Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 420 Madeline's POV "I need fresh ingredients if I'm going to cook for Annie and Nate," I told Marcus as I finished my breakfast. "I want to do everything myself. Not order delivery, not leave it to the cook." Marcus smiled, folding the Valentian newspaper he'd been reading. "Do you want to go to Central Mercato? It's the best place to find quality ingredients, and it's close to the historic center. We can take a walk around the city too." The idea immediately lifted my mood.

We'd been wanting to do something like this for weeks, but there was always some concern or tension holding us back. Now, after the magical moment last night when we felt the baby move for the first time, there was a new lightness between us. "Perfect," I said, already standing to grab my bag. "I can't wait to talk to Annie about the pregnancy. She's already at thirty-five weeks! She must have so many stories." We left the apartment and walked through the cobblestone streets of Florentia.

It was a cold winter morning, but the sky was clear, and the pale sun cast a golden glow over the stones still wet from the night's rain. I was wrapped in a thick coat and still felt the chill on my cheeks. The smell of fresh bread from nearby bakeries mixed with that unmistakable Valentian winter scent. Marcus knew every corner, every shortcut, guiding me with the easy confidence of someone who had grown up exploring these streets in every season. "That's where I used to buy gelato when I was a kid," he said, pointing to an old gelateria with a faded green façade. "Mrs.

Bennett always gave me an extra scoop when my mother wasn't looking." I watched his profile as he spoke, noticing how his eyes lit up while sharing those memories. There was something deeply attractive about the way he moved through familiar streets, a natural confidence that made me feel safe beside him. When we reached the market, I was dazzled by the explosion of colors and scents. Stalls overflowing with winter produce. There were golden root vegetables, aromatic mushrooms, and aged cheeses arranged like works of art.

to inspect the porcini mushrooms, I

to kissing that sharp, masculine line. The genuine smile he gave the vendors reminded me of how he smiled during

a brief glimpse of the fitted shirt underneath, and my mind immediately wandered to my hands 1/3 exploring his chest. "Anything is fine," I replied, hoping my voice sounded normal. We kept moving through the market aisles, and I caught myself noticing things about him that suddenly felt charged with a completely new, unmistakably sexual energy. The way he placed a protective hand on my back when we pushed through the crowds made me imagine that same protection in

in Valentian reminded me of sounds I wanted to hear from him in much more private moments. God. What

in his chair. The movement pulled his shirt taut across his chest, and I caught myself tracking the line of his shoulders, the way the sunlight highlighted