Chapter One

McKinley Stewart stood by the open French doors in his office and enjoyed the fragrant aroma of the flowering dogwood trees his gardener, Javier, had planted in the three-story atrium eight years earlier. The scent reminded him of the day when he’d been interviewing potential candidates for the position of escort to accompany him on a lengthy trip while he was in the midst of expanding his firm’s global presence in Europe. Shortly before meeting with the final three women, he’d stood in this very spot, feeling defeated. Until the last escort of the day walked into his office.

His search for the perfect escort had been the catalyst of several life-changing events. The woman he’d selected was wickedly smart, easy on the eyes, and an incredible lover. Oh, they had a rocky start, and he’d needed to work his way back into her good graces and her bed. But, when they finally connected, it had been nothing short of magical. The sex was unlike anything he’d ever known. She was a playful, sensual lover who craved dessert, as they called it. Her tongue and throat did things that defied logic, her orgasms were the most erotic experiences he’d ever enjoyed, and she made him cum like a geyser. They were a perfect match.

When he offered her the job, he didn't know that this delightfully intelligent woman would be the last escort he would ever hire, and he surely didn’t count on falling madly in love with her. He figured they’d enjoy each other physically and that she’d help make the acquisition process less stressful. Over the course of several months, however, the gorgeous redhead with big blue eyes became his friend, lover, and acquisitions liaison, and he realized that this incredible woman was the one he’d been waiting for all his life. Then, she did him the honor of becoming his wife, accepted a promotion to COO, and blessed him with two children and a cat.

Grace Remy Stewart was a force to be reckoned with. She’d changed his way of seeing the world, helped him more than double the size of his company, and continued to amaze him with her exceptional business acumen. She’d suffered a great deal of strife in her past but rose above it all to be a woman who could handle the boardroom and the bedroom with equal finesse. She was his amazing Grace.

So, it pained McKinley, better known as Mac, to see his formidable wife struggling since they’d recently expanded their family. She insisted she was fine, but there were telltale signs of unhappiness. Her once voracious appetite had vanished, causing a rapid weight loss that seemed unhealthy to him. Grace maintained that she was merely working hard to lose her pregnancy weight.

Furthermore, her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m just tired, Mac. Having two kids in diapers is exhausting, even with help.” He couldn’t argue with that. He had experienced firsthand how much more was involved in looking after a toddler and an infant when he’d insisted that Grace treat herself to a manicure and pedicure on a day when no help was available.

Their chef, Claudette, was back to doing part-time nanny duty since her daughter, Sylvie, was attending Norland College in Bath, UK, studying to become a professional nanny. Sylvie enjoyed watching DJ while traveling in Europe with the Stewarts but felt she would regret not continuing her education. A hefty donation and a recommendation from her employers helped get her application noticed. But it was the interview with the headmistress that had sealed the deal. Sylvie’s experience made her the perfect candidate.

Mac’s biggest concern, however, was Grace’s sudden lack of interest in sex. He realized that it was perfectly normal for a woman’s libido to dwindle after having a child. Still, it hadn’t been like that after their son, Dominic Jordan, was born. After DJ, she begged her doctor to give the green light to resume sexual relations. Even after Michelle Genevieve, their sweet little Mimi, was born, she joked about how having a C-section this time meant her needy pussy wouldn’t require time to heal.

Then, post-partum depression reared its ugly head, and Grace refused to take any anti-depressants, even though Dr. Francis said it was safe to breastfeed while taking them.

“I’m just a little tired and overwhelmed,” Grace argued. “Things will get better once I develop more of a routine.”

Mac pondered how best to help her in her quest. He’d been patient and not pushed her to do anything; the last thing he wanted to do was make things worse.

It wasn’t so much the lack of sex that made him worried—he was more than willing to wait for however long it took his wife to feel ready. It was the fact that he was certain she needed that intimacy and was denying herself for reasons unknown to him. His attempts to merely hold her in bed were met with frustrated comments such as, “I’m not ready yet.” So, he’d stopped touching her so he wouldn’t be the cause of her anxiety. However, keeping it all bottled up was causing the return of the stress-induced headaches that used to plague him before he met Grace. Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose and prayed the pain medicine he had just taken would kick in soon.


Chapter Two

He felt her presence before he saw her standing in the doorway. Turning, he locked eyes with hers and saw misery on her face. He opened his arms and beckoned for her to come to him, praying she would, and relieved when she did. Mac put his arms around his wife and held her tightly while she sobbed.

He said nothing—didn’t ask her what was wrong. Did it matter? The only important thing is that she’d sought him out for comfort, and he was happy to provide it. Kissing the top of her head, he whispered, “I love you, Grace.”

“I love you, too, Mac. I’m just so…”

She didn’t finish her sentence—she wasn’t even sure she could articulate what was wrong. She just knew that she hadn’t felt like herself since she’d come home from the hospital. It hadn’t helped that they insisted on keeping her longer to make sure the preeclampsia had cleared after giving birth. Everything was a struggle, and it made her angry that she felt like crying most of the time.

“Grace, there is no shame in needing help. Post-partum depression is a real thing; there’s no prize for allowing yourself to suffer needlessly. I’m kicking myself for letting Dad and Addie leave so soon. But you had me convinced that what you needed was for our houseguests to be gone.”

“I don’t know what I need; that’s part of the problem. I haven’t felt this lost since before I met you, back when the money was about to run out, and I was living in a rundown hotel room, willing to take a job spreading my legs to survive.”

Mac’s heart broke a little. But he tucked that away and did his best to lighten the mood. “I’m grateful you were willing to be my escort and spread your legs. But you did so much more than that, my love. You changed my life in a New York minute and made me realize there was a great big world beyond work. Though I’d traveled extensively before I met you, having you with me made me notice and experience things.”

“I miss those days,” Grace admitted quietly. “Saying so out loud makes me feel like a bad mother.”

Mac shrugged. “Well, that makes me a bad father, too, then. Because, as much as I love our kids, I fantasize about the whirlwind romance we had while traipsing all over Europe, and I sometimes long for moments like those.”

Grace wrinkled her nose and gave a weak smile. “Moments like when you kissed me on the London Eye in that private pod that you spent ridiculous amounts of money on?”

He smiled, remembering how magical that night had been. “Yes, moments like that and so many others.  We’ll have those kinds of moments again, Grace; I promise you. Remember when DJ was born? Our lives changed so much, but we figured out how to balance things and how to still carve out time for each other.”

“It’s a lot harder with two,” Grace sighed.

“Yes, it is a lot harder with two. But we’re a team, and we will figure out a new normal.”

“I hope so,” she said, sounding doubtful.

“Thanks for letting me hold you like this, darling. I’ve missed you so much.”

Grace frowned. “What do you mean, missed me? I’ve been right here the whole time.”

“No, you haven’t, not like this. I know it’s selfish of me to want or need any attention right now. I understand you not being ready for sex, but the lack of any intimacy at all is killing me, Gracie.”

Grace was stunned by Mac’s admission. For a brief second, it made her angry. But she looked into her husband’s eyes and saw grief. Had she put that there? Suddenly, she realized that she wasn’t the only one suffering. But she had no energy to fix what was broken.

“I’m sorry,” she said weakly.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, baby. I just… I feel lost without your physical touch. Sex can wait, but my soul craves your hand in my hand and your head on my shoulder. I need to feel connected to you and…”

Grace surprised him by cutting off his words with a kiss. It was soft and gentle—nothing particularly passionate about it—but it was exactly what they both needed.

“You’re right,” she said with half a smile. “I just don’t feel very sexy these days.”

“It’s not about sex, though I’ll be more than ready when you are. It’s about love, Grace.”

She looked up and studied his face. “Have you taken something for that headache?” she asked, sounding more like herself than she had in days. Admittedly, it warmed his heart to feel seen again.

“I just did, thanks.”

“I’m not doing a very good job of taking care of my boss. I’m sorry about that.”

“Shh,” Mac said gently. “You’ve got so much going on with two babies, which, despite your blue mood, you’ve done an excellent job making sure they feel loved and cared for. Don’t worry about me for now. When you feel better, I promise to let you make it up to me.”

He searched her expression, hoping she took the last part as lightheartedly as he meant it. She gave half a smile, then sighed when Mimi’s shrill infant cry came blaring through the baby monitor.

“Let me get her,” Mac offered.

“No, it’s fine. She probably needs to be fed.”

Grace turned to leave, then stopped and said, “I love you, Mac.”

Mac moved to her, took her in his arms, and brushed his lips against hers. “I love you, too, Grace. Let’s go up together and take care of our little girl. I’ll change her, and you can feed her.”

“What about work?”

“Work can wait. My girls need my attention right now.”

Once the baby was attended to, Mac suggested they go down to the lower level for a swim.

“In the middle of the day?” she asked, tilting her head.

“No, next Tuesday between four and five pm. Yes, Grace, now, in the middle of the day. We both could use the break. You’ve been working hard at being a fabulous mama, and I’ve been…”

“Picking up the slack for me,” Grace finished the sentence for him.

“Well, sure, but it’s only temporary. Somehow, I managed to handle things before you. I just need to remember to reach out to the right people and ask for help.”

“I suppose I need to learn how to ask for help, too,” she said meekly. “I don’t know why I struggle with that.”

“I’d say it has a lot to do with the fact that you so very rarely need help, Gracie. You are extraordinary at so many things and in so many ways. It’s almost obnoxious at times,” he said playfully, hoping to make her smile.

Chapter Three

They donned their swimsuits and headed down to the pool. Grace realized how fabulous it felt to be in the water. She swam laps for a while, with Mac looking on, admiring her strength and agility.

“What?” she asked when she noticed him staring.

“Nothing. Just admiring my beautiful mermaid.”

Grace ducked under the water and swooped up quickly, flipping her long, red locks back in a mermaid-style move. Mac scooped her up into his arms and kissed her gently. She was pleased that it made her want more. It had been so long since she had allowed herself to feel anything remotely sexual, and she wondered why.

“That was nice; kiss me again,” she whispered.

Encouraged by her words and body language, Mac kissed her again. Only this time, he allowed his tongue to probe her sensual mouth and dance erotically with hers. He took his time, thrilled that she didn’t pull away. He didn’t want or need to rush things. He’d simply enjoy the closeness she was offering.

She leaned into him and sighed, enjoying his hands roaming over her hips as he continued to embrace her. It might have turned into a full-on make-out session, but they were interrupted by Avery, their administrative assistant.

“Ahem,” Avery cleared his throat to get their attention.

Reluctantly breaking off the first real kiss he’d enjoyed with his wife in over a month, Mac inhaled sharply. “What seems to be the problem, Avery?” he asked, trying hard not to bite off the admin’s head for his ill-timed intrusion.

“I am terribly sorry to disturb you, but Mr. Dax Olsen is upstairs in your office. He said he had an appointment, but nothing was on the schedule. I’m not sure how this mix-up occurred; I just…”

“It’s fine, Avery. Offer him a light refreshment and tell him I’ll meet with him shortly.”

“Thank you, Sir. I am dreadfully sorry I had to interrupt your break.”

“Yeah,” Mac replied wistfully, “so am I.”

“Who’s Dax Olsen?” Grace asked, wishing their magical moment hadn’t been disrupted.

“He’s a pain in my ass,” Mac replied as they took the elevator up to their sixth-floor suite.

Grace raised an eyebrow. “Can you be more specific?”

“He owns a small IT firm and has been bugging me about acquiring him for the past several years.”

“Where is he located?”

“New Jersey.”

“And why isn’t his company of interest to us?”

“He wants too much money for the size of his firm, and he wants to maintain too much control.”

Grace nodded. Biting her bottom lip, she asked, “Would you mind if I sat in on your meeting with him?”

Mac was taken aback. This was the first interest Grace had shown in work since Mimi was born.

“You’re more than welcome to join us, darling.”

“Give me ten minutes to make myself presentable.”

Presentable was an understatement. When Grace walked into Mac’s office, she was no longer an exhausted mother of two. Standing before him was the sophisticated, confident partner he’d been missing. And if he wasn’t mistaken, those blue eyes had a bit of a sparkle.

“Perfect timing, Grace. This is Dax Olsen. Dax, meet Grace, my wife and business partner. I’ve invited her to join us since, technically, acquisitions fall under her jurisdiction. And, while I’ve stated previously that I don’t have a current interest in purchasing your firm, Grace suggested that I hear you out today.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Grace. I’m pleased to be able to show you the presentation McKinley asked me to put together…”

“Stop. Let’s not play games, Dax. You didn’t have an appointment, and McKinley didn’t ask you to put any presentations together. Why don’t you skip over all the bullshit and cut to the chase? What did you hope to gain by meeting with McKinley today?”

Dax was flummoxed and tripped all over himself, stammering about this and that while Grace just raised an eyebrow and cocked her head. Mac felt his cock twitch. Holy fuck, she was hot when she was on a roll!

“Look, to be perfectly truthful, you need my company. I fill a void you have on the other side of the river and…”

“How much?” Grace cut him off.

“How much?” Dax repeated.

“Yes, as in, how much money will this cost us, and how much control do you still want to have? Because unless you’ve brought both the price and your expectations down since the last time you approached my husband, you’re wasting our time.”

Dax blinked. “Well, you’re a no-nonsense kind of gal, aren’t you? No time for the razzle-dazzle, huh?”

“Mr. Olsen, I’m quite busy balancing work and raising two children. I don’t have time for a three-ring circus act. Put together a reasonable proposal and send it to Avery, our executive administrator. I’ll take a look and let you know my thoughts. And please, wait for me to call you. Do not show up without an appointment again. Good day.”

Grace stood, and Mac followed her lead so Dax would understand he was being dismissed.

“Oh, um, well… Good day, Grace. I’ll send you that proposal in the next day or two.”

Grace opened the door and motioned for their admin to come forth. “See that you do, Dax. Avery, will you see Mr. Olsen out, please?”

“Certainly,” Avery said, ushering the uninvited businessman toward the elevator.

When she turned around to speak to Mac, Grace saw her husband grinning from ear to ear.

“You’re a fucking badass, Gracie. I’m so turned on right now. I promise you don’t need to do anything about it, but holy hell, that was hot to watch.”

Grace grinned. “I felt like me again in that meeting.”

Mac shook his head and took his wife into his arms. “My wife is meant to work, and she is struggling trying to be a stay-at-home mom right now because her husband thought it was a good idea. Shame on me for insisting you needed time off when you clearly need to be back to work part-time.”

“I do?”

“You said it yourself, Grace.”

“I felt like me,” she repeated. “And it felt really fucking good to be a corporate badass again. But what about what you said about our kids needing me and all that stuff about how I would regret it if I didn’t take extended time off?”

“I was wrong.”

Grace frowned. “Is this a trick?”

“Nope. This is me, McKinley Stewart, admitting I flubbed on this one. I made assumptions about what was best for you, and I am pretty sure I shamed you into agreeing with me.”

Grace was dumbfounded. “I… I mean, I felt like you were right about me needing more time to bond with the baby and still give time to DJ. But I’m losing my mind, being cut off from the business world, and I’ve felt so guilty about wanting to return to work.”

“You shouldn’t feel guilty at all. I’m sorry I made you feel that way. Ah, Gracie, I just want you to be happy, whatever that looks like.”

“I’m not entirely sure I know how I feel. But, you’d be okay if I wanted to come back to work sooner than we planned?”

“Of course, baby. You get to decide.”

“Then, yes! As long as Claudette will watch both kids, I’d like to come back three half days to start. Then, I can add more as it feels right. Oh, thank you, Mac! I love you so much! I’m so happy.”

She threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately, which triggered the reawakening of her body. She nibbled at his ear. “Can you do that thing where you text Bentley and make the staff disappear?”

Mac felt his cock twitch. “Consider it done.”

As they exited Mac’s office, Avery was returning to his desk. “Can you handle the rest of the day without me?” Mac asked.

“Absolutely, sir,” Avery assured him.

As they rode up the elevator to their suite, Mac sent a text to their house manager, Bentley.

Hey, my wife and I need some private time. Would you please see that the staff stays on the third floor or below?

Bentley’s response was swift.

Is everything okay?

Mac smiled inwardly as he replied.

Never better.

Chapter Four

Grace sighed. “I’m not sure how to begin. I’m a bit out of practice, it seems,” she said, feeling awkward.

“No worries, my darling; let me take the lead. For starters, how about we enjoy a relaxing bath in the jacuzzi tub?”

“That sounds heavenly!”

Mac started the water and began to undress. Grace followed suit and stood naked before her husband for the first time in nearly two months. He went instantly hard as he drank in the sight of her.

“You sure as hell don’t look like you have recently given birth. Holy hell, Grace! You look amazing!”

Grace beamed.

Mac stepped into the tub and reached out his hand. “Join me, my love.”

“How long do we have?”

“Hours, my darling. Claudette has the kids till 5:00 p.m., and Avery is handling the rest of my work day.”

“You think of everything, don’t you, Mac?”

“On the contrary, my sweet Gracie, you are the one who usually has everything planned out perfectly. You spoil me so often that it’s nice to be on the giving end this time.”

She entered the tub and sat with her back to him, unpinning her hair from the confines of the bun she’d chosen earlier. Leaning back, she marveled at how glorious this skin-to-skin contact felt.

Mac brushed her ear with his lips and whispered, “I love you.”

It was a simple phrase, yet it came freely, without any strings attached. There was no pressure; there was only complete and utter love, and she gave in to the feeling as it consumed her.

Her moans of pleasure made Mac’s heart full. He wanted this to be all about her, and hearing her enjoying the moment was encouraging. He squeezed a handful of shower gel onto her shower puff and washed her back, then her front. She delighted him when she took his hands and placed them over her breasts.

“I love you, too,” she whispered back. “Touch me, Mac. Love me. I need…”

He allowed his hands to roam everywhere. “I know what you need. I lost sight of that for a while, but I know better now. You need to be treated like a badass bitch in the corporate boardroom and a slutty, little whore in the privacy of our bedroom.”

“Oh, God, yes!”

Mac’s fingers played with her clit before dipping between her luscious, pink folds. He felt her hips rock in rhythm to his thrusting, and he knew the moment she was about to cum. For a second, he toyed with edging her. But it seemed cruel to deny her an orgasm after such a long time without release.

“Oh, fuck! Oh, God! Oh, Mac! Fuck! Yes! Yes! Yes!” she screamed, convulsing as her climax ripped through her body.

“That’s right, baby, cum hard!” he cooed as his fingers continued their erotic assault, bringing her over the edge again.

When she came a third time, she was pleading with Mac to fuck her.

“Please, McKinley! I need your cock inside me!”

He moved her into a doggy-style position and gave her what she needed, knowing he wouldn’t last long inside her hot, wet pussy.

“Take my cock, baby! Cum on it for me. That’s right, oh, fuck! Damn, you feel so fucking good, baby! I’m gonna cum hard, Gracie. I’m gonna fill you up!”

They came together, both panting wildly. Pulling her back into the now-tepid water, Mac held her close and kissed her. “Three words, baby. Worth. The. Wait.”

“I have some words of my own. Never. Go. So. Fucking. Long. Without. Fucking!” Grace replied, accentuating each word.

Mac laughed. “I promise, darling. Never again.”

His sophisticated business partner looked so hot with that dreamy, just-fucked look on her face.

“You’re the whole damn package, Grace Remy Stewart! From the boardroom to the bedroom, there’s no one quite like you.”

“That’s boudoir, darling,” she teased. “Boardrooms and boudoirs are my forte.” She winked playfully. “You’re a lucky man, McKinley Stewart. But then, I’m a lucky woman, as well. There’s no one quite like you, either, darling. I love that my boss likes to fuck in the jacuzzi!”

“Partner, not boss. But, any time, my love.”

“How long do we have until we have to relieve Claudette?”

“Another hour and a half or so.”

“Then let’s dry off, have round two in our bed, then take a nap together.”

“Sounds decadent!”