°♡˖꒰Author's꒱˖♡° POV
The world outside the frosted glass was a blur of high-stakes business and persistent knocking, but inside, the air was still and sweet. For two and a half hours, Jay Jay didn't shift once, ignoring the pins and needles in her legs to ensure the "beautiful weight" of Keifer remained undisturbed.
She had draped a warm, white cotton sheet over his broad, exposed back, the fabric contrasting against his tanned skin. Watching the steady rise and fall of his shoulders, she felt a wave of overwhelming tenderness.
She leaned down, her lips grazing the dark silk of his hair. "You carry so much on these shoulders," she whispered, her voice like a soft lullaby meant only for him. "The companies, the projects, the expectations... you try to be a giant for everyone else."
She shifted slightly, placing a lingering, butterfly-light kiss on his temple. "But to me, you're just my Keifer. My big, stubborn bear who forgets to eat because he's too busy worrying if I'm okay."
She traced the curve of his ear with her thumb before kissing his forehead, then his cheek, her heart fluttering when she felt him subconsciously nuzzle closer to her warmth.
"I was so silly today," she murmured, a small, shy smile playing on her lips. "Being so jealous of a secretary when I know your heart belongs to me. I wanted to tell the whole room that you're my world, but I like this better. Just us, in our own little bubble where the rest of the world doesn't exist."
She looked at his peaceful face, his long lashes fanned out against his skin, and felt a tear of pure happiness prick her eyes. "You aren't just a CEO or a tycoon to me, Keifer. You're the person who makes me feel safe. You're my home. You're my everything."
Outside, Tala gave one last, frustrated knock before her footsteps finally faded away, giving up. Jay Jay just tightened her hold on him, resting her chin on his head.
"I could stay like this forever," she breathed, "holding my world in my arms."
The silence of the room was sacred, broken only by the rhythmic hum of the air conditioner and the steady, deep thrum of Keifer's heart against Jay Jay's chest. For two and a half hours, she had been his anchor, watching him sleep with a gaze so full of devotion it could have melted the very glass she had sealed.
She looked down at him, his strong features softened by the vulnerability of deep sleep. He looked so young, stripped of his CEO title and his iron-willed persona, resting entirely on her as if she were the only thing keeping him grounded.
——————2 hours late——————
Finally, the clock neared their appointment. Jay Jay didn't want to break the spell, but the world was waiting. She leaned down, her lips feather-light as they brushed against his ear, and then she pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his cheek.
"Keifer..." she whispered, her voice a tender caress. "Wake up, my world. The sun is setting, and the big bear needs to be a CEO again."
Instead of opening his eyes, Keifer let out a low, needy groan. Rather than pulling away, his large arms tightened around her waist like iron bands, and he nuzzled his face even deeper into the softness of her chest. He breathed her in, his nose brushing against her skin as he searched for more warmth, a silent, stubborn protest against the reality of the outside world.
"Five more minutes," he mumbled, his voice a thick, delicious rumble that vibrated right through her. He was acting like a clingy child, refusing to leave the only place where he felt truly at peace.
Jay Jay giggled, the sound bubbling up from her throat as she ran her fingers through his messy hair one last time. "You've had two and a half hours of 'medicine,' Dr. Watson. If you stay any longer, I'll have to charge you for the extra consultation."
Keifer finally tilted his head back just enough to look at her, his eyes hooded and dark with a sleepy, intoxicating adoration. He didn't move from her lap; he just stared up at her as if she were the only beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"I don't care about the cost," he rasped, his hand reaching up to cup her face, his thumb stroking her bottom lip. "I'll give you the whole company if it means I never have to get up from here."
Jay Jay leaned down, touching her forehead to his, her heart racing. "The company can wait. But the world needs to see that powerful man again... even if I'm the only one who knows he's actually just a big, cuddly Koala."
The office was a bubble of golden twilight, the silence so thick and sweet it felt like a dream. When Keifer had begged for "five more minutes," Jay Jay hadn't had the heart to say no. Those five minutes bled into ten.
Then twenty.
and finally, thirty-nine minutes had passed with the mighty CEO of the Watson Empire completely surrendered to sleep on her lap.
She watched him, her heart aching with a love so deep it felt heavy. She didn't mind the weight; she loved that the man the world feared was currently using her as a pillow, his face softened and his breathing deep and rhythmic. She traced the line of his jaw with the tip of her finger, her touch lighter than a shadow.
"You're a liar, Keifer Watson," she whispered with a tiny, adoring smile. "Your 'five minutes' are very long."
But the meeting was starting soon. Very gently, she began her "wake-up call." She rained tiny, delicate kisses all over his face—his forehead, the bridge of his nose, and finally, the corner of his lips.
"My world... wake up," she breathed against his skin. "I've let you stay for thirty-nine extra minutes. If we stay any longer, your board members are going to think I've kidnapped you."
Keifer stirred, let out a long, gravelly sigh, and instead of waking up, he squeezed her waist and buried his face even deeper into the crook of her neck, his stubble tickling her skin. "Let them think that," he mumbled, his voice thick and messy from sleep. "Tell them... the ransom is more of these kisses."
Jay Jay giggled, her hands cupping his face to tilt it upward. His eyes were still half-closed, dazed and smitten, looking at her like she was his sunrise.
"You're such a sleepy bear," she teased, booping his nose. "Come on, Keifer. I even put a sheet on you so you wouldn't be cold. Don't make me use my 'CEO voice' on you."
Keifer finally opened his eyes fully, the dark depths of them filled with a warmth that made Jay Jay's breath hitch. He didn't move to get up; he just reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I don't want to be a CEO today," he rasped, his voice raw and honest. "I just want to be the man who belongs to you. Can't we stay like this? Just for one more lifetime?"
Jay Jay felt her eyes sting with happy tears. She leaned down and pressed a long, soft kiss to his forehead. "We have a lifetime, Keifer. But right now, we have a meeting. I'll be right there beside you the whole time, holding your hand under the table. I promise."
Keifer let out a defeated but happy hum, finally sitting up and pulling her into one last, bone-crushing hug. "Under the table," he agreed, his voice regaining a bit of its strength. "But the second it's over, the 'blanket' is coming back on duty."
The moment Keifer finally sat up, the absence of his "healing weight" felt like a physical shock. The sudden rush of cool office air hit Jay Jay's chest where he had been lying for hours, and she instinctively shivered, her eyes fluttering closed as she felt the loss of his warmth.
Keifer noticed immediately. Even in his sleepy state, he reached out to rub her arms. "Cold?" he rasped, his voice full of concern.
"Just because my favorite blanket moved," Jay Jay teased, her eyes opening to meet his adoring gaze. She didn't let him get up.
Instead, she stood between his knees and picked up his crisp white shirt. "Stay still. I have to make you look like a CEO again, or everyone will know you've been being a baby."
Keifer sat there, completely passive and utterly smitten, as Jay Jay began to dress him. She slid the sleeves over his muscular arms, her small hands moving with a tender precision. As she began to button the shirt from the bottom up, her fingers occasionally brushing against his warm skin, Keifer didn't look away for a single second. He watched the focused tilt of her head, the way her tongue poked out slightly in concentration, and the way her scratches on her arm—now faint—moved as she worked.
"You're beautiful, Jay Jay," he whispered, his voice like velvet.
"I'm busy," she countered playfully, though her cheeks turned pink. She reached the top button and then moved to his hair. It was a dark, messy nest from her fingers and his long nap.
She stood on her tiptoes, using a small comb from her purse and her own damp fingertips to smooth the wild strands. She styled it back into his signature powerful look, but her heart softened when she realized he was leaning his forehead into her touch, his eyes closed in pure bliss.
"There," she whispered, patting his cheek. "The King of the Watson Empire is back."
Keifer grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands to his lips and kissing each palm. "The King is only powerful because his Queen gave him her strength today."
He stood up, towering over her again, looking sharp, lethal, and professional once more—except for the softness in his eyes that only she could see.
Jay Jay took a deep breath, smoothing her own skirt. "Ready?"
"Only if you promise to hold my hand under that table," he reminded her, his hand moving to the remote to unseal the glass.
The conference room was charged with a heavy, professional silence as the board members took their seats. Jay Jay sat at the head of the table, her "cold CEO" mask perfectly in place. She looked every bit the genius leader of the Mariano Company, her sharp eyes scanning the data projections with a speed that left the senior analysts sweating.
Before the first slide could finish, Tala stepped forward to hand Keifer a tablet. She leaned in far too close, her voice a loud, pointed whisper that carried across the room.
"It's a relief to see you out of your office, Mr. Watson," Tala said, her eyes flicking toward Jay Jay with a snide, knowing smirk. "We were all so worried when the glass sealed for three hours. It must have been a very... strenuous negotiation for you to be so 'exhausted' afterward."
Jay Jay didn't even blink. She didn't look at Tala; she didn't give her the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, she tapped her pen on the table. "Secretary Tala, if you've finished speculating on my 'strenuous' schedule, perhaps you could focus on the fact that your department's Q3 overhead is currently bleeding five percent into the Watson Empire's net profit. Or are you too busy watching the door to watch the numbers?"
Tala's face turned bright red as the board members whispered. Desperate to regain Keifer's attention, she tried a bolder move. "Oh, it's just so warm in here," she breathed. Right in front of Keifer, she unbuttoned her top suit jacket and slipped it off, revealing a tight, sleeveless silk blouse. She then "accidentally" dropped the jacket right at Keifer's feet.
With a slow, exaggerated movement, she bent down low to pick it up, making sure to stay directly in his line of sight.
Jay Jay's blood turned to ice, but she kept her voice professional and sharp. "The Mariano Company doesn't pay for stripteases, Secretary. We pay for results."
Keifer, meanwhile, was the picture of absolute indifference. He didn't look down as Tala bent over. He didn't even acknowledge the jacket. He was staring directly at Jay Jay, his eyes filled with a terrifyingly focused respect. To him, Tala was literally a piece of furniture—a minor obstacle in a room where Jay Jay was the only person who mattered.
"Move, Tala," Keifer said, his voice cold and flat, not even glancing at her. "You're blocking the view of the Mariano projection. And put your jacket back on; this is a boardroom, not a lounge."
Tala scrambled back, looking humiliated as she clutched her jacket to her chest.
Jay Jay stood up, pulling up a complex holographic map of their merged logistics. For the next hour, she dominated the room. She dismantled the competitors' strategies, restructured the supply chain, and found three different ways to double their projected revenue—all while maintaining that untouchable, genius "cold" persona.
Keifer watched her, his heart hammering against his ribs. He was supposed to be listening to the numbers, but all he could think was: That's my girl....no WOMAN. That's the woman with i just spent three hours hiding my face in her chest.