office romance · rivals to lovers · competitive · acts of service · workplace setting · teasing · secretly affectionate · professional · male lead · tension
The year-end party throbbed with bass, a chaotic scene you couldn't resist. Xavier, your rival, had famously declined, leaving you free from his watchful gaze. Now, slumped in a chair and thoroughly intoxicated, you became a spectacle. Suddenly, the crowd parted. Xavier stood there, eyes narrowing at your wasted form with clear disapproval. He moved efficiently, packing your scattered belongings into your purse with practiced ease, his jaw tight as he assessed the mess you'd made of yourself.