Chapter Fifty-Three

As the hot water rained down on them, soapy hands roamed intimately over each other—his cupped her breasts gently at first, and then more eagerly, while hers gripped his manhood, making him moan. Every touch and caress heightened their arousal until their desire intensified to the point of urgent need.

Mac spun Grace around, so she faced the wall. Capturing each hand in his, he held them firmly against the tile.

“What do you need, Grace?”

“I need you to fuck me, Mac.”

“Oh? You need me to fuck you, baby? How much do you need me?” he asked as he nipped playfully at the back of her neck while she tried desperately to rub her bottom against his stiff shaft. “If that wiggling ass of yours is any indicator, I’d say you’re pretty damned needy.”

“God, yes. Please, Mac…”

He shifted so that both of her slender wrists were held captive by one of his large hands.

The other hand teased its way down her body until it reached her silky-smooth mound. “Spread your legs apart for me, darling; let me feel how ready you are for me.” Plunging two fingers between her glistening labia, he grinned. “Oh, fuck, Grace! You’re wetter on the inside than you are on the outside.”

Grace closed her eyes and moaned as Mac’s fingers slid into her slick, needy hole. He spun her back to face him again, grabbed a breast with his other hand, and brought a hardened nipple to his mouth. He nibbled and sucked relentlessly until the combination of what his hands and mouth were doing triggered a sudden, intense climax.

“Oh, fuckkk!” Grace cried out. “Your cock, please, baby, I need it inside me!”

“Mmm, you’ll get my cock. But first, I think your other nipple needs attention. Let’s see if I can make you cum hard again for me before I give you what you truly want.”

His fingers danced among her pink folds as he used his talented mouth on her other nipple. Then he took his stiff shaft and rubbed the head along her drenched slit. When her back arched, he slid his cock into her just in time to enjoy the contractions of her orgasm. Then he pushed her against the wall, thrusting into her until he took her over one more time and exploded deep inside her.

“Holy fuck, Grace!” Mac cried out as his cock continued to pulse, filling her with his hot seed.

They moved from the shower to the bed, where Grace eagerly used her exquisite oral skills to breathe life back into Mac’s dick, making him hard again so she could ride him.

“My insatiable Grace,” he cooed. “Don’t ever stop being hungry for my cock.”

“I’d let you finish in my mouth, but I need you inside me again. I can’t get enough of you.”

“Music to my ears, baby,” he said, grinning.

As she moved up and down on his rigid pole, her magnificent tits bounced in perfect rhythm.

“I can’t get enough of you either, my love. I keep thinking someday this intense need and desire will calm to a smoldering lust. But I fucking burn for you, Grace. I need to touch you, taste you, fuck you…”

“Oh, God, yesss!” she cried out as she picked up the pace and rode him mercilessly. Each movement brought her closer and closer to the edge. She came hard; her nectar dripped down and coated his balls.

“Keep riding me, my sweet, slutty wife. Oh, fuck, Grace. Goddd, yesss!”

She climaxed again as he emptied himself deep inside her, leaving them both breathless.

Grace eased herself off his cock and collapsed on the bed next to her husband.

“No, I don’t see us ever becoming those people who slide into scheduling a habitual, perfunctory fuck. We are always going to need each other like we need air to breathe, baby,” she said as she cuddled close. “I fucking burn for you, too, Mac.”

Chapter Fifty-Four

Mac lay in bed, completely sated after some mind-blowing sex, as Grace drifted off in his arms. With his sister, Aislyn, having moved out of Stewart House and in with her boyfriend, Detective Andy Compton, things seemed a little quiet around the place. Not entirely quiet, of course, as the littles continued to wreak havoc on a daily basis. But the opportunity to have noisy sex had returned, and that was something he thoroughly enjoyed.

Making love with Grace was always incredible. But it was exponentially more satisfying for both of them when she was able to scream out his name, God’s name, and whatever expletives came to mind while her orgasm ripped through her body. She’d been exceptionally horny the past three nights, not that he was complaining, and he was happy to see he’d finally worn out his wife. And, even more so, glad to see she was not feeling as emotionally vulnerable as she had been. It felt good to know he could soothe his wife once he understood what was making her so unhappy.

The first couple of days after Aislyn moved out, things had felt off with Grace. He didn’t figure his wife was missing his sister, even though their relationship had progressed to something almost resembling friendly. But something was keeping her from being truly present. He had a sinking feeling that her emotional distance had something to do with the man who’d been her high school crush all those years ago. After tiptoeing around the subject, he finally asked her straight out if she was missing Andy.

She had shocked him by saying yes, with tears streaming down her face. For a few seconds, he felt his world threaten to spin out of control.

Seeing the hurt in his eyes, she quickly explained that Andy reminded her of when her parents were still alive. And that having him around felt like having a tiny part of them with her, too.

Mac’s irritation dissipated instantly as he felt his heart squeeze for his wife. Losing her parents as a teen had been traumatic for her and had set into play a series of events that nearly destroyed her. So he held her and let her cry, grateful that the tears had nothing to do with Andy and everything to do with Jordan and Genvieve Remy.

So, he was patient with her and, eventually, she felt like herself again, which had led to the plethora of sex they’d been having to make up for lost time.

“I can hear you thinking,” Grace said sleepily.

“I thought you were down for the count, my love.”

“How can I sleep with your thoughts being so loud?”

Mac frowned. Could she actually hear his thoughts? He’d always believed it was just a figure of speech that Grace used when she could sense he was thinking about something. Shaking that off, he kissed her on her forehead and said, “I was just thinking how nice it is to have things back to normal in the house.”

“You just like to hear me scream out your name when I cum,” she said, nuzzling close to him.

“Duh.”

“I love you, Mac. Thanks for being you.”

“Who else would I be?”

“You know what I mean.”

He hugged her close and very nearly suggested another round of sex, but he could feel her drifting again. So, he joined her in slumber instead.

When he woke up to an empty bed, Mac frowned. He’d purposely set his alarm to go off a little early so they could start their day with some sensual morning sex. But Grace wasn’t next to him.

The bed was cold, so she had been up for a while. He checked the kids’ rooms, and both were still sleeping soundly.

He took the stairs and headed down to the office. He could see the light coming from her door and found her, fully dressed in work attire, typing away on her laptop.

“Grace? What are you doing working so early?” he asked, confused.

She looked up from her screen and smiled, taking his breath away.

“Hey, I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t wake you. I woke up around 3:30 and couldn’t fall back asleep. So, I grabbed my clothes and showered down here. I figured I might as well get a jump on the day since I was wide awake.”

Mac frowned. “You should have woken me up if you couldn’t sleep.”

“Why?” she asked, puzzled.

“Because I have been known to find ways to make my wife relax enough to fall back asleep,” he said, raising an eyebrow at her.

Grace stood up and walked over to Mac, took his face in her hands, and kissed him passionately.

“You’re right. What was I thinking? Your COO doesn’t need to catch up on her work; she needs to lean over her desk and offer her pussy to her CEO.”

Mac blinked. “That was not at all what I was expecting you to say, Grace. But it sounds like a plan.”

“Good. Lock the door, just in case.”

He closed and locked the door quickly. When he turned around, his gorgeous wife had hiked her skirt up to her waist and was bent over, exposing her glistening pussy.”

“Why are you so wet, Grace? What work could you have been doing to make you so aroused?” he asked playfully.

“It’s not work that turns me on; it’s the boss’s thick, hard cock. The minute you mentioned sex, my juices started to flow.”

He stood behind her, running his hands over her sexy ass, and said, “I don’t believe I mentioned sex, Mrs. Stewart. I could have brushed your hair, rubbed your back, even massaged your feet, but that naughty brain of yours jumped right to my dick in your pussy.”

Grace looked over her shoulder at him. “Well, you know me, a former escort who fell in love with her boss. Of course, my mind jumps right to fucking.”

He paused for a moment. Had he offended her? Then he saw the gleam in her eye as she said, “Well, are you gonna fuck me? Or are you gonna stand there admiring my ass?”

Saying nothing, he ditched his night shorts and plunged into her. He didn’t bother to start slowly the way he had intended. Grabbing hold of her hips, he thrust in and out of her quickly and deeply, making her cry out, “Oh, my God, Mac! Fuckkk!”

“That’s right, darling, I’m fucking you hard, fast, and deep just like you like it!” he growled.

The silky feeling of her tight wetness felt like heaven. Each thrust took him a little deeper inside of her, making her pant and moan.

Her pussy gripped him like a vise and had his balls tightening far more quickly than anticipated. He contemplated slowing down so he wouldn’t cum too soon, but he needn’t have worried.

“Oh, fuck, Mac! I’m gonna cum! Cum with me, baby!”

He grinned. God, she was so fucking perfect. Rather than easing up, he picked up the pace and gave his wife exactly what she needed.

“God, yes, Grace! Take my cock! You feel so fucking good!”

“Fuckkk, Mac! Oh, God, yesss!”

They came hard together, panting and hearts beating wildly.

Moments later, he slid out and wiped his cock on her ass, making her moan.

“That was decadent.”

“Wanna see decadent?” she asked with a cheeky grin. She stood up and let her hand wander between her legs. She scooped up some of his semen dripping out of her with two fingers, brought them to her mouth, and sucked them clean.

“My COO is so fuckin’ hot,” Mac said.

“So is my CEO,” Grace replied with a sassy grin. “We hit the fucking jackpot with each other, didn’t we?”

“Fuck yeah, we did.”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, sir, I need to clean myself up a bit here and get back to work. But thanks for the quickie. Next time, I promise, I will wake you up.”

“You could always come back to bed for a bit, Gracie.”

“Tempting… but I let myself get a little behind recently. And as sweet as my boss has been about my being so distracted and slacking off a bit, I need to get caught up so I feel like I’m pulling my weight here.”

“Grace.”

She pulled him in for a kiss.

“Mac.”

He knew his wife, knew what she needed.

“I get it. Just know that you have never slacked off on anything ever in your life. But I love that you take your role so seriously. I had a very successful company when I met you. But now? Thanks to you, we are emerging into markets I never dreamed possible. I feel like there’s nothing you and I can’t do together.”

Grace felt her emotions well up in her chest. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

“I love you for so many reasons. But when you hired me, you helped me regain my self-esteem. Knowing I could earn a living with my brain instead of my body again made me feel whole. You’ll never understand what a gift you gave me. Then you entrusted me with the COO position. Holy fuck, Mac! I love knowing that I truly do make a difference and that you didn’t just promote me because I’m fun in bed.”

Mac took her hands in his and gazed intently into her eyes.

“You’re fun everywhere, Grace. But as far as your current role in Stewart Enterprises? You earned that. Many times over. There’s no one I trust more, no one better suited to run this company with me.”

Grace beamed. “Thank you, Mac Stewart, for changing my life.”

“Thank you for changing mine.”

Mac turned to leave, nearly missing the tears that she’d tried to keep in check as they rolled down her cheeks. He almost followed her into the bathroom, but he sensed that what she needed at the moment was some space. So, he let her be, hoping it was the right choice.

Chapter Fifty-Five

By midday, feeling like she’d accomplished enough to take a break, Grace decided to spend some time with the kids.

“Avery, if you need me, I’ll be lunching with the littles. Mac is out of the office at a meeting, but if he comes back early, will you let him know where I am?”

“Sure thing. Before you go, though, can I get you to sign these invoices?” Avery asked.

Grace nodded and grabbed the pen. “Has my admin extraordinaire checked these over carefully?” she asked as she scribbled her signature at the bottom of each page.

“Absolutely. Oh, and your 1:00 call got canceled, so if you need more time with DJ and Mimi, you don’t have anything pressing until 2:00.”

“Good to know! Thanks!”

When Grace entered the media room that doubled as a nursery/playroom for the kids, she felt instantly loved.

“Mama!” the kids shouted in tandem as they raced to greet her, each one flinging themselves around and clinging to a leg.

Grace said, “Hang on, you two,” as she walked like a robot, and the kids laughed like little banshees.

Claudette grinned. “We were just going to head down to the kitchen nook for some lunch.”

“If you grab one of these little monkeys from me, I’ll take the other. I hope you don’t mind if I join you!”

“Grace, you are always welcome; you’re their mama.”

Grace asked what was for lunch as she rested DJ on her hip. “Qu’est-ce qu’on mange à midi? J’ai faim.”

“J’ai faim, aussi,” DJ said. “Tummy growling like Mama.”

“I love that the littles are picking up French from you, Claudette. Merci!”

“De rien, Grace. Mais oui, I want them to know the language of their grandparents and, of course, their mother,” Claudette replied.

She kissed Mimi on the forehead. “N'est-ce pas, ma petite chouchoute?”

Grace felt a lump form in her throat, and she couldn’t breathe for a moment. She could hear her mother’s voice saying the same thing in her mind, N'est-ce pas, ma petite chouchoute? (Isn’t that right, my little darling?)

After putting Mimi in her highchair, Claudette reached out to take DJ from his mother, only to see a pained look on Grace’s face. She said nothing, just got both kids settled with some blueberries and raspberries, and handed them each a sippy cup with milk.

Turning to Grace, she motioned for her to sit down at the table.

“Tout va bien?” Claudette asked, worriedly.

Grace took a deep breath and composed herself. She couldn’t fall apart in front of her children.

“I’m fine. … sometimes you say things that remind me of my mother.”

“Ahh, and this makes you miss her, bien sûr.”

“Oui,” Grace sighed.

“Je suis désolée, Grace.”

“You don’t need to be sorry. You just caught me off guard. That was her pet name for me, ma petite chouchoute.”

Claudette laid a hand on Grace’s shoulder lovingly.

“I’ve seen the picture of your parents in the library. You are a lovely mix of both of them. I’m sure you must know how very proud of you they would be if they were still alive.”

“I’d like to think so, but I’ve… well… there are things in my past I’m not…”

“Grace, most people have things they wish they’d done differently. But look at you right here and now. A COO, a wife, a mother, a friend; why, ma cher, you are fabulous in all of the roles that you take on. How could your parents be anything but delighted by the woman their daughter turned out to be?”

Grace’s stomach growled loudly, adding much-needed levity to the moment.

“Mon Dieu! I’m making grilled cheese sandwiches for the littles. What can I make for you?”

“Actually, I’d love a grilled cheese sandwich, too. It’s been a while since I’ve indulged my inner childish appetite,” Grace said, already salivating at the thought of yummy, melted cheese.

“Have some fruit while the sandwiches are cooking,” Claudette insisted.

Grace nodded and took a bowl of berries. And when the sandwiches were ready, Grace took the first bite and closed her eyes, envisioning her parents smiling at her. Yes, she thought, they would be very proud of the woman she’d become, even if they might not understand the steps she took to get here. But they would love her no matter what. And she would do the same for her children.

On her way back to her office after lunch, Grace made a detour to the library. She picked up the framed photograph of her parents and touched their faces longingly.

“Tu me manques,” she said. “I miss you so much, but I know that you’re always in my heart.”

Bentley stood at the entrance of the library, admiring Grace’s strength and resilience. A wet sheen clouded her eyes as she looked up and saw him there. She smiled weakly as he entered the room.

“I think it’s lovely that you come here to talk to your mother and father. I’m sorry for intruding; I came to return a book…”

“You’re not intruding, Bentley,” Grace said softly, sighing wistfully as she placed the photograph back on the little side table. “I don’t know why I am missing them so much again lately. Why do I keep wondering if they would be disappointed in me for some of the choices I’ve made in my past?”

Bentley frowned. “Some of those things were not choices, Grace. Do you think they would judge you for doing your best to survive? I can’t imagine them not being proud and grateful that your instincts kept you alive. And the way you are thriving now would bring them nothing but immense joy.”

Grace nodded and bit her bottom lip.

Bentley took her hands and said, “Look at me.” When she lifted her eyes to meet his, he continued, “Miss them all you want, as that is your right, but never disrespect their memory by doubting their unending love for you. There’s not one thing you could have ever done, nor will ever do, that would make them love you any less.”

Grace felt the tears beginning to spill down her cheeks and threw her arms around Bentley. He held her while she sobbed, patting her back in consolation.

It took several moments, but she pulled herself together. Mortified by her outburst, she quickly apologized to her house manager.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

“Grace, did you ever allow yourself to grieve the loss of your parents?”

She shrugged and shook her head. “No, not really. I didn’t… I couldn’t…” she stammered. “Why now? Why is my missing them kicking me in the ass so hard after all this time?”

“Having Andy back in your life sparked some memories. Some lovely ones, yes, but some tough ones, too. It’s okay to admit that you feel out of sorts.”

“I know, but I thought I had worked out the whole ‘feeling out of sorts’ thing already. Then Claudette called Mimi ma petite chouchoute, and it all came tumbling back.”

“Ah, of course it did. You need to cut yourself some slack. Losing your parents is traumatic, but to lose them the way you did… I can’t imagine how painful that must have been to have them taken from you while they were on a secret mission.”

She nodded. He was right, she’d been absolutely wrecked when she’d found out they’d been killed. And her Aunt Katherine was livid at having gotten stuck with Grace and did everything in her power to make her feel unwelcome, then kicked her out entirely.

“Can you take the rest of the afternoon off?” Bentley asked gently.

“No, but I don’t have anything pressing until 2:00.”

“Then why don’t you stay here in the library and spend some time talking to your parents. It might help to get some of those feelings out.”

“You don’t understand; part of what I’m struggling with is how angry I am at them for leaving me.”

And that was what Bentley had hoped she could say out loud.

“It’s okay to tell them that.”

“It’s not their fault they are dead!” Grace said brusquely.

“No, but it is their fault that they didn’t let you know how dangerous their mission was, and that there was a chance they might not return.”

“They were trying to protect me, I’m sure.”

“I imagine so. Talk to them, Grace. Let it all out. I’ll come back at quarter to two so you can have some time to freshen up your face before your meeting.”

She pursed her lips and nodded. “Thank you, Bentley, for being so kind.”

“It’s easy to be kind to you, Grace. You’re a genuinely good person. I’ll be back in a while.”

She smiled weakly.

When he left, Grace clutched the photograph again and held it tightly in her arms.

“Why did you leave me? Why did you have to put yourselves in harm’s way?” she sobbed. “I needed you. You left me with Aunt Katherine, who hated me…”

Her words became almost childlike and unintelligible through the sobs. She closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep.

Bentley, who had stayed nearby, felt his heart breaking for her. He texted Avery to see if her 2:00 meeting could be rescheduled. When Avery confirmed that he would make it so, Bentley decided to let Grace sleep right where she was. If he woke her, she would insist on going back to the office. This way, she would hopefully get some much-needed rest.

Chapter Fifty-Six

Mac returned from a meeting out in the field and found Grace missing from her office. Avery said she’d gone to have lunch with the kids, but when he checked on them, they were napping under the watchful eye of their nanny.

“Perhaps she is in the library. I said something that upset her,” Claudette explained.

Mac looked angry, but he kept his temper in check so as not to wake the littles. He simply turned and headed for the fourth floor. But as he climbed the stairs, he ran into Bentley.

“I’m looking for Grace,” Mac said more shortly than he intended.

“She’s in the library resting,” Bentley said. "And you’d be wise to leave her be for now. The poor thing exhausted herself.”

“Claudette said she upset Grace. I didn’t want to get into it with her because DJ and Mimi were napping. What the hell did she say?”

Bentley put his hand on Mac’s arm gently. “She called Mimi the same pet name that Grace’s mother called her as a child, and it caught our girl off guard, dredging up all sorts of feelings again.”

Mac sighed heavily and ran a hand through his thick, black hair. It warmed his heart when Bentley called Grace our girl. But it concerned him that she was struggling again when he thought she’d come to grips with things recently. “I thought she had worked that out of her system. But I’m sure that the lack of sleep made her vulnerable. I feel so damned helpless; what can I do to help my wife?”

“Perhaps holding a small memorial for them would help her grieve. There was never any closure for her when she lost her parents. There was no funeral, no grave site to visit, no viable remains to bury.”

“How do I go about something like that all these years later?”

“Let Avery and me help with that. We can sit down with Grace and find out what sort of ceremony she’d feel comfortable with. Then we can plan it together.”

“Thanks. Yeah, that sounds good. I appreciate your help, Bentley.”

“There isn’t much I wouldn’t do for Grace. I’m quite fond of her if you haven’t noticed.”

Mac nodded. “I’ve noticed. I’d say the feeling is mutual.”

“I know you said I should leave her there, but I’m going to take her upstairs where I can pamper her for a few hours before it’s time for Claudette to leave.”

“Should you need more time, please just text me. I’m happy to watch the children if you need me to.”

But when Mac entered the library, he found her chair empty. He bounded up the stairs to see if she’d chosen to lie down in their room, but the only thing on the bed was their furry little cat, Merlin, snoozing away.

Goddamn it, Grace; where are you? Mac thought, genuinely concerned for his wife’s well-being.

He heard the toilet flush in their bathroom across the hall and felt himself relax a bit.

She came out into the hallway holding something in her hand. She looked pale and dumbfounded.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

She shook her head and handed him the device she’d been holding—a pregnancy test.

“I’m pregnant.”