Page 3 of Come Around
I finally manage to tear my gaze away long enough to look at Lainey.
“Do you know the woman standing at the counter?” I growl.
Lainey follows my gaze. Her eyes widen slightly before a knowing smile spreads across her face.
“That’s Sami Holland. She moved here about three months ago from Connecticut, right after you left for your tour. She’s around our age, I think. Maybe a year or two younger.”
“Is she single?”
Lainey’s grin widens. “As far as I know.”
“Family? Job? Where does she live?” I fire the questions at her like bullets.
“I have no idea where she works or lives. And I don’t know about family. She keeps to herself, mostly.” Lainey presses her palm to my forehead. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay? You look like you’re about to pass out.”
I feel like I might. My heart is hammering so hard I’m surprised the whole diner can’t hear it. Every instinct I have is screaming at me to walk over there, throw Sami over my shoulder, and carry her out of here. To claim her.
To make sure every man in this place knows she belongs to me.
“Here you go, Sami.” Mike slides a to-go bag across the counter to her. “Have a good rest of your day.”
“Thanks, you too.”
Sami turns toward the door, and I get a full view of her face. She has high cheekbones, full lips, and those incredible green eyes that seem to see everything. She’s not wearing much makeup, but she doesn’t need it.
She’s perfect.
And she’s walking away from me.
Fuck.
Panic shoots through my chest. I can’t let her leave. Not when I just found her.
“I have to go,” I say, standing so fast my stool scrapes against the floor.
“Axel, wait.” Lainey grabs my arm. “Where are you going?”
“I need to talk to her.”
I pull away from her grip, my eyes tracking Sami as she pushes through the door.
“But you don’t even know her,” Lainey calls after me.
I pause at the door and look back at her. The certainty in my chest burns like fire.
“I know she’s mine.”
Chapter Two
SAMI
“Can I get you anything else?”I ask the businessman who’s been nursing the same drink for the past hour while staring at my chest.
He finally drags his eyes up to my face. “Just the check, sweetheart.”
I nod and move away before he can add another creepy comment. Working at The Summit has taught me to perfect the art of the strategic retreat.
Behind the sleek mahogany bar, I grab a tray of clean glasses and start stacking them while mentally calculating exactly how much I need to earn this week.
