Swallowing His Pride (2 page)

With that thought in mind, Dylan changed into a pair of knit shorts and a T-shirt before heading down to the impressive gym he’d seen on the hotel’s website. Surely a good run on the treadmill would dispel this anxiety that gripped him.

Liam had gone to check out his own room, so Dylan sent him a quick text before stepping into the elevator. He had no doubt his brother would join him soon, since they both enjoyed a good workout. Then again, they were both known for their competitive streaks too.

The folks in the gym were in for a show.

* * * *

Samantha was so very thankful to the scientific geniuses who’d invented painkillers. If she were ever to run into one, she’d give them a big, smacking kiss right on the lips!

After spending the morning in a hung-over haze, she and Lynn had decided to get in a workout, hoping to burn off some of the calories they’d indulged in the night before. Of course, when they exited the women’s locker room, they discovered a crowd surrounding the very equipment she’d been hoping to use.

“Looks like I won’t be getting my run in today,” Samantha pouted. She wasn’t much for exercise, but running was something she actually enjoyed. Over the last year, she’d found it to be a great stress reliever.

“There’s probably a machine open. Let’s go see.” Lynn grabbed her arm and tugged. “Besides, I’m nosy and want to see what all the fuss is about.”

Samantha just smiled and allowed herself to be pulled behind Lynn as she wormed her way through the crowd. It made her sick knowing that her friend managed to eat whatever she wanted and still maintain her Barbie doll figure. Lynn’s metabolism was insane, not to mention the woman was rarely still. With her trim little body and natural blonde hair, Lynn was a knock-out with brains enough to be lethal to the men eyeing her wherever she went.

No dumb blonde here, boys. This chick went to medical school!

Samantha, on the other hand, worked hard to keep her slender form. She ate healthy and ran three miles every day, rain or shine, thanks to her treadmill at home. Of course, there wasn’t any calorie counting happening on this trip, if last night was anything to go by.

They’d both gorged on the buffet before stopping at the mother of all dessert displays. Samantha sighed just thinking about the rich French silk pie she’d enjoyed.

Totally
worth the extra run time.

“So what’s everyone looking at?” Lynn asked once they’d almost reached the front of the group.

Another woman stood by, watching the two men running on the treadmills. “They’ve been going full-out for over two hours,” she replied, her eyes never leaving the pair of runners. “They don’t even look winded! They’re so pretty,” she sighed.

She was right. Both men were gorgeous in their own way. They had nice tans, lean yet muscular builds and heads of thick, brown hair. Neither was bulky in the least. Instead, they possessed the bodies of seasoned runners.

That explained the stamina.

The man farthest from Sam held her attention. He ran full-tilt, his eyes closed, arms pumping and the most peaceful expression on his handsome face. She stared, captivated, as his full lips pulled up into a dazzling smile.

Suddenly, Samantha felt too warm. No man had a right to look that damn good! Now, her run would serve as a way to exhaust her raging hormones, as well. The stupid things had been jangling around in her head more and more often lately, but she had no intention of shacking up with some random guy in Vegas, despite her body’s desperate pleas to end her dry spell and the fact that she’d been going through an insane amount of batteries at home.

Spotting a free treadmill, Sam turned to Lynn, only to find her friend’s eyes glued to the two men. “I’m going to run. Come find me when you’re ready to leave.”

Lynn’s only response was a weak wave of her hand, so Samantha left her friend with the rest of the slack-jawed women and headed off.

The rhythmic thumps of the men’s sneakers hitting the belt were almost perfectly in sync, as she passed in front of the machines and, unable to help herself, Sam snuck another peek at the Adonis now that she was closer.

His stride was strong and even, his muscular thighs and calves flexing with every step. Her eyes slid upward, over his trim hips, continuing until she reached his chest. He took a deep breath, and Sam nearly groaned at the sight of his perfect chest stretching the soft fabric.

Suddenly, he faltered, his eyes snapping open and focusing right on
her
. She couldn’t move. Beneath those lush lashes was a pair of golden eyes that were absolutely stunning.

And they were still locked on her.

“Holy shit! I beat you, Dylan,” the other man crowed, slowing his machine.

“Yeah,” was all he said. Apparently, his name was Dylan, since that’s what his friend had called him. He stood with his feet braced on either side of the belt, which was still going, and just kept staring down at her.

“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.