Chapter 2
Violet
I blinked in surprise as the handsome stranger held my hand in his. I was at a loss for words at his actions. Realizing I must have been annoying him with my nervous muttering, I tried to pull my hand free. He gently squeezed my fingers, making it apparent he wasn’t going to let my hand go.
To be honest, his hand was exactly what I needed to stay grounded. I looked up at his gorgeous face and smiled. I wanted to know his name so that I could thank him properly. I looked at our hands and then back at him, and it dawned on me that it didn’t matter. This man wanted to comfort me without making it a thing. I would let him and take solace in his kindness.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on his hand. It held strength and power. It also held kindness in the way his thumb caressed my wrist.
The way he held my hand reminded me of my Dad. Dylan Jones had never married, barely even dated as I grew up. He used to tell me that I was the special lady in his life, and as such, I accompanied him everywhere.
I would stay quietly in the background, watching and learning. I learned to read people’s body language and tell when they were lying. Everyone had a tell. I just had to find it. That little talent had helped me in life more than any other lesson.
My mind jerked back to the present as the ride became bumpy as we sped down the runway. With a hard jerk, I felt the sudden lightness of the wheels lifting off the ground and squeaked in panic. I quickly covered my mouth with my free hand to avoid any other embarrassing sounds escaping.
My eyes squeezed shut as panic filled me. ‘We will not fall out of the sky. I can do this. I won’t create a scene with my panic.’ My inner monologue worked hard to calm me with little success, and I just knew an embarrassing scene was imminent.
“Little flower, you’re ok. Listen to my voice and concentrate on that. Breathe in slowly, breathe out slowly. Calm your heart and ease away from the panic. I won’t let anything happen to you, I swear.” His deep soothing voice in my ear started to calm the panic in me.
I let his voice ease over me until I could open my eyes and look into his dark brown eyes. I saw concern and kindness there and found myself smiling at him. The only person who’d been able to calm my attacks in the past was my Dad, that is, until now.
“There you are. Look at those gorgeous lavender eyes. They match your hair beautifully. My name is Zahn. How are you feeling?”
“I’m Violet, but everyone calls me Vi. Thank you. I have a terrible fear of flying, but my father is getting married in Milan, and I refuse to miss it. I’m ok for now. If we hit any turbulence, I make no promises.”
Zahn’s chuckle rolled over my skin and made me smile. I could tell it wasn’t a sound he made all that often. Whatever his job was, it was severe, intense work. “Should that happen, I will gladly be there to talk you through it. Have you ever been to Milan, piccolo fiore?”
“Possibly when I was little. I traveled worldwide with my dad, although I often didn’t know where we were. I loved it and being with him, and then one day, I just couldn’t. This is my first time flying since then, but I had to. He met a wonderful woman and is finally getting married. I can’t miss that.”
Zahn smiled as he looked at me. “Sounds like the best of reasons if you ask me. How long will you be in Italy?”
“I’m not sure… I left my return ticket open because I wasn’t sure how this flight would go. I figured once I got there, I could figure the rest out. What about you? Are you from Italy?”
“Yes. My family and my home are in Milan. My work took me to the US, but I’m returning home now.” I loved the sound of his deep, softly accented voice. It flowed over me with the smoothness of chocolate.
It was then that I realized that I still held his hand. Blushing with embarrassment, I quickly let go. Zahn reached out to take my hand back when I gasped in horror. Taking hold of his hand in both of mine, I looked at the wounds two of my nails had caused him.
“Oh! I am so sorry. I’ve injured you when you were simply trying to help me. Hold on a second. Let me take care of this.” I grabbed hold of my bag and dug around in it until I found the little first aid kit I carried with me. I opened it and pulled out antiseptic, and cleaned the two cuts my nails made. At his hiss, I tenderly blew the sting away. “Is that better?” My voice was soft as I looked up into his eyes.
“It is. It’s just a small wound. Nothing to worry over, piccolo fiore.”
“Nonsense. An infection in the smallest wound can cause the largest of problems. Better to be safe than sorry.” I pulled out my antibiotic ointment and dabbed a tiny bit onto the injuries before pulling out a bandage. It was then that I internally cringed. The bandage was hot pink with bright flowers on it. “Ewww, um, sorry. Not the manliest of bandaids.”
My heart melted even more, when Zahn started to laugh and ran his thumb over the bandage. “My sweet flower, it’s perfect. I thank you for your tender care of my hand. Have you noticed that you’re no longer worried about our flight?”
I hadn’t! This is all because of you, my Italian guardian angel. Thank you.
I felt the warmth of a deep blush rise on my face as Zahn brought his hand under my chin and raised my face so that I looked at him. He caressed my cheek as he smiled at me. If I could melt, I would have, but then the moment was shattered.