Page 57 of Unstoppable Billionaire (The Hardcore Novels: Special Editions #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

When we enter the elevator, I grin at Aurei because we are alone. He pushes the lobby button and pulls me to him. He kisses me the entire way down. When we land, the doors slide open, and he kisses my forehead. "Ok. Let's go shopping."

"Do you like shopping?" I ask him as we walk out hand in hand. "Most men don't."

"No. Not really."

I stop at the top of the stairs. He steps down and turns to look at me. "Why are you going with me then?"

"I want to make sure you have the appropriate attire."

My eyes narrow, and I say with a testy attitude. "Appropriate?"

"Warm." He clarifies.

"Warm as in covering most of my body?"

"Yes." He nods, then he realizes why I'm frowning.

"I like your taste in clothes, Siri. This outfit is sexy as hell, and you are fully clothed.

" He grins. "But the material is wrong for the unpredictable weather of Rome this time of year.

It can be sunny or wet, but cold. There aren't a lot of warm spring days. "

"I don't like to be cold," I admit. "But I don't see why you would torture me by coming along. I am perfectly capable of shopping by myself and for myself."

He laughs and pulls me down the stairs. "We aren't shopping the way you are used to doing it. We won't be browsing the aisles for bargains. We are going to Via Condotti. It is quite an experience. Come on. We are walking."

When we enter the lobby area, I see Carlo is back behind the front desk.

Franco is at his post discussing something with two new arrivals.

Both lift their heads as we walk by. Aurei doesn't look their way, but I do.

I wink at them both and crinkle my nose.

Neither of them breaks their professional facade, but both of their eyes smile back at me.

We walk for about 10 minutes, holding hands and enjoying the morning.

When we enter the street, people are everywhere milling around, going in and out of stores.

Some carry bags with designer names, like Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo, Bvlgari, and Louis Vuitton.

Aurei takes me first to Gucci, where we shop for a lightweight yet warm coat.

He likes a white wool peacoat with a price tag of $2,500, but I protest. "Aurei!

I will only wear this thing while I'm here in Italy. I have no use for it in Vegas."

He gives me his sweet, tolerant smile then tells me. "Yes. But you will be returning to Rome and Italy with me for visits regularly, and you will need it." He turns to the store representative and tells her something in Italian that makes her smile, and she walks off with it.

"Did you just buy that?" I ask him.

"Yes. I did. No arguments." He raises his eyebrows at me, challenging me not to. "You will wear it out of here, and you will be beautiful, and happy, and warm in it."

"Hmmph. I can see how this is going to go."

He grins. I roll my eyes and giggle. For the next few hours, I get a taste of Aurei's idea of shopping.

Which turns out to be us in a private sitting room with him explaining what he wants to buy.

Them parading items by us; us choosing the ones we like; then them taking me back to a dressing room where they dress me in them, and me modeling it for Aurei to approve and purchase, and them packaging them in boxes, and labeling them with our Hotel name and room number.

I can't help but tease him while he sits so confident and even cocky in the various chairs in the various boutiques, watching and passing judgment on my attire.

I bend over to touch my palms to the ground with each outfit, and he chuckles.

"I had no idea the criteria a dancer uses to determine if an outfit is comfy.

" Occasionally I stretch my legs by putting one above my head in a standing split or placing my foot on his shoulder and swinging my hair around or doing a booty bounce or twerk in them, but whatever I do, I am constantly checking the "roominess" and "movement" of the clothing.

When we leave the last shop, he drapes his arm over my shoulder, puts my head in a headlock, and rubs my hair with his knuckles. "That didn't hurt too bad, did it?"

I laugh and squirm against him. "Oui! That hurts much worse."

He laughs and lets my head go but hugs me tight to him. "Admit it. I have excellent taste." He teases me as he dials his phone, and he says into it. "Angelo. We are finished."

I laugh too. "Yes. You have excellent taste, and I did have a very nice time shopping with you, but you spent entirely too much on a wardrobe I won't be wearing very often."

"Ah. But you will be." He smiles at me. "I don't intend to let you out of my sight, and I have to come to Rome often for business."

"But I dance a lot! All the time. Six days a week."

He stops and kisses me in the middle of the street.

His tongue slides between my teeth, and my mouth takes him in.

I lose my protests, and my thoughts know only Aurei is my world now.

His kiss is so comfortable. When he releases me, I'm breathless, and he smiles.

"Can you think of a really valid reason why you have to dance six days a week, fifty-two weeks out of the year? "

My eyes are glassy as I stare into his. "No. Just that I have to dance. I can't quit."

"I'm not asking you to quit. I'm only asking you not to dance that much."

"I'll think about it." I grin at him.

He reaches down and pinches my ass. "That's a start." He cinches my hand again, and we start walking up the street. "You look very fly in that pantsuit."

"I feel much warmer in it too." I'm wearing the last outfit I tried on in the previous shop. It is a chic pants suit with boots from Bvlgari.

"We have one more shop to visit before your surprise."

"Oh shit! I can't believe I forgot about my surprise. I can't wait!" We walk down a block and stand on the corner. Angelo pulls up in front of us in the Maserati Quattroporte, and Aurei opens the door for me.

I slide in. "Ciao, Angelo!"

"Ciao, Siri. You look radiant today."

"Thank you! I feel very pretty too."

Aurei slides in and says. "Funny how spending money on a woman has a way of making her feel good."

Angelo laughs. "It works for me! If Mia is unhappy, the whole house is unhappy, so I take her shopping. Works every time."

"Men! We are not hard to please!"

Angelo laughs out loud. "No. That is very simple. Shopping."

"That's not what I meant." I swat at him, and we all laugh.

"Where to, boss?" He asks Aurei. Aurei tells him, and he pulls away.

My nose finds the window again. Aurei puts his hand up my shirt and plays with my bra strap.

"Angelo, please become the tour guide again.

" I request, and he begins talking. When we reach our destination, there isn't any available parking, so he stops in the road, and we get out.

Aurei tells him to return for us in two hours.

Then he leads me into a very secluded but swank shop.

Immediately the older woman at the counter comes around and greets Aurei.

They converse, and she smiles at me, then motions for me to follow her.

Aurei settles onto the couch. I follow her into the back of the shop, curious what kind of clothes he will let me choose without him.

When she stops, she waves me to an elevated platform in the center of the room.

I can hear a sewing machine sewing just out of sight.

She indicates I'm to get undressed and stand on the platform.

I strip down to my new navy undies and climb up.

She breaks out the soft fabric tape and proceeds to gather my measurements.

She measures every dimension imaginable of my body.

I guess they don't use 3D scanning here.

She goes back and forth from me to Aurei and I hear them discussing what I can only assume is me and the outfit he is ordering.

When we leave, I have no idea what he just bought. "I guess this is one of my surprises?"

"Yes, but not the one you are getting today."

I take his arm as we walk up the street.

We round a few corners during the walk, and then he stops in front of a brick high rise down a back cobblestone street.

I look up at the building as he enters the passcode to open the door.

He pulls the door open for me, and his phone dings.

I enter into a huge foyer alone as he steps outside to answer it.

The floor is pale gray marble, and the walls are a dull red tone.

The effect is cold yet warm. Interesting color scheme.

I walk across to the closest door. There is a small vertical window, and I peer in.

It is an open bay area. Nothing inside but concrete floor.

A parking garage, maybe? I walk to the other end and pull the door open.

LED lights instantly come on. Stairs. I look back over my shoulder.

The CEO of Maximus Enterprises is still outside talking shop. I'm going to start without him.

The heels of my new boots step soft onto the cold gray marble.

The walls in the stairwell are the same dull red, softening the harsh effects of the bright lights.

The banister is carved wood much like the one at the Hotel, only more modern.

My hand flows along its top rail as I start my ascent.

On the second floor landing, the door is a lead-stained glass house door.

The picture is of a sun. The golden hues jump elegant against the dark red.

Gorgeous! I try the door, and it's unlocked.

I slowly pull it open. I poke my head in and find an apartment under renovation.

Better wait for Aurei before I explore this.

I close the door and continue up to the next floor.

This door is wrapped in gold wrapping paper and has a big blue bow on it.

Obviously, my surprise is in here. I def have to wait on Aurei.