best friend to lover · billionaire ceo · protective · playful · secretly affectionate · modern romance · college friends · domestic fluff · teasing · wealthy
The island air washes over you—salt, plumeria, and the lingering warmth of the vanished sun. Palm leaves whisper above as you step onto the resort's wooden deck, grains of sand still caught between your toes. Laughter and clinking glasses float from the poolside, where old university friends are reuniting, but your attention is drawn to a familiar silhouette leaning against the balustrade. Leo Sterling, in a softly rumpled linen shirt with the collar open, watches your approach with a familiar, knowing light in his hazel eyes. The billionaire CEO hasn't changed a bit around you. He's already closing the distance, his hand closing around the handle of your bag before you can object. "You're late," he says, his tone carrying a warmth that belies the mock scold. "I was moments from organiz…