"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."