His eyes cracked open, gray and still hazy from sleep. He glanced down...and froze.
Bella was draped half over him like a sleepy kitten, one small palm resting flat on his chest. Her cheek was pressed against the hard planes of muscle, lips parted slightly as she sighed in her sleep. Her cardigan had slipped off one shoulder, her hair falling across him in soft brown waves that tickled his collarbone.
Leonardo’s hand twitched at his side. He swallowed, his jaw tightening as the heat of her body sank through his skin– so soft, so warm.
He shifted slightly, just enough to test if he could move her without waking her up. But the moment he tried, her fingers curled tighter into his pyjama fabric. A small, sleepy noise escaped her lips, a helpless little whimper that made his chest tighten for some reasons.
His cold eyes narrowed, annoyed by how easily this small softness could tangle around his mind. He could still feel her faint scent — sweet, warm, and somehow stubbornly innocent, like sunshine trapped under his skin.
He leaned his head back against the pillow, a faint exhale brushing past his lips. Softness, he thought darkly, so soft I could crush it if I wanted.
But his arm–traitorous thing that it was, slid back around her shoulders, pulling her a fraction closer instead. Her nose brushed against his collarbone, her breath puffing warm against his neck.
Leonardo stared up at the ceiling, his eyes sharp in the early morning light. He’d never shared a bed with someone like this. It felt foreign.
She shifted in her sleep again, her thigh brushing his hip.
Leonardo’s sharp gaze stayed pinned to the ceiling for another long moment, but the longer he lay there, the more he felt it that subtle, unfamiliar heat curling low in his body. The soft brush of her thigh against his hip, the way her warm breath ghosted over his bare collarbone, each tiny shift of her innocent body against him made the ache worse, like a spark threatening dry wood.
What the hell, he thought darkly, his jaw clenching tight.
He looked down at her again that soft, inocent face so close to his neck, the way her small fingers curled into his pyjama fabric like a kitten holding onto its pillow. His throat tightened. He could feel the blood rush under his skin in places it shouldn’t.
Leonardo let out a slow, rough exhale. He wasn’t the kind of man who lost control over a warm body pressed to his side, especially not this fragile, clueless girl who didn’t even know how much danger she was in, wrapped up in him like this.
Without another thought, he shifted his arm roughly. Bella let out a tiny whimper, still half-asleep as he firmly pushed her away from his chest. She flopped onto the empty side of the bed with a soft thump, her hair falling messily across her cheeks. She didn’t even wake up — just mumbled something incoherent and curled into the warm space he’d left behind.
Leonardo swung his legs over the side of the bed, his muscles tight and tense. His teeth ground together as he ran a hand through his hair, trying to cool the heat prickling at the back of his neck.
Ridiculous, he cursed under his breath.
Pushing himself to his feet, he stalked to the bathroom without a backward glance, the door clicking shut behind him. The sound of water running filled the space as he braced his hands against the cold marble sink, his stormy eyes glaring at his reflection.
"Pathetic..." he muttered to himself, jaw clenched tight as the icy water ran over his wrists. He splashed it over his face once, twice but the image of her soft body pressed to his wouldn’t leave his mind.
Outside, Bella mumbled in her sleep, rolling back into the warm imprint he’d left.
***
When Bella finally woke up, the gentle rock of the ship and the faint sunlight peeking through the curtains made her blink sleepily. For a moment, she didn’t remember where she was until she felt the heavy, warm scent wrapped around her like an invisible blanket.
She buried her face shyly into the pillow. The clean smell of freshly washed sheets mixed with something unmistakably him that faint, masculine hint of his cologne and that subtle warmth that lingered on the bed where he’d been.
Her cheeks flushed a deep pink. H-his smell... she thought, hugging the blanket tighter around her shoulders. Her mind was fuzzy with the memory of him pulling her in, his rough arm heavy around her waist. She covered her burning face with her hands for a second, her legs kicking softly under the covers like a shy little bunny.
when she peeked over the pillow again, she realized the room was empty. Leonardo was gone as if he’d never been there at all. The only trace left behind was the warmth still clinging to the sheets and that faint, dizzying scent she couldn’t scrub from her mind.
She slipped out of bed, her feet touching the cold floor as she tiptoed back to her own room. Once inside, she quickly locked the door, her heart still fluttering. She pressed her hands to her cheeks, trying to cool her blush.
"Stupid," she mumbled to herself, but her lips wouldn’t stop curling into a small, shy smile.
She ran herself a hot bath, sinking into the warm water to calm her racing thoughts. The faint hum of the ship’s engines and the soft splash of the waves outside made her feel oddly dreamy.
When she finished, she chose a simple, comfortable sundress from her wardrobe, deciding she no longer wanted to stay cooped up inside. Slipping on her sandals and tying her hair back loosely, she stepped out into the hallway.
Moments later, she found herself standing at the ship’s railing, the early morning sea breeze brushing across her cheeks. The endless stretch of ocean sparkled under the gentle sunlight, waves dancing playfully against the side of the cruise.