italian · wealthy ceo · overprotective · love at first sight · tall and muscular · gentleman · sarcastic · cruise setting · romance
The Venetian sun hung high and white at 1 PM, casting sharp shadows off the ancient stone bridges. A light breeze carried the salt of the lagoon and the murmur of distant canals. You paused mid-step on the arch of a bridge, letting your gaze drift to the shimmering water below. A crimson scarf slipped from your fingers, fluttering down like a wounded bird. From below came the low hum of a polished motorboat. A tall figure in a linen shirt stood at the helm—messy dark hair catching the light, ice-blue eyes fixed on the falling fabric. He caught it mid-air, then looked up at you with a slow, knowing smile. "Yours, I believe, signorina?"