Swallowing His Pride by Serena Pettus Read Free Book Online Page A

don’t calm down, darlin’.”
    Next Dylan heard an indignant, “Don’t you darlin’ me! I need to find Sam,” Lynn slurred over the line.
    “Is Sam with you?” Liam asked.
    “Of course, she is.”
    “Good. Put her on the phone.”
    Dylan handed Samantha his phone with a shrug, not really sure if this was normal behavior for Lynn or not.
    “Hello?” Samantha’s eyes widened at whatever she heard, before narrowing to slits. “Put her on. Lynn Edwards, have you lost your mind? No? How about your phone?” She sighed, rubbing her forehead, before speaking again. “Fine, just stay put, and we’ll be there in a minute.”
    Dylan accepted his phone, giving her a moment, as she seemed to be struggling with her irritation.
    “This is my fault,” she grumbled.
    “How do you figure? She’s an adult, she can make her own decisions and mistakes, and if my guess is right, the hangover heading her way will be punishment enough.”
    “No doubt,” Samantha agreed. “Well, if the offer still stands, I’ll take you up on the gym in the morning. It looks like I’ll be flying solo though.”
    Dylan splayed his hand at the small of her back as they navigated the crowded casino again. “Absolutely. So, where exactly are those two anyway?”
    “Lynn said they were in the center of the casino floor at a bar.”
    Dylan couldn’t help but laugh. The casinos were huge, with bars scattered about, so there was no telling where Lynn and Liam were exactly. Of course, he could always call Liam, but it sounded as if he had his hands full with Lynn. Besides, having Samantha to himself for a little longer was a definite plus in his book.
    He couldn’t help but touch her whenever the chance presented itself. The feel of her being so close soothed him in the most wonderful way. Every muscle relaxed, he felt the stress he’d been carrying melt away, and his give-a-damn switch was quickly flipped to the off position. Dylan didn’t have a clue what it meant, but he was all for finding out.
    Cheers erupted ahead of them, and both he and Sam looked up in time to see a very intoxicated Lynn dancing on the bar top.
    Holding back his amusement at the horrible version of the Macarena Lynn performed, Dylan turned to find Samantha stifling a giggle as she aimed her phone’s camera toward her friend. “This will be great to show her later. I doubt she’s going to remember any of this tomorrow.”
    Moments later, security made their way towards Lynn as Liam tried his best to coax her down.
    “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