Chapter 12. #3
She had been amazing. More than amazing.
The quiet care, the hungry attention, the way she had stayed with him afterward until he drifted off…
Brian promised himself it would not be the last time.
Benita belonged in this new life of his, not just as staff but as something more personal. He would make certain of that.
He pushed the covers aside and rose. The shower was still warm from residual heat in the pipes.
He stepped under the wide rainfall head and let the water cascade over his shoulders and down the length of his back, soothing the pleasant soreness left by hours of slow, intense fucking.
Steam rose around him in soft clouds. He stood there a long time with his eyes closed, simply breathing, letting the last of the morning’s tension and the heavy public weight of the press conference wash away under the steady heat.
When he finally stepped out and dried off, he returned to the bedroom.
A fresh set of clothes had already been laid out on the chair near the closet with quiet precision: dark tailored trousers, a soft charcoal button-down, a lightweight blazer.
No tie. Comfortable but still sharp enough for the afternoon.
Brian smirked as he dressed. Either Holly or Constance had been in while he slept.
Their quiet efficiency never stopped surprising him.
It was one of the many small ways they took care of him without ever making it feel intrusive.
Once dressed, he walked to the wall of windows.
Los Angeles stretched out below and beyond…
sunlit, sprawling, full of motion and light.
He rested one hand against the cool glass and simply looked for a while.
He was going to start seeing this new world of his.
What good was being a billionaire if he never left the tower, never enjoyed any of it?
The housing projects, the justice for Tina Unling, the iron protection of his people…
those mattered deeply. But so did living.
So did actually experiencing the life that had been dropped into his hands.
He would discuss it with Constance and Holly, and with Dani for the security side of any movement outside the building.
Nothing reckless. Everything deliberate and controlled.
His gaze drifted toward the Hollywood district in the distance, the familiar sprawl of signs and hills.
A small, private smirk touched his mouth.
For a second he wondered how much of that glittering stretch he actually owned through the labyrinth of Dranning holdings.
He really needed to sit down soon and look over the full scope of his assets.
The thought was both overwhelming and strangely exciting.
Brian drew a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and turned away from the view. He left the bedroom.
Right outside the door stood Dani Kano. She was back on full duty, sharp and composed in her usual dark professional attire, storm-gray eyes assessing him the moment he appeared.
The faint shadows of earlier exhaustion were gone; she looked rested and alert again.
She smiled… small, respectful, and genuine.
“Afternoon, Boss.”
Brian returned the smile without hesitation. “Lunch.”
Dani nodded once. They fell into step together, walking the quiet corridor toward the private dining room on the residence floor.
The soft sound of their footsteps was the only noise.
Brian found himself glancing sideways at her once.
Somewhere in the last few days the dynamic had shifted.
Dani was no longer simply the silent shadow who stood at doors and waited outside rooms. She had been invited to the table…
literally. Constance and Holly had made it clear that when Brian ate, Dani was expected to eat with them unless operational needs pulled her away.
She could speak freely about security when something needed saying, and the three women had settled into an easy, professional closeness around him that felt more like a small inner circle than a hierarchy.
The double doors to the dining room opened ahead of them.
The moment Brian stepped inside, Constance and Holly were already moving to join him.
Constance carried her ever-present tablet, emerald eyes bright with quiet attention.
Holly wore that calm, knowing look she always seemed to have when she had been anticipating his needs before he voiced them. Both women smiled as he entered.
Dani did not remain standing at his shoulder. She walked with him to the long table and took the seat that had quietly become hers… close enough to speak if required, far enough to maintain her professional edge when she needed it. No one commented on it. It had simply become the way things were.
Brian sat. Constance and Holly took their places on either side of him.
Dani settled in, already scanning the room once out of habit before reaching for the water pitcher.
The soft clink of glasses and the low murmur of the women coordinating the meal filled the space as the afternoon settled into its new, quieter rhythm around him.