Page 42 of The Renter

“Is it an entire block by an entire block?” Dani asks, her jaw dropping a little.

“Twenty-five thousand square feet and multiple city lots.” She laughs nervously. “You must’ve seen it when you stalked me.”

“I did, but the photos online don’t translate the scale.”

“It was a labor of love and politics, but I’m happy here.” She quirks an eyebrow. “A lot of NIMBYs didn’t like the idea of this place, but fortunately, my tax dollars go a long way in getting things approved.”

As we descend into the underground garage, she surveys the collection of cars. “You can use any of them while you’re here,” I offer.

“I’m trying really hard to not make a ‘we’re not in Kansas anymore’ joke.”

I laugh heartily.My home is very different from the cottage.

“Dani. The cottage has been a vacation and a fantasy. This is real life for me. You’re in my world for the next week.” She nods, looking lost in thought, as we linger in the quiet of the parked car. “I hope you like my world, but I understand if you don’t. If you ever want to go back to Wisconsin, tell me.”

“Adam, I–”

Squeezing her hand, I reassure her. “I want to help you with your business, and I want to be someone you enjoy being with. But I also understand that we’re diving in with this extended city trip together that’s very different from our current routine.”

A soft smile grows on her face. “I want to be here with you.”

Relieved, I pop the trunk and get out of the car to take her bag.

“Elevator.” She laughs softly as I push the button. I pull her close, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. As we exit, we walk through the mudroom into the kitchen.

“Mr. Harris,” my house manager, Cecilia, greets. “You made great time.”

“This is Dani.” I gesture. “She’ll be staying with me.”

“Nice to meet you, Dani,” she says with a polite smile. “Write down anything you want me to pick up for you—snacks, shampoo, whatever you like—on this notepad.” Cecilia gestures to the corner nook.

“I’m sure I’ll like what’s here,” Dani says.

“Put popcorn on the list and have freshly ground black coffee for her each morning,” I add. It’s a small but hopefully meaningful gesture to make her feel at home.

“Let’s go up to our room and get settled,” I say, taking her hand.

As we continue the tour through my home on the way upstairs, I purposefully don’t draw attention to the art on the walls. With all the talk about money in the car, now’s not the time to mention that it’s worth millions.

I set her bag on the bench at the foot of the bed. “You like the place?”

Dani raises her brows and laughs. “I like that the whole place feels warm.” She sits on the edge of the bed, and I like that she feels comfortable enough to do that. “You leaned into the brick palette. The leathers and woods make it feel homey. It’s insane to call this big of a place homey, but it is.”

“You could see yourself here?” I raise my eyebrow, teasing but curious.

Her eyes flash with a sense of unease that I asked such a bold question. She doesn’t miss a beat when “Who couldn’t” escapes her lips in a giggle.

“Do you want to freshen up or change? Cecilia can make us dinner unless you’d rather go out.”

“I like the idea of staying in tonight.”

Leaning down, I place my arms on either side of her. “I can’t wait to fuck you in my bed,” I whisper in her ear.

“When does Cecilia go home?” Dani asks quietly. The flirtation and anticipation are all over her face.

“She lives here.”

“Do we have to be quiet?”