Swallowing His Pride

by Serena Pettus

“Looks like the party’s over,” Sam said, tucking her phone back in her pocket. “I better go get her before she propositions a guard. She has a real thing for guys in uniforms.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Oh, yeah. Sober, she just ogles them from across the room, but once alcohol dissolves that thin filter, it’s no holds barred.” They made it to the bar just in time to hear Liam pleading with Lynn to stop as he clutched her calf, but Samantha’s ear-splitting whistle got everyone’s attention. “What’s with the Girls-Gone-Wild routine?”

  “I was just showing Liam I can put on a show better than those plastic showgirls. Just look at him! He can’t keep his hands off me!” With that, Lynn shifted her focus to Liam as she crouched down so she was almost face to face with him. “You’re still not my type, hillbilly.”

  Dylan barked out a laugh as his brother scowled at the gorgeous blonde above him. “I really like how she’s so gentle with a man’s ego,” he whispered to Samantha.

  “Trust me, that’s nothing. Just put her in front of someone she really hates and watch her go.” Samantha approached Lynn as she scrambled off the bar and placed her arm around Lynn’s waist when she stumbled. “Let’s get you back to the room before you pass out. I have no intention of dragging you through the casino unconscious.”

  “We’ll help you,” Dylan offered.

  “We will?” Liam wisely snapped his mouth shut when Dylan cut him a warning glare. It was just too bad it didn’t stay that way for long. “Dude, you haven’t been hanging out with her for the last hour or so. She’s mean. I watched her completely destroy this guy’s game when he offered to buy her a drink.”

  Samantha stopped midstride and turned. “Is that the only thing he asked?”

  “Well, I’m not sure. He whispered something in her ear, she ripped him a new one then started downing tequila like it was water.” Liam cast another, softer look at Lynn as she swayed next to him. “Do you think she’ll be okay?”

  “Yeah,” Sam sighed. “She’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”

  All four made it out to the entrance, and Liam went ahead to hail a cab. Once they were all inside, Lynn rested her head against the window, her eyes unfocused and staring out as a single tear streaked down her cheek.

  “Hey, what’s wrong, darlin’,” Liam asked, pulling Lynn close with an arm around her shoulder.

  Dylan was shocked by his brother’s behavior, because Lynn had made it abundantly clear she wasn’t interested, and when that happened, Liam usually lost interest pretty quick. What he was seeing didn’t appear to be a romantic attraction, but instead, perhaps the beginnings of an odd friendship.

  Her glazed eyes spoke of her current inebriated state as she replied, “I’m more than a walking Barbie doll.” She’d barely slurred the last word before she slumped, boneless, against Liam’s chest.

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Liam asked Samantha.

  “She hates how she looks,” Sam explained as she brushed her friend’s hair from her face.

  “But she’s a knockout,” Liam replied, clearly confused.

  “And that’s all most men seem to notice. They see a tight, curvy body, long blonde hair, big bedroom eyes, and they never bother to look further. She’s brilliant. She graduated top of her class as an OB/GYN and just landed a wonderful job at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in town, but she still struggles with people judging her by her looks.” Samantha reached over and brushed the lingering moisture from Lynn’s cheek. “I hate to see her like this. She’s been such a wonderful friend to me, coming into my life when I needed her most. She saved me. Now, I can’t even return the favor. I worry about what might happen if some jerk sets her off and there’s nobody to look after her.”

  “You don’t think she’d hurt herself, do you?” Liam asked.

  “No. She’s not suicidal. She just might hurt herself while she’s out of sorts. You know, like falling off of a bar she’s dancing on?” she explained, gesturing to the now-snoring Lynn. “I’d hate to think what might have happened if you hadn’t been with her. Thank you for watching out for her.”

  Liam just chuckled. “She’s fun, but I could tell she really didn’t care for men approaching her. Now, I feel like a tool for the way I flirted with her before.”

  “Don’t sweat it. If she didn’t think you were cool, she never would have hung out with you.”

  “And you wouldn’t have been able to hang out with Dylan,” Liam sang the last bit, and Dylan just barely restrained himself from smacking his brother’s smug face. “So what did you guys do?”

  Seeing the opportunity to change the subject, Dylan piped in, “Sam, here, won seven grand on a slot machine.”

  “Really? That’s great!” Liam replied.

  “Yeah, I can’t wait until tomorrow morning. I’ll get to tell Lynn then show her the video I got of her little dance routine. Breakfast in our room is going to be a blast—for me anyway.”

  They were all still chuckling when the cab rolled to a stop in front of the Bellagio Hotel.

  “We’ll have to see if we can wake her up a bit,” Samantha said with a frown. “I don’t think they would enjoy having a woman carried through their lobby.”

  “I’m sure it’s happened before,” Liam offered. “After all, this is Vegas.”

  “I’m also looking out for what’s left of her pride. If she finds out she had to be carted inside by some guy she just met, she won’t be feeling any better about herself in the morning.”

  “I understand.”

  Once Lynn was on her feet—or as upright as possible—they slowly made their way to the elevators. Unfortunately, the space inside quickly filled up with other passengers, and Samantha ended up in the corner. In an effort to keep her from getting smashed, Dylan positioned himself in front of her.

  “So, what time would you like to meet in the gym tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Would ten o’clock be too late? I’m pretty worn out and wouldn’t mind sleeping in a little, since I’m sure Lynn won’t be bouncing around the room in the morning.”

  She was so pretty, standing there, looking up at him with those big blue eyes, and Dylan couldn’t stand it another minute. He had to touch her, so he placed his hand against the wall next to her, making sure that his forearm brushed her shoulder. Just that simple connection seemed to comfort and ground him.

  Strange.

  “Sure, ten will be fine. It gives me a little time to tinker on my computer beforehand. I want to make some notes on the ideas I’ve had for the resort.”

  The elevator opened and several passengers exited, but even more piled on, pushing Dylan flush against Samantha and sending what was left of his good sense right out the door.

  Before he realized what he was doing, Dylan brought his hands up to frame Samantha’s face and he moved in. Her eyes widened a bit, and her mouth parted in a silent invitation before he brought his lips to hers. At the first sweet taste of her, his cat stirred, the beast prowling around inside and trying to find its way to the surface.

  If he’d thought her scent was addictive, her taste had just sealed his fate. He was hooked. Dylan’s instincts screamed that this woman was his, but all he could focus on was how well she fit in his arms, how responsive she was to his touch and how badly he wanted to be anywhere but in this elevator.

  When a voice called out her floor, Dylan barely had the strength to pull back, and was happy to note her eyes were still closed, her breathing a little labored. Could the woman be any more adorable?

  “I’ll meet you in the gym at ten,” Dylan whispered in her ear. “Sweet dreams, Samantha.”

  She finally opened her eyes, and the heat he saw in her gaze nearly floored him.

  She wanted him. It was just too bad that he was going to be the southern gentleman she’d accused him of being before. There was no way he would have her thinking she was just some Vegas hookup, because Dylan was interested in so much more.

  * * * *

  Samantha open
ed her eyes after the hottest kiss ever, to find Dylan’s handsome face mere inches from her own. He still wanted to meet her tomorrow at the gym? Well, why not? She would definitely have some extra running to do, because her hormones were up and ready to party.

  “Goodnight, Dylan,” she whispered, before grabbing Lynn and escorting her wobbly friend off the elevator.

  Apparently, Lynn had been lucid enough to witness Sam’s stolen moment of ecstasy, because she let loose with a big whoop, complete with fist pump, before promptly stumbling into the wall. “That was so damn hot!” she exclaimed. “Why didn’t you go with him?”

  “Because I’m not easy?” Really, Samantha loved Lynn, but sometimes, she wondered if Lynn thought through the things that came out of her mouth. Judging by the amount of alcohol on Lynn’s breath, Sam figured Lynn wasn’t firing on all cylinders right now anyway.

  “I think I would make an exception for that man. Jeez! The way you two were devouring each other? The poor lady who announced the floor number about had her eyes leave her head when she turned around,” Lynn exclaimed, her inebriated state leaving her voice louder than Sam would have liked.

  “Will you tone it down? People are trying to sleep, you know,” Sam admonished.

  “Yeah, well, I’m not gonna be hitting my bed anytime soon, but a bathroom would be great.”

  Samantha turned to see Lynn’s hand hovering over her belly and a sour expression on her face. “Oh, no you don’t! You will not puke in the hallway, Lynn Edwards,” she scolded.

  “I don’t think I’ll make it.”

  “Then you better chew it back, missy, because we’re at the room. Just give me a second to get the damn door open and you can bow down before the porcelain god until you pass out.” Swinging the door open with a flourish, Sam chuckled when Lynn bolted past her and practically slid to the toilet before retching.

  Yup, Lynn would definitely be one miserable chick in the morning.

  After rummaging in her bag for a minute, Sam kicked off her shoes and padded into the bathroom, leaving some aspirin on the counter along with a bottle of water. Grabbing one of the washcloths, she ran it under cool water then wringed it out before handing it to Lynn.

  “Here, put this on your face. I left you something for the headache you’ll have coming, so take them before you come to bed, okay?” Sam wanted to do more, but Lynn wouldn’t appreciate any coddling.

  “Thank you, Sam,” Lynn croaked, before flushing the contents of her stomach. “I think I’m good now. I just need to brush my teeth, take these and hit my bed.”

  Samantha nodded. “I’m going to the gym tomorrow morning with Dylan, so you can sleep in and nurse your hangover as long as you need to.” Her comment was met with raised brows and a smirk. “What?”

  “You like him.”

  “So?”

  “Just an observation.”

  “Well, with the performance I observed you giving on top of the bar earlier—”

  “Oh, no. I don’t know what got into me. Please tell me it’s not on YouTube or something,” Lynn groaned as she flopped on the bed and covered her eyes with her arm.

  Samantha pulled out her phone and brought up the video she’d taken, holding it up for Lynn to see. “You looked hot. If I’m not mistaken, I think the bartender is in the background taking pictures of your ass with his cell,” she teased.

  That comment had Lynn sitting up and snatching the phone from her with a muttered, “Fucking men.”

  “Girl, even the ladies were checking you out,” Sam pointed out.

  “Great, at least, I know I’ve got some other options available.”

  “There’s always Liam, too.”

  “Nah, he’s cool once you talk to him more, but I think he’d be better as just a friend. You know?”

  “I get it. I’m pretty sure he feels the same. It would be great if they lived close enough to hang out every once in a while though, wouldn’t it?” Sam asked, going for nonchalant.

  Lynn squinted her eyes, obviously having difficulty focusing. “You really like this guy, huh? Maybe, you should ask him where in Texas he’s from when you guys see each other tomorrow.” She shrugged as she staggered past Sam to the bed. “You never know. He could be close enough for you guys to give it a go.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Did she really want to know if he was that close? Would he even want to see her after this vacation? Surely, he’d be tied up with the whole hotel thing and wouldn’t necessarily have time for a relationship.

  And maybe she was making up excuses because she was scared. There was only one question left as far as she was concerned. Did she take the leap or crawl away from the ledge when things got scary?

  Chapter Three

  Dylan couldn’t have asked for a better night. Samantha was a beautiful girl, no doubt about it, but once he’d spent more time with her, he’d discovered there was so much more. She’d clearly been mistreated by her ex-husband, that much was obvious by the difficulty she had in accepting compliments, by her shy responses to any mild attempts at flirtation and the way she’d frozen up on the dance floor as soon as that man had put his hands on her.

  Just the thought of her being abused in any way had his lion snarling inside his head. He had the pleasure of seeing her again this morning, even if they’d only gone to the gym. With luck on his side, she’d accepted his invitation to dinner tonight, and now, they could spend the evening getting to know each other even more.

  God knew Dylan’s inner beast was ready and eager to get to know her in a much more intimate manner. The urge to rub against her and purr had struck him a few times the night before, and he was thankful that the music had been loud enough in the club to drown out the sound. Another fascinating effect she seemed to have was the ability to calm both sides of him with just a touch. He’d never experienced anything like it. Combining that with the fact that she carried the scent of every cat’s favorite treat had his mind scrambling to figure out what it meant.

  Of course, Liam was still avoiding him, but Dylan would get the information out of him one way or another. Tonight, though, Liam and Lynn were going to see some magic show on the strip, while he and Samantha enjoyed a nice dinner at the hotel.

  Unfortunately, he wasn’t in Vegas just for a good time. No, before he could indulge in his date, Dylan had to meet with Alexander, the leader of the Cougar Clan, who had territory just outside of the city. While the plans for the hotel were forming, he wanted some input from others of his kind. After all, there was no point in building a resort if interest was too low to recoup the money spent.

  In his black slacks and crisp blue dress shirt, Dylan examined himself in the mirror once more before leaving his room to head to his meeting. He’d made sure to wear something that would be appropriate for his date as well, just in case he ran short on time.

  However, he had a feeling time would move entirely too slow for his liking. With any luck he wouldn’t insult the clan leader with his inattention, but his thoughts were forever trailing off to images of Samantha, the sound of her voice, the sparkle in her bright blue eyes—

  Hell, he was doing it again!

  Yeah, this was, without a doubt, going to be the longest meeting ever.

  * * * *

  Samantha checked her dress in the mirror for the fourth time, wondering if it was the right thing to wear for her dinner date with Dylan, especially since she had no idea where he was taking her. He’d only asked for her to wear something nice and meet him by the elevators in the lobby at six.

  She hadn’t been out with a man since her husband, and even then, any dating had occurred at the very beginning of their relationship. That was the reason for the many outfits that were strewn across both hers and Lynn’s beds.

  Having finished her hair and makeup, Lynn popped out of the bathroom and froze, her eyes traveling up and down Samantha, taking in her latest ensemble. “That’s the one,” she exclaimed. “You look so damn hot!”

  “Do you think
it’s too much?” Sam asked nervously as she tugged down the hem of the gold slip dress she’d pilfered from Lynn’s suitcase. “I kind of feel a little exposed. Maybe, if I added some tights underneath—”

  “Absolutely not! Girl, you have some killer legs, and if you won’t show them off at home, you had better do it here.” Lynn snatched the tights from Sam’s hand and tossed them on the bed. “Listen to me. You don’t know anyone here, so who cares if you have a little more skin exposed than you usually do? There also aren’t any men like Dylan back home either. At least, none that I’ve seen.”

  “You don’t suppose Dylan will think I’m trying too hard, do you?” Samantha was worried about that. She didn’t want him to see her as desperate by any means, but she did want him to see her as an attractive woman—a desirable woman.

  She’d passed the last couple hours confiding in Lynn her growing feelings for Dylan, and in return, her friend had boldly told Sam to “just go for it.” The only problem was, Sam needed to know that he was genuinely interested in her for her, and not just as a piece of ass he’d scored while on vacation in Vegas. He didn’t seem the type to use a woman in that way, but Sam had already been fooled by a man once. She wasn’t in any hurry to repeat that mistake.

  Sam had already decided to speak to him over dinner, try to get to know more about him and his life, since she wasn’t really sure what else she should do on a first date. At least then she could console herself with the fact she hadn’t gone to bed with a stranger on her trip. Perhaps, she could find out if he lived near her, but she wouldn’t be that girl. If he lived close, she’d leave the ball in his court as to whether or not they went any further than their time here.

  Lynn came over and grabbed her arm, dragging her into the bathroom, and Samantha had a sinking feeling she knew what was coming next.

  “Let me fix your hair. Oh and your makeup, too,” Lynn added as she ushered Sam in and plunked her down on the toilet. “You just sit still and let me work my magic.”

  “Magic? Um, you do remember that lovely perm incident, right?” Yeah, the one where Samantha had ended up looking like Hazel the witch when her hair had been fried by the chemicals. Lynn had good intentions, but they didn’t always pan out the way she’d planned.