Chapter Fifty-Seven

Two weeks after returning home from a successful trip in Ireland, McKinley Stewart felt pretty proud of himself. While his lovely wife, Grace, knew that Mac’s father, Dominic, was planning to be in town for her birthday, she was gloriously oblivious to the fact that a surprise party was in the works for her. With the help of Bentley, the house manager, Mac and Dominic managed to arrange a Halloween-themed celebration to fete Grace on her special day.

“Does the house always look this festive for Halloween?” Grace asked Bentley.

“Yes, Ms. Grace. It’s Mr. Stewart’s favorite holiday,” Bentley lied smoothly. “Claudette asked me to tell you that she’s in the kitchen baking holiday sweets for a client if you want to help.”

“Technically, I’m supposed to be working. But Avery has everything under control today. That nephew of yours is extremely efficient.”

Bentley smiled. “I’m so pleased he is working out as your administrative assistant. He raved about how much he loved the job when he and Nialls came to dinner last Sunday.”

“Well, I’m going to allow myself a little time in the kitchen with Claudette. If Mac gets back from the airport with Dominic before I head back up to the office, will you let him know where I am?”

“Of course!”

Bentley patted himself on the back for being able to get Grace distracted in the kitchen so that she wouldn’t see the Fed Ex truck bringing in the fold-up beds that Mac had ordered for the extra guests that would be staying with them for her surprise birthday. For now, they would store them in the lower-level storage room. When the time came, he would move them to the various rooms needing additional beds. He could see that his boss had been clever and ordered a few extra in case anyone besides the out-of-town guests wished to spend the night. While it would be easy enough to call a cab or an Uber driver, Mr. Stewart was big on hospitality.

While Mac waited in the cellphone lot in the back of the Mercedes S Class driven by Randall, he pondered the logistics of this coming week. The trickiest part would be explaining why Dominic would not be taking his usual guest room for his visit. He had graciously left the bigger room open for Max and Virginie Becker and their three children. Originally, Mac had intended for the kids to have their own room. However, Johanna Huber had surprised him by accepting the invitation for her and her new fiancé, Salvatore Gianni, to attend the party. Wasn’t that an interesting turn of events? He worried for a moment how Grace would feel about having them there. After all, he had slept with Johanna, and she had been Sal’s escort in the past. But Mac wanted Franz, Johanna’s father, at the party since he’d been the one to walk Grace down the aisle. That made it awkward not to extend the invitation to Johanna and Sal. He was sure Grace wouldn’t mind since their exes seemed quite smitten with each other.

Since the remaining bedrooms in the house were now office space, Mac decided to put Franz in the Staff Room since no staff lived on premises at this time. And since he’d decided to invite their new admin, Avery, and his partner, Nialls, he would set up his own office as a makeshift bedroom so they could stay over if they wanted to. He had asked Bentley if he and his wife, Celine wished to join them, but they had a previous engagement.

It was a shame that Lars and his wife, Inga, couldn’t attend. Their daughter, Elke, had a dance recital. Mac promised to visit the next time he and Grace got to Amsterdam.

Grace and Claudette were just finishing decorating jack-o-lantern cookies when Mac and Dominic arrived home.

“There’s my favorite daughter,” Dom said, embracing his son’s wife.

“Welcome!” Grace said joyfully. “Be careful not to get any icing on your jacket. I’ve been assisting Claudette with some baking for one of her clients.”

Dominic grinned. He was proud that his son was able to keep the fact that he was the client. Grace was a clever, observant woman. Kudos to Mac for keeping everything under wraps so he could surprise his wife.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to take the fifth floor back bedroom this time. The evenings have been unseasonable mild, so I’d like to be able to sit out on the terrace and enjoy the night air,”

Grace shrugged. “Whichever room will make you most comfortable works for me, Dom.”

Mac exchanged a quick glance with his father, who had been right about the room situation not being as big a deal as he was making it.

“Thank you, my sweet girl. You make me feel quite at home here. I think I will go upstairs to unpack and freshen up. I might even sneak in a bit of a nap since I was up late last night and then got up at the crack of dawn this morning.”

“We’re staying in for dinner tonight, so you take all the time you need,” Grace said, patting Dominic’s arm. “I’m going to see if Claudette needs any help boxing up the cookies.”

“Actually, darling, I was hoping to have a few moments to chat about our office in Los Angeles. I’d like to get out there sometime next month to check on things and introduce you to the group. Daniella Armstrong heads up the LA staff; I think you’ll like her,” Mac said, rambling more than he’d intended.

“Oh, okay, sure. Just let me wash my hands. I feel like I still have cookie icing on them.”

“Let’s head upstairs. You can use the sink in my office bathroom.”

Grace nodded and followed Mac up to the second floor. Once they were inside his office, he closed the door and took her into his arms.

“I don’t want to get frosting on your shirt,” Grace complained as he leaned in to kiss her.

“Then I’d better take it off,” Mac said, grinning.

“What’s gotten into you? I thought you wanted to discuss a trip to LA.”

“I just wanted to fool around with my hot redhead without being so obvious.”

“Avery is right outside that door; he’ll hear us!”

“You’ll just have to be quiet, Mrs. Stewart.”

They both laughed, knowing that Grace’s ability to be quiet during sex was questionable.

Mac picked up the phone and called Avery. “Hey, I have a favor to ask. Will you head down to the bar and do a quick inventory of what I have in stock as far as beer, wine, and liquor?”

“Um, sure. No problem. Do you need me to do that now, sir?” Avery asked, confused at the request.

“Yes, please, if you don’t mind. It would be very helpful.”

“Of course.”

Avery put aside the spreadsheets he was working on and headed down to the lower level to the bar. When he got there, Bentley was storing the last of the rollaway beds.

“Were you looking for me, Avery?” Bentley asked curiously.

“No, Uncle Bentley. Mr. Stewart sent me down here to do an inventory of the bar.”

Bentley laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“My dear boy,” Bentley chuckled, “Mr. Stewart wished to send you on an errand so he could have some privacy with Mrs. Stewart.”

“For what?”

Bentley raised his eyebrows. “Ms. Grace tends to be a bit loud when they are…having private time.”

“Ohhh,” Avery said as the lightbulb went on inside his head. “During the middle of the day?”

“Keep in mind that they are still basically newlyweds.”

Avery nodded, recalling the first year of his relationship with Nialls. Of course, they didn’t work together, so afternoon trysts were not a thing during the week.

“So, do I really need to count everything? Or just stay out of the office area for a bit of time?”

“No need to count; I’ve already done the inventory. You can find a copy of it on my desk.”

“What should I do while I wait?”

Bentley laughed. “Since Ms. Grace is, well, preoccupied for a bit, why don’t you help me move the massage table into the utility room so we can set the massage room up as a makeshift guest bedroom in case we need it.”

Meanwhile, Grace was bending over Mac’s desk while he slid his engorged manhood into her. His initial thrusts were slow and seductive, teasing and tormenting his sexy red-haired wife. Without warning, he began to pump into her like a jackhammer and had her panting and moaning. File folders and pencils found their way onto the ground as Grace’s arms reached out, trying to grasp the edge of the desk to brace herself against the rough, raw sex. She screamed as her first climax had her entire body shuddering while the stapler and a canister of paperclips crashed to the floor.

Mac continued pounding into his wife as a man possessed, sending Grace over the edge three more times before his balls tightened and let go, filling her with his seed.

“Holy fuck, Mac!” Grace panted, her breath ragged and her heart beating wildly. “I’m not sure what brought that on, but damn, it was so good!”

“Seeing you with icing on your hands, looking all domesticated, just turned me on,” he answered, holding her close to him and kissing the top of her head. “I just wanted you.”

Grace smiled and enjoyed the closeness. Mac had seemed so distracted as of late, so this need for her was more than welcome.

“We should probably get cleaned up, though,” Mac sighed. “Part of me wishes everyone would just go away and we could spend the day making love.”

“Perhaps we can arrange a day like that in the future, but we still do have work to do this afternoon, my darling husband.”

“You’re such a taskmaster,” Mac teased. “But you’re right, as always. We do need to find time to get out to LA sooner than later. And Scottsdale, Arizona, while we are out west. We can carve out some time tomorrow to plan that out. Then Avery can make the necessary arrangements.”

“Sounds good.”

Chapter Fifty-Eight

That night, Mac, Grace, and Dominic had dinner in the breakfast room. They chatted about what Dominic had been up to since his recent visit and life in general.

“I wanted you both to know that I’ve met someone,” Dom said shyly.

“Well, as you travel quite a bit, I’m sure you meet a lot of people,” Mac said.

Dom shot a look in Grace’s direction as if pleading for help in explaining.

“Your father means he met a lady friend,” Grace clarified.

“Ohh. Well, that’s great. Is it serious?” Mac asked, feeling a little awkward.

“It’s a bit soon to be sure, but I think it could be. I miss her, so that’s a good sign.”

“Why didn’t you bring her along?” Grace asked.

“Oh, it’s too soon for that. We aren’t at the meet-the-family stage quite yet. But I promise the minute we are that I will bring her for a visit.”

“Well, at least tell us about her,” Grace prompted.

“Her name is Adelaide, but she goes by Addie. She’s tall and beautiful with long brown hair and brown eyes. She’s never been married; never found the right guy, she says.”

“How old is she?” Mac blurted out.

“She’s a bit younger,” Dominic replied, being purposely vague.

“How much younger?” Mac asked pointedly.

“She’s forty-five, and she’s past wanting children if that’s what you’re concerned about,” Dom answered a bit more curtly than he’d intended.

Grace felt the tension and jumped in. “Well, I think it’s lovely that you’ve found someone to spend time with. And, if it does become a serious thing, we’d love to meet her.”

Then she stood up and gathered the dishes to take them into the kitchen. Both men recognized by her body language that the conversation was over.

Mac chuckled and added, “Whatever makes you happy is fine with us. It’s just weird to think about you dating someone only a couple of years older than I am. But Grace is right. And, although you certainly don’t need our approval, you do have our blessing.”

“Thanks, McKinley, it means a lot to me. Sorry, I mean Mac. Give me time to get used to the nickname your wife bestowed upon you. It does suit you, that’s for sure,” Dominic said.

“Thanks, Dad,” Mac said, knowing that it would also mean a lot to Dominic if he started acknowledging him as his father.

Grace smiled as her two favorite men entered the kitchen. “Dad has a nice ring to it,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind if I call you that, too.”

“I’d be honored if you would, Grace.”

“Why don’t the two of you go enjoy some TV up in the Media Room while I put these dishes in the dishwasher. I’ll come up when I’m finished and bring some tea and pie.”

“There’s pie?” Mac asked, his face looking like a little boy on Christmas morning. “Please tell me it’s Claudette’s Dutch Apple Pie.”

“Sadly, no,” Grace teased. “It’s Claudette’s recipe, but I made the pie.”

Mac’s face fell. “Oh, you made the pie?” he asked skeptically.

Dom shot Mac a look, so Mac added, “Um, even better.”

“Good save, McKinley,” Grace said, raising an eyebrow crossly.

As the two men headed up to relax with some mindless television, Mac sighed. “She only calls me McKinley when she’s annoyed with me.”

“She should be annoyed with you. Your tone was insulting when she said she’d made the pie. That’s not like you, Mac. What’s up?” Dom asked.

“I’m just nervous about the surprise party, I suppose. I want everything to be perfect for Grace.”

“My dear boy, you could stick a candle in a piece of pie, and that girl would be happy. Everything else is just a bonus. Relax and get out of your own head.”

“You’re right,” Mac sighed. “What would you like to watch? How about some Three Stooges reruns?”

“How about we choose something Grace would enjoy too. Perhaps there’s an old Steve Martin movie we can stream.”

It impressed Mac that his father remembered Grace’s fondness for Steve Martin movies.

Moments later, when Grace entered the room with a cart carrying three slices of pie and three cups of tea, the guys were deciding between The Jerk and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

Grace’s face lit up, and she laughed. “This ashtray, and that's the only thing I need!” she said, quoting a movie line.

Dom looked at Mac, “The Jerk it is, then!”

Once the movie started, Mac took a bite of the pie and moaned. “I’ll be damned. Your pie is better than Claudette’s. But don’t tell her I said that.”

Grace beamed. “I added more cinnamon than her recipe called for, so I’m glad you approve.”

Dominic took a bite and savored it. It was a damn good pie!

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Later, when they were getting ready for bed, Mac slipped his arms around Grace while washing her face. “Have you given any thought to what you want for your birthday?”

“I have everything that I want.”

“Surely there must be something I can get you,” Mac said as he nuzzled her neck.

Grace pondered that thought for a moment.

“I’d like to volunteer together at Holy Apostle’s Soup Kitchen one day soon. I can text you the information, and you can set it up. But for it to count as my present, you have to call; you can’t have Avery or Bentley arrange it. Okay?”

Mac stopped for a moment, taken aback by her generosity. He turned her around and took her hands in his.

“Most women would want jewelry or a handbag of some sort. Leave it to you to want to help people and consider that a present.”

He kissed her lips gently and added, “Shame on me for forgetting you aren’t most women. You humble me, Grace. I promise to call and arrange something soon.”

Grace’s smile grew wide, and her eyes sparkled. “There is one other thing I’d like.”

“Oh? Something I can wrap?”

“No, sorry. I want you to take me from behind while I lean over the balcony of the library. The house will need to be empty, of course, because I want to see if my screams echo throughout the living room while you fuck me like a man who’s been without his woman for months.”

“Darling, I’d do that any time you like. You don’t need to ask for that as a birthday gift,” Mac said, grinning.

“Fine, you’re a clever man. I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

“We could practice a bit, here in the bedroom, of course. Bend over the chair and lift your nightgown for me, Gracie.”

“I’ll try to be quiet. Your father is only one floor down this time around. I wish he hadn’t been so insistent in taking that room.”

“He was just being…” Mac froze mid-sentence, almost blowing the surprise.

“Being what?”

“I mean, I just think he really wanted a terrace room for a change, that’s all,” he said, hoping she bought it. “Now, stop talking and lift that nightgown.”

Grace smiled seductively, forgetting all about whatever it was they were discussing. “Yes, sir.”

“Excellent. Now, let’s have you kneel on the chair, shall we? That way, you’re at the perfect height for me to slide into you. That’s it, just like this.”

He entered her in one bold thrust, eliciting an erotic moan. Grabbing her hips, he moved in and out, opening up her slick treasure. God, she felt so fucking good on his cock. Earlier, he had taken her hard and fast, but now he wanted to savor her like fine wine. His strokes were smooth and deliberate as he felt her body move in rhythm with his.

It was intoxicating being with her like this. The sounds of her pleasure filled the air while he made love to her with his body, heart, mind, and soul. If this wasn’t paradise, he wasn’t sure what was.

He loosened his grip on her and allowed one hand to reach beneath her. When he found the treasure he sought, he stimulated her until she cried out, begging for mercy.

“Oh, my God, Mac! I can’t; I can’t…”

“You can, and you will, darling. Go over the edge, one more time for me.”

He felt Grace relax and give in to his touch before she tensed up again, her orgasm ripping through her body. Only then did he allow himself to give in as well, filling her as his cum mixed with hers.

Her body went limp as she rested her head against the back of the chair. The contented sighs coming from her lips made Mac feel wonderful. It was also such a high for him to make her cum like that.

“Shall we move to the bed before you fall off the chair, Grace?” Mac said, pulling out of her gently and scooping her up into his arms.

“Mm-hmm,” she answered dreamily, feeling sated and loved.

As they cuddled in bed, Mac held Grace close and said, “So, are we dressing up as a Pirate and his Wench for Halloween trunk-or-treat event tomorrow?”

“Good heavens, no; we’re dressing up as a king and queen. The wench costume was much too sexy for a family-friendly gathering. No worries. We will look impressive as royalty.”

“You’d look impressive in anything, baby,” Mac said as he pulled Grace close to him.

“Smooth talker,” she whispered before they drifted off to sleep.

The following day, Grace woke Mac by kissing down his body until she reached his belly button. He peeked open one eye. “Well, aren’t you the insatiable one?”

“It’s a whole new day, Mac. I haven’t had any sex today, so I don’t think you could call me insatiable.”

“No sex yet today, huh? Well, we’d better fix that. Keep moving down till you find something you like.”

Grace shot him a silly grin. “Oh, I’ve found something I like, alright!”

Soon her hands were busy guiding his stiff shaft into her mouth, eliciting moans of pleasure.

“Fuck, Grace! You’re such a talented little minx. I’m so damn lucky!”

Grace couldn’t answer as her mouth was full of Mac’s cock. She spent damn near fifteen to twenty minutes worshipping his manhood with her exquisite oral skills before finally working him into a frenzy and letting him cum.

After swallowing every drop, Grace wiped her mouth and said, “Want to return the favor?”

“Do you need to ask?” he chuckled.

“We are going to be late for work at this rate.”

“Well, then, it’s a very good thing that you sleep with the boss, isn’t it?”

Before she could answer, Mac was between her legs, letting his tongue dance along her pink folds. He alternated flicking her little nub and sucking on it as if he couldn’t get enough of her. He had her close several times, easing up to tease her and cause her to cry out a bit in protest. Eventually, he slid two fingers into her and nibbled her clit. Her back arched, and her body convulsed as her orgasm ripped through her body, and she flooded his mouth with her nectar.

“Fuck, Mac! You had me on edge forever!”

“It’s all about the journey, Grace.”

“Mm-hmm. I suppose we should shower and get downstairs to breakfast before Dad thinks we’ve ditched him.”

“I’m sure he’ll figure out that we didn’t oversleep,” Mac mused.

Indeed, Dominic raised an eyebrow while looking up from his newspaper in the breakfast room when Mac and Grace finally came down.

“I was beginning to think you two had forgotten to eat and gone straight to your offices.”

“Sorry, we got waylaid,” Mac explained as he poured a cup of tea for Grace.

“You mean laid?” Dom asked cheekily.

Mac looked flustered, but Grace laughed.

Looking to change the subject, Mac said, “Dad, Grace and I are hosting a Trunk-or-Treat event this afternoon. Afterward, we will come home and have our meal here if that’s okay.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“I’m going to head up to my office. I have a few calls today before I head over to help set up for the event,” Grace said, gulping her last bit of tea.

After she was gone, Mac turned to Dominic and said, “Randall is set to use the limo for the airport pickup. The Beckers’ plane lands just a half-hour before Franz, Johanna, and Sal’s flight. Virginie said she and Max didn’t mind waiting for a bit so that they could all ride here together. Bentley will take care of room assignments. Avery will be here as well if an extra hand is needed.”

“What can I do to help?” Dominic asked.

“If you could help Bentley in making sure that everyone is where they are supposed to be before we arrive home, I’d be grateful.”

“Consider it done.”

The morning flew by, and, before she knew it, Grace had her costume and makeup bag in hand, rushing down the stairs. When she nearly took a tumble, Mac said, “Darling, slow down. I don’t want to have to take you to the emergency room.”

Grace gave him a cross look, and he realized that she was not in the frame of mind to handle teasing.

“Why is Randall using the limo today?” she asked curiously.

“He took the sedan into the shop for maintenance this morning,” Mac lied smoothly.

Grace shrugged, figuring it made sense. She kissed Mac and said, “I will see you in a few hours. Thanks for doing this with me.”

“Anything for you, darling.”

Chapter Sixty

Once she was out of the house, preparations for the surprise party were in full swing. Bentley and Avery moved the rollaway beds to the designated rooms while Sophia made sure the beds had fresh linens and that the bathrooms were stocked with plenty of towels and any toiletries that guests might need.

Javier, the gardener, brought in bales of hay and pumpkins to dress up the media room, living room, and dining room so things would look festive. Claudette got busy in the kitchen, preparing hors d’oeuvres, while Elijah set up the bar and concocted a special spooky punch that the Becker children could enjoy. He’d enlisted help from Jazmyn, the masseuse, to help serve drinks in the upper levels. Since she had a little crush on Elijah, she was happy to oblige.

Ryder ensured the pool area was ready with extra towels since the out-of-town guests would be staying the weekend. Everything fell into place quickly, which made Mac feel a lot more relaxed about having to leave and join Grace at the Trunk-or-Treat. Dressed like a king, he headed down the stairs to the living room, where Dom was overseeing the placement of some skeleton and spider decorations.

“Go on, get out of here,” Dom instructed. “I’ve got things handled here. Once Randall returns from JFK with your European friends, I will make sure everyone has something light to eat before I shoo them off to their rooms to get ready for the party. Then I will change into my costume and be prepared to receive the other party goers as they arrive.”

“Thank you, Dad. I really appreciate your help! I just got a call from Lars. He and Inga are coming and bringing their daughter, Elke. It seems the auditorium where her dance recital was to be held had a pipe burst, and the event has been postponed to next weekend. Fortunately, Lars consulted with Franz and managed to get a flight that will arrive within the same hour as the Hubers and the Beckers. I just need to find Bentley to get a room set up for them.”

“Go, I can manage that. If you don’t leave now, you’ll be late. Grace is depending on you.”

“You’re right, of course. Thanks!”

While preparations for the party were finished, Mac showed up just in time at the Halloween event dressed as a King to meet his Queen.

“There you are,” Grace beamed when she spotted him.

“Can King McKinley get a kiss from Queen Grace?” he asked as he helped carry the last box of candy to be distributed by a group who had also just arrived.

“Hmm, maybe a little peck,” she said playfully.

Grace got things underway while Mac watched the parade of children, dressed in all kinds of Halloween costumes imaginable, as they went from station to station to collect goodies and candies from the many volunteers. He wondered if she realized that they were all here because of her. The fact that she had an excellent head for business and was equally talented at philanthropy was not missed by him. Nor was he surprised. She was his Amazing Grace.

About midway through the event, Mac’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a text from Bentley.

You’ll need to stall a bit. Randall called to say that the Huber’s flight had been delayed a half-hour.

Grace saw him checking his phone and frowned. “Problem?”

“No, not at all. I was checking the time,” Mac lied.

“Anxious to be somewhere?” she asked, tilting her head.

“Alone with you,” he answered seductively.

When the last group of children left, Mac walked up behind Grace and put his hands on her shoulders.

“Is there some obscure corner we can sneak off to, Milady?”

“Won’t Randall be waiting for us?”

“He’s running a little behind. You know how traffic can get on Fridays.”

Grace looked around.

“Well, we are the only ones here. And there is a family restroom,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“Sounds like a wonderful place to give you the crown jewels.”

Grace laughed so hard she snorted. “Come on, hot stuff! Let’s get freaky in the bathroom.”

Mac was thrilled. Not only did Grace not suspect anything odd about having to wait for Randall, but he was about to get bathroom counter sex. There was something incredibly hot about boosting his sexy redhead onto the counter and hoisting the skirt of her royal costume up so he could take her as a wanton slut.

There she sat, her crown tilted, and her eyes filled with lust, holding her legs open for him. He bent down to take a quick taste of her before unzipping his pants and sliding into her. He watched her as her eyes fluttered closed, and a look of pleasure washed over her face.

Taking advantage of these few wicked moments with her, he thrust deeply into her. Hot, wet, and tight, she gripped his cock with her sweet little pussy and moaned while he moved inside her. Suddenly he realized that he had neglected to lock the door and worried that they might be discovered. However, all that did was make the moment seem more decadent, and he felt his balls begin to tighten.

Determined to make her cum first, he reached between them and found her hard little nub, begging for attention. His thumb began its relentless assault, and he had her writhing and bucking within seconds. His pace became frenzied as he fucked her with wild abandon. As she cried out his name, he allowed himself to explode with her, filling her with his thick cream.

“Jesus, Mac! Where did that come from? Not that I’m complaining, but oh, my God!” Grace laughed as she caught her breath.

“You just look so fucking sexy in that royal gown; I couldn’t help myself,” he said, grinning impishly.

Just then, Mac’s phone buzzed. It was a text from Randall.

I’m just pulling in, sir.

Mac chuckled. “Well, Randall is just pulling in, and I am just pulling out.”

Grace giggled as she put herself back together. “Let’s get home so we can have some dinner with your father. I’m starving!”

Mac smiled. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Grace’s face when they arrived home to find a houseful of guests to celebrate her birthday.