THE BRIDE CHAPTER 21

THE BRIDE
Chapter 21

A blond in a red dress can do
without introductions – but not
without a bodyguard.
-Rona Jaffe
Francesca Marcolini’s POV
“Boun giorno, Signora.”
“What the—” I stood dead in my
place. Then I blinked in case I am
just hallucinating. My initial shocked
was instantly replaced by an
accusing glare towards him. “What
are you doing here?”
But the proper question should I
asked him was that. How on hell
did he learn about my trip today?
“Are you surprised?” He asked
sanguinely while leaning casually in
the hood of his black sedan. He
wore an open neck crisp while
shirt that he rolled up the sleeves
up to his arms and pair it with dark
jeans and Italian loafers. As usual,
his eyes were concealed by a pair
of aviator sunglasses. It’s hard for
me to decipher what he was
thinking.
“What are you doing here?” I
repeated my question, ignoring the
flutter of my heart at his gorgeous
sight this morning. He seems to be
he just stepped out of the runway
early this morning with this casual
outfit.
“To help you.” Marco answered
nonchalantly.
“Help me?” I repeated, glancing at
my wristwatch. “Look. I don’t have
time—”
“Miss Francesca.” An American
accented voice sounded behind us.
We both turned around to see the
new comer who just slid out of the
taxi.
I tried to put smile in my face while
Marco gave him his darkest look.
“Matteo!”
“Is everything okay?” He asked as
he approached me, eyeing Marco
guardedly.
“Oh, yes. Everything is perfectly
fine.” I tried to sound pleasant
about the whole situation when my
mind race for potential solution to
my predicament.
“Who is he?” Matteo asked warily
glancing at the thundering beast
beside us. He started to raise my
hand for a kiss.
“He is—” I started.
“I am her bodyguard and personal
chauffer.” Marco stated loud and
clear. He rudely snatched my hand
to his Nonna’s guest. “I am Marc…
her personal bodyguard.”
All I could do was stared at him in
bewilderment. What the hell are
you doing? My eyes snapped with
his obscured one.
“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t know.”
Matteo apologized at this
monstrous devil.
He nodded like a king who granted
his slave freedom. Seriously, this
man is unbelievable. “I believed that
the Signora said she will tour you
around the city shall we start so
you can get going with your other
plan for the rest of the day?”
I stared at him in disbelief. Clearly,
Marco Orsini didn’t know how a
bodyguard should act. This
profession was not for him.
“Shall we?” He said opening the
door for Matteo, who the poor man
only obliged at the military general
command. “Signora…”
Very well, if he wants to plan this
bodyguard thing, so be it. I threw
him a dark look before sliding in
the passenger’s seat beside the
American. I nearly shrieked when
Marco’s large hand touched my
bottom briefly.
D--n this devil, I thought while
fighting the blush to creep in my
cheeks. He slid in the driver’s seat
and started the engine before he
moved forward to the road he
threw me an evil grinned through
the rearview mirror.
I shook my head in disbelief. This is
going to be a long day for all of us.
*
“So, Marc, how long you work for,
Miss Francesca?” Matteo asked
innocently at the stony silence of
the luxury car.
Marco glanced briefly in my
direction through the rearview
mirror. I could see that his lips
twitch with a mocking smile. “Not
that long.” He lied smoothly. “Maybe
a year now.”
It was in the tip of my tongue to tell
Matteo: Can’t you see he’s not my
bodyguard? He’s Marco Orsini the
conceited CEO of the Orsini Empire!
But I don’t want him to question
my relationship with Marco. Even I
don’t know our relationship status
yet. Our association becomes
stickier as day passes. God, he was
playing his grandmother’s visitor.
“It must be hard to protect a
woman, isn’t?” The American asked
conversationally.
“Oh yes.” Marco answered
smoothly, looking at me through
the mirror with cryptic smile on his
Roman face. “I need to protect the
Signora from nuisance time to
time.”
I frowned at him through the
rearview mirror. Is that the subtle
way of him saying that Matteo
Constanzo is a nuisance from him?
“Even from suitors?” Matteo
inquired harmlessly.
“Oh, most definitely with them.” He
answered with grave face. “Some
were hardheaded fellows who
couldn’t just stay away from the
Signora. I resort to use some
drastic measures to keep their
distance.”
I plastered a smile in my face and
said sweetly in Italian. “Why don’t
you just shut up and drive?”
“As you wish, my beautiful lady.” He
answered back in the same
language. Thankfully, Matteo
couldn’t understand Italian that
gave me an edge to reprimand this
devil about his snarky comebacks
to the innocent half-Italian.
“Where are we going first?” Matteo
glanced at me with a smile of his
handsome face.
“The Colosseum.” I answered with
a smile.
Marco whistled softly and muttered
in Italian. “I like that place. It’s
where foreign people were being
killed during the ancient Rome.”
“What does he say?” Matteo asked
me innocently.
I glared at the man who introduced
himself as my bodyguard.
“Nothing.” I said kindly. “He is just
commenting in the traffic.”
I heard him scoffed at the driver’s
seat. For a moment I thought he
was going to contradict my
explanation but then he just let it
pass. I breathe deeply. Thank
goodness.
“We’re here.” Marco said cheerfully,
pulling the car in the curb.
“Beautiful.” Matteo breathed as he
slid to the luxury car. “What a
magnificent structure.”
I stepped in my role as the tour
guide as soon as I went out of the
car. “ The Colosseum is an elliptical
amphitheatre in the centre of the
city of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete
and stone, it was the largest
amphitheatre of the Roman Empire,
and is considered one of the
greatest works of Roman
architecture and engineering. It is
the largest amphitheatre in the
world.”
Matteo smiled in my direction
before looking back the ancient
structure. “You have a vast
knowledge with the Roman
history.”
I smiled back at him. Ignoring the
thunderous glare from Marco who
just stood silently with his arms
folded in his chest. “The Colosseum
is situated just east of the Roman
Forum. Construction began under
the emperor Vespasian in 70 AD,
and was completed in 80 AD under
his successor and heir Titus.
Further modifications were made
during the reign of Domitian. These
three emperors are known as the
Flavian dynasty, and the
amphitheatre was named in Latin
for its association with their family
name Flavius. The Colosseum could
hold, it is estimated, between
50,000 and 80,000 spectators—”
*
“Okay,” Matteo held up his arms like
a silent surrender and laughed. “I
think that’s enough of the tour.” He
looked me straight at the eyes,
taking my hands on his. “The
reason I agree to this trip is to get
to know you more, Francesca.”
“This b-----d!” Marco snarled in
Italian. He looked murderous like he
intended to kill this American on
the spot.
I gave him a silent warning. But I
could see the raging fury vibrated
in his body.
“Oh, look.” I said cheerfully. “They
are selling the best gelato over
there.”
“Do you want some?” Matteo asked
me, looking perplex at my
bodyguard’s attitude. “Do you want
too, Marc?”
“No.” He growled darkly. “I don’t
want gelato.”
The poor American nodded and
went to buy me gelato over there.
“What is your problem?” I asked as
soon as I am left alone with this
devil.
“I knew it,” Marco said furiously,
stalking towards me like an angry
beast. “He’s all over you. That
vermin.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “You
are impossible. I have no idea what
are you talking about, Marco.”
He continued to stalk towards me
until I was trap in the railing and
him. “You don’t?” He asked
dangerously in a low voiced. “As far
as I can tell, you are flirting with
him since he stepped out of the
cab.”
“I wasn’t flirting with him!” I
denied hotly, I glared at his eyes
that were hidden to my view. He’s
devastatingly handsome this close.
“No?” He repeated mockingly,
placing both of his hands in the
railing so I couldn’t escape him. I
looked around to see the wistful
glances women threw at his
direction. I couldn’t blame them.
He’s like a Roman god who came
down to earth.
“Marco…” I pleaded softly. I don’t
know what I am pleading to him.
“Si, my darling.” He dipped his
towards me and gave me an ardent
kiss in the middle of the tourist
destination.
“Francesca…” Matteo inquired.
I pushed Marco away. I could
swore that my face heat this
moment. “I—I…”
“She has something in her eyes.”
Marco said smoothly.
“Are you okay?” The half-Italian
asked nearing me with the gelato
I’ve requested.
“Uh…yes.” I replied awkwardly.
“Are you done with the
Colosseum?” Marco asked rudely.
“I’m famish let’s eat first.”
“Don’t you this is awkward?”
Matteo asked when we’re seated in
the one of the best table in the
famous restaurant in town.
“I always eat with the Signora
when she got out. She likes it that
way.” Marco answered dryly while
busy flipping the menu. “Waiter…”
I sighed. He was hopeless. The
arrogance runs through his veins.
When the waiter approached us we
gave our orders. I nearly squirmed
when Marco’s hand started to travel
in my legs. I bit my lips when it
continued to go upward.
*
“How do you like the city so far?”
He asked the American casually
while his hand does some
exploration in my legs.
“It’s a great city.” Matteo replied
taking a sipped of his water. “With
a great people.” He gave me a
meaningful glance.
“Ah, yes…” Marco agreed, caressing
my legs seductively. I want to moan
as I tried to remove his hand.
“W-when…” I groaned quietly
when the hand reached my
feminine core. Oh God, my brain is
not working anymore. “…huh…
when do you plan to return to the
States?”
“Can’t wait to get rid of me?”
Matteo kidded with a playful smile.
“It’s not like that…” I couldn’t help
but to sigh at the pleasure. I glared
at him but he just merely smirked.
“I intend to stay for awhile more.”
“Oh, here comes our food.” I am
beyond grateful that the food
arrived because I am now free
from his hands. But my joy was
short-lived for his feet now started
to play with mine.
Oh, Sweet Mother of God.
For the rest of the day Marco
annoyed and exasperated me, with
his sardonic comment from time to
time about everything Matteo tried
to discussed with me. By the end of
trip I am thoroughly exhausted. We
dropped the American to the hotel
where he was staying and Marco
deposited me to the passenger’s
seat in the front of the car.
“You are unbelievable.” I told him
as soon as we are alone inside the
car.
“I thought I was charming.” He
answered suavely, joining in the
road easily, his hand started to
travel again with my legs.
I swatted his hand. “What do you
think you’re doing?”
“Ouch!” He glowered at me. “That
hurt.”
Silence filled the car until we were
in front of my penthouse building. I
am about to go out when he
stopped me. “Wait.” He said.
I look at him expectantly. “About
the date that you owe me.”
“Date that I owe you?” I asked
insolently.
“Yes. Remember that you owe me a
date at the charity event of Tatiana
Cavelli.”
I raised my eyebrow in his
direction. “As far as I am concern I
am long gone paid that date,
Marco.”
He gave me a disarming grinned.
“No. You don’t.”
“I did.” I told him opening the car’s
door.
“Fine.” He said glibly. “I will just tell
Tatiana to reimburse my money
because you refused to have dinner
date with me.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Try me.” He pulled out his mobile
phone and dialed someone.
“Okay fine.” I said snatching his
phone. I glared at the insolent devil.
“Tomorrow night 7 p.m.”
Marco smiled mirthlessly. “Make it, 8
a.m.”
My eyes widened at his declaration.
“I can’t I have a meeting.”
“Cancel it.” He said arrogantly.
Placing a light kissed in my lips. “Go
now. Until tomorrow, my dearest.”
I am gobsmacked as I slid out the
sedan and stared at taillight of his
car as he fled away. Silently thinking
I have a date tomorrow with Marco
Orsini.

To be continued