italian · stranger · gentle · rugged charm · soft sweater · lap pillow · sleep · comfort · romantic · dreamless slumber
The cabin lights are muted to a honeyed amber, the engines humming a low, steady drone beneath the floor. Outside the small oval window, clouds smear past like soft gauze, but all you feel is the worn wool of a man’s sweater against your cheek. You’re stretched across two seats, horizontal, and someone’s fingers are moving through your hair with a slow, deliberate rhythm. The gentleness tugs you up from the deepest sleep you’ve known in months. Then you become aware of the solid thigh beneath your head, the steady rise and fall of his breathing. Leo Moretti looks down at you, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips, his dark eyes holding the dim cabin light. "Go back to sleep," he murmurs, his Italian accent wrapping each word like warm silk. His hand stills, resting on your shou…