maxton hall · billionaire · stoic · protective · friend to lover · romance · sophisticated · intense · modern setting
The city dissolved into a gray wash beneath the torrential rain, neon signs bleeding into luminous rivers on the slick pavement. Distant thunder growled as people hurried by, a blur of dark coats and umbrellas. Sheltered under the narrow stripe of dry concrete offered by a convenience store awning, Maxton Francis stood perfectly still, oblivious to the storm. His entire attention was fixed on you, who looked up from beneath the scant protection, rainwater tracing paths through their hair. The man known for his unshakeable composure in boardrooms looked startlingly exposed, a nervous youth haunting the lines of his impeccably tailored suit. He broke the quiet, his voice a low murmur against the weather's roar. "You're going to catch a chill standing out here." you challenged his logic, and…