Page 28 of Off-Limits Protector Daddy

There is a long silence before I feel his calloused hands on my back. He runs his hands across my shoulders and down my arms before tracing a finger up my spine. A shiver races through my body as I continue to face forward.

“It’s best if you and I stay as far away from each other as we can,” he says, his finger still tracing a pattern on my bare skin. “This is unprofessional and could cost me my career.”

Tyson sighs, his hot breath skating across my shoulder as he pulls the zipper up. His hands linger on my body for a moment longer before he turns on his heel and walks out of the room.

The door slams behind him and I’m left wondering whether the blurred line between us is going to erase itself entirely.

12

TYSON

Idown my first flute of champagne quickly before grabbing a second. My heart is hammering in my chest as I throw that one back as well. Aria’s brothers are circling me and asking questions about their sister and the threat to their safety.

Every time I think I’m going to get a break, one of the brothers appears out of thin air to ask another question.

I just want to be left alone.

Talking to Aria earlier drained my energy. I didn’t think that it would be that hard to talk to her about what is happening between us – what needs to stop happening between us.

As my mind wanders to Aria, she walks into the room with a man on her arm. I sigh and run a hand through my hair, wondering if this man is going to be a problem that I have to take care of.

Aria smiles at the man before taking off into the crowd. I move around the room, trying to keep my sights on her as she greets people.

Everyone she talks to is smiling and laughing with her within seconds of her greeting them. She is a natural at charming people. They fall for her personality within seconds of meeting her.

I smile as I watch her crouch down to say hello to some of the children. She doesn’t mind their sticky hands or the way they cling to her skirt as she talks to their parents. Aria tilts her head back when she laughs, her hair cascading down her back.

When she steps away from the couple and their children, my eyes go straight to the slit running up her leg. It is dangerously high and designed to drive a man insane. My cock stiffens as I watch her, even though I know it’s wrong.

Everything about us is wrong and it only turns me on more.

You will be fired if Jameson ever found out.

Is throwing away a career for a woman worth it? Definitely not.

I take a deep breath and look away from her, needing a moment to myself. Even though it is my job, I can’t keep staring at Aria all night and getting hard. I need to listen to what the people around me are saying and document it for Jameson.

As I glance around the room, I see the men nodding to Aria. I can hear their whispers about approaching her and asking her to dance. Other conversations revolve around what they will do to her if they get her alone.

Those are the men I have escorted out by other guards the moment I hear their comments.

“Come with me,” Antonio Russo says, stepping directly in my path and blocking my view of his daughter. “I think it’s time that you and I had a conversation.”

“Yes, sir,” I say, following him out of the main room and down a hallway.

We stop near a little alcove. I can barely hear the music playing in the other room. There is nobody else around. The look on Antonio’s face chills my blood.

“Is something wrong, sir?” I ask, my eyebrows knitting together. “Is there a threat to the family?”

“I would think that you know there is a threat,” Antonio says, giving me a cold smile as he steps closer to me. “Considering we both know who and what you are.”

“Sir, I’m sure that I don’t know what you mean,” I say, trying to sound as confused as possible.

“I’ll let you continue playing your game of pretend for now,” Antonio says, clamping a hand on my shoulder. He grips my shoulder harder as he leans closer, his voice lowering. “But that’s only because I haven’t found a way to get rid of you yet.”

He releases my shoulder and chuckles, stuffing his hands into his pockets. I keep up my act of confusion, even though I’m sure that I’ve been made. There is no way to guess how much he actually knows but I suspect it is more than he should.

We are in deep shit.

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