Chapter Thirteen

 Since it was Saturday, and there was no need to rush to get ready, Grace took some time to herself in the library while DJ took his morning nap. Mac was downstairs on the phone with Max Becker, discussing the possibility of acquiring Adelburg Technologies.

Kurtis Adelburg was considered a gentleman with an impressive business sense and was looking to retire finally. He’d reached out to Max, who ran the Munich office of Stewart Enterprises, to see if McKinley Stewart would be interested in buying him out.

The deal was financially sound, and client retention was pretty much guaranteed. The only snag in this whole business was that Grace Remy had been Kurtis’s escort many years before.

While Mac didn’t care about Grace’s past, he didn’t want to do anything that would cause her embarrassment. It would suck to pass up such a lucrative deal, but her happiness came first. Still, before he made his decision, he needed more information.

“I’m just curious, Mac; why the hesitation? He’s offering us his business and its many clients at a very fair price. I would think you’d jump at this deal,” Max commented.

“It’s a fabulous price,” Mac agreed. “I just want time to discuss this with Grace before I make a decision.”

“Of course,” Max said. "I understand. But don’t take too long. I got the impression he was willing to wait a little bit, but I don’t want to miss this opportunity.”

“Agreed. I will call you on Monday and give you an answer.”

Hanging up, Mac went to find Grace so they could talk. He figured she’d be in the library. It was her favorite place to think.

“There you are,” Mac said softly. “Baby sleeping?”

“Yep,” she answered absentmindedly.

“So, are we going to talk about it?”

She knew what he meant and that it would offend him if she pretended otherwise.

“I was instructed to call him Herr Adelburg,” she started, not making eye contact. Instead, she stared at the floor. “It didn’t take me long to realize he wanted a sex slave, not just an escort. In public, he was charming and funny and a great conversationalist.”

Mac said nothing; he just waited for her to continue.

“Behind closed doors, he was a strict master. I was required to be naked at his feet at all times. I could only speak when spoken to and was not permitted direct eye contact. When he was ready to be serviced, as he called it, he would pull me onto the bed or the couch with him by the collar I was required to wear. He’d pull out his limp dick and rub it on my face and tits to get an erection. Even then, he rarely got completely hard. So, instead of fucking, he would make me suck his cock until he came. Sometimes it took an hour or two of sucking that disgusting, half-limp dick before he could finally climax. He wasn’t the cleanest man, and I often felt nauseated by his lack of hygiene.”

Mac felt his anger rising but remained silent.

“He reminded me that I was being paid quite well to be his cum receptacle and that I should be grateful that he didn’t want to do the kinky things many of his colleagues enjoyed. As I sucked him, he would refer to himself in the third person and say vile things to get himself aroused.”

Grace felt herself travel back in her mind, making her sick to her stomach.

Be a good girl and lick these sweaty, hairy balls, or Herr Adelburg will be forced to push his fist into your ass as his friends do with their slaves.

Do you want Herr Adelburg to piss in your mouth, slut? Herr Gruber uses his whore as a toilet.

Put your tongue in this dirty asshole. Don’t forget you are Herr Adelburg’s filthy cum dumpster to be used as he sees fit.

“Sometimes, he would tie me up and whip me. Not terribly hard, but enough to assert his dominance over me. It was like foreplay for him. When he felt especially mean, he would twist my nipples until I sobbed, leaving ugly purple bruises on my breasts.”

Mac felt his anger turn to rage.

“He’d often threaten to share me with friends and make me do things if he promised not to do so. When he started calling me his dirty little dog and making me eat from a dish on the floor, I couldn’t take it anymore. Unfortunately, I had signed a contract that hadn’t expired yet, so I had to think of some way to get out of it. The first thing that came to mind was telling him I preferred women since I knew he was extremely homophobic.”

What do you mean you’re a lesbian? You like pussy? That’s disgusting. Herr Adelburg doesn’t want you here, you filthy pussy licker, you homosexual freak of nature! I will call the agency tomorrow to get a new slut. Pack your things.

“I was grateful; I quit the escort service and hopped on the ICE train from Munich to Stuttgart and then transferred to the TGV and took that to Paris. I had a friend there who let me stay with her until I could figure out where to go next.”

“I’m so sorry, Grace. I’m sorry this whole deal has brought up all these terrible memories for you. I’m going to pass on the acquisition.”

“But Max will wonder why. It’s all going to come out anyway, once Kurtis figures out who you are married to and that I’m your COO. Max will be disgusted by me, and he and Virginie won’t want to be our friends anymore. And…”

“Stop, Grace. Max knows you were originally my escort. He thinks it’s wonderful that we fell in love and got married. He would never judge you.”

Grace was mortified. “Does Virginie know?”

Mac shrugged. “Probably. Max and Virginie don’t strike me as a couple that keeps secrets from each other. And they think the world of you, baby.”

Tears streamed down Grace’s face as she struggled to come to terms with the fact that their friends knew her personal business.

As if reading her mind, Mac put a hand on her shoulder. “They know you were my escort, Grace. They don’t know anything else.”

“I don’t want to miss out on this acquisition, Mac. It’s good for business and will help us expand in Germany.”

“But if it isn’t good for you, none of that matters.”

“I wish my past would stop poking its head into our lives. When will it end?”

Mac hated seeing her so distraught.

“I’m not sure I want to give that man a penny of our money, if I’m being honest.”

“It’s not entirely his fault. I allowed him to treat me worse and worse. I should have just reported him to the agency and left sooner. But I needed the money. He wasn’t wrong when he said I was being well-paid to be his pet whore.”

Tears of shame streamed down Grace’s face. Any irritation Mac may have felt that she hadn’t shared any of this before melted away. He couldn’t expect her to share every detail of her time as an escort. It would be enough that she trusted him to share it now. Hadn’t he told her she had a right to leave her past behind her? He pulled her into his arms and said nothing. He simply held her and let her cry.

When her weeping subsided, he led her upstairs to their bedroom, and she followed without arguing. He shut their door and sent a quick text to Bentley.

Sixth floor is off limits. Do not disturb unless the house is on fire. Thanks.

Bentley replied immediately.

Understood.

Mac peeked in on DJ and saw he was sleeping peacefully.

“Baby’s sleeping. We should make good use of the time. Come to bed with me, Grace. Let me make love to you. I want to show you how special you are.”

Grace felt so empty that she simply nodded and started taking her clothes off.

“No; let me undress you, my love.”

Mac felt encouraged when he saw a hint of a smile. He unbuttoned her blouse, shrugged it off over her shoulders, and then helped her shimmy out of the cute little skort she had on. Next, he relieved her of her bra and panties and marveled at her beauty. He remembered, fleetingly, that he’d once thought she wasn’t the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Clearly, he’d been an idiot. Anyone with eyes could see she was breathtaking.

“Get on the bed, Gracie,” he commanded softly.

She moved as if she were going through the motions, which hurt Mac for a moment. But he knew the conversation had left her drained and exhausted. It would be up to him to make her feel alive again. He undressed quickly and joined her on the bed.

Taking her into his arms, he kissed her.

“Babe, this is amazing,” Grace said, breaking off the kiss. “But I have no idea how much longer DJ will sleep. So, if we are going to have sex, it needs to be hard and fast.”

Please, God, let the baby sleep longer. My wife needs slow and tender right now, even if she doesn’t realize it.

“No, baby. I gave you hard and fast last night. Spread your legs for me so I can taste your sweetness.”

Grace started to protest until Mac slid a finger inside her and weakened her resolve. She did as he asked, and he moved between her legs, kissing her inner thighs gently before using his tongue to open her slick labia.

She rocked her hips gently and moaned.

Mac grinned and proceeded to feast on her nectar, slowly moving his tongue around and occasionally nibbling on her clit.

“Oh, God, Mac!”

Pleased that she had relaxed entirely for him, Mac continued his erotic assault until he felt her first climax building. He eased up a bit, causing Grace to whimper in protest.

“Do you need something, my love?”

“I need to cum, Mac! Please, let me cum!”

She was hot, desperate, and needy. But he was not inclined to rush. He slipped two fingers inside her, moving them slowly, as he sucked on her hard little nub. Her hips rocked impatiently as she tried to increase the pace. But Mac continued the deliberate onslaught.

She was panting and bucking as her body convulsed with an intense wave of orgasms.

Unwilling to be done but sensing she needed a break, Mac kissed a trail from her belly to her breasts and flicked her nipples with his tongue. He continued upward until he nuzzled her neck and nibbled on her earlobe.

“Oh, God, Mac! I need you inside me. Make love to me!”

Mac’s heart leapt. His usually overly eager bride would ordinarily demand to be fucked. That she was willing to ask for the slow and the sweet was precisely what he needed to hear.

He guided the head of his cock into her hot wetness. She moaned as he slid inside her slowly. She lifted her hips to meet his unhurried thrusts and moved along with him as he made love to her.

Mac prayed that DJ would keep sleeping so he could continue taking time with Grace. The stars and planets must have been aligned in their favor because he was able to keep the pace erotically sensual.

Eventually, her need became too great, and she started to buck, changing the rhythm. But Mac didn’t mind since his own desire had him in flames as he felt the constriction of his balls begin.

“Tell me what you need, Gracie!” he demanded.

“I need you to fuck me hard, take me over the edge, and make me feel whole again!” she cried.

“Mine!” he growled as he picked up his pace. “No matter who or what came before us, Grace, you’re mine, always! And I’m yours.”

Grace’s entire body shook as her climax ripped through her. With that, Mac let himself go and filled her with his hot seed.

Collapsing on the bed next to her, he panted, “Thank you.”

Grace laughed. “Why are you thanking me? I should be thanking you! That was fucking incredible.”

“Thank you for relaxing enough for me to go slow and take my time with you.”

Grace snuggled closer and rested her head on Mac’s chest. “Thanks for knowing what I needed.”

Kissing the top of her head, he said, “I love you so much. I’m sorry that you’ve experienced so much abuse in your past. But none of that could ever make me think less of you. If anything, I’m blown away at your capacity to put all that behind you and allow me to touch you and not feel repulsed by it.”

Grace frowned. “Nothing you could ever do could possibly make me feel anything but loved and desired.”

“My amazing Grace, the woman who stole my heart and changed my life in a New York minute. I hope I always make you feel special.”

“You do; always.”

Mac wondered if there would be time for an encore but decided he was enjoying holding his wife like this while they had time.

They stayed like that for a long while, enjoying the quiet time together.

“I’m going to tell Max to decline Adelburg’s offer,” Mac said, breaking the silence.

“I hate that you’d do that because of me. Since Max knows I was an escort, we can be upfront with him and let him know that we are leery of the deal because I was with Adelburg for a while many years ago. We could let him broker the agreement without us. He’s more than capable of doing so. He was running his own firm before you acquired him.”

“I don’t know if I want that disgusting pig to have a cent of our money,” Mac protested.

He could hear the wheels turning in her brain as she formulated a new plan.

“Do you trust me?” Grace asked.

“Implicitly.”

“Let’s get dressed and call Max to discuss an idea that just came into my head.”

“Sure,” Mac agreed. He didn’t know what her idea was, but he’d learned to trust her business sense. Still, he would much rather just pass on the whole thing.

Chapter Fourteen

It took a little longer to get around to calling Max because DJ woke up and needed to be changed and fed. Since it was a nice day, they took him for a walk in the stroller for a bit before coming back to Mac’s office to make the call.

“Hello, Mac. I didn’t think I would hear from you until Monday. Have you made a decision?”

“You’re on speaker phone, Max; Grace is here. She has some thoughts on this deal she’d like to share.”

“Hi, Grace. It’s always a pleasure to have you both on the line.”

After some additional small talk and pleasantries, Grace decided it was time to get to the heart of the matter.

“Max, I know you’re aware I used to be an escort,” she started.

“I am,” Max replied. “What does this have to do with the deal?”

“A long time ago, I was Kurtis Adelburg’s escort, and he was less than a gentleman behind closed doors. In fact, he was quite the opposite. So, this deal, while lucrative, is causing me some anxiety and distress.”

Max didn’t hesitate a bit. “Then we tell him no thank you and move on, Grace. We don’t do business with people like that.”

Just like that, Grace realized she’d been foolish to worry about what Max would think of her. She felt herself relax and breathe easier.

“What if we used that to our advantage instead? I realize that he is offering his firm at an excellent price. But what if we disclose who I am and see if we can convince him to give us more of a bargain?”

“You mean blackmailing him by threatening to expose him as less than a gentleman?” Max asked.

“No, not blackmail. That wouldn’t sit well with any of us. But what if I was the one to broker the deal? Let him think whatever he wants about what may or may not leak about his sordid lifestyle.”

“I think that’s entirely up to you, Grace. Personally, I’d understand if you wanted nothing to do with him. But if it would help you feel better to throw it in his face that you are the one in charge here, I’m behind you all the way.”

“That’s exactly what I want to do. But I also want to see if I can talk his price down. Wouldn’t that be like a big fuck you to him?”

“You’re so clever, Grace. I can see why Mac made you his partner.”

Mac frowned. Why hadn’t it occurred to him that Grace might need that? Showing Adelburg that he was at her mercy might be the thing Grace needed to reclaim her sense of pride and power over the situation. He felt foolish that Max had been wiser than he was.

Grace could tell by the look on Mac’s face that he was irritated with himself. She knew what she needed to say to ease that feeling.

“Mac loves me so madly he was willing to walk away. But he was wise enough to let me discuss my idea with you to get your input.”

“And that’s why he’s the CEO,” Max laughed. “Will you come to Munich then?”

Grace took both men by surprise when she said, “No, let’s make Herr Adelburg come to me. Let him see my fancy house and know I don’t need his firm as much as he needs to sell it to me.”

Mac beamed with pride. “Grace is a force to be reckoned with, and she certainly knows how to handle an acquisition offer meeting. She was my rock through the entire acquisition process last year in Europe. I’ll only get involved if she wants me to. But I think it might be good for you to be here. Will you accompany him, Max?”

“I will be there,” Max said. “If only to drive the point home that Grace is in charge.”

Max was quiet for a brief moment. “Grace, I want you to know I would never judge you. Everyone does what they need to do to get by sometimes. But being an escort doesn’t give anyone the right to treat you poorly. Any man who would use his power or wealth to abuse a woman is despicable.”

“Thanks, Max. I appreciate that more than you know. Give our best to the family. Let me know when you have the travel arrangements made.”

When they ended the call, Mac asked, “Are you sure about this, Grace?”

“I know that if I hide from my past, I will never get beyond it. So, thank you for giving me this opportunity to face things head-on.”

“You’re incredible, baby.”

“I’m going to take DJ to the media room and let him have some tummy time while I watch some mindless comedy. I need to veg a little before I sit down and devise a game plan for how I want to handle Herr Adelburg.”

“Kurtis,” Mac corrected her. “He’s not your master anymore, Grace. He deserves no title. He’s just an old man trying to sell his company. He needs you; you don’t need him.”

She nodded; he was right. But it would take a while to get beyond the ugly memories of being treated like a worthless whore.

Grateful for the space her husband gave her, she did her best to allow herself to be distracted by the television. But it wasn’t working. Maybe he was right; perhaps they should just let Max decline the offer and be done.

That night, Grace tossed and turned, unable to sleep as she let her mind drift back to her time in Germany. While her master slept like a king, she shivered on the hardwood floor next to his bed so she would be handy if he woke and wanted his floppy dick or sweaty balls sucked.

Why had she allowed herself to be treated like that? Tears leaked on her pillow as she struggled to feel warm, despite the cozy quilt she’d pulled over herself.

Mac was dozing, but he could feel her sadness and innately put an arm around her, pulling her close to him. He spooned her, helping her feel safe until she finally fell into a deep slumber. Only then would Mac allow himself to fall asleep as well.

Chapter Fifteen

In the morning, he woke alone. He figured Grace would be in the nursery, but a quick check showed the room empty. He took the elevator to the first floor, thinking she’d gone down for breakfast, but there was no sign of her.

Confused and a little worried, he headed up to their offices on the second floor. He found her at her desk, with DJ sleeping peacefully in his bassinet.

“What are you doing working on a Sunday morning, babe?”

“Just trying to get my ducks in a row for how I want to handle things with Kurtis.”

“It’s not too late to change your mind, Grace. We don’t need that acquisition. We are doing fine in the Munich market and have accounts all over Germany.”

“Part of me wants to let it go, but if I do that, I’m always going to feel like a coward that I didn’t stand up for myself.”

“You stood up for yourself when you left him and went to Paris.”

“I made up a story I knew would make him want to be rid of me.”

“Which was a clever way to get out of a terrible situation. Do you know what I hate the most about all of this? That the mere mention of his name has made you doubt yourself and forget what a total badass you are. Crush the motherfucker, Grace! And if you decide, after doing so, that you don’t want to purchase his firm, we kick him to the curb.”

“You’re very sexy when you’re mad like this,” Grace teased.

“Nice try, but I’m not ready to change the subject and let you seduce me. I need to know that you look in the mirror and can see the formidable Grace Remy Stewart I see.”

“Sometimes,” she said softly. “Most times, actually, I see the badass looking back at me. You helped me find her. Thank you for reminding me not to lose her.”

Max looked down at his phone to see a text from Max.

Arrangements have been made. Kurtis is aware that he is meeting with the COO and that her name is Grace Stewart. He doesn’t seem to be aware she was once Grace Remy.

Mac shared the message with Grace. “So, it looks like you’ll have the element of surprise.”

She felt relief wash over her. Although if he didn’t know who she was, maybe she should just let Max and Mac handle the meeting.

“Not a chance,” Mac said as if reading her mind. “While I may have originally wanted to shield you from dealing with that bastard, I think Max is right. You need this to prove to yourself that he didn’t break you.”

“Didn’t he?”

“No. He left you dented maybe, bruised even, but not broken. No one can break you, Grace. You’re tougher than you realize.”

She sat for a moment and let his words sink in.

“Thanks, as always, for knowing what I need.”

Mac laughed. “Oh, if only that were true. But I do believe that I’ve gotten better at knowing since the beginning when I didn’t have a clue.”

Grace flashed a genuine smile. “You were a work in progress, but I’ve enjoyed watching you evolve into a man who can look beyond himself and love deeply. I’d like to think that my evolution involved learning to trust myself and others, especially you.”

“You always say we are different people now than we were when we first met. I believe that wholeheartedly. I also know that means you are so much stronger than you were when Kurtis Adelburg thought he owned you. I have no doubt you’ll be so formidable he will probably piss himself.”

Grace would have laughed, but she recalled times when Herr Adelburg would piss himself a little while they were out on the town and then expected her to suck his cock as it flopped out of his urine-soaked pants. The thought made her gag a little.

Monday morning came and went with little fanfare. Grace did her best not to dwell on her Tuesday meeting with Max and Kurtis. She enjoyed a swim during the afternoon while DJ napped and spent a good hour deciding what outfit to wear for her meeting.

She decided on her navy-blue power suit and was thrilled when the pencil skirt zipped up without too much trouble. While she was still working on the last few pounds of baby weight, she was feeling pretty damn proud of her progress.

She selected a pale blue silk blouse to go with the suit and decided on the navy pumps and her pearls to complete the ensemble. She held her hair up and looked in the mirror. She’d sweep it up tomorrow, she thought, to make her feel more elegant. Her reflection seemed to say, “You’ve got this, girl!”

She jutted her chin in the air and nodded at the woman looking back at her. If she were going to take control of that meeting, she’d need to stop letting the past bite her in the ass.

Later, Mac watched as she undressed and got ready for bed. He sensed her turmoil and wished he knew how to help her.

His brow furrowed when he saw an odd expression come over her face.

“Grace?”

“Get naked and get on the bed, McKinley,” she commanded.

Mac just stood there, tilting his head in surprise.

“Did you not hear me?”

Mac’s cock sprang to life.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said hastily as he did as she directed.

“Stroke your cock for me. Show me how much you want this pussy.”

He’d never seen this side of Grace, and it was oddly arousing.

He spat on his hand and began stroking his stiff shaft while maintaining eye contact with her. She wore a sheer teal nightgown that showed off all her gorgeous curves and made him want her so badly his balls ached.

She sauntered over to the bed and did a seductive striptease, dipping one of her fingers into her wetness and bringing it to her lips.

“Mmm, so sweet! Want a taste?” she teased.

“Yes, please!” Mac found himself begging.

She repeated the act, bringing the finger to his lips this time.

“Mmm, you do taste fucking delicious!”

“Lie back; I’m going to feed you my pussy. But don’t stop stroking.”

He grinned. Holy fuck, this was hot!

She straddled his face and rocked her hips, grinding her needy pussy on his face. His tongue dipped inside her, then back out as he captured her clit between his teeth.

“Oh, fuck yeah!” Grace cried as her first climax grabbed hold of her. Squirting her delicious nectar into his mouth, she demanded, “Keep stroking that cock and eating my cunt!”

Mac was amused as he complied. Grace wasn’t particularly fond of the word cunt unless she was extremely aroused. He did her bidding eagerly, stroking and feasting simultaneously.

Grace came in waves as she arched her back and cried out like a bitch in heat. Without warning, she lifted herself off his face and scooted down his body, taking his rock-hard cock into her wet heat.

“Fuck me hard, McKinley! Fuck my pussy and cum deep inside me!”

It didn’t take long for Mac to comply. As her orgasm ripped through her body, his balls tightened, and he let go, flooding her with his seed.

She collapsed on his chest, panting and sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered, “There’s my badass redhead.”

The rich sound of her laughter was music to his ears.

“Damn straight!” she agreed, as her breathing returned to normal. “And tomorrow, I’m going to crush Kurtis like the fucking bug he is!”

“Atta girl! Oh, and by the way, you were wrong about something. Which amuses me because you are very rarely wrong about anything.”

Grace frowned. “What?”

“Well, apparently, the name McKinley isn’t too much of a mouthful to cry out during sex,” he said, poking her ribs teasingly.

Grace laughed, recalling that she’d said that very line at her interview to be McKinley Stewart’s escort. She’d decided to call him Mac because she felt he needed a nickname in bed and used it all the time because she thought it suited him. He’d avoided nicknames all his life, but somehow it was different because it was Grace who’d chosen it.

“For a moment, I thought I was in trouble when you used my given name. You’ve never done that during sex. But I’m guessing you wanted me to know who was in charge.”

Grace just grinned.

Chapter Sixteen

“So, the offices are in a residence?” Kurtis Adelburg asked Max Becker as Randall, Mac’s driver, opened the limo door for them.

“Yes, it’s a six-story house in Manhattan, New York City.”

“Impressive! And we’ll be meeting with the COO, Grace Stewart?”

Max nodded.

“Perhaps I should have asked for more for Adelburg Technologies,” Kurtis mused.

Max raised an eyebrow. “You’d do well not to underestimate her.”

“Of course.”

But he was already plotting how to best this female and get top dollar for his company.

When they arrived, Kurtis looked up at the tall brick structure. He’d expected something sprawling, but the neighborhood was clearly upscale.

Bentley greeted them by asking them to have a seat in the main hallway while he contacted Avery.

“Herr Becker and Herr Adelburg are here for their appointment with Mrs. Stewart.”

“I’ll be down momentarily,” Avery responded.

As planned, Avery kept them waiting for nearly fifteen minutes. He brought them up to the second-floor offices and asked them to take a seat in the waiting area.

Another fifteen minutes went by before Grace buzzed Avery and asked him to bring the visitors into her office. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly.

“Max, how wonderful to see you again,” she greeted him warmly.

“Likewise, Grace. This is Kurtis Adelburg of Adelburg Technologies. Kurtis, this is our COO, Grace Remy Stewart,” Max said, nodding his head.

Though it had been years since he’d seen Grace, he recognized her almost instantly. “Ach! I know you,” he said, eyeing her up and down. “You’re nothing but pussy-licking gutter trash.”

He turned to Max. “Is this some kind of a joke?”

“No joke,” Grace answered for him. “Have a seat Mr. Adelburg,” she said, purposefully avoiding the title, Herr.

“I want to speak to McKinley. He’s the one I want buying my firm, not this filthy whore,” Kurtis demanded of Max.

“I’d be careful to mind your tongue, Kurtis. Grace is in charge of all acquisitions. If you want to sell to Stewart Enterprises, you need to meet with her,” Max insisted, appalled at the man’s behavior.

Kurtis’s jaw dropped open as he looked at them both incredulously.

“You see, Kurtis,” Grace began, “I’m McKinley’s partner, wife, and mother to his son. And I am the one who will decide if we wish to buy your firm. So, you’d be wise to remember that before any more ugliness spews out of your mouth.”

“You’re nothing but common trash. You opened your slutty mouth and spread your whore’s legs for me, and then…” Kurtis started.

“You treated me like a dog, making me sleep and eat on the floor,” Grace said, cutting him off before he blurted out any more sordid details. “So, I’m not inclined to give you one cent of this firm’s money unless you lower your asking price.”

Kurtis sat in silence, aghast at this turn of events.

Max was silent, too, hoping that Grace would turn Kurtis away.

“I’m no longer that eager, foolish escort that you dazzled with your charm in public, Kurt.” She saw venom in his eyes when she purposely used a nickname. “And I’m not the naïve girl you treated like a personal slave to abuse either.”

“I want to speak with McKinley!”

Right on cue, Mac knocked on her office door. She invited him in and smiled as he held their son on his hip.

“Oh, I’m sorry, babe, I didn’t realize your meeting had started already. I just wanted to bring DJ in to see his mommy before I take him to the zoo. Hey, Max, good to see you,” Mac said, completely ignoring Kurtis.

Kurtis stood, fuming. “McKinley Stewart! I want to meet with you, not this woman.”

“And you must be Kurt Adelburg. Pleased to meet you. Sorry, but my wife is in charge of acquisitions, so you’ll need to present your offer to her. She’s a fifty-fifty partner in the firm. Besides, it’s my day to watch the baby, so if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just get out of your way.”

Mac smiled at Grace. “Darling, Claudette would like to consult with you later regarding the menus for the next few weeks if you have time. And Brendan would like to speak to you regarding the Paris office. We’ll see you later.”

He kissed her on the cheek and made his exit.

“So, Mr. Adelburg, do you still wish to proceed?”

“You told me you liked girls!”

“I would have told you I liked tarantulas to get away from you. You were not the gentleman you led everyone to believe. I had stars in my eyes…”

“You had dollar signs in your eyes, you greedy, dirty whore.”

Grace was suddenly in agreement with Mac; there was no way this vile man would see one red cent of Stewart Enterprise’s money. She inhaled sharply and willed the tears that threatened to spill to stay at bay.

“We are done here. I have no desire to purchase the firm of someone as rude and disgusting as yourself. But understand this, I will go after every single client of yours and offer them better pricing. Soon, you won’t have a company left to sell. So, if I were you, I’d get busy finding a buyer who doesn’t care that you like to piss yourself and treat women like animals. Tick tock, Kurt, tick tock!”

As Kurtis grumbled, she turned to Max. “I’m terribly sorry you came all this way, but next time you may need to be more thorough doing your due diligence to discern whether a firm is worth our trouble to go after, Max.”

Max was grinning on the inside but kept his expression somber. “Yes, ma’am. My apologies for wasting your time.”

“Not a complete waste of time, Max. You gave me the opportunity to look Mr. Adelburg in the eye and say no.”

She stood. “Avery will show you the way out, Kurt. Randall will drive you to your hotel room. The hotel has a shuttle to the airport. Safe travels! Max, please join me in the library in fifteen minutes.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Max agreed, nodding.

“You can’t go after my clients. I will tell them what a whore you were. How you sucked my cock for money!”

Grace felt herself die a little inside of embarrassment but pushed that emotion down and held her head high.

“Would that be the cock that smelled like urine and couldn’t get fully erect? Do you think they will want to continue to do business with a man who likes to hire escorts and treat them like sex slaves?” she fumed. “I hear that’s frowned upon in polite society.”

Kurtis Adelburg looked like he was going to spontaneously combust but said nothing further. He simply scowled while he tried to think about how to avoid the wrath of Grace as Avery quietly led him out of the office and to the elevator.

“I’m sorry you had to hear some of that,” Grace said, trying desperately not to cry. It was embarrassing enough that Max knew she’d been an escort. But now he knew some of the repugnant things she’d done.

“Grace, you have nothing to be sorry for. I feel as though I should apologize on behalf of German men everywhere for the nightmare you experienced with that despicable man,” he said quietly.

“Thanks,” she said, her voice a little shaky and her eyes watery.

“How’d it go?” Mac asked as he reentered Grace’s office.

Max grinned. “Your clever wife turned down the rude businessman and told him she’s going after his clients.”

“Did she, now?” Mac asked, beaming with pride.

“Ja,” Max replied. “And she told him he should get busy finding another buyer before she woos every one of them away. Tick tock!”

Max laughed and grinned at Grace, making her smile a little.

Mac looked at his wife. “That’s fucking clever, darling. I have no doubt that you and Max will devise a strategy to lure his clients to Stewart Enterprises. I’ve got DJ for the rest of the day, my love. Let me know if you need anything from me. Otherwise, I thrust the two of you to make things happen.”