Alessia Mancini
I woke to the gentle warmth of sunlight filtering through sheer curtains and the solid presence of Giovanni's arms around me. For a moment, I simply savoured the sensation, the rise and fall of his chest against my back, the faint scent of his skin mingled with expensive sheets. It was a cocoon of comfort I was reluctant to leave.
But the world beyond this bedroom was calling, and I knew we couldn't hide away forever. With a soft sigh, I disentangled myself from Giovanni's embrace, careful not to wake him. As I slipped on a silky robe, I caught a glimpse of myself in the ornate mirror – tousled hair, flushed cheeks, a hint of a smile playing at my lips. I hardly recognised the woman staring back at me.
By 8:30, we had made our way to the kitchen, where the mouth-watering
