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

“Not funny,” he said eventually.

I flashed him a guilty smile. “Just a little funny.”

His gaze was still hard, and I had a hunch I’d only get back in his good graces with some smoking-hot kisses. They had to wait though.

We chatted about the first concert while we finished lunch, and once my plate was clean, Brayden asked, “Are your bags ready?”

My brothers both burst out laughing, waking up Sophie, who’d been asleep in her cot. Josie immediately lifted the baby in her arms.

“Um... almost,” I said evasively. The living room was clean now, but only because I’d taken the suitcases in my bedroom once they were semi-full.

“That’s actually a hell no,” Dylan supplied cheerfully. I narrowed my eyes. “I think she needs some motivation or you’ll miss the plane.”

“I agree,” Ian chimed in. “Did she ever tell you about that time she missed orientation day because she didn’t arrive early enough to—”

“I’d rather you go back to interrogating Brayden,” I said.

Brayden grinned. “Why? You got a lot of dirt on me from my cousins. It’s fair I get some on you.”

“Yeah... I suggest we do that another time,” Josie said, “or you’re really not going to catch the plane.”

My jaw dropped. “You too? Traitor.”

“It’s for your own good.”

Brayden rose to his feet. “Okay, let’s see what’s left to pack.”

“We’ll clean up here,” Josie assured me, patting Sophie’s back. “Or rather these two will clean up and I’ll boss them around.”

I felt a little embarrassed as I led him to my room, because, well... my siblings were right. I did have a lot left to pack. It wasn’t my forte.

Brayden stared at the room, blinking.

“This is almost ready?” he double-checked.

“No, but it will be in a few minutes. By the way, how can we miss a private plane?”

“We have a designated take-off time slot.”

Oh. That made sense.

He stood in the doorway, watching me closely, almost as if thinking I’d slack if he left me to my own devices. I admit, it was a possibility. I packed much faster under strict supervision.

Within fifteen minutes, I managed to shove 90 percent of the shoes in my second suitcase. While I squished the remaining 10 percent between the clothes in the first one, I heard the door close. A smile inched across my face. I pretended nothing was happening, right until I felt Brayden at my back.

“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” he whispered in my ear, skimming his fingers up and down my bare arms before whirling me around.

He moved his thumb around the contour of my mouth. The touch set me on fire.

“What am I going to do with you, huh? Always pushing my buttons,” he murmured.

I leaned in for a kiss, but he pulled back. “No kiss for you. Not after asking me if the bodyguard is hot.”

I pouted before laying a quick peck on his jaw. “I was just trying to distract you. But... if that escalated to you wanting to stake your claim, I don’t mind,” I finished with a grin. “You’re, like, about a million times hotter when you’re trying to prove a point. You know... stake your claim. You go all alpha.”

He let out a low, feral groan.

“See? My point exactly.”

He kissed me the next second, so deep and hard that we both stumbled backward. He broke our fall by reaching one hand toward the wall behind me, holding me tightly to him with his other hand. I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him back with all I had. Energy shot through me, concentrating between my thighs. When he pulled back, licking my lower lip before pulling it into his mouth, I rose on my toes, unable to stand still anymore.

“I knew I could make you kiss me,” I said.

His eyes flashed with lust. His grip on my waist tightened, but then he let me go.

“Come on. Let’s go before we miss the plane because you made me lose my head.”

“The lunch was so good. If I were still a tour guide, I’d tell my next group to absolutely order everything you brought if they go there.”

“Wait, you gave them up for good? I thought you were only taking a break,” he said.

“Well, I haven’t been on one since that weekend when my parents were in New York.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

I shrugged. “I thought I did. I don’t know. It’s not that important.”

“But you love being a tour guide.”

“I know, but it’s basically just a way to blow off steam from being inside the office all day. Since you’re taking such good care of me morning, noon, and night, I kind of don’t need them,” I said playfully.

He opened his mouth, clearly in disagreement, but didn’t have a chance to add anything because Dylan poked his head in. They each took a bag in their hand. I couldn’t take my eyes off Brayden. Even though the bags were on wheels, he still had to put some effort into rolling it down the corridor, which meant those biceps were flexing in the most delicious way.

At the door, Ian and Dylan each kissed my cheek before shaking Brayden’s hand firmly. So firmly, in fact, that I was wondering if they were trying to convey a message. Knowing my brothers, they probably were.

“Take care of her,” Dylan said seriously.

I cocked a brow at them.

“Yeah. We’re not making threats or anything,” Ian said, looking from me to Brayden, “but if we get wind that she’s in trouble... you’re in trouble too.”

Josie and I both burst out laughing, with the result that I completely missed what Brayden replied, but my brothers were nodding appreciatively, like they were seeing him in a different light.

“Wait, what was that? I didn’t hear it,” I said.

Brayden winked at me. “You weren’t supposed to.”

Huh, now he was having secrets with my brothers? I hadn’t expected that.

Josie and I exchanged a glance, and we both pressed our lips tightly together, trying not to laugh. I kissed the top of Sophie’s head just before we