Page 87 of Ruthless Guardian

And he’s stalking toward us with a murderous gleam in his eye.

CHAPTER 42

PUNISHMENT

Raffaele

Breathe,cazzo. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. I force my lungs to continue their steady pace despite the suffocating anger coiling around my organs as I stalk toward Isa and the professor.

His hands are onmyclient.

His fingers dipping dangerously close to the curve of her ass.

And in a minute, I’m going to rip off every single one of those fingers for daring to touch what’s mine.

Shoving my hands in my pockets to restrain the urge, I don the practiced smile as I reach the crowd of interns writhing around Isa on the dance floor.

It takes every last ounce of willpower to keep from jerking her out of his arms and tossing her over my shoulder. My fingers twitch in my pockets, my palm itching to spank that ass for disobeying me. I thought I’d made it perfectly clear. She is mine. And that means no one touches her without my permission. Which means no one wouldevertouch her. I tower over thecoglionethen lean into Isa’s ear. “Excuse me,signorina. I need a word.”

Goose bumps spill across her bare shoulders and race down her arms. The sight of her body’s reaction to mine sends a swirl of satisfaction straight to my dick. “Right now?” she whispers, the faint hitch only discernible because I know her so well.

“Yes, right now.” I barely restrain the beastly growl.

The professor releases her, and I can finally breathe, the steel bands around my lungs loosening. My hand instinctively wraps around her biceps, toting her through the mass of bodies. As soon as my flesh meets hers, my haggard breaths begin to normalize.

Merda, what has this woman done to me?

I’ve always had a possessive streak and been controlling to a fault, but this… this is beyond my typical madness. As I lead her across the bustling rooftop to the steps, I attempt to remember the last time I felt this out of control. The answer is on the tip of my tongue, but I refuse to acknowledge it.

Because I’m terrified.

Because the last time I felt like this, everything went to hell.

A desperate tangle of fear, anxiety and anger twists and churns in my gut. I hate the feeling, the utter loss of control. Fear is weakness, but fury, that I can hold onto. Channeling that anger, I quicken my steps until I’m practically dragging Isa down the stairs.

“Slow down, you’re hurting me,” she hisses once we reach the second-floor hallway and the thrumming beats of the DJ start to fade. She whirls around just a few feet from her bedroom door and glares up at me, planting her heels so I’m forced to stop. “What’s going on with you?”

“You let him touch you,” I roar, unable to keep the tornado of emotions at bay for a minute longer. I tower over her, pinning her against the wall.

“Massimo?”

“Yes! Thatbastardohad his hands all over you. He was touching your hand, your ass, whispering in your ear…No onetouches what’s mine.” I rake my hands through my hair, tugging at the wild ends until the pangs distract me from the overwhelming feelings surging in my gut. “You. Are.Mine,” I growl, punctuating every word by erasing another inch between us. “Didn’t I make that clear the other night?” I glance down the hallway, ensuring none of the other guards are around, then I dip my mouth to her ear. “Now, I’m going to have to punish you for your disobedience.”

Those blazing blue irises ignite, shards of sapphire twinkling beneath the dim lighting. It’s not fear, no it’s something so much better. Curiosity. “How are you going to do that?” she whispers. “If I allow it…”

Sassy little thing.

And just like that I’m hard.

I slide my hand behind her back and palm her ass. A faint gasp erupts through those pouty lips. “I’m going to spank that perfect little ass until you scream my name.” My fingers tighten around her curves, and I press her flush against my cock.

“I thought you said it was only one night…” Her lips are a hairsbreadth from mine, and I can barely think about anything else but capturing them.

“Oh, this isn’t sex,principessa. This is punishment.” I tilt my hips so my erection lodges itself beneath her obscenely short dress and rub my dick against her panties. “We might not be allowed to be together right now, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let anyone else have you either.”

She glares up at me, defiant as all hell. “If I let you spank me, then you have to fuck me after. Or no deal…”

An unexpected chuckle spills out as those mischievous eyes latch onto mine. “It’s funny that you think you have a say in this.”

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