Vesper’s POV
The doorbell ruined everything.
Rather, it helped.
One second, Jaxon was leaning over me with one hand gripping my waist hard enough to make my thoughts malfunction.
The next—
Ding dong.
I blinked rapidly, still trapped between him and the sofa while my heart tried to punch through my ribs.
Jaxon stayed exactly where he was.
Close enough that I could still feel his breath against my mouth, his eyes dropped briefly to my lips again, and it was a dangerous mistake because my body reacted instantly.
Again.
God, this is not me.
“This is your fault,” I whispered breathlessly.
A slow grin pulled at his mouth, and I shoved at his chest immediately.
Unfortunately, touching him was becoming a problem because his body felt unfairly solid beneath my hands.
The doorbell rang again, it’s longer this time and impatient.
Reality crashed back hard, and my eyes widened.
“It could be the evaluator.”
Jaxon barely looked concerned.
Meanwhile, I was one minor inconvenience away from cardiac arrest.
I tried stepping around him quickly, but his arm suddenly wrapped around my waist again before I could escape.
“What are you doing?” I hissed.
“You look guilty.”
”Well, we almost kissed!”
”That’s not a crime.” His tone felt disappointed
His mouth twitched.
God, this man enjoyed irritating me.
The doorbell rang a third time, and Jaxon finally sighed dramatically and opened the door—
While still holding me against him.
The evaluator standing outside looked to be in her mid-forties, dressed in a sharp suit and having brighter eyes because she noticed everything immediately.
My flushed face.Jaxon’s hand on my waist and the fact that we looked very much like two people recently interrupted from doing something inappropriate.
Perfect.
“Miss Hale,” she said carefully.
“Hi,” I answered too quickly.
Beside me, Jaxon spoke calmly.
“Please come in.”
The evaluator stepped inside slowly while observing everything around her with terrifying professionalism.
I suddenly understood why people feared court inspections.
This woman looked capable of detecting emotional instability through furniture arrangement alone.
“I apologize for arriving unannounced,” she said politely.
“No problem at all,” Jaxon replied easily.
Liar.
Five minutes ago, he was trying to devour my face.
The evaluator’s eyes moved between us carefully.
Then directly to Jaxon’s hand, still resting possessively on my waist.
And instead of moving it, the psychopath tightened his grip slightly, making my face heat instantly.
Oh, he was performing now.
“I’ve been assigned to review the home environment regarding Miss Sunny Bennett’s temporary guardianship consideration.”
The mention of Sunny immediately grounded me again.
Danielle opened a small notebook.
“I’d like to ask a few questions regarding your living arrangement.”
Jaxon smiled calmly.
“Of course.”
His hand slid lower against my back, not enough to look inappropriate.
Just enough to completely destroy my concentration, and I elbowed him lightly.
He didn’t even react.
Asshole.
Danielle looked toward me first.
“Miss Hale, how long have you and Mr.
Laurent been together?”
I opened my mouth, then paused.
Shit.
Jaxon answered smoothly before I could embarrass myself.
“Long enough that she steals my hoodies and insults my cooking.”
I looked at him in disbelief.
“I insult your cooking because you think hot sauce counts as seasoning.”
Danielle actually smiled slightly while writing something down.
Oh my God.
He was good at this, dangerously good.
“And you currently reside together full time?” Danielle asked.
“Yes,” Jaxon answered immediately.
I nodded quickly after him.
“Yes.”
Danielle’s gaze sharpened slightly.
“Miss Hale, there are concerns regarding career stability.”
I straightened automatically.
“I work as a Crisis Manager in a PR firm.”
”And recent scandals involving athletes?”
Before I could answer, Jaxon spoke calmly beside me.
“My scandals pay her very well.”
I shot him a look, but Danielle continued carefully.
“The concern is whether public instability could affect a child already coping with trauma.”
That one hurt because part of me feared the same thing.
Jaxon must’ve felt me tense because his hand rubbed once against my waist gently.
“She won’t fail Sunny,” he said quietly.
Danielle looked at him curiously.
His room shifted slightly after that because suddenly Jaxon wasn’t joking anymore.
He wasn’t flirting or being arrogant.
He sounded serious.
“She’s the most stubborn person I’ve ever met,” he continued calmly.
“When she cares about someone, she destroys herself trying to protect them.”
My throat tightened unexpectedly.
I looked at him quickly, but Jaxon didn’t look back at me.
His attention stayed fully on Danielle, and somehow that affected me more than the flirting.
Danielle wrote something else down.
Then her eyes moved around the villa again.
“It’s a beautiful property.”
“Private security twenty-four hours a day.
Full staff.
Medical team available if needed.”
I blinked slowly.
Medical team?
Rich people were terrifying, but Danielle seemed visibly impressed.
“And the home is under your name?”
”Yes.”
”Would Miss Hale and the child remain here permanently?” Jaxon looked down at me briefly before answering.
“If that’s what they need.”
Something warm twisted unexpectedly in my chest.
Danielle closed her notebook halfway.
“Mr.
Bennett’s legal team expressed concerns regarding instability in the relationship.”
Of course they did.
Jaxon smiled slightly.
“Julian Bennett travels internationally almost ten months a year.”
Danielle looked up.
Jaxon continued smoothly, “I’m sure he means well, but Sunny doesn’t need another emotionally unavailable businessman communicating through scheduled phone calls.”
Damn, that was low and effective, but low.
“And unlike Mr.
Bennett,” Jaxon added calmly, “we’re actually home.”
The evaluator looked impressed again, and I stared at him sideways.
Who was this man?
Because this definitely wasn’t the chaotic hockey player who flirted through public scandals and solved emotional problems with sarcasm.
This version of Jaxon was controlled, even though a part of me is screaming that he’s doing this for the agreement.
Danielle turned toward me again.
“And you feel emotionally secure in this relationship?”
I nearly choked, but beside me, Jaxon’s fingers pressed lightly against my waist as if to pass a warning.
I forced a smile.
“Yes.”
Danielle tilted her head slightly.
“You hesitated.”
Before panic could fully set in, Jaxon suddenly leaned down and kissed my temple casually.
My entire body froze, not because the gesture looked fake.
Because it didn’t at all.
“She overthinks everything,” he said lazily against my hair.
“Including breakfast.”
Danielle laughed softly.
Meanwhile, my brain had completely stopped functioning.
Because his lips had barely touched me— But somehow my heartbeat was already out of control again.
This man was dangerous.
Danielle finally closed her notebook fully after another twenty minutes of questions.
By the time she finished touring the villa, she looked significantly more impressed than suspicious.
Exactly what we needed.
At the front door, she smiled politely.
“Thank you both for your cooperation, this is really impressive.”
I wasn’t completely sure it was fake anymore.