Revealed by You Read online

  His large hand curled around my throat, tilting my head back against his chest. His dark blue eyes stared into me and I fell. Deep.

  He leaned down and licked up the side of my neck to my jaw before delving into my mouth. The kiss was hard, slow and demanding. A reminder of who I belonged to. I didn’t need reminding. I knew. I knew from the very first kiss, the first touch. I was his from the very start.

  I opened to him, taking him all the way in as he held me restrained. My body relaxed, turning to mush at the gentle but commanding hold he had on me.

  Every time he touched my throat, my body submitted to him before I could even process what he was doing. To trust that he wouldn’t hurt me and give in completely made my heart flutter but I craved it. Needed it on a whole other level. As each day passed, I learned more and more about myself and him.

  Brett nipped my bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth before licking down the other side of my neck. He inhaled, his hot breath scorching my skin. “I can feel your heart beat,” he husked, grazing his finger back and forth against my pulse point.

  My stomach tumbled and all I could do was stare into his depths.

  He kissed my forehead. “Don’t ever forget who you belong to,” he whispered.

  I shook my head. “Never.”

  Brett grabbed hold of my hand and kissed my ring finger before placing a soft peck on my lips. “I love you,” he breathed against my mouth.

  A light knock on the door sounded. “Boss?”

  Brett opened the door to a pissed off looking Kane. “What’s up?”

  He huffed and ran a hand over his bald head. “A woman is here to see you. I told her you were in a meeting.” His gaze flicked to mine before looking back at Brett. “but she refuses to leave.”

  “Thanks, my man,” Brett grumbled.

  My stomach twisted. A woman? Oh please God, don’t let be another one like Claire.

  Kane nodded once and left us alone.

  Brett kissed my forehead. “Go grab a drink but only one. I need you sober for what I plan on doing to you later,” he said, before landing a light swat on my ass.

  I yelped, the tender flesh of my rear heating against the sting of his hand.

  He winked. “Sensitive, lover?”

  I shook my head and headed to the bar, the sound of his deep chuckle following me down the hallway.

  Pulling my dress down as far as possible, my cheeks heated when I came into view of the customers and staff milling about. Jake Chan nodded at me from the bar and Tatiana Sweet winked as she walked by me. She usually smacked my ass in fun but her hands were filled with a drink tray and thank God for that.

  Each step I took, the material of my clothing brushed against the sensitive skin. Did I have marks? Bruises? Welts even? The salve Brett had put on me earlier made the stinging go away some but it didn’t help completely.

  My stomach fluttered. What was I even thinking in asking him to spank me with his belt? Was it in the heat of the moment? Is that why I wanted it?

  Once reaching the bar, I slid onto the stool and bit back a gasp. Images of not too long ago and what Brett and I did, invaded my mind. My heart thudded. Brett was right. Every time I moved, I thought of him.

  “Hey Evvie.”

  I turned to Anna coming up beside me. “Hi.”

  She smiled. “Everything good between you and Brett?”

  I nodded and looked down at my hands. The gold band flashed in the dim lighting. My heart flipped. A promise ring. After everything that had happened in the last hour or so, everything was very good. I couldn’t believe how much things had changed in the past couple of weeks.

  “Evvie?”

  “Hmm?” I looked up at Anna smiling.

  Her grin widened. “Distracted?”

  My cheeks heated. “You could say that.”

  She laughed and then her smile faltered, her gaze landing on my left hand. “I like the ring.”

  “Thank you.” I didn’t know why but I felt kind of guilty, like I was waving it in her face that Brett was definitely no longer available.

  My gaze caught sight of my oldest brother, Evan, approaching the bar. I gave a little wave and motioned for him to join us.

  He smiled and then his face paled when his blue eyes landed on Anna.

  I frowned and looked back at her. “Anna?”

  She stopped twirling the olive in her vodka martini and met my gaze. “Wha…” Her eyes went cold as Evan closed the distance between us.

  “Hello Anna,” he grumbled, his eyes darkening. He shoved a hand through his short blonde hair, his stance hard and tense.

  “Hi.” She looked away, her back stiffening.

  “Do you know each other?” I asked, frowning.

  Anna scoffed. “No.”

  Confusion coursed through me. “Then what—”

  “That’s not my fault, baby,” Evan sneered.

  Okay, this was weird. “Evan…”

  “I’ll see you later, sis.” He stormed off and headed towards Brett that I now noticed was standing against the wall.

  My skin hummed, the flesh of my ass tingling as memories poured in over what we did just a moment ago.

  Brett winked at me.

  I blew him a kiss.

  He captured it and cupped himself over his pants.

  I coughed, choking back a gasp and laughed. Shaking my head, I turned back to Anna.

  Her eyes flashed before she looked away.

  Clearing my throat, my stomach clenched as guilt settled deep inside of me. I wasn’t trying to rub what Brett and I had in her face. God, what was wrong with me? “I’m sorry.”

  She let out a deep breath. “It’s fine.” A small smile splayed on her face.

  “What’s going on with Evan?” I asked softly, remembering what Brett had said about her needing a friend.

  Her cheeks reddened. “Um…”

  “You slept with him, didn’t you?” I mentally smacked myself. Way to be gentle, Evvie.

  Anna sighed. “Yeah and now his ego is bruised because I left in the morning.”

  As much as I tried not to like Anna, it wasn’t happening. She wasn’t Claire. She was genuine and I could tell that she honestly felt bad for being in love with my boyfriend. You couldn’t control your feelings though. I knew that first hand. Maybe her being with my brother wouldn’t be a bad thing after all. If Evan could get his head out of his ass and stop being a douche.

  “Well…” I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye and found Brett coming towards me. My body tingled, the small hairs on my skin standing on edge as he closed the distance between us. It was like I was set on a Brett MacLean radar. I was like a light bulb. Every time he was near, my body turned on.

  “I’m going to head out.” Anna placed her hand on my arm. “And Evvie?”

  I looked up at her.

  Her eyes warmed. “I know you don’t trust me but I promise you, I would never do anything to hurt you or Brett. Especially not now. No matter what anyone says, you both deserve to be happy.”

  I frowned and opened my mouth to respond when she walked away. Confusion coursed through me. Well that was odd.

  “Hey, lover.”

  I smiled as a soft peck was placed on my neck. Inhaling deep, the scent of leather and man mixed with a hint of sex, invaded my nostrils. Although my body was sore, it tingled, ready for his attention. “Hi—”

  “What the fuck—” Brett shot to his feet.

  “Brett?” I placed a hand on his arm.

  He cleared his throat, his jaw tensing.

  I followed his gaze as a tall brunette glanced our way. Her blue eyes raked down Brett and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was checking him out.

  “Who is she?” I asked, my stomach clenching.

  He looked down at me and grabbed my hand. “Come with me.”

  I frowned but followed him back to his office. “What’s wrong?” I asked after he closed the door behind me.

  He scrubbed a hand down his face, h
is big body as tense as an elastic band ready to snap. He started pacing back and forth in front of me.

  I walked up to him and placed my hands on his chest, stopping him. “Talk to—”

  A soft knock sounded on the door before it slowly opened, revealing the woman from the bar. She was an older lady with wrinkles lining her face in a hard way. She looked like she had been to hell and back but her eyes…they were so blue, they were captivating.

  My heart sunk. I had seen those eyes before. I looked up at Brett. “What’s going on?”

  His jaw clenched. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  The woman sneered. “Now is that any way to speak to your mother?”

  I gasped. My stomach tumbled as shock tore through me.

  “My mother is dead,” he bit out.

  The tension rolled off of him in waves, leaving me breathless. What the hell was going on?

  The woman took a step towards me and held out her hand. “I’m Diane MacLean. Brett’s real mother.”

  SIX

  Holy. Shit.

  Brett grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him. “Don’t you dare fucking touch her. Get out. Now.”

  Diane bristled but held her stance. “I want to talk.”

  “No!” he yelled. “Leave me the fuck alone. You’re dead to me.”

  The woman crossed her arms under her chest and tilted her chin. “You will talk to me. You’ll have no choice, little boy. There are some things you should know. About Claire.”

  “I don’t care.” His voice was calm, even and that made me more nervous than if he were to continue yelling and screaming at her. “I don’t care what either of you have to say. Get. The. Fuck. Out.”

  The woman smirked. “You are definitely my kid.” At the moment, she turned and left, slamming the door shut behind her.

  A breath left me on a whoosh and I quickly locked the door before turning back to Brett.

  He shook his head. “Fuck me. Shit…I…Evvie.”

  Our whole relationship flashed before my eyes as I saw Brett crumple to the floor. I closed the distance between us and wrapped my body around his, holding him. Comforting him as best I could.

  “God, I…I can’t deal. I can’t.” He shook against me, gripping, pulling at my clothes like he was trying to get under my skin. “Let me touch you. Please. I can’t…fuck.”

  The tremors that wracked through his big body made my throat tighten. That woman. She did this. She made him and then destroyed him. Took a gift that God had given her and crushed it in her hands.

  “Shhh…I’m here.” I didn’t know what else to do, I didn’t know what to say. So I just mumbled over and over again that I wouldn’t leave him. That I was there for him.

  He had told me his real mother had died. I didn’t know why he had lied to me about it but at that moment I didn’t care. He obviously had his reasons.

  The look in his eyes when he saw her came into my mind as the realization hit me. He was terrified. Of her.

  His hold on me tightened to the point of painful. “I thought I was over it. I didn’t think seeing her again would affect me this way,” His voice was thick. No matter how big or strong a person is, seeing someone that hurt you so deeply could bring anyone to their knees. I realized that when Brett broke against me. My heart pounded in my ears. I wanted a piece of her. The woman that made my strong boyfriend, the dominating Brett MacLean surrender all control. It made me want to rip her face off. That evil sneer. She knew she had gotten to him and it made me sick to my stomach.

  Leaning back, I cupped his face in my hands and bit back a sob when our gazes met.

  His jaw clenched but the bright look of fear in his eyes was proof that he had built up a wall around himself, around his emotions. Protecting monsters like his mother from barging in.

  That’s why he would never let me go. He let me in and I was stuck. Permanently and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  He took deep breaths and looked away, his cheeks flushed. “I hate that woman. It’s so strong. I have nightmares about killing her.”

  I bit back a gasp, my heart racing against my rib cage.

  “After my father divorced her, he had her charged.” Brett took another breath. “She plead insanity, saying God wanted her to punish me for my sins.”

  My throat burned, nausea settling in my stomach at what he was telling me. He was just a boy. A child. Her baby and she did this to him.

  “Have you talked to anyone?” I croaked.

  “No, not until you,” he mumbled. His hands grazed under my dress, caressing my lower back as he leaned his head against my shoulder. “I can’t deal, Evvie.”

  Tears threatened to escape my eyes. My big strong boyfriend was breaking before me and I had no idea how to fix it.

  “I’m so sorry,” I whispered. I was sorry. For not knowing how to fix things and for not helping him as a child. I knew that was silly but the need to protect him was so strong, I couldn’t control it. I couldn’t save him as a boy, but I would save him as a man.

  “I’m sorry for lying to you,” he said, his voice muffled by my shoulder.

  My fingers grazed over his nape brushing through the short brown hair. “I’m sorry you felt you had to.”

  He lifted his head, his gaze warming. “I don’t deserve you, at all but I love you and I thank God every day for giving me you. My angel.”

  My heart stuttered, my vision blurring. I swallowed past the hard lump that burned my throat. “I…I wish I could take away your pain.”

  He kissed my ring finger, placing soft pecks on the gold band before leaning his forehead against mine. “I miss…” his breath hitched. “I miss my dad. He would…he would know what to do. How to fix this.”

  At that point I lost it. All of the emotions I had felt over the past couple of months crashed into me, overwhelming my sense of control. Losing my mom years before. My dad having a heart attack only a couple of weeks ago. Tears flowed down my cheeks. I held him, with everything in me. I tried giving him the strength that I knew he needed. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Please. I…I can’t.” He swallowed several times before clearing his throat. “Just let me touch you. I need to feel your skin against mine.” His hands roamed higher under my dress. His tense shoulders relaxed, like he was physically pulling the strength from my body.

  I placed a soft peck on his mouth. “I love you. I’m here for you. No matter what. You can always trust in that,” I said in between kisses.

  “Don’t leave me. Ever.” His hands roamed over my lower body, pulling me tight against him. “My mother may have hurt me, fucked me up, but you...” his eyes darkened. “you could destroy me.”

  I shook my head, ignoring the thud of my heart. “Won’t happen. You’re stuck with me.” I lifted my hand indicating my ring. “This is proof.”

  “Good. You’re mine. I’m stuck in you, lover. Forever,” he said, his voice firm.

  My heart raced. “You…you want that? This?” I motioned between us. “Forever?” He had said it only a while ago but I needed to hear it again. I needed to know that this wasn’t short term. That this was meant to be. Real.

  He nodded. “I need it. I need you. I need this.”

  A flutter soared through my belly. “What are we going to do about your mom?” I hated to ask but we needed to prepare him for the onslaught of what was to come.

  He breathed a heavy sigh. “I’ll deal with it.”

  “Brett…”

  His gaze hardened. “I said, I’ll deal with it.”

  My stomach clenched. I had a feeling that there was more to her impromptu visit. She wanted something. And if it had to do with Claire... Whatever it was, would probably change our lives forever.

  ***

  After getting home from the club, Brett acted different, which, in fact, was understandable given who he had run into. His mother. His flesh and blood evil mother. I couldn’t believe it. I understood why he had lied to me. Yes, it hurt that he felt he needed to, but I realized that
it was during a time when our relationship was so new. Fresh. Now, I prayed that he would tell me anything.

  I wrapped the blanket around me, trying to sleep but all I could think about was him. The look of terror as his mother forced her way back into his life. What did she want? It was something to do with Claire but neither of us knew. Brett wouldn’t talk about it. He had only told me so much about his childhood but he needed to talk to someone. A professional. I sighed. Only being with him for a couple of months, did that really give me a right to tell him what to do?

  A part of me felt helpless, like no matter what I did, it wouldn’t be enough. I wanted to help him but I couldn’t figure out how.

  I looked at Brett lying beside me.

  His brow was furrowed, his handsome face strained like he was in pain. Small groans escaped his lips.

  Oh God. He was having a nightmare. “Brett,” I said, lightly touching his shoulder.

  He moaned, moving his head back and forth.

  “Brett,” I repeated, my voice firm as I cupped his cheek.

  He jumped and suddenly, I was pinned under him. I gasped and looked up into his deep blue eyes that were cloudy from sleep that soon turned dark with lust. “Brett?” I cupped his face, my heart racing.

  His mouth crashed to mine, his hands roaming up my body, squeezing and massaging as they went. They were rough, needy, like they were trying to get under my skin. His thumbs brushed over my nipples, cupping my breasts in his hands as he took a hard peak in his mouth.

  I moaned, throwing my head back at the rough impact.

  The stubble of his cheeks scratched my skin as he licked his way back up to my mouth. Shoving his tongue between my lips, he sucked and pulled, devouring me.

  His rock hard erection brushed against my inner thigh.

  What was he dreaming about that got him so worked up? I tried to rationalize why he needed me so bad but my mind soared. As he continued to run his hands over my body, my emotions fizzled out and I just felt. The pull in my belly and the desire for this man curled deep inside of me. He needed me. I didn’t know how I knew it but something tugged at my soul.