ANGEL'S WRATH by SK (SIN CITY HEAT) (26 page)

 
 
 
 
Angel smiled and nodded then laughed in amusement when the newest member of their family shoved an itty bitty fist into his perfectly bow shaped mouth and started suckling on it.

 
 
 
 
Nikki shook her head in wonder. "It's so not fair."

 
 
 
 
Angel had an arm around her and the other around their baby. "What's not fair?"

 
 
 
 
"I'm the one who carried him for nine months and went through excruciating pain to bring him into the world. You would think there would be something on him that looks like me."

 
 
 
 
"Well...he has your..." Angel studied his son who had eagerly found his mother's breast and latched on to a nipple. "Your appetite, the one you had all during your pregnancy."

 
 
 
 
Nikki gasped and tried to glare but couldn't help but laugh. Angel joined in but the laughter quickly faded as he looked deeply into her eyes. "Thank you. I didn't think I could be happier than the day we got married, but..." He swallowed hard as they both looked at their baby.

 
 
 
 
"I know. I feel the same way." Again their eyes held and connected. Each thought about the last few months. After the incident with Nikki's parents, a distance had settled between them that didn't seem to want to heal. Nikki acknowledged the fact that she'd resisted Angel's efforts to bring them closer. Maybe now that their son was here, he would be able to understand her concern and not brush it aside as meaningless, baseless fears.

 
 
 
 
About an hour later, Nikki was in a private suite at the hospital holding her baby with their family and friends gathered around. Things were so perfect, she wanted to pinch herself.

 
 
 
 
Her family and Angel somehow managed to co-exist peacefully, even if there were only a handful of words exchanged between them the entire month her parents visited. Raven had only been able to stay about a week due to work. For Nikki's sake, she put a muzzle on her mouth and limited her smart comments to only a few here and there.

 
 
 
 
After everyone was gone, Nikki and Angel tried to adjust to their life as a family, and after Nikki's six week examination, the two of them reconnected as husband and wife. The sex between them was as explosive as it always was. Angel loved Nikki long and hard, showing her the best way he knew how that he loved and cherished her and would forever protect and take care of her. It didn't take long for Nikki to give herself to him completely, and their marriage continued to get stronger.

 
 
 
Months before their one year wedding anniversary, which would also mark the day baby Angelo, or A.J. as they called him, turned six months, Nikki was at peace. She and Angel were in a good place. A.J.'s birth seemed to bring about a tolerance, which bordered on acceptance, between Angel and her family.

 
 
 
 
Nikki knew there was no way that would've happened without their baby being that bridge to connect them together. Her parents and Raven doted on A.J. His proud grandparents visited at least once a month to spoil him rotten, traveling on Angel's private jet, no less. That alone was a huge concession on their part.

 
 
 
 
Angel handled them perfectly. He would never be a man to kiss up to anyone, no matter who they were, but with Nikki's mother, he effortlessly turned on the charm to draw out reluctant smiles. With her father, it became their practice to go to the country club and play a few rounds of golf during the visits. If Nikki didn’t know better, she'd swear her father even looked forward to it.

 
 
 
 
The truce between Angel and Raven was tentative at best. She wasn't able to get out to see her nephew as often as her parents, but when she did, she and Angel were cordial with one another, even if it seemed a tad forced. Nikki didn't care, she'd take it. She was just tired of the tension so, if this was as good as things would ever get, she was okay with that.

 
 
 
 
But some things weren't meant to last forever.

 
 
 
 
With their lavish anniversary party weeks away, Nikki, along with Raven who was visiting for the weekend, walked into Nikki's home laughing and chattering excitedly. The two sisters, along with Jerra, Keisha, and Aleesha, had been out shopping all day. They'd enjoyed a delicious brunch, visited the spa, and hit some high end boutiques while sipping champagne as they browsed. Nikki was excited because she'd found the perfect dress and couldn't wait for Angel to see her in it. A feminine smile spread across her lips as she thought about the French lingerie she'd purchased to wear for their very own private celebration afterwards. Nikki nibbled on her lips and sighed. A tiny shiver ran down her spine as she remembered how her husband had loved her so damn good last night. She'd used muscles that were still a little sore, even after the hour long massage she'd had earlier.

 
 
 
 
"Oh my God, Nikki! Ugh!" Raven rolled her eyes and shuddered as she passed her and headed to the great room. Throwing the armload of packages on the sofa, she plopped down and glared at her sister in disgust.

 
 
 
 
Fighting to keep her face neutral, Nikki followed behind her slowly and sat down on the loveseat across from her with an expectant expression. More like best friends than sisters, the two of them were less than two years apart and very close. Even though Nikki lived in Vegas and Raven resided in New York, they made it a point to speak several times a week. Always the dramatic one, Nikki knew Raven was just itching to bring on the theatrics. That's part of the reason she was such a great lawyer. When she hit her stride, she had the jury eating out of her hands with hardly any effort at all. Her sister was a strong woman to be reckoned with both inside and outside the courtroom.
 

 
 
 
 
"So elegant,
Raven
. I mean, really. 'Ugh'?" Nikki taunted her with an arched brow which relayed her amusement.

 
 
 
 
"You're so gross, you know that?"

 
 
 
 
"Excuse me? What did I do?"

 
 
 
 
"Suffice it to say, I'd appreciate being put in a bedroom further down from yours and Angel's." Her face screwed up with distaste and again as if she'd just visualized something unsavory. "Eww!"

 
 
 
 
"Okay.’Ugh'. 'Eww'. We really need to work on your vocabulary."

 
 
 
 
"I heard you two screwing your freakin' brains out all night! Is that plain enough for you?? I could tell that's what you were thinking about when we walked in. I mean, do you two go at it like that all the time?"

 
 
 
 
Nikki kicked her shoes off and curled her legs up under her. She sent her sister a wide grin and shrugged. "What can I say? My husband has a very high sex drive and if you think I'm complaining, think again." She fidgeted around on the couch as flashbacks of last night came back like an erotic assault on her senses. "Rave, that man does things to me I should be embarrassed to even think about, but I'm not."

 
 
 
 
"You are so damn nasty, Nik."

 
 
 
 
"What's nasty about it? That's your problem now. You need to find somebody to throw your back out and dust the cobwebs off that coochie."

 
 
 
 
"Whatever. I have friends with benefits I can call if the occasion ever arises where I need to relax a little bit. But I'm too busy to be bothered with that right now."

 
 
 
 
"If that's the attitude you have about sex, you definitely haven't been getting it right."

 
 
 
 
"Anyway..." Raven flicked her hand up in a dismissive gesture. "Mom and Daddy are excited about flying down for your anniversary. Mom's been talking non-stop about her handsome grandson."

 
 
 
 
"I'm still trying to convince them to come to the party, at least for a little while, but Mom won't hear of someone else keeping A.J. while she's here." Nikki chewed on the corner of her lip for a moment then blurted out something she'd been contemplating for a while. "I've been thinking about asking them to move back to Vegas. What do you think?"

 
 
 
 
Raven's brows lifted in surprise. "Really?"

 
 
 
 
"Yes. I mean, I know they've made a new life for themselves in Florida, but they still have friends here. Their grandson is here." Nikki leaned forward, her excitement gathering as she told Raven the rest. "I've even been looking at houses for them not far from mine. I would love to have them close by."

 
 
 
 
Doubt flashed over Raven's face. "Nik, I don't know. Yes, they and Angel seem to be getting along better, but I don't know how that would work out it if they were here full time. It's not like he can stay on his best behavior 24/7."

 
 
 
 
Nikki's eyebrows knitted together in a frown. "Raven..."

 
 
 
 
"What?? I'm just sayin'. Yes, you may have lulled yourself into this little fantasy world thinking you two are just like the Joneses, but Nikki, if Mom and Daddy were here full time, they're bound to hear things, things that could cause some serious tension between everyone. Honestly? I think it's best if you just leave things the way they are for now. It's seems to be working so why screw with it if it ain't broke?"

 
 
 
 
Nikki was quiet for a long while, momentarily deflated at the realism her sister brought to the table. "He's not going to live his life like this forever, Raven," she said quietly.

 
 
 
 
Raven's response was just as subdued. "Do you really believe that?"

 
 
 
 
Before Nikki could respond, the housekeeper quietly came into the room. "Mrs. LaCroix, I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were back. Would you like something to eat or drink perhaps?"

 
 
 
 
Nikki glanced at Raven, who shook her head, then smiled at the older woman. "No, thank you Mrs. Thomas, we're fine. But could you tell me where Mr. LaCroix and my son are? I need to make sure my husband is still in one piece after keeping A.J. all day by himself," Nikki joked, but she wasn’t worried. Angel was an excellent father and enjoyed every minute he spent with his son.

 
 
 
 
"He's in a meeting in his study. I offered to watch the baby, but he told me he would be fine."

 
 
 
 
"Oh. Okay. Is he on the west wing?" Nikki tensed when Mrs. Thomas nodded.
 
Angel used that section of the house to conduct business which pertained to parts of his operation he didn't discuss with Nikki. If he was there with some of his associates, she could only imagine what they were discussing...with her son right in the room. Nikki sent the older woman a stiff nod. "Thank you Mrs. Thomas."

 
 
 
 
After they were alone, Nikki stood up and slipped her shoes on, trying to keep her anger in check. She didn't want to argue with Angel in front of anyone, but he would definitely hear her feelings about this when they were alone.

 
 
 
 
"Come on," she told Raven. "We're going to get A.J."

 
 
 
 
After taking the elevator up to the third floor, Nikki stepped into the hallway and led the way to Angel's office. Raven looked around with undisguised interest, having never been on this side of the enormous house before.