Swallowing His Pride (3 page)

“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.

Samantha took a moment to close her eyes and lose herself in the music, her body rocking, flowing and undulating to the song as she felt Lynn take her hand. Unfortunately, as she moved to step away, a thick arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back, bringing her flush against the hard male body behind her. And she meant
hard
. Her shoulders felt as if they were against his chest and that meant he was a very big guy and muscular, too. Too bad she wasn’t looking for any man who would manhandle a woman clearly trying to move away from him.

One controlling man in a lifetime was enough. Never again.

“Where you off to? Let’s hang out for a while,” he said, grinding his hips against her, his mouth by her ear in order to be heard.

Samantha couldn’t help it. She froze, her body stiffening in his hold, any buzz she’d had gone in an instant as panic bloomed with the smell of booze thick on his breath. Her ex had been a rather heavy drinker, and she knew how lucky she’d been that he only abused her emotionally, when there had been times—usually when he was drunk—that he’d come scarily close to crossing into the physical too. She had never done well with pushy men. After being bullied for years, Samantha was in no hurry to become acquainted with another man who wanted to force himself on her.

“Hey, back off my girlfriend!” Ah, her hero. Lynn had stepped forward and grabbed hold of Sam’s arm, even as the man behind her tightened his hold.

“Now, ladies, I’m sure we can all manage to have a good time tonight. What do you say?” His breath was making her queasy.

“No!” they replied in unison.

“Really, I would just be happy to watch—”

“I believe the ladies said ‘
no
’, and since you clearly speak fluent English, I’ll assume you understand what that word means.” The deep southern drawl came from her right, and Sam craned her head to find Liam standing mere inches from the man holding her, a calm, yet menacing look on his handsome face.

“If you can’t manage release her in the next five seconds, I’d be more than happy to give you a hand.” This voice was to her left, and the smoothness of his accent did nothing to lessen the threat behind his words.

Dylan offered Samantha his hand, and she hesitated long enough that Lynn actually took the arm she held and extended it to Dylan before Sam could process what had happened. Were they really here? Coming to her rescue?

Why yes, it looked as if she had her very own set of southern saviors, and they were clearly prepared to defend her if necessary.

Luckily, the guy behind her released his grip on her waist and moved on before she found herself in the middle of a brawl, and she nearly sagged in relief.

Dylan took her shoulders in his large hands and stooped to see her downcast face. “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

His concern was touching. Hell, maybe there were a few good guys left after all. “No, I’m good, just a little rattled. I don’t like being grabbed like that.” A shiver ran through her, and Dylan must have picked up on it too. His hands rubbed up and down her arms.

“Would you like to sit for a few? Maybe get a drink? I have a booth reserved, and if you ladies want to join us, you’re more than welcome.”

A table? Samantha and Lynn had seen them when they’d first arrived and wondered at how expensive it must be to have one. Clearly, these guys were out to impress them. Normally, that would be a turn off, since she preferred a more down-home type of guy, but as she took stock of her now aching feet, she decided sitting down and resting sounded like a swell idea.

“Sam, do you want to sit for a little while?” Lynn asked, clearly a little worried after what just happened. She’d witnessed Sam in a full-on panic attack before and probably thought another was on the way. Oddly enough, Sam’s unease had almost completely disappeared once Dylan and Liam had shown up. It was as if a part of her knew she would be safe with them, despite the fact they’d just met. These men were trustworthy; that’s what her gut told her.

“Sure, that sounds nice.” After she tossed a reassuring smile to Lynn, Sam fell behind Dylan as he made his way through the crowd. They all followed easily in his wake as the crowd seemed to part for him to pass. Must be nice.

“Quit staring at my ass, Liam,” Lynn teased, and Samantha heard him laugh. “While you are
really
fun to look at, you’re not even close to my type, Slick.”

This time, Dylan laughed. How had he heard all that? It was hard enough for Sam to make out what Lynn had said, but with the noise level in the club, there was no way he should have picked that up.

They made it to the table, and Samantha was once again struck by the politeness of the two brothers. Both men stood aside and ushered the women into the booth before them. Sam felt a little awkward since the booth was large enough to seat at least eight adults. The four of them barely took up any room at all. It hardly seemed fair to hog such a large table.