Possessed By You
Book 1 in the Torn Trilogy
Jo-Anna Walker
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
Possessed by You
Copyright 2014, Jo-Anna Walker
ISBN-10: 1494341204
ISBN-13: 978-1494341206
This book is dedicated to a very special person who shone a light on my life for many years. She was my go to person for when I needed to brainstorm. She always listened, even if she had no idea what I was talking about. Brenda Smith Travis, you will forever be missed. This book is for you and for your love of Brett MacLean. You helped me shape him. I will never forget the day you told me that he didn’t have a tattoo. You were adamant and refused for him to have ink on his body. You would be the only person, besides Evvie Neal, that he would listen to. Thank you for all that you did for me and for your constant support and encouragement. I will never forget you. Miss you Mama Hen. xx
To everyone out there who just needed that extra push when it came to loving…deep.
First off, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support from all of you. You’re my rock, my light, my constant encouragement to keep going and trudging on. Thank you to everyone for your support and never ending encouragement. Words cannot describe how much you all mean to me.
Thank you to my family and friends for constantly supporting me in my journey of writing. I wouldn’t be where I am without each and every one of you.
My husband, Michael, for always being there for me and for giving me that extra push and for challenging me. I love you.
To my book club, you all are amazing and special to me. I’m so thankful to have gotten to know you throughout the years.
Chrissy (C.A. Szarek), thank you for the fantastic blurbs and for the constant support, bestie. I love you!
My team of awesomeness:
My girls. My Jems. You know who you are and your constant support is appreciated and I have no words to describe how much you mean to me.
My beta readers, Amee and Karen. I love you girls like sisters. Thank you for being honest with my work and for helping me make it better.
My CP, Susie, you freaking rock my socks. Thank YOU for telling me straight up how it is and for helping me make this story better.
Brenda Wright, my very patient editor. Thank you for everything!! And thank you for helping me with “your” Brett. ;)
To all the blogs out there. There are just too many to name but I love each and every one of you. You all have helped me in your own way and for that, I thank you.
Twinsie Talk Book Reviews, you girls are my sisters and I couldn’t do this or the pimpage without you. Thank you for everything for always hosting my tours and for just being you.
Once Upon a Time Covers: Thank you again for the beautiful and sexy cover!
To my readers! Thank you so much for your patience and for joining me on this journey. I hope you enjoy this book as much as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love each and every one of you. Without you, this would not be possible.
Here is a list of songs that reminded me of Brett and Evvie, either together or apart. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Even if you don’t like the music, the words are what captured me and brought me into their world.
A deep and powerful love is never quiet, never dormant but loud and fierce.
Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify here:
Bound to You – Christina Aguilera, Burlesque Soundtrack
Radioactive – Imagine Dragons
Unconditionally – Katy Perry
This is the Best – USS
Pour Some Sugar On Me – Deaf Leppard
Stay – Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko
What Now – Rihanna
Adore You – Miley Cyrus
Wrecking Ball – Miley Cyrus
Loving Me 4 Me – Christina Aguilera
Give Me a Reason – Pink ft. Nate Ruess
Try – Pink
I Am – Christina Aguilera
Mirrors – Justin Timberlake
Demons – Imagine Dragons
Say Something – A Great Big World ft. Christina Aguilera
*Warning*
Due to the graphic and adult content, this book is not suitable for a younger reading audience
“What the hell do you think you’re doing here, Evvie?”
My back stiffened as I turned to the familiar but harsh deep voice of my best friend and roommate. Kane Stohl glared at me, his pale eyes hardening as they lowered to the bottles in my arms before meeting my gaze.
I shook my head. “What?”
“Why are you here?” He took the crate from my grasp.
I sighed. “I told you I was looking for a job and this place needed a bartender so here I am.”
Kane narrowed his eyes and placed his hands on his hips. “What the hell do you know about bartending?”
A giggle escaped my lips. He didn’t look so big and tough when he stood in that prissy stance.
He glared.
I bit back a smile and calmed myself before I burst. “I used to make drinks at the parties in college, remember? It’s not that hard.”
His blue eyes softened, his broad shoulders relaxing. “Does your father know that you’re working here?”
My gaze snapped to his and I swallowed hard. “No and he’s not going to find out now is he?”
Kane rolled his eyes and scrubbed a hand down his face. “Who hired you?”
I moved to the counter and continued putting bottles away and shrugged. He was not ruining this for me. “What does it matter?”
“Evvie, who hired you?” he pressed.
I sighed and rose to my full height. “Jake. He was very nice. Said the owner needed some extra help around here now that business has picked up.”
Kane raised an eyebrow. “Did you actually meet the owner?”
I frowned. “No. He’s on vacation or something.”
“Brett doesn’t take vacations,” Kane laughed.
“I dunno. I haven’t met him yet though,” I huffed.
“I’m going to have to talk to Jake,” he mumbled.
I turned to him and placed a hand on his arm. “Kane, don’t you dare mess this up for me. I need this job.”
“Darlin’, there are a million other jobs—”
“What’s wrong with this one?” I asked, placing my hands on my hips. “My father won’t know I work here.”
“What about your brothers?”
My stomach churned. The overprotective men in my life didn’t need to know my every waking move.
“You don’t know the kind of douches that come in here...”
My heart swelled and I wrapped my arms around his middle. “Kane, you’re my best friend and I love you like a brother but sometimes you’re a pain in the ass.”
“Who the hell are you?”
We jumped apart at the hard voice as I saw a tall man approaching us with ease. The air around us became thick as confidence bled from the guy’s pores.
His light brown hair was cut short. My fingers twitched, wanting to run them through the no doubt soft strands.
Our gazes locked and he smirked, making my stomach flip. Oh this guy was dangerous and I had no idea who the hell he was.
&n
bsp; He crossed his arms under his chest and glared at me with deep blue eyes. God, he was gorgeous.
“I asked you a question.”
My heart stuttered and I frowned. “I…I’m...”
Kane cleared his throat but the guy ignored him and took a step closer to us.
“Speak up,” he snapped.
Wow...okay... I lifted my chin and took a deep breath. “I’m Evvie Neal. The new bartender.”
The guy’s gaze flicked to Kane’s and he shrugged. Thanks a lot, bestie.
“Who the fuck hired you?” the man asked.
My blood boiled at the tone this guy was taking with me. Who the hell did he think he was? “I don’t know what your problem is asshole but—”
“Welcome to The Red Love, baby.” The guy smirked and with that he walked away.
I gaped. “Who—” My mouth opened and closed and I couldn’t form the words on my tongue.
Kane clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Ignore him.”
“Who the hell was that?”
Kane looked away. “That, darlin’, was Brett MacLean.”
My eyes widened. Brett’s tailored suit hugged curves of a hard body. My stomach twisted at the unexpected flush that ran over me completely. “The owner?” I whispered.
Kane nodded.
I had heard that he had become an asshole but had no idea that he was that bad. Maybe my choice of working there was not a good thing after all.
***
As I wiped the bar down, the hairs on the back of my neck tingled. I knew Brett was watching me. I had been working at The Red Love for weeks, not talking to him again really since the first time we had met. I tried to stay clear of him, which was hard to do since he was the boss. He got under my skin and he damn well knew it too.
The way he studied me and his dominating air, left me shaking with need. I tried to deny it but a deep rooted part of myself wanted him. A darker part. A part that had laid dormant. It left me breathless that a man could actually make me feel this way even when they were being a dick.
I wanted to experience what a night with Brett MacLean would be like. Women paraded in and out of his office on a revolving door. Beautiful models that were slender with silky legs that stretched well over my five-foot-nothing head.
He ran his business like he did his women. With control.
My body hummed and I wanted him to appease the ache that had slowly formed in my belly but I wouldn’t let him know it. He was dangerous and he would probably break my heart without even thinking twice about it.
“Evvie,” Brett barked.
I took a deep breath and turned around, leaning against the counter. “What?”
His blue eyes darkened, boring into mine. “My office. Now.”
I ignored the way my heart fluttered at the demand in his deep voice and rolled my eyes before turning my back to him. “I’m busy.”
“It wasn’t a request,” he snapped. “Jake take over.”
I gaped at Brett over my shoulder as I watched him walk away. His black tailored suit fitting the hard contours of a body that I would love to sink my teeth—
“Evvie.”
The sound of Jake’s deep voice behind me made me jump and I took a breath, easing my racing heart. I smiled up at him. His perfectly arched brows furrowing as his eyes darted around the room.
“Don’t keep him waiting,” he said, chewing his bottom lip.
I looked into Jake’s warm brown gaze and sighed. He was probably right. I patted his arm reassuringly. “I’ll go see what the Master wants.”
I walked through the dance floor and down the long hall. I had learned very quickly that most people who came back from Brett’s office, unless they were one of his whores, didn’t come back happy. He was a hard ass who loved his job. It was a part of him. Anyone with a pair of eyes and a brain could see that.
Once reaching his office, I took a deep breath and knocked, my nerves kicking into overdrive.
“Come in.”
My skin tingled unexpectedly and I opened the door. Two black leather couches sat in the middle of the office with a table in the center.
The door shut behind me making me startle and I leaned against it. My gaze instantly meeting Brett’s, my stomach flipped at the heated stare behind his blue eyes.
His big body sat behind an even larger cherry oak desk. He leaned forward and rubbed his chin, his dark navy eyes boring into mine. He motioned to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit.”
“Brett, why—”
“Sit.”
I huffed and crossed my arms under my chest but didn’t move. I wasn’t his pawn to do with as he pleased. “Not until you tell me what you want.”
The corners of his mouth turned up as he sat back in his chair. “We’ll get to that.”
My body heated under his scrutiny. Suddenly feeling exposed in the tiny uniform, I tried covering the cleavage that sported from the vee of my shirt. The red and black plaid skirt barely covered my ass. Curvy girls like me were doomed in these stick-like uniforms.
“Look, if you’re not going to tell me what you want, then I should get back to work,” I croaked.
“I want to talk to you about your job performance.”
“My job performance?” I frowned.
He raised an eye brow. “Are you going to sit?”
“No.”
He smirked, making my heart skip a beat. “Didn’t think so.”
“What the hell’s wrong with my job performance?” I cringed. He’s your boss, Evvie. Be nice.
He rose to his feet and walked around the large desk and leaned against it, mirroring my pose. He nodded at the chair. “Sit.”
Finally giving in, I huffed and pushed off the door, walking to the chair. I slumped down on the arm and crossed my legs, sighing loudly. “Will you please tell me what you want?”
His eyes roamed down my body, stopping at my feet. The corners of his lips lifted.
I followed his gaze and looked back up at him. “What?” My red flats weren’t standard uniform attire but they were easier to walk in than the fuck-me shoes the other girls wore.
He smiled. An actual smile on Brett McLean’s face. I would have made a smart ass remark about it too if I didn’t feel like I was sitting in the hot seat.
“Now Evvie, I don’t think those shoes are appropriate work attire,” he chided.
My back stiffened. “Have you tried walking back and forth behind the bar in six inch stilettos?”
He didn’t respond. Just continued to stare at me. God, he was infuriating.
I let out an exasperated breath while twitching in the chair. “Fine. I’ll get new ones. Are we done?”
His jaw tensed. “No, we’re not.”
It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. “Brett, you obviously didn’t bring me here to talk about my shoes. What’s wrong with my job performance?”
“Nothing.”
I shook my head. “Then why—”
“I have a proposition for you,” his voice lowered.
“Um…what kind of proposition?” My palms went clammy as my heart thumped hard.
He smirked. “I think you know.”
I shook my head.
He closed the distance between us and wrapped his hands around my wrists, pinning them to the arms of the chair.
My mouth went dry and my core clenched at being restrained by him. Oh God, this was not good.
Brett leaned in, his hot breath scorching my neck. The scent of musky cologne invaded my nostrils, making my mouth water.
His lips grazed my ear before he bit down gently. “I want to fuck you, Evvie.”
I gasped. He wanted…oh God.
My mouth opened and closed but words wouldn’t form on my tongue. I was frozen, captivated by his smug stare as he continued to breathe hard against my neck.
I licked my lips. “Me?”
He grinned and ran his hands up my arms, sending goose bumps along my skin. His fingers, although gentle, were strong, letting me know that th
ere was no way I was leaving anytime soon.
He brushed his nose along my neck, inhaling deep. “You’ve never had a man tell you they want to fuck you, Evvie?”
I swallowed. “Not…like that.”
He grazed his teeth along my jaw line making my lips tingle. God, I wanted him to kiss me, to devour my mouth until I couldn’t breathe.
“Evvie?” He lifted his head and looked down at me, his beautiful eyes filling with a level of lust I had never seen before. No man had ever straight out told me what he wanted from me. The honesty from Brett, although overwhelming, was kind of refreshing also.
“Why?”
He frowned. “I want to show you what it’s like to be with a real man.”
I bit my bottom lip. “I…I’ve been with men.”
He smiled, looking down at my mouth. “Did they make you scream their name?”
My breath caught. “Um…”
He leaned back down to my neck and licked over my ear lobe. “Give you orgasm after orgasm, Evvie?”
“Brett,” I breathed.
“Did they?” Brett gripped the back of the chair and looked down at me.
“Does it matter?” I whispered.
“It does. Every woman should experience hours of raw passion at least once in their life.”
My eyes searched his face and my breath caught.
He smiled.
My skin tingled, every muscle tensing at holding back from diving into his arms. I wasn’t experienced when it came to sex but I knew that Brett could teach me things. Unleash a part of myself that I had never seen.
His gaze roamed down my body, the short skirt barely stopping mid-thigh. The tight black V-neck t-shirt sporting cleavage making him lick his lips like he wanted to ravish me.
Brett ran his thumb up the side of my neck, sending a shiver down my body. “Are you single?”
I frowned. “Brett.”
“Answer me,” he demanded.
I swallowed. “Why?”
He smirked and leaned towards me, his mouth mere inches from mine. “I need to know what’s stopping me before I fuck you, Evvie.”
“Who says you can, even if I am single?”
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