(Jay's POV)
I did not even bother changing my clothes. I just grabbed my small purse, stepped out of the house in my baggy sweatpants and regular old t-shirt, and slammed the door behind me.
We hopped into a taxi. As the car drove through the busy streets of London, Savannah looked at my outfit and groaned. "Jay, you cannot enter a cool London club looking like you just woke up from a three-day nap. We need an emergency fashion stop."
"But I don't have any party clothes with me!" I cried out.
"I brought my own dress in my bag," Savannah said, tapping her backpack. "And for you, we buy something new!"
The taxi driver pulled over near a row of bright, trendy clothing shops. Savannah dragged me inside the nearest boutique. My eyes instantly fell on a dress hanging right in the center of the room. It was a royal red short dress. It was bright, it was bold, and it practically screamed for attention.
"That one!" I pointed.
Five minutes later, we were in the changing rooms. Savannah changed into her own party dress, and I slipped the royal red dress over my head. I looked in the mirror. Wow. I did not look like a sleepy grandma anymore. I looked like a pop star.
We paid for the dress, threw my sweatpants into a shopping bag, and practically skipped all the way to the daytime club.
The club was loud, dark, and wonderful. Colored lights danced across the ceiling, and the bass from the speakers vibrated right through the floorboards. Savannah and I immediately ran straight to the dance floor. We danced like crazy lunatics. We threw our hands up, jumped around, and laughed until our stomachs hurt. We went to the bar, got some sweet drinks, and went right back to dancing.
Suddenly, during a very loud song, Savannah nudged my shoulder hard. She pointed her finger toward a tall guy standing near the VIP section.
"Jay! Look over there!" Savannah yelled over the music, her eyes wide. "See that boy? Oh my gosh, look how handsome he is! Go talk to him! You should totally date that boy!"
I looked at the guy. He had messy hair, a fancy jacket, and a very confident smirk. He was okay, I guess, if you like the typical club look. But then my brain immediately pictured Keifer.
"No way!" I shouted back to her, shaking my head vigorously. "Keifer is one hundred times better than him! Keifer is taller, smarter, way more handsome, and he actually listens to my ten-minute stories about ice cream flavors!"
Savannah rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck in the back of her head. She grabbed my arm and pulled me closer so she wouldn't have to scream so loud. "Oh, please, Jay! You are being way too loyal! You are engaged, not blind! Just have some harmless fun, look at his jawline!"
I just laughed out loud and pushed her hand away playfully. "I am not blind, Savannah, I just have excellent taste! My Keifer looks like a movie star even when he is wearing a boring business suit. That guy over there looks like he spent three hours styling his hair to make it look messy."
"You are totally hopeless!" Savannah yelled back, laughing as she took a big sip of her colorful drink. "The man has you completely brainwashed with his rich guy charm and his protective rules!"
"He does not have me brainwashed!" I shouted, doing a little dance step to the heavy electronic beat. "I am an independent woman! See? I am literally at a club right now, completely ignoring his rules! I am just choosing to be loyal because my fiancé is an absolute ten out of ten!"
Savannah shook her head, realizing she could never win this argument. "Fine, fine! Keep your perfect billionaire husband! But you still have to dance with me!"
I just ignored her comments and kept dancing to the loud, thumping beat. We spun around in circles, laughing as the colored strobe lights turned everything bright blue and hot pink. I was having the absolute time of my life, completely forgetting that time was ticking away and that a certain protective gentleman was about to finish his boardroom meeting.
(Keifer's POV)
The boardroom doors finally opened. The multi-million-dollar merger was officially settled. It was a massive victory for my company, a deal that took months of hard work and stressful phone calls to finalize. But as the clients stood up to shake my hand, the only thing on my mind was my wifey. I had been away from my phone for over two hours, which was two hours too long. Jay's brain needed rest after her recent accident, and knowing her hyperactive personality, she was probably getting restless.
I walked quickly back to my private office, pulled my phone out of my pocket, and immediately dialed her number.
Ring... ring... ring...
No answer. It went straight to voicemail.
I frowned, looking down at the screen. That was strange. Jay always answered her phone, especially when she was bored at home eating all the ice cream in our massive kitchen fridge. I waited exactly two minutes, pacing back and forth across the expensive rug, and called again.
Ring... ring... ring...
Still nothing.
A cold knot of worry began to form in my chest. What if she fell down the stairs? What if her head started hurting again from the accident and she was unconscious? My mind immediately began playing out the worst possible scenarios. I checked my digital calendar on my laptop. I had no more scheduled meetings for the rest of the afternoon. I grabbed my long wool coat, ran past my secretary without saying a single word, and took the private elevator straight down to the parking garage.I jumped into my sports car and drove straight toward our home, weaving through the thick London traffic like a man on a total mission. My heart was pounding hard against my ribs. By the time I pulled up to the giant security gates of our estate, I was practically sweating from sheer anxiety.
I slammed the car door shut and ran toward the front entrance of the mansion. The security guard on duty stepped forward quickly, looking incredibly surprised to see me home so early in the middle of a workday.
"Where is Jay?" I demanded, my voice sharp, tense, and completely out of breath. "Is she upstairs in the bedroom? Why isn't she answering her phone?"
The guard blinked, looking a bit nervous as he adjusted his uniform. "Uh, Mrs. Watson left the house a while ago, sir. She was with a female friend who arrived in a taxi."
My eyebrows shot up, and my hands clenched into fists inside my coat pockets. "She left? She is supposed to be on strict bed rest! Who let her leave this house?"
"Well, sir," the guard stammered, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he avoided my gaze. "She said that you knew all about it, sir. She smiled and told us it was completely fine and that you gave her permission."
A heavy, suffocating silence filled the air. I closed my eyes for a brief second to control my rising temper. Jay had lied to my security team. She had directly, intentionally disobeyed my very clear, very simple orders to stay home and rest her brain.
Someone's trying to be naughty and I know how to tell her that health is more important.
"Where did they go?" I asked. My voice was dangerously quiet now, the kind of quiet that usually makes my corporate rivals look for the nearest exit."The friend mentioned a daytime club down the street, sir. The one with the bright neon signs near the main square."
The word club hit my ears like a sudden lightning bolt.
A club? She took her healing brain, escaped the safety of our house, and went to a loud, chaotic, crowded dance club?
Anger flashed through me, but right behind it came a very different feeling. A slow, dark smirk grew on my face as I stood on the porch. Oh, so my little wifey wanted to play games. She didn't even send me a single text message to let me know she was alive. She wanted to tease me.
She thought she was completely free because I was stuck in a boardroom.
"Just wait, wifey," I thought to myself as I walked back to my car with slow, deliberate, heavy steps. "I am coming right now. And you are about to learn exactly what happens when you do not listen to your husband."
I started the powerful engine, the car roaring to life. I drove toward the club, my hands gripping the steering wheel. The initial anger turned into pure, dark amusement. I could just picture the exact look on her face when she would see me standing right in front of her on the dance floor. She had absolutely no idea that I was capable of tracking her down this fast. She thought she was hiding in the crowd, but she forgot that she belonged to me. I stepped hard on the gas pedal, ready to crash her little party.
(Jay's POV)
"My feet are absolutely killing me!" Savannah shouted, dragging me by the wrist away from the crowded, sweaty dance floor.
"Mine too!" I cheered, laughing loudly as I adjusted the tight straps of my bright royal red short dress. It was incredibly sticky and hot inside the club, but the adrenaline was still pumping wildly through my veins.
Savannah led me over to a small, tall cocktail table near the dark corner of the room. She grabbed two cold, sweet drinks from a passing waiter's tray and handed one directly to me. I took a big, thirsty sip, feeling incredibly rebellious and proud of myself. Keifer was probably still stuck in his boring boardroom meeting, talking about stocks, millions of dollars, and corporate numbers, while I was out here living my absolute best life in a red dress.
Savannah took a long drink from her glass, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and suddenly froze completely solid. Her eyes went completely round, like two giant saucers. Her jaw dropped so low I honestly thought it might hit the tabletop. She stared blankly at a spot directly over my left shoulder.
"Jay," Savannah whispered, her voice suddenly losing all its wild, loud energy. "Look right there. There is a very scary, very handsome man standing right behind you. Jay... oh my god, I think that is Keifer."
I burst out laughing, nearly choking on my drink. I threw my head back and took another sip. "Oh, Savannah, please! Why are you joking like that? You are a terrible actress, you know that?"
"Jay, I am not joking at all," she said, her voice trembling slightly as she dropped her glass onto the table.
"Oh, come on! Keifer cannot be here," I said, waving my hand dismissively in front of her face. "He is a busy CEO. He is currently trapped in a massive corporate merger on the other side of London. He doesn't even know this club exists, let alone that I am here."
"Jay, seriously, look behind you right now," Savannah warned again, her face turning a very noticeable shade of pale. "This is not a joke. He looks like he wants to buy this entire club just to fire everyone inside it and tear the building down."
I snorted loudly. "Savannah, stop it. You think I am just a little child who falls for silly tricks? I am a grown, CEO woman. I am not looking behind me because there is absolutely nobody there."
Savannah didn't say another word to convince me. She slowly raised both of her hands high into the air, placing them flat on top of her head in a complete, terrified surrendering position. She looked at me with pure, unadulterated pity.
"If you don't believe me, Jay... then just look behind you," she whispered, her eyes darting upward.
My laughter died down a little bit. The air around our small table suddenly felt very, very cold, like someone had turned the air conditioning up to the maximum level. A strange, deeply familiar feeling crawled up my spine. It was the exact feeling of being watched by a giant, protective predator who knew my every move.
Slowly, very slowly, I turned my head around to look.
My heart completely stopped beating.
Standing exactly two feet behind me was Keifer. He was still wearing his expensive business suit, but his silk tie was slightly loosened at the collar. His muscular arms were tightly crossed over his broad, massive chest. He wasn't yelling. He wasn't screaming or making a scene. He just had this slow, terrifying, deeply amused smirk on his handsome face. His dark eyes locked directly onto mine, burning right through my soul.
"Hi, wifey," Keifer said.
His voice was smooth, deep, and completely, dangerously calm.
A massive wave of pure terror hit my stomach. I instantly felt like a little kid caught by a teacher with my hand deep inside the cookie jar.
My brain scrambled at a million miles an hour to find any words, any excuses, anything at all to save myself from his gaze.
"Hi, Keifer!" I squeaked out in a terrified, high-pitched voice that didn't even sound like me. I gave him a weak, trembling smile, my knees shaking under my short red dress. "Uh... how... how are you here? What a crazy, random coincidence, right? Are you here for a corporate merger too?"
Keifer did not answer my ridiculous question. He didn't even give me a single chance to make up another silly excuse. In one swift, incredibly smooth, and powerful motion, he stepped forward, reached down, and scooped me right up off the floor before I could even blink.
"Ah!" I gasped out loud as my feet completely left the ground.
He was holding me in a perfect, effortless bridal style, lifting my weight like I was as light as a feather. My royal red dress bunched up a little around my thighs, and I immediately wrapped my arms tightly around his warm neck so I wouldn't fall backward. He turned on his heel and began walking straight toward the exit of the club, completely ignoring the shocked stares of the security guards and the people dancing around us.
"Wait! My shoes! Savannah!" I yelled, looking back over his massive, unmoving shoulder.
Savannah was already scurrying right behind us like a frightened little mouse, grabbing our shopping bags from the floor and running as fast as her high heels could carry her. She clearly did not want to be left alone in London after helping the CEO's wife escape.
Keifer walked right out into the bright daylight, carrying me through the front doors all the way to his parked sports car. He opened the passenger door with one hand, gently tossed me onto the soft leather seat, and shut the door with a firm, loud click. Savannah quickly scrambled into the back seat without being asked, completely silent and holding her breath like a statue. Keifer got into the driver's seat, started the powerful engine, and drove us all the way back to the mansion without saying a single word. The silence in the car was so heavy it felt like it weighed a hundred tons.
(Keifer's POV)
We finally reached the house. I turned off the roaring engine, got out of the car, and opened the passenger door. Jay was looking straight down at her lap, her face completely red, biting her bottom lip in total nervousness. I reached in, picked her up in bridal style once again, and walked inside the front doors of the mansion.
Savannah followed us inside, looking around the grand foyer nervously like she was entering a haunted castle.
I stopped in the main hallway and turned my head to look at Savannah. I pointed my finger toward the long hallway on the left side of the house. "Guest room is that way," I said, my voice firm, clear, and leaving no room for argument. "There are clean clothes, a shower, and a bed. Get some rest."
"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" Savannah squeaked out. She didn't hesitate for a single second. She practically sprinted down the hallway, her heels clicking loudly, and disappeared into the guest room, shutting the heavy door behind her.
Now, it was just me and my mischievous little wifey.
I carried Jay up the grand staircase, walked straight into our master bedroom, and kicked the heavy wooden door shut behind us. I turned the lock with a loud, final click. I walked over to the edge of our large king-sized bed and gently set her down.
I stood directly in front of her, crossing my arms again, looking down at her. She looked incredibly tiny sitting there in that bright royal red short dress, staring up at me with big, round, guilty eyes.
"Why didn't you listen me, Jay?" I asked, keeping my voice calm but incredibly serious. "I told you to stay in bed. I told you to rest your brain after the accident. Do you have any idea how worried I was when you didn't answer your phone? I thought something terrible happened to you."Jay looked down at her small hands, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I am so sorry, Keifer," she whispered, sounding genuinely sorry. "Savannah showed up at the door, and she wanted to go out so badly because she tracked me down for years. I just wanted to have a little bit of fun. I really didn't mean to make you worry like that."
I sighed deeply, stepping closer to her. I sat down on the soft mattress right next to her, rubbing the back of my neck to release the leftover tension. "You could have gotten dizzy in that loud, dark place, Jay. Your health and your recovery are the most important things in the world to me. You disobeyed a direct order, and you lied to my security team to get out of the gates."
Jay peeked up at me through her long eyelashes, trying to see if I was still furious. "I know. I am really, really sorry, hubby."
"You deserve a punishment, wifey," I said, a small, playful glint finally returning to my eyes as the worry completely melted away.
Jay quickly sat up straight, flashing me her brightest, most innocent smile to try and soften me up. "Okay! I know! I will give you a big, sweet kiss right now, and we can just forget the whole thing happened. Deal?"
I chuckled softly, shaking my head at her negotiation skills. "Nice try, wifey. But a kiss is definitely not going to make you get out of this situation so easily. Kiss is my birth right from you. You went to a loud club, you jumped around for hours, and you drank far too much sugar and alcohol for someone who is supposed to be recovering from a head injury."
Jay pouted, her bottom lip sticking out in a dramatic expression. "Then what is my punishment? Are you grounding me?"
I smirked, leaning in close to her ear so she could hear the absolute certainty in my voice. "Since you drank so much junk today, your punishment is going to be very strict. You are eating only healthy, green, nutritious food for a whole week. No ice cream from the fridge. No chocolate. No junk food. Just vegetables, fruit, and healthy meals prepared by me."
Jay's face completely fell into utter despair. "No ice cream for a whole week? Keifer, that is pure torture! That is a cruel and unusual punishment for a human being!"
"That is the exact price for sneaking out to a daytime club in a royal red dress," I laughed, bopping her lightly on the nose with my finger.
Jay groaned loudly, throwing herself backward onto the piles of soft pillows, staring up at the ceiling. But she knew she was caught red-handed and had no defense left. She looked over at me and finally gave up the fight.
"Fine," she muttered, nodding her head in complete surrender. "I will eat the green stuff."
This is the new thing that she even agreed for ice cream.
I smiled, finally feeling all the stress leave my body. I stood up, changed out of my restrictive business suit into some comfortable sweatpants, and climbed into the large bed beside her. Jay also changed.
I pulled the warm, heavy blankets over both of our bodies.Jay immediately slid over across the mattress, burying her face directly into the center of my chest. I wrapped my strong arms tightly around her, holding her close against me where she belonged. She was warm, safe, and completely protected. Within minutes, her breathing slowed down, and she fell fast asleep, cuddling tightly against me in the quiet, peaceful dark of our bedroom.