Deep Consuming Addiction

Chapter 79

✨Don’t Pretend You’re Innocent✨

Elena Vale

The car came to a smooth stop outside her building.

Elena sat there for a second longer than necessary, her hand still resting lightly on her lap, the quiet between them heavier now—but not uncomfortable.

Different.

They had just come from the clinic.

Tests. Screening. Everything handled with the same precision Ari applied to every part of his life. Efficient. Private. Thorough.

But what lingered wasn’t the appointment.

It was what it meant.

He turned slightly toward her, his gaze steady, searching her face—not for answers, but for reassurance.

“You okay?” he asked.

She nodded.

“I am.”

And she was.

Just… aware.

Of what came next.

Of the shift that had been building between them for months now.

He didn’t push. Didn’t ask more. That was his way—never rushing, never forcing. Just… present.

His hand came up, brushing lightly along her jaw before settling at the side of her neck. Gentle. Grounding.

“Text me when you’re done,” he said.

“I will.”

She hesitated.

Then leaned in.

The kiss wasn’t urgent.

It wasn’t hesitant either.

It was steady.

Soft.

A quiet promise of something neither of them had rushed into—but both had been moving toward.

When she pulled back, her breath was slightly uneven.

He noticed.

Of course he did.

“Go,” he murmured.

She opened the door and stepped out.

The air outside felt different—cooler, sharper—but she still felt him.

On her skin.

In her chest.

At the entrance, Ross was already there.

Leaning casually near the door, like he had been waiting—but not in a way that could be questioned.

His eyes moved over her the moment she approached.

Not like Ari.

Not controlled.

Lingering.

“Morning,” he said, a slight grin pulling at his mouth.

“Elena.”

“Ross.”

She kept her tone even, slipping back into that composed version of herself with ease.

“You’re starting to keep interesting hours,” he added, falling into step beside her as they walked in.

“Work doesn’t exactly follow a schedule,” she replied.

His gaze flickered toward the car behind her, then back to her face.

“Yeah,” he said slowly. “I can see that.”

There was something in his tone.

Not accusation.

Not quite.

But curiosity… edged with something else.

“You look good,” he added, a little too casually.

She glanced at him briefly.

“Thank you.”

They walked through the lobby together, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished floors.

Ross kept pace easily.

“So,” he continued, “you and Darven—”

She stopped just short of the elevator.

Turned to him.

“What about it?”

Same level.

Same rank.

No room for implication.

Ross lifted his hands slightly, a half-smile still in place.

“Nothing. Just… seems like you’ve got his attention.”

Her gaze didn’t shift.

“I tend to get people’s attention when I need to.”

A beat.

Then she stepped into the elevator.

He followed.

But quieter now.

Because whatever he had been trying to read from her—

He hadn’t gotten it.

And yet—

As the doors closed, Elena’s composure slipped just slightly.

Not outwardly.

Internally.

Because despite the control she carried so effortlessly…

Her thoughts weren’t on Ross.

They were on Ari.

On the way he had handled everything.

On the way he didn’t rush her.

Didn’t pressure her.

On the way he paid attention—to everything.

Her reactions.

Her hesitation.

Her silence.

No one had ever done that before.

And now—

Standing there, heart steady but full—

She realized something she hadn’t fully admitted to herself until now:

She was ready.

Not because he expected it.

Not because of pressure.

But because with him—

She didn’t feel like she had to perform.

She just had to show up.

Even with the uncertainty.

Even with the questions she didn’t have answers to yet.

Because for the first time—

She trusted the man enough to figure it out with him.

And that—

That was what made it terrifying.

And worth it.

Elena settled comfortably in her office.

Then-

When work had been completed for the day she had one more appointment before dinner with Ari.

---

Elena had been putting the appointment off for weeks since she returned from Carolina.

Not because of the pain.

Because of what it meant.

Things with Ari weren’t just tension anymore. It wasn’t just looks that lingered too long or hands brushing accidentally on purpose. It was serious. Heavy. Inevitable.

And that meant eventually he’d see her.

All of her.

No man ever had.

Not like that.

It wasn’t the act that made her nervous. She wasn’t some sheltered virgin terrified of s*x. She just had never let a man look at her like that — fully exposed, completely bare, no dim lighting, no half-measures.

The only man who had ever seen her exposed—truly, intimately—was Ari.

And she hadn’t known what he thought.

He was always so guarded with his emotions, careful not to give too much away. Even with her, he only let pieces slip—small hints of what was under the surface, fleeting glimpses that teased her mind and stirred something deep in her chest.

But she didn’t have the full picture.

Not yet.

Elena’s thoughts refused to rest.

Every quiet glance, every brush of his hand, every word he had allowed himself to speak… they replayed in her mind, tangled with the memory of how close they’d been, how raw and vulnerable she had felt in his presence.

And now… now she wondered what was coming next.

Would he be different with her when there were no boundaries left?

Would he reveal more of himself, or pull away the moment things got too real?

Her stomach twisted slightly at the thought.

The truth was simple, and terrifying: she wanted him to show her.

All of him.

And yet, part of her feared it.

Because once that barrier was down—once she truly knew him—there would be no turning back.

And maybe… she wasn’t ready for that.

But somehow, her body and her mind knew she would never stop wanting it. Elena understood her career made him hesitant but the way she felt changed everything.

And she wanted to be ready.

So she did it.

The first strip of wax ripped away more than hair. It ripped away hesitation. The second made her grip the table. By the third, she stopped flinching.

When she left, she felt different.

Smooth.

Clean.

Dangerous.

She had her hair professionally done after — glossy, soft waves falling down her back. If she was doing this, she was doing it right.

When she walked into Ari’s penthouse that evening, she felt composed again. Controlled.

He noticed immediately.

He was by the bar, jacket on, ready for dinner. His eyes lifted — and froze.

Slowly, they dragged down her body.

“You look…” He exhaled through his nose. “Unbelievable.”

Her stomach flipped.

“Thank you.”

He stepped closer, eyes narrowing slightly like he was trying to figure something out.

“What else did you do?” he asked.

She blinked. “What?”

“You changed something.”

Damn him.

“Nothing.”

“Elena.”

That tone.

Low. Demanding. Almost amused.

She felt heat creep up her neck — she never blushed. Ever. But Ari made her effortlessly.

Ari made her so shy and a blushing mess.

“I had a wax appointment,” she muttered.

His expression shifted instantly.

“Yes?”

“It was my first time.”

Silence.

Heavy. Charged.

A slow smirk pulled at his mouth.

Ari’s gaze darkened as it moved over her.

“You walked in like this on purpose,” he said lowly. “Tell me… you got yourself ready just for me?”

Elena held his gaze for a moment, her pulse betraying her far more than her expression did.

A slow, knowing smile touched her lips.

“Maybe I did,” she said quietly.

She took a step closer, just enough for him to feel her presence without touching.

“Or maybe…” her voice softened, teasing, “I just like the way you look at me when you think I did.”

Her fingers brushed lightly against his chest, not lingering, just enough to spark something.

“So tell me, Ari…” she added, tilting her head slightly, “does it make a difference?”

“Show me.”

The words hit her like a punch.

Her lungs forgot how to work.

He said it calmly, like he was asking to see her shoes. But his eyes weren’t calm.

They were dark.

Hungry.

For half a second she thought about brushing it off.

But she wasn’t some shy little girl.

She stepped closer instead.

“You want to see?” she asked, voice lower now.

His jaw flexed. “Yes.”

She grabbed his hand and led him to the couch. Her pulse was wild, but she refused to look nervous.

“Help me out of my underwear,” she said.

The air shifted.

Ari’s smile was slow and dangerous as he lowered himself in front of her. Not rushed. Not desperate.

In control.

His hands slid up her ankle, slow enough to make her knees weak. Up her calf. Up her thigh. Not grabbing. Not squeezing.

Dragging.

Deliberate.

She could feel her heartbeat between her legs.

His fingers hooked into the waistband and slowly dragged it down her legs. When she stepped out of it, she felt exposed in a way that made her skin burn.

He paused.

Actually paused.

Closed his eyes for a second and inhaled.

That nearly destroyed her.

She lifted her skirt herself, refusing to hide.

Watching him the entire time.

When his eyes dropped, they darkened instantly.

Not shocked.

Not shy.

Appreciative.

Possessive.

He licked his lips slowly.

“Jesus,” he muttered under his breath.

Her heart was slamming so hard she thought she might pass out.

He looked up at her again.

“Can I kiss it?” he asked, voice rougher now. Thicker.

That question nearly shattered her.

Not because of what he wanted.

But because he asked.

Her fingers slid into his hair before she even realized she was moving.

She wasn’t backing down.

She wasn’t fragile.

She wasn’t that innocent. She had her first orgasm two nights ago in his jacuzzi.

Her voice came out soft but steady.

“Yes.”

And for the first time in her life —

She didn’t feel scared of being seen tonight.

She felt powerful.

Ari didn’t blink. Not once.

Every inch of her bravery, every tiny spark of boldness she showed, lit something feral in him. His gaze roamed with hunger and calculation, slow and deliberate, memorizing, marking.

Ari licked over his lips.

He bent his knees to the floor, steadying himself, every muscle taut, controlled—barely. His chest rose, his breath shallow, and he let his eyes travel over her as if committing her to memory.

She was his.

Every pulse, every shiver, every hesitation whispered it.

He leaned in. Close. Closer. His lips hovered with a weight that made her body coil instinctively, every nerve screaming.

Then, inch by inch, he leaned in.

The heat between them was impossible to ignore.

Elena’s chest rose and fell quickly, her legs trembling beneath her.

Elena’s legs shook now. Her chest hitched. Her hands gripped the edges of the chair—or maybe him—desperate for something solid to hold onto.

And then—he pressed his lips there.

The tension snapped. Her legs went weak beneath her. Her body betrayed her, giving over in the way it had never done before.

Heat and need surged between them, sharp, raw, impossible to ignore. His presence filled everything, pulling her into him with a force she couldn’t resist.

Her breath hitched. Her mind spun. And in that second, suspended, they were both undone.

And just as the moment threatened to tip them over… His tongue traced over her fold.

The page ended.

Leaving nothing but the promise of what was to come—and the impossible question lingering in the air:

How far would desire take them when every boundary was gone?