Chasing Sam: Vegas Mates Book 1 Read Online Free Page A

happens when you ship out of
the country every couple of years.”
    He frowned and crossed his arms over his
chest. Her comment struck a little too close to home.
    She reached out and touched his forearm.
“You miss getting to know family and friends.”
    He scanned the dark blue carpet and shifted
his weight from one foot to the other. “I’m sorry I didn’t
recognize you right away, Maggie.”
    She gave him a gentle smile and shrugged.
“It’s fine, Chase. You know this girl you want to talk to, Samantha
Demakis, probably won’t even speak to you once she knows what
family you belong to. The Demakises are hoity-toity with a side of
stick-up-the-ass.”
    Chase laughed. “So I’ve heard, but my wolf
wants her. I’ve got to try.”
    “We don’t always get what we want, but I
wish you the best of luck.” She tried to hide it—the flicker of
fading hope mixed with sadness as from him and back to Chris. He
saw it. He knew what that loneliness felt like. Hell, he’d been
alone the better part of a century. She was only twenty-three years
old. Life was just beginning for her.
    Maggie turned and let them into the VIP
lounge. Sam’s scent assaulted his senses the moment the doors swung
open. She smelled like the forest after a fresh rain with a hint of
honeysuckle. If only he could sweep her off her feet and carry her
away from whatever troubles were weighing her down.
    His wolf whispered to his consciousness, “Something is troubling our mate.”
    Every cell in his body clawed to life, and
his wolf stretched and rose to the surface. The magic rippled
within him, and for the first time in nearly fifty years he
struggled to maintain his composure and his human form.
    Sam met his gaze for a moment as Maggie led
him and Chris to a table a mere ten feet away from the Demakis
sisters’ booth. There were four women at the table, all wolves. Two
were twins and sported the same short, angled haircut to accentuate
that point. The third woman wore her hair long and flowing like
Sam’s, except it was reddish brown. Sam’s ash blonde hair was
pulled back in a loose braid draped over the front of her shoulder.
Her eyes widened with surprise, and she put the highball glass
she’d been nursing down on the tabletop.
     
    ***
     
    “Sam? Sam, have you heard anything I’ve
said?”
    Sam finally tore her gaze away from Chase.
When she’d seen him walk into the lounge, every part of her being
began to ache. Her wolf was going nuts, urging her to go over and
talk to him immediately.
    “He is here to see us!”
    Sam glanced up at Nicole and then again at
Chase. God, he was smiling. A huge, lolling, sexy grin. Her
heart melted into a puddle, and all she wanted to do was oblige her
wolf, climb into his lap, and snuggle against his broad chest.
    Nicole laughed, and Sam turned back with a
glare. “Out of the entire Vegas strip, soldier-boy hottie ends up
one table across from you in your favorite haunt.”
    “Shhh… Nicole, don’t talk so loud. He can
hear you.” Her cheeks warmed, and she took another quick sip of her
Jack and Coke.
    “Ooooh, this is the hottie from the
airport?” Hallie giggled.
    Sam put her empty glass down and looked up.
All three of her sisters were smiling and waving at Chase and his
friend. If only she could disappear into the leather of the seat
cushion.
    “Nicole, wave them over here to our booth. I
want to meet the guy that finally made Sam turn her head twice.”
Tess snickered. “It’s not every day you get to see Samantha Demakis
blush like a high school freshman.”
    “Shut up, Tess,” Sam hissed and scowled at
her little sister. She wanted nothing more than to talk to Chase
again but not surrounded by her sisters or in front of whoever his
friend was.
    Before she could object, Nicole had hopped
up from their booth and walked over to the pair. Sam stole another
glance and shivered with excitement when both men stood and
followed Nicole back to the table.
    Tess and Hallie smirked and scooted