Chapter 1 McKinley Stewart was losing patience. This had been a mistake, he realized now, but it was too late to stop this nonsense. “I’ve got the last three candidates waiting to be interviewed, Mr. Stewart. Do you want to take a break?” his efficient and well-meaning admin asked. “No, Alice, I do not want or need a break. What I need is for one of those three women to be a suitable escort for me for my trip to Europe. N...

Chapter Five The ride to her hotel was thick with sexual tension. But they both managed to keep their hands to themselves. Once inside her suite, Grace asked, “So, would you actually like dessert, or was that a euphemism for sex?” “Do you really need to ask, Gracie?” he grinned provocatively. Grace turned her back to McKinley, “Will you help unzip my dress?” His cock was ready to burst out of his trousers. “I’d be amenabl...

Chapter Nine McKinley arrived early so he could position himself to see Grace when she walked in. She showed up promptly at 7:00 P.M. dressed in a black skirt that stopped just shy of her knees and a white blouse. Not conservative, but not overtly sexy either. He had to admit that he admired her taste. She was, he realized, the kind of woman he might pursue romantically if he were so inclined. But the very reason she was...

Chapter Twelve The next day was a blur. Meetings upon meetings had made that ache return behind McKinley’s eyes. The brightest part of his day had been how amazing Grace had been when he introduced her to Lars. She had been utterly convincing without going overboard. “You’re a lucky man, McKinley,” Lars had told him. “She’s the perfect mix of sophistication and sass.” She’d impressed everyone with her efficient profession...

Chapter Sixteen The next couple of days seemed to drag on interminably for both McKinley and Grace. They had agreed to wait for any additional sexual encounters until they arrived in Paris. But that didn’t stop them from taunting each other with texts throughout the day. How’s the meeting going, Mac? Need anything? I need you, Gracie, with your legs spread, begging for my cock. Hmm, shall I join the meeting then? I could...

Chapter Twenty Grace had dinner by herself in Le Jardin Français, the outdoor eatery at the hotel, enjoying tapas and a glass of wine. She noticed that Julien was tending the bar, so she cut her evening short. She figured it was best not to give him the impression that she was alone or interested in his charms. She wanted time to get ready for her date with Mac anyway. It was a quarter till nine when McKinley stumbled bac...

Chapter Twenty-Four For the remainder of their time in Paris, Mac and Grace could hardly keep their hands off each other. She attended every meeting and meal so that they could spend more time together. On their last day, when McKinley was checking out of the hotel, he spotted Julien, the bartender. Julien smiled politely when Mac approached him. "Ah, monsieur, Le Bristol Hotel will miss you and your lovely companion," Ju...

Chapter Twenty-Nine Grace insisted that Mac shower first so that he wouldn’t have to wait until after she got ready. That way, he could go down a little early and be there before his guests. She’d selected the Mount Vernon Room, as there would be about sixty people in attendance. Several waiters were finishing setting the tables when he entered the room. Mac went to the bar to get a drink as he waited for people to arrive...

Chapter Thirty-Three The first week of work in London had been a successful one. McKinley felt a lot better about leaving Niles Lindhurst in charge of the London office after getting to know him better. Sure, he was a bit high maintenance, but his attention to detail was a plus. The second week would be long and tedious, as was typical of these transitions. So, Mac would make sure this weekend included plenty of time to e...

Chapter Thirty-Seven When Grace no longer had any tears left to cry, Mac repeated what he’d said moments ago. “A person has a right to leave their past behind them.” Then he continued, “I took that right from you when I betrayed your trust and went behind your back, digging into information that wasn’t mine to know. At least not by that means. I’m so sorry, Grace. I hope you can forgive me.” She looked at him incredulousl...

Chapter Forty-One Mac and Grace were enjoying their night out at Dinnertheater Schoenbrunn when Alice called Mac’s cell. He let it go to voicemail, but she didn’t leave a message. Instead, she called back three more times before Mac finally said to Grace, “I’m sorry, it must be urgent, or she would have given up by now.” Grace took a deep breath. “It’s fine; go ahead a call her back so she will stop interrupting our eveni...

Chapter Forty-Five Grace ate her meal in silence while Mac and Sal talked business, politics, and sports. Sal tried to engage her in the conversation at one point, but he gave up after her one-word answers made it clear she was in no mood to talk. Mac’s phone rang and, when he excused himself to go answer it, Sal looked at Grace and said, “I’m sorry if I said anything wrong.” “You didn’t,” she said, trying to keep her emo...

Chapter Forty-Nine The first day of the Barcelona leg of the trip was stressful for McKinley Stewart. Another firm was courting the company he was in the process of acquiring. He had realized that this acquisition wasn’t a done deal, but he hadn’t counted on there being competition. Part of the problem was that he was behind schedule, thanks to Alice’s unsuccessful attempt to get Mac to turn away from Grace by setting up...

Chapter Fifty-Three It had been several days since Mac had inadvertently, and somewhat haphazardly, proposed to Grace during a rather rousing sexual interlude. Afterward, he had apologized and said he would propose more romantically when the time was right. But he wondered how long he should wait. They’d been in Europe together for nearly six months, but not exactly bedmates the whole time. Still, in his mind, he was more...

Chapter Fifty-Seven Although Mac’s head remained pain-free, Grace insisted that he keep his follow-up appointment with Dr. Herzog at Schön Clinic Munich Schwabing. His MRI scans showed no tumors, so a trapped nerve in his neck had likely caused the pain. “So, why does the pain come on stronger when he’s stressed?” Grace asked. “When people are stressed, they often clench their muscles subconsciously. That puts more pressu...

Chapter Sixty-One Mac looked out into the crystal-clear sea and watched as Grace walked out of the water like a goddess. She was dripping wet, having taken a dip to cool off on their last full day of the impromptu vacation he had whisked her away to on the island of Corsica. She’d been careful to use sunscreen, so her fair skin was a light golden brown, not red with sunburn. Freckles that he hadn’t known were there popped...

Chapter Sixty-Five “Come out and let me see it, Grace,” Mac said. “I can’t do that.” “Why not?” “It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding day.” “Seriously? You don’t strike me as a superstitious woman, Grace.” “I’m not typically. But I’m not taking any chances.” Mac rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine, then I will wait outside the store so you can come out here in look at it in al...

Chapter Sixty-Nine Grace woke up alone for the first time in months. She missed the morning kisses, playful banter, and the way Mac looked at her like she was the only woman in the world. They hadn’t even been apart for twenty-four hours yet, and she was already miserable. She checked her phone for messages and emails. Then decided she needed to push herself into the things she needed to accomplish today. If she were busy...

Chapter Seventy-Three Mac woke up a little after 8:00 a.m. He looked over at Grace, with her hair tousled and her arms over her head. It was enough to give a man some very naughty ideas. “I can feel you looking at me,” she said, with her eyes still closed. “Why are you not touching me?” Mac laughed, “God, I missed my sassy redhead!” Using one hand to hold her arms into place, he straddled her and used the other hand to ta...

Chapter Seventy-Seven After treating Grace to breakfast in bed, Mac texted Bjorn to arrange their transportation for the day. They spent their day as tourists, including taking a horse and carriage ride at The Open Air Museum, enjoying views of Copenhagen from a boat on The Grand Tour from Nyhavn, and a trip to pet kitties at Café Miao. Mac watched several of the cats warm up to Grace quite easily, especially a sleek blac...

Chapter Eighty-One Mac and Grace could barely keep their hands off each other as they hurried from the pool back to their suite. Once they were behind closed doors, Mac said, “Get on the table and spread your legs for me, Grace.” Grace was still reeling from the fact that Mac had not only made her cum in the swimming pool but that a complete stranger watched it happen and stroked himself under a towel on a lounger nearby....