Chapter Eighty-Seven
After a busy day of sightseeing, Grace was exhausted. Her feet hurt, and all she wanted to do was sink into a tub of scalding water. Sadly, being pregnant limited the allowed temperature of the water, and the bath wasn’t as satisfying as she would have liked.
She toweled off and slipped on a nightgown that wasn’t exactly sexy. Then again, she wasn’t looking to be amorous tonight. She was grateful that Mac had insisted on being the one to get DJ down for the night. He was truly a good husband and father. She patted her abdomen and smiled; it was good that she married a man who understood the equal partnership deal. Otherwise, adding another baby to the mix would be overwhelming.
She lay down on the bed and waited for Mac to join her. Closing her eyes, she started to drift off to sleep. She woke to the glorious feeling of two strong hands massaging her left foot.
“Oh, sweet mother of mercy, that feels marvelous!” Grace moaned and sighed, reveling in the splendor of the best foot rub she’d ever experienced. “Where have you been hiding those magnificent hands?”
“Quiet, darling. People will think I’m ravaging you in here the way you’re moaning and carrying on,” Mac teased.
“Let them think whatever they like. Right now, this is better than sex.”
“I’d be offended, except I could almost hear your feet screaming for attention.”
His magical hands moved to her right foot, and Grace felt like she was floating.
“Keep this up, and I might let you use those delightful fingers somewhere else,” she purred.
Mac felt his cock twitch. He planned to let her rest after their long day, but he wouldn’t turn down an opportunity to make her cum. After rubbing her foot for a bit longer, he let his hands move up her legs slowly. Watching and listening for sounds of either objection or encouragement. Her eyes fluttered, and her breath hitched as he reached the prize he sought. He paused, wanting to be sure that she was up to this.
With her eyes still closed, Grace murmured, “I don’t know why your hands stopped, but I need them to keep doing what they were doing.”
“These hands were just touching your feet.”
“My feet are clean; I just took a bath. Now, get those hands up where I need them!”
Mac grinned. “Oh? Do you mean that you need to have my fingers do this?”
Gently, he parted her slick, swollen labia and slipped a single finger into her sweet nectar.
“Why, Mrs. Stewart, I do believe that you got wet from a foot massage,” he chided playfully.
Grace opened her eyes and said, “It doesn’t matter where you touch me, Mac; a simple touch from you can make me shiver with desire.”
Mac felt love wash over him. Could he have married a more perfect woman? “You always know what to say to make me feel loved and wanted.”
“Don’t forget ‘needed’ too, my love,” Grace said softly, her blue eyes staring dreamily at him. “I need you, Mac.”
“I thought you were too tired tonight, baby,” he said as he lifted her nightgown and planted a trail of wet kisses across her belly until he captured a nipple between his teeth while his fingers remained busily playing with her drenched pussy.
“Oh, fuck!” Grace cried out as an intense orgasm took them both by surprise.
She writhed in pleasure beneath him as his mouth devoured her full breasts, and his fingers continued their erotic onslaught.
When she’d cum a half dozen times, he captured her soft lips with his own, kissing her passionately. “Still need me?”
It was more of an invitation than a question.
“Yes, God, yes! I need you inside me,” she panted wantonly.
Mac heard himself moan as he guided the head of his cock to the entrance of her sopping-wet pussy. Grace’s soft mewling as she accepted his rigid shaft inside her nearly did him in too quickly. Regaining control, he used slow, deliberate strokes, cognizant of the contrast between last night’s rowdy romp and tonight’s brutally gentle lovemaking. It pleased him immensely that she needed both the savage and the sweet. As their bodies moved together in a seductive haze, he relished this moment with her before speeding up his pace and taking her tempestuously. Her hips rocked, and her back arched as she gave herself to him. His balls tightened, and seeing lust wash over her face, they let go, filling her with his seed.
They lay silently in each other’s arms for a long time. As much as the sex had been extremely gratifying, this quiet intimacy fulfilled an even deeper need – a connection, a bond, that continued to bring them closer together.
“I love you so much,” Grace said, breaking the silence. “I thought I was too tired for sex, but I had plenty of steam left for lovemaking.”
Mac hugged her and kissed the top of her head. “I love you too, Grace. Every day, I wake up wondering how it’s possible to love you more than I did the day before. What we have is incredible. I’m so lucky to have you as my wife.”
Grace nuzzled Mac’s chest. “I’m the lucky one,” she whispered as they drifted into post-orgasmic oblivion, enjoying a deep, dreamless sleep.
Chapter Eighty-Eight
The following day was wet and dreary. Franz had been right about the weather forecast. But it wasn’t just raining; it was pouring. Grace sighed as the weather app on her phone indicated that it would likely continue to do so for the remainder of the day.
Mac saw the disappointment on her face, but he knew Grace wouldn’t complain. She was already unpacking more toys to keep DJ entertained since they’d be cooped up inside. He’d given her a hard time when she’d wanted to bring an additional bag to accommodate more things to occupy their toddler. He’d relented, having learned that arguing with his wife was usually pointless. He was impressed by her ability not to say I told you so, but he noticed a satisfied gleam in her eye when he said, “That extra suitcase was wise.”
Johanna, on the other hand, was whiney and pouty. “Why did it have to rain? Now we are stuck inside with nothing to do!”
Sal wiggled his eyebrows at her but quickly ceased when his father-in-law gave him a stern look. Mac was inwardly amused at the expression on Sal’s face. It wasn’t often he got to see his old friend admonished without a spoken word. Sal was not used to being put in his place.
Of course, Mac had similar thoughts about how to spend the day. But it would be rude to pawn Sylvie and DJ off on Franz so he could spend hours in bed, pleasing his sexy, redheaded wife. So, he kept those machinations to himself.
Franz rolled his eyes at his daughter’s disagreeable demeanor. “We are being held hostage in a glorious mansion filled with games, books, movies, and all the ingredients needed to bake cookies. I’m sure we will survive somehow, Liebling.”
Grace’s face perked up. “Cookies?”
Mac laughed. “Perhaps you ladies would like to bake while the men figure out the best way to keep our toddler from getting into things he shouldn’t.”
Johanna’s eyes widened as if she’d been asked to walk the plank. Remembering that she didn’t have a domestic bone in her body, Mac was about to rescind the suggestion. Before he could do so, Grace spoke up. “Or, maybe you gentlemen should do the baking honors. That way, the ladies can plan various activities to keep us entertained for the storm's duration.”
Sal burst out laughing. “Unless you enjoy chocolate chip charcoal briquettes, you don’t want me anywhere near a kitchen.”
Any smidge of jealousy that Mac may have harbored over the fact that Grace and Sal were once lovers disappeared when he saw the annoyed look on his wife’s face. It hit him that Salvatore and Johanna were perfectly matched, both considering themselves too important to get their hands dirty in a kitchen.
“Why can’t Ingrid make the cookies, Papa? Isn’t it her job to cook and clean for you?” Johanna asked like a petulant child.
Franz sighed. “I told Ingrid to stay home today since it is storming. Mac and I will make the cookies. Grace and Sylvie will look at the movies and games and plan our activities while DJ takes his morning nap.”
Johanna looked relieved as she realized her father had given her nothing to do. But before she and Sal could slip away to their room, Franz added, “The two of you will figure out where we shall order our dinner from. There is a drawer in the kitchen with menus from nearby restaurants.”
Johanna rolled her eyes. “Papa, you live in the past. I will search on my phone and find a suitable place to order from.”
As Franz rolled up his sleeves and turned the oven on, he pointed Mac in the direction of the pantry where the ingredients could be found.
Chapter Eighty-Nine
“It’s no wonder the Vienna office is in such good shape,” Mac quipped. “You have a way of understanding each person’s strengths and assigning the work accordingly.”
Franz shrugged. “It pains me that my leadership skills work well in the business world but are sorely lacking as a father.”
Mac’s brows furrowed. “You’re a good father, Franz. Why would you think otherwise?”
“I find myself wishing that Grace were my daughter instead of Johanna. That’s not very fatherly, is it? After Monika passed away, I was swamped with grief and suddenly cast into the role of a single parent. Monika was always better with our daughter than I was, and I struggled with how to handle this beautiful child who was stubborn and wild.
“Johanna’s way to cope with the loss of her mother was to become more demanding and, as you would say, high maintenance. My way to deal with that was to give in to her so she would behave appropriately. I spoiled her terribly and created a bit of a monster. But as she grew, she showed an interest in my business. Not enough to want to work for me, of course, but enough to join my board of directors after she did as I asked and got her business degree.”
Mac laughed. “Work is a four-letter word in Johanna’s world.”
“And Grace is the epitome of a strong work ethic,” Franz replied. “I think the universe got it right; you and Johanna were so ill-suited, no matter how much I wished for it to be different. Salvatore is much more Johanna’s speed; he spoils and acquiesces to her every whim. She is truly happy, I believe, for the first time in her life.”
“They are a good match. And having his focus on her allowed me to buy him out and have a presence in Florence. So, I’m grateful to Johanna for that.”
“And I am grateful we remained friends despite the relationship not working out.”
“We were friends before my fling with your daughter; there was no reason for that to change.”
“Ah, but it did change,” Franz mused.
Mac frowned and tilted his head, “How so?”
“We might not be related in the true sense,” Franz answered, “but thanks to your lovely wife, Grace, we are family, ja?”
A wide smile spread across Mac’s face. “Yes, and for that, I am truly grateful. It means the world to Grace to be able to look to you as a father.”
“And I finally have a daughter who makes me feel like I’m not a dismal failure as a parent.”
Grace walked into the kitchen with DJ on her hip. “Looks like someone isn’t interested in a morning nap,” she laughed, handing him to Mac. “He suffers from serious FOMO these days.”
“FOMO?” Franz asked, unfamiliar with the slang term.
“Fear of missing out,” Mac and Grace said simultaneously.
“That’s because he’s such a bright boy, like his parents. McKinley, take your boy and play. Grace will help me with the cookies.”
Mac and Grace exchanged a knowing glance. It seemed that Franz wanted to talk to Grace alone.
“Mama!” DJ protested as Mac carried him out of the kitchen and away from Grace.
“Nope, you’re stuck with Dada for now. Mama’s going to help Opa bake cookies,” Grace said, kissing her baby boy.
“Opa,” DJ repeated, melting Franz’s heart. Then the toddler blew kisses and giggled as Mac lifted him onto his shoulders.
“Mind his head through the doorway,” Franz called out.
“What’s up?” Grace asked. “Surely you didn’t need my help to bake cookies.”
“You’re far too observant for your own good. I wanted to have a private moment so I could ask you about the headaches. How have things been lately?”
Grace sighed as she mixed the chocolate chips into the dough. Looking up into the face of one of the kindest men she’d ever met, she realized she needed to come clean.
“Franz, it was never me that had the headaches; it was McKinley.”
She searched his face, looking for signs of disappointment, and felt herself relax when she found none.
“Ja, Liebling, I know. You never lied to me; you simply didn’t tell the whole story. I’m aware that you were protecting your husband’s reputation and privacy. You’re such a steadfast and loyal wife. I hope he knows how lucky he is to have you, Grace.”
“He knows. Just as I know, I’m lucky to have him. He changed my life, Franz. I wouldn’t even recognize the woman I was before I met Mac,” she said wistfully.
“You’re wrong, Liebling. Grace Remy was always a force to be reckoned with. Adding the name Stewart onto the end just helped the whole world see it.”
Franz wrapped his arms around her and held her in a warm, fatherly embrace. “And, perhaps, helped you to recognize her in the mirror. Ich liebe dich, meine Tochter.”
“I love you too, Franz. Thank you for letting me look upon you as my father.”
Johanna stood in the doorway of the kitchen and watched the poignant scene. She wanted to hate the redhead for stealing even a fraction of the affection that should be hers. But the endearing parent/child relationship between these two took mounds of pressure off Johanna to be something or someone she wasn’t. There was no need to worry about not being sure she would ever be ready to have children as her biological clock ticked away; DJ filled the role of grandchild.
Johanna cleared her throat to make her presence known. “Ahem. Are those cookies ready yet?”
Grace wiped a tear from her cheek and said, “The dough is all set. I just need to get them onto the cookie sheets and put them in the oven.”
Johanna felt the remainder of her irritation slip away. “I’ll give you a hand. We’ll let Opa here go play with his grandson. I think Mac could use some help playing dinosaurs.”
Franz kissed Johanna on the cheek and smiled before he let out a roar as he entered the living room. She knew she was loved, even if she wasn’t as perfect as Grace.
Rolling the dough into balls and placing them on the trays to be baked went quickly, and soon, the delicious morsels were baking away in the oven.
“I know all of this should be awkward as hell,” Johanna said as she licked leftover cookie dough from her fingers before heading to the sink to wash her hands, “but you make my father very happy, and that allows me to live my life as I wish. I find it quite annoying how much I like you, Grace.”
The two women laughed. “I feel the same way, Johanna. But perhaps that is how sisters behave, ja?”
Johanna’s eyes got misty. Grace wasn’t stealing her father; she merely wished to share him. “I’ve never been very good at sharing, but you, meine Schwester, make it impossible not to. Our papa is an extraordinary man, ja?”
Grace’s face lit up. She felt the tension between them dissipate. “Ja, and his heart holds enough love for both of us.”
“Why are you so fucking likable?” Johanna groaned teasingly. Then she hugged the woman who’d become her sister, like it or not.
Chapter Ninety
The remainder of the day was spent playing games, watching movies, eating cookies, and enjoying family time. Johanna even had DJ on her lap until it was time for a diaper change.
“Ooof! It smells like someone’s sausage and spaetzle has worked its way through this little man. Tante Johanna doesn’t change diapers, Dominic Jordan; it’s time to give you back to your mama.”
Mac laughed. “I’ll take him. It’s bedtime. Grace, I’ll change him and get him down for the night. Stay up as long as you like.” He kissed the top of her head and added, “DJ, say nighty-night to Mama.”
“Ni-ni, mama!” the toddler said, blowing half a dozen kisses as he was whisked away in his daddy’s arms.
“He’s one adorable kid,” Johanna said. “And he’s got so much energy that he wore me out. I think Sal and I are going to turn in, as well. Goodnight, Papa. Goodnight, all. See you in the morning. Come along, Sal.”
Franz and Grace shot bemused glances at each other, knowing full well that Johanna had no intention of sleeping.
Sylvie yawned and said goodnight as well, leaving Grace and Franz alone, sipping their tea.
“You should go to bed too, Liebling. You look tired.”
“I’m not. I think I’m just ready to head back to New York and my own bed, no offense.”
“None taken. Where are you headed when you leave here?”
“We have no set plans, but I know Mac wanted to stop in to see a few more offices in person. Not because of any issues; he likes the people who work for us to see our faces occasionally.”
“Let McKinley continue to other offices while you head home with Sylvie and the baby. He will understand, and so will your employees. Or stay here if you’d like; you’re always welcome here.”
“Danke. But I need to discuss this and determine what Mac wishes to do. I think I will head to the bedroom so we can figure out what our game plan should be.”
“Leave your cup; I’ll take care of it when I carry mine into the kitchen. Gute Nacht, Grace.”
“Danke. Gute Nacht, Papa.”
Franz sat in the chair and finished his tea, delighted that Grace had called him Papa. He looked wistfully at the photo of his beloved Monika.
“You would love her, meine Frau,” he whispered. “She’s even been a good influence on our Johanna.”
After taking the cups into the kitchen, Franz felt the familiar longing in his loins for his late wife. He slipped into his bedroom suite and locked the door. He’d touch himself in the dark and dream of their life together when Monika was still alive. He didn’t need porn; the vision of her naked in his bed was all he needed.
While Franz enjoyed some private moments, Sylvie was savoring her own delightful privacy with her vibrator. She’d inadvertently seen Sal’s hands helping themselves to Johanna’s nipples as he reached down her top earlier when he thought no one was looking.
Sylvie used the scene as fodder for her imagination as she teased the delicate, pink folds of her drenched pussy. She envisioned having a man, a woman, or both, pinch her nipples and command her to cum for them over and over. When she finally climaxed, she was grateful she’d remembered to put a towel under her while she masturbated.
Meanwhile, Sal was balls deep in Johanna’s dripping snatch as he fucked her hard from behind, spanking her ass to a lovely rosy hue as he thrust into her.
“You were a sassy little tease today, slut! Now, I will take what is mine!”
“Yes, please fuck my cunt hard! I’ve needed this all day!” Johanna hissed, trying desperately to be quiet. The last thing she needed was to be chastised by her father for being disrespectful in his home. If Mac’s hot little redhead could fuck without sounding the alarm, so could she.
“I’m going to fuck your cunt till you cum, then I’m going to pull out and take your ass, fucking it until I fill it with my jizz.”
Their animalistic mating was a far cry from what was happening in Mac and Grace’s bedroom. While Sal was shooting his load deep in Johanna’s bowels, Mac was leisurely dining on his own wife’s sweet nectar.
Grace writhed and moaned, keeping quiet only because Mac had stuffed her black, lacy thong into her mouth during foreplay. Her body hummed with need as the wicked mouth devouring her was edging her relentlessly. But her muffled pleas to let her cum fell on deaf ears. He was having far too much fun teasing and tormenting her.
His talented tongue alternated, lapping at her clit in what could only be described as a hummingbird motion and probing her needy hole that ached to be filled. Every time she would get close to climaxing, he would switch up what he was doing, leaving her erotically frustrated. Time and again, he brought her to the brink of orgasm until she thought she might die of need.
Without a word, he stood up next to the bed, spread her legs wide, and impaled her with his thick, hard cock. She came almost instantly, hips bucking and back arching. Mac kept his rhythm slow and deliberate as he plunged into her throbbing wet walls. When he was close to cumming, he reached down with his thumb and massaged her hard little nub until she sprayed her sweet juices. The sexual elixir dripped down and coated his balls, triggering their constriction and, subsequently, his ejaculation deep inside her remarkably tight pussy.
As the hour grew late, the quiet house’s sated occupants drifted off to sleep, each divinely oblivious that their release was only a fraction of the many orgasms to be had that rainy night in Vienna.
