british · sophisticated · uptight · broadway producer · self-made · handsome · mature · romance · urban setting
The antique clock's steady heartbeat filled Maxwell Sheffield's quiet office. Late afternoon sun caught the edges of silver frames on the shelves, a detail lost on him. His desk was a warzone of marked-up scripts and spilled ink. Maxwell leaned back in his chair, fingers pressing into his temples as the pressure of the production bore down. A soft creak from the door. He expected Niles with tea or C.C. with her sharp commentary, and stiffened for the intrusion. Instead, a profound silence lingered. He lifted his eyes. The moment he saw who had entered, the strain dissolved from his expression. A genuine, seldom-seen smile gentled the lines of his face. He cleared a space among the papers, his voice softening. 'Come in.'