Page 69 of Sugar Baby Mine

He raises a brow. “Do you want it or not?”

“I didn’t say I didn’t. I just need some time to prep beforehand.”

“Good thing about being overseas, bidets a plenty.”

My cheeks flush and I spin away from his gaze, suddenly feeling shy. “We’ll worry about that later. What should I wear out?”

It’s a short four-day trip, but I brought double the clothes I needed because I never know what I’m going to feel like wearing until the day comes. Sometimes I have decision paralysis and sometimes I need the options, or I feel stuck all the same.

I don’t understand it either, don’t worry.

Ben’s chest presses into my shoulders and he leans over me, his arm coming up alongside mine as his fingers float overthe clothes now hanging in the wardrobe. The warmth seeps through his black button-up and spreads along my back even through this fluffy towel. He already dressed in the time I was puttering around in the bathroom and looking for my toiletries after we finished showering.

“How about a dress? It’s rather warm today, at least.”

I’ve brought two, one more casual and one that I consider my little black dress that seems too formal for a day out in the city center. I pluck the floral dress off the hanger; it’s velvet bronze with beige flowers on a background of navy.

“Lovely,” Ben says, his voice in my ear before he steps back.

I step around him to where our suitcases are laid out on the luggage racks to pull out a pair of undergarments much to his displeasure.

“Don’t pout.” I untuck my towel and toss it at him.

He catches it in one hand, the other tucked in his pocket. He glances at it before looking me over through lowered lashes, like he didn’t just have me bent over in the shower with wet hair in my face, drowning me while he fucked me. Though I’m just as bad with the way he has his sleeves rolled up to the elbows with his forearms and tattoo on display.Sexy. The collar of his shirt unbuttoned until I can see the hair on his chest.Slutty. A pair of jeans that make his thighs look even more rideable.Sinful.

I turn around, giving him the full view of my back and ass as I step into my panties and bralette, the same plain beige as the flowers on the dress that I pull over my head. I tug on the sleeves until they sit right about my wrists and do a little twirl.

“How’s this, then?”

“A vision in the fall,” Ben says, a small smile on his face as he moves to hang the towel back up in the bathroom.

“I look like I’m ready for a day of wine tasting.” I look over my shoulder in the mirror, checking the back of the dress. The line of it dips down pretty far, showing off the freckles scatteredbetween my shoulder blades. The braid was a good choice for this dress.

“Do youwantto do a wine tasting?”

“I hate wine.” Cora’s always trying to get me into the stuff, but I just can’t do it. Champagne is the closest I’ll get.

“So is that a no?”

“It’s a hell no. A food tasting is more up my alley if we could do something like that.”

He gives me a thoughtful look, pulling out his phone. “I’ll ask Luciano for some suggestions.”

Ben has been texting that man the entire flight. I’d think it was his secret lover if not for the glance I had at their conversation. It was all business and technical architecture shit that went right over my head. I’m glad I don’t have to be anywhere near that meeting tomorrow.

I slip into my sandals and grab my cardigan, not caring at all that the floral patterns clash. The weather is just a little warmer than back home, and I’m looking forward to soaking up some sun while getting some treats. With my purse hooked over my shoulder, I spin back toward Ben and point my chin at the door.

“Let’s go.”

The hallway is just as nicely decorated as the rooms, full of rich character in every aspect. I want a house someday that’s similar, something that has warmth and memories seeped in its bones.

Maybe in Italy.

I’ve been here all of three hours, and I’m ready to move countries.

We step out onto the street, and it’s already a bustle before we even get to St. Mark’s Square. The smell of the food is amazing and all the little shops look so inviting. Ben pulls me along with a destination in mind as he reads off his phone.

“It’s a bit of a further walk, like ten minutes, but Luciano said to go to this restaurant—the Bistrot de Venise, which just openedfor lunch hours. Let’s head that direction, and you can browse through the shops on the way if you like.”

---