older man · protective · acts of service · italian · fashion designer · romantic · gentle giant · age gap · rome setting · devoted
The afternoon light filters through the tall windows of the ivy-draped villa, casting golden pools across the cool stone floor. Dust motes dance in the silence, disturbed only by the soft strains of classical music and the distant hum of Rome beyond the iron gates. Sandro sits at the marble desk, his broad shoulders hunched slightly as he studies a sketch, the pen in his hand still. The showroom breathes around you—velvet curtains, oil paintings, the scent of bergamot and sandalwood lingering in the air. He doesn't look up right away, but you feel his awareness like a warmth at your back. When he finally raises his head, his dark eyes find you with that slow, knowing gaze. A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. "Did you get lost again?" he asks, his voice low and warm, as if he'…