JAY JAY POV
I've been trying everything. The clothes, the looks, the "accidental" touches—and that idiot is still playing the role of the perfect, respectful fiancé. He's actually managing to keep his hands to himself!
I think he's doing this on purpose now. He's noticed my game, and instead of folding, he's challenging me. He wants to see how far I'll go? He wants me to dive deep?
Fine then, Keifer Watson. Challenge accepted. Watch how I play this game. By the end of the night, your "Safe Signal" is going to short-circuit, and you will lose control.
We decided to head back down to the water for another swim. Since there's nobody on this island but the palm trees and the crabs, I decided to pull out my secret weapon.
I put on a bikini that was... well, let's just say it was barely more than a few strategically placed strings. It was a deep, midnight blue that made my skin look even paler. It was much, much shorter than the one I wore yesterday. There is absolutely no way I would ever wear this on a public beach in the Philippines—Jare would probably have the entire coastline cordoned off and start a riot—but Keifer?
Keifer gets the special treatment today.
I walked out onto the sand, feeling the sun on my skin and the breeze catching the loose tie of my wrap. Keifer was already by the water, his back to me. He looked so composed, so disciplined.
"Keifer!" I called out, my voice smooth and a little bit daring.
He turned around, probably expecting to see me in a regular sarong. But when he saw exactly how much—or how little—I was wearing, he actually stumbled. He looked like someone had physically shoved him.
His eyes went wide, then darkened into that terrifyingly hot, midnight black. He stopped breathing. I could see the muscles in his neck tighten as he tried to swallow.
"Jay-jay..." he rasped, his voice sounding like he'd been gargling gravel. "What in the hell... that's not a bikini. That's... that's a death sentence."
I didn't stop. I walked right up to him, stopping so close that the water lapping at my feet splashed onto his shins. I reached behind my neck, pretending to adjust the thin string holding everything together.
"You don't like it?" I pout, looking at him through my lashes. "I thought you said it was hot today. I just wanted to make sure I didn't overheat."
Keifer's gaze was glued to my hands, his jaw locked so tight I thought his teeth might crack. He reached out, his hand hovering near my waist as if he wanted to grab me and drag me back to the house, but he pulled back at the last second, his knuckles white.
"You're trying to kill me," he whispered, his voice shaking with the effort of not touching me. "You're really, truly trying to see me lose my mind."
I stepped even closer, my chest almost brushing his bare arm. "Is it working, Keifer? Are you losing it yet? Or do I need to go... even shorter?"
He let out a low, guttural groan. "Jay, I'm a man, not a saint. Don't play this game if you aren't ready for the consequences."
"Maybe I am ready for the consequences," I whispered, before turning my back on him and diving headfirst into the turquoise water.
As I surfaced, I looked back at the shore. Keifer was still standing there, looking like a man about to snap. I smirked, wiping the water from my eyes.
1-0, Keifer . Let's see how long your 'gentleman' act lasts now.
I guess the "gentleman" didn't even last another minute.
The second my head popped above the water, I heard a massive splash. Keifer didn't just walk into the ocean; he dove in with the kind of intensity he usually saves for taking down enemies. Before I could even swim a meter away, I felt a powerful surge in the water behind me.
"Oh, no you don't!" I laughed, trying to kick away, but it was useless.
In one swift, predatory move, his arms wrapped around my waist under the water, pulling me back against his rock-hard chest. The sudden contact sent a jolt of electricity straight through me. He wasn't being careful anymore
He spun me around in the waist-deep water, his grip firm and possessive. I was breathless, my hair plastered to my face, looking up into eyes that were burning with a fire that had nothing to do with the sun.
"Found you," he rasped, his voice vibrating against my skin.
"You're cheating, Keifer! I didn't say you could catch me!" I teased, though my heart was hammering so loud I was sure he could feel it.
"You've been poking the bear all day, Jay-jay," he growled, pulling me even higher so my legs instinctively wrapped around his waist to stay afloat. The skimpy bikini felt like nothing between us. "You wanted to see me lose control? Well, congratulations. You won."
He didn't give me a chance to respond. He crushed his lips against mine, and this wasn't a "gentle" kiss. It was deep, demanding, and tasted like salt and pure, unadulterated desire. It was the kind of kiss that made my knees weak and my head spin.
His hands traveled down from my waist, his palms hot against my skin, as he held me against him like he was never planning on letting go. I melted into him, my fingers tangling in his wet hair, pulling him closer.
He pulled back just a fraction, his forehead resting against mine, both of us panting for air.
"Still bored of the good guy?" he whispered, a dark, triumphant smirk playing on his lips.
"Maybe a little," I managed to say, my voice trembling.
"Good," he growled, his eyes dipping down to my lips again. "Because the good guy just left the island. And you're trapped here with me."
He started walking back toward the shore, still carrying me, his eyes never leaving mine. I could feel the adrenaline and the heat blooming in my chest. I wanted to make him lose control, but looking at the intensity in his face right now, I realized I might have finally bitten off more than I could chew.
He didn't even make it to the villa.
The moment my feet touched the dry sand just past the shoreline, Keifer's resolve didn't just crack—it shattered. He didn't want the bed; he didn't want the roof over our heads. He wanted me right here, under the open sky, where the only witnesses were the sun and the sea.
He lowered me onto the sand, his movements surprisingly gentle despite the raw hunger in his eyes. The sand was warm against my back, a stark contrast to the cool water still dripping from our skin. Before I could even catch my breath, he was over me, his large frame silhouetted against the blinding blue sky.
"Keifer..." I breathed out, my fingers digging into the sand.
He didn't say a word. He just leaned down and started to kiss me right there.
It was a kiss that tasted like the ocean and felt like a wildfire. His hands were everywhere—tracing the curve of my waist, tangling in my wet hair, anchoring me to the earth as if he were afraid I'd disappear if he stopped.
He pulled back for a second, his eyes burning into mine, his face inches from my own. I could see the sweat beading on his forehead and the way his jaw was clenched in a battle with his own restraint.
"You're sure?" he rasped, his voice barely a whisper against the sound of the crashing waves. "Because if I don't stop now, Jay-jay... there's no going back."
I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him back down. I didn't want to go back. I wanted to go forward, into the future he was building for me.
"Don't stop, Keifer," I whispered, my voice thick with a certainty I'd never felt before. "I told you. I'm done playing."
He let out a low, shaky breath—a sound of pure surrender—and buried his face in the crook of my neck, his lips pressing hot, frantic kisses against my skin.
"I love you, Jay-jay," he growled against my ear. "So much it's probably a crime. But I'm never letting you go. Never."
As the waves continued to wash over the shore, the world felt smaller than it ever had before. The wide, terrifying expanse of my past was shrinking, replaced entirely by the heat of Keifer's body and the intensity of his touch.
He started to claim me, inch by inch. He kissed my jaw with a desperate kind of reverence, then moved to my neck, his lips searing against my skin.
He traced my collarbone with his tongue, finding every sensitive spot, marking me as his in a way no one else ever could.
When he reached my cleavage, his breath hitched, and the feeling of his lips there made me arch my back, a broken moan escaping my lips.
"Keifer..." I gasped, my fingers clutching his hair, pulling him closer.
He didn't stop. He moved lower, his hands sliding down to my waist. His grip tightened, his large hands squeezing me so firmly I could feel the strength he usually tried to hide. He reached my stomach and started to press his lips there—not just kisses, but small, possessive nips that felt like bite marks, branding me. It wasn't gentle anymore; it was the raw, unrestrained Keifer Watson who had been bottled up for too long.
I felt every muscle in his body vibrating with the effort to keep himself from completely devouring me. The sand beneath us was warm, but Keifer was hotter.
He finally came back up to find my face, his eyes dark, wild, and filled with a devotion that made my heart ache. He looked at me for one heartbeat, as if memorizing the way I looked right now—cheeks flushed, hair a mess of sand and salt, and eyes wide with want.
"You're mine, Jay-jay," he growled, his voice a low, possessive rumble. "Every part of you. Every scar, every memory, every breath. You're mine."
Then he crushed his lips against mine again. This wasn't a kiss meant to soothe—it was a kiss that I knew would last at least two days in my mind, a kiss that tasted like a permanent promise.
He was my safe signal, my protector, and my future. And out here on this island, with only the ocean as our witness, the girl who was once broken was finally becoming the woman who was ready to be a Watson.
I pulled him closer, giving myself over to the heat, finally leaving the shadows behind for good.
He pulled back just enough to brush his nose against mine, his breath mingling with my own. His eyes were still dark with a hunger that could have swallowed me whole, but there was a sudden, grounded clarity in them that took me by surprise.
"Let's wait until our wedding night," Keifer said, his voice a strained, low vibration.
I blinked, looking up at him in total confusion. The adrenaline was still humming through my veins, and my body was screaming for him not to stop. "You... waiting? That's something new."
Keifer let out a dry, ragged chuckle and shifted, moving even closer until he was almost crushing me with his weight. The sheer power of him was overwhelming, a reminder that he was holding back a storm.
"Mutya, if I fuck you right now, then I won't want to leave you ever again," he groaned, his forehead resting against mine. "And our wedding is less than a week away. I think you should spend those final days with your brothers before officially turning into Mrs. Watson. Because once you're officially my wife there is no going back…"
He paused, his gaze boring into mine with a terrifyingly beautiful intensity. "But if you don't want to wait... then I will gladly fuck you right here, right now. Just keep in mind: once I start, I won't leave you. Not for a second. Not for air. Just you and me, forever."
I felt a shiver run down my spine—not from fear, but from the sheer weight of his devotion. "Obsessed much?" I breathed, my heart drumming against my ribs.
"Yes, baby. Way too much," Keifer growled, leaning down to press a hard, lingering kiss against my jaw, his teeth grazing my skin just enough to leave a mark. "And it's all your fault for being exactly who you are."
I looked at him, seeing the raw effort it was taking for him to pull back. This was the man who had been through hell and back for me, the man who was willing to curb his own deepest desires just so I could have a few more moments of normalcy with my family before my life changed forever.
I reached up, cupping his face in my hands.
"A week, huh?" I teased, a small, soft smile finally breaking through. "I didn't think you had that much self-control, Watson."
"I don't," he admitted, rolling off me and onto the sand, pulling me with him so I was tucked securely against his side. He let out a long, shaky exhale, staring up at the clear blue sky. "I really, really don't. So you better stay in that oversized cardigan for the next six days, or I'm not making any promises."
I laughed, resting my head on his shoulder, the sound of the ocean finally feeling like a lullaby rather than a warning. "Fine. But the second we say 'I do,' you're in big trouble."
"Actually, Mutya," Keifer smirks, his hand tightening around my waist as he pulled me closer. "I think you're the one who's going to be in trouble."
I closed my eyes, the warmth of the sun and the steady beat of his heart telling me everything I needed to know. The wedding was coming, the future was waiting, and for the first time in my life, I wasn't just ready to be saved—I was ready to belong.