Chapter Text
You stepped off the plane at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, the warm Roman air wrapping around you like a gentle embrace.
You had been counting down the days until this trip. Your parents had gifted it to you as your college graduation gift- the trip of a lifetime. A chance to escape the quiet loneliness that had settled into your days back home.
The first few days truly felt magical. You wandered through ancient ruins, tossed coins into the Trevi Fountain, and spent long evenings at noisy outdoor tables laughing with your parents over plates of pasta and cheap house wine. For once, life felt light and full of possibility.
But on the fourth night, everything changed.
Your family had insisted on going to one of the restaurants recommended by the concierge at your hotel. You wore a simple white sundress that fluttered softly against your skin in the evening breeze.
From the moment you sat down at your table, you felt it- the feeling of a heavy, unmistakable stare that made the little hairs on the back of your neck rise.
You looked around the restaurant until your eyes found a man sitting in the corner booth. He sat there like he owned the place, his eyes locked on you shamelessly. He gave you a smirk when you noticed him, and you gave him a small, quick smile before looking away.
He was hot. Nothing like the silly American men back home. He screamed danger and intensity, and you couldn't get the image of him out of your head.
He looked like he was dressed to kill, wearing a perfectly tailored black suit that screamed wealth and control. You noticed a faint, jagged scar that cut through his left eyebrow, giving his strikingly handsome face a ruthless edge.
You kept fighting the urge to look over at him again, forcing yourself to look down at the menu as your cheeks burned.
A few minutes later, a waiter approached your table with a bottle of deep, expensive Barolo. “Compliments of the gentleman in the corner" he murmured, pouring for your father first.
Your dad raised his glass in polite thanks. Kylo lifted his own in return, but his gaze stayed fixed on you, dark and unwavering. The look sent heat rushing through your body. You sipped the wine to hide your nerves, but you could still feel him watching every small movement you made.
Later, while your family lingered over tiramisu and conversation, you excused yourself for a moment. There was a courtyard garden at the backend of the restaurant that seemed quiet enough. You leaned against the stone wall, breathing in the cool night air, trying to calm the strange flutter in your chest.
You’d barely been outside a minute when a deep, velvet voice cut through the silence.
“Running off already?”
You jumped slightly, spinning around to face the source of the deep voice. He stood a respectful distance away, hands casually in his pockets, but his presence still dominated the small garden.
Up close, he was even more overwhelming. He was easily over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and an aura of quiet power. A few strands of his thick black hair had fallen forward, softening the sharp lines of his face just slightly.
“Oh… hi" you said, your voice a little unsteady. “Just needed some fresh air. Family vacation, you know?”
His lips curved into a slow, almost reluctant smile. “Kylo" he introduced himself, offering his large hand.
You hesitated for a moment, but the pull you felt towards him was impossible to ignore. You slipped your hand into his, and his grip was warm and firm, completely enveloping yours.
"It’s nice to meet you" you murmured, telling him your name.
He didn’t release your hand right away. Instead, his thumb brushed lightly over your knuckles. "Is this your first time in Italy?"
You nodded. "Yes. It's always been my dream to come here. I'm so happy to be here"
"Rome has a way of claiming people. Some people never want to leave" he took one step closer, studying you carefully.
"Honestly, I can see why. It's absolutely beautiful here" you replied, looking up at him through your lashes.
You're so beautiful.
"How old are you?” he asked, his eyes slowly scanning up and down your body. "You look awfully young"
“I'm twenty two... how old are you?" you asked.
A flicker of satisfaction crossed his face. “I’m forty one" he said simply.
He didn’t sound apologetic. If anything, the age difference seemed to please him.
You swallowed, nerves fluttering harder. He’s almost twice my age. This is crazy. I should go back inside right now.
But you stayed rooted in place.
"You shouldn’t be walking around alone" he said, his tone protective, almost possessive. “Not a girl like you... too pretty, too soft. This city will eat sweet things like you alive if they sense they’re unprotected. I don’t like the idea of you out here by yourself"
His possessive words sent a shiver down your spine.
"I- I'm not helpless" you mumbled, your cheeks heating up at the slight lie.
He let out a chuckle and stepped closer, towering over you. "No? Then why is your pulse racing right now, little one?” his gaze dropped briefly to your throat, where your heartbeat was visibly fluttering.
You opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Kylo was right, your heart was pounding. It was pounding harder than it ever had before.
“I just… needed some air" you whispered.
“You needed to be found" he said softly. “And I found you, didn't I?" he reached up slowly and brushed a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “I want to look after you while you’re here. Rome can be beautiful… but it can also be cruel. A girl like you needs someone who knows how to keep her safe"
Your breath caught and a wave of heat washed over your body. Kylo was intense, so intense that it was almost too much.
But the way he looked at you made you feel almost precious.
“But I don’t even know you..." you breathed.
“You will, piccola" he promised, thumb tracing your jaw with surprising gentleness. “You came here looking for beauty… and instead, you found me" his eyes darkened.
You leaned into his touch slightly, reveling in the feeling of his rough hands against your soft skin.
When your mother’s voice called your name from inside, Kylo slipped a plain black card into your palm. When you flipped it over, you saw a phone number written in silver lettering.
“Tomorrow" he started. “I want to text me when you can slip away for awhile. I'll pick you up, and ensure your safety. I'll show you things most tourists never get to see"
All you could do was nod in response, feeling dazed and slightly uneasy.
He caught your wrist before you could turn away. “And cara… if you don’t text me, I’ll find you anyway. Something this sweet doesn’t stay hidden for long. Not while I’m watching over it"
His dark eyes held yours for a moment before he watched you turn around.
You walked back into the restaurant on shaky legs, business card clutched tight in your hand, already wondering how soon you could message him... and what on earth you were getting yourself into.
The rest of the night passed on in a blur. Your mind wasn't with your family and your father's stories about the Colossseum, it was on the roughness of Kylo's voice, and the way his thumb had traced your jaw like he already owned the right to touch you.
When the taxi dropped you off back at the hotel, you said a quick goodnight to your parents and let yourself into your room, closing the door behind you with a soft click.
You kicked off your sandals and paced barefoot across the cool tile floor, staring at the black card you’d placed on the nightstand. The silver numbers seemed to glow under the lamplight.
This is insane, you thought, chewing your lip. He’s twice your age. You don’t know him. He could be anyone.
But the memory of his dark eyes and the low promise in his voice kept replaying.
'I'll find you anyway'
The words should have scared you. Instead, they made your skin prickle with something warm and forbidden.
You stripped off your sundress and stepped into the marble bathroom, hoping the shower would clear your head. The hot water cascaded over you, steam filling the room as you tried to wash away the tension, but it didn't work. Every drop sliding down your body reminded you of his gaze, and how it had moved over you like he was already imagining peeling the dress away himself. You stayed under the spray longer than necessary, heart racing, until your fingers pruned.
Finally, wrapped in a soft white hotel robe with damp hair falling over your shoulders, you sat on the edge of the bed. With hesitant fingers, you reached over to pick up the card on the nightstand.
Just one text, you told yourself. Nothing has to happen. I can still back out.
Your thumbs hovered over the screen for a long minute before you typed:
You: Hi. It’s me… from the restaurant
You hit send before you could overthink it, then immediately locked the phone and tossed it onto the mattress like it might burn you. You flopped back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling, pulse hammering in your throat.
A minute passed. Then two.
Your phone buzzed.
You snatched it up so fast you nearly dropped it. The screen lit up with a new message.
Kylo: There you are, piccola. I was starting to wonder if you’d try to hide from me.
The simple reply sent a rush of heat through your chest. You bit your lip, smiling despite yourself, and typed back.
You: I'm not gonna lie, I thought about it... you're really intense
Kylo: Good. You need intense. Rome will swallow soft, pretty girls who wander alone. What are you doing right now?
You hesitated, then answered honestly.
You: Just got out of the shower
The three dots appeared immediately, then disappeared. When his next message came through, it felt heavier somehow.
Kylo: Are you alone in your room?
Your breath caught. You stared at the words for a long moment, thighs pressing together under the robe.
You: Yeah
Kylo: Good girl. Send me a picture of you right now.
Your heart stuttered. The command was so casual, so certain. You glanced at yourself in the mirror across the room- flushed cheeks, damp hair, the white robe slipping slightly off one shoulder. Before you could talk yourself out of it, you lifted the phone and snapped a quick photo from the chest up, making sure nothing too revealing showed. Just your face, still pink from the shower.
You sent it.
His reply came faster this time.
Kylo: Look at you, somehow even sweeter than I remembered. That fresh out of the shower glow suits you.
Kylo: I want to see you tomorrow. Slip away after breakfast. I’ll pick you up near the hotel. No parents. Just you and me.
You swallowed hard, staring at the screen.
This was moving so fast. But the pull was undeniable- the same electric current you’d felt in the garden when he touched your face.
You: Okay... I’ll try. What time?
Kylo: 10:30. Wear something easy to move in. And piccola… don’t make me come looking for you. I’m not a patient man when I see something I want.
You set the phone down on your chest, heart pounding so hard you could feel it against your ribs. The Roman night outside your window felt suddenly full of promise and danger all at once.
You still had no idea what you were getting into. But you couldn’t wait to find out.