Chapter Thirty-Three

The first week of work in London had been a successful one. McKinley felt a lot better about leaving Niles Lindhurst in charge of the London office after getting to know him better. Sure, he was a bit high maintenance, but his attention to detail was a plus.

The second week would be long and tedious, as was typical of these transitions. So, Mac would make sure this weekend included plenty of time to enjoy being a tourist with Grace.

“What do you feel like for dinner tonight, Grace?” Mac asked as he loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. “Any kind of food works for me; I’d just like to get out of the hotel tonight.”

“Hmmm,” she pondered the thought for a moment. “How about noodles?”

“Italian or Chinese?” he asked, clarifying.

“Chinese,” she said as she shimmied out of her navy-blue pencil skirt.

Mac felt his cock twitch when he saw Grace standing there in the dressing room of their suite wearing nothing but a lacy red thong.

“Fuck!” he said, realizing too late that he’d said it out loud.

Grace laughed and said, “Later. I’m starving. What kind of clothes are we putting on?”

Mac grinned wickedly. “If I had my way, we wouldn’t wear any clothes at all. But, since my hard-working assistant needs to eat, how about jeans and something sexy on top?”

“Gimme ten minutes to get ready,” she said. She wasn’t sure if this was her boss making sure his assistant got fed or if this was a night out. He hadn’t mentioned his feelings for her all week, even though they continued to grow closer. So, she opted for an outfit that would be acceptable in either scenario.

Nine minutes later, Grace appeared in the living room wearing straight-slim, light-washed jeans, a black lace cold shoulder top, and black slip-on Skechers. Her hair was down tonight in loose waves. She grabbed a light gray sweater and her cross-body handbag and said, “Let’s go!”

Mac was amazed at how quickly she’d transformed herself from conservative businesswoman to casual sophisticate. He couldn’t help but wonder if she’d left the lacy red thong on or not.

The Uber was waiting for them by the time they stepped out of the front doors of the hotel. Mac held her door open for her as she got in and slid across the seat. He got in next to her and confirmed the address of their destination with the driver.

McKinley had selected a very casual restaurant called Ned’s Noodle Bar because it was close to the London Eye, and it was casual. Not that he minded fancy dinners. But it was nice to experience something a little more laid back once in a while. The food was delicious, and being out with Grace was delightful.

After dinner, Mac held Grace’s hand as they walked along Belvedere Road. “The next stop on our date is The London Eye,” he said.

Grace’s heart was aflutter. So, this was a date! Of course, it seemed like a date. But to hear him say the words out loud made her feel ridiculously happy inside.

“Everything okay?” he asked her, sensing she had something running around in her head.

“Better than okay,” she smiled.

“You’re not afraid of heights, are you, Gracie?” Mac teased.

“No, why do you ask?”

“Because our ride will be a little longer than normal. I’ve arranged for a private pod, so we’ll be rotating for about a half-hour.”

“A private pod? Isn’t that rather expensive?” Grace asked.

Mac tilted his head, “Grace, what’s the point of having shit tons of money if I never spend it on anything fun?”

Grace laughed. He wasn’t wrong.

“Besides, I wanted to be alone with you. I want to be able to kiss your neck without some horny teenager leering or some cranky old lady telling us to get a room.”

Grace shivered a little. Just the thought of him kissing her neck had her aroused.

During the first rotation, Mac was a perfect gentleman. He pointed out the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and other iconic landmarks. She shared her wish list of places she wanted to go if time allowed before leaving London for Vienna. Mac tucked those away in his head. He’d make sure Grace saw as much as possible this weekend.

He was about to kiss her when his phone rang. It was Alice. Mac surprised Grace when he let it go to voicemail.

“Won’t she be upset that you didn’t take her call?” Grace asked.

“If it’s important, she’ll leave a message,” Mac said, taking her into his arms.

“Who are you, and what have you done with my boss?” she teased.

“Your boss isn’t here right now, Gracie. Tonight, I’m your lover, and no one else in the world matters except you and me,” he said as he stared deeply into her eyes.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her. It was slow and sensual and sent sparks flying for both of them.

“I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you, Grace,” Mac said as he broke off the kiss.

“I’ve never wanted anyone like this before you either, Mac,” she replied. “You make me feel things I didn’t expect to feel.”

Mac stepped away from Grace and went to the large window to look out over the city. He kept his gaze in that direction while he spoke. “If I’m cautious or seem hesitant at all with you, it’s only because Louise broke my heart. I never thought I’d allow myself to have feelings for anyone after her,” Mac admitted.

Grace moved behind him and put her arms around his waist, resting her head on his back. “We’ve both been hurt, Mac. The scars of betrayal take a long time to heal. Maybe fate has finally decided to cut us each a break.”

Mac turned to her and said, “Let’s go back to the hotel after this so we can make love. Then tomorrow, we can check out some of the places on your list together.”

“Sounds wonderful!”

When they walked into the hotel, the desk clerk stopped Mac. “Mr. Stewart! If you could wait just a moment, I have some messages for you. Hang on!”

Mac took a quick peek at the messages and who they were from, then he tucked them in his pocket and turned his attention back to Grace. “Shall we go upstairs?”

Chapter Thirty-Four

After the first round of lovemaking, which had Grace riding on his cock while her gorgeous tits bounced up and down, Mac found himself curious about her piercing. He flicked the little gold ball. “So, I’ve never been with a woman who had a piercing here. It looks sexy. Does it, um, enhance things for you?”

Grace laughed. “If by things you mean sex, then yes.”

“Is there a special name for that type of piercing?” he asked.

“Mm-hmm. It’s called Grace’s spectacular pussy piercing,” she said impishly.

“You’re awfully sassy tonight,” he teased, giving her bottom a swat.

“Maybe I just need to be spanked,” she said, almost taunting him.

“Maybe you do,” he grinned wickedly.

He rolled her over, so she was across his lap and used his hand to spank her bottom till it was a rosy pink. Then he reached between her legs and slid a finger into her wetness.

Grace moved into a cat stretch pose before settling down to treat Mac to some erotic cock worship. She teased the head with the tip of her tongue and licked up and down his shaft. Then she took him all the way in her mouth, devouring him.

Mac responded by adding another finger inside her. He moved his fingers in and out of her juicy wet pussy and made her moan.

The vibrations on his cock from her moaning made his already hard cock feel like steel. He added a third finger and fucked her while she deepthroated his cock. Within minutes, they came together. Grace drenched Mac’s hand while rope after rope of his cum slid right down her throat.

They lay there for a few minutes, enjoying the afterglow. Then Grace curled up next to Mac with her head on his chest.

“I think I might be falling for you, Mac,” she said quietly. She hadn’t meant to say it out loud. But there it was.

“I think I might be falling for you too, Grace,” he admitted while hugging her tightly.

“What do we do about it?” she asked. She noticed he had followed suit and not used the L-word.

Mac pondered the thought for a moment. “I think we keep enjoying each other and see where it goes. Does that work for you?”

Grace nodded. “Yes, that works for me.”

“I just…” Mac started.

Grace cut him off. “Let’s not overthink this. Let’s just continue to get to know each other better both in and out of bed.”

Mac smiled, “Fabulous.” He kissed the top of her head and asked, “Round three?”

Grace picked her head up and grinned at Mac. “I’m quite satisfied, but if you really want another round of sex, I’d never turn you down.”

“I’m good for now, but maybe we can have more dessert later,” he said.

They continued to cuddle closely and were so cozy that they drifted off to sleep for a bit. A little after midnight, Mac was woken up by Grace’s tongue in his ear. “Want that extra helping of dessert now?” she whispered erotically.

“Fuck yeah, I do!” Mac said, flipping her on her back. He lifted her legs in the air so that her ankles were resting on his shoulders. As he moved to enter her, his cock made an accidental detour and poked at her puckered rosebud.

Grace laughed and said, “Baby, if you want that hole, you’ll need a lot more lube.”

Mac was flustered. “I wasn’t aiming for that, sorry.”

She smiled, “Well, just know that if you ever decide that you want to aim for that hole, I’m willing to give it a try despite your rather impressive package. Just make sure you’ve got lots of lube on hand.”

Mac raised an eyebrow. “So noted,” he said. Then he sunk his thick meat into her hot, wet pussy.

“Oh, God, Mac!” she moaned. “You’re so deep in me. It feels so good!”

While he thrust into her pussy, he couldn’t help but think about how tight her ass would be. The thought got him so revved that he started pumping into her like a jackhammer. He reached down to play with her clit and had them both exploding in seconds.

“Holy fuck, Grace!” Mac cried out as he erupted inside her. “You’re so fucking amazing!”

Grace looked like a wanton slut with her tousled wavy hair and her flush cheeks.

“Mmm, ditto!”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Mac woke up first, so he slid quietly out of bed and grabbed his messages from the night before, along with his phone.

One message was from Alice, who was irritated with the fact that he’d let her call go to voicemail on his cell, so she had rung the hotel and left a message to please call her back. He’d call her in a bit.

The second message was just a phone number and a request for a callback. He shrugged and dialed the number. A man with a French accent answered, “Allo?”

“Hello, this is McKinley Stewart. I received a message to call this number,” Mac said.

“Ah, oui,” the man said. “Thank you for returning my call. You were inquiring about Grace Remy. The information you sought was buried by someone with very cunning skills and high-security clearance. Fortunately, I was able to use some of my connections to uncover it. For that reason, the cost will be more than my usual fee. You understand, of course.”

“Of course,” Mac replied. He felt a pang of guilt as he glanced toward the bedroom. He’d made this inquiry the night Grace had gotten ill after bumping into a former lover who had abused her. Now, he wasn’t so sure he actually wanted to dig into her past this way. But he’d committed to paying the private investigator, so he couldn’t back out now.

“Once you send the additional funds electronically, you will receive my report via email. Thank you for your business, Monsieur Stewart.”

Mac arranged for the payment and then decided to call Alice before he opened the email.

“Hello, Alice. I’m sorry I didn’t return your call last night. I had a meeting that ran late, and I was tired.” He wondered why he felt compelled to lie to her and not just admit he was out with Grace.

“Of course,” Alice said, sounding a little miffed. “I was trying to reach you to let you know that your housekeeper put in her notice. Her husband got a new job, and they will be moving out of the area. So, I’ve arranged for a cleaning service until you can hire someone new.”

“For goodness’ sake, Alice. Surely you can place an ad for me and find a new housekeeper. I trust your judgment,” Mac said, a little annoyed.

“Well, I just thought, perhaps, if Ms. Remy was still in need of employment when you return from Europe, that it might be nice to offer her the position,” Alice explained.

“You want me to offer Grace a job as my housekeeper?” Mac asked incredulously.

“Well, she will be out of a job when you return. I thought it would be a kind gesture.”

“Alice, I doubt very much that Grace will want to clean my house and office. Just place an ad, please, and hire me a new housekeeper.”

He shook his head and wondered why something that could have been handled with a text or an email was important enough in Alice’s mind to warrant calling the hotel. After he ended the call, Mac checked his email. He debated opening the report but decided to wait.

The final message was about availability for a tour of the inner circle of Stonehenge. Mac called the tour company and made the arrangements for a sunrise tour the day before they left for Vienna. He thought it would be a lovely surprise for Grace.

As Grace was still sleeping, Mac made himself a cup of tea and went out onto the terrace. Unable to quell his curiosity, he went back to his email and opened the report. If he had been a better man, he would have waited for her to open up to him about the parts that were new information to him. But he wasn’t a better man. He felt guilty for invading her privacy this way, but he continued to read anyway.

When he finished, he sat for a moment, trying to process what he learned. Then he checked the time and decided to wake Grace so they could do some of the sightseeing she wanted today.

“Wake up, Gracie. Time to rise and shine,” Mac said, opening the curtains to let in the daylight.

“Mmm, what time is it?” Grace answered in a groggy voice.

“It’s time to get out of bed so we can get started on our day,” he laughed.

“Isn’t it Sunday?” she asked, confused.

“Yes, and it’s going to be a nice day, so we don’t want to waste it indoors. You have a rather extensive list of things you’d like to see, so if we are going to attempt even half the list, you need to get up and get ready.”

She groaned, “You wore me out last night. Not that I mind, of course.” She got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

“If I recall correctly, it was you who woke me up after midnight demanding more sex,” he said, swatting her butt playfully as she walked by.

Grace laughed, “I didn’t hear you complaining. It’s too bad you’re in such a hurry to get going.”

Mac tilted his head. “Oh? Why’s that?”

She grinned mischievously. “I was going to invite you to shower with me.”

“I’ve already showered,” he said. Then he realized what Grace meant, “Oh! Well, I can always hop in and help wash your back.”

“If you do a good job with that, I’ll let you wash my front, too!” Grace said, winking.

Although Mac had a knack for being obtuse at times, he grinned. “Dessert in the shower? You are a wild woman!”

He wasted no time getting naked and into the shower with her.

“Put your hands on me,” Grace said as she put her hands on Mac. She ran her hands along his chest and down his stomach, stopping only when she reached the grand prize. “You have the most amazing package, Mac.”

“I guess you’d know,” Mac said, unintentionally.

Grace stopped and frowned, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He tried to recover quickly, “I just meant you’d know better than I would if my package is amazing. I don’t typically go comparing myself to other men.”

Grace nodded and let it go. But she sensed that there was some underlying meaning in what he was saying. Perhaps she could flesh it out later. Better to let his awkward comment slide for now.

Mac was glad he didn’t fuck this up completely. What the hell was wrong with him? He took some body wash and lathered up Grace’s back for her as promised. Soon, their hands were all over each other until he pinned her against the wall and lifted one of her legs, giving him access to slide into her.

“Oh, God, yes!” Grace moaned as he entered her.

“That’s right, baby, take my cock!” He held on to her hips and thrust in deeply. He was rough, but she didn’t mind. The fact that he wanted her so intensely made her want him even more.

“Yes!” she cried out as he pumped into her again and again. Then she screamed as she came hard, “Oh, fuck!”

Mac pounded into her harder and faster until he exploded inside her, filling her with his seed.

They held onto each other for a moment. Then Mac pulled out and rinsed off before stepping out of the shower. Grace finished up washing her hair, trying to decide whether to say more about the comment he’d made or just to let it go.

Since Mac seemed fine once she was dressed and ready to go, Grace figured she was making something out of nothing and decided to move on.

They took an Uber to a restaurant called Bon Gusto to have breakfast before their day of sightseeing. Mac ordered the Full English Breakfast, and Grace was about to join him until she saw The New Yorker's description on the menu. “Pancakes? Oh, my gosh, I haven’t had pancakes since, well, a really long time,” Grace blurted out excitedly. The fact that a rasher of bacon was included just made it that much better.

“May I have the bacon extra crispy? Oh, and may I have powdered sugar instead of maple syrup?”

The waitress nodded politely and went to the kitchen to put in their orders.

Grace grinned at Mac. “What? Breakfast is my favorite meal!”

He laughed. She was such a joy to be around. Did anything in that report from the private investigator change that? Of course not. The past was the past; he and would much rather focus on the present. And what the future might hold for them.

“You’re a million miles away, Mac,” Grace said. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“I’m just thinking about where we should go first after breakfast,” he said, hoping he sounded convincing.

“Well, since we are within walking distance of Buckingham Palace, why don’t we start there?” she suggested.

“That’s a splendid idea,” he agreed.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Mac and Grace spent the entire day being tourists. They managed to check off several places on Grace’s wish list, including The Tower Bridge, Big Ben, The Marble Arch, Hyde Park, and Westminster Abbey. And, although the sky looked threatening a couple of times, they managed to arrive back at the hotel without getting rained on.

Having eaten a late lunch of fish and chips at The Crown Pub on Monmouth, they decided that dinner could wait. When they got up to their suite, Mac sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to him. “Sit, take those shoes off, and let me rub your feet for you,” he said.

“Oh, God, you’re amazing,” Grace said as she slipped off her shoes and put her feet in Mac’s lap. “I’d offer you obscene sexual favors in return, but you’re going to get those anyway. So, what else can I give you for this fabulous foot massage?”

“Tell me about yourself,” Mac answered.

Grace wrinkled her nose, “You already know more about me than most people. What more could I possibly tell you?”

He wondered how to get her to confide in him without making her feel like he was prying.

“Fair enough. But there’s plenty that a vetting report can miss,” Mac remarked casually.

Grace’s eyes widened. “Like what?” she asked, feeling panic rise in her belly.

Sensing he was making her uncomfortable, he switched gears. “Well, for instance, there’s nothing in that report about what your favorite flavor ice cream is or whether you prefer Coke or Pepsi.”

She took a deep breath. “Oh, well, that’s easy enough to fix. I love cookies and cream ice cream, but chocolate chip mint is a close second. Unless the ice cream parlor carries birthday cake ice cream, then that sometimes even wins out as number one.”

Mac laughed. She was almost child-like when she was describing her favorite ice cream. It made him regret trying to pry information out of her by rubbing her aching arches.

“As for which cola I prefer, I’d have to say Coke. But I’m not a Coca-Cola snob; I will drink Pepsi,” she said as her eyes fluttered shut. Damn, Mac was good at making her forget all about her sore feet.

His heart felt lighter as he watched her relax.

“So, what about you?” Grace asked with her eyes still closed. “What’s McKinley Stewart’s favorite ice cream flavor. Wait, don’t tell me, let me guess. It’s either butter pecan or strawberry.”

Mac frowned. “Am I that predictable?”

Grace opened her eyes. “You’re not predictable. For instance, I have no idea if you’re going to take my panties off in the living room or the bedroom.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“But the joke’s on you,” she said. “I’m not wearing panties.”

He took her into his arms and kissed her passionately. Then he scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom. “I want you, Gracie,” he said in a low sexy growl.

“Then take me, Mac,” she answered, her body pressed up against his.

Their need was intense and urgent as they pulled each other’s clothes off. His hands cupped her breasts and lifted one to his mouth. He sucked and nibbled on her hardened nipple until he watched her shudder. He gave the other nipple some attention as well, causing her to moan loudly.

“Oh, God, Mac! I need you so much!”

“What do you need, baby?”

“I need your cock!”

“Where do you need it?”

“Everywhere!”

Mac’s cock twitched as he pressed against her and whispered in her ear, “So, you want it in your mouth?”

Grace nodded.

“And I suppose you want it in your pussy?”

“Yes!”

“Mmm, tell me, Grace, and be honest. Do you want it in your ass?”

“Oh, yes!”

“Such a wicked little slut!” Mac said as he sat on the edge of the bed. “How about you get on your knees and suck me first?”

Grace gave him a seductive smile. “I’d love to!”

She used her hands on his balls while she took him entirely into her mouth. She was making his dick so hard and so incredibly turned on. He grabbed two handfuls of her sexy red hair and thrust into her mouth.

“Fuck! Your mouth is amazing, baby! That’s right, suck it as only you can. You make me so hot!”

Grace licked and sucked him until his shaft was nice and slick. Then she used her hands to stroke him while she sucked on his balls. He was getting close, she could tell. But he seemed determined to hold back. So, she played along and edged him, easing up and denying his orgasm until he seemed almost desperate to cum. Then she used her juices to lube up a finger before sliding it into his ass.

“Holy fuck, Grace!” he cried out. “Fuck, I’m gonna cum hard, baby. I’m going to explode!”

Mac erupted like a geyser into her mouth. She kept her lips tightly around his prick so no cum could spill out. Then she eased his cock out slowly, and she opened her mouth so he could see his seed as she let it drip down onto her tits.

He was at a loss for words for a moment. Then he wiped his cum off Grace’s chin and said, “You’re incredible.”

She beamed. “Thanks for letting me have my way with you,” she teased.

Mac pulled her onto the bed with him and then flipped her on her back and held her arms down. “Now it’s my turn to have my way with you. Just know that I fully intend to have that ass, Grace. But first, I need to taste you. You’re so delicious; I’ll be hard again in no time.”

He spread her legs and used his tongue to bring her close to climaxing at least a dozen times before she was begging. “Please, Mac! I need to cum!”

He entered two fingers inside her, found her G-spot, and pushed her right over the edge. She screamed while she came hard, flooding his mouth with her sweet nectar.

When she finally caught her breath, she said, “Maybe we could take a little water break? All this heavy panting and breathing is making me thirsty!”

He grinned. “I will grab us some Perrier from the kitchen. Need anything else?”

“No, but hey, before I forget, what’s your email address again? I want to send the pictures that I took today to you.”

“It’s probably easier if you just email yourself from my phone; that way, you can just reply with the pictures, and it won’t accidentally go to my spam folder,” he said. He unlocked his phone and tossed it to her. “Here, you can do that while I get us some water and something to snack on.”

Grace opened his email app to send herself a message. She was confused to see an email with her name as the subject matter. She figured if Mac had anything to hide, he wouldn’t have just unlocked his phone and let her have access to his email. So, out of curiosity, she clicked on the message.

Mac came back into the bedroom with a tray of fruit and crackers along with two bottles of sparkling water. “I hope you like…”

He stopped in his tracks. Grace was sitting on the bed reading something on his phone with tears dropping like thick raindrops on her cheeks.

Fuck! How could he be so careless! He’d forgotten about the email from the private investigator. “Grace. I can explain.”

“You hired someone to dig deeper?” Grace said, the deep hurt resonating in her voice. “If you wanted to know more, you could have just asked me. But this? How? Why?”

“I’m so sorry, Grace. I didn’t do it to hurt you. I contacted him when you shared things that hadn’t shown up in your vetting report. I wanted…”

But he stopped. No explanation made it sound like a reasonable thing to do to someone you cared for the way he cared for Grace. He considered lying and telling her he hadn’t read it, but that seemed even worse than the truth.

“I need some air,” she said, throwing on a nightgown and heading out to the terrace.

Mac didn’t follow her. He wanted to give her the space she needed for a few minutes before he would go to her.

He cursed himself for not deleting the email. He just prayed that she would let him explain and that it wouldn’t ruin what was developing between them.

After a few moments, Mac grabbed her burgundy bathrobe and brought it out to her. “You should put your robe on, Grace. The night air is chilly and a little damp.”

She nodded, took it from him without a word, and put it on.

“Grace, I…”

“So, you knew that I lied to you, and you said nothing?” Grace asked quietly.

He answered carefully. “A person has a right to leave their past behind. You did what you had to do to survive, Grace. I wish you would have trusted me enough to tell me on your own, but I don’t fault you for not doing so.”

Tears streamed down her face. “And how was I supposed to tell you that it was a brothel, not a diner in Abidjan and that I spread my legs to earn enough to survive? And that I was so ashamed that I paid dearly to have parts of my past hidden? But money wasn’t the payment required. I spent a weekend with a government agent who agreed to help me, as long as I gave myself to him for three days. So, Alice was not wrong. I am an overpriced whore, and you deserve better!”

Mac stood still for a moment as he watched this strong woman bare her soul to him. Then he took her in his arms and held her while she sobbed.