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  GUARDIAN’S OBSESSION

  MINK

  Guardian’s Obsession

  MINK © 2022

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book only. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from MINK.

  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  CONTENTS

  Guardian’s Obsession

  Chapter 1

  Griffin

  Chapter 2

  Vivian

  Chapter 3

  Griffin

  Chapter 4

  Vivian

  Chapter 5

  Griffin

  Chapter 6

  Vivian

  Chapter 7

  Griffin

  Chapter 8

  Vivian

  Chapter 9

  Griffin

  Chapter 10

  Vivian

  Chapter 11

  Griffin

  Chapter 12

  Vivian

  Chapter 13

  Griffin

  Chapter 14

  Vivian

  Chapter 15

  Griffin

  Chapter 16

  Vivian

  Chapter 17

  Griffin

  Chapter 18

  Vivian

  Chapter 19

  Griffin

  Chapter 20

  Vivian

  Chapter 21

  Griffin

  Chapter 22

  Vivian

  Chapter 23

  Griffin

  Chapter 24

  Vivian

  Chapter 25

  Griffin

  Epilogue

  Also by MINK

  About the Author

  GUARDIAN’S OBSESSION

  MINK

  Vivian is my ward. I’m tasked with taking care of her and handling all her needs. The only thing is, I was expecting her to be a child, one I could easily hand off to a nanny. But she isn’t. She’s a grown woman with wicked curves who fascinates me.

  I’m in charge of her inheritance. I want to be in charge of her. All of her. I’m the sort of man who’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. I’ve crushed my competition again and again over the years, and now I’ll turn my skills on my young ward, breaking down her defenses until she’s completely open to me. When I finally get a taste, I’m hooked, and I realize I’ll never let her go.

  But her foolish brother has other plans, and he’s made deals involving my sweet Vivian. He’ll find out just how ruthless I can be when it comes to protecting what’s mine, and Vivian irrevocably belongs to me, just as I belong to her. Forever.

  MINK’s Note: Grab a kitty and an iced coffee for this sweet and steamy tale of a guardian and his innocent ward.

  1

  GRIFFIN

  The funeral begins with the warbly tones of prayers from the priest. I check my phone, quickly shooting off a few texts and emails while the somber ceremony continues. David wouldn’t want me to let our business go to hell just because he’s died. Well, he and his wife.

  I told them I didn’t think their plans to reach the peak of Mt. Everest were a good idea, simply because their time could be better spent building our business empire. But they didn’t listen. They always had the spirit of adventure in their veins. After training for almost a year, they began their trek. But after the base camp and then a few farther up the mountain, they went missing in the high snow as a storm rolled in.

  Mourning isn’t something I intend to do here in view of all these friends, family, and business associates. It’s not in my nature. So instead, I conduct business, letting partners know that Griffin Endeavors, Inc. will continue to lead the world in the development of top-notch tech.

  “And now, Charles would like to say a few words.” The priest steps back so David and Laverne’s son can stand at the foot of their graves.

  He’s unsteady on his feet, his cheeks pink from the cold and the alcohol. “Mom and Dad were good people. The best, really. When I was little …”

  He continues as I check a few more emails, sending a few to my secretary Linn for follow-up.

  I feel an elbow at my side and turn to find Linn right next to me. “You’re not at the office?” I whisper.

  She gives me a teary yet horrified look and shakes her head. “I was his secretary, too. You know that, right? For almost ten years. Of course I’m here.” She dabs her tears away with her handkerchief and turns back to listen to Charles.

  I suppose I’ve been a bit oblivious to everyone here. If I’m being honest, it’s because this whole fiasco reminds me far too much of my own parents’ funerals. The stodgy priest and the onlookers who range from barely knowing the deceased to people like Charles, just an overgrown kid who’s lost without them. I was him a long time ago. But I don’t have any solace to offer, no special knowledge to grant him. We all suffer. So I return to my phone, controlling the things I can instead of the things I can’t.

  Charles rambles on about good times and bad times, the wind picking up as the caskets are finally lowered into the ground. I’m well back from them as the family members sitting in the rows of chairs closest drop flowers and tears into the yawning graves.

  I’d rather honor them by continuing to build our companies and making a bright future for their kids. Charles is clearly going to need some support now that his parents are gone, and I’ve yet to see Vivian, their younger daughter. I wonder if she’s one of the children along the front row. There are only a couple. I should send her a toy or something like that, anything to brighten her world now that her parents are gone.

  “Linn, send a toy to Vivian for me, please. Something bright and sparkly to cheer her up.”

  Linn looks up at me, her eyebrows drawing together. “A toy?”

  “Yes, I assume children are still interested in those?”

  “Well, yes, but–”

  “Griffin?” Frank, one of our lawyers, reaches out to shake hands. “Oh, sorry, Linn. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “You aren’t interrupting. I’m going to kiss Charles and Vivian, then head back to the office.” She turns to me, the wrinkles around her eyes deepening. “I suggest you do the same.”

  “I’ll be in the office as soon as–”

  “I meant, go see about the kids!” She turns on her heel and stomps off.

  I stare after her, at a loss.

  “Emotions run high on days like this,” Frank says with a shrug.

  “That’s true.” I watch Linn pick through the crowd and stop to hug a particularly curvy young woman. Damn, the ass on her has my mouth watering, even though it’s absolutely inappropriate given the setting. She speaks to her for a moment before continuing on her way to the front row where Charles and a little girl are still seated. Poor Vivian, she can’t be more than what, twelve?

  Though I know I should be following Linn’s advice and going over to offer my condolences to the kids, I can’t seem to stop watching the woman in the black dress with the hourglass figure. She has snagged my attention. Something not easily done.

  “Griffin?” Frank asks, and I can tell from his tone he’s been calling my name a few times.

  “Yes, sorry about that.”

  “It’s all right.” He leans closer. “We need to discuss a few things to do with the will.”

  “Their will?” I raise my brows. “I thought they put everything into trust.”

  “They
did, of course. But they still left instructions for their children. I believe they did this before Charles came of age, but their instructions are still legally binding should you want to accept your position as guardian.”

  I may as well have tripped over a headstone and landed flat on the ground–the level of surprise would be the same. “They named me as guardian?”

  “You’re their trustee as well as Vivian’s legal guardian.”

  “Oh. Yes, I suppose she is still a child.” I’ll have to hire a nanny and–

  “No. She’s 18, but the will makes clear that you are to remain her guardian until she turns 21. The trust documents are set up in a clever fashion that leave the trust in your total discretion until she’s 21, at which time she can make her own decisions. It also requires that she live with you and that you keep her under your wing, so to speak. Apparently, they didn’t think Charles could handle the responsibility of watching out for Vivian, especially since she’s been very sheltered at an all-girls boarding school her entire life.”

  “But they think I can watch out for her?” Didn’t they know me at all? I have zero interest in babysitting their child. My mind is devoted to business, to conquest, to destroying any companies that even think of setting foot on my turf.

  “Ah, here she is now.” Frank steps back.

  “Who?” I ask.

  “Hi. I’m Vivian. You worked with my parents?” The curvy beauty from earlier offers me her hand, her big eyes looking up at me with trust and curiosity.

  I’m powerless. Unable to do anything except take her hand in mine and hope that I can do right by her as her parents intended. Though, the more I look at her angelic face and downright sinful body, I don’t know how long my good intentions will last, if at all.

  2

  VIVIAN

  “Yes, I’ve worked with both of them for many years. I’m sorry for your loss.” His deep voice rolls through my body.

  I tilt my head to stare up into his dark, cold eyes. Throughout the whole funeral, I never saw his face show any other expression except for annoyance when Linn spoke to him. It made me wonder what she said. She’s always been so sweet to me over the years when I spoke with her. Not that it was often.

  I drop my gaze from his when I feel his thumb start to drift across the inside of my wrist. A warm tingle forms there. My body is having a reaction that I don’t understand. I suppose I haven't understood any of the feelings I’ve been having since I spotted him.

  Griffin’s giant hand makes mine look so delicate and tiny with his wrapped around it. I jerk my gaze back up to his handsome face. An unexpected rush of heat swirls in the pit of my stomach, causing my breath to catch.

  All of Griffin's focus is on me now. Through most of the funeral, he could barely pull his attention away from his phone while all my attention had been on him. I had a feeling he was Griffin Friarlane from the moment I spotted him.

  I finally had a face to put with the name. He is nothing like what I was expecting. Sure, he’s cold and brooding. I noticed people were giving him a wide berth. What surprised me was that no one mentioned how handsome he is. I’ve heard him described as ruthless many times. In fact, I’ve heard some rather terrible stories about how cutthroat he could be when it came to business. It often made me question why my parents would want to leave me in his care. Then again, I question a lot of the choices they made in their lives.

  I suppose the upside to someone who is ruthless about money is that they will make sure mine is well taken care of. But I think what has thrown me for a loop is the fact that I have to live with this man. The thought of staying under the same roof as him causes the swirl of heat in my stomach to grow.

  “Thank you,” I finally say when I realize I haven't spoken, the silence having stretched around us. Griffin still has my hand in his. His thumb continues to stroke back and forth.

  “Did you want to go back to your home and go over things?” Frank asks, bringing me back to reality.

  “You’re not going back to her home,” Griffin snaps, surprising me. I take a startled step back but don’t get anywhere. He gives a tug on my hand, pulling me back to where I was. I can feel people start to stare our way. I drop my head forward, letting my hair fall to cover my face, not used to all the attention on me.

  “I didn’t mean it that way,” Frank rushes to say. “She doesn’t know you, and I thought we should—”

  “What is there to really go over?” I ask, cutting in. “I think it’s been made clear I have no choice in any of this.”

  “For now.” Frank nods in agreement. We’d already been over everything a few times now. There’s no reason for us to do it again.

  No one wasted any time with getting things into place. My bedroom has already been partially packed up. Not that there had been a ton to do. I haven’t had enough time to accumulate a lot of things. I’ve only returned to my parents’ house after recently graduating from boarding school. A graduation that my parents had missed because they wanted to climb a stupid mountain. I grab hold of that anger like it’s a life raft. It’s better than sadness. Or that’s what I’m telling myself, at least.

  “For now?” Griffin questions.

  “Charles isn’t too happy about it. He thinks Vivian should be with him.”

  “That’s too bad,” Griffin snaps again, and I wonder if this is the way he speaks normally or if he’s actually getting mad. You’d think he’d be happy to get rid of me. I tug on my hand, trying to get free, but all it does is drag his attention back to it.

  “I need that.” I wiggle my fingers. He lets go, but again annoyance shows on his handsome face. “Is Charles taking over my parents' home?”

  “That will be up to Griffin,” Frank answers.

  “We’ll see,” is all Griffin says with a dismissive shrug.

  I’m worried about Charles. When I was younger, we were closer, but it’s hard to be close to anyone in your family when you’re sent away to school. He looks as though he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. I’m pretty sure he’s drunk today. Actually, I think he has been for the past few days. I know everyone processes grief differently, but I can’t help but think something else is going on.

  “Charles should stay at our house. I should stay with him. It makes sense. So why not?” I suddenly feel very lost. Unsure of where I belong now. I have no control over my life. Not that I had much before, but I thought I was about to. That I was going to get a chance to break free of the hold my parents have had on me for so long. I should have known better than to get my hopes up. Griffin stares at me for a long moment. I fold my arms over my chest and wait. I don’t think he’s used to being questioned.

  “I only just found out that I’m your guardian and trustee. I would like to read over the paperwork.”

  “Then I should wait back at my parents’ home until you’ve done just that.” I raise my chin, trying to seem strong. My hair falls back out of my face. His lips twitch, and I almost think he’s going to smile, but it’s gone as quickly as I thought it was there. He leans down closer to me. My heart starts to pound at his closeness.

  “You’ll do as you’re told. Understood?”

  My head nods on its own. What the heck?

  “Meet us at the house,” he tells Frank before taking me by the elbow.

  “You’re taking me now?” He leads me to a black SUV. A man in a suit gives us a curious look but opens the back door for us.

  I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in a home with a man that wasn’t related to me. That was far from allowed.

  He turns me to face him, his dark gaze eating me up. “You belong to me now, Vivian.”

  3

  GRIFFIN

  She fidgets, her fingers straying to the hem of her dress and smoothing it, then back up to her lap as if she’s making a conscious effort to stop fidgeting. Only a few seconds pass before they’re on the move again.

  I reach over and capture both her hands in one of mine, holding them still as she turns her head sharply
toward me.

  “What are you doing?”

  That’s a good question. What the hell am I doing? I don’t know how to look after another person. Hell, I rely on Linn for more things than I care to admit. Not to mention Mrs. Putnam. She’s the only reason my home remains in order.

  “I’m going to take care of you.” It’s the only thing I can say for sure. Because when I look at Vivian, I have several ideas that veer far, far away from simply taking care of her. I want her in a way I’ve never wanted anyone.

  Even now, I glance at her lips, at the forbidden fruit dangling right in front of me. She’s my business partners’ daughter. She should be off limits, especially now that they’re dead and made the foolish mistake of leaving her in my care. It’s as if they didn’t know me at all. But of course they did. They knew me better than anyone. We’ve been working together for so long that they became something of a … family. Not close, not sharing birthdays or holidays or anything so crass as all that. But we had an understanding of how our business functioned, each of us playing our respective parts.

  “I don’t even know what that means. I’m an adult now. I don’t need anyone to take care of me.” She shakes her head.

  “You’re mistaken.” Once again, I find myself staring at her lips.

  “You can’t just say that.”

  “Hmm?”

  She rolls her eyes. “You can’t just say ‘you’re mistaken’ to someone like that and then offer no explanation.”