Please Me Daddy (Gracie) novel Chapter 65

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

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I can’t handle you.

Grace

“Are you attempting to strip me of my dignity, Miss Grace? Because if that’s your intention, all you need to do is ask, princess.”

His voice, rich and resonant, reverberated against the walls, sending a tremor of awareness coursing through me. A shiver raced down my spine, igniting every nerve ending in its path. I opened my mouth, desperate to formulate a response, but all that escaped was a small, breathless gasp. The reason? His teeth had just grazed the delicate shell of my ear, a sharp bite that ignited a firestorm of heat racing down my neck, pooling low in my stomach.

Why did he have this effect on me? I couldn’t quite grasp it. Or perhaps I did, deep down, but the thought of admitting it was too daunting.

To complicate matters, he stood there, right between my bare legs, a position that felt dangerously intimate. I wasn’t wearing any underwear, which meant that the thin fabric of my shirt was the only barrier between my skin and his. And even that felt insufficient, as every subtle movement of his hips pressed his body against me, igniting a whirlwind of sensations.

In a frantic attempt to ease the pressure, I tried to close my thighs, but one of his hands slid down, his palm firm against the inside of my knee, holding me open with an effortless authority. He didn’t need to exert any extra effort; his grip was more than enough to keep me exactly where he desired. His other hand tightened around my waist, fingers digging in just enough to remind me who held the reins in this precarious moment.

My heart raced faster with each passing second, the rhythm echoing in my ears as I felt utterly pinned down. My body was screaming for me to lean forward, to surrender to whatever he had in mind.

No. Absolutely not.

He couldn’t possibly want to do this again, not after last night. No man could—

But then I felt his hand moving up, brushing higher along my thigh, and I knew precisely where he was headed. That pulsing place, already too sensitive from our last encounter, was awakening once more.

Panic and desire intertwined in my chest, creating a chaotic storm.

“I can’t handle this,” I managed to push out, forcing one hand against his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall beneath my palm.

“Y-you can’t—”

He paused, leaning back just enough to meet my gaze, his brow arching in a challenge that seemed to say, Go on. Justify your refusal.

That expression alone made me feel utterly foolish, yet I forced myself to articulate my thoughts. “I… I need to rest after what happened last night. I can’t handle you…” My voice trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging in the air, sounding more pathetic than I intended.

For a brief moment, his hazel eyes held mine, their depths unreadable. I bit my lip, embarrassment flooding my cheeks.

Really, Grace? You can’t handle him?

Then, to my surprise, he stepped back, his tone unexpectedly calm. “You’re right. I apologize for the suddenness.”

I sat there, frozen in disbelief, gripping the edge of the counter as if it were my lifeline. I had actually made my boss apologize to me. But that wasn’t what I wanted. God, I wanted him. The desire coursed through me so fiercely that it was beginning to frighten me.

Eleanor had insisted that the magnetic pull I felt toward Apollo would fade once we crossed that line, but she couldn’t have been more mistaken.

If anything, it had intensified.

Being near him now clouded my thoughts, making it impossible to think rationally. My body didn’t just remember last night; it craved a repeat performance. But this man was a force of nature, and if he entered me one more time, I’d be left unable to walk properly for days. I couldn’t give in.

“I will be back,” Apollo said, his voice steady.

For a fleeting moment, I thought he was leaving, but then he took a step closer to me.

“W-what…” The word stumbled out, barely formed.

His eyes locked onto mine, devoid of warmth, a cool intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

Why was that?

To me, a person’s home spoke volumes about their character. Wyatt and Eleanor’s place was modest compared to this, yet it radiated warmth and comfort.

Apollo’s house was the complete opposite.

I shook my head, breaking the train of thought.

Why was I even concerning myself with him?

I wasn’t in a position to worry about anyone, especially not him.

I remained exactly where I was, not daring to move an inch.

The soft click of the door made me turn. Apollo stepped back into the room, his presence filling the space with an undeniable tension. He didn’t utter a word, but the faint glint in his eyes resembled something akin to approval.

My back instinctively straightened under that penetrating gaze.

He crossed the room, halting at the table in front of me. Leaning back against it, he folded his arms over his chest, his eyes never leaving mine.

I felt a prickling shyness creep in, but I refused to look away, determined to hold my ground.

Apollo appeared unchanged, as if yesterday had been nothing more than a routine business transaction.

“I’ll keep this brief,” he stated, his tone as calm as if we were discussing the weather.

“Would you like to make last night a regular arrangement, one that involves a sexual relationship with me?”