Chapter Sixty-Five

“Come out and let me see it, Grace,” Mac said.

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding day.”

“Seriously? You don’t strike me as a superstitious woman, Grace.”

“I’m not typically. But I’m not taking any chances.”

Mac rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine, then I will wait outside the store so you can come out here in look at it in all these mirrors.”

“You’re the best!”

They’d come to Lilly’s, one of the most recommended bridal boutiques in Stockholm, to buy a wedding dress for Grace. Mac had a hunch she was trying to avoid letting him pay for the dress. So, before he exited the store, he handed his credit card to Elvira, the bridal specialist who had been assisting Grace.

“I will come and collect my card when my fiancée has finished deciding on a dress. She will argue that she wants to pay for it herself. Decline her card. Tak,” he instructed, adding the Danish word for thank you in hopes that the woman would take heed of his request.

Elvira looked at his card and smiled. “Ja, Herre Stewart, I will take care of your bride. We will make sure she gets the dress of her dreams.”

Once Grace had decided on which dress to purchase, she handed Elvira her credit card.

Elvira was going to pretend to swipe her card and then say it was declined. But she sensed that Grace was too sharp to be fooled.

“Your man wishes to pay, ja?”

“Ja, but I don’t need him to buy my dress.”

“No, I imagine not. But perhaps he needs you to let him buy it.”

Grace frowned.

“I will tell you a secret, in Denmark, it’s good luck to let the groom pay for the dress. I’ve seen many happy marriages begin with the groom paying for the wedding dress,” Elvira explained.

“He put you up to this, didn’t he?” Grace said, rolling her eyes.

“No, he was not quite so clever. He told me to tell you that your credit card had been declined,” Elvira laughed.

Grace smiled. “Thank you for not sending me into panic mode, thinking my credit account had been compromised. Please charge the dress to my card.”

“I can’t do that,” Elvira said as she slipped the beautiful gown into a white garment bag. “I’ve already charged his card.”

Grace was about to protest when Elvira stopped her. “Fröken Grace, I have seen many brides and grooms come through this shop. Never have I encountered a man who handed me a card and asked me to make sure his bride has the dress of her dreams, no matter what the cost. Usually, if they give their card at all, they ask me to steer the bride to a less expensive gown.”

Grace felt her annoyance slipping away.

“I think,” Elvira said, “that this is a man who needs to buy the woman he loves a dress. I think he has an important reason in his heart to do such a lovely thing for his bride. Would it be so bad to let him?”

Grace sighed. “I suppose that will leave me with more money to buy his wedding ring.”

“A splendid idea!” Elvira said, handing her the carefully packaged gown and Mac’s American Express card.

When Mac saw Grace exit the store, he could tell by the look on her face that she was irritated.

“Here’s your Amex, Mr. Moneybags,” she said.

“What happened? Was your card declined?”

“Nope. Elvira told me that I should let you buy the dress.”

Mac frowned, “It was that easy?”

“Yes,” Grace said. “The truth usually works best.”

“Grace, I...”

“Mac, I love you. But from now on, don’t sneak behind my back and ask someone to lie to get your way. Just fight it out with me. Or threaten to spank me if you don’t get your way. But don’t use deceit.”

Mac looked at her. “Threaten to spank you? That would have worked?”

“We will never know now, will we?”

Lunch at Agaton was delicious and helped lighten the mood a little. The stop for the Hop On - Hop Off bus was right near the restaurant. Since the weather was so lovely, they opted to sit up top. Mac ushered them to the back row of seats far away from everyone else.

“Spread your legs,” Mac demanded.

“I don’t know if I’m in the mood to play your game, Mac. I’m still annoyed that you told Elvira to lie to me.”

“I’m very sorry, Grace. I wasn’t trying to deceive you. I just...”

“You just wanted to get your way. I know you are used to that in the business world. And maybe other women have just allowed you to call the shots all the time. But I would have preferred to fight about it ahead of time and then worked it out. Instead, I was stuck allowing you to pay for the dress or risk looking like the most ungrateful bride in the world.”

“I didn’t think about that. I just wanted you to have whatever dress you wanted. I feel like you’re already getting cheated out of a traditional wedding and figured that the gown would be one thing I could make sure you didn’t miss out on.”

“Elvira said you had a reason in your heart that made you need to buy the dress for me. What did you say to her?”

“Nothing. But she isn’t wrong. Grace, I can’t go back in time to stop the men who hurt you from doing such ugly, despicable things. All I can do is try to give you everything you deserve, everything  stolen from that naïve girl who was betrayed by a man she thought loved her.”

Her heart softened. “Mac, I don’t need everything. I just need you. And honesty between us, making decisions together and fighting when we disagree. I love you. I get that you were trying to be the knight in shining armor, but that’s not what I want or need. I just want an honest man to love and respect me.”

He took her hands in his and brought them to his lips. “I’m sorry. I promise to do better to listen and respect what you want.”

“One more thing. Get that silly idea out of your head that I am being cheated out of anything. You gave me carte blanche to plan the wedding I want, and I intend to let you pay for that. So, you should have let me pay for my dress.”

Mac nodded.

“But now I can afford a nicer wedding ring for you. So, I’m done being mad at you.” She smiled at him and added, “Now what was it you were asking me when we got on the bus?”

Mac grinned. He thought he had spoiled the afternoon. But here she was, done being mad. God, he loved her!

“I said open your legs, slut.”

She could say no. She knew that Mac would back off if his taking charge didn’t arouse her. But damn if his command didn’t get her juices flowing. So, she let her legs fall open just enough to give him access to her wetness.

“Good girl,” he moaned in her ear. Then he moved his hand under her dress and traced a finger along her slick, swollen slit. It made him instantly hard.

He nuzzled her neck while he pushed two fingers into her and rubbed her clit with his thumb.

“I’m going to make you cum hard, but you can’t make a sound, Grace. Otherwise, we will be kicked off the bus, do you understand?”

She nodded in nearly the same rhythm that her hips rocked. Mac watched her eyes flutter and heard her breathing hitch as he stimulated her and felt her tense up and release, flooding his hand.

“Fuck, Grace!” He whispered hoarsely. “It’s a damn good thing I carry a handkerchief.”

They took in the sights while Mac repeated his performance three more times. By the time they got off the bus, his handkerchief was soaking wet.

Their next stop was Love Store, where they felt like kids in a candy shop. They wandered around, amazed at how many different kinds of sex toys there were.

“This one wouldn’t fit in any of my holes,” Grace laughed as she held a box with a monster black cock.

They headed to the counter to check out. The clerk complimented them on their choices: a paddle for Mac to spank her with, a more powerful cordless vibrating wand, some flavored stimulating gel, and a remote-controlled vibrating bullet.

“You should slip that in and let me tease you on the way back to the hotel,” Mac said slyly, pointing to the bullet.

“I’m too wet, and I don’t have any panties to kept it from falling out on the ground,”

“Leave it to my beautiful bride-to-be to establish a reasonable purpose for panties.”

“Don’t forget, you promised me ice cream. And then you promised to make me scream. Let’s head back and do both!”

Chapter Sixty-Six

Grace hung her wedding dress, carefully wrapped in its white garment bag, in the closet before stripping off her clothes. All the teasing and pleasing by Mac’s clever fingers had left her in a very heightened state of arousal. She plunked herself down on the bed and said, “Use me, Mac. I’m ready to scream.”

“I thought you wanted ice cream,” he teased.

“I want you more.”

“Let’s see if you still feel that way after we try out this new paddle.”

It felt decadent to be fully clothed while he spanked her.

Spank! Spank! Spank!

She looked beautiful and sexy as hell as he turned her creamy ass cheeks a bright red. He knew she’d had enough when she cried out, “God, please, Mac! I need you to fuck me!”

Mac undressed quickly and joined her on the bed. He pulled her on top of him and eased his erect shaft into her dripping heat. Her eyes rolled back in her head as he opened her up with his thickness.

“God, I love watching your face when you ride me like this.”

She looked like a warrior with her fierce blue eyes and red hair in a long braid down her back. Her creamy breasts contrasted with her sun-kissed skin, courtesy of their recent time in Corsica, and they bounced erotically in rhythm with his thrusts.

His moves were slow and deliberate; there was no need to rush this exquisite coupling. He continued his steady pace and could tell he was driving Grace wild. As her climax drew closer, she tried to ride him faster.

“What’s your hurry, my love?”

“I need…”

“What do you need, my sweet little slut?”

“I need to cum!”

He toyed with denying her release but felt his own need becoming intense. So, he grabbed her hips and thrust into her harder and faster. Her clit was grinding against his body, and she was riding him with wild abandon.

“Oh, fuck, yes!” Grace screamed as her orgasm swept in like a tornado, and she flooded his cock with her nectar. He followed right behind her, filling her with his seed.

Mac pulled her down onto his chest for an embrace, and he enjoyed the incredible sensation of staying inside her until he went soft and let his sated, flaccid prick slip out of her.

She stayed put for a while, wanting to savor every intimate moment with this man she loved.

“You’re going to be my husband,” she whispered.

Mac laughed softly, “Yes, my sweet Grace. And you’re going to be my wife. Aren’t we the luckiest two people in the world?”

She closed her eyes and sighed, “Without a doubt.”

He held her just a little longer and allowed his mind to envision their lives together. He wondered if she was thinking the same thing when he heard her sigh.

Then she asked, “Can we get ice cream now?”

His laughter was rich and deep. “Yes, Gracie. We can get ice cream now. Cookies and cream, coming right up!”

Later, while they were getting ready for dinner, Mac asked, “Are we set to arrive a few days early in Copenhagen?”

“Yes, I was able to change the dates of our stay at Nimb Hotel again,” Grace said as she put a pair of diamond studs in her ears. “The woman I spoke with was very kind when I explained that we were coming a little earlier because we planned to be married. She said to stop and ask for her when we check-in so we can see what the options are for the ceremony.”

“What about the reception?” he asked.

“Mac, who would we even invite?”

“Max and Virginie would come, maybe Iker and Jacinta, too. I bet Franz would be happy to see us get married. He told me not to fuck things up with you,” Mac said.

That brought a momentary smile to Grace’s face. Then she sighed, “People need time to plan…”

“What if we conducted our business first and got married toward the end of our stay in Denmark? Just because we can get married in three days, it doesn’t mean we can’t wait for ten or eleven.”

“Do we need guests? Can’t we elope?”

“Grace, I thought about getting married on the beach in Corsica, but I thought you would regret not having a real wedding,” Mac admitted. “And I still feel that way. You might not now, but someday. I don’t want you to regret one single minute of our time together.”

“I can’t imagine ever regretting any time with you, Mac.”

“Well, maybe a few moments in the beginning,” he said sheepishly, thinking about how they had gotten off to a shaky start.

“Not even those. I think being able to step back and take time to get to know each other before we made our relationship physical was a good thing.”

He took her into his arms and said, “I couldn’t agree more. I just want to give you the wedding of your dreams.”

Just then, Mac’s cellphone rang. Still holding onto Grace, he took the phone out of his pocket and answered, “Hello?”

“McKinley, this is Vince. We are having a bit of difficulty with Ms. Andersson. She is fighting us on relinquishing her spot as head of the Stockholm branch. Her lawyer has requested that you meet with us tomorrow.”

“I don’t want to meet with you or Astrid or her lawyer. I want to go to Copenhagen with my fiancée and get married.”

“Astrid has said that you pressured her into selling her firm last year and that you entered into a sexual relationship to sway her to sell her company against her will.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Vince. I have emails saved that show she contacted me first.”

“Did you have sex with her?” Vince asked.

Mac was irritated. “I had oral sex with her, yes. I did not penetrate her; she was quite specific that my tongue and fingers should be the only things that entered her.”

“Astrid also said that you purposely misled her when you announced you were coming to Stockholm. She was under the impression that she would be resuming a relationship with you. Then you flaunted your fiancée to her.”

“What? We hadn’t spoken in months. Why would she think we were resuming a relationship?” Mac asked, frustrated.

“Because she’s a manipulative woman,” Grace suggested.

“Hang on, Vince.”

“What?” Mac asked Grace.

“She let you lick her pussy last year, hoping for one of two outcomes. Either you would marry her and take care of her financial woes. Or she could pretend you made her have sex as leverage to keep her job after she breached the contract.”

“That bitch!”

“Do you want my advice?” Grace asked. When he nodded, she said, “Tell Vince we will both meet tomorrow morning. You trusted me to handle her once. Trust me again. I will call Scandinavian Air right now and get us moved to the 3:20 p.m. flight to Copenhagen.”

“We won’t be able to get first-class seats.”

“It’s a Scandinavian Airlines Airbus 320; there are no first-class seats.”

Mac shrugged. “Vince, 8:00 a.m. tomorrow.” Then he hung up.

Grace got the flight switched and then called room service to order dinner in the room. The food came quickly, and they ate in relative silence. After dinner, she went out onto the terrace to get some air. Mac poured them both a glass of wine and went out to join her.

“I’m sorry we aren’t leaving for Denmark first thing in the morning,” he said.

“It’s fine. Better to take care of this issue with Astrid before we leave Stockholm,” Grace answered, sipping her wine.

“She’s a sneaky, manipulative, opportunistic…”

“Lesbian,” Grace said, finishing Mac’s sentence.

Mac choked on his wine. “I beg your pardon?”

“And you would have made the perfect cover husband while solving her financial troubles at the same time. She’s quite clever.”

“That’s preposterous! I would know if Astrid went for women. I mean, maybe she’s bisexual. But she was really into me!” Mac protested.

“Was she? Think about it. She wouldn’t let you into her pants in college. Then she sought you out to help bail out her firm, even though you hadn’t spoken in years, and gets all flirty with you because you turned out to be successful and rich. But even then, she was willing to fool around, but she wouldn’t let you fuck her, would she?”

“No, but she said she was saving intercourse for marriage. Some women still do that,” he said pointedly.

He caught the hurt look on her face too late.

“Some women have that choice snatched away from them.”

He felt like an ass. “Grace…”

She shook her head. “This isn’t about me; let’s not make it so. My point is, she found herself a meal ticket and a man who would give her the image she wanted. Mark my words, if she had conned you into marrying her, she would have found some other excuse not to fuck you. Maybe her wafer-thin body wouldn’t be able to take your big cock in her tiny little hole. Or maybe she would develop some female issue that wouldn’t allow intercourse.”

Mac looked at Grace incredulously.

“Am I that clueless?” Mac asked, frustrated.

“You trust people to be who and what they say they are. You don’t look below the surface. That’s all.”

“I feel like a fool.”

“Hey, I could be wrong. But tomorrow, we will know for sure. Then we will leave the Stockholm debacle behind us,” Grace said.

“I’m going to need to appoint someone in the interim to replace her. I can’t just leave them without someone in charge,” Mac sighed.

“You’ll figure it out. In the meantime, how about you let me relieve some stress for you?”

Mac smiled weakly, “I wouldn’t argue with letting you try.”

Minutes later, Mac was on his back on the bed, and Grace was licking his shaft and playing with his balls. “There is no one on Earth who knows how to turn me on the way you do, baby.”

She kept up the cock worship for a while before taking him into her throat and moaning. The vibrations were arousing beyond words, and Mac began thrusting hard and deep. “Ah, God, baby! You’re making me so fucking hot and hard!”

She didn’t let up, and soon he couldn’t hold back any longer. He erupted like a geyser, spewing his hot seed down her throat.

“Fuckkkkk!”

When he could breathe normally again, Mac asked, “How can I return the favor?”

“You can owe me one. I know you’re good for it. I wanted to take your stress away.”

Grace cuddled up against Mac and put her head on his chest. “Would it help to let you stay behind in Stockholm for a few days, and I can go ahead to Copenhagen?”

“I don’t want to be apart from you, but that might be necessary. Let’s see how things go after tomorrow’s meeting.”

Chapter Sixty-Seven

The following day, Grace and Mac met with Vince, Astrid, and Astrid’s lawyer, Sven Bourne.

Mac grinned. Grace wore a black business suit with her hair pulled back in a bun at the nape of her neck and tiny gold balls in her ears. She looked like a badass businesswoman, but the earrings reminded Mac of the gold ball that adorned her pussy, and the thought of that made him hard. He went to the restroom and adjusted things so as not to give Astrid the wrong idea. When he came out, Grace and Vince were talking and nodding as they entered the office. He followed them, pleased that Vince had no issue with Grace being here.

Sven began, “My client is unwilling to accept any deal that does not include her retaining leadership of the Stockholm office. She was led to believe that when she gave up control of her company to McKinley Stewart, she would be taken care of financially with an offer of marriage. Since Mr. Stewart is now engaged to Ms. Remy, Ms. Andersson is willing to accept the position of mistress or retain the title of CEO, or both.”

Mac was fuming, but Grace put her hand on his arm. She looked at Vince, who nodded at her.

“Mr. Bourne,” Vince said, “Your client did not give up control of her company under any such notion. She reached out to Mr. Stewart, a man she hadn’t seen since college, and asked him if he wished to purchase her firm. He has emails proving this. He made an incredibly generous offer, above market value, and she accepted. He hardly left her uncompensated as your statement suggests.”

Grace spoke next, “Mr. Bourne, I just want to clarify something. Does your client wish to become Mac’s mistress or mine?”

Sven frowned. “What do you mean by that?” He looked at Astrid, who said nothing, but she wiggled her eyebrows at Grace.

“I’m suggesting that Astrid does not want a sexual relationship with McKinley, that her interest in him was purely based on what he could do for her financially. But that she’d agree to become my mistress in a heartbeat. Isn’t that right, Astrid?” Grace mused.

“I would if it included a generous allowance,” Astrid blurted out, much to Sven’s chagrin.

Vince snickered and sat back, more than happy to let Grace continue.

“Astrid, unfortunately, I’m not in the market for a mistress, nor is McKinley. He’s no longer looking for a wife, which I am sure is a bit of a relief to you since you prefer women. And you’ve proven yourself unfit to run the Stockholm office. Vince, what is Astrid’s best option at this point?”

Vince grinned. McKinley’s bride-to-be was a force to be reckoned with. He was enjoying this immensely.

“Ms. Andersson,” Vince spoke directly to her as Grace had, ignoring the annoyed look on Sven’s face. “Your best option would be to step down from your position and sever your ties with Mr. Stewart and Stewart Enterprise. If you do so, my client is willing to forgive your breach of contract, and you will not be financially obligated to repay any funds. In essence, walk away, and we won’t sue you.”

“Sue me? I am the one suing you!” Astrid shouted.

“On what grounds, Astrid?” Grace asked. “You wanted rich eye candy to cover your debts and to give you a certain image, but McKinley wasn’t willing to play that game. So, you thought you could drag your lawyer into this and try to make it sound as if Mac forced himself on you and that you couldn’t resist him?”

Sven spoke up, “Astrid, take the deal. It’s better than taking a chance that your secret will come out in public and possibly ending up bankrupt. Ms. Remy was right. The amount Mr. Stewart paid last year was well above the reasonable value of your firm. He has emails that prove you sought him out, not the other way around. And, if you decide to pursue a lawsuit, you’ll need to get another lawyer since I don’t see you winning this case, and you can’t afford me if you lose.”

Astrid sat pouting with her arms crossed, like a petulant child.

Grace said, “In this day and age, why is it an issue to come out as a lesbian?”

“You don’t understand. My parents will cut me off financially if they find out I am gay. Plus, they want a grandchild. I figured if I got McKinley to marry me and then told them he could not give me a child, they would back off. So, it’s not just about him being rich eye candy, although he certainly is that. I needed a way to get what I wanted and needed. At least I’m not a whore looking for a rich man to save me from living my life on my back,” Astrid said, hatred spewing from every word.

Grace’s chin moved up in the air ever so slightly. “At least a whore gives a man something for his money. All you want to do is take.” Then she got up and walked out of the room.

Mac looked at Vince, who nodded and said, “Go. I’ve got this.”

When he caught up to her, he found Grace sitting on a bench near the elevators crying softly.

“Hey,” Mac said as he sat and put his arm around her. “You kicked some major ass back there. Don’t cry.” He handed her his handkerchief.

When she hesitated to take it at first, Mac laughed. “This is a clean one, I promise!”

She gave a weak laugh, took the cloth, and blotted her eyes.

“Are you going to need to stay back?” she asked.

“I wish I didn’t have to, but I think it’s what’s best for my company. I just don’t like the thought of putting business before you,” Mac said as he brushed the back of his hand gently along her cheek.

“It’s only a few days. It’s hard because you’ve already shifted things to cover losing Alice. I understand.”

“Thanks, Gracie,” he said. I’m going to head back in to see what’s going on. You go up to the suite and pack what you need. I’ll bring the rest with me when I come. If for some reason I can’t break free in time to take you to the airport, I will make sure a driver comes to pick you up and take you, okay?”

Grace nodded.

Mac took Grace’s face in his hands and kissed her. “I love you. I will be with you in a couple of days, I promise.”

Grace nodded and got on the elevator. When the doors closed and she was alone, she allowed a few more tears to spill.

Chapter Sixty-Eight

When Mac wasn’t able to break away from a meeting with the associates from the Stockholm branch, he made sure that a driver was there to pick Grace up from Bank Hotel to take her to the airport. As she walked out of the hotel through the giant bronze doors one last time, she realized that it felt awkward to be leaving the hotel, and the city, without the man who had become such a significant part of her life.

Although there was no first-class cabin on this plane, the flight was only an hour and fifteen minutes, and she was seated in the front row. So, she was plenty comfortable and managed to nap a little.

When she arrived at Copenhagen Airport, she spotted a driver holding a card with her name on it. She approached him and said, “I’m Grace Remy.”

“Hello, Ms. Remy, my name is Bjorn. Your fiancé, Mr. Stewart, has hired me to be your driver while staying at Nimb Hotel. I will collect your bags, and we will be on our way.”

“Thank you,” Grace said.

Once they were in the car, an S-Class Mercedes, Bjorn offered her water. “If you let me know what you prefer to drink, I will have it stocked in the car for the remainder of your time here in Denmark.”

“Thank you, water is fine.”

“It should take about twenty-five or thirty minutes to get to the hotel. Do you need a recommendation for dinner?” Bjorn asked.

“If I’m not mistaken, there is an Italian restaurant at the hotel,” she said.

“Yes, Mazzoli’s. A fine choice.”

Grace was tired when she arrived and checked into the Executive Suite. She walked out onto the terrace which overlooked Tivoli Gardens and sat down in a chair. She felt out of place here without Mac, somehow.

Her mind kept replaying Astrid’s comment. Suddenly her phone buzzed. It was a text from Mac.

Did you forget to let me know you got to the hotel safely?

Grace smiled.

Yes, I’m sorry. I just got to the room a few moments ago. I’m out on the balcony. The view is pretty.

Mac responded quickly.

You’re prettier, I’m sure. So, Astrid is officially out. Now I just have to figure out who I am going to put in charge in Stockholm. I miss you.

Grace’s eyes watered up a bit.

I miss you too. It feels odd without you here. I feel like a fish out of water.

When she got no response, Grace decided to go in and unpack. Then she ordered pizza from Mazzoli’s to be delivered to her room and took a quick shower before her food arrived.

She decided she would touch base with the conference room manager regarding wedding plans in the morning before setting up meetings for Mac’s presentation and the transition meetings. She hoped that being busy would help her not feel so lonely.

As she was eating her pizza on the terrace in her bathrobe, she received a message from Bjorn.

Good evening, Ms. Remy. It’s Bjorn. Let me know in the morgen, ah, morning, if you have anywhere you need to go. I will be driving other guests to and from the airport. But if you need a ride somewhere, I will make myself available for whatever you need. Godnat.

She smiled. It was silly that a text from her driver should make her feel less alone, but it did.

Tak, Bjorn. As of now, I can’t think of anywhere I need to go. But I will be sure to let you know. Godnat.

Grace decided to go to bed early since she was tired anyway. Just as she slipped under the covers, her phone lit up.

I’m finally back up in the room. It seems empty without you here.

Seeing a message from Mac made her smile.

It seems empty without you here too! I miss you.

I miss you too, Gracie. What’s my sexy little redhead wearing right now?

Grace laughed.

I’m wearing the sheer blue nightgown with those lacy straps that you like.

God, I want to be in bed with you right now. Touching you, holding you, tasting you.

I wish you were here too.

I have to get up early, and I still have some work to do tonight. I love you. I will call you tomorrow.

I love you too.

Grace tried hard not to be disappointed. She thought his texts were about to lead to something more. Maybe tomorrow she could talk him into dessert by phone.