Keifer's heart practically skipped a beat.
He froze for the fourth time in twenty-four hours, but this time it was out of pure, unadulterated shock.
Hubby?
The word echoed in his mind, sounding sweeter than any title he'd ever held.
He stared down at her, his pulse racing, wondering if he was still dreaming.
But then, the soft haze of sleep finally cleared from Jay's mind.
Her eyes half open, and for a split second, she looked at him with a lingering, beautiful smile.
Then, reality hit her like a bucket of ice water. She realized she wasn't hugging a pillow—she was wrapped around a very bare, very warm, and very smug Keifer.
"Oh!" she gasped, her face turning a shade of red that put the sunrise to shame.
In a blur of silk and panic, she scrambled to get away, trying to jump out of bed to put as much distance between them as possible.
But Keifer was faster.
Remembering his father's advice about not letting her shake him, he reached out and caught her wrist.
With a firm but gentle tug, he hauled her back, throwing her right back onto the mattress—and directly onto him.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, his voice a low, teasing rumble.
Jay's eyes widened to the size of saucers. She was pinned against his chest again, her hands resting on his shoulders for balance.
"I... I... ah, Keifer!" she stammered, her voice pitching an octave higher. "To the washroom! I need to... washroom!"
Keifer didn't let go. Instead, he pull her more towards him, looking at her with a lazy, flirtatious grin that made his "Golden Boy" charm look like an understatement.
"The washroom isn't going anywhere, wifey," he drawled, deliberately using the name again just to see her reaction.
"And I thought you liked it here. You were humming in your sleep last night. Very convincing."
"I was.... not! I was dreaming!" she squeaked, trying to push herself up.
She managed to get her knees under her, but Keifer simply hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her back down.
The sudden impact of her body hitting his chest again made her breath catch in a sharp, tiny gasp. Her face landed in crook of his neck, smelling warmth, she didn't move , she couldn't.
"Going somewhere?" he whispered, his eyes dancing with mischief.
"Keifer, let me....up!" she pleaded, her face buried in the crook of his neck because she was too shy to look at him.
She felt the vibration of his low chuckle against her skin. She tried to squirm away again, but he just tightened his hold, his bare skin feeling like a brand against her.
Now she was looking directly into his eyes,which sent a shiver in her backbone, she looked down instantly.
"You're very active this morning, Jay. Where was all this energy when you were nuzzling me at 3:00 AM?"
"I didn't.....nuzzle you!" she lied desperately, still not looking down at his chest instead of eyes, her voice muffled by his shoulder.
"Liars don't get to leave the bed," he teased.
He reached up, his fingers sliding under her chin, gently but firmly tilting her head back.
Jay resisted at first, squeezing her eyes shut, her eyelashes fluttering against her flushed cheeks.
"Look at me, Jay."
"No," she whispered, her heart hammering so hard she was sure he could feel it through his ribs.
"Look at me," he repeated, his voice dropping into a soft, commanding register.
Slowly, her dark eyes opened, meeting his. The intensity there was enough to make her dizzy.
He wasn't just teasing anymore; there was a raw, genuine heat in his gaze that made the her feel like she was melting into the mattress.
"Good morning, hubby," he mimicked her sleepy voice from earlier, his thumb tracing the line of her lower lip.
Jay's breath hitched. She made one last, desperate attempt to scramble away, but Keifer flipped them over in one fluid motion, pinning her beneath him.
He didn't put his full weight on her, but he was close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his chest.
Now she was under him, her heart pounding so fast that it could blast.
Her chest was rising and falling.
"Keifer... ple....please.....let me go.." Jay said, her voice trembling with a mix of frustration and something much more dangerous. Her eyes again looking down, not able to look into his'.
"You know you're too adorable when you're flustered," he countered, leaning in until his nose brushed hers.
He stayed there for a long, agonizing second, letting her feel exactly how much she had affected him.
Finally, seeing she was about to explode from shyness, he chuckled and loosened his grip just a fraction.
It was the opening she needed.
She bolted for the bathroom door, her feet pattering quickly across the hardwood floor.
Just before she disappeared inside, she glanced back, looking completely flustered and breathless.
Keifer stayed sprawled across the bed, his arms behind his head, grinning like a predator who had just won the hunt.
He listened to the sound of the bathroom door locking and let out a triumphant laugh.
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After Keifer's final tease at the bedroom, he finally stepped back, his own chest heaving slightly.
He wasn't nearly as cool as he was pretending to be. As soon as he turned away from the door, he rubbed the back of his neck, a flustered, boyish grin breaking across his face.
He felt like he'd just run a marathon and won.
He walked out of the bedroom and into the grand hallway, still wearing that unmistakable, loopy smile.
He was so lost in the memory of her stammering "hubby" that he didn't notice his mother standing near the banister until she cleared her throat.
"Well," she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"That is the look of a man who didn't sleep much, and yet looks very happy about it."
Keifer jumped, his ears turning a bright, tell-tale red. "Morning, Mom. I'm just... headed to breakfast."
"With a grin like that? You look like you've conquered a kingdom,"
she teased, stepping closer to inspect his flustered face.
Just then, his father and Sophia emerged from the study.
His father looked serious at first, his brow furrowed over some documents, but as soon as he saw Keifer's red ears and hopeless grin, a rare, knowing smile tugged at his lips.
"I see the 'Golden Boy' found his shine again," his father remarked, his voice deep but humored.
"He's glowing, Dad!" Sophia added, leaning against the railing.
"He looks like he's floating. What happened, big brother? Did she finally give you a hug?"
Keifer opened his mouth to defend himself, but he was saved—or perhaps doomed—by the sound of a door clicking open.
Jay was trying to sneak out, dressed for the office and moving as quietly as a shadow, hoping to bypass the family gauntlet entirely.
"Oh, Jay! Don't think you're getting away that easily!" Sophia called out, waving her over.
Jay froze, her face still slightly pink from the bathroom incident.
She walked over, looking down at her shoes. Sophia leaned in and whispered a quick, biting joke about "morning cardio," but Jay just blinked, her head tilting in confusion.
She didn't quite understand the slang, which only made Sophia laugh harder.
His father stepped forward, the atmosphere shifting to something more official, though the warmth remained.
"Listen, you two,"
he said, looking between Keifer and Jay.
"We are hosting a major party here at the house this Sunday for the new investors. It's a high-stakes night. I want the both of you to lead the hosting—I want everyone to see the two of you together, running the show."
He looked at Jay, his expression softening into something truly fatherly. He reached out and placed a firm, affectionate hand on top of her head, smoothing her hair.
"You'll do great, Jay. Just keep him in line,"
he said with a smile. Without another word, he turned and walked toward his study, leaving the "power couple" standing there in the wake of his approval.