Chapter Twenty-Five

Mac woke up before the alarm and was pleased to see there would be time to seduce his wife before they had to get up. She was still sleeping, but he was sure she wouldn’t complain when she woke up and figured out what he was doing.

Grace stirred as his hands moved down her body, landing on her bare mound. “Mmm, touch me, Carlos,” she teased.

Mac laughed. “That will cost you, my sassy redhead.” He straddled her and pinned both arms over her head.

“If you think I’m going to ask you to stop, you’re mistaken,” she purred. “I’m yours for the taking.”

“Mine,” he said. “All mine.”

He lowered his head to her breast to take a nipple between his teeth, gently at first, then adding more pressure until she whimpered with need. He gave the other nipple equal attention as he felt her hips move beneath him. He released her arms and kissed a trail down to her pussy, and he could swear he felt her heat radiating from it. He let his tongue dip down into her sweet nectar, causing those hips to buck as her first climax caught them both by surprise.

“You’re so easy, darling,” he mused as he continued his erotic assault on her hard little nub. She was writhing and moaning as she began to grind against his mouth.

Mac slid a finger inside her as he feasted on her honey. He sucked and nibbled until she rewarded his efforts with a spray of her succulent juices.

“One more,” he insisted. “Go over one more time for me, and I’ll give you what you crave.”

“I can’t.”

“Yes, you can.”

He added another finger inside her and rubbed her puckered star with his thumb, proving her wrong as her body convulsed with intense waves of orgasm.

“Holy fuck, Mac! Fuck me! I need your cock inside me. Please don’t make me wait anymore.”

It was tempting, but he didn’t want to risk delaying too long in case the baby woke up and stole her away from him before he could give them what they both needed. He took her nectar and rubbed it all over his rigid pole before impaling her with one hard thrust.

“Oh, God! Yes!”

Grace squeezed him tightly inside her as he moved in slow, deliberate strokes. He wouldn’t last long, but that was okay, as it was getting time for the alarm to sound. With each thrust, he opened her up more, eventually increasing his pace until he was fucking her hard and deep, just how she liked it best.

“Your pussy feels so fucking good on my cock, baby!” he cried out as he pumped into her. He felt his balls constrict and knew he would explode soon, so he reached between them and massaged her clit till her body shook with spasms of release. Only then did he allow himself to let go and flood her with his hot seed.

“Mmm, you really know how to say good morning,” Grace purred as she lay in his arms, teasing his chest with her fingertips.

“Life just doesn’t get much better than this, does it, baby?”

“We’re so lucky.”

Mac brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “We are fortunate, indeed. However, the alarm is about to go off, and we must get up and get ready for work.”

“Ugh,” Grace teased, “my boss is such a taskmaster.”

Mac grinned and swatted her ass as she climbed out of bed.

Grace fed DJ while Mac showered, then handed him off to his daddy while she got ready for work. Afterward, they went downstairs to have breakfast together before heading into their offices on the second floor. They had a good routine going now, and it felt good to be back in a comfortable groove.

Once she straightened up the mess she’d left on her desk the day before, Grace smiled wistfully and let her mind wander to some of the fantastic places she’d seen with Mac. While she had traveled in her previous days as an interpreter and again as an escort, she’d never had the opportunity to see so many historical landmarks and points of interest as she had while she was in Europe with Mac. It was an amazing way for their friendship and relationship as lovers to grow. And now they had a life together as business partners and parents. She had an amazing life.

It made her feel a bit guilty to admit that as much as she loved being a mom and Mac’s COO, she couldn’t help but miss how things had been. Not all the time, but certainly at times like this when they would have traveled to Germany to help handle things in person if they weren’t parents of a baby.

She put it out of her mind when she remembered that it wasn’t too long ago in her past that she was struggling to make ends meet and never dreamed of finding a job she excelled at and a man who loved her despite all her flaws. Life was good, and she was grateful.

With things well under control in Munich, she decided to invite Max and Virginie Becker and their three kids to come to New York for a visit. She and Mac were in a holding pattern regarding the purchase of Salvatore Gianni’s firm since Sal and his new bride, Johanna, were still gallivanting around the islands of the South Pacific Ocean and had no specific return date.

“It will be just the thing to quell my envy,” she told Mac, making sure the dates she had in mind for their friends’ visit worked on his calendar.

“Envy?”

“Yes, I find myself feeling a little jealous that Sal and Johanna are traveling and carefree. Having the Beckers here will be the next best thing to going somewhere.”

Mac blinked. They’d been so busy the past month or so taking care of business and trying to make time for each other that he hadn’t realized she’d been missing traveling as much as he had.

“I promise you we will travel again when DJ is older. I miss being away with you, even for business.”

Grace smiled. “I am looking forward to that. Don’t get me wrong, I love New York, but I’m pretty sure we both have the travel bug.”

An hour later, Mac was sitting in his office. He let his thoughts drift to Grace standing next to the Little Mermaid statue on a rock by the waterside at Langelinie promenade in Copenhagen. Somehow that was the sight that stuck in his mind the most of their journey together. And, of course, they had returned to Denmark to get married, so it would always hold a special place in his heart. But they should go someplace they’d never been before. Maybe sooner than later if he could convince Grace to leave DJ for a couple of days. But who would take care of the baby? He couldn’t ask Claudette to do so; she had teenage daughters and a life outside her work. Perhaps Dad and Addie would come to stay at Stewart House for a bit to give them some time away. He could take her someplace where they could lie on the beach and enjoy magnificent hotel sex.

Chapter Twenty-Six

His thoughts were interrupted by the trill of his phone.

“McKinley Stewart,” he answered, putting the call on speaker.

“Mr. Stewart, my name is Trisha Norton, and I am a reporter from the New York Times. I’d like to get your comment on some accusations being made by your former lover, Alice King.”

Mac felt his spine stiffen. “Alice King was never my lover. She worked for me for nearly ten years. Her employment was terminated last year after she made several questionable decisions that cost me time and money. That’s it.”

“I suggest you read this morning’s paper. Or turn on the news. One more question, though, is the baby yours?”

“My son, Dominic Jordan, is very much my child. If Alice is saying otherwise, she likely harbors resentment that I didn’t recognize nor return the feelings she had for me and that I fell in love with Grace Remy instead.”

“No, Mr. Stewart, not that baby. The one that Alice is carrying now.”

Mac looked up to see Grace standing in the doorway with tears streaming down her face.

“Ms. Norton, I have never had sex with Alice King, so there is no way I could have fathered her child. That’s all I have to say.”

Ending the call, Mac moved to Grace and attempted to take her in his arms. He was stunned when she refused to be comforted.

“Don’t touch me!” Grace shouted.

“Grace, you know that Alice’s accusations aren’t true.”

“Do I? Did you see the news? There is a picture of you holding Alice’s hands in yours at a table in a restaurant. And another where you’ve got your arm around her and your mouth next to her ear. When were these taken, McKinley?”

“I haven’t seen them, so I couldn’t tell you when. But, Jesus, Grace! How could you think a couple of pictures make me guilty of what she’s accusing? Do you have so little faith in me?”

“Those pictures look recent. When did you see her?”

“I don’t know, a few months ago, maybe? It was shortly after DJ was born. Alice called and asked if I would meet with her. She sounded strange on the phone, and I was frankly a little worried about her state of mind. So, I agreed to meet her at Tony’s di Napoli. We shared an appetizer and had a couple of cokes while she told me how sorry she was and how she knew what a terrible mistake she had made. I reached out and held her hands and thanked her for her apology, but hoped she understood I couldn’t hire her back. I did tell her that I’d be willing to give her a reference based on all the years of wonderful service she had given to my firm.”

The fact that he called it his firm stung. But, then again, when Alice worked for him, Grace wasn’t yet a partner.

“Was there a reason you kept that meeting a secret from me? Have you seen her other times? I refuse to believe that the baby is yours even for a moment, but you’ve obviously had a meal with her, yet this is the first time I’ve heard about it. So, I have to ask myself, what else are you hiding from me, McKinley?”

Mac winced. She had called him by his full name twice, something she did only when she was angry or annoyed with him. It hurt him to know she had doubts, but even more so that he could have prevented those doubts if he’d been completely honest with her.

“I didn’t tell you about the meeting because it was during that time when things were a little rough here. I didn’t want to add more to the mix; it was just lunch and conversation. I agreed to give Alice a reference; that’s all. I never touched her.”

Grace raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, fine! I never touched her sexually. I held her hands and may have given her a side hug when we parted ways from the restaurant, but that’s it. I swear to you, Grace. Nothing inappropriate happened.”

Grace was quiet for a moment. She searched Mac’s face and saw only truth and misery and chose to have faith that he was being honest.

“I believe you, but now the lie is out there, and others will believe Alice. You’ve put us in the very awkward position of having to defend ourselves and have people doubt us anyway. If you had told me about Alice wanting to meet with you, you wouldn’t have had to go off-site to do so. You could have arranged to meet here, in your office, and then there wouldn’t be photographs that look pretty damning to the world.”

“Aren’t you overreacting just a bit? The world isn’t going to hear about this.”

Avery cleared his throat to make his presence known. “I hate to interrupt, but I have several messages from people that insist you call back as soon as possible. I also have Franz Huber on line one; he refused to leave a message and insisted on holding instead.”

“Fuck!” Mac fumed. “Fine, I’ll take his call. Take messages from anyone else.”

He shot Grace a miserable look and answered Franz’s call.

“Hello, Franz.”

“What the fuck, McKinley? Why am I hearing about this indiscretion in the news?”

“It’s a lie, Franz. I never slept with Alice, and I sure as hell didn’t get her pregnant. I don’t know why she is spouting these lies, but I will make sure she stops. It’s all bullshit. You know me; I would never do something like this to my wife.”

“I’m glad to hear there is no truth to what Alice says, but I’m concerned about how this hurts Grace.”

“Ah, yes, Grace isn’t thrilled, but she believes me. When I get off the phone with you, I’ll call my lawyer, Michael Stone, and see what he can do to stop this nonsense.”

“I hope you are successful, McKinley, as your perceived indiscretion is causing quite a stir. They’ve posted a picture of Grace looking very unhappy, as if she is the woman scorned. Your Ms. King has gone to a lot of trouble to make you look guilty. You will insist on a DNA test, yes?”

“She’s not my Ms. King. And yes, I will insist on a DNA test and publicly announce the results. I swear to you I’m not the father of Alice’s child.”

“And yet, you’ve hurt Grace by allowing this woman to be photographed with you. I made her a promise to stand in for her father the day I walked her down the aisle. I intend to keep that promise. So, make this right, McKinley.”

Although technically Mac was Franz’s boss, he knew that Franz considered himself Grace’s father figure. So, he didn’t argue with the man. “Yes, sir. I intend to fix things. I promise you I did not cheat on my wife. I would never do that.”

“I believe you. Now, make the business world believe you. There are a great many people who are fond of Grace and won’t be satisfied until you’ve cleared this up.”

“I understand.”

Grace sat silently while Mac finished the call. It did her heart good to hear Franz was in her corner. A part of her felt sorry for her husband that people quickly believed the worst of him. But if he’d been upfront about meeting with Alice, she could have advised him, and none of this would be happening now.

“I’m very sorry, Grace. I know I screwed up. But promise me you believe that the only thing I did wrong was being stupid enough to meet with Alice in public.”

“I believe you, but I’m angry at the mess you created for us. If Alice is willing to go this far and accuse you of infidelity, how soon before she starts divulging my past to the world?”

“She can’t,” Mac said firmly.

“Of course, she can, McKinley, don’t be naïve!”

“No, she can’t, and she wouldn’t dare because Michael Stone made her sign an NDA. She will have to pay back her severance pay if she breathes a word about anything in your past to the press.”

“Oh,” Grace said, surprised. “Whose idea was that?”

“I’d love to claim it was mine, but it was Michael’s idea. He felt that making Alice sign a non-disclosure agreement would be the best way to protect you.”

Grace was stunned. Michael hadn’t been too thrilled with her back then but had still thought to protect her privacy. More people in the world should possess such integrity.

“Well, I’m grateful for that.”

“I meant what I said to Franz. I will have Michael contact Alice and insist on a prenatal DNA test. If she refuses, he will file a cease-and-desist order. She can certainly stop spouting lies if she’s not willing to prove her child’s parentage.”

Grace nodded. “That’s smart. Will you make a statement to the press?”

“As much as I hate having our lives under a microscope, it might be better to make it clear that we are still very much a couple and in love. That’s still true, isn’t it?”

Grace inhaled sharply and pursed her lips. “You put us under that microscope the minute you decided it was a good idea to meet with Alice. However, as frustrated as I am at your foolishness, you haven’t done anything that could be remotely considered cheating. And the world doesn’t need to know that I didn’t know about your meeting with her.”

Mac blew out the breath he’d been holding. She was mad, but she would stand by him, which meant everything would be okay.

“I will ask Michael to prepare a statement.”

“I should postpone inviting the Beckers to visit us.”

“No, that would only make things look like we have something to hide, which we don’t.”

“Okay. Then let’s clean up your mess before we have our friends here,” Grace said as if scolding a naughty child.

Mac didn’t care for how that made him feel, but he was smart enough not to voice that to Grace.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Claudette and Bentley suddenly stopped their conversation when Grace entered the kitchen to make some tea. The look of pity they gave her was too much. She stormed out of the kitchen and nearly plowed into Mac as she ran up the stairs.

“Fix this, McKinley! I won’t have our staff looking at me as if I’m some wounded animal that’s been run over by her mate.”

“Grace, I…”

But she was already up the stairs and out of view.

He went into the breakfast room and turned on the television.

“The business world was rocked this morning at the news that McKinley Stewart, CEO of Stewart Enterprises, has fathered a child with his former assistant, Alice King. Ms. King reports that she and her employer were lovers until he met and married Grace Remy, who climbed the ladder quickly. She went on to say that there was trouble in the Stewarts’ marriage after their son, Dominic Jordan, was born and that McKinley reached out to her, returning to her bed. Stewart denies these allegations, claiming he never had a sexual relationship with his assistant for nearly ten years. No comment yet from his wife, Stewart’s COO, pictured here, looking visibly upset. But rumor has it that a lawyer has been contacted.”

Fuck! How could he have been so stupid and careless? It didn’t matter that he was innocent; people had already decided he was guilty.

He sent a text to Bentley.

Gather the staff in the dining room in fifteen minutes.

Yes, sir.

Then he sent Grace a text.

Please meet me in the dining room in fifteen minutes. I’ve asked Bentley to gather the staff. We need to meet with them to let them know this Alice nonsense is a farce.

Her response did not come as quickly as Bentley’s had.

Okay.

Next, he dialed Michael Stone’s number and got his voicemail, so he left a brief message.

“Michael, it’s Mac. This deal with Alice is bullshit, and I need your help drafting a statement for the press and taking whatever legal action we can against her.”

He headed to the dining room and hoped that he and Grace could present a united front.

It pissed him off that she was right. Every face in the room was washed with pity for Grace and disgust for him. He took Grace’s hand and was grateful she didn’t pull away.

“Grace and I would like to squelch any rumors that are swirling around right now. I’ve never been with Alice and don’t know why she is telling lies about me fathering her child, but it’s one hundred percent fictitious. Needless to say, we are disturbed by Alice’s actions, but we are working with Michael Stone to take legal action against her.”

The group nodded and waited for more. Mac knew they were looking for a sign that things were fine between their bosses. He took Grace’s hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly.

“Grace and I are still very much in love and have no plans to split, despite the gossip. We wanted to set the record straight.”

More nodding, but still they remained, clearly waiting for Grace to say something that would convince them things were okay. Fortunately, she sensed that and cleared her throat.

“While Mac may not know why Alice is making such ridiculous accusations, it’s a well-known fact that she hates my guts,” Grace said, not mincing any words. “She’s obsessed with him and won’t stop trying to pull us apart. Sadly, for her, that’s not going to happen. We won’t deny that this bump in the road is unpleasant to deal with, but it’s nothing we can’t overcome. So, rest assured, there is no divorce on the horizon. The only child Mac is a father to is our little guy, DJ. But Alice is delusional and will stop at nothing to make our lives miserable.”

There were sighs of relief as Grace spoke. They waited patiently as she continued, “Please do not speak to reporters, as we will be working with Michael Stone to create an official statement. If you are approached, please have no comment at this time. We appreciate that this is an uncomfortable situation for all of us. But we are a family here at Stewart House, and we know we can count on your discretion. Just as you can count on us to be forthcoming about any wild accusations.”

She turned to look at Mac while still addressing the group. “Mac and I love each other very much, and we will weather this storm. Neither of us would ever cheat on the other one. It’s simply not how we roll. We’d never disrespect each other in that manner. Thanks so much for giving us your time. That’s all we have to say for now. You can return to whatever you were doing.”

Mac followed Grace downstairs to the second-floor offices. “That was good what you said about us being family here. You made many good points; we should say some of what you just told the staff in our official statement,” he said softly.

“Let’s see what Michael has composed. We can add to it if we deem it appropriate.”

Mac’s heart fell. Gone was the warmth from her voice that had been there when she told the staff they loved each other. She was suddenly stiff and a little cold.

“Grace, I…”

“I don’t want to talk about it, any of it, right now. I’m hurt and angry, and I don’t want to say things I will regret later. Please, just leave me alone until Michael arrives.”

When she closed her office door, he was crushed. He debated opening it and marching into her office to demand a conversation. But he could hardly do that when their baby lay in his bassinet. He didn’t want to upset DJ with raised voices.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Grace arranged for Claudette to take DJ a little earlier than usual so she could be present at the meeting with Michael.

“I’m trying hard not to say I told you so,” Michael started. “You were foolish to meet with Alice in public. Going further, you must always assume she means to do you emotional harm. I’m just glad I had the sense to insist on the NDA when you terminated her employment as a condition of her receiving a severance package.”

“No one appreciates that more than I do,” Grace said. “I can’t thank you enough for that foresight on your part.”

“Protecting you was also a means to protect McKinley. But I’m glad too,” he added warmly.

He hadn’t liked her much in the beginning. He’d assumed she was a gold-digging whore, and that McKinley was thinking only with his dick. But he’d been wrong about her and was very glad he’d included the NDA for her sake, not just for his.

“I’d like to be part of the press conference when you make your statement,” Michael said.

“Press conference?” Mac asked. “We have to give this statement live?”

“I think that will be the only way to get the throngs of reporters outside your home to leave you alone and stop blocking 63rd Street.”

Mac inhaled sharply and nodded.

“Grace, I’d like you to change into something with more color. I want the public to see you in something that doesn’t look like a woman mourning the death of her marriage. And when you say your part, be sure to let that confidence you possess show through,” Michael instructed.

“Mac, lose the tie and unbutton the top button of your shirt. We want you to look a bit casual and approachable. Be sure to look at Grace as if she is the only woman in the world who would ever be worth your time. You are madly in love, still relatively newlyweds, and rock-solid partners in parenting your young son.”

Mac and Grace nodded.

“Is there anything else before I go change?” Grace asked.

“I think that’ll do. I will inform the reporters that you’ll be giving a statement in thirty minutes.”

“Thank you, Michael. We appreciate your help.”

“It’s truly my pleasure, Grace,” Michael said kindly. “You turned out to be completely different from what I had expected, and I’ve grown very fond of you. I’m happy to do whatever I can to fend off that bitch, Alice.”

Grace laughed and went upstairs to change. She selected a royal blue blazer with a slim pencil skirt of the same color. She added a pale-yellow blouse, a strand of pearls, and some pearl stud earrings. For the hell of it, she put her hair up in a sexy French twist and freshened up her makeup.

When she came back down to the main level, Mac felt his cock twitch. Dear God, the last thing he needed was an erection when he was about to go out and talk to the reporters. But he couldn’t help his feelings of lust for his sexy wife.

Grace noticed, rolled her eyes, and gave a half laugh. “Well, it’s obvious you desire your wife, McKinley,” she said.

“Back to McKinley?” he asked, feeling a little sad. He thought they’d made progress when she’d called him Mac during their impromptu staff meeting.

She took his hands in hers and gazed into his eyes. “You are the love of my life, Mac. But you hurt me when you went to see Alice behind my back. Funny how she has always been trying to insert herself between us from the start. I need you to promise me that this will be the last time you allow her to do so.”

“I promise you, Grace. I know I’ve been naïve and a little blind where Alice has been concerned. It’s not because I have feelings for her; I don’t. It’s because, for a while, she was the only real friend I had. Somewhere along the way, she lost sight of that fact and became vindictive and bitter. I won’t forget that ever again.”

“Then, let’s go show the world we are in love and that she’s a spiteful woman looking for revenge in any way she can.”

And just like that, for the first time in hours, Mac felt he could breathe again.