Chapter 12 Grant
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.”
“We know,” Donovan says. “We’ve both been with her too.”
The admission hangs in the air. We’ve danced around this all week, but now it’s out in the open.
“So what are we doing?” Kai asks. “Because I’m not backing off. I want her.”
“We all want her,” I say. “But does she understand what that means?”
Donovan drums his fingers on the armrest. “She should have figured that out by now. She’s smart.”
“Knowing and experiencing are different things.” I stand and move to the window. Snow is still falling, adding to the already impressive accumulation. “We need to be clear with her about what we’re offering.”
“You mean tell her she’s ours now?” Kai grins.
“I mean tell her what the arrangement is. Give her the choice.” I turn back to face them. “If she’s with one of us, she’s with all of us. That’s how this works. She needs to know that before this goes any further.”
Donovan nods slowly. “Agreed. No more dancing around it.”
“I’m fine with that.” Kai’s still grinning. “Though for the record, I think she already knows. She’s just waiting for one of us to say it out loud.”
He might be right. Samantha’s observant. But assuming she understands and making sure she understands are two different things.
“There’s something else,” Kai says, and his tone shifts slightly. “I might have watched the security footage.”
I go very still. “Excuse me?”
“The cameras in the hallways. Private wing.” He’s not even trying to look apologetic. “I saw you and Samantha in your office. A few days ago.”
Donovan’s jaw tightens. “You watched our father have sex on surveillance cameras?”
“Just enough to confirm what I suspected.” Kai holds up his hands. “I wasn’t going to sit around wondering if something happened. I needed to know.”
“You’re a pervert,” I say flatly.
“I’m thorough.”
“You’re lucky you’re family.” Donovan’s voice is cold. “You know what happens to people who snoop around this house looking at things they shouldn’t see.”
The temperature in the room drops.
Kai’s grin falters slightly, but he doesn’t back down. “Come on. I’m not some outsider digging for dirt. I’m your brother. Your son. I was just curious.”
“Curious people get themselves into trouble.” I move back to my desk, hands flat on the surface. “You remember Tom? The security contractor who got too interested in our private business?”
Kai’s expression shifts. “Dad—”
“He started asking questions. Watching footage he shouldn’t have been watching. Trying to piece together information about our operations.” I hold his gaze. “We haven’t seen Tom in three years.”
“Jesus,” Donovan mutters.
“He’s lucky,” I continue. “Some people don’t get to just disappear. Some people get found in pieces.”
Kai swallows hard. “Point taken.”
“Good.” I straighten. “You’re family, so you get a pass. But remember that privacy exists for a reason. Even between us.”
“Understood.” He looks chastened now. “I won’t do it again.”
“See that you don’t.” I glance at Donovan. “And you? Any confessions?”
“I don’t need security footage to confirm what I already know.” His voice is dry. “I have eyes.”
Kai laughs, the tension breaking. “Fair point.”
I let the silence settle for a moment before speaking again. “So we’re agreed. We will talk to Samantha and make sure she understands what this is.”
“When?” Donovan asks.
“Tomorrow morning at breakfast.” I sit back down.
The next morning, I’m up early despite only getting five hours of sleep.
I go through my usual routine. Exercise. Shower. Coffee. Review emails. But my mind keeps drifting to the conversation I’m about to have.
Donovan arrives first, looking as composed as ever. Kai follows, his energy more contained than usual.
We’re all sitting at the table when Samantha walks in.
She’s wearing jeans and a cream sweater, hair loose around her shoulders. She looks beautiful and uncertain, like she’s unsure what she’s walking into.
“Morning,” she says, pouring herself coffee.
“Morning.” I wait until she’s sitting before speaking. “We need to talk.”
Her hand pauses halfway to her mouth. “That sounds ominous.”
“It’s not.” I set down my coffee cup. “About what’s happening between the four of us.”
She glances at Donovan, then Kai, then back to me. “Okay.”
“The other night at the gala, we weren’t subtle.” I keep my voice even. “The way we were with you. The way we’ve all been with you.”
“I noticed,” she says quietly.
“Good. Because I want to make sure you understand what we’re offering.” I lean forward slightly. “Donovan, Kai, and I—we don’t do anything halfway. We don’t share our lives with people we don’t trust. And we don’t share women unless we all want her.”
Her breath catches, but she doesn’t look away.
“If you’re with one of us, you’re with all of us.” I let the words land. “That’s the arrangement. That’s how this works. All three of us, or none of us.”
Silence fills the room.
Kai’s watching her with those intense eyes. Donovan’s expression is neutral, but I can see the tension in his shoulders.
“I know this isn’t conventional,” I continue. “I know it’s not what you expected when you came here. But it’s what we’re offering.”
She’s processing, and I give her time. This isn’t a decision to rush.
Finally, she speaks. “You’ve done this before.”
“Yes,” I confirm. “We have.”
“With other women.”
“Women who understood the arrangement and wanted it.” I hold her gaze. “Women who weren’t looking for something traditional.”
“And you’re asking if I want this.” She looks at each of us in turn. “All three of you.”
“We’re asking if you can handle it,” Donovan says. “There’s a difference.”
She’s quiet for another long moment. Then she picks up her coffee and takes a slow sip.
“Can I ask a question?” she says finally.
“Anything.”
“What happens if I say no?”
“Nothing happens.” I’m completely honest. “You stay here as our guest. The arrangement ends. We respect your boundaries.”
“And if I say yes?”
“Then everything changes.” I lean back in my chair. “You’re ours. Completely. And we take care of what’s ours.”
She sets down her coffee cup, and I watch her decide.
“Okay,” she says.
“Okay what?” I need to hear her say it.
“Okay, I can handle it.” Her voice is steady now. “All three of you.”
Satisfaction rolls through me, warm and possessive.
Kai’s grin is immediate. Donovan’s expression softens into something that might be relief.
“You’re sure?” I ask, giving her one last chance to back out.
“I’m sure.” She meets my eyes. “I don’t know what I’m doing, and I’m probably going to mess this up, but I want this. I want you. All of you.”
I stand and move around the table. When I reach her, I tilt her chin up and kiss her.
When I pull back, her eyes are dark with desire.
“Good,” I murmur. “Because now you’re ours.”