--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
The air in the cottage felt like it had been replaced with pure static. I could hear the blood rushing in my ears, a frantic, rhythmic pulse that matched the way Keifer's heart was thudding against my own.
"Keifer," I whispered, my voice sounding foreign even to me—husky, breathless, and laced with a daring I didn't know I possessed. I looked up at him, my fingers curling into the muscles of his shoulders. "Are you actually serious? You really aren't planning on leaving this bed at all today?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he just looked at me. His gaze was heavy, dark, and utterly focused, like I was the only thing left in the universe. It wasn't the playful "Green Flag" look from the pier; it was the look of a man who had finally stopped pretending he was anything other than a predator who had found exactly what he wanted.
"I've never been more serious about anything in my life, Jay," he growled.
--: Keifer's POV: --
I didn't give her a second to overthink it. I shifted my weight, the movement slow and deliberate, until I was hovering directly over her. I watched her eyes dilate, the amber depths turning almost black as she realized I wasn't joking.
I leaned down, capturing her lips in a kiss that wasn't a question—it was an answer. It was deep, intense, and demanding, the kind of kiss that tasted like the salt of the ocean and the heat of the sun. Our tongues tangled in a messy, desperate rhythm as I tasted her properly for the first time since the boat.
She tasted like lavender and honey, and she was making these tiny, soft sounds in the back of her throat that were driving me absolutely insane. I kissed her until her lungs were burning, until she was clutching at me like I was the only thing keeping her from drowning.
When I finally pulled back, just an inch, her lips were swollen and red, her breathing coming in short, jagged gasps.
"Keifer..." she whimpered, her hands sliding up into my hair, pulling me back down.
"I've got you," I murmured against her skin.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I was lost. The world outside that duvet didn't exist anymore. There was only the weight of him, the heat of his skin, and the way his lips were now trailing a path of fire down my jawline toward my neck.
He found the sensitive spot right under my ear and lingered there, his teeth grazing my skin just enough to make a shiver race down my entire spine. I let out a soft, involuntary chuckle that turned into a gasp as his hand slid lower.
"Why are you even wearing this t-shirt?" he muttered against my skin, his voice vibrating through me. "It's in my way."
I laughed breathlessly, my head falling back against the pillow as I looked up at him through hooded eyes. "You have a very short memory, Keifer Watson. Who was the one who practically dressed me like a doll last night because I was too tired to move? I don't even remember when I wore this!!"
--: Keifer's POV: --
I froze for a split second, the memory of her sleeping in the tub and me carefully navigating her into my shirt flashing through my mind. I looked down at the black cotton, seeing how it swallowed her, making her look even smaller and more fragile against the white sheets.
A slow, dark smirk spread across my face.
"Right," I rumbled, my gaze locking onto hers. "I did do that, didn't I? I was being a gentleman last night, Jay. But it's a new day."
I gripped the hem of the shirt, my shirt to be exact which my baby was wearing, my knuckles brushing against her thighs. "And if I was the one who made you wear it... then I'm the only one who gets to decide when it comes off. Right? It's fair enough I guess."
I didn't give her a chance to respond. In one swift, effortless motion, I pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it somewhere across the room. I didn't care where it landed.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
The cool air of the room hit my skin for only a fraction of a second before Keifer was there to replace it with his own heat. I felt completely exposed, yet more shielded than I'd ever been in my life. The way he was looking at me now—with a raw, unfiltered hunger—made my skin tingle.
He didn't rush. He was agonizingly slow, his hands mapping every inch of me as if he were memorizing a secret map. Every touch, every kiss, every low growl that escaped him was a reminder that today, there was no F4, no danger Aries, and no "Section E."
There was just this. Us
--: Keifer's POV: --
The black cotton of my t-shirt hit the floor with a soft, insignificant thud, leaving nothing but the golden morning light between us. Seeing her like this—completely bared to the world, yet only visible to me—was enough to make the air in my lungs feel like liquid lead. She was perfection and chaos all wrapped into one, her skin glowing like silk under the amber hue of the curtains.
I didn't rush. I wanted to savor the look of her, the way her breath hitched and the way her pupils swallowed the amber of her iris until she was looking at me with nothing but raw, unfiltered need.
"Keifer," she whispered, her voice a broken thread of sound.
"I told you, Jay," I growled, my voice sounding like gravel grinding together. "Today, there is no world outside this door. There is only what I want to do to you."
I leaned down, my chest hovering just inches above hers. I could feel the radiant heat coming off her, the scent of the lavender bath oil still clinging to her skin, mixed with the sweet, intoxicating scent that was just her. I started at her collarbone, pressing my lips against the delicate pulse point there, feeling her heart hammering against my mouth like a trapped bird.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I felt every single inch of him. The weight of his body pressing me into the mattress was the only thing keeping me grounded as the room started to spin. Without the t-shirt, there was nowhere to hide, no barrier between his hunger and my surrender.
His mouth was a path of fire. When he moved lower, his lips grazing the curve of my breast, I let out a sharp, jagged gasp that echoed off the quiet walls of the cottage. His tongue was rough and warm, tracing patterns on my skin that made my toes curl into the expensive linens.
"Ohh God! Keifer... please," I whimpered, my fingers tangling in his dark hair, pulling him closer, needing more than just these agonizingly slow touches.
He ignored my plea, or rather, he answered it in his own way. He was deliberate, his teeth grazing my skin just enough to leave a stinging heat before his tongue soothed it over. Every moan that escaped me seemed to fuel him, making his movements more possessive, more demanding. I was a canvas, and he was reclaiming every single inch of me as his territory.
--: Keifer's POV: --
The sounds she was making were going to be the death of me. Each low moan, each sharp intake of breath, was a siren song that pushed me closer to the edge. I moved lower, my hands sliding down to her waist, my thumbs hooking into her hip bones to hold her still as I traveled down the center of her body.
I kissed the soft skin of her stomach, feeling the muscles ripple and tighten under my touch. I wanted to know every curve, every secret of her body that she had kept hidden from the world. When I reached her inner thighs, I felt her whole body shudder, a long, rhythmic tremble that started in her core and radiated outward.
"Umm.. Keifer, wait—" she gasped, her hands clutching at the duvet as I parted her legs.
"Don't wait," I murmured against the sensitive skin of her thigh, the heat between us becoming almost unbearable. "Look at me, baby."
I wanted her to see me. I wanted her to know exactly who was doing this to her. When our eyes locked, I saw the fire in hers—the same fire that was burning me alive from the inside out.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. Everything was narrowed down to the sensation of Keifer's mouth on me. It was a sensory overload—the rough texture of his tongue, the heat of his breath, the firm grip of his hands on my legs.
He was relentless. He explored me with a hunger that felt like it had been building for centuries. When he finally shifted his focus to my core, the world simply ceased to exist. I felt a surge of electricity shoot through my spine, my head falling back against the pillow as a high, broken sound escaped my throat.
"Ahh..Keif.."
He was swirling, rhythmic, and devastatingly precise. I felt the tension building in my chest, a pressure so intense it felt like I was going to shatter into a million pieces. My fingers were buried so deep in his hair I was sure I was hurting him, but he didn't pull away. He only deepened the contact, his tongue working a magic that left me completely undone.
--: Keifer's POV: --
I felt it coming before she did. The way her muscles began to coil, the way her breath turned into short, frantic hitches. I didn't stop. I wanted to be the one to push her over that ledge. I wanted to taste the exact moment she lost control.
I used my tongue to trace her, faster now, more intense, my thumb finding her clit to add to the friction that was driving her over the edge. I watched her face—the way her eyes squeezed shut, the way her lips parted in a silent scream of pleasure.
And then, she broke.
She arched off the bed, her body trembling violently as the first wave hit her. I stayed right there, drinking in every drop of her surrender, my tongue swirling against her as she came, her voice finally breaking into a loud, beautiful cry that filled the small cottage.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I was falling. I was soaring. I was exploding.
The waves of pleasure were so intense I couldn't even feel my own limbs. I felt the heat of Keifer's mouth, the strength of his hands, and the overwhelming realization that I belonged to him in a way I would never belong to anyone else.
As the ripples finally began to fade, leaving me limp and breathless against the sheets, Keifer didn't move. He stayed there for a moment longer, his forehead resting against my thigh, his own breathing as heavy and jagged as mine.
I reached down, my fingers shaking, and touched his shoulder. "Keifer..."
He looked up, his eyes dark with a hunger that clearly hadn't been satisfied yet. He crawled back up the length of my body, pinning me down once more, his smirk returning—slower, darker, and more promising than ever.
"That," he whispered, his lips brushing against mine, "was just the beginning, Jay. We still have the rest of the day."
--: Keifer's POV: --
I didn't give her a second to recover. The moment the last of those tremors faded from her thighs, I was moving back up her body like a tide that refused to recede. Her skin was flushed, radiating a feverish heat that felt like a drug against my own. I wanted her to know exactly what she did to me, exactly how she tasted when she lost her mind in my arms.
I captured her lips in a kiss that was sudden and possessive, forcing her to taste the sweetness of her own surrender on my tongue. Her eyes went wide for a fraction of a second before they fluttered shut, a low, needy moan vibrating between our joined mouths.
I didn't just want her lying there. I wanted her wrapped around me. I reached down, my hands hooking under her thighs, and hauled her up until she was sitting upright in the middle of the bed.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I was completely dazed, my head spinning from the aftershocks, when I felt Keifer's massive hands lift me effortlessly. I didn't even have to think; it was pure instinct. My legs wound tightly around his waist, my arms locking behind his neck as I clung to him like he was the only solid thing left in a world made of steam and shadows.
He didn't break the kiss. Not for a second. His tongue was a marauder, exploring every corner of my mouth with a desperate, heavy hunger that made my lungs ache. He stood up, the sheer strength of his legs making the transition look easy, and carried me across the small room.
I felt the cool air of the cottage hit my back, but I was too focused on the way his teeth were now grazing my lower lip, his growls sounding like a storm brewing in his chest.
--: Keifer's POV: --
I carried her toward the tall, dark wood cabinet where I'd stashed my gear. I didn't want to let her go, not even for a heartbeat, so I kept her pinned against me with one arm locked under her seat, her weight light and perfect against my frame.
I reached out with my free hand, my fingers fumbling slightly with the zipper of my tactical bag—a rare sign of how much she was actually getting to me. I found the small, square foil packet I'd hidden in the side pocket. My pulse was a frantic hammer against my ribs.
I didn't care about the ocean, or the sun or the others. I just cared about the girl currently trying to swallow my soul through a kiss. I gripped the packet tight, my smirk returning, dark and jagged.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I heard the sharp zip of a bag and the rustle of plastic, but I didn't pull away. I couldn't. I was addicted to the way his heart was thundering against my chest. He turned back toward the bed, his strides long and purposeful.
When he lowered me onto the sheets this time, it wasn't gentle. It was a claim. He laid me back, the white duvet bunching up under my shoulders, and hovered over me like a king returning to his throne.
My hands, shaking with a mix of adrenaline and pure, unadulterated need, slid down past his stomach. I felt the rigid tension in his muscles, the way his skin felt like fire under my fingertips. I didn't hesitate. I found the waistband of his black boxers and pulled, my eyes locked onto his dark, burning gaze as I stripped away the last barrier.
--: Keifer's POV: --
I watched her. I watched the way her small hands worked, the focus in her eyes, the way she didn't look away even as she bared me to the morning light. She was bold today, a little demon who had finally decided to play with fire.
The moment I was free, the tension in my body reached a breaking point. I reached for the packet, my fingers steady now despite the roar in my blood. I tore it open with my teeth, the sound of the foil sharp in the quiet room.
I didn't waste another second. I rolled the protection on, my gaze never leaving hers. I wanted her to see every bit of this. I wanted her to know that there was no turning back. The blackout was in full effect, and I was about to show her exactly why no one was allowed to knock on this door.
....
The air in the room was thick enough to choke on. I positioned myself between her thighs, my hands framing her head, my knuckles digging into the mattress. I looked down at her—really looked at her. Her face was flushed, her hair a chaotic halo against the white pillows, and her eyes were wide, dark, and filled with a trust that made my chest tighten.
I didn't wait. I couldn't.
I pushed forward, entering her in one slow, heavy, and inexorable motion.
The sound that left her throat was something I felt in my very marrow—a high, broken cry of my name that was half-gasp, half-sob. I froze for a split second, my eyes locking onto hers, watching the way her pupils flared. The fit was perfect, a tight, searing heat that felt like coming home after a lifetime at war.
"Ahh.. Umm.. Keifer..." she choked out, her legs locking around my waist, pulling me deeper, her heels digging into the small of my back.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
It felt like I was being split open and filled up all at once. The sensation was overwhelming—a blunt, heavy pressure that turned into a radiating heat, blooming from my core and rushing to my fingertips. I gripped his shoulders, my nails sinking into his bronze skin, as he began to move.
He wasn't gentle. He was rhythmic and relentless, his pace a steady, punishing drive that matched the frantic thud of my heart. Every thrust was a claim, a physical reminder that I was his. I couldn't breathe; I could only moan, the sounds coming out of me in jagged, rhythmic bursts that filled the small space of the cottage.
"More," I whimpered, my head thrashing against the pillow. "Keifer, please... don't stop."
--: Keifer's POV: --
I was lost in the feel of her. The way she was stretching for me, the way her muscles were clenching around me in desperate, rhythmic pulses. I quickened the pace, my breath coming in harsh, jagged growls. I was driving us both toward a ledge I knew we couldn't come back from.
The friction was building, a white-hot spark that was rapidly turning into an inferno. I watched her face—the way her eyes squeezed shut, the way her neck arched, the way she was completely, utterly undone.
I gave one last, deep surge, my entire body stiffening as the release finally shattered me. I let out a low, guttural roar against the crook of her neck, my muscles locking as I emptied myself into her.
A few seconds later, the adrenaline finally crashed. My arms gave out, and I collapsed forward, my chest heaving, my forehead resting against hers. I was a dead weight, completely spent, but I didn't move an inch. I stayed right where I was, buried deep inside her, our hearts racing in a frantic, overlapping beat.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I was gasping for air, my skin slick with sweat, my body still trembling from the aftershocks. The weight of him was heavy—crushing, almost—but it was exactly what I wanted. I felt him go lax, his breathing turning into heavy, exhausted rasps against my ear.
I waited for him to pull away, to roll off and let the morning settle, but he didn't. He just lay there, a fallen giant.
But the fire in my blood hadn't quite cooled. The "Blackout" was only just beginning, and the taste of him had only made me hungrier.
"Keifer," I whispered, my voice a scratchy thread of sound. I nudged his shoulder, my hands sliding down to his hips. "Don't... don't go to sleep yet."
"Jay," he groaned, his voice muffled by the pillow. "Give me...Give me sometime baby. I'm a human not a machine, and now this human is tired."
"I'm not," I murmured, a sudden spark of daring lighting up my chest.
--: Keifer's POV: --
I felt her shift. Before I could even protest, she was moving under me with a surprising strength. She hooked her hands under my arms and pushed, and because I was too exhausted to fight her, I let her roll me onto my back.
The next thing I knew, she was straddling me.
She sat up, her small frame silhouetted against the bright morning light. She looked like a goddess—flushed, beautiful, and completely in control. I let out a shaky breath as she reached down, her fingers finding me, guiding me back inside her as she lowered herself down.
"Jay..." I exhaled, my hands instinctively finding her waist to steady her.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I let out a long, shuddering moan as I took him back in. The feeling of being the one in control, of being the one to set the pace, sent a fresh jolt of electricity through my spine. I leaned forward, my hands planting on his chest, feeling the frantic skip of his heart.
I started to move.
It was slow at first—a grinding, rhythmic sway that made Keifer's eyes snap open, the dark fire returning to his gaze instantly. I watched him watch me, his hands tightening on my hips until his knuckles were white.
"You're a menace," he hissed through grit teeth, his head falling back against the headboard as I picked up the speed.
I didn't answer. I couldn't. I just threw my head back, my hair fanning out behind me, and lost myself in the rhythm we were creating together. The moans were louder now—both of ours—bouncing off the walls in a beautiful, chaotic symphony. We were the only two people left on earth, and for the rest of the day, that was exactly how it was going to stay.
———
The world was a blur of friction, heat, and the sound of my own breath hitching in the quiet cottage. I was draped over Keifer, my hands planted firmly on his chest as I set a rhythm that made the very air feel like it was vibrating. Every movement was a slow, agonizingly beautiful claim. I could feel the ridge of his muscles beneath my palms, the frantic skip of his heart against my own.
"Umm.. Keifer..." I moaned, my head falling back, my hair a wild, dark curtain behind me.
He didn't answer with words; he couldn't. His head was thrown back against the headboard, his jaw clenched so tight the bone looked like it might snap. His hands were locked onto my hips, his fingers digging into my skin as he met every downward stroke with a sharp, upward surge that sent white-hot sparks through my vision.
Then, through the haze of our shared heavy breathing and the rhythmic creak of the bed, a new sound pierced the sanctuary.
Ring... Ring... Ring...
I froze for a split second, my heart skipping a beat. The sound was shrill, digital, and completely unwelcome. It was my phone on the nightstand.
"Ignore it... Ahh damnn baby.." Keifer grunted, his voice a guttural rasp. He didn't even open his eyes. He just tightened his grip on my waist, pulling me down harder, forcing me to refocus on the fire between us.
I tried. I really did. I leaned down and captured his lips, trying to drown out the noise with the taste of him. But the silence that followed the first call only lasted a few seconds before the vibration started again.
Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...
Three times. Four times. The persistent electronic wail was like a bucket of ice water being poured over the afternoon. We stayed locked together, moving in a desperate, faster rhythm now—as if we could outrun the outside world—until the ringing finally stopped.
--: Angelo's POV: --
The private jet had touched down twenty minutes ago, and as I stepped off the boat onto the main path of the island, I frowned.
It was too quiet.
I had spent enough time around Section E and the F4 to know that "quiet" was not in their vocabulary. Usually, by mid-morning, there should be the sound of jet skis, someone screaming about a bet, or at the very least, the smell of a massive breakfast being cooked.
Instead, the island felt abandoned. The breeze rustled the palm fronds, and the waves lapped lazily at the shore, but the main villa was empty.
"Where the hell is everyone?" I muttered to myself.
I pulled out my phone. I had called Jay-Jay four times already. No answer. That wasn't like her—especially not on a trip where she was supposed to be "on alert." My protective instincts, the ones that had been honed through years of keeping her safe, started to prickle.
I looked toward the row of private cottages tucked away near the treeline. I decided to try a different lead. I dialed Aries.
He picked up on the second ring.
"Kuya Angelo?" Aries' voice sounded surprised, and sleepy. "What happened? Why are you calling all of a sudden?"
"I'm standing near the mansion, Aries. Where are you guys?"
"Oh, Wait are you here??" He asked confused.
"Yes!"
"Oh we didn't knew you were coming and right. Blackout day," Aries chuckled. "We're over by the west cottages. I'm just coming out now."
I looked toward the distance and saw Aries emerging from a cottage further down the beach, Ella trailing behind him, smoothing out her sundress.
When Aries spotted me, his face lit up.
"KUYA ANGELO! OVER HERE!"
His voice boomed across the entire beach, echoing off the cottage walls like a sonic boom.
--: Keifer's POV: --
The sound of Aries' voice was like a gunshot in the room.
Angelo?? Here??
Ohh! For god sake, why do they always disturb us!!
Jay-Jay didn't just stop; she practically levitated off me. She didn't wait for me to pull out; she scrambled back, her eyes wide with a level of terror I hadn't seen since the last time we were under fire.
"Kuya Angelo," she wheezed, her face turning a ghostly shade of pale before flushing deep crimson. "He's here. He's here, Keifer! Why is he here? What is he doing here? Ohh God, What if he comes to know about us?? Noo, he will kill us."
I sat up, my own heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. My "Blackout" smirk was gone, replaced by a cold, calculating survival instinct.
Angelo. Of all the people to show up unannounced, it had to be the one man who would actually skin me alive if he walked in right now.
"Move, Jay! Move!" I hissed, swinging my legs out of bed.
The next sixty seconds were frantic coordination. Jay-Jay was vibrating with panic, tripping over the duvet as she tried to find her bearings.
"The sheets! Fix the sheets!" she whispered frantically.
I grabbed the corners of the duvet, snapping it flat with a sharp tug, covering the evidence of our morning.
Jay-Jay grabbed the discarded foil packet from the floor, her face twisted in a grimace of pure embarrassment, and chucked it deep into the trash bin, burying it under some tissues.
I grabbed a bottle of her perfume from the vanity and gave the air a single, calculated spray—just enough to mask the scent of our activities without making it smell like a French perfume factory.
"Jay, breathe," Icommanded, grabbing her shoulders. She was still standing there in nothing but her skin, looking like she was about to pass out. "Go. Take a bath. Now."
"But—"
"I'll handle this," I said, my voice dropping into my 'Section E leader' tone. "I'll pretend I was in a dead sleep. I'll tell them I didn't hear your phone and that you're in the shower. You're too 'everything' right now, baby. If you walk out there with those flushed cheeks and that look in your eyes, he'll know in two seconds."
I nudged her toward the bathroom. As she reached the door, I couldn't help it.
Despite the impending doom, a small, teasing smirk returned to my face.
"My bad luck," I sighed, leaning against the bedpost. "I won't be able to take a shower with you today. What can I do? I guess I'll just have to settle for taking one with you after they leave."
Jay-Jay spun around, her face practically glowing with a fresh blush. "Seriously? Keifer! Our death is literally walking toward the porch and you're thinking about afterwards?"
"Always," I winked.
"Gago"
Opsss Profanity!!
She let out a frustrated little squeak and dove into the bathroom, slamming the door just as I heard the first heavy footfalls on the wooden porch.
I moved fast. I snatched up my black boxers from the floor and stepped into them. I saw my black t-shirt—the one she had been wearing—lying in a heap near the chair. It still smelled like her, a mix of lavender and her own sweet scent. I pulled it over my head, the fabric feeling soft and familiar. I grabbed a pair of gray sweatpants from the cabinet and yanked them on, then dove back onto the bed.
I messed up my hair, pulled the duvet up to my waist, and closed my eyes, forcing my breathing to slow down. I made sure my arm was draped over the side of the bed, limp and heavy, like I was in the deepest sleep of my life.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Keifer? Jay? You guys in there?"
It was Angelo's voice. And he sounded like he was already reaching for the handle.
I let out a long, fake, groggy groan and didn't open my eyes.