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

change our music according to the whims of fans. I also don’t want us to pose as something we’re not.”

“That’s very good to hear.” I appreciated that more than he knew. I didn’t like people who pretended to be something they weren’t just for appearances.

“At first we interpreted what Sasha said as having to fake a certain type of image. But what she meant was simply showing the public more of us.”

“Yes, exactly!”

“But we’re not comfortable with sharing personal information.”

“We’ll find the sweet spot. Something you don’t mind sharing that would make fans feel more connected to you. The question is what to show?” I narrowed my eyes, tilting my head playfully as I grabbed the glass of beer. “What secrets are you hiding, Brayden?”

A smile played on his full lips. He leaned in a bit.

“I’ll let you discover them. Much more fun, don’t you think? And worth your while.”

“Hmm, true...” I was being coy and flirty, and I had no idea how to stop. It was impossible to think clearly with him so close.

“By the end of the evening, I want you to tell me what you think.”

“Demanding much?” I scoffed.

“Very much.” His smile widened as he pulled back.

Wow. I held his gaze even though this tension between us was growing thicker by the second. Could he feel it, or was I the only one? His bossy and flirty demeanor was incredibly attractive. I’d never met anyone so aware of his own sex appeal.

I was sure part of it was the job and maybe it was now ingrained in his behavior, in the band’s image, but some of that had to be natural. He was magnetic, and he was drawing me in. I needed to be careful.

“Brayden, Isabelle, come on. We’re starting,” Sasha called from the alleys.

I twirled on the spot, heading in her direction, feeling him walk right behind me. We stopped in front of Sasha, and I let them know there was no way I was bowling—I was very bad at it. “I’m not playing, just observing.”

“Band, behave,” he said in a tone that brooked no argument. Then he put an arm around my shoulders, his fingers brushing my bare shoulder blade. My skin lit up where he touched me, and that heat coiled slowly throughout my body. My nipples tightened and my throat dried up. I wanted this man.

No, no. Down, girl.

My body couldn’t react to him like this. It wasn’t possible.

Sasha beamed, clearly happy that he was still on my side.

“Perfect. Brayden, I’m on your team, along with Lars and Harvey,” she said.

That was a relief. It meant I’d have plenty of time to talk to Brayden when it wasn’t his turn. I could also observe the others and draw conclusions. I’d read about them quite a lot this afternoon.

What I knew so far was Brayden played the piano, Lars the guitar, Thomas the drums, and Harvey the violin and a number of other instruments. They were all thirty and had met at a party at NYU. Brayden, Lars, and Thomas were among the most sought out bachelors in the country. Thomas had been too, right until he got married. It wasn’t just their fame though. They were all gorgeous. Lars was tall, with deep blue eyes and jet-black hair. Harvey had piercing dark eyes and light blond hair. Thomas was the shortest of the group, but he still towered over me. All of them were tall, and it was clear they worked out often.

Brayden and I sat at a booth a bit farther away from the rest of the group.

“What do you like most about this life?” I asked.

He answered without hesitation. “The music. I’d cut out everything else if I could. I don’t like public appearances.”

“How about concerts?”

“I like performing, but the concert tours themselves are insanely intense. It requires a lot of focus. I have zero time for any distractions during that time.”

“Sounds grueling.” I was committing every detail to memory. I didn’t want to write it all down—it would make this look far too formal .

“It is, but it comes with the territory. What made you become a counselor?”

Even though this was business and not about me, I thought it might put him at ease if I answered, keeping this more informal and comfortable so I could learn more about him and the band.

“No idea. I just always knew that’s what I wanted to do, ever since I was a kid. I always played the family’s counselor, trying to gauge what my siblings were up to based on body language and so on.” It was true. Dylan and Ian used to get mad at me for trying to interfere between them and our parents when they were fighting—I typically only made things worse. My brothers were quite cunning at getting out of trouble, and I accidentally ruined their plans on more than one occasion. I had to smile at the memories.

“How many do you have?”

“Three. Two brothers and one sister. My sister came to New York when I was still in middle school, and the boys stuck together even more after that. But I was determined to get in on their games and schemes. Do you have siblings?”

I hadn’t found much information about his family, but given his fame, it was to be expected. There weren’t any personal details to find on any of the band members.

“I’m an only child, but the guys are like my brothers.”

I laughed. “I can see that. And you’ve got the big brother role? Keeping everyone in check?”

“You could say that.”

“Has it always been like this? This strong camaraderie?”

“I think so.” He didn’t expand on that, which I thought meant he was avoiding me until I realized he was glancing over my shoulder at the game. “It’s my turn. Want to cheer me on?”

He hopped out of the booth, and we walked over toward the others.

“Yes. Make sure you win. Can’t have the guys thinking I bring bad luck.”

“I always win,” he said, and that boyish