tightly.

"Ouch..... Want to kill me so fast?", He chuckled nervously when she released him and narrowed her eyes to slits.

"Um..... Hi", he looked around while scratching his head and didn't see the jaw breaking punch she threw at him, he fell back not expecting the strength her punch packed. Nova didn't hesitate to grab the empty coat hanger by the entrance and started beating him with it, chasing him around while he ran around the house.

"You bastard... Idiot..... Foolish..... Scum of the earth... Jerk.... Asswipe... Tampon.... Piece of shit..... Lying goat", she chanted with every hit as she hit him mercilessly and he screeched like a little girl.

"Shit... I can explain..... I fu..... Shit that hurts.... Ouch", he tried to explain but with Nova's plethora of expletives and constant physical abuse, he had no chance.

"That was..... Colorful", a voice interrupted their rather pleasant reunion and they both turned to find Jasmine smirking at her mother with her arms and ankles crossed. Christan gawked at her and back to Nova who was breathing heavily after the exercises of chasing him around.

"Why does she resemble you in a way?", He pointed at both of them while straightening his suit.

"Because she's my daughter, dummy", Nova seethed, clearly not over her anger. Christan gawked some more if that was even possible but his sputtering proved it possible.

"How?".

Nova gave him the "are you stupid expression and he shut up and instead sent a charming smile at Jasmine.

"Hello there, I'm Uncle Christan, what's your name sweety?".

"Mummy seems to have her reservations about you being my uncle but whatever. I'm Jasmine", Jasmine shrug her shoulders and grinned cheekily when Nova glared at her.

Nova was not going to let him off the hook easily and it was hard to deal with the fact that he went away for so long and she had to deal with everything herself.

"Some best friend you are", she scoffed angrily and walked back into her office where Sarah waited.

"What's wrong mama bear?", Sarah tilted her head and studied the dark haired woman who just sat on her chair and gazed at nothing.

"Nov?", Sarah called when she got no response from her but she got her answer in the form of wanton tears that flowed down the woman's cheek. She made a beeline for her and gathered her in her arms as she fell apart, giving into her fears, her tiredness, giving into every emotion she felt at that point and to Nova, it felt good to be weak for once. She felt like the world had been lifted from her shoulders at that point and she didn't have anything to worry about.

~

It had been five whole days after the reappearance of Christan and since Nova agreed to meet up with the blonde woman who she called her Nemesis. Christan knew not to pressure the young mother into reconciliation, instead he gave her the time and space which she deeply appreciated.

Nova checked her watch for the nth time and looked over to the entrance of the restaurant where she was supposed to meet Rachel and huffed. The woman infuriated her to no ends and she almost didn't go through with seeing her but her baby was more important than her pride so she called her office to make an appointment. She did get the appointment for the day before but she got a call from the office saying that the barrister will not attend to her unless they had dinner and there she was, twenty minutes early and sat still in her car, refusing to come down and go in because she didn't want to admit it that a little part of her is very eager to see the blonde again. At exactly seven o'clock she saw a black Audi pull in and she squinted her eyes to get a clear view of the driver. Something in her felt excited and she felt a thrill go through her body. It was almost as if the hairs on her body stood on end and she wanted to know why and her question was answered when the tall woman stepped down from the car and gave her keys to a valet. Clad in black suit and black heels, in total contrast to her blonde hair and pale skin, she looked ethereal. Nova looked down at her own appearance and a little smile tugged on her lips. Her dark hair was styled in a messy bun and her make up was done to perfection, not much not less. Her red dress hugged her luscious curves and her gold heels complimented her look, she was so ready for that dinner so with that in mind she drove into the restaurant and came down. She headed inside after handing her keys to the valet and walked into the expensive restaurant.

"Reservation for Miss Sanchez".

The waiter smiled warmly and led her to a private sit out and she steeled herself for the encounter she was about to have with the blonde who had a stoic expression on her face while she nursed a glass of wine which was almost finished, one thing the mother realized about Rachel during the little time they spent in each other's company was that the blonde does not joke with her alcohol.

Rachel saw her and threw the last content of the glass into her mouth before standing up to greet Nova with a smirk on her lips. She knew that this arrangement would annoy the hell out of Nova but she couldn't help it when she knew of the woman's appointment with her office. She wanted to spend more time with the woman in a place that wasn't businesslike and though she refused to admit, she had missed the little woman. Granted they had not spent time together personally but there was something about Nova that made her feel calm and crazy at the same time, it was a perfect balance. It was as if her soul was calm, at peace but her mind was going bizarre when they were close. She found nothing interesting in any woman at all, she didn't have that dominating instinct gnaw at her to make other women her subs but for Nova, she wanted to push her limits. She wanted the woman in her bed, in her chains, over her laps, on her knees, the list was endless but most importantly she wanted to know what it would feel like to have the woman in her arms. Rachel was sure of one thing, the woman was trouble and Rachel was a trouble finder.

She took her hand and gently brought it up to her lips before taking her in inch by inch, eliciting a blush on Nova's cheek, Rachel wore a smug smile, happy with the woman's reaction.

"You are beautiful". Rachel stated a fact. She wasn't complimenting the woman or trying to get her reaction, she just stated what she knew and that threw Nova off. Normally people would throw compliments at her using words like sexy, alluring, pretty, hot but never beautiful and it shocked her the core that the blonde she thought hated her guts stated it matter of fact.

"Thanks", she murmured shyly while being pinned with her icy blue eyes. She caught the faintest smile before the blonde led her to sit down, drawing her seat for her and pushing it in before going back to sit.

"For a moment I thought you ghosted me", Rachel commented offhandedly while a waiter filled their glasses.

"Oh I'm curious, I wouldn't pass up on an opportunity to get my answers", Nova observed the woman who still had that annoying smirk on her face and had tilted her head at her answer.

"Curious about what?", Rachel maintained eye contact and tried to read the closed off woman.

"You", the answer jumped out of her mouth before she had the chance to choose her words carefully and Rachel's smirk got more prominent.

"My, this date is going just as I hoped though a little too fast. Why don't we stuff ourselves while exchanging silly stories?", She mused and Nova mentally face palmed. She raised her eyebrows as if to ask 'really' and just then the devil that resided in her stomach decided to make a grand entrance with a menacingly loud rumbling that Nova was sure shook the whole restaurant, just kill her.

"Yeah let's get that food", Rachel chuckled at her red face and flagged down a waiter. Nova picked the lightest food in the menu and ignored the hunger, her insecurities were playing tricks on her again. With Elijah, it was always that she was either too fat or too bony so it was hard to keep up, she never ordered what she felt like when they went out and she didn't want to make a bad impression on the blonde. She didn't know why but she didn't want to disappoint the blonde woman who even through her suit, one could tell that she was very toned and fit. She raised one eyebrow at her and tilted her head, making her squirm uncomfortably in her seat.

"Come back in five minutes", she dismissed the waiter with a clipped tone while pinning Nova with a harsh glare.

"What was that?", Rachel demanded in a very calm voice that told her to be careful with her answer.

"What?", Nova decided to play dumb, not knowing where that conversation was going.

"Don't play dumb with me. You are obviously hungry and you're settling for a salad", Rachel barked and Nova flinched in her seat before the anger boiled through her.

"Who do you think you are to tell me what to eat and what not?", She snapped at the blonde whose temper had already hit the roof long ago. Being a dominatrix she always was in charge of whatever her sub did and that involved what to eat, when to eat it, what to drink, when to drink it and the list goes on but one thing was a priority to her. She made sure her subs were well fed and hydrated and seeing Nova, a woman that intrigued her, deny her body the much needed fuel angered her so much even though she was not her sub, yet. She glared at the woman for a moment before deciding to use another approach on her, knowing how easily flustered she could get her.

"Keep that temper on and you'll be bent over my laps by the end of the night", she stated and watched the woman's face go from angry to flustered. Nova huffed and tried to hide her face behind the menu but the smirk on the blondes face told her that there was no escaping this.

The waiter came back and under Rachel's scrutinizing glare Nova chose pork chops with celery and almond salad, the same food she had her eyes on since she saw the menu and Rachel smirked and ordered her food while observing the woman who still had a blush on her cheeks. Cute, the word nearly jumped out of her lips but she contained it and stared at an old couple who at their age were still touchy feely and drained her second glass for the night.

"You drove here?", Nova tilted her head and pretended not to know how the woman got there.

"Yes, I'm positive you saw me from your car earlier", Rachel retorted calmly and watched Nova's eyes widen significantly and stutter helplessly.

"Didn't you?", Rachel brought her elbows to the table and continued to make Nova uncomfortable but the waiter had to go and spoil her little game when he arrived with their food and Nova dug into hers, doing anything not to talk to the blonde.

"How old is Jasmine?", Rachel asked.

They had finished eating and for reasons unknown to the blonde, she wanted to take a walk with Nova who didn't seem opposed to the idea but they didn't stray far because of their heels. They talked about anything that came to mind and Nova realized how much she enjoyed the blonde's presence, she felt safe, like nothing could get to her and Rachel felt like she could be herself, not the cutthroat lawyer, not the sadistic person she had grown into, just her.

"She's nine", Nova smiled at the thought of her child and at the same time she felt a painful tug on her heart at the thought of losing her. Rachel saw the fear written boldly on her and felt the need to sooth her fears.

"You will not lose her", she stated firmly. Nova stared at the blonde and tried to gauge her. One minute Rachel was annoying and unbearable and the next minute she was soothing her, though in a weird way but Nova found some comfort in the fact that the devilish woman who she hated at first was going to help her.

"Why are you helping me?", She stopped and gazed up at the woman who gazed down on her with a look she couldn't decipher.

"Don't be delusional. You are paying for my services so I have to do my best", Rachel scoffed.

"You could have said no", Nova pressed and Rachel exhaled, already getting agitated at the interrogation.

"I was bored", she shrugged and answered in a tone that said to drop the conversation but Nova knew how to push her buttons, something the blonde had noticed and spites her to no end.

"Is that so?", Nova folded her hands across her chest and stared at the blonde who had gone stiff and wore a very expressionless face if not for her tightened jaw.

"Meet me by 12 at the office tomorrow", she gritted. Even to Rachel, the reason she got so angry over such a simple discussion was beyond her, maybe she was afraid of admitting even to herself that she may have developed a soft spot for the mother and surprisingly, her child. Rachel was never a fan of children, to her they were years worth of commitment and what ifs and she didn't see herself wanting one but she wanted Nova and Nova came with Jasmine and somehow she was okay with it, infact the picture of the mother and her child in her arms excited her.

"You....", Nova was about to retort but Rachel being Rachel, lost what little she has left of her patience.

"God damnit go home!", She growled harshly, causing the smaller woman to recoil at the harshness of her booming voice.

"Y...yeah..... I.....um", Nova stuttered helplessly not knowing why she was that intimidated by the tall woman. She was a fighter for God's sake and nothing got to her but somehow she gave in to this woman. The hurt that flashed through Nova's features didn't escape Rachel and she didn't like that, she didn't like hurting her and she just realized that too. Not knowing how to apologise or show remorse she didn't know what to do but she wanted to make the woman know she was sorry so she did what Rachel Sanchez never does. She brought the shorter woman into an embrace and felt her little body stiffen in her arms and for a moment she regretted her action but Nova soon recovered from her shock and fell into the embrace. Shock was an understatement for what Nova felt, she didn't expect the iceberg of a woman to be warm and soft. Her floral scent mixed with the faint smell of spirit brought Nova into a sense of calmness and she wanted to be there for longer, in her strong arms and warmth. On the other hand, Rachel didn't want to let go, instead she buried her nose in Nova's dark mane and inhaled her coconut shampoo, the small woman fitted perfectly in her arms.

Just like every good thing, the hug had to come to an end and they immediately missed each other's warmth but most importantly, Nova understood the message that Rachel wanted to pass in that hug and she couldn't hold back the smile that graced her lips even if she tried, Rachel couldn't help the amazement at the beautiful smile she received and just like that, Rachel Sanchez felt a genuine emotion, happiness.