KEIFER POV
I stood at the bottom of the grand staircase for all of two minutes before my patience wore thin. Every second she was out of my sight felt like a minute too long, especially after seeing that shadow on the balcony. My skin was still prickling with the urge to hunt, but for her, I smoothed my expression into something softer.
I took the stairs two at a time, my footsteps silent on the plush carpet. When I reached our suite, I didn't bother knocking. I pushed the heavy mahogany door open and felt the tension in my chest snap instantly at the sight of her.
"KEIFER! I'M CHANGING!" Jay yelled, grabbing a silk robe from the bed and clutching it against her front, though she was a second too late.
I leaned against the doorframe, a slow, predatory grin spreading across my face. My eyes didn't move from her. She was standing there in just her lace bra and underwear, her skin glowing in the morning light. "I know," I said, my voice dropping an octave.
I closed the door behind me, the click of the lock echoing in the quiet room. I walked toward her, my gaze sweeping over her body. There was no bump yet—it was still too early for that—but knowing our child was in there, protected by that smooth, pale skin, made my pulse thrum with a different kind of intensity
I didn't stop until I was deep in her space, the heat radiating off her body making the air between us thick. I reached out, my large hands finding the curve of her waist, my thumbs tracing the smooth, unmarked skin above her underwear. She let out a small huff of a laugh, her fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of my neck as she looked up at me.
"We're going to be late," she whispered, though she didn't pull away.
"The doctor can wait five minutes," I murmured against her lips before I claimed them.
The kiss was deep, a desperate search for grounding after the chaos of the night. It tasted of the coffee I'd just had and the peppermint of her breath, a collision of my world and hers. When we finally broke apart for air, I didn't let her go. I moved my path downward, my lips grazing her jawline, lingering there before finding the sensitive, pulsing hollow of her neck.
I felt her breath hitch, her hands tightening on my shoulders. I pressed my face into the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of her skin—a mix of vanilla and the morning sun. I moved to her collarbone, my lips tracing the delicate bone, my teeth grazing her skin just enough to leave a faint, red mark. A silent claim.
When I reached her earlobe, I nipped it gently, my breath hot and heavy. "Mine," I whispered, the word more of a growl than a statement. "Every inch. Mine."
Jay's head tilted back, her eyes fluttering shut as she leaned into me. For a moment, the world outside—the guards, the perimeter, the shadow of my father—didn't exist. There was only the sound of her heart hammering against my chest and the soft, needy sound she made when I pressed her closer.
I moved my hands from her waist, sliding them down to her stomach. It was still flat, the skin firm and soft, but I knew what was happening inside. I splayed my fingers across her belly, my palms covering the place where our future was growing.
"Keifer..." she breathed, her voice a mix of a plea and a question.
I pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. They were dark with a mixture of desire and that lingering vulnerability from the night before. I hated that I was the reason she felt unsafe, but I loved that I was the only person she looked to for protection.
"I've got you," I told her, my voice gravelly. "I'm going to protect you and this baby with everything I am. Don't ever forget that."
I gave her one last, lingering kiss on her forehead, then reluctantly stepped back, my hands dropping from her skin. "Now, get dressed. Before I decide the doctor's appointment can happen this afternoon instead."
Jay flushed, a beautiful pink creeping up her cheeks as she grabbed her dress. "You're impossible," she said, though the smile on her face was finally genuine.
"I'm yours," I corrected, heading toward the door to give her a moment of privacy. "I'll be waiting by the car. Don't take too long, Jay Jay. My patience is already thin today."
I walked out and closed the door, my expression hardening the second the wood clicked shut.
I pulled my phone out as I moved.
"Is the lead car in position?" I barked into the line. "Good. We're moving in five minutes. If I see a single civilian vehicle get between the SUV and the tail car, someone is getting fired. Move."
I stood by the sleek, blacked-out SUV, my eyes fixed on the front door of the villa. My security team was already in position—four men standing like statues, eyes scanning the perimeter—but I barely saw them. My focus was entirely on the entrance, waiting for the one person who held my entire world in her hands.
When the door finally opened and Jay stepped out, I felt that familiar, sharp pull in my chest.
She was wearing a soft, cream-colored ribbed knit dress that reached her mid-calves. It was clearly chosen for comfort—soft fabric that wouldn't irritate her—but the way it clung to her curves was nothing short of lethal. She had her hair tossed up in a messy clip, a few stray tendrils framing her face.
She wasn't wearing a drop of makeup. Not even a swipe of lip gloss. And yet, she looked more breathtaking than any woman I'd ever seen on a red carpet or in a boardroom. Her skin had this natural, dewy glow that seemed to come from the inside out, her cheeks slightly flushed from the Manila heat.
How does she even do that?
How could she look so effortlessly beautiful, so completely radiant, without even trying? It was a crime, really. It made me want to wrap her in a blanket and hide her away in this villa forever, where no other man could ever catch a glimpse of her.
As she walked toward me, she gave me a shy, small smile, clearly noticing the way I was staring at her.
"Is this okay?" she asked, smoothing the fabric over her hips. "I wanted to be comfortable for the ultrasound, but I feel like I look a bit... plain."
"Plain?" I repeated, the word sounding like a joke as I stepped forward to meet her. I reached out, my hand finding the small of her back and pulling her flush against me. "Jay, you have no idea what you do to me. You're effortlessly beautiful. If you looked any better, I'd have to cancel this appointment and lock the gates."
I leaned down, my thumb brushing over her cheekbone, marveling at the softness of her skin. "No makeup, no jewelry... and you're still the most stunning thing in this city."
She blushed, a deep pink spreading across her neck, and shielded her eyes with her lashes. "You're biased."
"I'm honest," I countered, my voice dropping.
I checked my watch, the CEO side of my brain snapping back into place as I glanced at the lead security car. The engine was idling, a low hum that signaled we were ready to move.
I opened the SUV door for her, shielding the top of her head with my hand as she slid into the reinforced leather interior. As I climbed in beside her and the door shut with a heavy, pressurized thud, the silence of the armored vehicle enveloped us.
"Everything is set," I told her, taking her hand and interlacing our fingers. I felt the weight of the firearm at my back, the presence of my men in the cars ahead and behind us, and the lingering threat of my father somewhere in the city.
But looking at Jay, sitting there so calm and beautiful, I felt a surge of lethal protectiveness.
"Let's go see our baby," I whispered, kissing the back of her hand.
I caught the eye of my driver in the rearview mirror and gave a single, sharp nod. The convoy began to move, rolling out of the gates and into the bustling streets of Manila. To anyone else, it looked like a high-profile executive moving through the city. To me, it was a tactical maneuver to keep my heart beating.
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JAY JAY POV
I sat back against the cool leather of the armored SUV, staring out the tinted window as the vibrant, chaotic streets of Manila blurred past. Beside me, Keifer's hand was a heavy, warm weight over mine, his thumb tracing restless circles over my knuckles.
He thought he was being subtle, but I knew him better than he knew himself.
Keifer had been acting... strange... ever since we touched down in the Philippines. It wasn't just his usual overprotective mode; it was deeper than that. He was constantly on his phone, his eyes darting to every corner of every room we entered, his jaw permanently set in a hard, jagged line. He looked like a man expecting a bomb to go off at any second.
And after last night? He was a different person entirely.
I closed my eyes, the hum of the car's engine fading as the memory of the incident flooded back, unwelcome and terrifying.
Flashback
The humid Manila air was thick even inside the air-conditioned room. I had been drifting in that deep, heavy sleep that only comes with pregnancy, comfortably cocooned in the silk sheets. I reached out for Keifer's side of the bed, but it was cold. Empty.
That's when I heard it.
Tap. Tap. Thud.
A soft, rhythmic banging against the heavy glass of the balcony door. I groaned, rubbing my eyes, my brain still foggy with sleep.
"Keifer? Did you get locked outside again?" I murmured, my voice raspy. I thought maybe he'd stepped out for a cigar or some air and the heavy latch had clicked into place behind him.
There was no answer, just another dull thud. Heavier this time.
"Fine, I'm awake," I huffed, tossing the duvet aside. I stood up, my bare feet padding across the floor toward the curtains. I expected to see Keifer's silhouette, maybe with that annoyed, sheepish grin he got when he messed up something simple.
I grabbed the edge of the blackout curtain and pulled it back.
My heart didn't just drop—it stopped. It wasn't Keifer.
A man was standing there. He didn't look like a common thief or some lost prowler. He was tall, dressed in a sharp black coat that looked out of place in the tropical heat, and he was just... staring. His face was partially obscured by the shadows, but his eyes—cold, pale, and merciless—seemed to pierce right through the glass and into my soul.
He wasn't trying to get in. He was marking me. Like a predator looking at a prize.
I backed away, my breath hitching in my chest, my hand instinctively flying to my stomach to cover the life growing inside me. The man didn't move. He didn't even blink. He just tilted his head, a slow, terrifyingly familiar gesture.
"KEIFER!" I screamed, my voice breaking the silence like shattered glass.
End of Flashback
The screech of the SUV's tires coming to a gentle halt snapped me back to the present. The sterile, white walls of the medical plaza's private entrance loomed outside the tinted glass, a stark contrast to the dark, terrifying memories of the night before.
"Jay?"
Keifer's voice was like an anchor, pulling me out of the deep end. I realized I'd been staring at my lap, my fingers white-knuckled as I gripped the hem of my dress.
"Hmm? What?" I blinked, looking over at him.
He was leaning toward me, his brows furrowed in that way that meant he was analyzing every micro-expression on my face. He looked like he wanted to peel back my skull and read my thoughts. In his world, silence was a vulnerability he couldn't afford.
"We're here," he said, his voice lowering, turning intimate yet demanding. He reached out, his thumb catching my chin and tilting my head up so I had no choice but to meet those piercing eyes. "What were you thinking about? You were miles away."
I looked at him—really looked at him. I saw the dark circles under his eyes he tried to hide with a smile, the way his other hand was surreptitiously checking the tablet on his lap for security updates. I saw the man who would burn Manila to the ground for me, and I couldn't bring myself to add more to his plate. Not when he was already carrying the weight of the world.
"Nothing," I said, forcing a small smile that felt tight on my face. "Just... thinking about the baby. Nervous for the ultrasound, I guess."
Keifer didn't move for a long beat. I knew he didn't believe me—he knew my "nothing" meant "everything"—but he let it go. He leaned in, pressing a firm, warm kiss to my lips that tasted of possessive reassurance.
"Don't be nervous," he murmured against my mouth. "I'm right here. Nothing is going to happen to you or our little one. Not on my watch."
He stepped out of the car first, his eyes immediately snapping left and right, scanning the rooftop of the parking garage and the lobby entrance. Only when he was satisfied did he reach back and offer me his hand.
As I stepped out, three men in suits moved in a synchronized dance, forming a loose but impenetrable circle around us. It was overkill for a doctor's visit, but as we walked toward the sliding glass doors, I couldn't help but glance back at the shadows of the parking lot.
Keifer's hand moved to the small of my back, his palm hot and steady, guiding me forward.
"Eyes on me, Jay Jay," he commanded softly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Just look at me."
I did. I looked at the man I loved, the man who was keeping so many secrets to keep me safe. We walked into the cool, air-conditioned lobby, leaving the heat and the ghosts of the balcony behind. But as the elevator doors closed, I knew one thing for sure: we weren't just here to see a doctor. We were here because this was the only place Keifer felt he could control.
For now. Meatime, my hand stayed protectively over my stomach, praying that "nothing" would stay "nothing" for just a little while longer.