Chapter Seventy-Three

Jan Spoorman, a Dutch tour guide, opened the door to his passenger and back seats. "Someone can sit up front," he said, hoping the pretty redhead would choose to do so.

Sadly, she declined. "Mac, you've got longer legs; you should sit up front."

It wasn't a total loss, as he could sneak peeks at her in the rear-view mirror. She was lovely to look at and had an aura about her that assured him that this tour of the Dutch countryside would be delightful.

He chatted away as he drove, telling the Stewarts about the history of the windmills of Zaanse Schans. Once there, Mac and Grace spent time visiting a sawmill, making hot chocolate from scratch, and visiting the little shops in the village.

Grace stopped at one point to take a picture of an upside-down duck in the pond that made her laugh. Jan found it endearing that such a sophisticated woman could find child-like delight in something so simple as a duck with its tail feathers in the air.

Mac grinned to himself. He recognized the look on Jan's face and felt instant pride at the fact that Grace was his wife. It wasn't just that she turned heads, although she certainly did. It was more the effect she had on people. It was hard to put into words, but it made Mac awfully glad she was his.

Jan drove them around for hours, visiting little fishing villages and seeing delightful old buildings, bridges, and unique architecture. They got out of the car on the edge of a farm to get up close and personal with a few cows. One cow nudged Grace with its wet nose and had them all laughing.

They ate lunch in a little café in Volendam called De Dijk, where they ordered krokets and French fries, and they chatted about Dutch history.

Jan again offered Grace the front seat on the way back to Amsterdam, but she declined again, insisting that Mac's longer legs would be better accommodated in the front seat. Jan was disappointed but made the most of stealing glances at her in the mirror as he took them through some detours through some fancy neighborhoods. They made stops along the way to see how cheese was made, take in a wooden shoe-making demonstration, and, of course, shop for souvenirs. When he'd run out of things to show them, he reluctantly returned to the Conservatorium. They hugged goodbye, feeling like they'd spent the day with a new old friend.

After Jan dropped them off, Mac and Grace headed up to their suite to rest before dinner. Their intentions were good, but it wasn't long before their hands were all over each other. With clothes strewn all over the floor, Mac pinned Grace's arms over her head on the bed.

"I’ve wanted you all damn day,” he said as he kissed his way down her neck to her exquisite breasts.

“Mmm, that feels amazing; don’t stop,” she purred as her body responded to his touch.

He sucked on one nipple and then the other until she begged him to enter her. He kept her hands captive while he rubbed the head of his cock along the wet opening to her needy little pussy.

“Oh, do you need something, Grace?” he asked playfully.

“God, yes! I need you inside me!”

Mac grinned wickedly. “Oh, does my horny little wife need to be filled with my hot, hard cock?”

“Fuck me, Mac!”

“Well, when you ask so nicely, how can I refuse?”

He let go of her arms, lifted her legs over his shoulders, and thrust into her, making her moan.

“Oh, fuck, you feel so good inside me, Mac. Please, I need you to take me hard, fast, and deep!”

Mac was more than happy to oblige. He watched her magnificent tits bounce while he pumped into her and felt her body tremble as the first of her orgasms took hold of her. He continued to hammer into her as she screamed and cried, “Oh, fuckkkkk!”

Several more orgasms had her squealing with delight before his balls tightened and let go, filling her with his seed.

Moments later, when their breathing returned to normal, Mac put his arms around Grace and held her while she listened to his heart beating in his chest.

“You undo me, Grace. I had thought to treat you to some subtle seduction, but you bring out the animal in me. I hope I wasn’t too…”

“Stop, you’re going to spoil a perfectly amazing time. I needed a good hard fuck, and you did not disappoint me. You can seduce me later.”

Mac laughed. “You’re a greedy little wife. I love it!”

They opted for dinner in their room to chill after a full day of sightseeing.

“What was your favorite part of the day?” Grace asked as she sipped some tea and put her feet up.

“The sawmill was pretty damned cool,” Mac said, grinning. “How about you? What part did you like best?”

“Making hot chocolate from scratch was delightful,” she said. “Either that or the wooden shoe-making. It was very nice of Lindy to engrave our last name on the shoe and let us keep it.”

Mac joined Grace on the couch and took the teacup out of her hand. He set it on the table and moved in for a passionate kiss. One thing led to another, and soon they were on the bed again.

True to her word, Grace didn’t argue when Mac gave her an erotic massage and teased her slowly. When he felt he could wait no longer, he said, “Ride me, Grace.”

She straddled his stiff shaft and worked herself down onto him slowly. It was his turn to moan. “Christ, your pussy is so fucking wet!”

“The way you were touching me left me drenched. Now, lie back and let me work you into a frenzy.”

Grace was grinding her pussy on Mac, moving gracefully as she fucked him slowly. His hands settled onto her hips as he met her rhythm, and he watched as lust and desire washed over her face. She was driving him mad, and he loved every minute of it!

Eventually, her pace quickened as her first orgasm ripped through her body, flooding Mac’s cock with her sweet juices. Suddenly, he lifted her off of him and said, “Suck your nectar off my shaft.”

Grace did as he asked, and soon, Mac found himself torn between taking her ass, as he’d thought about all through dinner, or cumming down her throat.

He waited too long; there was no turning back. His balls tightened as she took him all the way in until her nose touched his belly, and he exploded. Grace swallowed every drop as she massaged his sac to make sure he didn’t hold anything back.

“Holy fuck! You’re so fucking awesome!” Mac cried out.

Grace looked into his eyes and smiled sweetly. “I’m glad you enjoyed.”

“Enjoyed doesn’t even cover it. I’m so damn lucky!”

“Me too!”

Sleep came quickly that night, as the mix of sightseeing and rousing sex wore them out.

Chapter Seventy-Four

Captain Dave was, indeed, an entertaining character, as Inga had suggested. As they made their way through the canals of Amsterdam bright and early Saturday morning, he made sure to point out whenever another tour boat would go by.

“Look at all the faces of those people; not a single smile!” he joked. “They aren’t having any fun, I guess. But we are!”

Grace was fascinated with every detail that Captain Dave shared about the buildings, the boathouses, and the history of Amsterdam. She hadn’t realized how intricate the system of canals was and felt like they kept going on and on. All in all, it was a lovely way to spend the morning.

Afterward, she convinced Mac to spend some time strolling through the narrow streets and window shop along the way. They found a cute little café for lunch where he ordered a burger, and she enjoyed krokets, yet again.

“Mm, these are delicious! Not as good as Inga’s, but almost,” Grace commented.

They meandered around until they found a taxi to take them back to the hotel. Once they were in their room, Mac suggested enjoying a little downtime.

“By downtime, do you mean relaxing or sex?” Grace asked.

“My, my, aren’t you the insatiable one?” Mac teased.

“Yes! Yes, I am!” she replied, reaching for Mac’s belt buckle. She had him freed of his jeans in no time and pushed him down on the bed so she could shimmy out of her own tight jeans and join him.

“Look how hard you’ve made me,” he moaned.

“Feel how wet you’ve made me,” she purred.

They spent the next half hour teasing, licking, and driving each other mad with desire. Suddenly, Grace flipped over and wiggled her ass. “Is this what you want?” she asked seductively.

A wicked grin appeared on Mac’s face. “Oh, fuck yeah!”

Using plenty of lube on her puckered star, he slipped a finger in first to prepare her tight back door for his thick prick.

When he felt she was ready, he pushed the head of his cock gently against her rosebud. He took things slow, easing himself into her an inch at a time until she became accustomed to his girth. Once he was entirely inside her, his thrusts were unhurried and deliberate. It was exquisite being inside her tight ass, and he wanted to last as long as possible.

Handing Grace her vibrating wand, Mac said, “Tease your pussy while I fuck this hot little ass.”

Grace found her favorite setting and enjoyed the stimulation while he moved rhythmically, picking up the pace a bit. Eventually, he grabbed her hips and buried himself in her back door. When they came, they did so together; her pussy spraying her juices everywhere and his cock depositing its load deep inside her.

He pulled out and collapsed on the bed beside her. Pulling her into his arms, he said, “You make it tempting to blow off our dinner plans and stay in bed.”

“As much as that idea doesn’t suck, I was kind of looking forward to dinner at Taiko,” she answered.

“What time is our reservation?”

“Eight o’clock. I couldn’t get anything earlier.”

Mac grinned. “Plenty of time to have an appetizer then.”

“Appetizer?”

“Spread your legs for me, Grace. I’ve got a craving for your sweet honey.”

Grace laughed softly. “Well, if you insist.”

“I do.”

Dinner at Taiko was delicious, and Mac was glad Grace had insisted they not miss their reservation. Afterward, they spent a little time walking around in the hotel and reminiscing about their first time together in Amsterdam. He remembered seeing her in the green dress she’d bought herself while shopping at a boutique in Negen Straatjes and how he wanted her so badly.

He laughed as he recalled how she’d made him wait for sex until they’d reached Paris. Now, the sassy little redhead couldn’t get enough, not that he was complaining. He felt the same way. In fact, he wondered what the odds were that she’d go for one more round once they were back in the room.

As if reading his mind, Grace said, “I’m trying to think if there is a position we haven’t tried yet.”

“You might just be the most intuitive woman on Earth,” Mac mused. “I was thinking the same thing.”

“You know how in the movies, the couple barely makes it into the room, and then the guy pushes the girl up against the wall and fucks her standing up?” Grace asked.

“We’ve done that in the elevator at home,” Mac reminded her.

“True,” she said, nodding. “But we’ve never done that in a hotel room.”

“Well then, let’s get our asses upstairs and see if we can act out that scene.”

Chapter Seventy-Five

After a rousing round of stand-up sex, complete with knocking over a lamp, they cuddled together on the couch.

“What’s on our agenda tomorrow?” Mac asked as he fiddled with a lock of Grace’s hair.

“Breakfast with the Van den Burgs, and then we head to the airport. We have things to take care of back in New York, or I’d suggest staying longer. I love it here,” Grace said with her head resting on Mac’s chest.

“I love it here too, but I think that’s because it was here in Amsterdam where I started to realize how much I wanted and needed you in my life,” Mac admitted.

Grace nuzzled his neck and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “The feeling was mutual. I kept hoping I wasn’t letting my guard down too soon and that I wasn’t going to screw things up.”

Mac frowned. “I’m the one who kept screwing things up if I recall; you were very patient with me.” He tilted her chin so he could kiss her lips tenderly.

Mac’s phone buzzed. “Let me check that just in case it’s a notification about a flight delay.”

“Wishful thinker,” Grace teased as she sat up so he could go look.

“Oh, it’s a text from Dad. He wants to know if he can bring Addie to meet us sometime soon,” Mac said.

“That would be lovely. How about Christmas?”

Mac frowned. “Christmas?”

“Yes, you know, when the fat guy with a beard breaks into people’s houses and leaves stuff instead of stealing it,” Grace laughed.

“I know what Christmas is, Grace,” Mac said impatiently. “I just thought that you and I would go away to somewhere tropical and…”

He stopped. He could tell that wasn’t at all what Grace had in mind.

“Oh, sure, I guess so,” Grace said unconvincingly. “If that’s what you want.”

“What do you want, Grace?”

“It doesn’t matter. Whatever you want is fine. If you don’t mind, I’m going to get ready for bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.

Mac frowned. He thought she would love the idea of an island getaway for Christmas. But he got the distinct impression that, while she would go along for the ride, her heart wouldn’t be in it.

“Yeah, sure. You go ahead and get ready. I’m going to let Dad know we’d love to meet his girlfriend and figure out when is best.”

When Grace went into the bathroom, Mac picked up his phone.

Hey, I want you to know that Grace and I would love to meet Addie. What are you two doing for Christmas? I was going to whisk my wife off to a beach somewhere, but she seemed less than enthusiastic about that idea when I brought it up.

He dragged a hand through his dark wavy hair while he waited for a response. When the text came through, Mac felt like an idiot for not realizing what his father had figured out.

McKinley, your wife hasn’t had any family for years. Now that she has one, it makes sense that she’d want a traditional Christmas celebration. For that matter, you’ve avoided family holidays too, with your mother and my brother being complete assholes. (Sorry, not sorry). We could arrive on Christmas Day and spend a few days together if you don't mind.

Mac’s brow furrowed while he texted back.

I should have realized that myself. Of course, she wants the tree and the stockings and the whole nine yards. You and Addie are welcome to come earlier if you’d like. And no need to be sorry. They are assholes, along with my sister as well.

No, you and Grace should have Christmas Eve for just the two of you. Start some new traditions. Then we can come on Christmas Day, and I can celebrate my first Christmas as your Dad.

Mac shook his head. He felt even more like a moron for not even considering that Dominic might want to celebrate Christmas as a family now that they were officially father and son.

I’d like that very much. Thanks for being the wise Mr. Stewart in the family.

Mac went into the bedroom and plugged his phone in. When Grace came out of the bathroom, it looked like she’d been crying.

“Hey, so if it’s okay with you, Dad and Addie will arrive on Christmas Day and stay for a couple of days. So, it will be you and me on Christmas Eve. I guess that means we’d better find a Christmas tree for the house.”

“You don’t have a Christmas tree?” Grace asked incredulously, grateful that Mac hadn’t asked why her eyes were red.

“Not unless you count the two little trees that Bentley always puts up in the foyer.”

“We don’t have to…” Grace started. But Mac cut her off with a kiss.

“Yes, we do. We need to start our own Christmas traditions.”

Mac sat down on the bed and pulled Grace onto his lap. He reached inside her nightgown and cupped a breast while he planted soft kisses on her neck.

“Now, I guess the only thing to decide is real or fake?” he said, nuzzling her ear.

Grace thought he meant her boobs and was instantly annoyed. “They are very real, and you should know that by now!”

Mac laughed and pinned her to the bed. “Grace Remy Stewart, get your mind out of the gutter. I meant a real or fake Christmas tree.”

“Ohhh,” Grace exclaimed, blushing. “Well, real trees are nice, but if you get a fake one, we wouldn’t have to take it down so quickly when we head somewhere warm the first week of January.”

Mac looked lovingly into her eyes. “Oh, are we going somewhere?”

“Let’s just say that the idea of going somewhere warm doesn’t suck. So, Christmas Eve will be just the two of us, Christmas Day will be with your Dad and Addie, and, since I’ve always wanted to see the ball drop in Times Square, New Year’s Eve will be here in the city. But after that? Feel free to whisk me away to somewhere where coats and mittens aren’t required.”

It all sounded magical. “You’re a very clever woman, Grace. You found a way for us to have our cake and eat it too.”

“Well, of course,” she said, grinning. “That’s the point, right?”

“If I know you, you’ll have plenty of other things planned for December, so just make sure you add things to my calendar so I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you usually do something for the house staff for Christmas?”

“I give out bonuses, isn’t that enough?”

“That’s great. But is it okay if I want to have a holiday lunch with them on, say, the twenty-second or twenty-third?”

“Darling, you have carte blanche to do whatever you like. If you need my input on anything, I am happy to participate in the planning. Just let me know what you need or want me to do.”

After a lovely breakfast with Lars, Inga, and Elke, it was time to head to the airport. Grace decided to stop by the duty-free shop at Schiphol and pick up some chocolates and other trinkets for the staff.

“Look, these big Tony’s chocolate bars are in the shape of Christmas tree ornaments!”

“Maybe we could pick up some bottles of Vodka too.”

Marie and Damian, their usual flight attendants, greeted them as they boarded their flight.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Stewart!” Marie said cheerfully. “It’s lovely to see you both again. Would you like a cocktail or a glass of wine?”

Mac ordered his usual, but Grace opted for a bottle of water. “I’m parched,” she explained when Mac looked at her questioningly. “All that sex left me a bit dehydrated.”

He laughed and realized that she wasn’t wrong. They’d outdone themselves in the erotic dessert department, and his man parts were feeling well-used.

Midway through the flight, Grace disappeared in the lavatory for a while. Mac was about to ask Marie to check on her when she returned to her seat.

“Doing okay?” Mac asked, concerned.

“Just a little bit airsick from that turbulence. I’m feeling better now.”

Chapter Seventy-Six

They both managed to sleep on the plane and landed in New York feeling reenergized. It had been a fun trip, but it was wonderful to be home.

“Claudette has a nice hearty stew for us for dinner tonight. How about afterward, we start making our Christmas plans?” Mac asked.

Grace sighed with relief. “That sounds wonderful. I was afraid you were going to want sex again, and as much as I’d love that, I think my body could use a day’s rest.”

“Oh, thank goodness! I feel the same way, but I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

“After all that amazing hotel sex? You could never disappoint me!”

“So, dinner, planning, cuddling, and then call it an early night?” Mac suggested.

“Perfect!”

They ended up combining the meal and the planning, enjoying their stew in the media room while using the big screen to display the schedule of events that Grace had in mind.

By the time they were on their second cup of tea after dinner, they had planned soup kitchen visits, had located a family to adopt for Christmas, and selected dates for viewing the lights in Central Park. They also bought tickets to see an off-Broadway Christmas show and a performance of The Rockettes.

The house staff party would be a luncheon on the twenty-second. On the twenty-third, Mac and Grace would deliver goodies to distributors and colleagues in the morning and then drop off the presents for the adopted family in the afternoon.

“We can put up the tree on the first Saturday in December and then go shopping in the city. Besides the family, I’d like to pick up some toys for the Toys For Tots drive.”

Mac looked at Grace with misty eyes. He’d buy a million toys to keep that look of wonder and joy on her face. He loved that it was so important to her to give back to others. It made him realize he’d been lacking in that area. He didn’t seem himself as greedy. It just didn’t always occur to him to reach out and help others the way it did to Grace. He was grateful for her influence in that regard. She made him feel like a better person.

Grace sent everything to their calendars and then suggested they watch a movie. Remembering what his Dad had said about starting new traditions, Mac decided to select an old-fashioned Christmas movie while Grace made some popcorn.

As they snuggled on the couch, Mac pressed play on the movie he had queued up. Her reaction told him he’d selected well.

“White Christmas? Oh, Mac, I haven’t seen this one in years! You know me so well.”

Mac smiled. No, he didn’t always know what she liked or wanted, but he was starting to get things right more often than wrong. And that was a wonderful feeling.

December flew by, with all of the holiday plans going relatively smoothly. Mac couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so much Christmas spirit and was delighted when Christmas Eve finally arrived.

“I know that tomorrow is Christmas, but I thought we’d each open one present tonight,” Mac suggested.

“What a lovely idea. I used to do that with my parents when I was a little girl,” Grace agreed.

“Ladies first,” he teased, handing her a box wrapped in gold foil wrapping paper.

She pretended that she was going to open it carefully before ripping the paper off as a little kid might do.

“Plane tickets to Fiji! I don’t even know where Fiji is, but I’m guessing it’s warm and wonderful. I can’t wait to go away with you! Oh, thank you, Mac!”

She threw her arms around him and held on tight for a moment. Then she handed him a small box wrapped in shiny red paper.

“My gift might not be as grand as Fiji, but I think you’re going to be pretty excited about it.”

“I’m sure I will love it, Grace.”

She watched nervously as he opened his gift, almost unable to breathe.

She felt her heart sink a little when his brow furrowed.

“What is this?” he asked.

It felt a little anti-climactic, not at all the reaction she’d expected. “What does it look like?” she asked with a bit of a hitch in her voice.

Mac picked up the item and said, “It looks like a thermometer with a…”

Then it dawned on him.

“Is this a plus sign? Is this…”

His eyes welled up with tears.

“Are you pregnant?”