This set of stories is a companion piece to my other current Grace/Oliver fic "Those star you wish upon songs", based primarily on the cast from NBC's "Annie Live!" Production.

The difference between the two titles being that this collection will contain stories with more mature/adult themes.

I hope it will bring you pleasure to read it!

Peace and love,

Renee.

Authors note: I don't actually think this scenario would have ever happened between Grace and Oliver at any point, at least not before the "Annie" timeline, but the devilish part of my brain conjured this idea and I just ran with it.

I'll confess, it was fun to write. ;)

Enjoy!

...

January 14th, 1934

Oliver Warbucks and his wife Grace sat at the foot of their bed together, side by side.

It was their wedding night.

They had been married approximately six hours prior and after celebrating and dining with their friends and putting their children to bed, they were at last alone.

Their knees and their thighs were touching but nothing else yet. There was something they wanted to discuss before their marriage was consummated. Something that had once happened between them that they hadn't had the opportunity or the courage to speak of again until this moment. Something they had been keeping secret between them for over four years.

"I can't believe we're here. We made it", Oliver voiced in astonishment, reaching out for his new wife's hand. "You've been so strong, Grace."

Grace smiled soberly at him. "We've both been strong."

"Have you ever regretted what happened that night?" Oliver asked her softly, afraid of what her answer might be.

Grace looked at him squarely, "It was one thousand four hundred and eighty-eight days ago."

His eyes widened in surprise that she knew that. Then again, she was meticulous with details. One of the reasons she'd been such a wonderful employee all these years.

"And I have never regretted it, Oliver. Not for a single one of those days." She told him assuredly.

"It's been a very long time", he said guiltily. "Have you ever wished you had chosen someone else over me?"

Grace considered his question carefully. "I think every person in a relationship has moments of doubt, wondering if they chose the right path, picked the right person." She gazed deep into his eyes and spoke to him intently. "But I have never wanted to give myself to any other but you since that night."

Oliver shook his head in shame. "But I've kept you waiting so long."

"You've been with me every day", she said soothingly.

"Never in that way."

A breathless chuckle fell from her lips. "It's a little embarrassing to admit this to you but...I've been with you intimately in my mind many times since that night, Oliver."

"You have?" Oliver was astonished and excited by her revelation.

She nodded shyly at him.

When he cast his eyes downward, Grace placed her hand on his chin, tilting his head back up so he would look at her. "Darling, I told you I would wait and I did so willingly."

He reached for her, curling his arm behind her back. "No more, my love. No more waiting."

He lay her back gently on the bed to fulfill his promise.

December 16th 1929.

It was very late at night, in fact it was very early in the morning. Oliver was still sitting at his desk, his head in his hands, a feeling of utter despair ripping through his heart.

The economic crash had hit a lot of people hard. For a while he'd been in denial about the severity of the situation, thinking that surely he would be able to rise above it all. He knew the reality was quite different however. A fact that had been painfully apparent that day.

He had just had to make the devastating decision to close the first of his factories.

The Billionaire let out a long drawn-out sigh and closed his eyes as he rubbed his temples. Headaches were a common occurrence for him these days.

His chief of staff tip-toed cautiously back into the office. She'd left him earlier in the evening at his request, though she'd desperately wanted to stay to support him as he'd personally telephoned his employees at the factory to inform them of their redundancy.

Grace knew how much her boss had struggled to make those calls. He was a very cunning businessman and at times quite ruthless, but it didn't mean he did not have a heart.

Grace knew his heart more than anyone, even more than Oliver himself. She'd seen that good heart in action many times before.

Stepping up to his desk, she inhaled deeply. "Is there anything I can do?" She asked him gently.

"No. There's nothing", he answered her tiredly, his face still buried in his hands.

He said nothing more and Grace simply nodded and accepted not being able to help him at this moment, as much as she wished she could.

She turned to leave but was halted by the sound of Oliver abruptly standing from his chair. "Actually, there is something."

Grace spun around, her heart immediately lifting "Yes Sir?"

"I want you to call my accountant and let him know that I'll be writing out a certified check to each one of the employees I've had to let go today. A hundred dollars each - no, make that two hundred."

Grace's mouth opened in shock. "That's going to amount to over forty thousand dollars."

"Yes", Oliver nodded, having worked that out already. "Those men have families and I can't bear the thought of them all going without over the holidays. I feel responsible."

Grace shook her head slowly. "But you're not. You've done everything you can to keep this factory from closing. None of this is your fault, Sir."

"Even so", Oliver told her determinedly.

She nodded in understanding. "I'll call Mr. Jacobsen in the morning."

"Thank you."

Grace looked at him and her heart broke. He looked so weary and worn out. His whole body seemed to be shaking and she was quite sure she could see tears in his eyes.

It was very upsetting for Grace to see him like this. A man who was usually so formidable. A man she cared for so very much.

Feeling rather than thinking, she stepped forward quickly and pulled him into a tight hug.

For a moment, he froze in her arms, surprised by her actions, but within moments he was wrapping his own arms equally as tightly around her. Oliver felt his heart seize up as he stood there in her embrace. It had been such a long time since he had been shown affection of any kind. It left him feeling quite overwhelmed.

She could feel his body trembling in her embrace and she wondered if he was actually crying. She felt tears slip down her own cheeks at the thought of him displaying such emotion.

The two of them held each other in a steadfast embrace for at least a full minute. It wasn't until she could feel he was no longer shaking that Grace loosened her grip.

Oliver relaxed his arms too but did not fully step away from her. He drew his head back to look at her and Grace could see that he had indeed been crying, evidenced by the tear marks on his cheeks.

She raised a gentle hand to his face and wiped the stain away with her thumb. Oliver blinked in surprise at the motion, taken aback by her delicate touch. He studied her face and noticed the streaks from her own tears. He thought about returning the favor and wiping her own tears away with his fingers but something inside him made him want to act slightly more recklessly.

Perhaps it was the emotions of the day all coming to a head. Perhaps he was overtired and overworked. Perhaps it was the fact that he had Grace in his arms.

Whatever it was, it stirred him on and he found himself leaning in towards her, bringing his warm lips to her face and kissing her cheeks where the tears had fallen.

He heard Grace inhale shakily, could feel her shuddering against him as his mouth danced across her flushed cheeks, her warm brow, her delicate eyelids, the tip of her nose and then finally her mouth where she moaned against his, reaching up to grip his shirt as she kissed him back fervently.

They kissed more deeply and with greater urgency while Grace's hands came up to his shoulders. She gripped him firmly, her fingers digging into his tight muscles. Oliver hummed into her mouth which made Grace even more bold. She slid her hands down his broad chest and then back up underneath his jacket which she hurriedly removed from him.

When she began to unbutton his shirt, Oliver seemed to come to his senses somewhat. He pulled back, separating his lips from hers. "Wait, Grace."

She looked at him with fiery eyes, panting heavily. He was astounded by the immense desire he saw reflected back at him.

"I don't want to take advantage of you", he told her carefully and conscientiously, though she could tell that it was a strain for him to even contemplate stopping.

"You're not taking advantage", Grace replied reassuringly. "I'm giving it to you." Her words and voice were soft but full of confidence. She smiled a coy but heartfelt smile at him and after a moment he pulled her close again, pressing his lips to hers for another kiss that made her knees weak.

She fell against him with a grunt and he instantly lifted her into his arms, spinning her around and placing her on his desk.

Grace made a noise of surprise as her rump hit the surface. The force of it and the rush of Oliver lifting her into the air with his strong arms sent a shockwave of sensation through her. She reached for his shirt again and quickly unbuttoned it, pulling it off him with haste and throwing it to the floor. She ran her hands across his singleted chest while he sensuously nuzzled her face and neck with his nose and mouth, the desperation between the two of them climbing to new heights as they became even more intimately acquainted.

Grace untucked his singlet from his trousers and shirked it up over his head, dropping it carelessly down beside them. She dropped her head to the warm, smooth skin of his bare chest, reaching behind him to stroke the planes of his muscular back.

Oliver's muscles contracted in response to her hands being on him. A guttural noise escaped his throat. A fire was rising inside of him at this unexpected and earth-shattering turn of events.

He'd always had an affection for Grace, and rather a bit of attraction to her if he was honest, but he never would have crossed the line of professional respect for her in any other circumstance. He still didn't know what had compelled him to kiss her but the vigor with which she was responding to his actions told him she wasn't in any way unhappy or put out by it. Quite the opposite it seemed.

Her explorative hands snaked around his lower back, brushing the slightly exposed skin of his hips and Oliver convulsed against her, making her gasp. Her hands moved quickly up to his head and she grabbed hold of it, pulling his face to hers once more and kissing him passionately.

As her tongue tentatively sought to find his, his hand slid underneath the chiffon of her teal silk crepe dress.

Once she realized what he was doing, she moved forward to grant him easier access and hummed in approval when she felt his fingers running up her leg.

She whimpered as he stroked her toned calf, moving an inch higher with each upward stroke. Her breathing became labored and she began to writhe in ecstasy at the complete and utter arousal he was making her feel.

He barely had to touch her and she found her body reacting to him, every nerve ending alight and awakened by his delicate caressing.

Their passion grew exponentially when Oliver hiked her skirt up above her waist, exposing her undergarments and her long, luscious legs to him. He tore his mouth from hers and knelt down in front of her, experimentally kissing and nipping at her thighs.

A feeling of immense pleasure shot right down through her core. She could hardly breathe for the intensity of it as his mouth climbed higher and higher to where she was burning for him most. Rather than giving into her and the relief she was so desperately seeking however, when he reached the apex of her thighs, he began kissing his way up her abdomen as if purposely avoiding the center of her pleasure.

Grace whined in frustration and blissful agony as he gently pressed his hot lips to her stomach. He was teasing her, driving her wild on purpose, she knew it.

She growled and decided two could play at that game. She sat forward, pushing him off her forcefully so she could reach for his trousers. With very nimble fingers, she undid them quickly and yanked them down. He now stood before her dressed only in his underwear.

With adrenaline coursing through her veins, Grace paused a second to admire him. Only one part of him remained a mystery to her but as soon as the thought of it had come to her, Grace felt her ankles being taken hold of by Oliver's strong hands. He pulled her further forward towards him on the desk and pushed his still covered pelvis up against hers.

Grace gasped loudly at the contact and the intense sensation it created. She'd never experienced such a thing. She had been with a man before but not like this, not in this way that made every nerve in her body sing. She felt the same immense pleasure everywhere all at once as he moved against her. The motion, agonizing. The pressure too little and too much at the same time.

She cried out in ecstasy as he brought his mouth to her supple neck and sucked on it roughly. She felt as if she was ascending to heaven and falling to earth all at once. The pressure inside of her rising and falling over and over again. It was the most delectable kind of torture she had ever endured. She hoped that Oliver was feeling the same amount of gratification and anguish that he was imposing unto her.

He was of course, so much so that he was unable to form words to express it. Instead he continued to move against her, breathing her name reverently into her skin like a sacred prayer.

Oliver could feel a pressure bubbling up inside of him, fit to burst. Grace reached out to grip his shoulders, unrelentingly pitching against him, seeking as much friction as she could get. She was an absolute picture. Breathlessly beautiful. Magnificent in all her uninhibited glory. With an untampered groan, Oliver came undone as she looked intently into his eyes.

Grace's mouth fell open as she too reached her peak, reacting instantly to the thought of her boss climaxing against her. Her entire body shook violently as wave after wave washed over her. She didn't care the state they were both in, she reached for him to hold him close, wanting to share the moment with him. He puffed in exhaustion as he leaned on the desk and rested his head against Grace's chest, her arms wrapped securely around him to hold him up.

The moment was decidedly intimate and actually only how Grace had intended it to be when she'd hugged him earlier. Not that she was at all disagreeable about what had transpired.

It had certainly provided them with a well-needed distraction from the current reality, if only for a few minutes.

Unexpected and surreal. Like an out of body experience. Like a dream. A fantasy. And even before speaking, the two of them knew already that it could only remain a fantasy for now.

The two of them were unwed, not even dating or intended, and some might say what they had just done was a sin, but after weeks of turmoil and continual despair, the exultation of this incredibly sensational and exciting experience they had shared together, felt like nothing but a blessing to them both.

Oliver stumbled back from her, breathing raggedly. Hardly able to believe what they'd just done. Quickly, he reached for his clothing and dressed himself again. Grace slid off the desk and tidied her dress as she watched him closely.

"Are you alright?" She asked him tenderly as he buttoned his shirt and looped his tie around his neck.

He nodded shakily in reply. "Yes, I think so...are you alright?" He asked her, his face immediately shadowed with concern. He dropped his hands to his side, abandoning his tie.

She looked down, unable to meet his eyes as she answered with a shy smile. "I'm much better than alright."

Oliver swallowed as he looked forlornly into her eyes. "Grace, I…I'm so sorry but I'm unable to pursue this, or anything like this…right now. Everything is so chaotic and ahh…I shouldn't have let this happen."

"No, don't say that", Grace said to him in a way that was gentle and forceful all at once. "Don't say it shouldn't have happened, please. Feel what you want about it, and about me, but please don't say you regret it…I don't", she smiled tentatively at him.

"But I can't give you anything more at this moment, Grace, as much as I'd like to, it's just not the right time. Do you understand?" Oliver looked extremely tormented.

Grace merely nodded in reply. "Yes, I understand." She shrugged self-consciously. "I wasn't expecting this to happen, though I'm not sorry it did."

Oliver felt both elated and devastated by her words.

"I had only meant to offer you some comfort…well, to give us both some comfort if I'm to be honest", she looked down bashfully.

"Yes, well it was I who took it a step further and I…I shouldn't have, knowing it couldn't continue on to anything else just yet. Knowing I was stripping you of your honor. I feel like such a cad."

"Well, that's not the way I feel about you", Grace spoke emphatically before her voice lowered to a whisper. "It's not the way I feel at all." She gazed deeply into his eyes, hoping he would understand her meaning.

Oliver nodded slowly. He did understand, and it left him feeling relieved and hopeful. "I do hope that there will be a time for us in the future, and that the time won't be too far away. Everything is just so uncertain and I fear it could take longer than either of us would like."

"I'll wait", Grace told him confidently. She reached up to stroke his cheek tenderly, holding his gaze as she spoke her promise to him. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be right here for you until the time the world gets back on its feet again and we can live in peace once more. I will be beside you, waiting for you. Waiting for us."

Oliver strode over to her and cupped her face in his hands. "You will be in my heart and in my soul every moment until that blessed day arrives."

Grace inhaled deeply and reached up to finish fixing his tie. And with one last deep and fortifying kiss, that would carry them through the next four years of abstinence, they parted.

January 14th, 1934

Oliver and Grace collapsed back on their marriage bed together, exhausted and exulted.

They both let out languid sighs and Oliver turned to look at his wife. "Thank you for waiting for me", he said to her softly before laying his head on her breast.

She brought her chin to rest on top of his head. Stroking his arm lovingly, she whispered to him. "You're worth waiting for."