Page 51 of Ruthless Guardian

My professor strolls closer with a warm smile. Dirty blonde tendrils of hair flop over his forehead, brushing his chic glasses. He’s much younger than I imagined, probably around Raf’s age. “Ciao, Massimo. Nice to meet you, too.” He leans in and offers the traditional Italian greeting of a kiss on each cheek, and I can practically feel my guard fuming beside me. If he were a cartooncharacter, there would be plumes of smoke rising from his nostrils and ears. For some reason, the visual makes me snicker.

Raf leaps between us, extending a hand. “And I’m Raffaele, Isabella’s bodyguard.” Massimo winces as my guard crushes his slender hand in his big rough one.

“Raf,” I hiss through clenched teeth.

“Scusi. Sometimes I don’t know my own strength.” He finally releases him, and Massimo holds his battered hand to his chest.

“Not a problem,” he mutters. “Of courseSignorinaValentino’s safety is of the utmost importance. Although, I am sure she will be perfectly secure here in Rome.” Then he signals toward the table for two in the back. “My apologies, I didn’t realize your guard would be escorting you.”

“That’s okay, he can stand.” I shoot Raf a narrowed glare as we approach the circular table. It’s the least punishment he deserves after nearly crushing the bones in my new professor’s hand. “Right, Raf?”

“As you wish,signorina.” He offers a savage smile before he pulls my chair out and plants himself behind it.

I settle into the seat and Massimo sits across from me, smiling pleasantly.

“You are going to love Roma, Isabella. I didn’t know you were interested in the historical sights. I’d be more than happy to have my assistant arrange for a tour, and I would be honored to accompany you myself.”

“Oh, thank you, that would be lovely.”

“Wonderful, it’s a date then.”

Raf’s hands curl around the back of my chair so his knuckles brush the exposed skin between the straps of my sundress. Again, that tension seeps from his pores clouding the air around me until it’s so thick I can’t breathe let alone focus on what Massimo’s saying.

Oh,merda, what did I get myself into?

CHAPTER 25

A FRIENDLY WARNING

Raffaele

I’m going to rip that fucking professor’s eyes out if he doesn’t control his wandering gaze. Since the moment Isabella arrived at the hospital this morning, he hasn’t stopped staring at her. There are a dozen students in the program, but his flirty gaze remains locked on my client.

I press my arms tighter against my chest in a failing effort to restrain the mounting rage. Instead of focusing on him as he lectures the medical interns, my gaze pivots to Isabella. Her long, wavy hair is pulled into a ponytail, she’s wearing minimal makeup and her favorite pink scrubs, and fuck, I get why the man can’t take his eyes off her.

There shouldn’t be anything sexy about scrubs and especially not paired with those brightly colored Hokas she’s reverted to wearing for work. The standard uniform for medical professionals is usually oversized, with an unflattering coarse material, but on her? She looks tempting as all hell. The way those slinky pants cling to her ass, highlighting the perfectcurves… If I were dying and she were my doctor, there’d be no better way to go.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I remind myself for the hundredth time to stop ogling my principal then snap the band around my wrist. I shouldn’t have eyes on her, I should be scanning the perimeter for threats. Professor Massimo finally finishes his speech, and all the interns begin to shuffle around, dividing up into smaller groups of twos and threes.

Isabella rushes over, a beaming smile on her face. “I got the Pediatric ER! Just what I wanted.”

“Congratulations. I’m happy for you.” I force my mouth to slide into a smile. Of course the professor made sure she got her choice. Thebastardois doing whatever he can to win her over. After watching him flirt with her for over an hour at the café yesterday, his intentions were obvious, even if they weren’t to Isabella. She’s spent her life so damned protected she doesn’t even realize when a man is clearly trying to seduce her.

“Then why don’t you look happy?” She glares up at me, glossy lips puckered.

“I told you, I prefer to know these things in advance. Working in the ER means dozens of new patients walking in and out on a regular basis. It doesn’t make for the best security scenario.”

“Relax, Raf. No one is going to try to attack me while they’re bleeding out. Especially not a kid.”

I release a frustrated grunt as she spins away and follows two other interns down the sterile white hall. The halogen lights beam overhead, catching highlights in her dark hair as she moves. My traitorous gaze zooms in on her ass in those tight scrubs as she saunters a few feet ahead, swaying her hips at some invisible tune. One of the other interns, a guy from NYU, says something to her, but I’m too far away to catch it. Closing the distance between us, I move into step beside her.

The blonde guy glances up at me over Isabella’s head and quirks a brow. I’ve already done a background check on all the students from the program prior to our arrival. I’ve also memorized faces and names.

“Don’t mind him, Jeff, that’s just my bodyguard,” she explains. “He’ll be following me everywhere.”

“Everywhere,” I grit out with a menacing smile.

Jeffrey Sanderson is from Tennessee. He graduated from Vanderbilt with high honors and was accepted to NYU Medical School only a few months ago. He comes from a good family, and so far, seems like a decent kid. But that doesn’t mean I’ll let this guy have free rein around Isabella.

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