Chapter 33

Grace woke to the glorious feeling of Mac’s finger skimming seductively over her skin, tracing a line along her silhouette.

“Mmm,” she purred teasingly, “someone must be needy.”

His hand dipped between her thighs as a single digit discovered her sweet nectar already pooling.

“I’d say that someone might be you, my darling. You’re drenching my fingers, and I’ve barely touched you.”

“On the contrary, I’m certain that it’s you, my love; you’re as hard as forged steel.”

Rolling on top of his sexy, red-haired wife, he entered her swiftly, plunging his entire length into her wet heat.

“Or, perhaps, my horny little minx, it’s both of us! God, the way you grip my cock is fantastic. No one would believe that your incredible pussy belongs to a mother of two.”

He moved in slow, deliberate strokes, enjoying the arousing friction from their lovemaking. “My own personal MILF,” he said mischievously. “All mine, only mine, always mine.”

Grace felt every inch of her body humming as she allowed him to move at his pace rather than urging him to fuck her faster. So often, she was an impatient lover, demanding to be taken hard, fast, and deep. But this morning, in the lazy hours before the sun was up, it felt marvelous to take their time and enjoy a seductive romp on a Saturday morning.

As if reading her mind, Mac smiled and said, “It’s nice not to rush; nice to savor you.”

“Savor each other,” Grace corrected as she nibbled on his shoulder playfully. “Mmm-hmm! Oh, God, you feel so good inside me, filling me up with that hard shaft.”

“It feels so good to be in you. It never ceases to amaze me that every time we make love, it just keeps getting better.”

His rhythmic movements were driving her mad, but when he leaned down to take a sweet nipple into his mouth, every part of her being felt like it was on fire.

“Oh, God, yes! Take me, Mac! Love me! Fuck me!”

“That’s right, let me love you like this. Let me take you to the edge again and again.”

He continued to slide between her delicate pink folds, opening her up like a flower in bloom. It was delicious to move so unhurriedly. But soon, his need surpassed his ability to continue at this leisurely pace. He needed to pump into her with wild abandon.

Before he could apologize for his need to fuck her good and hard, Grace begged, “Fuck me harder, Mac, please! I can’t… I need… I…”

“God, yes, you needy little slut! Take my hard cock! Feel me as I pound into you, taking what’s mine!”

He stopped for a moment, much to her chagrin, but only to reposition himself to be able to accommodate their lusty cravings for a more animalistic mating. He spread her legs open and pushed her knees back to enter her more deeply.

“Oh, God, yes! Give me what I need, Mac!”

They moved together in frenzied, frantic moves and climaxed together, leaving them sated and breathless.

Moments later, neither one had moved yet, with tangled limbs and sheets serving as evidence of their enthusiastic morning romp. Finally, Grace spoke, “I need to shower, but it feels like my bones have turned into noodles.”

Mac laughed. “It makes a man feel good when he can render his woman unable to move after sex.”

“I don’t see you making any attempt to leave the bed.”

Nuzzling her neck, he said, “Maybe that’s because my woman wore me out, too,”

“Mmm, that feels good. But if you keep that up, I won’t have time to shower before the kids wake up and want my attention.”

Chapter 34

Claudette arrived just as the kids were finishing breakfast. “Ah, mes enfants were up early today, I see. I hope you were able to get a good night’s rest with Miss Aislyn arriving today.”

Grace heaved a heavy sigh. “I did, merci. Thank you so much for coming in on a Saturday. I don’t know what I was thinking inviting her here.”

“You were thinking it was the kind and decent thing to do. Here, let me take our little man up to get dressed for the day,” Claudette offered.

“I need to wipe his sticky little paws first,” Grace chuckled.

“No need; I’ll get DJ cleaned up.”

Grace shrugged. “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you about the hands.”

Claudette was unfazed by the mess. She adored Mac and Grace’s kids and had been secretly glad that her daughter, Sylvie, had chosen to go to nanny school, allowing her to step back into the role of caring for the kids during the workday. It was certainly no hardship for her to come in on her day off to help out with Mac’s sister arriving.

“I’ll be back for Miss Mimi as soon as I have her brother ready for the day.”

Merlin, who had been patiently waiting for the little ones to drop food from their highchairs, sniffed a piece of squished waffle on the floor and decided it wasn’t to his liking.

Grace nodded and picked the baby up from the highchair. Snuggling her little girl close, she sighed. “I hope your aunt behaves herself. I’m worried that it was a big mistake letting Aislyn come here.”

“Meow!”

Grace raised an eyebrow. “Yes, Merlin, I know. But I think it will be okay. I saw a glimpse of decency in her while she was in the hospital. Let’s just hope that it wasn’t my imagination.”

Merlin wound himself around Grace’s legs and purred. Hopefully, that was a good omen.

The next few hours flew by. Grace was sitting on the media room floor, reading a book to DJ, while Claudette played "Patty Cake" and "Peek-a-Boo" with Mimi. Mac poked his head in and sighed at the lovely sight of his family enjoying a peaceful Saturday afternoon. He hated to interrupt it and nearly slipped away without doing so, but Grace felt his presence and looked up. It still never ceased to bewilder him how she could make his world right with a simple, loving gaze.

“Is it time?” she asked gently.

“Yes. I just got a notification that they are discharging Aislyn. I’ve decided to go with Randall. It seems like a decent thing to do,” Mac said, shrugging.

“It is; you’re a good brother. Try not to worry, okay? We will be fine. It’s just for a few days.”

“I know; you’re right. I feel like the little shoulder angels you’re always talking about are sitting on mine and arguing. However, the one with the halo ultimately prevailed. We’ll be back soon.”

“You’ve got this, Mac.”

“God, I hope so,” he said, laughing as he walked away.

Aislyn was stunned to see her brother waiting for her as the hospital attendant wheeled her out of the room toward the exit.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she asked. “I thought you were sending the limo.”

Mac inhaled sharply. “The limo is outside waiting for us out back. I thought it would be better than heading out of the main entrance. I figured you might want to avoid the paparazzi.”

“Oh, okay, well, that’s great then, yeah,” Aislyn answered awkwardly.

The attendant looked annoyed at having to reroute, but she said nothing. True to Mac’s word, no reporters were waiting to bombard her. She felt both irritated and grateful. Once inside the luxurious limousine, she helped herself to some sparkling water. It irked her that she was impressed with the elegance. She tried to think of something snarky to say, but she was too tired.

Mac was quiet for most of the ride home, not feeling like engaging in small talk. However, he felt compelled to set some ground rules when they were nearly there.

“Just so we are on the same page, I expect you to be civil to my wife, children, and the staff as well.”

“Relax, McKinley; I’m not unaware of how to act appropriately. I won’t call your wife a whore or your house manager a fuckwad.”

“And you’ll watch your mouth around the kids.”

“Yes, brother,” she replied, rolling her eyes.

“Thank you.”

Chapter 35

When they arrived at the majestic brownstone, Aislyn realized she’d never been above the first floor in her brother’s home. Then again, she hadn’t been here more than a handful of times, as they didn’t exactly get along. Admittedly, she was having second thoughts about being here. However, since the alternative was spending time with her mother and Marcus, this was the lesser of the evils. 

Mac sent a quick text to Grace.

We’re here. Just remember this was your idea, my love.

After sending her reply in the form of a thumbs-up emoji, Grace made her way down the stairs to the entranceway to greet her sister-in-law and prayed for strength.

“Welcome to our home, Aislyn,” Grace said warmly, taking the suitcase from Randall. “Let me show you where you’ll be staying so you can get settled. Then, if you’d like, you can hang out with us in the media room and meet your niece and nephew.”

Aislyn said nothing in reply.

Choosing to take the elevator since she’d selected a room on the fifth floor for Aislyn, Grace pressed the five and tried to think of something to say to fill the awkward silence. Grateful that the ride was quick, she led her sister-in-law to the well-appointed room and set her suitcase on the little bench at the foot of the bed.

“I thought you might like this room because it has a terrace overlooking the backyard.”

Aislyn nodded and shrugged.

Grace continued, “Are you hungry? I can…”

“No, thanks. Look, I appreciate this, but I just want to nap, if that’s okay with you.”

“Of course. We’ll be on the second floor whenever you wish to join us. Let me know if you need anything.”

Grace returned to the media room and grinned at the sight of Mac trying to teach Mimi how to pet Merlin gently. “Good luck with that,” she laughed. “Thank goodness Merlin has the good sense to hightail it when little Miss Grabby Hands chases him.”

She plopped down on the couch, grabbed the TV remote, and turned on the Disney Channel. Claudette handed DJ over to his mama and said, “He’s just been changed. Unless you need me up here, I will start prepping dinner for you.”

“We’ve got the kids. Thanks so much for being here today.”

“It’s my pleasure to help.”

When she woke from her nap, Aislyn showered and dressed in jeans, an I Heart NY T-shirt, and a gray zippered hoodie. She stepped into some slippers and headed off to find the media room. As she descended the stairs, she took note of the décor. While it was not necessarily her style, she had to admit that the home was tastefully decorated. She tried to remember which floor Grace had said the media room was on, then decided to follow the sound of her brother’s laughter.

Standing unnoticed in the doorway, she watched a scene so foreign to her that she wondered if she was still asleep and dreaming. The little boy was riding on McKinley’s back while he lumbered across the floor, making elephant noises. Both laughed like banshees while the baby sat on Grace’s lap and clapped along with some stupid kiddie show on the television. She felt annoyed. She had secretly hoped they’d be ugly children so it would be easy to dislike them. But fuck if they weren’t most likely the cutest kids she’d ever seen.

DJ spotted her first. “Hi!” he said in a cheery voice. He slid off Mac’s back and ran to the doorway. “Hi!” he said again.

“Hey, kid,” Aislyn finally answered uncomfortably.

Mac looked at his sister, standing there with wet hair and no makeup, dressed more casually than he’d seen in years. She seemed even more vulnerable than she had in the hospital, if that was possible. He wondered if she knew she was naturally pretty, even without all the cosmetics. Especially so, he thought. Probably not.

“C’mon,” DJ said, pulling her by the hand. “Play wif us.”

“Is he always this happy?” she asked, letting the toddler lead her into the room.

Grace smiled. “He’s a pretty happy kid. Did you manage to sleep?”

“Yes, thanks. And the shower felt good; great water pressure.”

Aislyn looked around the room. Instead of joining Mac and the little boy on the floor, she sat on the couch beside Grace. Without warning, the baby girl launched herself into Aislyn’s arms.

“Sorry, this one’s pretty happy, too,” Grace commented.

“It figures that Ms. Perfect would have friendly, likable children. Hey kid, I’m your Aunt Aisy. I’m not exactly a kid person, but you’re pretty cute.”

Mimi beamed and clapped her hands.

Mac took in the surreal scene. His daughter was sitting on his sister’s lap without it being an alternate universe.

“Aislyn, these are our kids. Dominic Jordan, or DJ, was your excited little greeter, and you’re holding Michelle Genevieve, better known as Mimi.”

“You named her after our grandmother.”

“It was Grace’s idea.”

Aislyn nodded. She wondered what to do with the cheerful cherub on her lap when an attractive older brunette poked her head in and said, “Dinner is ready. It’s chicken marsala. I’ve set it up in the nook so it would be cozier.”

“Will you be staying for dinner, Claudette?” Grace asked as she retrieved her daughter from Aislyn.

“Non, merci. I am heading home. I’ll be back on Monday. I’ve made a lasagna for tomorrow night, so all you have to do is put it in the oven. There are also scones for breakfast and plenty of fresh fruit that Bentley bought at the market.”

“Merci mille fois, Claudette!”

“De rien, Grace. A bientôt!”

“I’m gonna pass on dinner. I’ll gain a million pounds if I eat like that,” Aislyn explained.

Mac frowned. “Seriously?” He cast a glance in Grace’s direction and raised an eyebrow at his sister.

DJ took Aislyn’s hand. “Eat dinner,” he said firmly, tilting his head at her.

“This one’s a little tyrant, isn’t he? Okay, kid, you win. I’ll eat. But maybe your dad can get that Bentley dude to get Aunt Aisy some protein shakes so she doesn’t leave here looking like a beached whale.”

Dinner was an interesting experience with children. Although her brother and his wife lived well and had a staff to do things for them, they were very hands-on regarding the kids. Aislyn wondered how the rugrats thrived when more food seemed to go on the floor than in their mouths. But damned if they weren’t happy, healthy tots.

She picked at her food, wondering how Grace could eat such a sumptuous meal and remain relatively slender. She wasn’t model-thin, but she’d pass for slim in the real world. Maybe she had bulimia.

Grace noticed Aislyn looking at her while pushing food around her plate. A pang of pity poked at her heart. Mac’s sister was obviously hungry but seemed afraid to eat. The life of a supermodel appeared glamorous on the outside, but Grace suspected it had been a while since Aislyn had truly enjoyed eating a meal. She debated how to broach the subject and decided to tread lightly.

“If you let me know what kind of protein drinks you like, I can have Bentley put them on Monday’s grocery shopping list. Until then, we have a gym and a pool on the lower level that you’re welcome to use. The way Claudette feeds us, I’d have an ass the size of Montana if I didn’t exercise regularly. I can’t imagine how much pressure there is on you to maintain such a svelte figure.”

“ASS!” DJ repeated loudly.

Aislyn smirked while Grace shook her head. “Of course, the one word out of all I just said that my little parrot picks up is A-S-S.”

“I guess I’d better watch what I say, then, huh?” Aislyn said, stabbing a forkful of chicken and giving it a try. “Oh, my God, this is really fuckin’ good! I mean, it’s um, delicious. Sorry.”

Grace laughed, grateful that DJ didn’t repeat the F word.

After dinner, Aislyn excused herself and headed up to her room. She’d had about as much family fun as she could handle for one day. She contemplated making use of the gym but decided she’d cut herself some slack. Tomorrow would be soon enough; she was tired. Who knew keeping her snarky remarks to herself could be so exhausting? But she’d promised her brother she would be polite and figured it was easier than dealing with her mother’s bullshit.

She wondered how McKinley knew how to be a husband and a father, given that their family had been so dysfunctional. She saw the way he looked at Grace and how she looked back at him, and it sparked a bit of jealousy. Why couldn’t she have this kind of life?

She thought about Joel and how he’d convinced her to let her guard down only to break her heart. Fucker! She’d allowed herself to consider that there was more to life than modeling. She even contemplated retiring from the runway and becoming a fashion consultant so she could settle down with Joel. She should have known that no one would ever look at her the way McKinley looked at his wife. She’d been so angry at her mother for chasing Joel away with gobs of money. But in the end, he was the one who let her down. Lorraine’s actions were unsurprising, but Joel’s betrayal was shocking. She was grateful she’d been smart enough to keep her IUD in place. The idea of being stuck with the brat of a man who could be easily led away with money made her shudder.

After they got the kids to bed, Grace poured a glass of wine for herself and another for Mac.

“I think things went okay today,” she mused.

“I can’t recall a time when I’ve been in the same room with my sister and didn’t want to shoot myself. Or her. It was surreal. But, yeah, things went a lot better than I’d expected.”

Just as Grace kicked off her shoes and tucked her feet beneath her on the couch, Mac’s phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hello, um, Mac. This is Andy. Detective Compton. I wondered if I might stop by tomorrow to speak with your sister. I called her phone and left a message, but I thought I’d try you as well.”

“Sure, I guess so. I’m just confused as to why the police are involved. Is Aislyn in trouble?” Mac asked.

“No, she’s not in trouble. But we would like to know where she managed to get her hands on as much fentanyl as she had. Besides what she ingested during her suicide attempt, we found a hefty stash among her things in the dressing room.”

“Does she need a lawyer?”

“No, we just have questions. I hate to intrude on a Sunday, but the sooner we get these questions answered, the better. When would be a good time to come by the house? Or would you prefer to meet somewhere?”

“The house is fine. 10:00 am.”

“Great, thanks. See you then.”

Grace frowned. “Who was that?”

“Your buddy, Andy, wants to drop by tomorrow to question Aislyn about the fentanyl. He said they wanted to know where she got it from.”

“I think we should call Michael Stone,” Grace said, taking another sip of wine.

“He said she didn’t need a lawyer.”

Grace raised an eyebrow. “If it were me that he was coming to question, what would you do?”

“I’d call Michael. You’re right.”

“I’m going to head up and get ready for bed. You should join me when you’re done talking to Michael,” she purred seductively.

“Grace, I’m not sure with Aislyn in the house…”

“She could be here a while, Mac. Are you willing to be celibate until she leaves?”

“Okay, fine. But you put her on the fifth floor, so you’ll need to be quiet.”

“I can be quiet,” Grace assured him.

Mac laughed. He wasn’t so sure about that.

Chapter 36

After he hung up with Michael, Mac did a quick internet search on Detective Andrew Compton. He’d been married, but his wife had passed away a few years ago from brain cancer. He couldn’t fathom what it must have felt like to lose his wife. Losing Grace would be like losing his heart.

That Andy had gotten married and wasn’t pining for Grace all these years made Mac feel better. It also made him feel ridiculous. He remembered his high school days and how much he wanted to get into Cindy Martin’s pants. Realizing his jealousy over a high school kiss was misplaced, he decided to get out of his own head over Andy and Grace’s past.

Heading up the stairs, he heard hissing. Merlin was standing outside Aislyn’s bedroom door, making all kinds of unhappy cat noises. Mac looked at the kitty’s poofy tail and laughed. “My sister is not really evil, Merlin; she’s just a little misguided.” He scooped up the cat and continued up to the sixth floor.

As he entered his bedroom, he saw Grace standing by the window, wearing the black and green nightgown that had been his favorite since she tried it on in Alice’s office. So much has changed since then, he thought. Gently putting the kitty down on the chair in the sitting area of the room, he said, “Sorry, Merlin, I’m after a different kind of pussy at the moment.”

Grace turned and smiled, and Mac’s heart raced. “You’re so beautiful, standing in the moonlight, my love.”

“I figured I’d wear the nightgown to make sure you didn’t try to weasel out of having sex tonight,” she murmured.

“Totally unnecessary, as I have no intention of having sex with you.”

Grace frowned and was about to complain when Mac moved to her and covered her protest with a passionate kiss.

“I’m going to make love to my wife. Slow, sweet, passionate love to the woman I still burn for. So much has changed in our time together, darling. But the one thing remains— you take my breath away.”

“You’re very smooth, Mr. Stewart. And you’re not the only one who burns.”

She moved the straps of the nightgown so they fell off her shoulders. Then she shimmied out of the lacy garment and let it drop to the floor. “Make love to me, Mac. Touch me as only you know how.”

He picked her up and carried her to the bed, setting her down gently. He found it amusing that he’d set Merlin down in a similar fashion only moments ago. Stripping off his clothes, he joined Grace and ran his fingertips along her arm. “Your skin is so soft,” he whispered, nuzzling her neck. “It invites me to touch you more.”

His hands roamed, enjoying every inch of her body in a slow, deliberate manner. His typically impatient wife purred beneath his touch, reveling in the heat and passion he offered. Soft, wet kisses trailed from her neck, across her collarbone, and down to where her luscious breasts awaited. His lips drew in a tender nipple as her body reacted, hips rocking slowly. He repeated the decadent process with the other nipple before continuing his journey down her stomach until he reached her smooth, bare mound.

Her breath hitched when he found the prize he sought, lapping slowly at the nectar that greeted him— a sign of her immense arousal. Her legs parted for him instinctively, offering him a better angle at which to enjoy her. And enjoy her, he did!

Fingers joined his tongue, playing amongst her delicate, pink folds that glistened with desire. He paused a moment to inhale her scent and felt his stiffening shaft twitch. Touching her, tasting her like this, was such an incredible turn-on. The more he feasted, the harder he got.

She moaned softly, but true to her word, she kept quiet except for a tiny whimper when he paused. The look on her face conveyed all of the emotion that her voice usually expressed. He continued his erotic torment of her delicious pussy and was rewarded— first with the rocking of her hips and arching of her back that confirmed her intense need. Then, with the flooding of his mouth with her sweet honey.

And still, she remained silent, though she was biting her bottom lip. When he went in for seconds, she pulled away.

“Nope. My turn,” she demanded in a hushed tone. Pushing him on his back, she shot him a wicked glance before moving between his legs. “I want a taste of you now,” she whispered.

Her tongue teased the tip of his cock, and he was in instant ecstasy. She swirled and twirled that talented appendage until greed took over, and her sexy mouth engulfed him. Each movement took him further into her mouth and, eventually, into her throat.

“Oh, Christ!” Mac whispered hoarsely. “You make me crazy when you do that.”

“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured, her mouth too full to answer. She continued to devour him as her throat made obscene squelching noises, bringing him close to the edge but never letting him quite fall.

“You’re driving me mad, Gracie,” he hissed. “Lie on your back; I need to be inside you.”

She did as he asked, allowing her legs to fall open once again for him. She was wet and ready, aching to have his stiff shaft open her up.

He teased her first, rubbing the tip of his cock along the drenched slit of her pussy. She writhed beneath him, whimpering with need until he entered her in one long, slow thrust. Her eyes fluttered as her tender flesh gave way to accept his rock-hard member inside of her. The sensual moves were intoxicating as he drove into her in a gradual rhythm, bringing them both closer to orgasm.

They continued this unhurried pace, their mating dance a ritual of lovers igniting a flame in each other. Only when their need became too great did they increase the speed of their thrusts until they were frantic and frenzied. Her body convulsed as his balls tightened, then they fell together as he emptied himself into her.

Moments later, as Mac held Grace while she listened to the wild beating of his heart, he kissed the top of her head. “I was wrong.”

She frowned. “I beg your pardon?”

“I was wrong,” he repeated. “You can be quiet during sex.”

She giggled and shook her head. “No, I can’t. But I can be quiet during lovemaking. That was beyond exquisite, Mac.”

He smiled, realizing she’d given him the gift of savoring her twice in one day. A pretty damn good way to start and end the day.

Holding her close, they drifted off to sleep.