Read Online Sutherland’s Pride by Kathryn Brocato - Free Book Online Page B

problem.”
    “Really?”
    Knowing Morgan Sutherland, Pride suspected he had already informed Flynn of every option available. “Yes, indeed. For one thing, when a man has a low sperm count, they can actually concentrate the sperm — ”
    “Pride.”
    “Yes, Flynn?” She smiled into his shirt.
    “Shut up.”
    “No, Flynn, I don’t think I will. Those days are over. It’s time you realized I intend to speak when and where I please, on what I please.” She lifted her head, with her most challenging smile. “If you don’t like it, why don’t you just leave me on the dance floor while you turn around and stalk off?”
    Flynn smiled back. Oddly enough, he didn’t look angry.
    “Leaving you to catch a cab back to Anahuac?” he asked.
    “Actually, I’d call Gloria to come get me. Once she got here, we’d get a motel room, now that I’m rich, and spend tomorrow shopping wildly at the Galleria.”
    “You still don’t believe you’re rich?”
    “My suspicious attitude has nothing to do with you being the lawyer to spring it on me,” she assured him.
    “Thank you.” Flynn held her against him. “Your faith in my integrity is most touching.”
    “I’ve never doubted your integrity, Flynn,” Pride said, in earnest tones. “Your intelligence, yes, but your integrity, no.”
    There was a beat of silence, then Flynn burst into laughter that had couples near them glancing their way.
    “I suppose I’m lucky you’ve consented to let me hold you like this,” he said.
    “I don’t mind dumb men. It’s the dishonest ones I can’t stand. You know. The ones who swear up and down they’ll take care of you no matter what.”
    Flynn came to an abrupt halt, causing Pride to stumble over his foot. His lean face suddenly looked hard and set.
    “All right,” he said. “I suppose I deserved that. Get your purse. I’ll take you home.”
    Pride snatched up her small, leather clutch on the run as Flynn, his hand at her back, hurried her out of the club. He didn’t slow down until they arrived at his Bronco.
    Rather than unlock the door swiftly to lift her in, he stood staring at her in the semi-darkness, making no move to fish his keys from his pocket.
    “It occurred to me recently — ” he began.
    “Do you mean, tonight?”
    “Recently,” he went on, ignoring her, “that you have reason to be considerably upset with me, even assuming your baby was fathered by someone else.”
    Pride caught her breath. He still thought she was lying. He still thought she’d slept with another man.
    Gritting her teeth, she said, “I’m not upset with you.”
    He ignored that. “I did promise to take care of you.” He stared at the ground. “When you said you were pregnant, I was so angry, I — forgot all my promises to you.” His gaze met hers squarely. “I went back on everything I said. I’m sorry, Pride.”
    Now that it was too late, Pride wished she had never pushed things to this extreme. “Lots of men promise a woman everything so they can get her into bed.”
    “Is that what you thought I was doing?”
    She managed a shrug. “What do you think?”
    Flynn’s brown eyes flashed. “I meant everything I said to you.” He reached out and grabbed her shoulders so suddenly, she didn’t have time to step back out of reach. “I loved you.”
    “I loved you, and look what it got me.”
    “What did it get you?” The anger left his face suddenly as his gaze slid over her too-slender figure and locked on her face. “I’d really like to know.”
    He produced his keys and unlocked the car door, then helped her step inside. Stunned, Pride buckled on her seat belt while her gaze followed Flynn as he walked around to slide in beside her.
    “What do you mean?” she asked.
    “I’d like you to tell me everything that happened after you closed out your Houston apartment and left the area for good.”
    Pride shook her head numbly. Did that mean he wanted to hear all about her alleged miscarriage?
    “I’ll do that,