Swallowing His Pride

by Serena Pettus

  “Dude, what broke your concentration? I mean, you’ve never—”

  Sam turned to the other man, who had just finished wiping his sweat-soaked face with a gym towel, and was startled to see that his eyes were the same rich gold as the fitness god standing before her.

  “Oh, well, I can see how she could distract you.”

  Samantha watched, dumbfounded, as the other man stepped from his machine and approached her while Dylan continued staring. Didn’t they notice the mob of attractive women gathered nearby?

  “I’d like to thank you for helping me kick my brother’s ass,” he said, a big grin on his face. “My name’s Liam, and the dope over there is Dylan.”

  “Um, hello. I’m Sam. Samantha, I mean, but my friends call me Sam.”

  “Oh, sweetheart, don’t put me in the friend-zone just yet. You need to get to know me first,” he drawled.

  Samantha picked up on his southern accent and was seriously thrilled when Lynn came to her rescue. She’d always had a thing for good ol’ country boys, but Liam was a little too forward for her liking, the word “player” blinking in big, neon letters in her head.

  “Okay, let’s move along,” Lynn chirped, ushering Sam to the treadmills next to where Dylan had been running.

  Lynn caught her eye and winked, telling Samantha she had her back, and Sam quickly mouthed thank you, before switching on the machine and starting her warm-up.

  Unable to concentrate on anything else, despite her best efforts, Sam couldn’t keep her gaze from straying over to the handsome pair of brothers talking nearby. While the one who’d approached her was friendly enough. Sam felt drawn to his quiet brother. After years of yelling and such from her ex, she found Dylan’s quiet intensity rather attractive.

  As she continued watching, Liam held up his hands in a show of surrender before laughing and walking away. A moment later, Dylan gifted her with a warm smile as he stepped on his machine again and began to jog alongside her.

  Feeling yet another blush steal across her cheeks, Sam ducked her head and started to really run. Jeez, she hadn’t dated since high school, and definitely not since her divorce. She had no clue how to handle a man if one were to come on to her nowadays. If the guy was genuinely interested, what should she do?

  Perhaps, I should be running back to my hotel room instead of on this treadmill.

  * * * *

  Frenzied. That was the only word Dylan could think of to even come close to describing the state of his inner cat.

  He’d been enjoying his run, eyes closed, envisioning his lion half racing over the Pride land around their town, until he’d picked up on a delectable scent. Minty with a hint of oregano, like catnip, which would explain why he felt a bit crazed.

  The little cutie next to him was the source and had become the sole focus of his happy kitty. She was lovely. Petite—maybe five foot two at the most—slender, but not too thin, and with long, strawberry-red hair that was currently pulled up in a high ponytail. She ran with fluid grace—back straight, shapely legs moving with a strong stride, head held high and a pair of luscious, bouncing breasts encased in a tight little top that held him mesmerized. The occasional glimpses of those bright, baby-blue eyes nearly took him out at the knees, and with her milky white skin, she looked like a delicate, little porcelain doll.

  Of course, Liam just had to try to put the moves on her, but to both their surprise, she showed no interest in his brother whatsoever. Well, she was interested in getting away, and that just amused the hell out of Dylan.

  Thinking his brother may have noted her light perfume, Dylan asked him about it once she’d begun her workout. Oddly enough, Liam had claimed she smelled like most women did. No, to his brother, she simply had a clean, slightly floral scent that was fairly subtle, not the minty yumminess that made Dylan’s cat want to rub all over her.

  “Don’t think for a minute I’m buying the old, ‘I was distracted’ routine. You lost. Just get over it,” Liam had replied. Smug bastard.

  “I’m serious, man. My cat has lost its fucking mind! I swear it’s like he’s doing some crazy Parkour stunts off the inside of my skull.” Dylan shook his head. “I’ve never felt this off kilter in my life.”

  His brother had regarded him for a moment, his head tilted, gold eyes narrowed as if he were thinking hard. That in and of itself was enough to make Dylan nervous. “Sounds familiar,” Liam had said, “but I can’t remember who it was telling me something similar to this.”

  The look in his brother’s eyes, that damn devious twinkle, told Dylan he knew exactly who’d told him, but he wasn’t going to share. “Spit it out, Liam. I’m not feeling very patient right now,” he growled.

  Liam threw up his hands and laughed. Fucker. “I’ll make a few calls. Why don’t you go run a bit? See if you can actually manage to speak to her. She keeps looking at you anyway.”

  She did?

  Dylan had just turned toward her when Liam had used his distraction to make a hasty exit. He’d better have some answers when Dylan found him later, too.

  Figuring another workout might help to settle his mind, Dylan had stepped back onto his treadmill and begun to run. He kept his pace at a steady jog and just let go.

  Ultimately, he lost his concentration once again as he chanced a glance at his lovely neighbor…and found her sneaking a look his way as well, which seemed to please his cat. That startled Dylan, but he offered her a small smile that she returned before she ducked her head and picked up speed.

  Did she think she’d outrun him? Good luck trying. Dylan was determined to get at least a formal introduction to the shy beauty.

  Looking beyond her, he noted her friend regarded him with a look of mild concern, her eyes shifting between him and the small woman next to him. That had his cat’s curiosity piqued. Why would the blonde bombshell be worried about her friend receiving some male attention? Was it because neither he nor his brother had even acknowledged her?

  Perhaps, he could have his brother charm her a bit while Dylan spent some time getting to know the female who had so firmly grasped the attention of his lion.

  Dylan would wait until she’d finished her run then invite her and her wary friend for a drink. Surely, she would accept. After all, he hadn’t missed the interest in her eyes. Now, he only had to convince her to act on it. And if one thing was for certain, as a Prime, he could be very convincing.

  * * * *

  With her legs the consistency of Jell-O and wobbly from her overly long run, Samantha moved over to the water cooler in the corner of the gym for a drink. Giving herself a mental pat on the back, she congratulated herself on exhausting her wayward hormones, along with the rest of her body. Now, she should be able to be in the presence of an attractive man without having her body’s sex drive shooting off the charts.

  She’d just refilled her cup and taken a long drink, when a man asked, “So, how long have you been a runner?”

  Startled, Sam turned to find Dylan standing a head and shoulders above her, which put her on level with his perfectly sculpted—and bare—chest. When had he removed his shirt? Moving her eyes over his shoulders and pecs, she dipped her gaze low enough to note his six-pack abs and the tantalizing little strip of hair that disappeared into the waistband of his shorts.

  Seriously?

  “What?” he asked, looking a little taken aback.

  Shit, had she said that aloud? And where the hell was Lynn? A quick scan showed her friend to be nowhere in sight, so it looked as if Sam would have to rely on her own addled wits to see her through. Great.

  “Sorry, I just lost my friend. I thought she was over by the free weights,” she lied.

  “Not a problem. I just wanted to introduce myself and apologize for my brother earlier. I’m Dylan.”

  He held out his rather large hand, and Samantha found herself eagerly reaching for it. Anything to touch this gorgeous man. To feel one of those big hands on her, just once, even if it was only an innocent gesture. Pathetic.

 
“I’m Samantha, but you can call me Sam if you’d like.” Surprisingly enough, the very hormones she’d worked so hard to exhaust were now rearing their heads and panting for a whole different reason. As soon as her skin met his, a rush of sensual heat enveloped her, stealing her breath and leaving her slightly dizzy.

  Holy shit, I’m horny, she thought. Not just a gee-I-wonder-if-he’s-good-in-the-sack horny either, but the kind that led to tangled, sweaty bodies and sheet-clawing wild sex. She desperately wanted to experience that with this man.

  Terrified by her reaction, Samantha stumbled back a step, rubbing her hand on her shorts in an attempt to remove the tingling sensation from where they’d touched. No doubt about it, this man was lethal, and she needed to get away fast.

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve really got to—”

  “Have a drink with me?” he cut in, looking down at her with a positively sinful grin.

  “I don’t think that would be a good idea,” she replied with a smile, hoping he’d take the hint. No such luck.

  “Bring your friend with you. I have my brother, so we could all just hang out for a while.” He looked down at the floor for a moment, almost as if he were gathering his courage or something. “Listen, when I first saw you, I nearly landed flat on my face. Not exactly the best first impression. I’d really like the chance to get to know you a little, but if you don’t feel comfortable, I totally understand.”

  Standing there, staring at the epitome of male perfection before her, Samantha couldn’t decide what she wanted to do. Sure, she’d be with Lynn at the club tonight, but she was also supposed to be with her now, yet Lynn was nowhere to be found. What if she flakes on me tonight?

  She was just gearing up to tell him thanks but no thanks, when her horny hormones somehow managed to hijack her mouth. “We’ll be down at the XS Club later tonight. Maybe, we’ll see you there.” What?

  “Great!” Dylan beamed a killer smile her way, and Samantha nearly forgot her own name. “Liam and I will see you ladies there. I’m looking forward to it, so save me a dance,” he added before sauntering off to the men’s locker room.

  Feeling a little put out that her friend had bailed on her without warning, Sam headed to the women’s locker room ready to search out Lynn and demand to know where she’d disappeared to. The woman knew how nervous Sam got when men approached her, and with Dylan hanging close by after his brother had left, she shouldn’t have took off.

  As Sam reached for the handle to the locker room door, a hand grabbed her upper arm and she let loose a startled screech. She spun to see Lynn behind her with a guilty look on her face.

  “How mad are you?” Lynn asked, head down and shoulders hunched as if she were bracing for a beating.

  She should. “Seriously? I get cornered by a strange man, who you obviously knew about or you wouldn’t be asking, and you want to know if I’m mad?”

  “So you are mad?”

  “Yeah, and now, we have two sort-of dates tonight,” Sam threw back, pleased when Lynn’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “You accepted a date request? I’m impressed,” Lynn replied with a smile while giving a slow clap of her hands. “I saw the way you two eyed each other and figured he might not make a move with me around. Guess I was right.”

  “Well, he told me to bring you and that he’d have his brother with him, but I told him I didn’t think it would be a good idea.”

  “You what? Samantha Cooke, that man is fine! Not only that, but he even seemed to be a little shy, and that’s just what you need. Trust me, you don’t find men who look like him who aren’t arrogant pricks.”

  “Speaking from experience?”

  “Yes.”

  “All right, I guess it’s a good thing I told him we’d be at the XS Club later.”

  Lynn, much to Samantha’s annoyance, crossed her arms and smirked before asking, “So what made you change your mind? Was it because his shirt was off? That would have been enough for me.”

  “No, it wasn’t that,” Sam grumbled as she turned and quickly entered the locker room. She’d just managed to open her locker before Lynn was by her side again.

  “Oh, no! You better spill the beans, girlie. You’ve been like a hermit since the divorce proceedings began, so I want to know what finally brought you out of the cave.”

  Sam knew there was no way Lynn would let this go, because she was right. Samantha had mostly retreated to the comfort of her borrowed room at Lynn’s, and only left for groceries, exercise or the occasional outing with her friend. Thanks to her e-reader, she’d never felt lonely though. She could escape into the stories and live vicariously through the heroines for a while.

  Of course, all of those steamy romances probably had a hand in why she now had a date with a buff hunk of man-meat.

  “I’m horny!” Oh, hell.

  “Pardon?” Lynn’s eyes bugged out a bit and her mouth hung open.

  What? Did Lynn think she didn’t get horny? Hell, Sam was only twenty-nine years old. Of course, she got horny!

  “Ugh! I need a vibrator,” Sam groaned, sticking her head in her locker in a sad attempt to hide.

  Lynn burst out laughing, as best friends do. Well, right before they give you their well-meaning advice. “Listen up. That man is guaranteed to be better than any vibrator. Hell, if he’s got enough stamina to be on a treadmill for over two hours, then…yowza. Just imagine what he could throw down in the bedroom!”

  “Unless he’s running off his frustrations,” Sam pointed out.

  “You’re such a pessimist,” Lynn accused.

  “Really? I prefer the term ‘realist’. If he’s such a prize, why is he single? Why hasn’t some girl snatched him up? Could it be that there’s nothing more than pretty wrapping on a gag gift?”

  “Okay, you win. Let’s get all dolled up then we’ll both go buy vibrators. You obviously need to find a release for your tension and you don’t seem willing to take what’s being offered.”

  “Nothing’s been offered!”

  “We’re in Vegas! There’s a hot guy interested in you, and in my opinion, you should just see where it goes. We’ll be in public, and nobody’s saying you have to sleep with him. Just cut loose a little and have fun. You deserve it Samantha, and you never know, he could be a really nice guy.”

  Lynn had some valid points, and Dylan did seem to be kinda sweet, but Sam still had reservations when it came to men. She knew they weren’t all like her ex, but she couldn’t help but fear she might end up right back in the situation she’d just escaped. Despite her reluctance, she had to agree the setting was ideal. After all, she probably wouldn’t see him again once this weekend was over, and they would be surrounded by hundreds of people at all times, so what the hell?

  “I guess I can hang out for a bit and give it a chance,” she relented. “But you’d better not bail on me again, or you’re a dead woman.”

  “But what if you guys look like you’re really hitting it off?”

  Sam growled.

  Lynn just smiled. “Okay, okay! I’ll be your guard dog tonight. Just let me know how much leash I have.”

  “Six feet. That’s it,” Sam declared. The closer Lynn was the better. Crowds made Sam nervous enough, but the club scene was not her thing. She loved to dance, but the local bar was about as wild as she got. No doubt, tonight would be a memorable experience, but just the thought of that many people in one room made her feel a little claustrophobic.

  “So, if we get tired of the pushy guys, do you wanna be my girlfriend?” Lynn bobbed her eyebrows, and Sam couldn’t help but chuckle. It was the perfect thing to say to break the tension.

  “Sure. At least, women know how to treat a lady,” Sam replied. “And I won’t have to worry about being mauled by a drunk that way, either.”

  “So I guess grabbing your ass in public is out? Not even any boob action?”

  Sam shook her head, exasperated. Lynn was just plain whacky sometimes.

  “Gah, you’re such a prude! But that’s okay,
cuz I’m totally into that. Besides, they say it’s the quiet ones you really have to look out for. Now move your ass. We’ve got primping to do!”

  Sam watched as her best friend grabbed her bag from her locker and headed for the door. No doubt about it, this would be an interesting night.

  Chapter Two

  Several hours and much gambling later, Sam and Lynn finally arrived at the XS Club with Sam feeling pretty mellow. That could have had something to do with all the drinks Lynn kept handing her, but right now, Sam couldn’t care less, because she was officially in sensory overload.

  Sparkling gold pillars rose up everywhere, catching the light from the enormous chandeliers that hung from the high ceilings. Large horseshoe booths, covered in white fabric were roped off and waiting for the lucky folks who’d reserved them for the evening. There were even nude, female torsos artfully displayed behind the bar. There was a sea of scantily clad bodies as far as she could see. XS Club was an elaborate, elegant, pulsing tribute to both class and debauchery, in her opinion, and she loved it. She found her hips swaying to the beat of the music in no time.

  Her friend turned to her and beamed. “Let’s hit the dance floor and show these bitches how it’s done!”

  Holy shit, Lynn had one hell of a buzz going too, but dancing did sound fun. Sam hadn’t realized how much she enjoyed that until this crazy woman had dragged her to Mason’s Jar Bar, a local bar back home—got a lot of liquor in her—and set Sam loose on the dance floor. After that, Sam had often danced around their apartment to the stereo. Not that she’d ever admit it, but she’d even bought a video that basically taught someone how to give stripteases and lap dances—purely for the exercise value, of course. As a result, she’d noticed a definite rise in her confidence on the dance floor. Lynn had informed her that she danced like a stripper, and Sam took that as the compliment she knew it was, but kept the thought in the back of her mind in case she should ever need a second job.

  In no time at all, both Sam and Lynn had a fine sheen of sweat glistening on their skin, though neither cared. Both of them were lost to the thumping beat of the song blasting through the massive club area. They always danced together, offering a hand to each other if any guys should move in, one gently tugging the other over and away from the bar trolls who were just looking for a quick lay.