Chapter Twenty-One

Grace was in her office looking over the monthly reports when her phone rang.

“Yes, Avery, what’s up?”

“I have Max Becker on line two for you.”

“Wonderful; thanks!”

She held her breath, hoping the news from Munich would be good.

“Hallo, Grace. Wie geht es dir? Alles Klar?”

“Hi Max; Alles Klar.“

“Are you sitting down?”

 Her stomach did a flip-flop. Max and Brendan O’Sullivan, their European consultant, had interviewed Wolfgang Barrett earlier in the day, and she’d been waiting on pins and needles to find out how things went.

“Ja, I’m sitting.”

“We made Wolf an offer, and he accepted right on the spot. And with him, we will likely get the bulk of Adelburg’s clients. He claims that a lot of them will follow him wherever he goes. Turns out he’s the one who is well-liked, not Kurtis. He’s ready to start immediately and is willing to work up a draft letter for us to approve to send to his current client list, informing them of his departure from Adelburg Technologies to join Stewart Enterprises.”

“What about issues with the non-compete clause?”

“That expired over two years ago, and Barrett refused to sign an extension, so there should be no legal ramifications bringing him on board and inviting his clients to come with him.”

“This is almost too good to be true. I keep waiting for the catch, Max.”

“No catch, Grace. You called it right. Going after Adelburg’s top guy was brilliant. And having Brendan as part of the interview was clever. He’s outstanding. I’ve developed a whole new appreciation for what he does.”

“He’s my traveling go-to guy, that’s for sure. I’m happy you’ve been able to work together on this.”

“Me too. As much as Virginie would have loved to see you, I didn’t relish the idea of you having to travel to Munich still being such a new mom.”

“Well, once we get things tied up a bit more firmly, we’d love to have your family visit us here in New York.”

“Ah, we’d love that, Grace! Bis später.“

“Tschüss!“

Mac stood in the doorway, marveled at his wife, and envied her a bit for her ability to speak German with Max. In all the time he was with Johanna, the extent of his German was großen Titten. Which, although she certainly had big tits, often earned him a slap or a dirty look from his ex.

“So, what’s the good word?”

“We got him!”

“We got Wolfgang Barrett?”

“Yep.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. And he can start immediately, with no worries of a non-compete clause, and he believes his clients will follow him. According to Max, Wolf was very much looking forward to working for you, and when the deal looked like it was dead, he had plans to contact us about jumping ship. We just beat him to the punch.”

“You suspected as much. It was ballsy going after him, but clearly the right move. Are you gunning for my job, Mrs. Stewart?” he teased.

“Nope, I’m quite happy in the position I’m in, sir,” she said, winking.

“Oh? I’d like to get you in any position right now.”

“You’ll have to wait, my horny husband. We have work to do.”

Mac sighed. “It’s good to have you back to work full time, but I miss being able to clear an hour or two for you and DJ in the afternoons.”

“Last I checked, you’re still the boss, Mac. You can clear time whenever you want.”

She wasn’t wrong; it’s just that they’d been so damn busy these past couple of weeks. Still, it would do them both good to have a break.

“Let’s take Friday off,” he said impulsively. “We can spend the morning with DJ, then place him in Claudette’s very capable hands and do something just the two of us in the afternoon.”

Grace checked her calendar. “I’m pretty open on Friday. There’s nothing I can’t move around to make time.”

“Oh, you’ll be open on Friday, Grace.”

“You’re incorrigible. Go back to your office and let me finish my work so I can take a break to nurse DJ while Claudette finishes up in the kitchen.”

Mac looked at his wife’s magnificent breasts; großen Titten, indeed! He wondered if it was perverted that he was a little jealous that his son got to suck on those spectacular nipples. Laughing it off, he left Grace to get some work done.

Things had been so much better between them since Grace wasn’t trying to be superwoman. He didn’t even blink when he saw how much of a raise his wife gave Claudette when she agreed to be their nanny in addition to being their chef. It was a relief to have DJ in such competent hands and have his wife not an exhausted mess at bedtime.

Although Mac had plenty to do, he found himself uninterested in work at the moment, contemplating, instead, all the ways he planned to pleasure Grace on Friday afternoon. Now he just had to figure out where their lust-filled adventure would take place.

He picked up the phone and sent a text to Bentley.

Hey there. I’m planning an afternoon with Grace on Friday.

He hit send without finishing his message. But before he could type anymore, he got a response.

What floors do you need off limits?

Mac chuckled. He appreciated that he didn’t have to mince words with his longtime house manager.

I’m thinking of the lower level. Pool, jacuzzi, sauna, and I probably need to unearth one of those portable beds we used last year for Grace’s birthday party when we had the whole gang here.

He blushed a little, hoping he wasn’t too crass by admitting he wanted a bed handy. But Bentley didn’t hesitate.

I can take care of it all for you, sir. I’ll have Claudette prepare some charcuterie and wine for you. Perhaps the Chateau Feuillet Moscato Bianco 2016?

Yes! Grace will love that. Just move the bed into the massage room, and I will take care of setting the scene.

Of course. Let me know if you need anything else.

Thanks! Will do!

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Where are we going?” Grace asked.

“Just follow me.”

He led her out the front door, then down the steps that led to the lower level.

“Did you forget something?”

“Nope, I just thought it would be more fun to sneak back into the house with you.”

Grace sighed and tried not to feel disappointed. She supposed they would get on the elevator on the lower level and take it up to the roof, which wasn’t a bad plan. It just wasn’t what she had in mind.

Shake it off, Grace. He’s making an effort, so don’t blow it by being ungrateful.

However, when they stepped inside, there were rose petals strewn across the floor. Two wine glasses and a bottle of her favorite Moscato waited for them on the bar, along with a tray with cheeses, crackers, and grapes, as well as a crystal dish of chocolate-dipped strawberries (God bless Claudette).

“I know I promised you a real date where we go somewhere like a Broadway show or out to a club or something. But the purpose of this afternoon is to show you just how much I need you and want you. We were off course for a bit, and it’s time to right the ship. You broke the ice by coming to my rescue with the most erotic massage I’ve ever experienced. And though our decadent tryst in the closet was hot as fuck, this is my way of taking it a step further by devoting the afternoon to romance and sex.”

“This is perfect,” Grace said. “I’ll follow your lead.”

She felt love wash over her. In her mind, they’d gotten back on track since hiring Claudette to be their afternoon nanny. But if Mac wanted to go all out and spend the afternoon making love, she wouldn’t deny him that pleasure.

He handed her a glass of wine and nuzzled her neck. He kissed his way to her ear and whispered, “Do you remember what we did in that pool right before we got married?”

“Mmm,” she responded as shivers ran down her spine. How could she forget? They were in the rooftop pool at Nimb in Copenhagen, and Mac snuck his fingers inside her bikini bottoms, teasing her.

Mac nibbled on her ear, “You looked so fucking sexy, and I couldn’t keep my hands off you. Your hair was wet, and your face was all dewy. Do you remember what I said?”

“You told me you would make me cum, right there in the pool, with all those people around. And you did.”

He undressed her slowly, then joined her in nakedness. “No swimsuits necessary since it’s our own damn pool.”

“See? Staying home for our date has some definite advantages,” she said as she eased into the pool. “I’m game for a repeat performance.”

Mac needed no further encouragement; he slid into the water and gathered her into his arms. Their lips met, and tongues began to dance as he reached down and found her hard little nub. His fingers played, causing her eyes to flutter while eliciting soft moans.

When he felt her getting close, he put her legs around his waist and gave her the entire length of his shaft in one thrust.

“And, unlike that night, I can fuck you right here like I want to,” Mac growled with arousal. “No voyeurs getting off watching my woman’s body shiver with orgasm.”

“Oh, God, yes!” Grace cried out. She wrapped her arms around Mac’s neck and met each thrust with equal fervor. Lust and love combined as their bodies united in an erotic dance. It felt almost hedonistic to be enjoying each other this way in the middle of the afternoon. It had been some time since they had allowed themselves to get caught up in this wild abandonment.

They lost themselves in each other, panting and splashing as Mac took Grace close to the edge several times before falling together and dragging each other under the water.

They resurfaced seconds later, laughing.

“Oh, God, Mac, you’re so much fun!”

And there it was, that look of love; no one had ever looked at him that way. It made him feel so cherished.

“I love you with all my heart Gracie. You’re my whole world.”

“And you’re mine. I love you and feel so special that you arranged this time alone. Let’s get out, enjoy some of the lovely snacks you’ve arranged for us, and have some more wine. Then we can go for a second round.”

They dried off, drank wine, and delighted in the food and each other. Feeling mischievous, Grace hopped on the bar and spread her legs.

“Would you care for some French cuisine?” she asked, flirting shamelessly.

Mac needed no further invitation. “Mmm, such a delicacy!”

He inhaled her scent and helped himself to her sweetness, alternating frenzied feasting and teasing her pink folds with his tongue. He flicked her clit and nibbled on it as he slid two fingers into her. Her moans intensified as her body rocked on the bar.

As she trembled with waves of orgasm, she felt something hard and cool replace Mac’s fingers inside her. She opened her eyes to see what was invading her and grinned when she saw the neck of the empty wine bottle opening her up.

“That’s fucking hot, baby!”

She bucked against the bottle as it sent her over while Mac lapped up her erotic spray.

“Trade places with me!” she insisted.

Mac’s brow furrowed, but he wasn’t going to argue. He helped her down and took her place on the bar.

“Your turn,” she said, looking up at him with a devilish playfulness that had him rock hard.

She gripped his shaft and teased the head with her tongue, licking the precum that oozed from his aroused prick. Her other hand cradled his balls as she slowly took his cock into her mouth. When it poked at her throat, she squeezed his sac gently and devoured him.

“Holy fuck, Grace. No one sucks cock like my dirty little redhead!”

She sucked hard, then eased up, over and over, until Mac thought his balls would burst. Then his little vixen slid a single finger into his asshole, and he blew his load straight down her throat.

“Christ, Grace! I thought I was gonna explode!”

She grinned up at him. “Umm, you did, baby. And I swallowed every drop like a good girl.”

Mac laughed and eased off the bar. “Let’s see what kind of trouble we can get into in the shower, shall we?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying each other as if they were newlyweds again. When it was time to clean up and get dressed, Grace felt delightfully sore in many places.

Apparently, Mac felt the same way. “I think you broke my dick, Gracie.”

She laughed. “Oh, no! Does he need mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but he needs a union break.”

“No worries, his counterpart agrees,” she said, gesturing between her legs. “This was incredible; thanks so much for arranging an amazing afternoon.”

“So glad you enjoyed it, baby. It was long overdue. We both needed to have time to focus on each other.”

“Very true. But now I need to nurse our son; my breasts are so heavy!”

Mac wiggled his eyebrows and made Grace laugh.

They stopped by their bedroom first so Grace could clip her hair into a messy bun. Then they headed to the Media room, where Claudette held their son on her lap, entertaining him with baby talk.

“There they are!” she cooed to DJ. “Your parents are back from their adventure.”

Grace held out her arms to retrieve her baby and sat in a nearby chair to offer him her breast. Mac loved the casual way she fed their son. She would cover in front of male staff, but she had no qualms about baring her breast in front of him and Claudette.

“He’s an angel,” Claudette said as she stood to leave. “I love watching him for you. I hope you had a lovely afternoon. I will see you on Monday.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

The weekend flew by, and Monday morning proved to be quite busy. After handling minor issues from several European branches of Stewart Enterprises, Grace had a video chat with Salvatore Gianni.

“It’s lovely to see you, Sal. How is everything? Wedding plans coming along?” Grace asked.

“Good to see you too, Grace. Motherhood agrees with you. We are fine here. However, it seems that Johanna has convinced me to run away to Fiji to get married. No one is more surprised than I am. I thought for certain she’d want the huge wedding with all the trimmings,” Sal admitted.

“That’s lovely news! And I just won a bet with Mac, so thanks for that.”

“Ah, you always were a clever girl, my sweet Grace. Clever and entertaining. Ah, those were the days, huh, Bella? But here we are, both finding love. Molto Fortunato!”

Grace felt the heat from memories of her time as Sal’s escort and bedmate wash over her causing her to blush. Why on Earth should her body have any reaction to him or their brief past?

Fortunately, Sal didn’t seem to notice.

“I have another reason for calling, though. When I return from Fiji, I want to talk with you and McKinley about possibly acquiring my firm.”

Grace nearly fell off her chair. Salvatore Gianni had been adamant about not wanting to sell despite several attempts with very lucrative offers by Mac. This would be exciting news indeed.

“Are you serious? Or just on the fence?” she asked. She didn’t want to get Mac’s hopes up if Sal wasn’t sure.

“No fence for me, Bella. I want to travel the world with my new bride, and, unlike your man, I don’t want to have to work while I’m out seeing the world.”

“But I heard you say possibly.”

“Ah, si, only because I don’t know if McKinley still wants to buy me out. And, also, I have no interest in staying on to run things as is often the case in your acquisitions,”

“We can discuss particulars with Mac. I guarantee he will be interested.”

“Fabuloso! Ciao, Bella. Next time we speak, I will be a married man. My apologies that we’ve cheated friends and family out of a big wedding. But Johanna is rather formidable at getting what she wants, si?”

“Si!” Grace laughed. “I will let Mac know we’ve talked. Call me when you return from your honeymoon. Congratulazioni, Sal!”

When she hung up the phone, she poked her head out at Avery. “I’m going to take DJ upstairs and feed him. Then I will hand him over to Claudette for the afternoon and be back down.”

“Do you want me to order some sandwiches for lunch?” Avery asked.

“I think I will just grab a yogurt and some veggies, but don’t let me stop you.”

Once DJ was fed, changed, and contently in his nanny's arms, Grace returned with her lunch and asked, “Where’s Mac?”

“He’s outside talking to Javier, I believe. Something about adding some flower boxes to the front porch.”

Grace smiled. She would have been content to add those in the spring, but once she had mentioned that she’d like flowers out front, he made it his mission to give her what she wanted. She thought about how adamantly against selling his firm Salvatore had been last year. Now, suddenly, he was ready to give it all up for the woman he loved. And now, here was Mac, wanting to make sure she felt happy in their home by adding the flowers she desired. Love was a powerful thing.

She wandered out the front door and smiled at her husband. “What are you up to out here?”

Javier smiled at her. “Bonjour, Grace. Your very thoughtful husband tells me you’d like to have some flowers out front. I’ve got a pretty good idea of what’s desired and will draw up some sketches to show you in a few days.”

Grace smiled. “Merci, Javier. I didn’t realize that so much planning had to go into this. I’m glad you’re handling it because I would have just picked up a couple of mums and plunked them out here.”

Javier laughed. It would never stop surprising him how unassuming Grace was. Her exterior might be elegant, but there was a simpleness to her that spoke volumes about her character and nature. He would indeed include some mums, knowing that would make her happy.

“When you get a moment, I’d like to get you about a call I just had,” Grace said to Mac.

“Oh? Let’s go in and grab some lemonade, and you can tell me all about it.”

Once inside Mac’s office, Grace shut and locked the door behind her.

Mac felt his cock twitch. He hadn’t expected her to make a move in the middle of the day.

“Are you about to seduce me?” he asked.

“Sit down, Mac,” she said. When he did, she joined him on the chair, straddling him.

“Didn’t you have some call you wanted to tell me about?” Mac asked, feigning disinterest in the seductive kisses she started planting on his neck.

“I’ll get to that,” she replied. “First, I need to tease you.”

She leaned into Mac, pressing her gorgeous breasts against him. Though they were both still fully clothed, he couldn’t have been more turned on.

“Mmm. Tease away.”

Grace rocked her hips in a dry humping fashion and nibbled on Mac’s earlobe. “I know a way to make you even harder,” she whispered wickedly in his ear.

“Oh?”

“Yes. How would you like to own Salvatore Gianni’s firm?”

“That’s an unusual way to tease me, Grace,” he said, unsure of where she was going with all this.

She nuzzled his neck. “What if I’m not teasing?”

“Grace, what have you done?”

She propped herself up on his chest. “I haven’t done anything. I merely answered a call from Sal telling me that he’s going to run off to Fiji with Johanna to get married and wants to sell his firm so he can travel the world with his new bride uninhibited by this pesky little thing called work.”

Mac pulled her in for a passionate kiss. “Thank goodness you locked the door.”

He reached down to unzip his trousers and free his raging hard-on. Sliding her panties aside, he felt her wetness welcome his fingers. Impatiently, Grace wiggled until she managed to get the head of Mac’s cock inside her.

“More,” she demanded.

His form of reply was to give her the entire length of his rigid pole. He watched her eyes flutter as she let her head fall back in ecstasy. With his hands on her hips, she rode him, allowing herself to let go and enjoy the sinfully naughty sex act right here in Mac’s office chair.

He moved a hand between them and relentlessly stimulated her while she grabbed hold of his shoulders to brace herself while she impaled herself with his cock.

Avery sat out at his desk, unable to move. He knew he should leave the office area for a bit till his bosses were finished, but it was so erotic to hear the raw sounds of them fucking. Grace was especially loud and cried out several times.

When he heard Mac’s voice erupt in a roar and things crashing to the floor, he decided to make himself scarce. He didn’t want his employers thinking he was eavesdropping, and he sure as hell didn’t want them to see the effect their afternoon tryst had on him.

He realized that other admins might be put off by their bosses fucking loudly in their office midday, but Avery was just so damn happy that things between Mac and Grace were back to normal; how could he mind? Plus, telling his partner, Nialls, about it later would make for some heady foreplay.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Grace and Mac finished their celebration session with a shower and got themselves back together.

“Should I call Sal?” Mac asked.

“No, he said he would call after he and Johanna get back from running off to Fiji to elope.”

“You’re just yanking my chain about the Fiji part.”

“Am not; he specifically said Fiji. So, it looks like I won that bet!”

“I’ll be damned. Well, good for them. I’m glad Johanna finally has what she wants.”

Grace tilted her head slightly. “And what is it that she wants?”

“A man willing to give up everything else and devote all his attention to her. I was never enough for her in that regard.”

“Well, you’re more than enough for me. You’ve given me everything I need and then some.”

“I hope so, Grace.”

Grace frowned. “We aren’t the kind of people who would be content to have people waiting on us hand and foot while we did nothing but globe-trot and lay on beaches. We enjoy the work that we do. I lived that life with Sal for a few months. After a while, laying around doing nothing all day gets old. And there are only so many nights in a row you can party till all hours of the morning. I mean no disrespect to Sal, but he was content to let others do the work for him while he took the credit. It didn’t hurt my feelings to part ways. He was good to me, but not especially good for me if that makes sense.”

Mac was quiet. He had wondered before about Grace’s time as Sal’s escort, but he’d never asked. She was entitled to let go of her past. But he’d always told her he’d listen when she needed or wanted to talk about things from before their life together. Still, there was a burning question that threatened to come tumbling out.

Grace sensed his struggle. “Go ahead, ask me whatever you need to.”

“Was he good in bed?” Mac blurted out. He winced; he’d intended to ask a lot more subtly than that.

Grace sighed. “Yes, he was good in bed, as I imagine Johanna was.”

“Touché.”

“But he wasn’t you, Mac. We didn’t love each other. He paid for company and sex, so that’s what I gave him. Sometimes he’d make crass remarks about paying me a little extra if I’d suck a little longer. It was never more than a business arrangement. The minute you told me that sex would not be required as part of my job, I knew we’d end up together. You were different right from the start. What we have is so much more than…”

Mac interrupted her with a kiss. As their tongues danced, Grace felt herself melt into him.

“I love you, Grace. I’m sorry I got jealous for a moment. It was stupid and petty. I guess I just hope I pay enough attention to you.”

“If you paid any more attention, we’d never get anything done,” Grace laughed. “I love you too.”

“He really wants to sell?”

Grace rolled her eyes. “Go ahead, McKinley, call him yourself. You clearly need to hear it from the horse’s mouth.”

Mac wasn’t sure if she was teasing or truly annoyed. But he kissed her on the forehead and grabbed his phone.

Later that night, when the baby was down, and Grace was getting ready for bed, Mac came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

“This is all your doing,” he said as he nuzzled her neck.

“What did I do now?”

“You insisted on playing matchmaker with Sal and Johanna, and now he’s so ridiculously happy that he’s finally agreed to sell us his firm. I wish he would stay on and run that office for us, but the idea of getting something I have coveted for years, all because of your involvement, well, it’s hard to explain.”

Grace thought it was cute how Mac was still giddy about getting his way. “I remember how much you’ve wanted his company. We took a huge detour last year when you thought he wanted to sell back then. I remember thinking you were angry with me before realizing it was that Sal wasn’t interested at that point.”

“What made you think they would be a good match?” Mac asked.

“They both enjoy extravagance and having others wait on them. I don’t know. It just seemed like a good fit.”

“Well, it worked so well that I’m finally getting what I want.”

Grace slid the strap of her nightgown off her shoulder. “And here I thought I was what you want.”

“You’re insatiable, Mrs. Stewart.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing, Mr. Stewart.”

“Mmm, not at all.”

“Grab the baby monitor and meet me in the fourth-floor utility room,” Grace said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Mac grinned. He’d hoped for a nice bedtime romp, but he was about to get his mind blown in yet another part of the house they hadn’t christened yet. Grace was everything a man could want or need.

And she belonged to him.