Beautiful as Sin

By the time she reached the last few steps, he was already on his feet, walking toward her.

He swallowed as she stopped in front of him, then gave her a respectful nod. "I'm Marcello Romano, your new bodyguard, Ms. De Santis."

She narrowed her eyes, studying his features. There was something strangely familiar about him, as though she'd seen him somewhere before but she couldn't quite remember.

"Hello," she said, lifting her chin slightly. "I'm Monica. Monica De Rossi, not De Santis."

"My apologies, Ms. De Rossi," he said calmly before continuing, "You have my word, ma'am. I'll do everything I can to keep you safe. I'd lay down my life to protect you if I had to."

His voice was deep, smooth, and convincingly sincere. He didn't want to waste any time. He wanted to win her trust and leave a good impression from the very first moment.

She slowly looked him up and down. "That's cute." Then she let out a mocking laugh.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, taken aback by her sudden reaction. He hadn't expected that at all. "Excuse me, did I say something funny?" he asked.

"Of course. For a moment, you sounded like the hero of a cheesy romantic movie." She sighed softly, shaking her head, a mocking smile still playing on her lips. "Dear Marcello, you're my bodyguard, not my lover. There's no need to sacrifice your life for me."

She met his gaze with piercing eyes. "Besides, I'm not the kind of woman who hides behind a man. I can defend myself very well. I fear no one. The only reason I've been staying in the house these past few days is to avoid upsetting my mother because I love her. It's not because I'm scared. And that's the same reason you're here with me. Do you understand now?"

He nodded. "I understand."

"Good. Shall we go?"

"Of course."

She walked past him without another glance and walked toward the car. After a beat, he followed.

She stood beside the car with her arms crossed, leaning casually against it as she watched him make his way toward her.

Before she could say anything to him, a voice came from her side. "I'm ready, Ms. De Rossi," her chauffeur said, fastening a button of his suit jacket. He reached for the rear door handle, ready to open it for her, but she stopped him.

"Wait, Luca. Marcello will open the door for me."

Marcello frowned slightly. What exactly was this woman trying to do? Was she testing him? Embarrassing him? He couldn't tell. She was completely unpredictable, and that made her difficult to read. Still, he decided to play along.

Stepping forward, he opened the rear door. She slid into the back seat, and he closed the door behind her. He then walked around the car and took the front passenger seat beside Luca.

"Where to, ma'am?" Luca asked.

"Drive now, and I’ll tell you."

As the drive went on, she found herself glancing at Marcello again. It wasn't the first time since they had left the mansion.

She rested her elbow against the window, her eyes lingering on his reflection in the rearview mirror as she searched her memory, trying to place those sharp features. She was certain she had seen him somewhere before.

Marcello noticed, of course he did, but gave no sign of it. He kept his attention on the road, as though he was completely unaware of her scrutiny.

A few moments later, he glanced at the mirror again. She was still watching him. "Is something wrong, ma'am?" he asked curiously.

"Have we met before?"

"I don’t think so," he replied without hesitation.

"Are you sure?" she pressed, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"If I had met you before, I would definitely remember," his gaze lingering on her eyes. "A face like yours is impossible to forget," he said, his voice deep and husky.

She swallowed, shifting in her seat before crossing her legs, her gaze turning toward the window as she looked out at the road beside them. "Alright."

A little while later, the car finally pulled up on an upscale street lined with high-end boutiques.

Marcello got out first and waited for her to step out. Instead, he found her staring at him from inside the car. He immediately understood.

He cleared his throat and walked back, then opened the door for her.

"You still have a lot to learn," she remarked as she stepped out.

Without waiting for a response, she walked past him and entered one of the boutiques, with Marcello following closely behind.

"Good morning," she greeted the sales assistant.

"Good morning, ma'am. How may I help you?"

"I'm looking for a special dress. It's for my birthday."

"Happy birthday, ma’am," the young woman said with a warm smile. "We have an exceptional collection of dresses. I'm sure you'll find something you love."

Monica's eyes lit up. "Then show me."

  ~~~

Marcello looked at the watch on his wrist, exhaling sharply. "For God’s sake, is she planning to try on every dress in the store?” he muttered under his breath, leaning back against the chair as he waited.

He turned his head toward the sales assistant. "Excuse me, would you mind checking on her? Or should I assume she fainted in there?" he said sarcastically.

"Ms. De Rossi took about ten dresses with her to try on, sir. That’s why it’s taking a little longer, but I’ll go check on her," she said, nearly choking as she fought back a laugh.

"Thank..." he began, but the word faded as the fitting room door opened and Monica stepped out.

The sales assistant immediately guided her onto a raised platform, positioning her so she could see herself clearly in the mirror.

He swallowed hard as he watched her in that red dress that clung to her body like a second skin, clearly accentuating her feminine curves and leaving nothing to the imagination. It had thin straps and a deep V-neck that revealed a generous amount of cleavage, while its hem fell just below her knees.

His gaze dragged over her body, inch by inch, with a captivated gaze. She looked like sin itself, and this attraction he felt toward her irritated him deeply. He admitted to himself that he had been drawn to her ever since he first saw her, but he needed to get rid of this feeling by any means necessary.

Yes, she was breathtakingly seductive in a dangerous way. But even her beauty would earn no mercy from him. Now, in his eyes, she was nothing more than another version of her mother.

She, meanwhile, stood in front of the mirror, completely absorbed in her reflection. A satisfied smile touched her lips as she turned slightly from side to side. "What do you think?" she asked, looking at the young woman.

"It looks perfect on you. You make it look even better," she replied warmly.

Monica's eyes drifted toward him, but he quickly looked away, hoping she hadn't noticed where his gaze had wandered.

She turned her gaze back to the sales assistant before saying, "I'll take this one. And the rest as well."

"Yes, ma'am," the young woman replied with a pleased smile.

Marcello exhaled, still refusing to look at her again, afraid she might catch him looking at her the way he shouldn’t.

  ~~~

They stepped out of the boutique and walked a few steps further down the street until she suddenly stopped in front of another one, already about to step inside.

He looked through the display window and immediately froze. "Wait…" Marcello’s voice came out quickly, stopping her mid-step.

He cleared his throat and looked away. "It’s… a lingerie store," he muttered. His cheeks flushed as he lowered his gaze to the ground, clearly embarrassed.