Chapter 96

The energy from set still hums faintly in their bodies when they step outside.

The air is cooler now. Late afternoon bleeding into evening. The sky soft and gold behind the studio buildings.

Celeste checks her phone, then exhales lightly.

“Okay,” she says, looking between Rowan and Naomi. “I need to head home for a bit. I left half my life there. Clothes. Laptop. A few things I actually need.”

Rowan nods immediately. “Makes sense.”

Naomi tilts her head. “You want one of my drivers?”

Celeste smiles. “Already called one. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

There’s a small pause. Not tense—just transitional.

Rowan steps closer to Celeste and presses a quick kiss to her cheek. “Text when you get there.”

Celeste bumps her shoulder gently. “I will.”

Naomi leans in next, giving Celeste a soft kiss on the lips—unhurried but brief. “Don’t overthink anything while you’re there,” she murmurs quietly.

Celeste smirks. “That’s rich coming from you.”

Naomi shrugs. “Growth.”

Celeste laughs under her breath, shaking her head.

A black car pulls up to the curb.

“That’s me,” Celeste says.

She opens the door, then pauses, looking at them both again—softer this time. “I’ll come back tonight.”

Rowan nods. “We’ll be there.”

Naomi lifts a hand in a casual salute. “Drive safe.”

Celeste slides into the back seat. The door shuts. The car pulls away slowly, taillights disappearing down the street.

The quiet that follows feels different now.

Rowan slips her hands into the pockets of her jacket and glances at Naomi.

“So,” she says lightly. “Guess it’s just us.”

Naomi turns toward her dramatically, lower lip jutting out in an exaggerated pout. “Rowan,” she says, voice dipping playful and needy all at once. “You can ride back to my house with me… unless you need to go home too.”

She widens her eyes just a little.

Rowan laughs softly. “Is that your serious face?”

Naomi crosses her arms. “Yes. I am very serious. I cannot be left alone. It would be tragic.”

Rowan steps closer, nudging Naomi’s shoulder with her own. “No,” she says gently. “I’m not going home.”

Naomi raises a brow. “No?”

Rowan smiles. “I’m going back with you.”

The pout melts instantly into satisfaction.

“Good,” Naomi says, turning toward her own waiting car. “Because I was not prepared for rejection today.”

Rowan laughs as they walk side by side toward the vehicle.

Naomi’s driver steps out to open the door. Rowan waits for Naomi to slide in first before climbing in after her.

The door closes.

The car pulls away.

Naomi shifts slightly in her seat, angling her body toward Rowan without even thinking about it.

“Are you tired?” Rowan asks.

“A little,” Naomi admits. “But in a good way.”

Rowan studies her for a second. “You’ve been showing up a lot lately.”

Naomi glances at her. “So have you.”

A beat passes.

Naomi reaches over, intertwining their fingers casually in the space between them.

No big declaration.

No dramatic shift.

Just contact.

Rowan squeezes once.

The city moves past the window in blurred streaks of light.

The gates slide open as the car rolls into Naomi’s driveway.

The house glows softly in the evening light—warm, lived-in, welcoming.

Rowan steps out first this time, stretching her arms above her head as Naomi circles around the front of the car. There’s a quiet ease between them now—no rush, no tension lingering from the day.

Inside, Naomi kicks off her shoes and exhales.

“Okay,” she says, glancing toward the hallway. “I need to jump into my office for a few minutes. I have to make a call before I forget.”

Rowan nods. “Go handle your empire.”

Naomi smirks. “Exactly.”

Rowan heads toward the bedroom to shower while Naomi disappears into her office, closing the door halfway behind her.

A few minutes later—

Naomi is seated at her desk, posture straight, voice calm and polished.

“Yes,” she says into the phone, flipping through a folder on her desk. “I’ve reviewed the preliminary numbers. I want to move forward on the building downtown—the one on Fifth. If we can secure it under asking, even better. But I’m prepared to outbid if necessary.”

She leans back slightly, pen tapping thoughtfully against her notepad.

“No, I don’t want partners on this one. I’ll hold it independently.”

There’s a pause while the person on the other end speaks.

Naomi nods once. “Have legal draw up the paperwork. I want it clean and quick. Discretion is important.”

The office door creaks open quietly.

Naomi doesn’t look up at first.

Then she does.

And forgets the rest of her sentence.

Rowan stands in the doorway in nothing but a towel, hair still damp from the shower. A drop of water trails slowly down her collarbone.

Naomi’s pen freezes mid-air.

“Yes—uh—I mean, yes, we can… we can structure the—”

Rowan walks in slowly, deliberately, barefoot against the hardwood. She doesn’t say anything. Just tilts her head slightly, watching Naomi unravel in real time.

Naomi clears her throat. “Sorry. Yes. Structure the acquisition under the holding company. That’s fine.”

Rowan rounds the desk casually, dragging her fingers along the edge of it. She leans slightly against Naomi’s side, just close enough for their skin to brush.

Naomi inhales sharply.

“Yes, I’m still here,” she says quickly into the phone, voice tightening just a fraction.

Rowan smiles to herself and trails her fingers lightly up Naomi’s forearm.

Naomi swallows.

“Yes. Email me the revised numbers. I’ll review tonight.”

Rowan bends slightly, her lips hovering just beside Naomi’s ear.

Naomi’s eyes flutter closed for half a second.

“And yes—yes—that timeline works,” Naomi adds hurriedly.

Rowan’s fingers slide to Naomi’s shoulder, squeezing gently.

Naomi grips the armrest.

“Actually,” she says into the phone, voice suddenly firm and decisive, “send it over. I’ll sign electronically. Let’s close by end of week.”

She pauses.

“Yes. That’s final.”

Rowan presses a slow, teasing kiss to Naomi’s temple.

Naomi’s breath catches again.

“Alright,” Naomi says quickly. “We’re done here. Thank you.”

She hangs up before the other person can respond.

Silence fills the office.

Naomi sets her phone down slowly and looks up at Rowan.

“You are unbelievable,” she says, voice low but amused.

Rowan shrugs innocently. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to.”

Rowan steps closer, bracing her hands on the arms of Naomi’s chair and leaning in. “You looked very powerful just now.”

Naomi arches a brow. “And?”

“And I wanted to see if you could stay professional.”

Naomi stands abruptly, pushing her chair back. Rowan lets out a soft laugh as she’s gently backed up against the edge of the desk.

“You nearly cost me a building,” Naomi murmurs.

Rowan smirks. “But you closed the deal.”

Naomi’s hands settle at Rowan’s waist, fingers tightening slightly in the towel.

“You are dangerous,” Naomi says softly.

Rowan leans in until their foreheads touch.

“You like dangerous.”

Naomi exhales slowly.

“Very much.”

Naomi’s hands tighten at Rowan’s waist.

There’s a shift in her posture—something deliberate, controlled, the same energy she had on the phone seconds ago… just redirected.

“You really chose violence,” Naomi murmurs, eyes dark but amused.

Rowan bites back a smile. “I was just observing a very powerful woman in her natural habitat.”

“Observing?” Naomi repeats softly.

Before Rowan can answer, Naomi’s hands slide lower, firm and decisive. In one smooth motion, she lifts Rowan up onto the edge of the desk.

Rowan lets out a surprised laugh that melts into a sharp inhale as she lands against the polished wood, legs instinctively parting just enough for Naomi to step in between them.

Papers shift slightly beneath Rowan’s palms as she steadies herself.

Naomi stands close—close enough that their bodies brush with every breath.

“You like testing me,” Naomi says quietly.

Rowan tilts her head. “You handled it well.”

Naomi smirks. “I always do.”

Then she leans in.

The kiss isn’t slow this time.

It’s warm and certain—hungry without being reckless. Naomi cups Rowan’s jaw with one hand, the other bracing at her thigh, keeping her steady against the desk. Rowan responds immediately, fingers sliding into Naomi’s hair, tugging gently as she deepens it.

The desk creaks faintly beneath them.

Rowan hums softly against Naomi’s mouth, clearly pleased with herself. “You look good in control,” she murmurs between kisses.

Naomi pulls back just enough to look at her. “You haven’t seen control yet.”

Rowan’s breath catches—just slightly.

Naomi leans in again, kissing her slower now, more intentional. Her hand glides up Rowan’s thigh.