Please Me Daddy (Gracie) novel Chapter 100

**Across Distant Skies Lies Hope Waiting To Be Found by Kade Rowan Flint**

I would leap off a bridge in a heartbeat.

Grace

“Is something wrong with the food?”

The rich timbre of River’s voice jolted me from my thoughts. Startled, I lifted my gaze, meeting his inquisitive stare, his eyebrow arched in curiosity.

I blinked down at my plate, momentarily disoriented. My fork was aimlessly nudging the food, pushing the rice from one side of the dish to the other, yet I hadn’t taken a single bite. To be honest, eating was the last thing on my mind. My appetite had vanished entirely. How could I possibly think about food when there was a damn vibrator nestled inside me?

And that wasn’t even the worst part.

The most infuriating aspect of this whole situation was that River hadn’t even turned it on. Since I had left Apollo’s office, that cursed button remained untouched.

Five hours had crawled by. The sensation of something pressed against my clit wasn’t as torturous as I had anticipated; at times, I even managed to forget it was there. But the mounting tension and the relentless anticipation were what truly drove me to distraction.

All day long, I had been waiting, casting furtive glances toward Apollo’s office, bracing myself for the moment he would flick the switch and watch me squirm in discomfort, but that moment never arrived. He had been preoccupied with his work, and I barely caught a glimpse of his face. Now, as I sat here at lunch with River, I reluctantly admitted to myself that I desperately wanted Apollo to activate that thing already.

“It’s fine,” I fibbed, forcing a small smile onto my lips.

To prove my point, I took a bite, and to my surprise, a soft moan escaped me. The flavor exploded on my tongue, far exceeding my expectations.

I froze, realizing how intimate that sound had been. Heat surged to my cheeks as I turned slowly to River, who was now regarding me with a peculiar expression.

“What’s the matter?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Nothing,” he replied, a playful smile gracing his lips. “I’m just glad you’re enjoying the food.”

I nodded, jabbing my fork into another morsel to distract myself. “I didn’t expect the company food to be this good.”

The second bite was equally delightful, and despite my best efforts to remain composed, my mood began to lift.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, the sensation of too many eyes boring into me made me anxious. When I finally dared to look around, I realized I wasn’t imagining it—several employees were staring at us.

Since I had entered with River, their gazes hadn’t wavered. Initially, I tried to ignore it, pretending not to notice, but now it had grown unbearable. What could possibly be so fascinating about us? Surely, there were far more interesting things to observe than our lunch.

My fork hovered in midair as I glanced back at River. He seemed to have noticed the attention as well, his eyes darting to the table of employees.

With just a single raised eyebrow, he commanded their attention, and instantly, they looked away, coughing, adjusting in their seats, suddenly engrossed in their meals.

I blinked at them, then leaned in closer to River.

“I’ve noticed that most people seem to be afraid of you,” I whispered, lowering my voice conspiratorially. “Why is that?”

The three of them slid into the seats across from us, their presence suddenly making the small table feel cramped. Danielle leaned in slightly, resting a hand on River’s shoulder, and looked directly at me.

“Like I was saying,” she continued, lowering her voice a notch, “many people find him intimidating. There’s a rumor that he hails from a very affluent family. No one knows exactly which family, but people are wary of crossing him.”

A wealthy family?

I turned slowly to River, scrutinizing him. I hadn’t expected that revelation. Perhaps it was because he always seemed so down-to-earth around me. He didn’t carry himself like some spoiled heir or an untouchable rich kid.

Yet there were moments when he treated the world like a chessboard, moving the pieces with calculated precision. His family must wield power if he truly viewed life in such strategic terms.

“I see,” I murmured, contemplating the implications.

River’s gaze was fixed on me, studying my reaction. “Does that change anything for you, even if it’s true?”

His serious tone caught me off guard. I shook my head vehemently. “Not at all.”

I meant every word. His background held no significance for me.

As long as he wasn’t somehow connected to the Reeds or anything, I wouldn’t care. God, the thought alone was so ludicrous it nearly made me laugh out loud.

I stifled a chuckle, my eyes drifting back to my plate. If that ever turned out to be true, I would jump off a bridge without a second thought.