Chapter 29

Lorraine Stewart was seething inside. She refused to believe that her daughter, Aislyn, would attempt to take her own life. Having her son, McKinley, and his redheaded whore agreeing with the doctor only pissed her off more. However, when a couple of detectives from the New York Police Department arrived to question her, it pushed her right over the edge.

Grace returned from the hospital cafeteria with coffee for Lorraine and Marcus, tea for Mac, and a bottle of sparkling water for herself just in time to witness her mother-in-law's hissy fit.

“I don’t give a flying fuck if you have a thousand notes! My daughter would never attempt suicide. She has way too much to live for! You people are making shit up to smear her reputation! I’ll sue you! I’ll have you fired! I’ll eat your goddamn badges for breakfast!”

Grace inhaled sharply and debated whether she could say anything to help diffuse the situation when she recognized one of the detectives.

“Andy?” she asked tentatively, unsure if it was the man she knew.

“Grace? Wow. It’s been a long time,” Detective Andrew Compton replied.

“Oh, isn’t this just perfect, McKinley!” Lorraine shrieked at Mac. “One of your whore’s lovers is the goddamn cop on the case! I’ll bet she set this whole thing up.” Then, turning to Grace, she continued to spew hatefulness. “If my precious daughter dies because of you, I will kill you with my bare hands.”

Grace said nothing. What was there to say to this vile woman?

But Andy took out a pair of handcuffs and had Lorraine restrained in a matter of seconds. Looking at his partner, Detective Matt Barrington, he said, “Please keep her contained while I interview McKinley and Grace.”

Marcus, who had been conveniently quiet up to that point, finally spoke up. “Why is my wife in cuffs? She didn’t do anything!”

Detective Compton raised a dismissive eyebrow. “She just threatened to kill Grace in front of two police detectives. If she calms down, I will consider removing the handcuffs. If not, I’m gonna haul her out of here and take her to the precinct.”

Grace was about to tell Andy it was okay, but Mac also broke his silence. “Lorraine, you need to shut the fuck up, or Grace will be pressing charges.”

Lorraine opened her mouth to protest but wisely shut it again when Marcus gave her a stern look.

Detective Barrington took them to a table in the waiting room, hoping like hell that the obnoxious woman would keep quiet and settle down.

“I’d like to ask you a few questions,” Detective Compton told Mac and Grace. “Let’s sit at a table on the other side of the room.”

Mac gently touched his wife’s shoulder and ushered her over to where they could sit with their backs to Lorraine and Marcus.

“Before I begin, I just want to say it’s nice to see you, Grace. I knew you were here in New York as I’ve seen you in the papers and on television. But I didn't know if we’d ever cross paths short of my knocking on your door to say hello, which would have been incredibly awkward."

“It’s good to see you too, Andy. This is my husband, Mac Stewart. Mac – Andy Compton and I went to high school together.”

Mac shook Andy’s hand, and the two men exchanged pleasantries before beginning a line of questioning that ended up being unhelpful.

“I’m sorry I can’t tell you more,” Mac said apologetically. “Aislyn and I don’t speak often. We don’t exactly like each other. But I will say that I am surprised that she would want to kill herself. She always liked to brag about her success as a model.”

Andy nodded. “Her note was vague. It just said, ‘I can’t do this anymore’ and that she was done trying to be perfect. There wasn’t any indication of what ‘this’ was.” He looked in Lorraine’s direction and sighed. “Is she going to be any help at all?”

“My mother is a drama queen. But Marcus can usually get her settled.”

“So, your father is used to this type of outburst?”

“He’s not my father,” Mac said dryly.

Confusion washed over Andy’s face. The man looked like an exact replica of Mac, albeit older.

Grace stepped in to explain. “His twin brother, Dominic, is actually Mac’s dad. It’s a long story.”

“Got it. Well, I’m going to attempt to interview her now. Any chance the two of you would be willing to step out?” Andy asked. “I think without an audience, she might be less inclined to be so dramatic.”

“Of course,” Grace agreed. “We will be out in the hallway.”

“Before you step out, here’s my card in case you decide you want to press charges.”

Grace heaved a heavy sigh. “I probably won’t, but use it as leverage if you need to. Though she hates my guts, I doubt she’d have the courage to do anything that would physically harm me. She can’t drink or get her nails done in prison.”

Chapter 30

Mac and Grace stepped into the hallway just as the doctor arrived to tell them that Aislyn was awake and off the ventilator. “We are still giving her oxygen, but she’s breathing on her own. She is still pretty weak, but I’m of the opinion that the gash to the head is more of a surface wound now. We’ll run a few more tests to be sure.”

“Can we see her?” Mac asked, surprising Grace.

“I’d prefer if you went in one at a time if you don’t mind.”

Mac nodded and said, “I think my wife should go first.”

“You do?” Grace was shocked.

“Yes. I’d rather stay within earshot of Lorraine in case she loses her shit again.”

Grace shrugged. “Okay.”

Grace felt some trepidation as she opened the door to Aislyn’s room. Seeing her typically haughty sister-in-law looking so vulnerable was a little unnerving. Aislyn’s eyes were closed, so she sat quietly in the chair beside the bed. Wondering what could have triggered the younger woman to feel like she had no other options stirred pity in Grace’s heart.

When Aislyn’s eyes fluttered open, Grace spoke softly. “It’s good to see you awake. I know your mother has been so worried; we’ve all been worried. Would you like me to get her for you?”

“No. She’s the last person I want to see.” Her voice was raspy, but there was no denying the harsh tone.

Grace’s brows furrowed. “I’ll just stay here with you and keep you company for a while then if that’s okay.”

Aislyn rolled her eyes. Frowning, she said, “Why the fuck are you here?”

“Because you are family. And that’s what family does, Aislyn. We put our differences aside, tuck that shit away, and be here for each other.”

Aislyn was speechless for a minute. Then she shook her head in disbelief. “You can’t really be this nice, can you? Or is it an act? I’ve been nothing but hateful to you, and yet, here you sit, when no one else seems to give a shit about me.”

“To be fair, the doctor wanted us to visit one person at a time. Otherwise, Mac and I planned to visit you together.”

“And my bitch of a mother let you go first?”

“Your bitch of a mother told the cops that I set this up and said if you died because of me, she’d kill me herself. So, they cuffed her and are now interviewing her regarding the note you left.”

A smirk formed at the corners of Aislyn’s mouth. “You don’t pull any punches, do you? I suppose I should like that about you.” Suddenly, her expression hardened. “She really is a bitch; she ruined everything for me.”

Grace shifted uncomfortably in her chair, wishing Mac was here. She inhaled sharply and decided to try some empathy.

“I’m sorry that it got so bad you felt like suicide was the only way out,” Grace said softly. “I do know what that feels like, in case you think I don’t have a clue. There was a time when I thought ending it all was the only way to stop feeling the emotional pain I was dealing with.”

Aislyn frowned. “But you’re so perfect.”

Grace laughed. “It’s odd to hear you say that. I was under the impression that you hated my guts and considered me your brother’s whore.”

“Oh, those things are still true. But I see you living this amazing life with my putz of a brother, and I can’t help but think that he got all of the good, decent genes, and I got nothing. I guess that’s because Uncle Dom is his father. I don’t even know who the fuck my father is. I think it’s Mr. Johnson, the neighbor my mother fucked, but no one has ever had the decency to confirm that.”

Grace just listened while Aislyn continued rambling. “I may not like you. But you aren’t the gold-digging whore I thought you were. You stuck around and gave my brother a couple of brats. You actually love him, don’t you?”

“With all my heart.”

Aislyn looked away as she bared her soul to a woman she couldn’t stand but, for some reason, was showing her kindness. “I thought I found someone. I have generally avoided dating because, well, supermodels tend to be more successful when they are single. But I met someone, and he made me feel things I didn’t even know I was capable of feeling. I thought he felt the same way. But when Lorraine decided he wasn’t good enough for me, she paid him an obscene amount of money to leave me. He didn’t even say goodbye, Grace. Who does that?”

Tears streamed down Aislyn’s face while Grace pondered whether this situation called for compassion or levity. Since they weren’t close, she opted for levity, feeling that compassion would only be met with more eye-rolling.

“Well, that bitch! Your mother never offered me obscene amounts of money to leave Mac. What the hell?”

Aislyn laughed through the tears. “Maybe she knew it wouldn’t have worked with you. You had balls the size of church bells when we first met. No one had ever dared put my mother in her place. It was kind of exciting to watch, honestly.”

“I thought you and Lorraine were close.”

“We are close on the surface. But the older I get, the more I realize she never wanted me to be happy. She’s miserable, so we should all be miserable. Somehow, Uncle Dom saved Mac from that fate. Or maybe it was you. Anyway. I’m tired of the manipulation and backstabbing. I was devastated when Joel took the money and ran. And do you know what she said? ‘At least he didn’t knock you up and ruin your career.’ As if being a model is the only way my life has meaning. Maybe I enjoyed being a little less bitchy when I thought I was in love.”

Grace’s heart squeezed. “If any sum of money could buy him off, Joel didn’t deserve you, Aislyn.”

Aislyn frowned. “Stop being so nice to me, Grace; it’s creeping me out.”

Grace laughed. “I could say the same thing. You’ve called me by my name twice now instead of bitch or whore. It’s a little unsettling.”

“I still don’t like you,” Aislyn said matter-of-factly.

“That’s fine,” Grace replied. “I still don’t like you. However, if you need a place to stay for a short while – a very short while – as you recover, you're welcome to come and stay with us after being discharged from the hospital.

“Maybe you should check with my brother first.”

“Check with me about what?” Mac asked as he entered the room.

“Is it okay for both of us to be in here?” Grace asked.

“Yeah, I cleared it with the Doc. What do you need to ask me about?”

“Your bitch of a wife, who is too fucking nice for her own good, offered to let me stay at your house when they release me from this hell hole.”

Mac’s eyes grew wide.

“For a short while,” Grace clarified.

“Are you sure you aren’t the one who’s hit her head?” Mac asked.

“Very funny. I’ll let the two of you have some time. But then I’m sure Lorraine will want to see Aislyn.”

As Grace rose to leave the room, Aislyn called out. “I still hate you, but thanks.”

Grace turned and smirked. “I still hate you, too; you’re welcome.”

Chapter 31

Mac sat in the chair where Grace had been. “How’s the head, Crazy Aisy?”

Aislyn laughed. “You used to call me that when I was little just to piss me off.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard you laugh in years. Just how hard did you bump your head?”

“Hard enough that I was actually somewhat decent to your wife.”

“My wife? Oh, you mean that redheaded gold-digging slut?” he asked, winking.

“Whore, McKinley. Gold-digging whore. Get it right,” she joked.

Mac wondered when the last time was that he and his sister had spoken to each other without tiny, invisible daggers flying back and forth.

“I’m glad you’re alive,” he said, nodding at her, surprised that he genuinely meant it. “I’m sorry that you felt compelled to end things.”

“Did you ever feel that way, McKinley? Did life ever suck so much that you just didn’t even want to exist?”

“Not to the extent that I would ever do anything about it, even after the Louise debacle. But Grace considered it when she was younger, during a time in her life when it felt like the world was caving in on her. Do you want to tell me what made you feel that way?”

“I told your wife; she can fill you in. I’m too tired to repeat it, and I know that our mother won’t leave the hospital without seeing me. So, you should probably send the witch in.”

Mac couldn’t have been more stunned. “You confided in Grace?”

“Don’t make it more than it is; we still don’t like each other. But she listened without judgment, and that is something I’m not used to. It galls me to admit it out loud, but you sorta did okay with finding that one.”

Mac smiled. “She found me; I think she saved me.”

“It’d be nice if someone saved me,” Aislyn shared unintentionally. It tugged at Mac’s heart.

“Let us know when they are gonna spring you, and I’ll send Randall to fetch you with the limo,” Mac said as he turned to go.

“God forbid you’d come yourself, but the limo is a nice touch.”

“Ais… I… um…” Mac stumbled over his words.

“Yeah,” she replied to his unspoken sentiment. “Send the Wicked Witch of the Midwest in, please.”

“Do you want me to stay while she comes in?” Mac blurted out, instantly hoping that she would say no.

“Thanks, but she’ll be less dramatic without you as her audience.”

As Mac walked toward the waiting area, he was nearly knocked over by Lorraine, who made a beeline toward Aislyn’s room. He sidestepped just in time and said nothing as she barreled past him, loudly declaring, “I’ve been waiting for hours! I need to see my baby! She almost died!”

Mac rolled his eyes and took Grace’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

He texted Claudette that they were on their way and that Aislyn was in stable condition.

When they got home, the kids were already asleep.

“They went to bed like perfect little angels,” Claudette cooed. “You both should do the same thing; you look exhausted.”

“Thank you so much,” Mac said. “There will be extra in your paycheck for helping us out.”

Claudette knew better than to protest. She’d have stayed as long as they needed her to without an extra penny. But McKinley Stewart had always been a generous boss, and she wouldn’t disrespect him by refusing the additional pay.

Chapter 32

Mac had every intention of following Claudette’s advice about getting some sleep. But when his eyes met Grace’s in the bathroom mirror as she washed her face, he couldn’t help but be bewitched. She was the only woman he’d ever met who looked beautiful without a stitch of makeup on. Still facing the mirror, she raised an eyebrow at him. He wiggled his eyebrows in return. The language of love between them often needed no words. She turned and undid the sash of her robe, revealing her naked body beneath the luxurious burgundy fabric. She took a step closer to him, allowing it to fall to the ground behind her, exposing her voluptuous breasts.

He stepped out of the athletic shorts he’d donned only moments before and pulled the T-shirt off over his head. Standing naked in front of each other, they embraced. All the love in their hearts came pouring forth as their tongues danced in a passionate kiss. His hands found her breasts and cupped them as if they were delicate treasures. She moaned softly, and her body trembled when his thumbs brushed across her nipples. Reaching down, she returned the favor of causing shivers of arousal when her hand gripped his erect member.

Breaking their silence, he whispered gruffly in her ear, “I have never wanted you more.”

“Take me to bed and show me,” she replied, her eyes fluttering.

He scooped her up and carried her to their oversized king bed. He gently dropped her onto the bed, making her giggle. The sound took his breath away, reminding him of the first time she’d been playful in bed and how he’d never realized before that this was something that turned him on. Sex had been satisfying with other women before Grace, but it took on a whole new level of pleasure with her. Even Johanna, who had been an adventurous lover, had never made him feel so alive.

“I can hear your brain, Mac; it’s far too busy,” Grace teased as she nibbled his earlobe.

“It’s uncanny the way you can hear my thoughts, darling. What am I thinking now?”

She grinned and opened her legs. “You’re thinking you have an intense hunger that only I can satisfy.”

“Nailed it one, my darling,” he said before moving between her legs to feast upon her nectar.

“Oh, God, that feels good!” Grace moaned. “Mmm-hmm, right there. Oh, fuck! Yes! Yes! Yes!”

She came almost instantly, but Mac didn’t stop. He continued his erotic onslaught until Grace was begging for mercy.

“Please, Mac! I can’t handle any more…”

Then she came again, squirting like a geyser as he proved her wrong.

“Fuck me!” she pleaded.

“Not so fast, my needy little redhead. Get my cock ready first.”

Grace raised an eyebrow. “You’re as hard as steel, Mac. You’re plenty ready.”

“Maybe I just need a few moments of that amazing mouth of yours before I fuck you,” Mac pouted.

“Oh, well, that can be arranged.”

Grace slid down to take him into her mouth and smiled inwardly at the loud moan from her husband. It was no hardship for her to enjoy him in this way. She loved making him feel good and knew her tongue would only serve to make him that much hotter, increasing the chances he’d fuck her savagely. God knew that, after the odd interaction with Aislyn, she needed a good hard fuck!

She teased the head of his cock with her wicked tongue and swirled it around as she made him disappear in her mouth again. Using excruciatingly slow movements, she tormented him and made him yearn for release. Playing with his balls as she eased him into her throat, she edged him relentlessly. He begged for her pussy. But she wasn’t willing to give in that easily.

“Let’s not forget you all but demanded this little oral worship session.”

Mac laughed. “I said I wanted a few minutes of attention, not full-on cock teasing, you naughty little sex demon.”

“Sex demon?” she laughed. “Well, aren’t you the luckiest man on Earth?”

“Yes—a fact I thank God for every single day.”

"Well, when you put it that way, it's hard to refuse. Go ahead, use my pussy, Mac. Fill me up, baby, and make me cum hard!”

Flipping her on her back, he opened her legs and rubbed the tip of his throbbing cock along the drenched slit of her pussy. After teasing her for a bit, he watched her face intently so he could enjoy her expression the moment he plunged inside her. The look of lust and love was exquisite and made him want to pound into her—so he did.

Their animalistic mating had them calling out for God and ended with incredible orgasms that left them breathless. Pulling out of her, he lay beside her and pulled her into his arms. The sex was mind-blowing. But this? The intimate act of holding the woman he loved so tenderly afterward was like the icing on the cake.

As their heartbeats returned to normal, Mac kissed the top of Grace’s head and sighed. “Did you really mean to offer to let Aislyn come here to recuperate?”

Grace made a wincing noise. “I did. Ugh! I should have talked to you first.”

“No, it’s okay. She really shouldn’t stay with Lorraine and Marcus. I just hope she doesn’t bring her negative energy into our home, especially with our children here. Mimi may not understand, but DJ is a little parrot. I don’t want him picking up his first swear words from his Aunt Aislyn.”

“Oh, God. That wicked witch is their aunt!”

“We probably shouldn’t call her that in front of the kids.”

“Aunt Aislyn?” Grace teased.

“Very funny! You know I mean 'wicked witch,'” Mac chided her playfully.

“If she gets out of line, we can always call Andy,” she joked.

It took a moment for Mac to realize she was referring to Detective Andrew Compton.

“Funny running into someone you knew from high school, huh?” he said as he got up to brush his teeth.

“No kidding. I haven’t thought about Andy in years,” she replied.

“Were you close friends?” Mac asked.

“Yes, he was so kind. I stayed at his house for a while after Aunt Katherine kicked me out.”

Mac nearly choked on the water he was rinsing with. “Oh?”

Grace recognized the sound of jealousy creeping into his voice. “Yes; his parents were nice enough to let me sleep on their couch in the rec room.”

“I see.”

Grace was a little put off by Mac’s tone. “I had to creep past their bedroom to get to his.”

Mac was about to comment when he saw the look of mischief in her eyes. “You’re messin’ with me, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I’m messin’ with you. However, in the spirit of complete transparency, Andy was the first boy to kiss me. That was the reason I couldn’t stay at his house any longer. He assured me that he had gotten caught up in the moment and that he understood we were just friends, but it seemed wrong to keep taking advantage of his kindness when I wasn’t prepared to offer him anything more than friendship. He was cool about it. We stayed good friends till we graduated.”

Mac nodded, realizing it would be silly to be jealous of a guy who wasn’t someone Grace had dated. But as they turned out the lights, he couldn’t help but wonder if Andy had wanted more back then and if he had any lingering feelings for Grace.