Chapter Nine

Marcus Stewart sat at the head of his dining room table. It had been eons since both of his children, McKinley and Aislyn, had been present at this table, and now, they were joined by his son’s new wife, Grace. He couldn’t help but be impressed that McKinley had chosen a woman who was not only gorgeous and intelligent but one who seemed to be able to hold her own even in this dysfunctional house. He was only mildly embarrassed that his cock was stiffening at the thought of how exquisite the delightful redhead might look underneath her simple black dress with the three-quarter sleeves. While he knew better, he envied McKinley and wished his son weren’t such a tight ass about monogamy. The very idea of sliding into Grace had his dick straining against his pants, and he was grateful that he was seated.

Unfortunately, Marcus’s daughter, Aislyn, had noticed his growing arousal and took the opportunity to say something snarky under her breath.

“Nice woody,” she said in a whispered cough.

Marcus should have ignored her, but he reacted before he could think straight. “Aislyn, that’s inappropriate!”

Suddenly, all eyes were on him, and his face turned a bright pink hue.

Aislyn feigned a smile. “I’m terribly sorry, Grace. My manners have displeased my father. I shall work harder to behave.”

Marcus rolled his eyes.

But Aislyn wasn’t done yet. “Of course, I really don’t give a flying fuck what my father thinks. Although, if I had to guess, he’s probably thinking how to get you alone.”

“That’s enough, Aislyn!” Marcus shouted.

“Oh, Daddy, come on, you’ve got a boner poking through your pants, and we know it isn’t for mother.”

Lorraine was too drunk to protest and just gave Marcus an annoyed look.

Mac tried to ignore his sister’s petulance, but she was on a roll.

“Better lock your door McKinley, so Daddy’s dick doesn’t end up finding its way into Grace’s ass.”

Grace inhaled sharply. “And how does that feel, Aislyn?” she asked coolly.

Aislyn was rendered speechless for a second. Then she flipped her middle finger at Grace and shouted, “You’re disgusting!”

Surprisingly enough, Lorraine found her voice and said, “Aislyn, you’ve been outwitted by your brother’s slut. You should shut up now.”

Mac shook his head. “And you wonder why I rarely come home!” he said brusquely. “You’re all horrible people!”

Marcus cleared his throat. “Quit being so dramatic, McKinley.”

They were all quiet when Donna entered the dining room with a large tray carrying soup and sandwiches. “I’ve made plenty, so eat up,” she said as she placed the food in front of each family member. She served Grace last and said, “Well, you look like you could use an extra helping or two, but you sure are pretty.”

Grace smiled and said, “Thank you.”

As they began eating, Marcus said, “Now then, Grace. Tell us how you met McKinley. I know you said you work for him. But how did you move from boardroom to bedroom?”

Grace knew he was looking for sordid details. What she couldn’t be sure of was whether he just was genuinely curious or whether he was hoping to glean details to masturbate to later on.

She took a sip of water and said, “I know it sounds very cliché, but when McKinley first interviewed me for the position of Acquisitions Liaison, we had an instant connection.” She caught herself before she called him Mac. Not that she cared what his mother thought, but she didn’t want to be interrupted by some snarky remark from Lorraine.

Aislyn rolled her eyes. However, Grace ignored her and continued. “Of course, neither one of us was ready to admit that attraction at first. It wasn’t until we’d reached Paris that we realized that a relationship was going to be inevitable. Over time, it was clear it was not just about lust, but that we really loved each other.”

“You must be outstanding in bed for my son to promote you to his COO,” Marcus joked.

Mac could no longer stay quiet. “I promoted her because she managed to identify and eliminate a major issue with corporate fraud in one branch of my company, saving me millions of dollars. Plus, she has been successful in securing some of the mergers that weren’t a sure thing.”

Grace grinned, “He’s far too kind, but I certainly had the qualifications for the position without warming Mac’s bed.”

Lorraine shot Grace a dirty look. Grace tilted her head and said, “I know you don’t care for the nickname, but my husband’s opinion matters more, and he likes when I call him Mac.”

“What did you do before you worked for McKinley?” Marcus asked.

“I’ve held several different jobs,” she said truthfully. “More recently, I’ve been an interpreter, and I’ve done corporate event planning. But I’ve also done work with foreign dignitaries.”

Marcus nodded with an impressed look on his face. “And what about your parents, dear?”

“My parents were killed in the line of duty. They worked for the government,” she said, unwilling to share more.

“Well, that’s a shame. I’m sure they served our country well,” Marcus replied, suddenly looking extremely uncomfortable.

Aislyn looked a little put out because the attention was not on her at the moment. “That’s nice. I’m a model, as I’m sure you’re aware,” she said, flipping her long, black hair over her shoulder.

Grace replied, “Are you? I didn’t realize that.”

“Seriously? I’m on busses and billboards everywhere! I can’t believe you haven’t seen me!”

“Well, Mac and I have been in Europe, so I guess I must have missed you,” Grace tried hard to sound apologetic.

“I’ve been modeling for years. I’m sure you’ve seen my work before,” Aislyn said, her voice bordering on being whiny.

Grace just nodded. She had never seen her new sister-in-law anywhere. But there was no sense antagonizing her.

The rest of the meal was awkwardly silent. Afterward, Mac suggested to Grace that they go out for a while.

“Is it okay to leave?” Grace asked. “I thought we were kind of stuck here.”

“If we don’t get out of here for a while, I will lose my freakin’ mind!”

“Then we should go,” Grace said, grabbing her purse and sweater.

“Come on. There’s a forty-five-minute Chicago River architecture tour. It’ll take us about a half hour to drive there, so this will give us a couple of hours away from the house,” Mac suggested.

The boat ride was just what they needed. The breeze was a bit chilly, but the sun was shining, and it felt good to be away from the negative vibes at the house.

As they cruised along the Chicago River from Magnificent Mile, their guide gave the history of each structure they passed by. Grace learned all about the Chicago Riverwalk, the Michigan Avenue Bridge, the Wrigley Building, Merchandise Mart, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Skydeck Chicago – Wills Tower, and Marina City. And while she found it fascinating, the part she liked best was traveling along the river with Mac’s arm around her. She could feel her stress melt away.

“I guess I didn’t realize that the Sears Tower had been renamed Willis Tower. Then again, I was living out of the country in 2009, so I’m sure I missed a lot of things,” Grace said, shifting her gaze to the floor of the boat. Mac gave her hand a little squeeze and kissed the top of her head. He knew that had been a hard time in her life and wanted her to feel supported without bringing up unpleasant memories.

On the drive home, Grace put her hand on Mac’s thigh and said, “Hey, thanks for knowing, yet again, exactly what I needed.”

“I don’t always know,” Mac admitted. “But I do always try to give you what I think you need. What you don’t realize is how many times you give me exactly what I need. Like spending a few hours with me today away from the family. I’m glad you enjoyed our little outing.”

“I really did,” she said. “I know you warned me that they were ruthless people. But I find it appalling that they haven’t once expressed any remorse over your Mimi’s death. They genuinely don’t care, do they?”

“No, they don’t. But at least you see now that I wasn’t exaggerating. We have dinner tonight, the funeral tomorrow, and then we are leaving.”

“Our reservations in Edinburgh don’t start until Monday. Do you want me to call them to see if we can move that up?” Grace asked.

“Nope, I’ve booked the Presidential Suite at the Waldorf Astoria tomorrow night. We’re newlyweds, after all. I thought it might be nice to act like it without the stress of trying to be quiet,” Mac said, grinning.

“Really? Oh, my gosh, Mac! I would understand if you don’t feel like enjoying newlywed sex only a few hours after Mimi’s funeral.”

Mac smiled. “Darling, Mimi was a free spirit. She’d be the first to tell us to go and have fun.”

“Well, who am I to argue with that logic?”

“You should know, even though I didn’t get the chance to tell Mimi about our wedding, she knew that I loved you. She told me that I’d better appreciate you and treat you like a princess. I promised her I would do both,” Mac said. “Besides, my sanity can’t handle any more time with my family than necessary.”

Grace was silently grateful. She reminded herself that for better or worse might need to be her mantra for the remainder of their time in Barrington.

Chapter Ten

Dinner was a relatively quiet affair. A few barbs were tossed about here and there, but overall, it was less painful than lunch had been.

That night, Mac was reading work emails while Grace was getting ready for bed. When Grace came out of the bathroom, she saw Mac sitting in a chair, leaning forward with elbows resting on his knees. At first, she thought he had a headache. Then when she moved closer to ask what was wrong, she saw that his eyes were welling up with tears.

“Hey,” she said gently as she kneeled beside him. “It’s okay to let your emotions out.”

Mac continued staring at the floor. “I keep asking myself if I’m like my parents and my sister, and I just don’t recognize it in myself.”

Grace frowned. “Seriously? Mac, even in the beginning, when you tried so hard to come across as a hard ass, you were never cruel nor vindictive. You might have been a bit full of yourself and a little too preoccupied with business, but you were never purposely mean. So, no, you aren’t like them. Not even a little bit. If not for the strong family resemblance, I would feel certain that the nurses switched you at birth.”

“It bothers me that they don’t seem to be at all affected by Mimi’s death. She was the only reason I kept in contact with my family. With her gone, I can’t see myself itching to come back here any time soon,” Mac admitted.

Grace’s heart hurt for him. She knew he needed to talk about his grandmother, but first, she needed to soothe him.

“Sit back in the chair, Mac,” she said in a quiet yet commanding voice.

Mac’s brow furrowed, but he did as she instructed.

“Now, I need you to close your eyes and just allow me to take care of you.”

He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do for me, but I don’t see how a back rub is going to…”

Mac stopped abruptly, and his eyes popped open when Grace’s hands reached into the boxers he’d been sitting in and took his flaccid prick into her hand.

“Oh! Look, Grace, I appreciate…”

He looked down into her sensual blue eyes and marveled at his good fortune.

“Wanna see a magic trick?” she asked playfully. “I can take this soft, warm dick into my mouth and turn it into a hot, hard cock.”

“Oh, fuck, Grace!” he moaned as he felt himself disappear between her lips. Suddenly, her forehead rested on his belly, and her hot breath felt erotic against his skin. She moved only her tongue, which did magical things, and he experienced something he never had before as his shaft grew inside her mouth and lodged itself in her throat.

She came up for air and grinned impishly at him. “Pretty clever, huh?”

She used one hand to play with his balls and the other to help guide his rigid pole into her throat again and again. All the while, her tongue swirled and danced and tormented the head of his manhood. He felt like he might explode any second. Then she eased back off of his shaft and used her guide hand to squeeze just below the head. He had no idea what she was doing, but his orgasm, which had seemed imminent only seconds ago, was stopped in its tracks. She waited for half a minute and then started sucking him again.

She repeated this process four more times before Mac felt like he would explode if she denied him again. He was ready to beg, but he didn’t have to; Grace could read his body just fine. She took his hands, guided them onto her head, and encouraged him to grab two handfuls of hair. Then she devoured his cock like it was her last meal and allowed him to hold her head down while he shot his load deep in her throat.

“Holy fuck, Grace! Nobody sucks cock like you!” he cried. “Where did you learn to do that? You know what? Fuck it! I don’t even care. I’ve never cum that hard in my life. You are a sorceress!”

Grace grinned. “Umm, you might want to bring your volume down just a smidge. I’m pretty sure the whole house knows I sucked your cock.”

“I don’t even care, baby. None of them seem to give a shit about anything anyway,” Mac said, still breathing hard from his intense orgasm.

Grace laughed. “And to satisfy the curiosity that will nag at you at 2:00 a.m., I’ve never used that technique on anyone. But Virginie recommended it. She said it drives Max wild.”

Mac blushed. “You talked about sex with Virginie?”

“Well, she was my matron of honor. She said that someone needed to talk to me about how to keep the marriage spicy. And I figured sex advice coming from a woman who has three kids and a husband who can’t keep his hands off her was a good bet. She suggested to keep it for a moment when you needed something mind-blowing,” Grace explained.

Mac blushed again. “Well, she wasn’t wrong.”

Grace laughed and headed for the bed. “Your call whether we are done for the night or not. I can wait till we are at the hotel tomorrow night.”

“Nope, that’s not happening. I made that mistake once early on, and after that, we didn’t have sex for what seemed like an eternity,” Mac said. “Spread those legs for me, Gracie. Master McKinley is starving for your nectar.”

“Mmm, well, if you insist!”

Mac took each leg and planted soft, wet kisses from her ankles till he reached the center and tasted her sweetness. She was dripping wet.

“Jesus, Grace! Did sucking my cock make you this wet?”

“That and the fact that I successfully edged your orgasm on my first try. That’s pretty heady stuff, pun intended,” she giggled.

Her giggle turned to a sensual moan as he returned the favor. Mac was licking, sucking, and nibbling, starting and stopping until Grace begged for release.

“Please, God! Let me cum! I need to cum! Oh, fuckkkkk!” Grace cried out as she flooded his mouth with her delicious honey.

Mac grinned, “Two can play that game.”

“Indeed!”

When it was time to turn out the lights, Mac snuggled up behind his wife, spooning her. He kissed her softly on the neck. “As much as I dislike the vision that you put in my head of Virginie and Max in bed, I wanted to thank you for letting me know that you’d never done that with anyone before me. I know it sounds silly, but…”

“No,” she interrupted. “It doesn’t sound silly at all. I get it. Why do you think I was delighted when Virginie offered me advice and had a few new things to try out?”

“A few new things?” Mac said, grinning in the dark.

“Yep.”

“Christ, I love you, Grace!”

She realized she’d never asked him to share how he was feeling about Mimi. But she figured she’d done an excellent job of soothing him. That conversation could wait.

Chapter Eleven

Lorraine insisted that they all eat breakfast together before heading over to the funeral home. Since it meant poached eggs on English muffins, crispy bacon, and fresh-squeezed tangerine juice, Grace figured it was a small price to pay to have to tolerate Mac’s mother this early in the day.

“I want to make sure we all understand that we are expected to act civilly. Our neighbors, friends, and relatives will be there, and we need to appear to be grieving,” Lorraine instructed.

Mac looked at his mother incredulously. “Some of us are actually grieving, mother.”

“Don’t you take that tone with me, young man!” Lorraine snapped.

“Mother, he’s forty-two. He hardly qualifies as young,” Aislyn corrected.

“I don’t need your snarky mouth today either,” Lorraine scolded her daughter.

“And, Grace, you need to remember that you are only here because Mac foisted you upon us. So, your job is to do and say as little as possible. Do you understand?” Lorraine asked.

Before she could answer, Aislyn said, “That means our friends don’t need to hear about what a good little cocksucker you are.”

Grace put her hand on Mac’s arm before he could say something. “Of course, Aislyn. I wouldn’t want to do anything to embarrass McKinley’s older sister.”

Both Mac and his father suppressed their urge to laugh. Aislyn was pissed. But Lorraine said, “She’s younger than McKinley, but it’s an honest mistake with the number of wrinkles that she’s forced to cover up every morning.”

“I’m twelve years younger than McKinley! And I don’t have wrinkles, mother!”

Aislyn possessed the same uncanny ability to shoot invisible daggers out of her eyes. Fortunately, Cromwell interrupted the tense scene. “Mr. Stewart, your brother, Dominic, rang to say that he will be late for the visitation at Morizzo’s but will be there in plenty of time before the actual service.”

Anger flashed in Lorraine’s eyes. “Why is Dominic coming?”

Aislyn snickered and was immediately chastised by her father. “Get your mind out of the gutter! For Christ’s sake, he is your uncle!”

Mac ignored his sister. “It will be good to see Uncle Dominic.”

“It’s no different than seeing our father,” Aislyn said.

Grace’s brow furrowed quizzically.

Marcus chuckled, “Dominic is my twin brother. I imagine McKinley failed to mention that, which is sort of surprising. Besides Mimi, my brother is probably the only other family member that my son likes.”

Mac watched Grace’s face and recognized that look. It was the same one he was sure washed over his face when he felt like there was so much about her that he didn’t know. And suddenly, he realized that he’d been an idiot to get so bent out of shape over things he didn’t know about her. There were plenty of things she didn’t know about him, either.

He sent a look with his eyes that he hoped conveyed how much her support meant to him. When she smiled at him, his world suddenly felt more stable.

“Dominic is coming to support the family, Lorraine. Plus, Mimi always liked him,” Marcus explained.

“I’m glad he will be there. I can’t wait to introduce him to Grace,” Mac said unapologetically.

~~~~~

When the five of them arrived at Morizzo Funeral Home, they couldn’t have looked more mismatched. Marcus wore a black turtleneck with black denim slacks, Lorraine’s black sequined dress looked more like a ball gown, and Aislyn’s strapless black dress made her look more ready to walk the strip in Vegas than attend a funeral. On the other hand, Mac had a sharp black suit with a gray shirt and a black tie, while Grace wore a long-sleeved black dress with a tea-length hemline.

They spent the next hour greeting guests who had come to pay their respects. Eventually, Mac’s uncle showed up. He looked exactly like Marcus, except he was dressed more like his nephew.

“Uncle Dominic, I’d like you to meet my wife, Grace,” Mac said as he introduced them. “Grace, this is Uncle Dominic.”

“Please, call me Uncle Dom. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I was excited to hear about the wedding, and I felt bad that I couldn’t attend.”

Grace smiled and shook his hand. He exuded an air of sophistication and class. It was refreshing to finally meet a family member of Mac’s that didn’t seem dysfunctional.

Marcus took Dominic aside to catch up with his brother. It struck Grace as interesting how two men could have identical faces but give off very different vibes. For all his money, Marcus seemed to lack the elegance and refinement that Dominic possessed.

When it was time for the funeral service, Grace ended up sitting in the front row of chairs with Mac on her right and Dom on her left. To the right of Mac was Aislyn, who had turned on the waterworks for the benefit of appearance’s sake. Marcus sat between his daughter and his wife. Lorraine sat still and stoic, almost as though she was in a trance.

“It looks like she’s taken a couple of Xanax,” Dominic whispered to Grace. “She can’t handle life without her booze or pills. It’s sad.”

Grace’s brow furrowed. She wasn’t sure how to respond, so she said nothing at all.

When it came time for the eulogy, it was Mac who got up to speak. He shared several anecdotes about how Mimi had influenced his choices in life and how grateful he was to have had her as his special grandmother. He also mentioned how Mimi encouraged him not to let the woman he loved slip through his fingers in his last call with her. By this time, Aislyn had turned off the tears and was scowling. Marcus had clearly tuned out and heard not a word of Mac’s speech, and Lorraine looked like a fucking zombie in a prom dress. Grace was ready to be done with the lot of them.

Since Lorraine couldn’t move, Marcus got up and told those in attendance that they were welcome to attend a luncheon at Biltmore Country Club. When it came time to leave, Marcus and Mac each held an arm to help guide Lorraine to the car.

“I took an Uber here from the airport. Can I grab a ride with you and McKinley?” Dom asked Grace.

“Yes, of course. Mac just had to help Marcus get Lorraine in the car. She looks like she’s in shock, which surprises me since I didn’t think she even liked her mother.”

“She’s stoned out of her mind. Sorry, that was probably not very kind of me to say.”

“No worries, I’m not exactly a fan,” Grace admitted.

Dom chuckled. “No, I’m sure you aren’t just as much as I am certain that the feeling is mutual. She wouldn’t like you a bit. You’re too fierce and confident. That alone would make Lorraine uncomfortable. Then there’s the fact that you’ve stolen her baby, robbing her of the chance to select a bride for him.”

Grace looked quizzically at Dom.

“Lorraine thought that Louise would make a good wife for McKinley, so she introduced them. She wasn’t right for him, but you are. I’m thrilled that my nephew has found someone to make him happy. I’ve never seen him so contented. You must be very special.”

Grace blushed. “I like to think that Mac and I bring out the best in each other.”

“As it should be,” Dom said wistfully. “I’ve never been fortunate enough to find that kind of love. I thought I did once, but she turned out to be as fake as the tears Aislyn cried today.”

Mac saw Grace leaning against the car door, waiting for him to unlock it. Then he noticed his uncle was standing there as well.

“I told your uncle he could ride to Biltmore Country Club with us. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not a bit.”

Grace suggested that Dom should ride in the front with Mac so they could chat.

“So, you go by Mac now, huh?”

“My wife said that McKinley is a mouthful to call out in bed,” Mac said, smiling as he made eye contact with Grace in the rear-view mirror.

She blushed when Dom turned to look at her. She shrugged and laughed. He didn’t seem appalled after all. He was, unlike the rest of Mac’s family, refreshingly normal.

“Well, the name suits you, as does marriage. You have a much different aura than the last time we saw each other.”

“Well, Louise had just broken my heart at that time.”

“It appears that Grace has mended it,” Dom said smiling. It was lovely to see his nephew fully recovered from the blow that he’d received upon discovering his fiancée in bed with her boss, engaged in anal sex, no less.

Dom watched with pride as Mac opened Grace’s door for her and offered his hand as she got out of the car. And he observed, with just a little envy, the way she touched his face gently and shared a knowing glance with him, indicating that they’d get through this together.

Chapter Twelve

The family all sat together in the banquet hall of Biltmore Country Club, and Grace was pleased to see that they had the decency to behave in public, for the most part. Eventually, however, she noticed Marcus leering at her inappropriately. Dom noticed it too and took his brother aside.

“Do you realize how uncomfortable it is to watch you get a hard-on for your son’s wife?” Dom admonished Marcus.

“You just wish she was your daughter-in-law so you could have a taste of that,” Marcus said, alcohol loosening his tongue. “Oh wait, that would mean you’d have to a son, wouldn’t it?”

Dominic seethed with anger. “Well, if you love your son, quit trying to imagine fucking his wife. You might stick your dick in anything that has a pussy, but your son isn’t like you. And he won’t take kindly to your disgusting behavior.”

“He wouldn’t ever have to know. Louise never told on me. She was happy to suck my cock for money. I’ve never had anyone turn me down. Not even Lorraine. I remember what a good laugh we had when I was diddling her behind your back.”

Dom’s eyes clouded over with anger. “Watch yourself, Marcus.”

Marcus laughed and walked away. Dominic was shaking his head when he noticed that Grace was standing there.

She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. When Dom saw the look on her face, he sighed heavily. “I’m sorry you had to hear any of that.”

Grace’s heart felt like it was being squeezed. “Lorraine was the woman you loved, wasn’t she?”

Dominic smiled weakly. “She wasn’t nearly so bitter back then. When I found out Lorraine was fucking my brother behind my back, it nearly crushed me. But the final straw was when she told me she was pregnant and that he was the father. They got married, and that was that. I don’t think I’ve ever really gotten over that.”

“I hate to seem unkind, but I think you dodged a bullet there,” Grace said.

Dom shrugged. “You’re right, of course. That doesn’t make it hurt any less. All these years have passed, and it still bothers me. But I stayed in the picture as long as I could. If I couldn’t have Lorraine, I could at least be a good uncle to McKinley. I knew he’d need someone in his corner with two narcissists as parents. My brother was never faithful to Lorraine. And she jumped on that bandwagon. She even tried to seduce me when I came to visit one year for a Fourth of July party when McKinley was eleven. I’m embarrassed to say that I nearly fell for her bullshit. Then, later at the fireworks, I saw her draped all over some neighbor of theirs. I felt like a fool.”

“What did you do then?”

“I left. I kept in contact with McKinley, showed up for important events, and maintained a good, healthy distance otherwise,” he answered. “I haven’t trusted a woman with my heart since then.”

Grace placed her hand on Dom’s arm and said, “Thank you for being a positive influence in Mac’s life. I’ve been trying to figure out for the past couple of days how he turned out to be so normal being raised by actual wolves.”

Dom laughed. “Mimi was more of an influence than I was. But we tried to make sure he knew that treating people with courtesy would get him farther in life than being a dick. Pardon my French.”

Grace gave a soft laugh. “Well, I’m thankful for that. Mac has his moments, I suppose we all do, but he’s got a good heart, and he’s worked hard at making our relationship stronger. He’s fair with his employees, which was one of the first things I found endearing. He’s a successful man, and he could be a real dick, but he’s not. So, bless you.”

Mac walked up behind Grace, placed his hand on the small of her back, and asked, “Are you about ready to go? I want to get our stuff and head over to the Waldorf Astoria. I need to be away from all this drama and nonsense and be alone with my wife.”

“I was just thanking your uncle for being a positive influence on you,” Grace explained. “But yes, I’ve had enough of the rest of your family.”

Grace didn’t see that Aislyn was standing right behind her and Mac.

“Maybe we’ve had enough of you, too, whore!” Aislyn spat.

Dominic scolded her. “Aislyn, this isn’t the place or time for your theatrics. Lower your voice.”

“You think I give a fuck what you think? She’s been nothing but rude the entire time she’s been here!” Aislyn complained.

Grace had a million comebacks that would have hit their target quite nicely. And, oh, how good it would have felt to put that snotty little bitch in her place. But Dominic was right. This wasn’t the time or place for a scene. So, she took a deep breath and said, “I’m terribly sorry for your loss, Aislyn. I can’t imagine what it feels like to lose someone you loved as much as I’m sure you loved Mimi.”

Aislyn was rendered speechless.

Lorraine came over with Marcus and was about to say something snarky. But Grace spoke first. “Thank you for allowing us to stay in your home during this difficult time. I know you don’t like me. Hell, I’m not even sure you like McKinley. But I love your son, and I’m good for him. Try not to be too disappointed that he ended up happy.”

She smiled and walked away, heading outside to the car with Mac following her. Lorraine ran after them and called out. “I love my son! You’ll never be good enough for him. But it’s hard to deny that you make him happy. At least for now. Please don’t be a stranger, McKinley.”

“Don’t hold your breath, mother. I finally found someone who loves me without making me feel like I have to jump through a million hoops to earn it. There’s nothing left here in Chicago for me with Mimi gone.”

Tears streamed down Lorraine’s face. Grace almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

Dominic met them at the car.

“Do you need a ride somewhere, Uncle Dom?” Grace asked.

“No, I have an Uber driver coming. I just wanted to say goodbye properly. It would have been fun to watch you dress Aislyn down and put her in her place, but damned if you aren’t just too classy for that. Lorraine was right about one thing; you do make Mac happy. Although I suspect not just for now, but for always,” Dom said wistfully.

“Till death do us part,” Grace said. Then she hugged Dominic goodbye.

Mac shook his uncle’s hand and said, “If you’re ever in New York, I hope you’ll call me. You’re always welcome in our home.”

They went back to the house, grabbed their things, and bid farewell to Cromwell. Then they headed to the Waldorf Astoria to check-in.

Once they entered the room, Mac whisked Grace off her feet and carried her into the bedroom. “I feel a powerful craving for my bride. I’m so sorry that time with my dysfunctional family interrupted our time together.”

“For better or worse, Mac. They aren’t just words. But I will give you this; you didn’t exaggerate at all.”

“Which is why I need to make it up to you now,” he said as he unzipped her dress and slid it down, off her shoulders, past her hips, and onto the floor.

“Mmm, I could let you do that,” she said seductively.

Mac untied his tie and undressed as quickly as possible. Then he joined Grace on the bed and pulled her close. Playful nibbling because passionate kissing as the newlyweds explored each other. “I need to taste you. Sit on my face.”

Grace straddled Mac’s face and grabbed hold of the headboard. Mac held a sexy ass cheek in each hand as he feasted on his bride’s delicious nectar. It didn’t take long for her to become so aroused that she was grinding herself against his mouth. “Oh, fuckkkk!” she cried out. “You’re so fucking good at this!”

He kept her on the brink for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she came hard, quenching Mac’s thirst for her. He drank in her sweetness and then flipped her on her back. Then he stood up and pulled her to the edge of the bed. With her legs lifted and resting on his shoulders, he said, “I need to show you how much I need you.”

Mac rubbed the tip of his rigidness against her swollen slit and eased into her slowly. With each thrust, he pushed in just a little deeper until she completely consumed him. His movements were deliberate and elicited moans of desire from her, his beautiful lover, wife, and best friend. He teased her mercilessly until he could no longer hold back.

“God, yes!” he panted as his climax drew nearer. “Mine! My amazing Grace! Oh, fuckkkk!”

He emptied himself inside her and felt the rush of sheer joy wash over him. It was heady knowing that he loved her more every day, that each time they were together like this, he needed her more.

“I’m sure I owe you a lot more than that for putting up with the parents from hell and the wicked witch of the west,” he said a while later as he held her in bed.

“It was an outstanding down payment, though,” she said as she nuzzled against him.