Keifer POV
Oh God... seeing her like this, trapped under my arms, is everything.
Her breath quickens, her eyes wide, and I can feel the pulse racing beneath her skin.
I kissed her softly at first, testing, savoring.
Then harder, deeper, until the world blurred around us.
She broke the kiss, her lips swollen, her voice trembling. "Keifer," she whispered, "I'm tired."
Tired? No.
I know her too well.
She likes to play hard to get, to test me, to push me.
Fine.
She's not the only one who can play this game.
Two can play.
This will be fun.
"Ok, babe," I said, freeing her from the trap.
"OK?" she asked, confused, her brows furrowing.
She looks so cute right now, trying to figure me out.
"Yeah, you said you were tired," I replied casually, heading upstairs.
"But normally you don't leave me that easily," she said, following close behind.
I stopped, turning to face her, a smirk tugging at my lips. "So... you want me to continue?" I asked, my voice low, teasing.
Her cheeks burned instantly, her eyes darting away. "No," she said quickly, but the lie was written all over her face.
I could see the irritation building in her expression, the way she hated being outplayed.
She wanted me.
She just didn't want to admit it.
She followed me inside, her footsteps quick, almost impatient.
"Where are you going?" she asked, her voice sharp but curious.
"I'll take a shower," I said, heading straight into the bathroom
She came into the room and sat on the bed.
Phone in her hand, scrolling, her face calm — too calm.
She was pretending.
Pretending not to be mad.
Pretending she didn't care that I'd walked away.
But I knew her better than that.
Her lips were pressed tight, her eyes flicking to me and then back to the screen.
Cute.
Irritated.
Trying to hide it.
I went inside the bathroom thinking about my next move
She will definitely turn into a tomato
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JAY-JAY POV
What the hell is wrong with this idiot?
He just let me go like that.
That's not him.
Keifer doesn't back down.
He doesn't stop until I'm breathless, until I'm begging, until I'm not tired anymore.
This idiot.
I just told him I was tired, and he actually believed me.
He just let me go.
Not that I wanted him to.
No, I wanted him to fight me, to push past my words, to prove that he knows me better than I know myself.
Instead, he walked away.
And now I'm sitting here, furious, restless, burning with irritation.
I could hear the bathroom door opening. Nope. I wasn't going to look. I kept scrolling through my phone — okay, maybe a little aggressively, but still.
"JAY," he called out. I didn't look up.
"Japher Jean," he said. What the fuck?
Then, "Mrs. Watson." Won't work, idiot.
And then... the one word I swore I hated. "Barracuda."
I looked at him, ready to cuss, the words burning on my tongue.
But then I froze.
That towel.
Low.
Very low.
My irritation tangled with something else, something hotter.
Damn him.
He knew exactly what he was doing.
"Keifer," I hissed, narrowing my eyes. "Don't you dare call me that again."
He smirked, leaning against the doorframe like he owned the room. "Barracuda," he repeated, slower this time, savoring the way it made me twitch.
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Keifer POV
I was trying to get her attention, and I knew exactly which word would do it.
Barracuda.
She hated that name.
It happened once when she was drunk, back when we were eighteen.
She'd stumbled into that party, cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling, and asked for a "virgin sacrifice."
I swear, I almost died that night.
And me?
Yeah, I was a virgin that day.
So when she said it, every eye turned to me, and I thought I'd combust right there on the spot.
"Keifer, go wear clothes," she said, her tone sharp, but I could see the way her eyes flickered down for just a second.
"Why?" I asked, smirking.
"Because you're half‑naked," she shot back, trying to sound firm.
"Oh, come on. You've already seen me," I said, stepping closer, lowering my voice until it brushed against her ear. "Don't act like this is the first time you've seen me like this."
Her cheeks burned instantly, the blush spreading across her face.
She tried to look away, tried to hide it, but I caught it — the way her lips parted, the way her breath hitched.
I grinned, satisfied.
She could pretend all she wanted, but I knew the truth.
She wasn't embarrassed because I was half‑naked.
She was embarrassed because she wanted me exactly like this.
And now, I wasn't about to let her forget it.
"Why am I distracting you?" I asked, leaning closer.
"Why?" she shot back, her voice sharp but shaky.
"You know why," I murmured, guiding her fingers across my abs.
Her touch lingered, hesitant, but I felt the spark.
"Keifer..." she whispered, cheeks flushed. "Please go wear clothes."
I smirked, lowering my voice until it brushed against her ear. "Make me."
Her eyes widened, her lips parting in shock.
I could see the irritation flicker across her face, but beneath it, the blush gave her away.
She hated that I was winning, and hated that I was turning her own game against her.
And God, I loved it.
Because if she wanted me dressed... she'd have to fight me for it.
"Come on, Jay," I said, smirking. "You already saw me. No need to be shy."
"I'm not shy," she shot back, her voice sharp, but her cheeks betrayed her.
"You are," I said, leaning closer, lowering my tone until it brushed against her ear.
Her lips parted, her eyes narrowing, but I caught the flicker — that tiny spark she couldn't hide. She hated being called out, hated that I could read her so easily.
I grinned, satisfied. "Jay, you can lie to yourself all you want," I murmured, my hand brushing her fingers again, "but I know when you're blushing."
She wasn't breathing anymore, her chest rising and falling in shallow bursts, her eyes wide beneath mine.
I kissed her — sinful, hard, claiming.