Please Me Daddy (Gracie) novel Chapter 16

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

**16 CONTENT: He is ridiculously hot**

**Grace**

Stepping into the shower felt like entering a sanctuary. The moment the hot water cascaded over my skin, I realized just how desperately I had craved this simple pleasure. It was as if the warmth was washing away the remnants of my chaotic day, and when I finally emerged, wrapped snugly in a towel, I felt a wave of relief envelop me.

As I wiped the steam from the mirror, my reflection greeted me with a familiar sight. I offered myself a faint smile, though it felt a bit weak. The hickeys that had once painted my neck were mostly faded now, leaving only a few ghostly reminders of the night before.

My gaze drifted to the bed, where a soft gray hoodie and a pair of snug black shorts lay waiting. They looked inviting, and as I picked them up, the faint scent of Eleanor’s luxurious jasmine shampoo and lavender detergent filled my senses.

Dropping the towel, I was about to slip into the comfortable clothes when a vivid memory struck me, causing my cheeks to flush a deep crimson. The image of that man, the way he had gone down on me, surged back uninvited, igniting a fire deep within me.

I bit my lip, gripping the hoodie tightly against my chest, feeling an embarrassing heat pool low in my belly. It was a sensation I had never experienced before. Charles had never even considered such an act. He always insisted it was unhygienic and immoral, something only desperate men resorted to. But this man—he hadn’t seemed desperate at all. In fact, he had been sharp, observant, his gaze lingering on me like I was something sinful he couldn’t resist. And when his mouth had touched me, it was as if he had devoured me, relishing every moment, every messy, improper second. I felt like a feast he hadn’t had in days.

Oh God.

I squeezed my eyes shut, clenching my legs together as I shook my head vigorously. “Stop it,” I whispered to myself, the words barely escaping my lips. “Just stop.”

Since that night, my body had been yearning for that thrill again. A shameful curiosity nagged at me, wondering what it would have felt like if he hadn’t stopped, if he had taken things further.

With a groan, I buried my face in the hoodie for a fleeting moment. “Ahhh, I’m lost in dirty thoughts again. Just filthy, filthy nonsense.”

I quickly dressed, pulling my hair into a hasty ponytail, taking a few deep breaths to steady myself before stepping out into the hallway.

The aroma of lunch wafted through the air, guiding me toward the kitchen where Eleanor and Wyatt were busy setting the table.

Eleanor turned, spatula in hand, and shot me a playful wink. “You look fantastic! Cozy but undeniably hot.”

“Thank you—”

Before I could finish, two high-pitched voices erupted, “Aunty Grace!” Lucas and Liana came barreling toward me, their tiny arms wrapping around my legs as they giggled and pressed their faces into my thighs.

I laughed, bending down to envelop them in a proper hug. “Whoa! You two have grown overnight! Aren’t you both just seven?”

“Hehe, what do you expect, Auntie?” Liana chimed, hands perched on her little hips, chin held high like a queen surveying her kingdom. “Mommy is very tall. I took after her.”

“Oh really?” I replied, a smile breaking across my face.

“I’m even taller than Lucas,” she added with pride.

Lucas pouted, his lips jutting out adorably. “You are taller than me.”

Liana stuck her tongue out playfully. “Exactly! I am, you short servant. Now bow down to your queen.”

“Liana,” Eleanor called out in that special mom-tone that mixed both warning and affection, “don’t bully your brother.”

“I’m not, Mommy,” Liana defended quickly, swinging an arm around Lucas’s small shoulders. “I’m just playing with him… right, Lucas?” She leaned in and whispered something conspiratorial to him. “I’ll let you play with my Barbie if you agree.”

Lucas nodded eagerly. “She’s not bullying me, Mom.”

Watching them, I chuckled. Liana was a mirror image of her mother—sharp, confident, and full of sass, with no filter whatsoever. And Lucas, sweet Lucas, was like a cinnamon roll in a child’s body, clearly taking after Wyatt.

I knelt down and pulled them both into a warm embrace. “I really missed you two.”

Liana beamed. “Mommy and Daddy said you’ll be staying with us now! I’m so happy.”

Lucas blushed, peering up at me shyly. “M-me too. We’ll spend more time together.”

“Yes, we will,” I replied, my heart swelling with joy.

“Alright, alright,” Eleanor interjected with a smirk, “stop crowding your aunt and let her eat. Go play in your room for a bit.”

“Okay, Mom!” they chorused before giggling and scampering down the hallway.

I rose and walked over to the dining table, where Wyatt had just placed the last dish.

I paused, taking in the feast before me. There was an abundance of food—rice, grilled vegetables, succulent meat, soft bread rolls, and herb-roasted potatoes that looked divine. My mouth watered at the sight.

This wasn’t the kind of meal I was used to at my parents’ house, where everything was meticulously arranged, and the atmosphere felt more like a performance than a gathering.

“Smaller portions, Grace. You have to stay slim for the wedding.”

Or worse,

“The chef added flaxseed and kale to the stew; it’s better for your skin.”

Eleanor didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she slowly raised her gaze from her phone, a satisfied smirk spreading across her face.

My stomach dropped.

Oh no. That smirk. I despised that mischievous twist of her lips.

“Grace,” she said, her voice dripping with glee. “If this is the man you spent the night with, your little ‘return the money and apologize’ plan? Yeah, it won’t be that simple.”

Wyatt leaned closer, peering at her screen. His brows knitted together, then shot up in surprise, his jaw dropping.

He turned to me slowly. “Shit… he’s—”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I reached out and snatched the phone from Eleanor’s hand. I froze, my eyes widening.

Staring at the high-resolution photo, the same brooding gaze and those familiar hazel eyes that had pinned me down like a spotlight. But what made my hands tremble wasn’t just his face.

It was the name and title boldly emblazoned beneath it:

Mr. Apollo Reed, CEO of Reed Corporation. #1 Richest Man in the World, Age 40.

The fork slipped from my hand, clattering onto the plate, but the sound barely registered.

I had slept in his bed. I had accused him of assault. I had told him off. And then he had sent me ten million dollars.

I had insulted the CEO of the company I had been desperate to work for. My mouth felt dry, and my stomach flipped as if I had swallowed rocks instead of rice.

“I…” I stammered, still staring at the screen. “I’m going to die.”

Wyatt placed a gentle hand on my back. “It’s not that bad—”

“It’s worse!” I hissed, feeling the panic rise in my chest. “That man is a billionaire. Now I look like a gold-digger and a drunken lunatic. He’s probably going to blacklist me from every company.”

Eleanor leaned back in her chair, utterly unfazed. “On the bright side, he’s ridiculously hot.”

I shot her a bewildered look.

“My life is over.”