“The dress looks even better than I imagined.” His fingers brush my jaw. “Sleep well, Samantha.” He walks away, leaving me standing there.
Donovan passes by moments later, close enough to whisper, “Sweet dreams.”
Kai is last, grinning as he heads toward the exit. He pats his pocket where my panties are hidden and winks.
I make my way back to my room on shaky legs.
Once I’m alone, I sink onto the bed and try to process everything.
They’re not hiding it. Whatever this is—this thing developing between the four of us—they’re not treating it like a secret.
I pull out my phone and stare at Robert’s last message.
I delete the message thread and turn off my phone instead of telling him everything.
12
GRANT
The morning after the gala,I call a meeting in my office at nine sharp.
Donovan arrives first, coffee in hand, looking like he actually slept despite the party running past midnight. Kai strolls in five minutes late, hair still damp from a shower, wearing the same self-satisfied grin he’s had since last night.
“Sit.” I gesture to the chairs across from my desk. “We need to go over the numbers.”
Donovan opens his tablet immediately, pulling up spreadsheets. “The gala exceeded projections. We hosted eighty-three guests, forty-two of whom extended their stays through New Year’s.”
“Revenue?” I ask.
“Direct revenue from extended bookings puts us at two hundred and fifteen thousand for the week. But the real value was in the connections.” He scrolls through his notes. “Senator Mitchell wants to discuss that tech investment we pitched. The Yamamoto family is interested in the Denver acquisition. And three separate parties asked about our expansion plans.”
“Not bad for one night of champagne and small talk.” Kai stretches his legs out. “I closed that deal with the Brazilian developer. He’s in for five million on the Miami project.”
I nod, making mental notes. The gala serves multiple purposes.
This year’s event was particularly successful.
“The resort staff performed well,” Donovan continues. “No incidents. Guests were impressed with the accommodations and service. We should give the team bonuses.”
“I already planned that.” I lean back in my chair. “Anything else we need to address?”
Silence settles. The business portion of this meeting is done.
Kai’s grin widens. “So are we going to talk about the elephant in the room, or are we pretending last night didn’t happen?”
Donovan sets down his tablet. “I was wondering when you’d bring her up.”
“Her?” I keep my voice neutral, but I know exactly who Kai means.
“Samantha.” Kai says her name like he’s tasting it. “You practically claimed her in front of everyone, Dad. That hug was not subtle.”
“Neither was your disappearing act,” Donovan adds. “The red room, Kai? Really?”
Kai shrugs, shameless. “She needed to relax. I helped.”
I study my youngest son. “You took her to the red room.”
“I did.” He leans forward. “And it was incredible. She’s incredible.”
