Say You're Mine (The Gallaghers Book 1) by Layla Hagen (comprehension books .txt) 📕

I glanced at the group quickly, checking if they were following me before focusing on the iPad again.

“I’ve listed some ideas for you, based on what the fans asked in the comments. They mentioned some things they’d want to see. It’s up to you, obviously, but I thought it would be helpful to know. Maybe it can spark other ideas.”

I moved on to the slide of suggestions.

“People are interested in our gym routine?” Lars asked incredulously.

I chuckled. “You’re all hot as sin. Obviously they want to know how you keep in shape.”

A strange noise came from Brayden. No one seemed to hear it except me. When I locked eyes with him, I was surprised by the intensity in his expression.

He’s jealous? Holy shit, it was just a comment. Did it make me a bad person that I was enjoying it slightly? I grinned. He cocked a brow. I grinned even wider, shrugging one shoulder.

We went through my whole list quickly. I kept checking the time, because I didn’t want to be late back to the office.

“Okay, guys. I’m sorry, but I really have to go. I think you have enough info for your next video. You can always call me.”

“We’re good,” Harvey said.

“I’ll walk you out,” Brayden offered. Placing a hand at the small of my back, he led me to the front door. Heat spread through me from the point of contact.

“When do you finish?” he asked.

“In two hours, I think.”

“I’ll be waiting in front of your building in a car.”

“Oh, wow. Okay. Want to make sure I don’t get away?”

“Exactly.” He pushed a strand of hair out of my face, looking straight at me. “And the rest of the evening will be just for us.”

***

My client, Elsa, was a mess. Sadly, I couldn’t do anything for her right now more than hand her tissues and console her. In times like these, any advice was pointless. She needed to let out the grief, and I was happy she felt safe enough to do it with me.

“You’re so great, Isabelle. Thanks for making time for me on a Friday evening.”

“I’m always here for you, Elsa.”

“I don’t even know what to do. I don’t want to cry my eyes out all weekend.”

“Sometimes you have to let it all out. But I can make you a diary, if you want. You can write down everything you feel, tear out the page, and throw it away. It really helps.”

“I’d love that.”

I opened the drawer under my desk where I kept the papers and binders for diaries. I personalized them according to the client’s needs. I’d printed a stack of uplifting quotes. After choosing a dozen, I carefully glued them on the papers I put in the binder.

“That’s it. It’s ready,” I announced.

“Thank you, Isabelle. I’m so happy I found you.” She beamed, rubbing the corners of her eyes as she slid the diary in her purse.

My heart was hurting for her as I led her to the door. It would take a long time for her to heal.

The second I was alone in the office, I remembered that Brayden was waiting for me downstairs, and my chest filled with this incredible joy. I quickly refreshed my makeup—a dash of mascara and eyeshadow, leaving my lips bare.

My pulse quickened as I left the building. The black BMW was parked in the spot reserved for deliveries. Rolling down the tinted window, he smiled at me. I had no idea what tonight would bring, but I was ready to embrace everything. He opened the door, scooting along the back seat to make space for me.

“What do you want to do?” he asked once I was next to him, door closed.

“We could go to my place.”

He nodded. “Tell Paul your address.”

Paul was the same guy who’d driven me to Lars’s party. I rattled off my address, and the car lurched forward.

It felt a bit surreal to sit here next to Brayden. He said absolutely nothing on the way, which only made the tension between us more palpable. I could feel him watching me, and the weight of the conversation we were about to have filled the air. Every time I glanced sideways, I found him looking at me. He touched me relentlessly, skimming his hand up my forearm, threading our fingers together.

Even though there was quite a distance between my office in Brooklyn and my apartment in the Bronx, I was so lost in his delicious touch that I barely felt the time slip by.

I startled when Paul announced, “We’re here.”

“Oh, thanks.” I was suddenly so nervous, especially when Brayden put on a cap.

“Was there a bodyguard following us in another car or something?” I remembered him saying once that security didn’t travel in the same car with him.

“Nah, I only ask Sasha for a security detail when I’m in busy places. This is residential, mostly. It would draw attention.”

I led him through the narrow alleyways between the buildings until we reached mine. To my relief, no one bothered us. We took the staircase up to my place, because no one ever used it, and I unlocked the door quickly.

I only really relaxed once we were inside. “I thought you didn’t go anywhere without Sasha clearing the way first.”

He flashed me a devastating smile, taking off the cap and placing it on my silvery console. “I don’t, but like you said, I wasn’t going to let you get away tonight.”

I smiled back, fiddling with my thumbs.

“How was your session?” he asked.

“Very sad, but I think it helped her.”

“The way you care about everyone, from your siblings to your clients, is amazing. One of the things I admire most about you.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. A lot. Especially your clients, since they’re practically strangers.”

“Well, they do become friends in a way. I like to think that, anyway, but maybe it’s one-sided. I mean, they don’t know anything about me, while I practically know their life story.”

“Doesn’t it get to be too much? Listening to everyone’s troubles?”

“Mostly I can compartmentalize. And