Please Me Daddy (Gracie) novel Chapter 182

Get rid of it, baby

Grace

“But in the end, all men are the same. Once they find something interesting, something that makes them feel good, they’ll drown it in attention, make it feel protected and loved. And when they’re done, that something will mean nothing to them at all. Right, Grace?”

Her words echoed in my ears as I stared at her.

If this had been the old me, I would have faltered. I would have doubted myself, questioned Apollo, questioned what I felt, questioned whether she was right.

I would have gone quiet, smiled politely, and let her words sink into my head. But I wasn’t that version of Grace anymore. I was done being the woman who overthought every glance, who let fear dictate her emotions, who allowed other people’s opinions to define her worth. I had promised myself I would fight for what I felt instead of shrinking away from it.

And who was Katherine Jones to decide what Apollo Reed was or wasn’t? She knew nothing about him. Nothing about me. Nothing about what it took for two people who were both afraid of love to even take a step toward each other. She hadn’t seen the way he looked at me, or the way his voice softened when he spoke my name. She was an outsider looking in, trying to intimidate me.

I wasn’t going to let that happen.

I looked at her calmly, my lips slowly curling into a faint smirk. I shrugged. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Miss Katherine.”

Her brows lifted slightly, surprise flickering across her face before she smiled again. “You don’t?”

“Of course not. And besides, Miss Katherine, don’t you think you’re being a little too forward?” My smile widened, my tone light. “Talking about the boss like he’s just any man.”

Her smile twitched.

“And you don’t need to know what he’s like when he’s interested in a woman. Or whether he treats someone like a plaything or not.

“What?” she said, clearly caught off guard.

I leaned back slightly, completely at ease. “Don’t forget, he’s your boss. And that’s what he’ll always be to you. Your boss. Nothing more.”

For the first time since she sat down beside me, Katherine’s composure cracked. The cunning smile she wore so effortlessly tightened, no longer amused or confident. And as I watched that confidence slip away, I knew one thing for certain.

She hadn’t expected me to fight back.

Katherine scoffed, the sound sharp and dismissive. “You act like he can be any other man to you, Miss Grace. Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself?” she said, her eyes narrowing. “You’re getting your hopes up.”

I looked at her for a brief moment, then turned my gaze to Apollo. Crossing my arms, I spoke calmly, without a trace of hesitation. “Who knows whether I’m getting my hopes up or not,” I said. “But I believe

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that’s none of your business.‘”

I paused, then added, my voice certain. “And you’re right about one thing. When Apollo is in love, he shows a side of himself no one has ever seen.”

At that moment, Apollo’s eyes met mine.

I smiled at him, and he froze for a second. Then I glanced pointedly at the coffee sitting on the table in front of him and muttered, almost without thinking, “Get rid of it, baby.”

The word slipped out before I could stop it.

Apollo looked genuinely stunned. He paused, as if replaying what he’d just heard. Then the frown he’d been wearing melted away, replaced by a small, amused smile. He looked down at the coffee with clear disgust, picked it up, and passed it to Theodore.

“Drink it,” he said flatly.

Theodore blinked, pointing at his own cup. “I already have one.”

“I don’t care,” Apollo replied indifferently. “Drink it, or get rid of it.” Then, lazily, he shifted his gaze to Katherine, as though he had only just noticed her presence. “Never bring me coffee again.”

Her breath hitched.

I saw the color drain from her face, her body trembling as she stared at him, stunned into silence. Apollo turned back to me, his eyes questioning, as if silently asking whether I was satisfied.

I smiled.

I was more than satisfied.

Leaning slightly toward Katherine, I spoke sweetly, my voice light but smug. “You’re right, Katherine. My man is handsome when he’s serious.”

She glared at me, fury burning in her eyes, but she didn’t say a word.

Apollo’s voice cut through the room. “The meeting is over. Mr. Theodore, leave. I won’t reconsider this.”

The air seemed to freeze.

Theodore looked at Apollo for a long moment, the playful amusement finally fading from his face as he studied him seriously. Then, as if a switch flipped, he smiled again. “I see,”

He stood up, and the people who came with him immediately followed suit. Slipping his hands into his pockets, Theodore tilted his head slightly and added, “You’re even more interesting than my brother said, Mr. Apollo.” With that, he gave a small nod and turned to leave, his entourage trailing behind him.

When he reached the row where Katherine and I were seated, I stood up instinctively, assuming he wanted to speak to his sister. Katherine also rose at the same time, already smiling, clearly expecting his attention. But Theodore didn’t look at her.

He looked at me.

His blue eyes lingered on my face, studying me in a way that made my skin prickle. Before I could react, he

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leaned closer. I stiffened and leaned back slightly, confused, my heart skipping in alarm. Then, without warning, he lifted his hand and placed it gently on my head.

The room went silent.

I froze. So did everyone else.

Even Katherine looked shocked.

“We’ll be seeing more of each other, Grace,” Theodore said casually.

Before I could say a single word, he straightened up, turned around, and walked out of the conference room. For a moment, no one spoke. Someone muttered under their breath, “What just happened?”

I swallowed hard and lifted my hand to my head.

God, what was that?

Slowly, I glanced toward Apollo.

His eyes were already on me.

They were dark, dangerous, and unreadable.

The atmosphere shifted instantly when Apollo leaned back in his chair and spoke coldly. “Everyone out.” No one hesitated. Chairs scraped against the floor as executives stood up immediately, gathering their things and filing out as fast as they could. I turned as well, ready to leave with them, my heart still racing.

“You’re staying, Grace.”

His words stopped me in my tracks.

The room went quiet again. I felt every pair of eyes turn toward me, confusion and shock clear on their faces. Apollo didn’t seem to care in the slightest how it looked, or what conclusions they might draw. He simply watched me.

And just like that, I knew I was screwed.

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Would you like to go on a date with me?

Apollo

Everyone was staring at us, but I didn’t bother acknowledging any of them. None of them mattered. When my eyes were on her, the rest of the world ceased to exist.

Grace stood there, her presence tugging at something deep and dangerous inside me. For a brief moment, she was the only thing that existed.

When no one moved, when they all remained frozen, like idiots caught in a trance, I finally tore my gaze away from her and turned to the others lingering in the room. My expression was indifferent, my eyes half- lidded, dark with a silent warning.

“I didn’t stutter,” I said calmly, my voice low. “Did I?”

Every executive stiffened, several of them flinching instinctively. Genesis, who had been quiet all this time, far too entertained by the entire scene, finally let out a soft chuckle, popcorn still pinched between her fingers. She rose lazily to her feet, stretching her arms as if she’d just finished watching a particularly enjoyable movie.

“Well, I suppose that’s enough entertainment for today, don’t you think?” She glanced around the room, her smile playful as it landed on the executives. “If I were you, I’d be walking away now. The last thing you want is to interrupt the male lead and the female lead when they’re about to have a moment.

They stared at her in confusion, clearly not understanding what she meant, but she ignored them. Turning toward the door, she paused just before leaving and leaned closer to Grace, whispering something into her ear. I didn’t hear the words, but I saw surprise flash across Grace’s face.

Genesis straightened, gave her a quick wink, and walked out as if nothing in the world concerned her.

That was all it took.

The room emptied in seconds.

They rushed out of the room, no one daring to be the last left behind. The door shut behind them, and suddenly the space felt vast and hollow, until it was just the two of us.

I let my gaze linger on Grace, taking in the only person who had ever managed to affect me like this. Without looking away, I leaned back against the chair and spoke, my voice deep and commanding, leaving no room for argument.

“On the desk, Grace.”

She swallowed at the command and her eyes flicked toward the door, and for a moment I thought she might hesitate. But instead, as if acting on instinct, she turned around, walked to the door, and locked it.

The sound of the lock clicking into place echoed through the silent room. Once she was certain the door was secured, she sat on the desk facing me, her hands braced at her sides, her eyes wide and innocent in a way that did absolutely nothing to calm the storm raging inside me.

I raised an eyebrow, watching her closely. “What did you just do?”

She met my gaze. “I locked the door.”

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For a brief moment, surprise stalled me. Then my lips curved into a slow smirk.

“I see,” I said quietly.

I rose to my full height, sliding my hands into my pockets as I approached her at an unhurried pace. “And why,” I asked calmly, eyes fixed on hers, “would you do that?”

She paused. “What?”

I stopped directly in front of her and placed my hands firmly on her thighs, leaning in until there were only inches between us. My gaze dropped to her lips before lifting back to her eyes.

“Why would you lock yourself in a room with me. You usually try so hard to get away, especially when we’re in public.” I caught her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze before she could look away. “So tell me, Grace,” I murmured. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

The question lingered between us, and I watched her closely, waiting, any for hesitation.

I was used to her running. Grace had a habit of dodging the things that scared her, pretending not to understand, laughing them off, or changing the subject entirely. I expected that now. I expected her to look away, mumble something vague, retreat behind that careful distance she always tried to keep between us. But she didn’t.

She just looked at me.

There was no panic in her eyes, no confusion, no urge to flee. Instead, there was something tender in the way she looked at me. Slowly, she lifted her hand, her fingers brushing a loose strand of hair back from my

face.

I froze. I didn’t expect that.

I looked at her, questioning, my breath caught somewhere between control and disbelief. Before I could speak, or regain the upper hand, she placed her palm against my face. Her touch was warm, and intimate. She tilted her head slightly, close enough that I could feel her breath, and whispered softly.

“Because I want to be here with you, Apollo.

My eyes widened just a fraction at her words.

She didn’t give me time to think.

”

She closed the distance between us and kissed me, softly at first. Her lips pressed against mine as if they belonged there. Something inside me snapped.

I stared at her for a moment, stunned by her boldness, and by the choice she was making so openly. Then I closed my eyes and leaned into the kiss, responding, and deepening it. My hands tightened around her waist, pulling her closer, every restraint I’d been holding onto slipping away. I poured everything into that kiss, every emotion, every thought I hadn’t allowed myself to voice.

She didn’t pull back.

Instead, she accepted it fully, her arms sliding around my neck, holding me as if she had decided this was exactly where she wanted to be.

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When she finally ran out of air, I forced myself to pull away.

I looked at her. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen, her breath uneven as she tried to steady herself.

“What are you- “I started.

She cut me off before I could finish. Her gaze met mine directly, and her voice was clear despite her racing breath.

“Mr. Reed,” she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips, “would you like to go on a date with me?” z