[Jay's POV]
The morning sun was filtering through the heavy velvet curtains of the Blue Suite, turning the dust motes into floating gold. I was buried under a mountain of high-thread-count sheets, but the real warmth came from the solid, muscular wall of "Hubby" pressed against my back.
Keifer was officially in Post-Integration Mode. His arm was draped over my waist like a heavy iron bar, his fingers idly tracing patterns on my stomach in his sleep. I could feel his heartbeat—slow, steady, and 100% synchronized with mine.
"Analysis, Wiefy?" he mumbled into my hair, his voice so deep and gravelly from sleep it made my toes curl.
"The system is currently 99% asleep and 1% thinking about coffee," I whispered, snuggling closer into his heat.
"Reject that thought," Keifer groaned, tightening his grip and pulling me back until there wasn't a single millimeter of air between us. "The coffee variable is irrelevant. The only priority is this current state of rest."
The External Interference
Just as I was about to agree and drift back into a dream about Amalfi lemons, a sharp, rhythmic tapping echoed through the heavy oak door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Keifer? Jay? It's nearly 10:00 AM!" Mamma Serina's voice sang out from the hallway, sounding entirely too energetic. "The chef has prepared the truffle eggs and the sourdough you liked in Italy. Pappa and the boys are already at the table!"
Keifer froze. His eyes snapped open—that icy Watson blue instantly sharp, though his hair was still a wild, sexy mess. "Ignore the signal, Jay. If we don't respond, the system will assume we are still in a dead zone."
"Keifer!" Mamma called again, a hint of laughter in her voice. "I can hear your 'CEO breathing' through the door! Don't make me send Keiran in there to wake you up. He's already asking if he can bring his telescope to the table to see if your 'glow' has changed color!"
The Security Breach
"No!" I squeaked, sitting up and clutching the duvet to my chest. "Mamma! We're... we're just running a final system check! We'll be down in ten minutes!"
"Make it five!" Mamma shouted back, her footsteps receding down the hall. "And Keifer—put a shirt on! We're having a family breakfast, not a fitness convention!"
The Hubby Protest
Keifer let out a sound that was half-growl, half-sigh. He collapsed back onto the pillows, pulling me down with him for one last, desperate squeeze.
"The efficiency of this household has plummeted since we got back," he muttered, his lips finding the "Wiefy" spot on my neck for a lingering, possessive kiss. "In Ravello, the only person who knocked on the door was the wind."
"Well, the wind doesn't make truffle eggs," I giggled, trying to wiggle out of his grasp.
"I don't want eggs," he rasped, his hand sliding up to cup my cheek, his eyes darkening with a sudden, morning heat. "I want to stay right here and continue the 'maintenance' from last night. The Board can wait. The family can wait. Even the sourdough can wait."
"Hubby," I said, putting on my best 'Empress' voice while blushing furiously. "If we don't go down there, Keiran is going to start a 'Honey Moon' investigation in our hallway. Is that what you want?"
Keifer sighed, finally letting go of my waist with a dramatic flair of defeat. "Fine. But let the record reflect: the CEO is currently operating under protest. And the second breakfast is over, I'm initiating a 'Work From Home' protocol that involves locking this door for the rest of the afternoon."