Chapter 41: In Which She Feels Unsure About Them

Aurora turned around, holding a white cotton blouse and matching sandy-brown shorts.

"Will this be appropriate?"

Liv rubbed her chin, "For dee beach - yes. Yoo always pick dee simplest clot-hes, piccolo. Go for dee formal wear. Yoo will need it."

Aurora smiled and passed the clothes to the assistant standing near her, then moved onto the rack of formal wear. "I still wished you could go with us, Liv."

The designer smiled warmly, "Ever since piccolo started attending, I let him handle it. Gill will understand." She took an off-shoulder, emerald ball gown from the rack then passed it to the assistant.

"Gill?"

Liv reached for a knee-length, square-neck, black peplum dress. "Yes, Gill. Izz company organized dee event." She handed the dress over to her assistant.

Aurora mouthed a wow and glanced at the assistant.

"That's really a lot, Liv!"

Liv flapped her hand, "Nonsense. Yoo will be dare for tree days, no? Let's get yoo more."

Aurora was hesitant, "But, I already have the one that I wore for dinner with Theo's mother, remember?"

"Yes. But no, piccolo, yoo cannot wear dee same ting. Mama will be dare. Don't gi-veh her some-ting to say," Liv advice.

Aurora nodded. With so many high-profile people attending, Mrs Barone wouldn't miss it for the world.

Liv leaned closer and whispered, "Dare will be celebrities too, so take it as doing me a favor."

Aurora giggled knowingly. With new fashion brands popping up every second, it's easy to forget the existing ones, so they have to keep promoting constantly.

"Alright, Liv. Let's do it. Give me your best designs."

Liv grinned widely, "Dat's the spirit!" She turned to the assistant and muttered a few Italian phrases, and the girl scurried off to gather the clothes.

The designer turned back to the red hair beauty, "Let's choose accessories."

Aurora beamed back, "Sure."


******


"Aren't we going to the airport?" Aurora furrowed her brows at the strange scenery outside her side window.

The black sports car cruised along a road that cuts through a vast stretch of open land on each side.

"No," Theo answered.

Aurora turned to him, "But aren't we taking a plane?"

Theo grinned ahead, "We are."

Aurora frowned, "Then, we should be going to the airport. Where are you taking me to? Is it another surprise?"

Theo glanced at her, then back at the road, "You love surprises, right babe?" His impish grin appeared.

Aurora folded her arms, "I've had too many, Theo. My heart can't take it."

"You'll love this."

At this, the car swerved through a gate with a sign that says PRIVATE AIRPORT.

Aurora widened her gaze at her boyfriend, "We're taking a private jet?"

Theo nodded. D*mn, her eyes are beautiful when they are surprised, he grinned broadly.

"It's your private jet?" She whispered.

"Yes," Theo chuckled.

The aircraft entered her view. It was slightly smaller than a commercial plane, standing like a proud soldier, entirely white with a navy blue line across its streamlined body. Its nose reminded Aurora of a dolphin's nose and wings were spread out like an eagle.

"It's beautiful, Theo," Aurora whispered as if the jet was a pet.

Theo almost couldn't tear his eyes away from that mesmerizing expression.

"But we didn't take this the last time," Aurora continued.

"That's because Gill chartered the whole plane for his guests. Usually, I'd move around privately."

The car stopped in front of the private jet and they got off.

Theo gave his car keys to a staff member standing by then took Aurora's hand and led her towards the plane.

The interior was as luxurious as an executive suite.

Aurora's eyes swept across the mini bar at the back of the plane, a glossy oak dining table for two on the right side and two white leather seats, each the size of a lounge chair, on the left side.

Theo ushered Aurora to the one beside the window.

As she sat on the cool white leather, she sank comfortably into the cushion. Oh God, she sighed silently, this is so different from the ones she had known.

Once Theo sat, the plane started moving and it was soon up in the air, soaring smoothly over a sea of clouds.

"Are you hungry?" Theo turned to her.

Aurora shook her head. She was still in a daze from what she had seen.

Staring at the light blue sky outside, she thought about the whirlwind she had been caught in for the past two months.

Since her youth, she had read about the rich and famous and wondered about their extravagant lifestyle.

Now that she had tasted a bit of it, she couldn't deny its enticement.

She looked to her left at Theo. He was reading something off his phone. She studied his side profile and sighed with a tiny smile - god, he's incredibly sexy. She couldn't get enough of him.

She wanted to stay by his side for a long time.

That admission shocked her. D*mn, Aurora… you're sinking fast. So fast that everything felt surreal.

A worry rose in her as she looked into Theo's puzzled eyes. Can she truly keep this wonderful man by her side? Will he stay? What if this was all a dream?

"Aurora," Theo leaned closer with concerned eyes, "Do you feel sick?"

She answered him by taking hold of his masculine jaw and pulled him forward for a kiss. He responded immediately and swept in his tongue to caress hers.

Theo pulled her forward onto his lap. She threaded her fingers through his soft black curls and pushed his head back to deepen the kiss. He grunted with enhanced pleasure and stroked her mouth fervently.

When he tore his lips away, she tried to take them again, but he pulled away and locked his gaze with her hooded eyes.

"Let's go to bed, babe," he breathed heavily.

She was as breathless as he was, "There's a bed?"

Theo grinned and pushed her gently off him, then took her hand and led her to the back of the plane, past the mini bar, through a door.

A large white bed welcomed her sight.

Aurora inhaled softly. She felt his lips on the sensitive spot below her earlobe as his arms went around her waist, and sighed in bliss.

"Make love to me, Theo."

Theo paused briefly, then kissed the side of her ear and smiled when he felt her shiver.

"Get ready, babe. We have five hours till arrival," he whispered into her ear.

She shuddered with anticipation and took his lips.


******


The ground shook.

Earthquake? Aurora opened her eyes and jolted upright.

She was still in the plane.

"It's just turbulence," Theo muttered sleepily from below her. "Go back to sleep, babe."

Aurora realized she had been sleeping on top of Theo. He pulled her back down on him and wrapped his arms on her back, and hugged her close.

"Are we landing soon?" She rested her cheek on his warm chest and heard his peaceful heartbeat.

"In an hour," he breathed.

They had been at it for almost four hours, she smiled silently at the thought.

Theo let out a contented sigh. His lovely seductress was a voracious lover. He could have her forever.


******


"I'm hungry," Aurora stared at the nest of brownish-yellow terraced houses covered with reddish roofs.

Theo chuckled, "Me too. You wore me out just now."

Aurora glared at her hands, her cheeks flamed up, "Stop trying to embarrass me."

He brushed the loose strands behind her ears to get a closer look at her blush and whispered tenderly, "I wasn't."

They exchanged a warm smile.

"We'll get room service later," Theo turned and looked at the white and grey facade of The Plush Hotel outside his side window.

Aurora stared at Theo and wondered, when did room services become part and parcel of her traveling life? They used to be unnecessary.

The limousine stopped in front of the marble steps and they got off the car with the doormen's help.

Theo immediately took Aurora's hand and led her into the hotel lobby.

"Shall we check out the beach afterwards?"

Aurora grinned back at him, "That'll be nice."

"Aurora?" A familiar voice sounded across the hall.

It was a sound she thought she had forgotten. But the instant she heard it, she recognized it.

Aurora turned around and found herself looking at her ex-boyfriend - the man she wanted to forget.