Swallowing His Pride Read online

  “Oh, hush. I’m not using any chemicals in your hair other than a little mousse and maybe some hairspray. Tonight, I think you need your hair down, maybe with some bouncy curls.” She clapped her hands and dove for the little bag under the sink. “I’ll use my wand! Ugh, this thing is amazing, you’re going to love it.”

  While Samantha trusted Lynn with almost everything—perms no longer included—she was at a loss for words when her friend came up with something that resembled an odd looking vibrator with a power cord.

  “A wand? Is that what they’re calling them now? And what the hell happened to the battery operated version?” Samantha awaited her answer while Lynn simply stared at her with a frown. Gesturing to the instrument in her hand, Sam continued, “I don’t need a sex toy, Lynn.”

  “A what? Oh good grief! It’s a styling tool, you tool,” she laughed. “You curl your hair with it. I don’t know why, but this little booger works so much better than a curling iron and the curl stays in your hair for a long time too.”

  “If you say so, but it looks like a dildo that plugs into the wall.”

  Lynn grabbed the mousse and added a dollop to her hand before moving behind Sam to work it through her hair. “God, I wish my hair had some curl. Hell, I’d even take a wave, anything to give it a little body. You are so lucky.”

  “Save it, girl. You’ve seen this mess when the humidity is bad. I poof! It’s like my hair bloats to take on the moisture in the air. All I can say is thank goodness for ponytails.”

  The girls chatted and made plans for the next day as Lynn finished up. Once she had Samantha’s makeup done, she boldly declared, “Vegas showgirls, eat your heart out!” and turned Sam to the mirror. “Honey, Dylan is going to gobble you up tonight.”

  * * * *

  Dylan waited by the elevators for Samantha to arrive, wishing he’d had the forethought to get her phone number. If he’d had it, he could have called her when his meeting with Alexander had been cut short by a clan problem that had been called for Alexander’s attention. With his thoughts distracted from the conversation anyway, Dylan had urged the other male to see to his Clan and promised to meet him in the morning to resume their discussion.

  From what little he’d managed to absorb, it appeared the resort would be a promising venture for his Pride. Now, he just had to get the plans drawn up and begin the build. It would no doubt put a strain on the Pride for a while, since there would be so many humans on their land, but the end result would be worth it. They would simply have to tend to their need to be in animal form at night.

  With a little time left on his hands before he and Samantha were due to meet, Dylan called up his architect and had him begin drawing up some plans for them to go over once Dylan was back in town.

  The little ding of the elevator brought his attention to the sliding doors just as another group of tourists stepped off. Dylan was about to turn away, when he caught sight of Samantha.

  And what a sight she was. She’d left her silky red hair unbound tonight, and the way it hung in heavy curls down her back made his hands itch to touch it. His gaze traveled over her slender form, taking in the slinky gold dress that hugged every one of her curves to perfection before flaring a bit around her thighs. When he got to the bare expanse of her long, lean legs, his inner lion purred. He followed them down to her dainty feet and her red-tipped toes that peeked from the end of her heels.

  A vision of those shapely legs wrapped around his waist, those sexy pumps still in place, made his cock twitch and had his lion pressing against his skin to get closer. Damn, he would really have to work on tightening the leash on his cat or else he’d scare her away.

  As he watched her, Sam’s gaze darted around, no doubt searching for him. Dylan snapped to attention and moved toward her. When she finally saw him, her eyes lit up and the effect was electric. She was happy to see him, almost seeming relieved.

  “You look beautiful, Samantha,” Dylan said, taking her hand and pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles.

  “Thank you,” she replied with a blush. “You look very nice, as well.”

  Dylan smiled. “Why thank you. Are you ready for dinner?”

  “Sounds great. Where are we going? I forgot to ask you earlier, so I hope what I’m wearing is okay.”

  She was nervous, that much was obvious, but Dylan was picking up something else, too. Excitement. Now, there was a feeling he could get on board with. “You’re perfect. I thought maybe we could check out the steakhouse they have here at the hotel. It’s called Prime, I believe, and I was told that it’s very good. Does that sound all right?”

  She nodded, accepted his arm when he offered and they made their way to the restaurant.

  Dylan watched as the eyes of every male they passed seemed to gravitate to the petite woman at his side. Pride swelled his chest because she was with him, but an overwhelming sense of possessiveness saw his inner cat snarling and hissing inside his head. As far as the feline was concerned, Sam was his. This little discovery distracted Dylan from his surroundings long enough for him to bump into a couple walking past them.

  He quickly apologized before resuming his stride.

  “Are you okay?” Samantha asked as she looked up at him.

  “I’m fine. I just got caught up in a thought for a moment.” Great, now she probably thought he was going to be thinking about other things during their date when nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, if his thoughts continued on their current track, it would become harder and harder for him to hide them from her. “I’m trying my damnedest not to glare at every guy in here, actually,” he confessed.

  “Why? Did your meeting go badly? We don’t have to go to dinner if there’s something you need to take care of.”

  “No, no, nothing like that,” Dylan rushed to assure her. “Samantha, you’re stunning, and every guy in here keeps giving you the eye.” Dylan shrugged. “I guess I just want to make sure they know that you’re with me.”

  He watched as she took in the people around her, her eyes growing round as she saw all those peering her way. She quickly ducked her head and gripped his arm a little tighter. Was she frightened? The thought had him swallowing a growl. He breathed deep, but from what he could discern through the myriad smells around them, she appeared to be embarrassed.

  “I’m so sorry. I never should have let Lynn talk me into wearing this dress. It’s too short. Geez, I must look like a total tramp.”

  Coming to a complete stop in the middle of all the other foot traffic, Dylan turned Sam to face him. She glanced up at him, her cheeks pink and her eyes shining with moisture. Dear God, were those tears? As far as he was concerned, she should never have a reason to cry unless it was from happiness. “Listen to me, sweetheart. You are the most amazing woman I have ever met, and I don’t give a damn what other people think because you are with me,” he pointed out. “Tonight, you are my date, you are my lady and I think you look amazing.”

  Samantha’s lips trembled a bit as she gifted him with a smile, and Dylan was unable to help himself. He brought his hands up to cup her sweet face before bringing his lips down to hers in a gentle, teasing kiss. Taking a moment to enjoy the feel of her petal-soft mouth, he decided he could quickly become drunk on her unique taste.

  Her small hands settled on his chest as she pressed closer to him. Dylan reluctantly pulled his head back. Seeing her eyes still closed had his lips quirking up in a little lopsided smile. He was glad he wasn’t the only one affected, but when she opened them and he saw the heat simmering in their blue depths he realized that this night would likely get much hotter.

  Not really sure how it happened, Dylan couldn’t deny this tiny female had already gotten under his skin and was firmly embedded dangerously close to his heart. The funny thing was…he liked it.

  * * * *

  For the love of God, that man’s lips should come with some sort of warning label. She’d had to keep her eyes closed for just a moment after he’d broken contact just to assure
herself that they hadn’t crossed. Granted, this kiss was nothing like what he’d planted on her in the elevator, but…damn.

  When they finally made it to the restaurant, Sam had to fight hard not to stare, open-mouthed, like the small-town girl she was. It was clearly a high-end establishment, and suddenly, she didn’t feel quite so foolish in her dress.

  The walls were deep chocolate brown with tasteful artwork hung throughout. Large, ornate sky-blue drapes with a delicate gold design hung from the ceiling, yet were tied back, leaving the seating area open, but could easily be let down to provide a more private dining area. The tables were set with more silverware than she knew what to do with, and a tiny lamp stood in the middle with a single candle lit within.

  Sam knew her eyes must have looked huge when she’d glimpsed the prices, but Dylan never batted an eyelash. From what she discovered during their dinner conversation, his family had come into some money when oil had been discovered on their property, but they had been careful to invest it, so they could pass it along after they were gone.

  It turned out the whole hotel/resort idea had stemmed from a need to invest some of the money into something that would continue to bring in a profit after the oil had dried up.

  Just hearing about his plans and how responsible he’d been made her respect him that much more. He was an intelligent man and seemed to genuinely have the best interest of his family in mind, and she made sure to tell him as much.

  Being brought up with one very selfish parent and another who worked so much that she rarely saw him, Samantha appreciated Dylan’s actions even more. Her husband had been another story altogether, and before long, she found herself sharing all the sordid details of her past.

  It seemed strange at first to spill her secrets to a man she had just met, but for some reason, it felt natural to confide in Dylan. He made talking about her miserable marriage surprisingly easy, though she noticed the way his whole body seemed to tense when she mentioned her depression and just how serious it had become.

  When she shared how Lynn had come into her life, he calmed a bit, but when he asked about her child, Samantha felt the heaviness in her chest that always came with thoughts of her baby. She informed him of her loss and could have sworn there were tears shining in his eyes when she finally looked up.

  They discussed children a little after that and discovered they both wanted to have more than one when the time came. Samantha made sure to point out she planned be very careful about whom she chose to be the father of her children. After all, she’d been fooled once by a man she thought would love her forever, and she was in no hurry to repeat that mistake, especially with the added risk of hurting a child in the process.

  No, the next man in her life would have to really prove himself before she considered allowing to the possibility of that kind of pain again. In all honesty, she didn’t think her heart could stand another betrayal.

  Over dessert, their discussion changed to one that brought her mood right back up. Her new home. She explained how excited she’d been to find the property and how she planned to fix it up herself once her divorce settlement came in. She described the area and was almost giddy to discover that Dylan lived only about thirty minutes away. Perhaps, they could see each other in the future, after all.

  They discussed the renovations and repairs she was gearing up to tackle. Now that she had a little extra cash, by way of her winnings the night before, she could go ahead with the purchase of furniture and some paint. She went on to tell him how she considered it like camping for a bit while she did all of the painting inside before moving her larger pieces in, like the bed and living room things. She wasn’t nearly as much of a girly-girl as Lynn and had no problem with roughing it on an air mattress for a week or so.

  They both laughed as she recalled the reaction from Lynn the first time she’d seen what would be Sam’s new home. To say her friend had been appalled would be an understatement, but Lynn was a city-girl at heart, while Samantha enjoyed the quietness of the country and preferred the outdoors over being cooped up any day.

  When she’d pulled down the long dirt drive, Lynn’s nose had scrunched up while she glared at the dust being kicked up by the tires of Sam’s ancient truck, but once the house had come into view, her whole face had gone lax in shock. Samantha had known her friend would balk at the rustic home, but once she managed to clean it up a bit, maybe even get some landscaping done, it would look ten times better.

  The small house was next to a sprawling oak tree that provided shade over half of the green metal roof. Three of the exterior walls were wood and resembled a log cabin made of Lincoln Logs like the ones she’d had as a kid, with the ends sticking out a bit and cut so that they locked together. The front of the house had a stunning wall under the A-frame, made up of hundreds of stones of varying sizes that gave way to a large sunken wood patio with an overhang for shade.

  As she rambled on about her plans, Dylan listened to her with a smile and warmth in his eyes that left her longing to kiss him again. It felt as if they’d known each other forever, like they were old friends merely catching up with each other, instead of strangers who had only met the day before.

  After their amazing dinner, they enjoyed a glass of wine, and Samantha was saddened that their date was coming to an end. She fully expected to find Lynn waiting, ready to scold her for coming back to their room before jumping right into a litany of questions about Sam’s evening with Dylan. Not wanting this to be the last time she saw him, Samantha suggested the only thing that came to mind.

  “Would you like to meet me in the gym again tomorrow? I have a feeling I’ll really need to workout after this. I’m not accustomed to eating so many rich foods so often.”

  His gleaming white teeth peeked out when his lips turned up in an adorably crooked grin, and he gave her an affirmative nod. He tucked some bills into the cushioned bill holder and rose, moving to her side and offering his hand to her as she stood. “It’s still fairly early,” he replied softly. “Walk with me?”

  Glad that he seemed just as reluctant to part ways, Sam nodded and followed him from the restaurant, through the rest of the hotel and out onto the Vegas strip. “So, where to now?”

  Dylan looked down at her and smiled, his golden eyes twinkling in the bright neon lights. “Anywhere you want, sweetheart. I just wasn’t ready to let you go.”

  “I wasn’t either.” She blushed, as much from his confession as from her own, and stepped closer to him. “What would you like to do?”

  His eyes smoldered as he replied, voice gone deep, “I’m dying to kiss you again, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop there.”

  Samantha sucked in a sharp breath when butterflies seemed to take flight in her middle at his heated words. Now was her chance. He’d pretty much admitted he would be interested in more—at least physically—and her hormones still swooned from when he’d taken her mouth and kissed her silly before dinner, so maybe it was her turn to state her wants for a change. “I wouldn’t complain.”

  There she’d said it, now all she had to do was wait and see what he—

  Dylan grabbed her hand in a fierce grip and led her right back into the hotel, heading for the elevators. Samantha was nearly trotting at his side to keep up with his long strides, a giddy sort of anticipation building inside her as they awaited the next car going up.

  He hadn’t said a word, was staring at the doors as if willing them to open and suddenly Sam wondered if she’d maybe sounded too easy. This was totally new to her, and she was flying by the seat of her pants here. Hell, the only man she’d ever slept with was her husband, and even then, he’d been the one who seemed to enjoy it most.

  Sure, the sex felt nice, but she’d never been able to reach the kind of explosive release she’d read about. Oh, she’d had orgasms, just not with a man. It seemed she was the only one able to bring herself to that all consuming climax, but then again, maybe Dylan would be different.

  Once everyone exited the elevator,
Dylan pulled her inside then turned to glare at the other people waiting to get on. She couldn’t see his expression, but judging by the looks on the faces of those outside, she guessed it wasn’t nice. When the doors closed, he kept his back to her for a moment, pushed the button for his floor, took a few deep breaths then turned. His expression was fierce, his eyes the color of melted gold and almost glowing in the odd lighting of the elevator. Samantha’s heart beat kicked up a notch.

  Dylan stepped closer to her, his hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her against his hard body. And boy, did she mean hard. The erection growing against her lower stomach was beyond impressive, and Samantha no longer had to wonder if she’d come across as easy or not since it didn’t seem to matter.

  Her body was completely on board with the way things were going. Already, her nipples were puckered and straining, her panties were damp and her heart was ready to beat out of her chest. She watched as his nostrils flared. His eyes then darkened, and she heard a long, low rumble in his chest.

  “Dylan?”

  “Tell me now if you don’t want this to happen, Sam. Tell me if you’re not interested in me this way, before I take you to my bed and keep you there all night.” His eyes glowed like embers now, his breathing a bit ragged, and she felt the taut muscles in his body as he held himself back.

  Did she want to go with him? Hell yes!

  Looking up, Samantha licked her lips, watching as his eyes followed the motion, before telling him, “I’m very interested in you too, Dylan. I wouldn’t be in this elevator with you if I wasn’t.”

  It seemed that was all he needed to hear, because with one last glance at her mouth, Dylan gently grabbed her face, leaned in slowly and kissed her. His tongue teased her lips, urging her to open to him and she did so with a sigh.

  He backed her up until she was to the wall and pressed himself against her, their bodies flush. His hands slid from her face, down her neck, over her shoulders, and down to her hips where he proceeded to grind his against her. Next, his lips moved over to her jaw finding a super sensitive spot just below her ear that brought forth a whimper of need.