Chapter Fifty-Three

It had been several days since Mac had inadvertently, and somewhat haphazardly, proposed to Grace during a rather rousing sexual interlude. Afterward, he had apologized and said he would propose more romantically when the time was right. But he wondered how long he should wait.

They’d been in Europe together for nearly six months, but not exactly bedmates the whole time. Still, in his mind, he was more than ready to make Grace his wife. He just wasn’t sure that she was on the same page. She had said she didn’t need a ring to know that she belonged to him. Did that mean he was moving too fast, too soon?

So, Mac didn’t mention it again and decided he wouldn’t until he was sure that he wasn’t making the same mistake he had made with Louise. Looking back, it was obvious that he was way more invested in that relationship than she was. He didn’t want to jump the gun with Grace and risk scaring her off or into another man’s arms.

Mac shook his head. This didn’t feel like a mistake, though. The way she moved in bed, and not just during sex, was genuine and intimate. The little things she did during the day all seemed to indicate she was just as much in love as he was. Still, he supposed, it didn’t hurt to be cautious.

Meanwhile, Grace wondered if she should have said yes when Mac asked her to marry him while she was riding his cock. It seemed more driven by lust than by love. But maybe she shouldn’t have dismissed his awkward proposal so quickly. It embarrassed her to realize that just because she didn’t need a ring on her finger didn’t mean she didn’t want one. She knew Mac loved her. But, for the first time in her adult life, she could envision happily ever after, and she wanted it more than she could have known.

As they said goodbye to Iker and Jacinta Sala, who had insisted on having them over for lunch and then taking them to the airport, Iker hugged her and whispered, “Don’t you let Mac stall too long.”

They landed at Munich Airport and collected their luggage before meeting their driver. His name was Dustin, and he looked to Grace to be about twenty-five. He apologized profusely for not arriving sooner to help with the luggage, but all the while, he was quite clearly staring at Grace’s breasts.

Mac was less than amused. “While my companion has a lovely figure, perhaps you could look at me while you speak to me?” he chided.

“Das tut mir leid,” Dustin said.

“Sprechen Sie Englisch, bitte,” Grace said.

Mac frowned. “Care to share?” he said gruffly to Grace.

Grace raised an eyebrow. “He said he was sorry, and I told him to speak English, please.”

Feeling foolish for his moment of jealousy, Mac nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Dustin had the good sense to look remorseful, so Grace figured things would blow over quickly. Only they didn’t. When they arrived at Sofitel Munich Bayerpost Hotel, Mac seemed crabby and short-tempered.

Grace did what she could to smooth things over with the hotel clerk and the bellman, but all that did was seem to piss him off more.

When they entered the apartment that would be their home for the next fifteen days, Grace tipped the young man for bringing in their bags and closed the door behind him.

“Do you mind telling me why some giant bug has suddenly crawled up your ass?” she asked Mac.

“Do you mind telling me why you need to flirt with every man we come across? Or is it just the ones with big dicks you can’t control yourself around?”

Grace was about to slap Mac across the face when she realized that his eyes looked wrong.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked, suddenly quite alarmed.

“No, I feel like someone is shoving a dagger through my brain!”

“Did you take some Ibuprofen?”

“Yes, I took it on the damn plane, and my head feels worse, not better! Fuck! I just need to lie down.”

Grace helped him get undressed to his t-shirt and boxers and into bed. She put some water on the nightstand, closed the curtains, and turned off the lights. Then she did something she dreaded doing. She called Alice at home.

Alice’s voice did nothing to hide her irritation at being contacted by Grace. “What the hell do you want? You’ve already cost me my job. What possible reason could you have for bothering me?”

“Alice, I need you to put your disdain for me aside for a moment. I need to know if you have the phone number for Mac’s personal physician. He’s been having headaches, and normally Ibuprofen does the job, but today it’s not helping. I’m very concerned, but I’d like to talk to his own doctor before I contact one here in Munich.”

Alice said nothing.

“Please, Alice. I’m concerned it might be something serious, like a brain tumor. I don’t know who else to turn to, or I wouldn’t have bothered you,” Grace pleaded.

Alice softened a bit. “I will text you his name and phone number in a moment. I just need to look up his number since I no longer have my work cellphone,” she said. “McKinley told me the headaches had stopped.”

“They did. Mac had one early on in Barcelona when he was concerned that Iker Sala was leaning toward taking an offer from another firm, but before that, it had been quite some time since he was plagued by head pain. I’m extremely worried, Alice,” Grace said.

“You love him, don’t you?” Alice asked bluntly.

“Of course, I love him,” Grace replied.

“I love him too, you know,” Alice said quietly.

“I know,” Grace acknowledged. “I’m sorry that he doesn’t love you back, Alice. I can only imagine how much that hurts.”

“At least you truly care about him,” Alice sighed. “I watched him waste his time with Louise and then that tramp, Johanna, all the while wishing he would notice me. But the minute you walked through the door, I knew he would fall for you. Just don’t break his heart like Louise did, okay?”

Grace could hear that Alice was crying softly. It tugged at her heart.

“I’m going to send the number now. Will you do me the favor of letting me know how he is?” Alice asked.

“Of course, thank you so much.”

A moment later, Grace called the number that Alice texted to her and was able to speak with a nurse who promised to have Dr. Mackey return the call as soon as he was available.

Frustrated that she had to wait, Grace found herself pacing. She didn’t want to disturb Mac, but she felt the need to check on him. So, she tiptoed into the room and found him lying there holding his head.

“I’m waiting for a call back from your doctor, but I’m about ready to contact the front desk to get a local physician’s number,” Grace said softly.

Mac nodded weakly. He couldn’t remember the pain ever being this bad. He hated that Grace had to take care of him. But, at the same time, he was so damned grateful she was here.

Dr. Mackey called Grace back within a few minutes.

“Technically, I shouldn’t be talking to you since you’re not listed in McKinley’s file. However, his admin, Alice, notified me that you’d be calling, and she does have permission to discuss his medical information.”

“Thank you, I appreciate you returning my call,” Grace said.

“McKinley suffers from migraines, and I had him on an antidepressant as a preventative, but he didn’t care for certain side effects,” the doctor explained.

“What kind of side effects?” Grace asked. “At this point, I can’t imagine what could be worse than the pain he is dealing with.”

Doctor Mackey cleared his throat. “He had libido issues and occasional difficulty maintaining an erection. As he hasn’t asked for a refill in some time, I am assuming he isn’t taking the medication.”

“Surely there are other medications that you could prescribe,” Grace said impatiently.

“If Mr. Stewart had come in for his yearly checkup prior to leaving the country, I would have been happy to discuss other options with him. Unfortunately, he canceled his appointment three times.”

“I see. Well, thank you for at least helping me identify what’s wrong. I’ll take it from here,” Grace said. “Thank you for your time, Dr. Mackey.”

Grace hung up the phone and did the only thing she could think of to do. She called Franz Huber, the head of the Vienna office.

“Guten tag, Heir Huber. Das ist Grace Remy.”

“Grace! How lovely to hear from you!” Franz answered. “Is everything alright, mein Liebling?”

“No, I’m calling because I need some advice. Mac and I are in Munich, and I need to know where I would go for migraine treatment,” Grace said. She was purposely vague and hoped he thought it was she who was suffering head pain.

“Mac is unavailable, so I hope you don’t mind my calling you directly,” she added quickly. It suddenly occurred to her that Mac would not appreciate anyone thinking he was ill and possibly unable to make critical corporate decisions.

“Of course not! You are smart to think to call me. And, please, call me Franz. I would call Schön Clinic Munich Schwabing. They treat neurological ailments there, and you’ll be in good hands, mein Leiber Freund.”

“Danke, Franz,” Grace replied.

She went back into the bedroom to check on Mac.

“Hey,” she whispered. “If you didn’t want to have sex, there are easier ways to get out of it.”

Mac grinned weakly and said, “I can’t imagine not wanting to have sex with you. But being able to do so is another story. I’m sorry, Grace. This sucks for you, but…”

“I want to call Schön Clinic Munich Schwabing and see if they will see you,” Grace interrupted. “I’m worried about your migraines getting worse.”

“I’d argue with you if my head didn’t hurt so fucking much,” he said, sounding pitiful.

Grace knew she would need some help. “Are you going to throw a fit if I contact Dustin, the driver, to help me?”

“I can get out of bed and get dressed. But, yeah, it would be good to have him help you get me in the car,” Mac said.

Grace called for Dustin. When he arrived, she said, “Look, I know you’re a young man and that I have tits that are nice to look at. But Mr. Stewart isn’t feeling well, and the last thing he needs right now is to be irritated. So, be professional and sprechen Sie Englisch, bitte.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Dustin said, nodding.

Chapter Fifty-Four

Grace paced the waiting room as the doctors did an MRI of Mac’s head and neck to rule out other causes of pain before treating him for a migraine. Fortunately, they still had two days before Mac’s initial presentation to the German firm. To keep busy while she waited, Grace arranged to use the Schwabing 1 meeting room at the hotel and requested it to be set up in board-room style. Then she ordered a light continental-style boxed breakfast to be placed at each seat and sandwiches from Isarbar for lunch. She was running out of things to do when the doctor came out to speak to her.

“Mrs. Stewart, I’m Dr. Herzog. Won’t you have a seat so that we can discuss your husband’s condition?”

Grace froze. She’d forgotten Mac had told the clerk who did the intake interview that she was his wife.

“Y-yes,” She stammered. “Of course.”

“My apologies if I have caused concern. Let me first say that there are no tumors in your husband’s brain,” Dr. Herzog said. “But I have reason to believe that a migraine does not cause his pain. It is my professional opinion that he is suffering from a Cervicogenic Headache. I’d like to use a diagnostic procedure called a nerve block.”

“What does that entail?” Grace asked nervously.

“This involves injecting a numbing agent into the nerves in the back of his head. If the headache stops, this will confirm what I believe to be a problem in the nerves in his neck. The MRI image is what I am basing this on. So, it is a logical next step to take.”

“When can you do this procedure?”

“I can do it now, with your permission,” he explained. “I just need you to sign the waiver.”

“The waiver?”

“Ja. Es ist obligatorisch,” the nurse said. “Required.”

“I’m required to sign the waiver, of course,” Grace said.

“The risks are minimal, Frau Stewart. Your husband is in good hands.”

Grace said a little prayer that she had done the right thing.

Fortunately, the procedure was quick, and Dr. Herzog confirmed after about half an hour that the nerve block was working.

“Everything went well. We would like to keep Heir Stewart here for a couple of hours to make sure he has no adverse reactions. You may see him now and stay with him until we release him if you wish,” the doctor explained.

“Ja, Danke,” she said, not realizing she’d answered in German.

When Grace walked into the room, Mac smiled. “You’re so beautiful. Even when you’re worried.”

“How do you feel?” Grace asked.

“A hell of a lot better than when you brought me in,” he answered. “I’m glad I didn’t fight you about coming. You’re a lifesaver.”

Grace sat down on the side of Mac’s bed, and all of the emotions she had been keeping bottled up came tumbling out. Tears streamed down her face as she held his hand.

“Hey, hey, what’s this all about?” he asked, wiping tears from her cheeks. “I’m fine. Everything is going to be fine.”

“I didn’t know that for sure when you practically collapsed on the bed at the hotel. I didn’t know what to do at first. Then I made all these calls, and I…”

“Hey,” Mac interrupted. “You did everything right. And because of that, I have zero pain right now.”

Grace took a deep breath and told Mac everything, from calling Alice to signing the waiver as his wife.

Mac grimaced a few times along the way, but he didn’t criticize any of the choices she made. “I’m grateful for all that you did, Grace. You had to make some tough choices, but you handled things well.”

“You’re not mad about anything?” she asked.

“Why do you always think I’m going to be mad at you? I love you, and I can’t thank you enough for being quick on your feet and just making decisions.”

“I let Franz think it was me who needed a doctor,” Grace said.

“He’d be one man that I would trust not to view this as more than a blip on the screen, but it was smart to be cautious,” Mac agreed.

When Dr. Herzog returned to Mac’s room to clear him to leave, he found Grace curled up next to him with her head on his chest.

“You’re a lucky man to have a wife who knew where to bring you. Had you gone to a regular hospital, they would have wasted your time with unnecessary tests. Most women wouldn’t have handled things so calmly,” Dr. Herzog said in a quiet voice. “But then I gather she’s not like most women.”

Mac smiled. “No, she’s not. She’s extraordinary.” He nudged Grace to wake her and then asked the doctor, “So am I free to go?”

“Ja. But I would like to see you in about a week if that is possible,” Dr. Herzog said.

“I will go make the appointment while you get ready to leave,” Grace said.

“She will make sure I keep my appointment,” Mac said, grinning. “Thank you again, doc, for making my pain go away.”

“It might only be a temporary solution. We will know more when I have another neurologist take a look at your MRI scans.”

Grace had called Dustin to retrieve them from the clinic and return them to the hotel. He managed to keep his eyes off Grace, although Mr. Stewart seemed to be in much better spirits.

When they were back in their apartment, Mac took Grace into his arms and kissed her passionately. His hand slid down her back and onto her ass.

“Nope. Not tonight,” Grace said, removing his hand. “You need to rest, and, frankly, so do I. I’m exhausted.”

Mac pouted a little, but he agreed. Arguing with her would be futile, and she did look like she needed to sleep. He’d never seen Grace look so tired.

“Let’s go to bed then and sleep. Tomorrow, I will show you how much I appreciate you.”

Chapter Fifty-Five

Before she could argue, Mac woke Grace up by sucking on her earlobe and nuzzling her neck. She turned to him instinctively and offered her breasts for his pleasure. He massaged them for a bit before taking a hardened nipple into his mouth. He rolled it between his tongue and teeth, eliciting moans of pleasure from her.

“The doctor said you have to let me do anything I want with you today,” Mac teased as he switched to the other nipple.

“Oh?” she asked coyly. “Is that so? Well, then, my body is yours.”

He grinned and pushed her onto her back. As he kissed his way down her body, stopping at her belly button and her mound for some tongue action, he slipped a single finger into her wetness.

“You feel softer than silk inside, my love,” he said. Then he traced circles around her clit with the tip of his tongue, gave it a quick flick, and then took it into his mouth to suck on.

Her hips gently rocked as Mac slipped a second finger inside her. Then he poked his thumb in to get it wet and then popped that into her tight, puckered hole.

“Fuck, your ass is tight, Gracie!”

“It would feel even tighter with your cock in it,” she mused.

“Greedy little slut! Cum for me first, then maybe I will fuck your ass.”

He slid a third finger into her pussy and kept the thumb moving in her back door. She rocked and moaned as he kept tormenting her. Then her back arched, and she came hard, drenching his hand with her nectar.

Mac used her juices to lube up her ass. Then he slid his cock in her pussy for a few strokes to get it ready for rear entry. He pushed the head of his cock in slowly until her ass gripped him tightly. Then he worked the rest in bit by bit until his balls were slapping against her ass cheeks.

Taking her on her back allowed Mac to see every facial expression as he enjoyed the vise-like grip of her rectum. First, the pain, then the acceptance, the tolerance, and, finally, the pleasure. Her eyes fluttered open and shut as he moved inside her. Then he dipped his fingers into her pussy and played amongst the pink folds that opened up for him. Eventually, he had four fingers in her hot, wet hole while his thumb massaged her clit.

“Oh, fuck!” Grace cried out. “Everything you are doing feels so fucking good!”

As Mac felt her climax drawing near, it made him feel good to know that he could tell when she was ready to cum. He pumped his cock into her ass faster as he added more pressure from his thumb on her swollen nub. Grace began to buck and her back arched. Mac felt her clamp down on his cock with her ass as she came hard. The sensation triggered his orgasm, and he shot his load deep inside her ass.

“Holy fuck, Mac!” she said as her body continued to quiver. “You certainly do feel better!”

Mac laughed. He left his dick in her ass until it softened, and then he pulled himself out slowly. Then he cuddled close beside Grace and said, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too. I was so worried yesterday,” she sighed.

“Well, no more worrying, okay? Let’s shower and go do a Hop On/Hop Off tour of Munich today.”

“Are you sure you’re up to it?” Grace asked cautiously.

“Yes, I feel great,” Mac said. “Of course, we could always just stay in, and I can fuck your ass all afternoon.”

He winked at her and laughed when she said, “That is not going to happen. It’s a once-in-a-while activity, not an all-afternoon adventure.”

“Then let’s go be tourists!”

The weather was lovely, so they sat up top. Grace took pictures while they shared her earbuds and listened to the tour guide tell them about the city’s architecture, history, and culture. They took time to stop at the Old Botanical Gardens, the BMW Museum, and SEA LIFE Munich.

“I had no idea there were so many different kinds of sharks,” Grace remarked when they got back on the bus.

“Neither did I. I want to know why the striped one is called a pajama catshark,” Mac commented.

Grace made a face. “Because it looks like a shark with striped kitty PJs on!”

“Striped kitty?”

“You know, like a tabby cat. I used to have one named Abby.”

“Cute name, Abby the Tabby. Whatever happened to it?” Mac asked. Immediately he wished he hadn’t because Grace’s whole demeanor changed.

She was silent for a moment. “I’m not sure. I hope someone found her and gave her a good home. She was a kitty I rescued when I first arrived in Cote d’Ivoire.”

Mac took her hand. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to dredge up bad memories.”

“It’s not your fault. I brought up the cat,” she said quietly.

They didn’t talk much the rest of the bus ride nor on the car ride back to the hotel.

Once in the apartment, Grace took off her shoes and poured herself a glass of sparkling water. “Would you like a glass of water?” she asked Mac.

“I’d rather have some wine, but I feel like Dr. Gracie is going to veto that today. So, let’s skip the part where I argue and get right to the point of me saying yes, a glass of water would be nice, thanks.”

Grace laughed. “Speaking of doctors, Dr. Herzog sent over a script for diclofenac. I will get it filled for you.”

“I feel great; I don’t think I need any medication,” Mac protested.

“You feel great now, but I would rather get it while we are in Germany. I don’t want to end up in some other country and have them refuse to fill the script.”

“There you go being right again,” he sighed. “I’m not sure how I muddled through life without you.”

“I’m having trouble knowing if you are being facetious or serious at the moment. But I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

“Good, because I meant it to be one,” he said. “What’s on our agenda tomorrow?”

“We are getting massages at SO Spa here at the hotel. There were no openings, so I spoke with Gerhard, the hotel manager, and asked where else we might be able to get a massage. He seemed flabbergasted at the idea of us going somewhere else and managed to call in two additional masseuses to accommodate us,” Grace said.

“You have a way with people, Grace. It’s uncanny to witness.”

“I think you’re exaggerating,” Grace mused.

“No, I’m not. I spent years thinking I disliked nicknames, then suddenly I found myself pouting when you didn’t call me Mac. Iker Sala had all but signed the papers with the other firm in Barcelona. But after meeting you, he suddenly changed his mind. Now you manage to get us massage appointments where none existed. You’re bewitching.”

“Nonsense. I’m not bewitching; I simply pay attention to details and use them to my advantage. You discovered you enjoyed the intimacy of having a nickname, which helped you feel closer to me. Iker Sala has a thing for redheads, and so does his wife. And the manager was not about to let us spend our money elsewhere,” Grace explained.

Mac raised an eyebrow. “How do you know about the redhead thing?”

Grace laughed, “I got a very sexual vibe from both Iker and Jacinta. I think they may have asked me to join them for a threesome had you not made it very clear with your body language that I belonged to you. Fortunately, the waitress, Isobel, was a redhead, and they focused their attention on her. She met them in their hotel room after her shift and let them share her.”

“How do you know that?”

“Isobel thanked me the next morning for not being available. Apparently, she’s quite submissive, and they enjoyed her very much!” Grace said, wiggling her eyebrows.

“I must just be oblivious,” Mac laughed. Then he got serious for a moment. “Would you have wanted to enjoy a threesome with the Salas? You mentioned once that you enjoy the taste of pussy in the heat of the moment.”

Grace moved to Mac and pressed her body against his. “See? You do pay attention,” she said seductively while letting her hands roam over his chest. “Sex with women can be quite erotic. But no, I had no interest in that type of tryst. I am enjoying being with a man who doesn’t like to share.”

“And there you are again, being right and bewitching me,” Mac said, kissing Grace softly on the lips. “I want you.”

“You’ll need to feed me first. Otherwise, I will end up cranky during sex,” Grace said.

“Then let’s grab a quick dinner from Isarbar and have our dessert up here,” Mac suggested.

Grace smiled. “And by dessert, you mean sex, right?”

He smirked at her and gave her ass a playful swat. “Yes, Grace. Dessert means sex.”

Chapter Fifty-Six

The dessert was wonderful, as were the massages and more dessert the next day. As the days went on, Grace and Mac fell into a lovely routine. She attended all of his meetings and started helping with documents and transition paperwork. They enjoyed dinners together and had lots of desserts afterward. Partway into the second week in Munich, Max Becker, head of the German firm being acquired, invited Mac and Grace to his home for a casual dinner.

Grace wore a pair of navy slacks and a white flowy blouse with large navy and gold polka dots. She pulled her hair back into a bun but left some curly tendrils framing her face. She kept her jewelry simple, too; just diamond studs and the bracelet that Mac had given her. Still, despite this more casual look, he couldn’t help but want her.

Max and his wife, Virginie, had three kids. The oldest was a girl around eight, and the other two were boys, five and three. Mac was a little unsure of having dinner with three children, but they were exceptionally well behaved. Dinner conversation with Max and Virginie was quite pleasant, with Grace holding her own as usual.

When the meal was finished, Virginie said, “I hope you have saved room for dessert.”

Mac gave Grace a sensual look, which Virginie caught. She laughed, “Well, it’s only apple pie, but it’s hot and juicy.” Then she winked at Grace and went into the kitchen to get the pie.

Max chuckled, “You’ll have to forgive my wife. She’s half French and quite amorous.”

After the delicious pie, the children were dismissed to play. Adele, the charming daughter, asked Grace if she would play beauty shop with her.

Max shook his head, “Miss Grace isn’t here to play with you, Adele.”

Grace protested, “Actually, I love children. Would you mind very much if I played for just a little while?”

Virginie smiled as she watched Grace sit cross-legged on the floor in front of the chair where Adele was seated.

“Your hair is so pretty,” the little girl said. “May I take it out of the bun and comb it?”

“That would be lovely,” Grace said.

Virginie poured some tea for Max and Mac. “I don’t know who is having more fun, Adele or Grace. She’s quite good with children. Do you plan to have kids someday?”

Mac smiled. “I hope so.”

When they arrived back at their apartment, Mac looked at Grace and sighed. “It was sweet of you to get down on the floor to play with Adele. You made her very happy. And you impressed her parents.”

Grace took off her earrings and placed them on the counter. “She was delightful. And I will let you in on a little secret. I love having my hair combed or brushed. It’s so relaxing. So, it was hardly a problem to sit there and enjoy it.”

“Note to self, offer to brush Grace’s hair,” Mac said, grinning.

“Mmm-hmm,” Grace said. “Now, as much as I enjoyed Virginie’s apple pie, I’d much prefer McKinley’s cock as my dessert.”

Mac undid his zipper and released his rigid shaft. “Then strip naked for me and get on your knees. I’ll feed you my cock so you can suck it like a horny little slut.”

Grace felt her juices flowing just from the way he was talking to her. She removed her slacks and blouse and stood before him.

“I said naked, didn’t I, slut?”

She unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor. Then she slid her panties down over her hips, exposing her freshly shaven mound, and let those slide down to her ankles. She stepped out of them and took a step toward Mac. “Do you wish to stand or sit while I worship your cock?”