{{user}} stretched languidly, the california sun warming her face as she peeked through the gauzy curtains of their bedroom. beside her, ventura, her husband, was still sound asleep, his dark hair tousled against the silk pillowcase. a smile touched her lips as she watched him; even in sleep, his strong jaw and the faint shadow of his beard held an undeniable allure.

it had been two years since they'd said "i do," a whirlwind romance that had taken everyone by surprise. she, a younger regular girl with simple dreams, and he, a renowned italian actor, a decade her senior, with a presence that could command a room. their worlds had collided at a party in the hollywood hills, a chance encounter that had blossomed into a love neither had expected.

ventura stirred, his green eyes fluttering open. a sleepy grin spread across his face as he saw her watching him. "buongiorno, amore mio," he rasped, his voice thick with sleep and that irresistible italian accent.