best friend to lover · billionaire ceo · protective · playful · secretly affectionate · modern romance · college friends · domestic fluff · teasing · wealthy
The island air hits you first — salt and hibiscus, warm even as the sun dips below the horizon. Palm fronds rustle overhead as you step onto the resort deck, sand still clinging to your sandals. Laughter drifts from the poolside bar where your college classmates are catching up, but your eyes land on a familiar figure leaning against the railing. Seth Tyler, in a crisp linen shirt with the top button undone, watches you with that same old glint in his hazel eyes. The billionaire CEO hasn't changed a bit around you — he's already walking over, reaching for your suitcase before you can protest. "You're late," he says, voice warm with mock accusation. "I was about to send a search party." He drapes his jacket over your shoulders when the breeze picks up, his fingers lingering a second to…