Revealed by You

by Jo-Anna Walker

  He winked and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. “We’re here.” he said.

  I turned and looked out the window. My eyes widened. A large white building stood before us, sporting Rouge L’amour, on a sign in red neon letters.

  “Is this...yours?” I asked Brett in awe.

  He grinned. “It’s actually ours.”

  “Really?” I gaped at him. Ours?

  “I was serious about wanting to spend the rest of my life with you, Evvie.” He brushed his knuckles down my cheek before pinching my chin.

  My heart stuttered at his words. “I can’t believe you opened another club and in Mexico of all places.”

  “This place is booming. The tourists rolling in constantly will make us a killing.”

  The way he said us made my heart skip a beat. There was no way that I could accept this though. How could I pay him back? “Why do you do it?” He clearly didn’t need the money. It’s not like he was poor or anything.

  He rubbed his strong fingers along his jaw and thought a moment.

  “I’m sorry. That was rude—”

  “No. It wasn’t. I honestly don’t care about the money. I get a thrill out of making people happy.” His eyes twinkled. “To have people spend time in my clubs is almost as satisfying as you having an orgasm. That’s how much I like being in control.”

  My body hummed. I would never get used to his constant references to sex. I watched him as he looked out the window, glancing around us. His body was relaxed as he let out a deep breath.

  He looked back at me. “What?”

  My cheeks heated at being caught staring. “I’m proud of you.”

  His eyebrow rose. “You’re proud of me?”

  I nodded and grabbed his hand. “You’re so young and look at what you have accomplished.”

  He grinned and cupped the back of my neck. “You haven’t seen anything yet, my sweet Evvie.” He brushed his mouth along mine. “When you marry me, that will be my biggest accomplishment ever and all of this, every single one of my clubs, will be yours.”

  A breath escaped me on a whoosh. Just the thought of marrying him, left me speechless. “Brett, I can’t pay you back for all of this.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You don’t have to. Work with me and we’ll help it grow. This is ours.”

  My heart thumped. Chewing my bottom lip, I looked around us. The sun had set so the lights of the city were glowing in full force. Almost looked like a mini Las Vegas. This was mine. This club. Mine. I looked back at Brett.

  His face was passive like he was waiting for me to freak out. To run and scream into the high heavens saying that my boyfriend was crazy. Maybe he was. Maybe I was the crazy one for falling for it. But I would be there for him. No matter how crazy we got, we would be together.

  His eyes twinkled. This man. Mine.

  Brett cleared his throat. “Let’s go before I can’t control myself any longer.”

  I laughed and watched as he left the car and walked around to my side, opening the door for me.

  Placing my hand in his, I let him pull me out of the vehicle.

  His arm slid around my shoulders. “One request. I want you by my side. At all times. We’re both in this together. Not 50/50 but 100/100.”

  I nodded.

  “By my side, Evvie,” he said, kissing my forehead.

  People milled about, mostly tourists from all over the world. News media stood outside the club, waiting to speak to someone when I heard his name being called.

  “Brett MacLean, how does it feel being one of the youngest club owners in Mexico?”

  “Are you planning on opening clubs in other countries?”

  “Anymore clubs being opened in Mexico?”

  “Brett, who’s the beautiful lady with you?”

  Brett grabbed my hand and pulled me beside him as he answered the rapid fire questions that were thrown his way. I knew his club in the U.S. was pretty popular but never like this. Of course, I wasn’t there on opening night so I didn’t know how that went but I couldn’t imagine it was anything like this. Hundreds of people stood outside the club, waiting to be let in. Mathis had taught him well.

  “How are you doing, lover?”

  I smiled up at Brett and gripped his arm. “This is amazing. Mexico loves you.”

  He grunted. “As long as you love me, I don’t care about anyone else.”

  My heart swelled. “I do. More than anything.”

  He kissed my forehead, inhaling deep before stepping back. “Remember, I want you by my side. This is all yours, too.”

  My heart raced as I took in the vast expanse before us. My stomach clenched when a thought crossed my mind. I couldn’t ask him now as he mingled, answered questions, showed people around but I would have to ask him later.

  “Miss.”

  I turned to a small woman standing beside a cameraman.

  She smiled. “Would you mind if I asked you a couple of questions?”

  “Um...I…” I looked around and caught Brett’s gaze. He smiled, noticing the news woman standing before me and nodded. My anxious nerves eased and I turned back to the woman. “Okay.”

  “Thank you. Ignore the camera and focus on me.” She patted my arm. “You’ll do fine.”

  I took a breath. Easy for her to say.

  “Mary Foster reporting from Cancun, Mexico at the new highly anticipated club, Rouge L’amour. I’m standing here with...” She looked at me.

  “Evvie Neal,” I said into the microphone.

  She smiled. “Evvie Neal. Is this your first time here, Evvie?”

  I nodded.

  “And you are the girlfriend, wife....of the owner?”

  “Girlfriend.”

  She winked. “I can tell by that huge smile on your face that you are deeply in love with him too.”

  I laughed, the back of my neck heating. “Is it that obvious?”

  “It’s all good, but I do have to say, God, you sure are beautiful.”

  “Yes, she is.” Heavy arms wrapped around me and a light kiss was placed on my neck.

  I smiled up at Brett.

  “Speaking of the owner. Brett MacLean, it’s so nice to finally meet you.”

  “Evvie is the owner, as well. The club is ours,” Brett explained, holding me tight beside him.

  I had completely forgotten about that. In my whole life, I never owned anything bigger than a car.

  Mary’s smiled widened. “Well that changes things. A partnership that’s going to explode into 2014.”

  “In more ways than one, Mary,” Brett said, caressing the small of my back.

  Mary winked and looked between us both. “Your girlfriend is so sweet.” She asked us several other questions, including me in the interview as much as Brett.

  She ended the interview and shook both our hands. “You are the new couple of the year. If I have it my way, I will make it possible.”

  Brett and I laughed but by the serious look on her face, I had a feeling that she wasn’t joking.

  “Stay and have a drink. Anything you want, it’s on the house,” Brett said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

  Mary smiled. “Rick, baby, it’s party time.”

  The cameraman, Rick, shook his head and took the microphone from her. “Lead the way.”

  “How was your first official interview, lover?” Brett asked, cupping my chin.

  “It was good. Mary is funny and nice. I wasn’t too nervous,” I said, looking up at him.

  “Get used to it, Evvie.” He placed a soft peck on my mouth.

  Camera flashes went off but all I could focus on was Brett’s soft lips against mine. He released me a moment later. “Let’s get a drink.”

  “Will this interview be on TV back home?” I asked as we walked hand in hand to the bar.

  “It should be but if not, I’ll find it online for us to watch.”

  We sat at the bar and while Brett spoke with his or our staff, I guess it was, I ordered a beer.

  “What’s wrong?�
��

  I ran a finger around the rim of the brown bottle and shrugged.

  “Talk to me, Evvie,” Brett said, grabbing my hand.

  I sighed. “How am I going to pay you back for all of this?” I asked, motioning to the large expanse before us.

  Brett frowned. “I told you that I don’t want you to pay me back, Evvie. We’re in this together.”

  “But…what about a…”

  “What?”

  I took a breath and braced myself. “What about a prenuptial agreement?”

  Several emotions flashed on his face before he cupped the back of my neck. “If I was worried about you taking my money, we wouldn’t be sitting here.” His eyes softened. “I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. What’s mine is yours.”

  “Then how come you don’t believe me when I tell you the exact same thing?” I blurted and regretted it a moment later when he pulled back.

  He didn’t respond.

  I bit my cheek to keep from lashing out when a hand curled in mine. I looked down at our entwined fingers. The gold band that I had become so used to wearing, flashed in the dim lighting of the room. Brushing my thumb over it, I sighed.

  “Say the word and you don’t have to be any part of this. I’ll remove your name from everything that has to do with owning the club.” He pinched my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “I want you happy. What do you want?”

  I chewed my bottom lip and searched his face. We had come so far in a short amount of time. I had only known him for six months but felt like it was a lifetime. He was my one. My only. My soul mate. What he wanted, I wanted. “I want this.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I nodded. “I want to do this with you. I want to be by your side every step of the way.”

  His warm mouth captured mine in a soft but demanding kiss. “Thank you.”

  “No, thank you. This is all a little overwhelming but I couldn’t ask for a better business partner.”

  He kissed my forehead. “I’ll teach you the ropes, my sweet Evvie.”

  I smiled as he released me and took a sip of my beer.

  “Two drinks and no more, lover,” Brett whispered in my ear. “I want your body sober for when I take my pleasure from it later.”

  “Hmm...what about my pleasure?” I teased.

  He kissed my bare shoulder. “I can guarantee that you will be screaming from more than just pleasure in a couple of hours.”

  My throat went dry at what he was suggesting. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, pure, raw, hot, ecstasy as I dive deep inside of your body.”

  Oh dear God.

  He laughed and kissed my cheek.

  I shook my head and smiled. This new playful side of him was something that I could get used to. Knowing it was just revealed for me and only me, made a surge of desire spread through my body. As each day passed, little bits were revealed from us both. We became more comfortable with each other and as much as I missed home, I didn’t want this time with Brett to end.

  ***

  “Lover, what’s wrong?” Brett asked me, brushing a hand down my arm.

  I stared out the window of the plane the next day and sighed. “I don’t want to leave.”

  He kissed my head. “I know.”

  I still couldn’t believe that I was part owner of a club. “You’ll go back to being busy with the club and I’ll go back to working behind the bar.” I couldn’t help it but a deep depression was threatening to settle in and I was having difficulty fighting it.

  “Mathis will be having me travel more in the next couple of months. I want you to come with me and we can come back to Mexico anytime you want...partner.”

  I smiled. Partner. I liked the sound of that but then my stomach clenched. “I can’t pay my bills if I’m not working though.”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  I shook my head. “I appreciate that but there’s no way I’m living off of you.”

  “You wouldn’t be.” Brett thought a moment. “You can be my secretary. I’ll pay you. I’m sure Mathis would be fine with it. I’ll get him to pay you if you think it’s too weird but sleeping with the boss would be getting you some extra benefits.”

  I laughed and snuggled into his side, the heaviness in my heart lifting. I watched as the plane taxied down the runway before we lifted into the air. “I just know what we’re going home to.”

  “You have nothing to worry about. Anna and Claire—”

  “It’s not just them, Brett.” I turned to him and cupped his face. “There’s also your mom.”

  His gaze hardened. “If I never have to see her again, it’ll be too fucking soon.”

  “That’s what I’m worried about.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” he said, kissing my knuckles. He paid special attention to the gold band on my ring finger.

  “Why wouldn’t I worry about you?”

  “Evvie.”

  “No.” I pulled my hand from his grip and crossed my arms under my chest. “So much is trying to keep us apart. I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s all me.” A hard lump formed in my throat. “But it’s like we’re not meant to be.”

  He looked away, his jaw clenching. “You are mine. No one is going to change that.”

  I breathed a heavy sigh.

  “Move in with me.”

  My head shot around. “Excuse me?”

  Brett pinched my chin. “Move in with me. We now have the club together, we will be getting married eventually, so move into my apartment.”

  My heart raced. “Isn’t it too soon?”

  “Why? I love you. You love me.” He shrugged. “I want you all to myself. I want to go to bed with you beside me and wake up with you next to me. These two weeks were a tease and I want more.”

  Well I did practically live at his apartment anyways. I did while he was in New York. “What about Anna?”

  “She’ll be back in her own place soon enough. I’ll kick her out if I have to. I want you. With me.”

  My stomach flipped. “Okay.”

  A cheesy grin spread on his face before he crashed his lips to mine. “Are you sure?” he asked, cupping my cheeks.

  I nodded, chewing my bottom lip. “I’m nervous, but yes.”

  He frowned, pinching my chin and pulled my lip from the onslaught of my teeth. “Why are you nervous?”

  I scoffed. “You do remember my family right?”

  A wicked smile spread on his face. “If they only knew how corrupted their little Evvie has become.”

  I laughed. “You would be buried alive.”

  Brett chuckled and wrapped an arm around my shoulders before placing a peck on my forehead. “I will make it so you don’t regret it.”

  I didn’t and I knew I wouldn’t. I loved him. I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. It was everyone else that had a problem with it.

  ELEVEN

  The two weeks in Mexico flew by. Before I knew it, it was over. But we did go out with a bang. Our club. Our celebration of it later that night. My body bloomed as memories of Brett demanding his pleasure from my body invaded my mind.

  I sighed. My heart was heavy as I sat at the bar while Brett worked away in his office getting ready for the benefit later that week. I brushed my finger around the opening of the beer bottle. We had been home for three days and I hardly saw him. Yes, I was moving in with him, but we had decided to wait until the weekend so he could help me. I didn’t want to disturb him so I would wait. I had to.

  He was so wrapped up in work, he hadn’t been sleeping. I didn’t want to distract him so as much as it pained me, I spent the nights at my own apartment by myself since Kane was still doing his thing with Tatiana. I didn’t know what was going on there exactly, but if he was happy, then so was I.

  We broke the news to Kane that I was moving out and he was ecstatic. I could tell that he was a little sad but he would never mention it.

  My brothers were not so understanding and freaked out wh
en I told them via text messages. I didn’t want to deal with their shit. I called my dad and let him deal with them. He didn’t like that I was moving in with my boyfriend so soon. But after explaining to him that I did live with Kane for five years, he got over it.

  “Evvie Neal?”

  My thoughts were interrupted as I turned and saw a tall man approach me. I frowned and then my eyes widened as recognition kicked in. “Nick Rowan?”

  He grinned and closed the distance between us. “Look at you. You’re absolutely stunning.”

  My cheeks heated as I rose to my feet. Nick was taller than I remembered. His short brown hair cut into a crew cut, his deep brown eyes that I had remembered being captivated by years before, took me in.

  “It’s nice to see you again, Nick.”

  He pulled me into a hug before holding me at arm’s length, his gaze glancing down my body. “Wow. How long has it been?”

  My stomach clenched at the heated look in his dark stare. I looked around the vast room. Brett was nowhere to be found. He would not be happy at all if he saw Nick’s hands on me. For the guy’s safety, I pulled away and sat down on the stool. “It’s been around ten years. Drink?”

  He nodded and stared at me.

  Okay…odd. I cleared my throat and walked around the bar. “What will you have?”

  He frowned. “You work here?”

  “I do.” It was my night off but the club was slow and Jake was busy so I didn’t see any harm in making the drinks myself. Not like Brett would notice anyways or care for that matter.

  “I’ll have a beer,” Nick said, rubbing his fingers over his mouth.

  Back in high school, I had the biggest crush on the guy but now, I wasn’t so sure what I saw in him. He came off as a smug asshole. I bit back a laugh. Brett was no different but he didn’t look at me like I was a piece of meat. A toy for his little game. God, what did I ever see in Nick?

  “So, are you single, Evvie?”

  Well, he moved fast. I placed the bottle of beer in front of Nick and moved around the bar but not before I saw Brett heading our way. My stomach clenched. Oh shit.

  “Evvie?” Nick said from behind me.

  “No, I’m not single,” I responded, not taking my eyes away from Brett.

  He closed the distance between us and cupped the back of my neck before capturing my mouth in a hard demanding kiss. “Lover,” he snarled in warning.