Chapter 75
2289 Words
✨Carolina Nights and Homecoming✨
Elena Vale
Elena’s phone buzzed softly against the table just as she finished reviewing the last file.
She glanced at the screen.
Ari.
A small, unintentional smile touched her lips before she picked it up.
“Hello.”
A pause.
Then his voice—low, steady.
“Are you done working?”
Elena leaned back slightly in her chair.
“Almost.”
“You said that an hour ago.”
Her brows lifted.
“You’ve been keeping track?”
“Yes.”
She let out a quiet breath, almost a laugh.
“That’s… slightly concerning.”
“It’s accurate.”
Elena shook her head lightly.
“You don’t have anything else to do?”
“I am doing it.”
“And what is that exactly?”
“Talking to you.”
She went quiet for a second, caught off guard by how simple he made it sound.
“You’re very direct,” she said.
“Yes.”
A small silence settled between them, but it wasn’t awkward.
It never was.
Elena tapped her pen lightly against the desk.
“You called just to check if I finished work?”
“Yes.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
She smiled faintly.
“You’re not even going to pretend you had something more important to say?”
“No.”
Elena exhaled softly, her tone shifting just slightly.
“You’re getting… comfortable.”
“Yes.”
She pressed her lips ⁶⁶, trying not to smile wider.
“That’s dangerous.”
“For you?”
“For both of us.”
A brief pause.
“I’m not concerned.”
“Of course you’re not,” she muttered.
Ari’s voice came again, quieter this time.
“You sound tired.”
Elena glanced at the files in front of her.
“I am.”
“Go home.”
“I will.”
“Now.”
She huffed softly.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
A beat.
“You’re still there.”
She rolled her eyes, though he couldn’t see it.
“You’re very persistent.”
“Yes.”
“And slightly annoying.”
“Yes.”
She let out a small laugh this time.
It slipped out before she could stop it.
On the other end, Ari went quiet for a second.
“You’re smiling.”
Elena froze slightly.
“…No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“You can’t see me.”
“I don’t need to.”
She shook her head, standing up and gathering her things.
“You’re impossible.”
“And you’re leaving work.”
She paused.
Then—
“…Yes.”
A small victory.
He didn’t say anything for a moment.
Then—
“Good.”
Elena picked up her bag, turning off the lights on her desk.
“You called just to make sure I went home?”
“Yes.”
She stepped out into the hallway, locking the door behind her.
“You’re doing too much.”
“No.”
She smiled again, softer this time.
“Goodnight, Ari.”
A pause.
Then, quieter—
"Good night baby."
Elena adjusted the strap of her bag as she walked toward the elevator in the hotel lobby. It had been a long day, back-to-back meetings and financial briefings, and she was ready to collapse into her room. She made sure every report, every finding, every detail to the last dot at the end of her report was correct because lord knows when she got home she didn't need a reason to leave again.
Then Gareth appeared, leaning casually against the wall, that same easy grin on his face.
“Hey, Elena. Dinner later?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.
Elena stopped, fixing him with a polite but firm look.
“Gareth, I don’t date coworkers,” she said smoothly. “My focus here is work. It’s been nice talking, but I'm not looking for dinner or anything else.”
He raised his hands in mock surrender. “Fair enough. Straightforward. I like that.”
She offered a small, courteous smile and stepped into the elevator before he could say more. Relief washed over her. That was done.
---
Later that night, she sat on her bed, phone in hand. Her fingers hovered over Ari’s name. She called.
The line rang once before his familiar voice came through.
“Baby.”
“I’m back in the hotel,” she said softly.
“I figured.” His tone carried a warmth that made her chest squeeze.
They fell into their playful rhythm immediately. He teased her about the way she described a spreadsheet earlier, she teased him about the tie he had worn to a meeting last week. Every little joke, every quiet laugh over the phone, made her feel closer to him than the miles between Carolina and Main Hesse.
“You sound tired,” he said eventually.
“I’ve been working since six,” she admitted.
“Not working too hard, I hope.”
“I’m fine,” she said quickly, knowing he’d overthink if she let him worry too much.
“I hope you miss me,” he added casually.
“I do,” she whispered, a small smile curling her lips.
“Good,” he said, voice low and steady. “Because I plan on making sure you don’t forget me anytime soon.”
---
The next evening, Elena’s heart raced as she walked through the sliding doors of Ari’s office. She had kept her arrival a secret. Eight days apart had been enough. She wanted the look on his face when he realized she was home.
Ari didn’t disappoint. He rose from his office chair the instant he saw her.
“Elena,” he breathed, voice caught somewhere between surprise and something deeper.
She grinned, slipping off her coat. “Miss me?”
“Terribly.”
He pulled her into his arms, letting her feel the familiar strength of his chest against hers.
He kissed her like she hadn't been kissed before.
Then.
He took her hand, leading her back to the penthouse. The quiet ride home was filled with soft conversation, fingers intertwined, the kind of comfortable intimacy that made the city lights outside blur into nothing.
Inside the penthouse, Ari didn’t hesitate. He pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her hair, then to her lips, slow and deliberate, letting the day and week apart melt away.
For Elena, it was the perfect combination: the thrill of surprise, the warmth of his presence, and the quiet understanding that no matter where she went, he would always be there to meet her when she came home.
Elena stood near the bed, fingers lightly brushing the hem of his shirt she had slipped into, the soft fabric falling against her thighs. The air still held warmth from their showers, faint steam lingering, but it was nothing compared to the heat that had followed the moment he stepped back into the room and saw her.
He didn’t say anything at first.
He just looked at her.
And then he moved.
Ari closed the distance in a few steps, his hands sliding around her waist, pulling her into him like there had never been space between them. Like the past week hadn’t stretched miles between their bodies and tested every quiet moment.
His mouth found hers again.
Deep.
Certain.
Not rushed—but full.
Like he had been holding it in.
Elena melted into him instantly, her arms sliding around his neck, pulling him closer, her body fitting against his like it remembered him before her mind could catch up. The kiss deepened, slowed, lingered—less desperate now, more consuming.
Like they were reacquainting themselves.
His hands moved up her back, holding her firmly, grounding her as her breath began to falter. She laughed softly against his lips when she had to pull away, her chest rising quickly.
“Okay…” she breathed, her forehead resting against his. “We’re going to pass out at this rate.”
Ari exhaled a quiet laugh, his hands still holding her close. “I’m fine with that.”
“You would be,” she murmured, smiling.
He guided her down onto the bed, not letting go, pulling her with him until she was tucked against his side. One arm wrapped around her, the other resting lazily along her waist, his thumb moving slowly against the fabric of his shirt she wore.
For a while—
They just stayed there.
Breathing.
Settling.
Letting the reality of being back in the same space sink in.
Elena rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It was calming in a way she hadn’t expected—like something she didn’t realize she needed until she had it again.
“You surprised me,” he said softly.
Elena glanced up at him. “I know.”
“I was supposed to be at the airport.”
“I wanted to see that look.”
She smiled against his chest, her fingers tracing idle patterns along his skin.
His hand tightened slightly around her.
“I wasn’t going to let you come back alone.”
She tilted her head up, meeting his eyes
“I know.”
No hesitation.
No extra explanation.
Just that.
Her expression softened.
“You’re… a lot sometimes,” she said quietly.
Ari’s brow lifted slightly. “That sound like a complaint?”
“No,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “It’s not. I just… I’m not used to someone showing up like that.”
His gaze lingered on her for a moment, something deeper passing through it before he looked away slightly.
“Get used to it.”
Elena let out a small breath, her hand settling flat against his chest.
“I missed you,” she admitted.
“I know,” he said again, softer this time.
She smiled faintly. “You keep saying that.”
“Because I could hear it,” he replied. “Even when you weren’t saying it.”
She huffed a quiet laugh. “Of course you could.”
A brief silence settled again—comfortable, warm.
Then she shifted slightly, her fingers absentmindedly tracing along his collarbone.
“My week was… busy,” she said.
“I figured.”
“Mhm,” she nodded. “Work, meetings, trying not to overthink everything.”
Ari glanced down at her. “Trying?”
She gave him a look. “Don’t start.”
A faint smirk touched his lips.
“And,” she added casually, like it wasn’t something she had been debating whether to say, “Gareth asked me to dinner last night.”
Ari went still.
Not dramatically.
But she felt it.
The subtle shift in his body beneath her.
His hand paused at her waist.
“Did he,” Ari said, voice even.
Elena watched him carefully now, her chin resting lightly against his chest.
“Yes.”
A small pause.
“And?” he asked.
“I didn’t go.”
His eyes met hers.
“Why not?”
She tilted her head slightly. “Do you really have to ask that?”
“I do,” he said calmly.
Elena studied him for a second longer… then shrugged lightly.
“Because I didn’t want to,” she said simply. “Because it didn’t feel right.”
Ari’s gaze didn’t waver.
“And if it did?” he asked.
She frowned slightly. “What does that mean?”
“If it felt right,” he clarified. “Would you have gone?”
Elena pushed herself up slightly, resting on her elbow now, looking down at him.
“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “Maybe… if things were different.”
Ari’s jaw tightened just a fraction.
“But they’re not,” she added quickly. “So it doesn’t matter.”
He held her gaze for a moment longer.
Then his hand moved again, sliding up her back, pulling her down gently until she was pressed against him again.
“Good,” he said quietly.
Elena rolled her eyes lightly, but she didn’t resist him.
“You’re not subtle at all,” she murmured.
“I don’t need to be.”
She laughed softly, her fingers curling lightly into his chest.
“You jealous?”
Ari didn’t answer right away.
Instead, his hand moved to her chin, tilting her face up so she had to look at him.
“I’m aware,” he said.
“That’s not what I asked.”
A pause.
Then—
“Yes.”
The honesty caught her off guard.
Elena blinked.
Then smiled.
“Okay,” she said softly, settling back into him.
Ari’s arms tightened around her again, his chin resting lightly against the top of her head.
“You told him no,” he added after a moment.
“I did.”
“Good.”
She laughed under her breath.
“You’re impossible.”
“And you’re here,” he replied.
She went quiet at that.
Because that was the truth of it.
After the distance.
After the questions.
After the week apart—
She was here.
In his arms.
Exactly where she wanted to be.
Elena shifted closer, her leg tangling with his under the sheets, her hand resting over his heart again.
“Next time,” she murmured, “you’re coming with me.”
Ari’s brow lifted slightly. “To Carolina?”
“Mhm.”
He looked down at her, considering it.
Then—
“Maybe I will.”
She smiled, eyes closing as she settled fully against him.
And this time—
Neither of them felt the distance anymore.
- Writer
