I Wish You Were Mine Quotes

“Jackson, you can’t just go around asking strange women to move in with you.”

“Why not? You need a place to live. I have three extra bedrooms. And you’re hardly strange.”

“That’s true. We’re practically family,” she muttered.

“Practically. But not.” Something in his tone had Mollie’s head snapping up.

Something low and a little bit sexy.

They weren’t family. They weren’t related.

Jackson leaned forward, his gaze strangely intent. “Come on, Mollie. What do you have to lose?”

As she stared at the man she’d once harbored an unhealthy crush on—a crush she was no longer at all sure had dissipated—she realized that the answer to his question was everything.

She had everything to lose.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“His eyes were hot and angry as they burned into hers. “I talked to Madison, and that’s it. I didn’t agree to go on a date; I didn’t agree to get back together. In fact, after a certain point in the conversation, I was having a hard time even paying attention to her.”

She swallowed.

“Why do you think that is, Mollie?” he asked quietly. “What do you think was distracting me?”

Oh God, why does he have to be so beautiful?

“You, Mollie,” he said, pulling her closer. “You were distracting me. You were all I could think about. All I’ve been thinking about.”

Her heart thudded. “Yeah?”

His thumb touched her lip. “You know when you texted me today? Something dumb about whether or not we needed more paper towels? Seeing your name on my cell phone did a hell of a lot more for me than my entire meeting with Madison. Are you hearing me? It was the mere sight of your name that did it for me. That’s it, Mollie. Seeing your name undoes me.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“You've got it wrong." His voice was harsh.

"Jackson—"

He cut her off. "No, it's my turn to talk. You've given your speech. And I get it, Mollie, I do. Madison is your sister, and she made you PB&J as a kid when your parents checked out, and that's fine. But open your eyes. You don't owe her anything anymore. You are your own woman, and you are a woman, Mollie. You're not a kid. You're not a girl. And if I've been a complete asshole lately, it's because I'm having a hell of a time coming to grips with the fact that I want you. And fuck, Mollie, I want you. I want you so bad, I'm dying."

Mollie had never made the first move on a man in her life. She was old-fashioned like that. But she made the first move now.

She took a step forward, placed a hand at the back of his head, and pulled his mouth to hers.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“Someday, Mollie Carrington, men aren’t going to need to be bribed to dance with you. They’re going to fight for the honor.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“She started to step back, but he didn’t let her. “Mollie, I know you’re scared to death. I know you’re worried about your sister. I’m half terrified myself. But we can do this. I want to do this. I want this more than I’ve wanted anything.”

“More than football?” she teased.

To her surprise, he didn’t smile back. He merely stared down at her with a stunned expression. “Yeah,” he said, his voice a little rough. “I want you more than football. I love you more than that too.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“It wasn't a hard kiss, but it wasn't particularly soft either. It was just perfect. The perfect amount of sweet and hot, and...
She put her hands on his chest, shoving him backward. "Please don't mess with me. Please. Just talk to me."
Jackson's eyes shadowed with regret as he slowly released her wrist, lifting a hand to her face. The back of his fingers stroked her cheek softly. “Talk to you?”
She nodded.
“What shall I talk about?” he whispered.
“How about the fact that you’re supposed to be in Houston right now? It’s the only reason I came over.”
“I was in Houston,” he said.
“For what, an hour?” she asked.
“Probably about that, yeah.” He was watching her mouth as his thumb brushed softly over her lips.
Her breath caught at the tenderness in his touch—in his eyes.
“What happened?”
His eyes flicked up to hers. “You want the full story, or the important part?”
“The important part,” she whispered.
“I love you.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“No, I mean have dinner. With me. At a restaurant.”

Her breath caught at the intensity in his gaze. “Jackson—”

“Don’t say no.”

She blinked in surprise at his cocky command. “Why shouldn’t I?”

His grin was slow and sexy as he braced both hands on the door jamb and leaned in slightly. “Because I really like you in that red dress, Molls.” He backed up before she could respond and gave her a little wink.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“You looking forward to tonight?” he asked, changing the subject.

“I am,” she said slowly. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a good…date.” She let the word slide off her tongue as though it were a euphemism for sex. The little devil on her shoulder wanted to bait him, to poke at the sexual tension that seemed to ebb and flow between them, but which neither would give in to.

His hand slammed on the counter. “You’re not seriously thinking of sleeping with Mathis,” he said incredulously.

“Well, why not? You said he’s a good guy. And news flash—we modern city women don’t adhere to any strict fifth-date rule.”

“Fine! Fuck his brains out, for all I care,” Jackson exploded.

“You’re shouting,” she said.

“I’m not—” He blew out a breath. “Damn it.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“Mollie pivoted on her seat and glared at him. "Jackson Burke, do not pull that shit with me. You're thirty-five years old. I'm willing to bet that every man in this bar wants to be you, and every woman wants to—"
He lifted his eyebrows, and Mollie hesitated only slightly before she forced herself to finish the sentence. "Mate."
Jackson burst out laughing. "You still do that?"
"Do what?"
"Talk about animal mating rituals when you get nervous."
"I'm not nervous! Why would I be nervous?"
He was studying her. "You tell me."
"Don't be weird," she muttered.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“Probably best not to mention the whole roommate situation just yet. “As for looks, Mollie, she’s…pretty. Smart as hell. Uh, tall, a little thin…great smile.”

There was a moment of prolonged silence, and Jackson glanced around the room to see every person’s lips pressed together as though trying desperately to hold in a laugh.

“What?” he asked.

“You just said she has a ‘great smile,’ ” Cole said. “And you’re telling me you’re not into this woman?”

“Cole has a point,” Penelope said. “Guys only say a woman has a great smile when they’re super not attracted to her or they’re secretly in love with her.”

“Oh my God,” Jackson said, running his hands through his hair in irritation.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“But somewhere along the line, Mollie Carrington had ceased to be that awkward kid who talked about bugs at inopportune times. Somewhere along the line, she’d become his rock. The one person in the world, save for perhaps his parents, who always knew the exact right thing to say to make him feel like a human whenever he’d started to feel like a caricature of himself.

For years he’d tried to tell himself that it was just sibling affection—that he cared about her the way he would a sister. But then things had gotten worse with Madison—way worse. And Jackson had been hit upside the head with the truth: that maybe he’d married the wrong sister. That he didn’t want to spend the rest of his days married to the beautiful, brittle Madison.

He wanted someone who made him laugh. Who listened. Someone who cared more about people than she did about hair appointments.

Someone like Mollie.

“Fuck,” Jackson muttered under his breath as he took another sip of his drink.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“Jackson’s presence in New York had everything to do with the other Carrington sister.

He’d been keeping his distance. He’d had to. But today he didn’t want to. He wanted to see her. Needed to see her.

He needed Mollie.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“Are you okay?” she asked. Because she couldn’t not ask. Not after she’d seen the weariness around his eyes, the slight tension in his shoulders.

Jackson turned his head so their eyes locked and he frowned before returning his attention to the mermaid. “Nobody ever asks me that.”

Her heart squeezed at the lost note in his voice. It was strange to think of someone as big and important as Jackson Burke being lonely, but somehow…somehow she knew he was. Even here, among all these people, he was somehow alone. Apart.

Like her.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“Bow down, peons,” Lincoln said. “I’m a king among men.” “Where are you coming up with this?” Cole asked him. Lincoln pointed at Jackson. “Um, hello—Jackson Burke knows my name.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“And if she’d thought the man was dangerous in a football uniform, he was positively lethal in a tux.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“But having that love unreturned feels a bit like crashing and burning.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“What we’re doing—it’s been crazy. Maybe a little reckless. And I sure as hell didn’t see it coming. But I can tell you that these past weeks, they’ve been…they made me feel alive. More alive than I’ve felt in a long time.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“he couldn’t stop watching her and wondering if this was one case where complicated would be absolutely fucking worth it.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“Nice. It was the blandest compliment anyone could possibly drum up. She didn’t want to look nice. Not for him. She wanted to take his breath away.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“And the kiss was better than the fantasy. Better than anything she’d ever experienced.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“He was just…half alive. He had no fucking clue how to get back to the land of the living, but he did know one step he could take now in the right direction.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“And the fact that you used to be in love with him.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“As she stared at the man she’d once harbored an unhealthy crush on—a crush she was no longer at all sure had dissipated—she realized that the answer to his question was everything. She had everything to lose.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“He’d been keeping his distance. He’d had to. But today he didn’t want to. He wanted to see her. Needed to see her.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“You drink whisky, hon?” he asked Mollie.
“Uh, not really.”
“Well, you do now.” He poured a splash of amber liquid into two crystal glasses and brought one to her before holding up his own glass.
“What are we toasting to?” he asked.
“To men being shits,” Riley said.
He gave his wife a look. “I’m not drinking my own whisky to that.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“His hands glided from her waist to her back, his fingers touching the skin exposed by the straps of her dress, and Mollie shivered.

“Cold?” he murmured.

She shook her head.

“Ah. Let’s see what happens if I…” His words trailed off as he dipped his head to her neck, slipping beneath her hair to drag his lips along the column of her neck.

She gave a soft moan as his mouth opened there, softly sucking the skin between his teeth before soothing it with his tongue.

“I love the way you taste right here,” he said, his hand coming up and trailing a finger along the side of her neck. “You taste clean. And sweet. You taste like Mollie.”

Mollie’s eyes closed as he dipped his head again, pressing hot kisses to the sensitive skin of her neck.

He pulled back, framing her face with his big hands, waiting until she opened her eyes and met his gaze.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“Jackson was a little shocked at just how much her apology meant, and surprised them both by flipping his hand over so that they were palm to palm.

She jolted a little at the contact but didn’t pull away. He didn’t either.

He told himself it was just a friendly touch—a thank-you for being there. For being Mollie.

But there was nothing friendly about the way touching her made his pulse quicken and his cock harden.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“Do you think I’m making a mistake?” Mollie asked her best friend. “Moving in with Jackson?”

Kim was uncharacteristically silent for a long moment. “I think you’re taking a risk.”

“Because he’s my former brother-in-law?”

Kim patted her knee. “That. And the fact that you used to be in love with him.”

There was that. There was definitely that.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“If the thought of Jackson dating someone caused a funny little pang in her stomach, Mollie ignored it. It was just that for a moment there, when the two of them had stood face-to-face in his apartment, she could have sworn there was a little sizzle of something between them. Nothing inappropriate. Not even interest. Just…awareness.

She’d always been aware of Jackson Burke. She’d accepted that as one of the facts of her life. But this was the first time she’d sensed that maybe he’d been aware of her.

Thank you, little red dress.

Mollie mentally slapped herself. No. That was not what this was about.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine

“Mollie chewed her lip, and he felt a strange satisfaction at seeing her caught in turmoil. Mollie had seemed so confident, so sure of herself and everyone around her. He liked that he could put her off balance, just a little bit. Because God knew she’d been knocking him off balance all night.

“Madison would kill me,” she said quietly.

He met her eyes. Held them. “Do you care?”

It was a big question—a bold one. And from the way she looked at the floor, he could tell that she knew he wasn’t just asking about Madison’s feelings on the roommate situation. He wanted to know how much his ex-wife still had her claws into Mollie.”
― Lauren Layne, I Wish You Were Mine