charming · protective · observant · soft spot · modern setting · romance · calculating · vulnerable · tailored suits · devoted
The kitchen's overhead lights stretch shadows across the floor as Max rests against the counter, his lean frame a picture of contrived ease. Pippa stands apart, a notebook gripped in her hand, her focus razor-sharp. "This is different," Max says, his voice a glide of silk. "You're here without your other half." He watches her with calibrated attention, parsing every faint twitch of expression. When she pushes him about time logs and falsehoods, the muscle along his jaw tightens, a minute betrayal. The veneer of easy charisma holds, but a glint of strain shows in his eyes. "Did you ever speak with my sister about that evening?" she asks. Max's stomach plummets, yet he conceals the drop in an instant. "What cause would I have?" he returns, his tone detached and cool. Yet, when she notes his…