When You're Mine (The Gallaghers)

by Layla Hagen

  Glancing up, I found him looking at me with those gorgeous, piercing eyes.

  “Mel,” he murmured, touching my lip with his thumb.

  I shook my head, drawing in a deep breath.

  “Dylan, I... I like you a lot, but Isabelle told me some things.”

  He frowned. “What things?”

  I shimmied in my seat, avoiding his gaze. I was afraid I’d end up kissing him again if I looked at him for too long.

  “That you just want to have fun. You're in that phase of your life, and I'm different. I want other things.”

  He smiled, still touching my cheek. “I know. She told me, right after warning me not to ask you out.”

  I jerked my head back in surprise. “What? When did that happen?”

  “That evening after your fainting spell. She couldn't figure out why I didn't take my eyes off you. And since you swore me to secrecy, I didn't tell her about the fainting spell.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Really? That's the only reason you were looking at me?”

  He smiled seductively, taking his hand away from my face. I immediately missed his touch, but this was for the better. I couldn't want this man. He was a great guy, but we wanted different things from our lives right now.

  “We can be friends,” I blurted, realizing I sounded awkward. But I didn't know how to fill the silence. “Like I am with Isabelle and Brayden and Tess.”

  "Friends," he said slowly, as if he was testing the word and wasn't sure if he liked it. There was a little twinkle in his eyes. “Okay.”

  My pulse was speeding up just because he was looking at me. Yeah, I had a feeling this friendship thing wasn't going to be very easy.

  Thankfully, the driver came back, putting the new bowl in the seat next to him. The gym was only a few blocks away, but it was much faster by car than on foot. Even so, the few minutes' drive was enough for me to feel on pins and needles.

  I couldn’t ignore this tension between us, and somehow I didn't think it would get more manageable at the gym. When we got out of the car, he put his hand at the small of my back, making me simmer.

  Oh, Christ. Dylan Gallagher was dangerous for me.

  "See you in a bit," I said once we were inside. “I’m going to check on another client while you do your warming up on a treadmill, okay?”

  “Sure, Mel, see you in a bit.” His mouth curved in a half smile as if he were laughing at a private joke.

  I was hoping these twenty minutes would help us cool off.

  No such luck.

  I came back exactly twenty minutes later and immediately spotted Dylan running. It was not easy to ignore how sexy he was when he wore a tight tee and pants. Was this guy gorgeous or what?

  Since he had his back to me, I felt safe to drink him in. I started at his ankles, because even those were sexy enough to be admired, and worked my way up slowly.

  When I reached his upper back, I realized he was looking over his shoulder—at me. Oh, wow. What was the protocol for checking out a friend after you’d had a hot-as-hell kiss? I had no clue how to navigate these murky waters.

  He jumped off the treadmill, walking over to me. I sucked in a breath.

  “Careful, friend, I think you're sending me mixed signals,” he said.

  I sighed, holding up my palms in defense. “I admit, caught in the act.”

  He laughed, but then his eyes were serious as he turned his gaze on me. “Mel, if this is uncomfortable for you, say the word and I'll get another trainer.”

  “No, no, it's fine. I have to get used to all this testosterone and sexy muscles.”

  He laughed. “You're surrounded by guys working out every day.”

  I shrugged. “I know, okay? But I don't kiss all of them, just you.” Lowering my voice to a whisper, I added, “Besides, you’re hotter than everyone here. Can you please stop being so hot? It messes with my concentration.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Chapter Eight

  Dylan

  I got home late that evening, realizing that was not the best scenario for my new temporary roommate. I named the puppy Cody in my mind but didn’t want to call him by any name. Isabelle and Brayden should do it. I bent down and scratched his ears before I analyzed the scene in front of me.

  “What did you do, break into my shoebox and chew everything?” And by everything, I meant five pairs of shoes. “You managed to do all this damage in the thirty minutes since the sitter left?” She’d messaged earlier, giving me the rundown of the day, and also said he was determined not to sleep in the brand-new crate I got him today.

  I took a picture of my chewed shoes and sent it to Mel. I didn't know why, but I wanted to share this hilarious moment with her. She’d completely thrown me for a loop today when she’d said she wanted to be friends, especially after giving in to the kiss like that. She’d completely surrendered to me. Just remembering it was enough to make me hard. Fuck.

  I wanted Mel in my life. I had no idea what to do about the crazy way I wanted her. During our session, it took all my self-restraint not to kiss her in the middle of the gym.

  She called me right away, as I was putting the shoes up, out of the puppy’s reach.

  “I'm so sorry that he chewed your shoes. Did he also damage your furniture?”

  “I haven't checked yet. He's been on his own for half an hour. How much damage can he do during that time?”

  “Oh, you don't want to know the answer to that.”

  “I guess I'll find out soon enough.”

  “So he and the sitter aren’t getting along, then?”

  “No, they are. The sitter had to leave earlier than anticipated, and I was a bit late, but she did say he's not sleeping in his dog bed.”

  “Oh, well, he does have to get accustomed to that. Where did he sleep last night?”

  “On the couch, I think. That's where I found him in the morning next to a huge mess. I forgot to take him out at night.”

  “Hmm... well, some puppies do prefer a couch. Oh, Dylan. I can’t believe he chewed your shoes.”

  “My brother’s got a puppy?” I heard Isabelle’s voice in the background.

  “Oh no,” Mel exclaimed. “I didn’t know you were back, Isabelle.”

  “Put me on speakerphone,” I said.

  A second later, Isabelle’s voice was loud and clear. “Do my ears deceive me?”

  “Not at all, sis.” Since the cat was out of the bag, I had to fess up. “It’s my present for you. I know you want one.”

  “Holy shit! Really? You’re the best brother in the world. But wait, why is he at your place?”

  “Because I didn’t want to leave him at the shelter for another two weeks until you move,” I explained.

  “Awww... I knew you were a softie somewhere deep down under that armor. Very deep,” my sister taunted.

  I laughed. I would never hear the end of it. I was sure of it.

  “What does he look like?” Isabelle inquired.

  “He’s black. I’d say a mix of Labrador and cocker spaniel,” I explained.

  “When can I see him?”

  “After you move.”

  “Ha! The joke’s on you, brother. I have a puppy, and I want him right now.”

  “You’re not getting him. Not until you move, anyway.”

  “It’s not good for a young pup to change places too often,” Mel cut in. “Wait a second. I’ll take you off speakerphone.” A few seconds later, the background noise faded as Mel said, “Listen, my session with Isabelle is going to be over in twenty minutes. If you want, afterward I can drop by your apartment and see if there's anything I can do to help him settle in.”

  “Sounds perfect.” I didn't even have to come up with an excuse to lure her here. This was my lucky night. “Make sure Isabelle doesn’t tag along.”

  Mel laughed. “No, I’m with you on that, don’t worry. She’s giving me the evil eye, but I can handle it.”

  “I have no doubt.”

  “I can give you some pointers. I d
o that sometimes for people who adopt a dog. When it doesn't adapt, sometimes they bring it back.”

  “I wouldn't bring a dog back, Mel. I’m not heartless.”

  “I know, but I think this will be easier for the two of you.”

  “Okay. I don't live far away from the gym. I'm near Battery Park. I'll text you the exact address.”

  I could still hear my sister laughing in the background.

  “Okay, I'll see you later,” Mel said.

  After she hung up, I took stock of the living room. The furniture didn't seem harmed, but then I had metal legs for most of it. I lived in a three-bedroom apartment in a high-rise overlooking the Hudson River and Battery Park. I’d chosen this space for two reasons: it was close to the office, and it had come fully furnished. Everything was new and modern, with a lot of metal and wood. The real estate agent had called it industrial style. I was clueless at this sort of thing, but it looked decent.

  While waiting for Mel, I played fetch with a small rubber ball with the puppy. The sitter told me this morning that it was an excellent exercise to help him get rid of excess energy in the evening. He didn't quite seem to get the hang of the game, though. He came to me instead of following the rubber ball. I went with him outside for potty training, thinking about the evening ahead. I had a great plan for tonight. I was going to take Mel out to dinner, where we could revisit the idea of us being friends. I couldn’t fool myself—friendship with Mel wasn’t going to be enough. The woman stirred too many things inside me. And they all crossed the boundary of friendship.

  After Cody and I returned inside, he began running around the living room in circles. A few minutes later, the doorman rang, announcing that I had a visitor. I told him to send Mel up. At the same time, my phone lit up with a message from Isabelle. I grinned without reading it. I had a hunch I knew what it was about. I’d deal with it later.

  When I heard the elevator ping, I opened the door. Mel was wearing the same dress from this morning. Her hair was up in a ponytail. I usually didn't notice details about women, but when she had her hair like that, her shoulders were so inviting, begging to be kissed and explored. I wanted to discover all her sweet spots.

  “Hey, I hope I'm not too late.” She stepped inside, looking around. “This is a great place and so central.”

  “Where is yours?”

  “It's in Bay Ridge. I love it. It has an amazing small-town feeling. I live on the second floor of a renovated townhouse that someone split into apartments. It's not close to the gym, but it's not too bad a commute. So our guy here is giving you headaches, huh? In his defense, most puppies do. Did he ruin any furniture?”

  “No, the furniture is okay.” I looked into the living room and found him in the corner of the couch. “He's in his favorite spot on the couch again.”

  Mel glanced from the sofa to the dog bed next to the door.

  “Why don't we put the bed next to the couch? I think he might take to it more easily.”

  “Sure, let’s try it. Why not?” I took the dog bed and placed it where Mel indicated. The pup came to the edge of the couch, quickly looking down at the dog bed before heading back in his corner.

  I laughed. “He's not very impressed, is he? I don't think that's going to work out tonight.”

  “No, not tonight, but from time to time, put him there, and I think he might grow to like it.” She sat on the floor, patting his belly. He was wiggling his tail, stretching to flash her more of his stomach.

  “How did you manage to get rid of Isabelle? I half expected both of you to show up on my doorstep.”

  “Have a little faith in me,” she said with a wink but then averted her gaze.

  “Did Isabelle warn you again about me?” I joked, crouching to sit on the floor next to her.

  The tips of her ears turned red. “Umm, no. But she was super interested in how you ended up at the shelter in the first place.”

  “What did you tell her?”

  “That’s between your sister and me.” Her tone was teasing. Her eyes sparkled. I leaned forward a few inches, barely able to keep from kissing her. She sucked in a breath, turning abruptly to look at the puppy. One hand was next to her thigh, clenched in a fist, as if she were barely holding back from touching me.

  Fucking hell, this woman!

  It wasn’t just that I wanted more than friendship.

  I needed it.

  “Mel, I would like to take you out to dinner tonight if you don't have plans. As a thank-you for stopping by and for helping me out at the store. And if you have plans tonight, I'd like us to make plans for another night,” I added before she could shut me down.

  To my surprise, she smiled, looking at the pup, who was now chewing the freaking armrest.

  “Oh, fucking hell. The couch?” I scooped him up, placing him on his bed.

  “Yeah. I don't think leaving him alone is such a good idea. I don't think you can find a dog sitter on such short notice. We can order in,” she said.

  Bingo! What I wanted was to spend time with her. It didn't matter where or how. It was much better if we stayed here in my apartment. That way, I had her all to myself.

  Chapter Nine

  Dylan

  We ordered pizza from a nearby Italian restaurant that boasted quick delivery. They kept their word, bringing us the food in fifteen minutes. In the meantime, the pup fell asleep.

  "We could have just gone out," I said as we sat on the floor. She’d ordered a pizza with vegetables. Mine was with pepperoni and cheese.

  I'd put the pizza on plates, but somehow we ended up sitting on the floor again, in front of the couch. Mel was leaning with her back against the sofa right next to the pup.

  "No, I think he probably fell asleep because he hears us talking. He feels safe. I bet if we went out now, he’d wake up right away and start causing trouble."

  “Good to know." I couldn't take my eyes off her. I wanted nothing else but to touch her lips, everywhere I could.

  "Hey, don't look at me like that," she said playfully.

  I held up a hand in defense.

  "Sorry. I can't always behave, even though I try.”

  She cocked a brow as if she wasn’t buying it before glancing at the pup again.

  “How is your dad taking care of a dog?” I asked. “Isn’t it difficult?”

  “Not really. He ties the leash to the wheelchair when they go for a walk, and in the house, he has his routine. He works as a transcriptionist, so his hours are flexible. After he got sick, I seriously couldn’t believe how determined he was to keep going, you know? And after he adopted Buddy, he became his best friend.”

  Her eyes were slightly glassy. She shook her head as if trying to shake away the sadness.

  I wanted to contribute. I wanted to take it all away.

  "Hey, you're giving me with that intense look again."

  I set down my slice of pizza, clearing my throat. “What was it you asked me at the gym? To stop being so hot, right? Well, I can try to do that, but that’s about it.”

  "Yeah, but you haven't tried very hard. I mean, look at you in that polo shirt. You could have put on something loose." She tilted her head as if considering her next words. "Maybe a paper bag over your head. Yeah, that would do it."

  I winked. "I'll keep that in mind for our next encounter. But I can't promise I won’t give you any intense looks."

  "The problem with intense is that it’s bordering on hot."

  I winked at her again.

  She sighed. "You're making it hard for me to keep my resolutions."

  I frowned. "Your New Year’s resolutions?"

  She looked up from her slice of pizza. "No, I had an accident recently. I thought Isabelle might have mentioned it to you."

  "No, she didn't."

  "I was in a car crash three weeks ago. Nothing bad happened to me, but the poor driver got the brunt of it. A car smashed into us sideways after running a red light. It was a scare. It made me rethink a few things. Now I’m more determined to enjoy
my life and every good thing I have in it."

  "That's a great resolution. What are the others?" I asked.

  She took a bite of her pizza as if she needed even more time to gather her thoughts.

  "Mel?" I pressed.

  "I don't want to date guys who aren’t on the same page as me," she said finally. "I learned the hard way that if you don’t want the same thing from the beginning, it makes it difficult."

  That emotional look in her eyes slayed me. I wasn't the only one with scars here.

  "Even if you think you’re on the same page with someone from the beginning, things can always change later," I said. "I was together with my ex for seven years. When I proposed, she suddenly didn't know if I was the one. If she wanted to spend her life with me.”

  Melanie winced. "I'm sorry. That's terrible. Seven years. That's a long time. When did you break up?”

  “A little over two years ago.”

  “I've never been in a relationship that long. My longest one was three years."

  “Was he the douchebag who was annoyed you were taking care of your dad?”

  “Yes. My head is still spinning when I think about it.”

  Straightening up, she put her plate on the floor. She hadn’t eaten the crust at all. She’d also picked off the onions and artichokes.

  I pointed to the plate. "Aren't you going to eat the crust?"

  "No, too many carbs for me."

  "You're joking, right? You look fantastic."

  She actually blushed. She must get that compliment a thousand times a day, but hearing it from me made her blush. I liked where this was going.

  "Thank you, but I'm a fitness trainer, and the studio very often asks me to share pictures on social media. I do have to look my very best. That's kind of a job hazard, but I don't mind. I don’t like the crust. I mostly like the pizza for the cheese, which, yes, I know, is also a calorie bomb. Don't remind me."

  "I wasn't going to. I was just going to ask if I can have your crust."

  She pushed her plate to me, and I brushed her fingers with my hand when I took it. She licked her lower lip, looking right at my mouth, and I instantly knew she wasn’t going to leave my apartment tonight before I claimed at least another kiss. We both wanted it too much.