--: Author's POV: --
The convoy of SUVs pulled into the grand driveway of the Fernandez mansion. As the doors opened, the group spilled out, buzzing with the energy of a successful day.
Angelo was already in the foyer, leaning against the banister with a relaxed posture. He looked at Thyme, Gorya, Kaning, and the rest of the F4 with a welcoming nod.
"Welcome back," Angelo said, his eyes scanning the shopping bags. "I assume the Manila economy is doing much better thanks to you all? Did everyone enjoy the Baywalk?"
"It was amazing, Kuya Angelo!" Kaning chirped, holding up her scrapbook. "The sunset was beautiful, and we did a gift exchange!"
"Glad to hear it," Angelo nodded, his gaze lingering as the group moved toward the kitchen. "It's good to see you all getting along." He paused, his brow furrowing as he realized the group felt smaller. "Wait... Where is she? where's Jay-Jay?"
Aries, looked up. "Oh, she's with Keifer. They went to the Watson estate."
Angelo's expression turn dangerous, he straightened his posture. "And you just let her go? Without checking in?"
"Wait," Aries said, looking genuinely puzzled. "Keifer told me he already asked you... didn't he? He was very calm about it."
—————
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
We were just pulling into the Watson driveway when Keifer's phone began to vibrate on the dashboard. The caller ID showed 'Demon'.
My heart did a frantic somersault. "Keifer! He found out! He's going to come over here and drag me back by my hair!"
Keifer didn't look worried at all. He pulled the car into the garage, killed the engine, and picked up the phone on speaker. "Hey, Angelo."
"Keifer," Angelo's voice came through, sounding like a furious one. "Aries mentioned you're at your place. He seemed to think we'd already discussed this tonight. Did I miss something?"
Keifer leaned back against the leather seat, a calm, confident smirk on his face. "I think you just forgot the details, Angelo. Before we left for Thailand, we talked about this and you gave us permission for our live-in relationship. We're just continuing what was already agreed upon back then."
There was a long, stunned silence on the other end. I held my breath, watching the signal bars. Finally, I heard Angelo let out a slow, defeated sigh.
"Right. I suppose I did give my word, didn't I? I'm a man of my word, Keifer, so I can't exactly walk back on a formal agreement."
"Exactly," Keifer replied smoothly.
"Fine," Angelo grumbled, his voice turning serious. "But listen—stay responsible. I want her focused. Since you're there, make sure both of you finalize those LSE admission forms tonight. I'm checking in the morning to see if they're submitted. And Keifer... don't you dare cross your limits."
"I understand. We'll get them done. Thanks, Angelo," Keifer said, and the line clicked shut.
--: Author's POV: --
The black SUV glided through the gates of the Watson estate, the motion-sensor lights illuminating the sleek, modern architecture. As the engine cut out, the silence of the neighborhood felt heavy and intimate.
Keifer didn't move to get out immediately. He turned in his seat, watching Jay-Jay in the dim glow of the dashboard. "Finally," he murmured, his voice a low, smooth rumble. "No brothers, no noisy Section E, no F4, and no distractions. Just us.."
"It's weirdly quiet," Jay-Jay whispered, looking at the dark windows of the house.
"Keigan and Keiran are staying at their friends' place tonight," Keifer said, a slow, devious smirk spreading across his face. "Which means there is absolutely no one to disturb us. Now you can finally use my gift... the one in the black bag."
Jay-Jay's heart skipped a beat. She looked at the mysterious bag in the backseat. "Keifer, what is actually in there? You've been teasing me all day."
Keifer simply reached over and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her skin. "You'll know soon enough, Jay. But business first. If we don't finish those forms, Angelo might actually break down the door at sunrise."
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
We didn't go to the bedroom first. Keifer led me to his private study. Two laptops were already set up, their screens glowing white against the dark wood of the desk.
For the next two hours, the only sounds were the clicking of keys and the occasional frustrated sigh from me as I navigated the LSE website. Keifer was surprisingly focused, his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose as he cross-referenced our transcripts.
"Done!" I finally gasped, hitting the 'Submit' button. I felt a massive weight lift off my shoulders as the confirmation screen appeared.
Keifer closed his laptop with a definitive thud. He stood up and walked around the desk, stopping right in front of my chair. He reached out, pulling me up by my waist until I was standing inches away from him.
"Finally," he breathed, his eyes darkening with an intensity that made my knees weak. "The forms are filled. The future is secured. Now..."
He leaned down, his lips ghosting against my ear. "Let's go to our room. It's time for you to show me my gift."
--: Author's POV: --
Jay-Jay followed him up the grand staircase, her heart hammering. Inside his master suite, Keifer picked up the Black Bag and handed it to her.
"Jay," he said, his voice dropping to a serious, gentle tone. "I bought this because I wanted to see you in it... but I want you to know something. Only wear it if you want to. If you're not comfortable, you don't have to. I won't force you—not now, not ever."
Jay-Jay looked up at him, touched by the respect in his eyes. "I... I'll try it, Keifer."
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I retreated to the bathroom and opened the bag. My breath caught. It was a luxurious black lace and sheer silk nightpiece. It was delicate, bold, and more "naughty" than anything I had ever owned even more that Ci-N's gift on the Christmas.
I stood there for a long time, debating. But then I remembered how hard he worked for us today, and how he just told me he'd never force me. I wanted to do this for him.
When I stepped back into the bedroom, the lights were dimmed. Keifer was sitting on the edge of the bed, already wearing the black hoodie I had gifted him.
He looked up, and his entire body went still. His gaze traveled slowly from my feet up to my face. "You actually wore it," he rasped.
"I wanted to," I whispered. "Do you... do you like it?"
--: Author's POV: --
The silence of the Watson master suite was heavy, charged with a tension that had been building since the moment they left the Baywalk. The moonlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling glass, casting long, silvery shadows across the room.
Keifer stood in front of Jay-Jay, his presence commanding and silent. He reached out, his thumb brushing against her lower lip before his hand moved down to the delicate silk of the gown he had gifted her.
"You look beautiful in this, Jay," he whispered, his voice a low, dangerous vibration. "But I want to feel you. No more fabrics between us."
He reached for the hem of the gown. Jay-Jay held her breath, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. Slowly, with agonizing patience, he eased the gown upward. He watched her eyes for any sign of hesitation, but she only leaned into him. He pulled the silk over her head and let it whisper to the floor, leaving her standing there in nothing but her lace undergarments.
--: Jay-Jay'S POV: --
I felt exposed, but under Keifer's gaze, I didn't feel shy—I felt wanted. My skin prickled as the cool air hit me, but the heat radiating from him was more than enough to keep me warm.
Keifer didn't wait. He grabbed the hem of the black hoodie I had given him—the gift he had been teasing me about all evening—and pulled it over his head. He tossed it aside, his eyes never leaving mine.
Seeing him like this... it was overwhelming. The broad span of his shoulders, the sharp definition of his chest, the way his muscles rippled with every breath he took. I reached out, my fingers trembling as I finally touched him. I let my hands travel up his torso, feeling the warmth of his skin and the hard, steady thrum of his heart beneath my palms.
He let out a low, ragged groan at my touch, his hands coming up to grip my waist, pulling me flush against his bare chest. The contact was electric. He leaned down, his mouth finding mine in a kiss that was deeper and more desperate.
"Jay..." he rasped against my lips. "Can I take this off too?" His hand moved to the clasp of my bra.
"Yes," I breathed, the word barely a whisper.
He unfastened it with practiced ease, his fingers grazing my back and sending shivers down my spine. As the lace fell away, he pulled me back into his arms. The sensation of our bare skin meeting—chest to chest—made my head spin.
--: Author's POV: --
Keifer moved them toward the bed, his kisses never stopping. He laid her down against the plush duvet, hovering over her like a guardian. He was a man possessed, his kisses trailing a path of fire from her jawline down to her collarbone, and then lower.
Jay-Jay arched her back, her fingers tangling in his dark hair, pulling him closer as a soft moan escaped her lips. She felt his hands roaming her body, possessive and sure, tracing every curve.
He moved further down, his lips ghosting over her skin until he reached her navel. He lingered there, his hot breath fanning across her stomach. Jay-Jay squeezed her eyes shut, her pulse racing in anticipation of what came next.
But then, the movement stopped.
Keifer stayed there, his forehead resting against her skin, his chest heaving as he fought for breath. The silence in the room became deafening.
Jay-Jay opened her eyes, looking down at him, her voice shaky. "Keifer? Why did you stop?"
He looked up, his eyes dark with a hunger that was almost painful to look at, but his expression was resolute. He reached up, cupping her face with both of his large hands, his thumbs stroking her cheeks.
"Not now, Jay," he rasped, his voice thick with the effort of pulling back. "When the right time comes... we'll go all the way. But tonight is about us being close. I want to remember every second of this without rushing it."
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
My heart melted. The fact that he could stop, even when the air was this thick with tension, just to make sure it was perfect... it made me love him even more.
--:Keifer's POV:--
My blood was a riot.
Every instinct I had was screaming at me to keep going, to lose myself in the heat of the moment. Jay-Jay looked breathtaking—vulnerable, beautiful, and completely mine. But when I reached her navel, I felt her heart hammering against her ribs like a panicked bird, and I caught the slight tremble in her breath.
I stopped.
I rested my forehead against her stomach for a second, my chest heaving as I fought for control. I'm a Watson; I usually take what I want. But with Jay, it's different. I don't just want her—I want to protect her, even from my own impatience. I want every memory she has of us to be perfect, not rushed in a moment of adrenaline.
I looked up and saw the confusion in her eyes. I cupped her face, my thumbs brushing her flushed cheeks.
"Not now, Jay," I rasped, my voice sounding like it had been dragged over gravel. "When the right time comes, we'll do everything. But tonight... I just want to hold you."
I sat up, the cool air hitting my bare skin, and reached for the black hoodie she had given me. It felt right—wearing her gift while I gave her mine. I pulled it over my head, the soft fabric settling over my shoulders.
I looked back at her. She was lying there in just her panties, looking like a dream I didn't want to wake up from. I didn't want a single inch of space between us.
"Come here, Jay," I murmured.
I didn't have to explain. We'd been through enough together to know exactly what I wanted. I opened the hem of the oversized hoodie wide. It was a silent invitation into my world.
She crawled into my lap without hesitation. I draped the heavy fabric over her, pulling her inside the hoodie with me.
The second her bare chest hit mine, I felt my heart do a heavy thud. It was skin-to-skin, just the two of us encased in this dark, warm cocoon. I was only in my boxers, and she was tucked against me, her legs tangling with mine.
The Night Belonged to Us
I leaned back against the headboard, pulling the duvet over our tangled limbs, but my arms never left her waist inside the hoodie. I could feel her breath on my neck and the steady rhythm of her heart matching mine.
"Better?" I whispered, my lips brushing her temple.
"Much better," she breathed, her hands sliding up my ribs to hold onto me.
I pulled the hood up slightly, sealing us into our own private sanctuary. The LSE forms were submitted. For the first time in my life, I wasn't looking for the next fight or the next thrill. I had everything I needed right here, tucked against my chest.
"Sleep, Jay," I murmured, my grip tightening just a fraction.
I stayed awake for a while longer, listening to her breathing even out into the deep rhythm of sleep.