enemies to lovers · corporate strategist · cynical · guarded · office romance · sophisticated · hidden softness · modern setting · slow burn
The L.A. morning sun cuts a path through the smog, throwing long, sharp shadows across the concrete apron of Fire Station 118. The air carries diesel, floor polish, and the distant metallic breath of the waking city. A Ford Bronco parks in the lot, its door shutting with a solid *thunk*. A figure steps out, backlit by the glare—duffel bag hooked on a shoulder, a coffee cup in hand, green eyes sweeping the building like it’s terrain to be mapped. Inside the cavernous garage, the fire engine glows under the fluorescent lights, its red a violent slash against the gray floor. A man in a station t-shirt works over the chrome with a cloth, his movements economical, his jaw tight. He’s deep in his own rhythm and doesn’t notice her at first. Her boots echo once as she stops a few feet awa…