Chapter Twenty-Nine

Grace insisted that Mac shower first so that he wouldn’t have to wait until after she got ready. That way, he could go down a little early and be there before his guests. She’d selected the Mount Vernon Room, as there would be about sixty people in attendance. Several waiters were finishing setting the tables when he entered the room. Mac went to the bar to get a drink as he waited for people to arrive.

“Ah, Mr. Stewart,” an older gentleman said, extending his hand. “Welcome! I’m Stephan, your event host for the evening. Ms. Remy indicated that you’d be arriving early. I hope that everything is to your satisfaction here.”

“It all looks splendid; you did a wonderful job,” McKinley said.

“All we did was follow Ms. Remy’s instructions. She was marvelous to work with; I do hope that I’ll get a chance to meet her in person tonight,” Stephan replied.

“Yes, she should be down shortly.”

Mac sipped his drink and wondered if he should have waited for Grace. He hoped that getting her to talk a little about her past this afternoon wouldn’t prevent her from enjoying her evening. She’d obviously gone to a lot of trouble to make sure he looked good.

He decided to send a quick text to check on her.

Hey, I just wanted to let you know everything looks perfect down here. At least it will once you’ve arrived. Will you be down soon?

Her reply came almost instantly.

Turn around.

When he turned, the vision of her in a royal blue tea-length gown with sleeves that left her shoulders bare took his breath away. She had swept her hair to the side in a mass of red curls that settled softly above her heart. The top of her breasts teased him as they peeked out of the bodice and begged to be noticed. But she looked elegant, not slutty. How did she manage to pull off that sensually sophisticated look? If he were a woman, he might hate her for it, but as a man, especially as the man who was sleeping with her, he could only be in awe of her.

He moved to her and kissed her cheek. “I didn’t select this dress for you either,” he said, thinking back to the backless green gown she had purchased herself and worn in Amsterdam.

She laughed, “Yes, you did. I just adjusted the sleeves and ditched the belt to make it suit my taste more.”

“So, you’re a dress designer as well? Tell me, Ms. Remy, is there anything you don’t excel at?” he said as he handed her a glass of champagne.

“You’re far too kind, Mr. Stewart,” she said. “The guests are arriving; shall we greet them?”

“You’re very clever at changing the subject, Grace.”

She winked. “Just another thing I excel at.”

Just as she had in Amsterdam and Paris, Grace managed to pull off another successful event. She had an uncanny knack of knowing how to read the room and, in doing so, prevented McKinley from letting his speech drag on too long. Her subtle nod that told him to wrap things up was perfectly timed.

When the last guest departed, Grace surprised Mac by grabbing his tie and pulling him in for a passionate kiss.

“Ms. Remy, are you seducing me?”

Grace laughed, “Nope, just helping myself to something I want. Care to join me upstairs? There’s an incredibly long dining table in our suite that is begging to be the location of our next tryst.”

Mac frowned. “We’re hosting the London CEO, the Director of Finance, and their spouses, at that table for dinner tomorrow night!”

“Suit yourself,” she said, heading for the elevator. “I’ve ordered fresh linens for our dinner party. It seems a shame to send the current ones away in such pristine condition. Besides, imagine how aroused we will be during tomorrow’s dinner thinking about what took place on that table tonight.”

He followed her onto the elevator and pondered her suggestion. It was hard to argue with her logic.

“You make a good point,” Mac replied. “Although I had thought to make sweet, tender love to you in our bed tonight.”

“Why can’t we do both?” she asked with a mischievous smile. “Our first meeting tomorrow isn’t until 9:00 a.m.”

Chapter Thirty

When they entered the suite, Mac felt conflicted. Sensing his hesitation, Grace felt herself become irritated. “If you’re going to treat me like a wounded animal because I told you I was assaulted over a dozen years ago, I’m going to be very disappointed. I’ve spent a lot of time becoming strong, both physically and emotionally. I was knocked on my ass by seeing Armel, as it never occurred to me that I would bump into him in Europe. That was foolish of me. But I’m over it.”

“But I’m not, Grace. I’m still trying to process what kind of man does what he did, and I feel helpless knowing that there isn’t a damn thing I can do about what happened to you,” Mac admitted.

“You don’t need to do anything!”

“Look, I can’t help the way I feel. I just…”

He watched her chin jut into the air as she interrupted him. Clearly, she was pissed.

“I see. Well, if I’d known that telling you what happened would make you see me differently, I’d have kept that part of my past to myself,” she said defensively.

“Grace, stop,” he replied. “I don’t see you differently. I just…”

“You just what?” she cut him off.

Mac took a deep breath in and blew it out slowly. “Help me understand why that son of a bitch is still walking around as a free man after what he did to you!” he blurted out.

She took off her earrings and sat down on the couch. “He’s a free man because he is a foreign dignitary with a great deal of power and money. Whereas I was, according to him, just a common street whore that he supposedly rescued from a sex trafficking ring. When I accused him of allowing his friends to rape me repeatedly, not only did the Ivoirian police not believe me, but they also put me in jail for three months for making what they called a false accusation.”

McKinley felt rage rise in his belly. But he sat next to her and kept it contained.

“When I was released, I had no job, no money, and nowhere to go. Fortunately, I became acquainted with a woman while in jail whose brother owned a diner in Abidjan. I went to him and begged for a job. I had zero experience, but I had red hair and could speak both English and French. He took pity on me and not only gave me a job as a waitress, but he let me sleep on a cot in his living room until I could afford my own flat.”

Grace turned and looked Mac in the eyes, “I learned how to survive. I waited tables, I did odd jobs, and eventually, I managed to reconnect with someone I’d worked with at the embassy. He helped me get a new passport so I could return to the United States. Once I returned, I swore I’d never let myself become a victim again. I would never allow myself to be someone who didn’t matter…”

She stopped short, feeling her own anger and fatigue threatening to make her cry again. She wouldn’t allow herself to stir his pity any further. Either he wanted her, or he didn’t, but she was done talking. She wished at this moment that they had separate rooms again.

Mac took her hands in his and said, “You matter to me, Grace. More than I counted on.”

She withdrew her hands and stood up. “I don’t need your pity, Mac.”

Mac stood up as well. “Am I allowed to feel angry about the fact that a man who claimed to love you betrayed your trust and abused you?” he asked. “Grace, I sense there’s more to your story, but nothing you could tell me would make me think less of you. It’s not pity I feel for you; it’s desire. How can I not want you? You’re the strongest, most resilient woman I’ve ever met!”

Grace shook her head. “I’m a woman who took a job as an escort for a ridiculously generous salary so that I could experience living well and traveling abroad. I got tired of scraping my pennies together and decided to spread my legs for a while to beef up my bank account. Alice is right; I’m an overpaid whore. And I’m a tired one, so if it’s all the same to you, I’d appreciate a raincheck on the wild table sex.”

Mac ran a hand through his hair and said, “You’re wrong.”

She turned back to face him and frowned. “Wrong about what?”

“The job paid the same amount, regardless of whether we had sex or not. So, you’re many things, Grace. You’re my assistant, my planner, my bedmate, my companion, my lover, and I hope, my friend. But you’re not my whore,” he said calmly, despite the anger brewing in his eyes.

His words took her by surprise; she did matter to Mac. She was quiet for a moment, then she asked, “Was the last escort as much of a pain in the ass as I am?”

He smiled, his anger simmering. “The last escort couldn’t hold a candle to you, Grace. No woman could.”

She was at a loss for words. She had no idea how to respond to that.

He grinned, “The formidable Ms. Remy has no comeback?”

She gave a soft laugh and shook her head. His eyes seemed to stare into her soul, and it was disconcerting. But she didn’t look away. And she was grateful that she didn’t, or she would have missed seeing that it wasn’t a look of pity on his face; it was one of genuine desire.

He glanced over at the table. “You made some pretty racy suggestions on that elevator. Since you’re asking for a raincheck, I can only surmise that you are all talk,” he teased.

She tilted her head. “Oh, is that what you think?”

Grace went over to the table and boosted herself onto it with a naughty gleam in her eyes.

Mac walked over to the table and lifted her dress. “You sexy little minx! No panties again? Mmm, you know how to make me instantly hard.”

Grace purred, “And you know how to make me wet.”

“I thought you were tired. Still want that rain check?” Mac said, letting his fingers open up her wetness.

“It doesn’t look much like rain, Mac. Take me and make me yours.”

While one hand teased her pussy, he used the other to let down her mass of red curls that had been held back by a clip all night. “You’re so fucking hot, Grace!”

He grabbed a handful of her auburn locks, crushed her lips with his, and let his tongue dance with hers. Since his hands were occupied, Grace used hers to unfasten his trousers. When he broke off the kiss to finish the process of taking off his pants, she said, “God, I want you, Mac! I’ve never wanted anyone more!”

Mac grinned. “Then lay back and scoot to the edge of the table. Let me have you right here. Spread your legs for me, my hot little slut.”

Grace let her legs fall open for him, and she moaned while he rubbed the head of his cock against her slick, swollen labia.

“You’re so fucking wet, Grace! I need to be inside you!” He slid into her pussy and cried out, “Fuck! You’re so tight!”

He knew she needed to be fucked hard, fast, and deep. He could love her tenderly later. But now, she needed to be taken like this. He thrust into her again and again, pumping fiercely into her.

He let his thumb move in circles, massaging her clit until her back arched, and she screamed, “Oh, fuck! Oh, God! Oh, yes! Yes! Yes!”

Her climax had him on the brink of cumming. So, he grabbed her legs and hammered into her until his balls tightened. He exploded inside her, making a guttural sound that was somewhere between a growl and a howl.

He stayed there with his body pressed up against hers for a moment. Then he grinned wickedly as he pulled out slowly. As he did, a pool of their combined cum formed on the table. When he helped Grace down, he said, “Let’s make sure one of our dinner guests sits here.”

She laughed, “See? It’s a decadent thought, isn’t it?”

“You’re right, as usual,” he said, kissing her gently. “Shall we continue this in the comfort of our bed, my darling?”

“Mac, I…” she struggled to find the right words. “Thanks for knowing what I needed and how I needed it.”

He pulled her onto the bed with him. “Thanks for letting your guard down so that I could. However, now that I’ve given in to your needs, I expect you to put up with mine.”

Grace cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, and what are your needs?”

He nuzzled her neck and planted kisses there. Then he whispered, “I want to make love to you, slowly and sweetly. I want to make you so aroused that you beg me to take you.”

“I think that sounds only fair, considering you obliged me,” she said, tilting her head to offer him the other side of her neck.

Mac was a man of his word, for after what seemed like hours of foreplay and a slow, seductive fuck, she did, indeed, beg. This time, her climax was a wave of orgasms that made her feel drunk. When Mac finally allowed himself to cum, he pulled out and flooded her stomach and mound with his seed.

Grace smiled a woozy, dreamy grin, “That was a fuckin’ hot way to shoot your load, Mac.”

He fell on the bed next to her, feeling quite pleased with himself, and said, “Who says making love slowly and sweetly can’t be erotic?”

After a few moments, Mac asked, “Do you want me just to let you fall asleep? Or do you need to wash up before bed?”

“I don’t think I can move, Mac. My bones feel like rubber. Looks like the makeup isn’t coming off until tomorrow morning.”

He laughed, “I was talking about the big mess of my cum all over your body.”

“Oh, that? It’s gonna have to stay there too. Nothing wrong with waking up having my lover’s cum dried on my pussy. Feels kinda slutty, in a good way, of course,” she mumbled, fading fast into dreamland.

“God, I love you!” Mac said. Then he froze; he hadn’t meant to let that slip out. Would she think he was saying it because he’d felt sorry for her earlier? He held his breath while he waited for her reply.

Fortunately, Grace must have already given in to sleep. Mac let go of the breath slowly. He was grateful that she didn’t hear him. He wasn’t entirely certain if what he was feeling for her was love. It was completely different from what he’d felt for Louise. But he knew this was so much more than a business arrangement for him. He hoped it was for her too.

He turned off the light and slid under the covers with her, cuddling close. He mulled the idea of loving her over and over in his mind until sleep finally claimed him too.

Chapter Thirty-One

When Mac woke up, Grace was already showered and dressed. He sighed. So much for seeing the evidence of his climax dried on her skin. He could hear her out in the living room speaking to someone on the phone. He grabbed his cell to see if he had any messages. He was puzzled when he saw one from her. He clicked on it and grinned.

She’d sent him a picture of her pussy with its gold ball peeking out and his cum dried on her skin. It was oddly erotic. No woman had ever sent him an intimate picture like this. It was unsettling how hard seeing it was making his dick.

He didn’t notice that Grace had walked into the room. “Looks like you’re enjoying the picture I sent you,” she said when she saw his raging erection.

Mac blushed and shot her a goofy grin. “It’s my first. It’s really fuckin’ hot!”

After she had sent the message, Grace worried that he might find it distasteful. She was secretly delighted that he’d found it erotic.

“Well, you can look at it more later,” she said. “You need to get up and get ready. The first meeting starts at 9:00 a.m. Then you have your presentation to their board of directors. Both of those will be in the Mt. Vernon room, where we were last night. After that, you have a short break and then a lunch meeting with Niles.”

“Niles Lindhurst?” Mac asked quizzically. “I thought we were having dinner with him tonight.”

“We are, but he requested a private luncheon with you. You’ll be dining in the Pine Room,” Grace said while she was putting on her low gray heels.

“Those look nice with that charcoal business suit,” he mentioned casually. “I like how that skirt hugs your ass perfectly.”

She stood up and wiggled it for him. “Okay, the show’s over. Now get moving!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

After he was showered and shaved, McKinley put on his dark gray suit. “How do I look?” he asked.

“Very handsome,” she said, giving him a light kiss.

“Thanks! Do I have any time alone with you today?” he asked as he pulled her into him to kiss her more deeply.

“After our dinner party. So, let’s keep it moving at a reasonable pace tonight,” she teased.

“What will you be doing while I have lunch with Niles?” he asked, placing his hand on her ass for a quick squeeze.

“I will be getting my nails done. Just a manicure this time. I’d like my nails to match tonight’s dress.”

Mac nodded. “What’s my afternoon like?”

“You have several meetings, mostly small. To make things easy for you, they are all in the Pine Room.”

“Do we have any time before dinner?”

“If you mean, do we have time for sex, the answer is no. You’ll have to wait until the end of the night for that.”

Mac pouted, making Grace laugh. Then he asked, “Will you be attending the afternoon meetings?”

Grace shook her head. “No, I will be taking the Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tour. Today, I plan to ride it all the way around and listen to the audio portion to get my bearings. I’ll make a list of where I want to go when I have more time.”

He kissed her cheek. “Save the London Eye for me, okay?”

“Okay, I will.”

Grace wondered if he would be awkward toward her this morning after blurting out that he loved her last night. She’d pretended to be asleep because she had no idea if he genuinely meant it and even less of one as to how she should respond. But the day seemed to be going relatively smoothly so far. She hoped nothing would spoil it.

The presentation took less time than anticipated, so Mac went up to the suite with Grace while she changed for her afternoon of sightseeing.

“Mr. Stewart, you’re going to be late for your lunch appointment if you don’t remove your hands from my ass,” Grace teasingly admonished him.

“But my hands are so happy on your ass, Ms. Remy,” he said as he nuzzled her neck.

“Then you can put them back on it later, Mr. Horndog.”

“Spoilsport!” he whined.

“Seriously, don’t be late. Niles was pretty insistent that he wanted a private meeting with you. You don’t want him to get annoyed.”

“Fine,” he said. “But for the record, I’d much rather blow off lunch and the rest of the afternoon and spend the day with you.”

Grace looked at him and sighed, “I’d take you up on that if this weren’t the first full day of meetings.”

“Take an umbrella,” Mac said as he gave her a quick kiss goodbye.

Grace wrinkled her nose. “The forecast didn’t call for rain today.”

“Darling, this is London. It can rain at any given time.”

She walked from the hotel to a place called Baroque Hair and Nails on Pollen Street. She selected a deep plum nail gel and relaxed while the nail tech took care of her manicure. When she was finished, Grace stepped out of the shop to walk to her next stop.

It turned out that Mac had been right about the rain, however. Although it was more of an intermittent sprinkle, she was still glad she was prepared. The sky looked like it might start pouring any minute, so she opted for taking an Uber to Green Park Station, where she would be able to get on the London Big Bus.

When she got on the bus, the rain had stopped, so she took her chances and selected a seat up top. She figured she could always head down below if the rain started up again. She spent the next two hours taking in the city's sights and snapping pictures of places such as Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge, and Big Ben. When they passed the stop for the London Eye, Grace smiled, remembering the sweet look on Mac’s face when he asked her to save going there with him.

She took another Uber back to the hotel. On the way there, she thought about her relationship with Mac. She had expected to enjoy being bedmates; she was even confident that she would relish this trip's business duties. What she hadn’t figured on was falling in love with Mac.

Was it actually love? She had thought she’d been in love with Armel all those years ago. But as time went on, she was sure it had been infatuation and enjoying the attention. Could that be all this was? Did it just feel so damn good to have a sexy man desire her and provide her with frequent, incredible sex? She was so confused and realized she had no one to talk to about it.

She supposed Mac might be feeling the same way. He probably didn’t have anyone to talk to about it either. She doubted he would ask Alice for her opinion. Hah!

When she got back to the hotel, she showered quickly and let her hair air dry for a bit while she confirmed dinner with the caterer. Housekeeping had already been in to set the table. Room service was set to send up champagne a little before 6:00 p.m. and dinner an hour later.

She checked the clock and saw she had about an hour and a half before Mac and their guests would arrive.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Mac’s lunch with Niles was friendly enough, but he couldn’t help but feel that Niles was going to be a bit of a pain in his ass. Still, the man had a good head for business and was well-liked by his staff.

His afternoon meetings went by quickly, allowing him to head upstairs a bit earlier than planned. Maybe he could convince Grace to indulge him in a quickie before their dinner guests arrived.

Grace was in the bathroom finishing her hair when Mac came back to the suite. He was smart enough to know that once a woman’s hair was done, there would be no chance in hell of having sex before dinner. When she stepped out into the bedroom, he felt his breath hitch. She would be worth the wait. She wore the floor-length eggplant gown with the lace overlay. Its scoop neck allowed just the tiniest view of the swell of her breasts. The dress clung tightly in all the right places and stopped near the ground, allowing only a glimpse of her silver open-toed heels.

She wore a tear-shaped amethyst on a silver chain around her neck, with matching earrings dangling from her earlobes. She’d styled her hair so that a cascade of curls, held captive by an antique broach, danced playfully on her neck.

“Earth to Mac,” Grace said.

Mac seemed startled, “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you said.”

“I asked you if I looked okay for tonight,” she laughed.

He shook his head. “No, you don’t look okay.”

Grace frowned. Then Mac took her hands in his and continued to stare at her. “You look impossibly beautiful. I wish we were going out. Then everyone could see what I see.”

“You’re biased, but thank you, Mac,” she said, trying not to get choked up.

“Must we have dinner with those people?” he asked, suddenly wishing that he could have Grace all to himself instead.

“I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to plan this dinner, so the answer is yes. But if they stay one second past three hours, feel free to get a headache so that we can shoo them away,” she teased. “Speaking of which, you were right about just needing a couple of acquisitions under your belt to keep the head pain at bay.”

“I think it’s more likely that you relax me so.”

“Great sex will do that,” she mused.

“It’s not just the sex, Grace. Although, that undoubtedly helps. It’s spending time with you. Today’s afternoon meetings were boring as hell, but I had you to look forward to, so the time seemed to fly by.” Mac explained.

Grace flashed a smile that made her eyes sparkle. It nearly took his breath away.

“Since we have a few minutes, and you aren’t likely to let me mess up your hair with a quickie, why don’t we have a glass of champagne while we wait for the others.”

“I’d like that.”

Since the drizzle of rain had returned, they stayed inside on the loveseat. Mac poured them each a glass of champagne.

“You joked yesterday about the last escort that I had with me,” he began. “Would it be distasteful to share something about her with you?”

She shrugged. “It might annoy some women, but it won’t bother me.”

“Her name was Rebecca, and she was quite lovely to look at, but she had no people skills. Her purpose was to make reservations, book meeting rooms, and spread her legs,” Mac explained. “I’m sorry. That sounded crass.”

“It sounded honest. One thing I enjoy about you, Mac, is that you don’t bullshit people. You might come off as blunt at times, but you’re honest, and that’s a unique quality to find in a man who’s at the top of his game in the business world.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that,” he said. “But my point in telling you this is that Rebecca was truly an escort, and an appointment scheduler, and not much more. There were times when she felt like a chore to deal with, rather than a companion to enjoy.”

She nodded.

“You, on the other hand, have become invaluable to me on this trip. You make everything easier and better. I can’t imagine trying to do all of this without you.”

“Alice could certainly do all of the things I am doing, outside of the bedroom, of course,” Grace said. “Or maybe that type of relationship could have developed between the two of you, who knows?”

Mac scowled, “Not very likely.”

Grace laughed, “Well, thank you. I appreciate the lovely compliments on my skills.”

She started to get up when Mac held onto her hand. “I’m not saying this very well, Grace. What I mean is, you have become part of my life. Somewhere along the line, we stopped pretending to be in a relationship, and it became real. I mean, well, at least for me, it is,” he said, stumbling over his words.

“It’s real for me too, Mac. And while the sex is amazing, I enjoy times like this with you as well. I saw the London Eye on my bus tour today, and it made me excited to think about going there with you. I look forward to being with you, no matter what we are doing,” Grace admitted.

Mac kissed her softly, not wanting to mess up her lipstick. Grace surprised him by taking the kiss deeper. The encounter was interrupted by the arrival of their guests.

“Thank goodness for smear-proof lipstick!”

The evening turned out to be rather entertaining. Mac found Niles to be far less stuffy at dinner than he was at lunch. Grace couldn’t help but laugh when Niles chose to sit in the spot where Mac had fucked her the night before. She knew at the precise moment when Mac made that realization and grinned at him wickedly.

She was falling hard for McKinley Stewart, and knowing he wasn’t pretending to care about her made it feel less scary. She caught him looking at her during dinner and recognized the desire in his eyes.

Grace wasn’t sure if Mac would say he loved her again, but she vowed to herself that if he did, this time she’d answer him.