His Ward Read online

  It was a shame. She found the scar made him interesting, giving him way more character than the dollar signs in his eyes ever did.

  Also, there was a darkness that swirled around him.

  “You doing your homework?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” She hadn’t touched her schoolwork since coming here. She had more fascinating things to do, like explore his home and watch him.

  Schoolwork paled in comparison.

  Chapter Two

  Taking care of a teenager wasn’t that hard to do. Luca smirked as he sat down at the dinner table after two weeks of living together. Not that he knew all that much about her. Far from it.

  Mavis never spoke to him unless he started the conversation, and then she rarely gave him more than one-word answers.

  Sitting back in his chair, he checked the time and gritted his teeth. He didn’t want to wait for her to start his dinner, but he was getting tired of her lack of timekeeping.

  He was about to go and shout for her when she entered the room.

  She was wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt that looked like it belonged on a boyfriend, and he wasn’t pleased at all.

  In fact, he felt a little spark of jealousy that she may have a boyfriend and that was why she was playing with her cell phone when she first entered the room.

  “Put that device away,” he said.

  She slipped it into her pocket, and he watched as she took a seat.

  Again, no words.

  He loved hearing her speak, and yet he rarely got the chance to hear actual words.

  She sat opposite him, her long, raven hair tied back at the nape.

  He’d left his hair to fall all around his face.

  Some of his hair had fallen across his scar. He didn’t know if he did this on purpose or if it just came naturally.

  The soup in front of them was delicious, one of Susan’s favorites to make for him. It was getting colder now. Each passing day he felt it as he tended his garden.

  It still made him smile to think of himself doing anything with a garden, yet he enjoyed it. The beast within him that wanted to go back into his world and make those sons of bitches pay was always soothed by the garden.

  Mavis picked up her spoon and began to eat.

  He noticed her fingers tapping against the edge of the table. No sound came from the action she was doing it that lightly, but he found himself drawn to it.

  They were small fingers, no nails as they’d been bitten down.

  He didn’t want to have another meal in silence.

  This woman—no, girl, no, woman, whatever the hell she was—would be in his life for a considerable time now. She got full access to her trust fund at twenty-one. He knew how the world worked, and he’d make sure she was always set for life.

  “I want to ask you a few questions,” he said.

  “Okay.”

  That was the response he always got.

  Okay. No more elaborate words, just “okay.”

  He was starting to really fucking hate that word. Even as a teenager he had more to fucking say than “okay.”

  She looked up at him. Her eyes were big and blue, and fuck, he loved looking into them.

  He was going straight to hell for the things he imagined doing to this woman.

  No! He had to remember she was still a girl.

  Eighteen didn’t make her a woman.

  She tilted her head to the side. “Are you in pain?” she asked.

  It was the first time she’d said more than a word to him. He’d take it.

  “No.”

  “You look it.”

  She sipped at more of her soup. She rested the spoon against her lips and watched him. Why was he getting all these fucking feelings from a girl he didn’t even know?

  Pushing those thoughts aside, he got back on track with his question, the one he’d been trying to find an answer to.

  “How come you were in boarding school?”

  “To learn.”

  “No, I knew Ryan. He wouldn’t have sent you to boarding school. He was always on about keeping his kids close and that kind of shit. Now, why were you in boarding school? Do you have a record? Were you bad? What?”

  She smiled.

  “Look, kid, I’m curious.”

  “I’m not a child,” she said.

  Her voice was so soft. He felt an answer running straight to his balls.

  “Whatever, just answer the question.”

  “I was in boarding school because I wasn’t the pretty little girl that my parents wanted.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You knew my parents. They wanted to project a certain image, and I failed to meet requirements. I’m sure they’d have traded me in for a much better model if they’d not had the press over them.”

  “Ryan wouldn’t have done that.”

  “You hadn’t spoken to my dad in a long time. What makes you think you even knew him anymore?”

  “I knew him, okay? I knew what he was like.”

  “They always argued about you,” she said. “Always. Mom would call you all these different names, and Dad would always defend you. He’d say you had your reasons. Why did you fall out?”

  “I had my opinion on stuff they were doing and their relationship.”

  “Oh, you mean they were seeing other people.”

  “Excuse me?” he said.

  “They were married but fucking other people.”

  “How do you know this?” He wouldn’t think about how good it was to hear her say the word “fucking.” Damn, it shouldn’t sound so good. Nor should it tempt him to want her to say other words.

  Words that would make his cock even harder than it already was and that would make him a fucking pervert.

  “Because I saw them.”

  “Your parents?”

  She smirked. “Whenever I was at home, they didn’t try to hide it. They both loved to fuck the help, and they seemed to get off on catching each other in the act.” She gave a shrug.

  “They’d do this in front of you?”

  “No, not really. I’d walk around the house, and they’d end up being wherever I walked through. The pool. The library. Dad’s office. The dining room. The kitchen. Wherever the need took them, they’d do it. Are you a bit of a prude, Luca?”

  “They shouldn’t have been doing it in front of a child.”

  “I’m not a child. Besides, it’s not like I’m oblivious to it.”

  “You’re telling me you’re not a virgin?” he asked. Where had they gotten to talking about sex and virgins and all that shit?

  He was pissed off that he’d been lured into this conversation.

  You’re the one that started it, jackass.

  “Yeah, I’m still a virgin. Why? You ever been with a virgin, Luca?”

  “What the hell?” he asked.

  She shook her head, and he saw a smile dancing across her lips. She continued to eat her soup.

  He didn’t know what else to say.

  “How is schoolwork going?” he asked.

  “Fine.”

  “I’m arranging a tutor for you.”

  “Okay.”

  “I got an email from the school today. You’ve not handed in any work.”

  She stared at him without saying a word.

  “When you finish the work, you’re supposed to submit it. If you’re doing it in one of those books like we did when I was a kid, let me know and I’ll get it mailed to them. They’re wanting it by the end of the week.”

  She nodded.

  He wanted her to speak.

  “Is there anything you’d like?”

  She shook her head.

  He gritted his teeth but went back to eating his soup. Every now and then, he’d see her push some hair behind her ear.

  The action seemed to draw him to her, and it was driving him crazy.

  This wasn’t good.

  He needed to go and get laid or do something because sitting watching her wasn’t helping him.

&nb
sp; In fact, it was starting to fuck with his head.

  She finished her soup and reached over to take the bowls. He let her go, watching her ass as she walked away from him.

  Get your head and thoughts away from her ass.

  She’s fucking eighteen.

  Not yours to touch.

  Not yours to do anything with.

  Just ignore it.

  Not yours at all!

  Getting to his feet, he made his way into his office. Pouring himself a good shot of strong whiskey, he took a generous sip as he stared out of his office window that overlooked his gardens.

  When he’d come to this ranch so many years ago, it had been derelict. No cattle remained, and the house was in disarray and decay due to years of neglect. He’d taken it from nothing and made it something. This was what he’d done.

  This home was his entire life.

  It gave him a sanctuary away from that world that had sucked him in and spat him out when he no longer looked the part.

  Mavis going to boarding school wouldn’t have been Ryan’s fault. Her mother wouldn’t have liked her. He remembered that gold-digging bitch from their high school days. There had been many times he’d wanted to throttle the whore, but he wasn’t going to get that chance. At least he could give Mavis a good life away from all that bullshit.

  That was what he was going to do.

  ****

  Mavis flicked over the page in the book that she wasn’t reading. Another week of silent dinners had gone by. She liked that he wanted to talk to her.

  Most of the time his questions didn’t really require much in the way of talking. Besides, she loved hearing him speak. He had one of those soothing voices that always calmed her.

  Still, three weeks had gone by, and she wondered if the school had been back in touch. She’d not done any of her work. When she was on the internet, she either watched videos of cute dogs or cats, or porn.

  It was nice not having a restriction anymore.

  She could watch as much dirty fucking as she wanted to.

  Maybe she needed to see a therapist.

  Not because of her parents dying on her or the fact she still hadn’t cried or even cared. It wasn’t like she saw them all that much in the past few years. No, it was the fascination of watching a cock slide into a pussy.

  The porn wasn’t even that good. The women were always moaning and grunting, yet they were always bone dry.

  How could that even be enjoyable?

  It wasn’t the sex at times, it was the aftermath. Cleaning up the white cum that had either been shoved into her mouth, pussy, or ass. Mavis didn’t even know why she was fascinated by it.

  Still, at times, she found it boring.

  Then of course, all it would take to get her all excited was to think of her new guardian. The man supposed to take care of her. She wondered what he’d think if he knew at night, she’d touch herself, thinking about him. How she’d slide her finger between her slit, feeling how wet she was, imagining his fingers or tongue dancing across her skin.

  She’d stopped wearing a nightshirt, opting to go to bed naked so that she could spread her legs and touch herself.

  “Mavis!”

  Her name echoed through the house, and she put the book down.

  Luca didn’t sound happy. In fact, he sounded really fucking furious with her.

  Leaving the library, she made her way to the top of the stairs as he yelled her name again. Staring down at him where he stood at the bottom of the stairs, his face red, she liked seeing him like this.

  The anger.

  The annoyance.

  Even a flash of disappointment.

  “I’m here,” she said.

  He turned toward the stairs and started up toward her.

  Her heart sped up, and her pulse jumped. She felt an answering tingle between her thighs as he came closer.

  “Do you want to fucking explain to me why you’ve been telling me one thing and doing another?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Don’t play coy with me, Mavis. You’ve not done a single piece of schoolwork. In fact, the school hasn’t heard from you. They’ve been showing you some consideration since your parents died, but they’re growing tired of this fucking bullshit.”

  She couldn’t help but wince.

  She didn’t care what the school had been showing her. It was how angry Luca sounded and her body’s response to it.

  Just another thing to add to the long list of problems as to why she felt weird. Why she always felt so distant from everything.

  “You’ve got nothing to say?”

  “No.”

  “No? That’s it? Why have you lied to me?”

  “I didn’t want to do it, and it’s not like you are around anyway to watch me. I’ve done all the crap they want me to do. I’m bored of it.”

  “So because you’re bored that’s it? You’re just going to quit?”

  “Do you really care?” she asked.

  “This is your education.”

  “So?”

  “So. You’re not going to do anything to make your parents proud of you? To accomplish anything?”

  “They didn’t give a shit about me when they were alive. Why should I care about what they think now that they’re fucking dead?”

  Before she knew what was happening, he had her arm and was pulling her back into the library.

  “Let go!”

  “No. Your parents loved you.”

  “News flash, Luca, you never knew them. They sent me off to boarding school so they didn’t have to fucking look at me anymore. That’s what they did.” She gasped as he sat down and pulled her over his lap.

  Before she even realized what was happening, he’d landed three hard smacks on her butt. They didn’t hurt as she was wearing jeans, but the heat from his touch, from his scolding, went straight to her pussy.

  She’d never been spanked before.

  Never been told she was naughty.

  As he landed another smack to her ass, she gripped the fabric of his pants, holding on. One of his hands banded across her back, gripping her side.

  She wondered if he realized he was holding her tit.

  That his fingers were on either side of her nipple and if he was to slide them closed, he’d be caressing her?

  He was scolding her, spanking her, and she was thinking about how close he was to actually cupping her breast.

  See, something was seriously wrong with her.

  He slapped her ass a couple more times.

  None of them would leave a mark.

  She wished she hadn’t worn jeans.

  When he was done, he dropped her to the floor and she knelt before him, hands on his knees, waiting.

  “You will do your damn schoolwork. Your parents may not have cared, but I fucking do. Do you understand me?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  He’d cupped her face so she had no choice but to look at him.

  It was so hard to stay focused on his eyes when all she wanted to do was drop down to look at his lips.

  This was the first-ever spanking she’d gotten.

  Staring into his green eyes, she saw that he cared.

  She wondered if his hand hurt from where he touched her ass.

  Was there a little burn from the jeans?

  Her pussy was so wet.

  The punishment hadn’t stopped her from wanting him.

  His thumb slid across her lips.

  “I need an answer,” he said.

  What would he do if she licked his thumb?

  These feelings she had were not normal for a guardian. He was supposed to be taking care of her.

  She gripped his thighs a little tighter.

  Did he like her?

  Did he want her?

  “I understand.” She licked her lips, and he pulled his thumb away.

  His gaze remained on hers, and a second later, he looked at her lips, which she bit.

  He released her and stood u
p. As he did so, she looked at his crotch and saw that he was indeed hard.

  She didn’t reach out to touch him.

  No.

  That wouldn’t be right.

  Sitting back on her heels, she felt her cheeks heat.

  Luca wasn’t oblivious to her.

  Or at least he liked spanking her ass.

  She rather liked his touch.

  “Grab your work. Meet me in the dining room in five minutes.” He left the room, and she ran a hand over her ass.

  Going to the only bathroom with a mirror, she dropped her jeans and panties and saw she’d been right. There was no handprint on her, which sucked. She wanted him to leave a lasting mark.

  Oh, well. There would come a time that he would. That he wouldn’t be able to help himself.

  Jeans were going to be a thing of the past.

  You’re crazy.

  Why would you want him to smack your ass?

  It wasn’t the smacking of her ass that she wanted, but the feel of his arms wrapped around her. The way he held her as he brought his hand down on her butt. She liked that. She liked touching him. Pulling her panties up, she let out a little moan as she felt them rub against her pussy.

  She had every reason possible to not try to get him to fuck her.

  He was her guardian.

  She was his ward.

  They were not related by blood. Her dad was nothing more than his best friend. Yet it felt forbidden.

  He was old enough to be her father, but Luca didn’t remind her of her actual father.

  No, far from it.

  Pushing her hair out of her face, she bit her lip and wondered what it would be like to have Luca belong completely to her. There were no other women in the house, and in the three weeks she’d been with him, no one had visited him.

  He was a true recluse, and she liked that.

  Other than Susan the cook and a couple of cleaners, she’d not seen anyone else. They were all alone in the middle of nowhere.

  No one to come and judge them.

  Staring at her reflection, she wondered if he was even interested or if he’d gotten off on spanking her?

  Either way, she liked his hands on her and she’d get that any way she could.

  Chapter Three

  Luca was losing his mind.

  He had to be. Either that or Mavis’s shirts were getting smaller. She wore a wraparound skirt that tied at the hip, and the shirt she wore had a plunging neck. The bra she wore pushed her tits together, showing off her ample cleavage. Not only that, whenever she leaned forward or bent over, he could see right down her shirt.