ANGEL'S WRATH by SK (SIN CITY HEAT) (34 page)

 
 
 
 
Already knowing that would more than likely be his response, Carmen didn’t take offense. She had missed him terribly and was content just to be in his presence. They sat in silence for a few minutes more before she leaned forward and placed her glass on the table in front of her. She was used to Angel’s moods, and when he was like this, she knew exactly what he needed to relax.

 
 
 
 
Placing one hand on his thigh, she began to unbutton his shirt with the other. Pulling the starched collar aside, she brought her lips to the strong curve of his neck and placed soft kisses there before licking the rim of his ear. Angel leaned his head back against the thick cushion and took another sip of his whiskey. Carmen’s hand inched up his hard, muscular thigh, but just as she moved to cover his crotch with eager fingers, Angel caught her wrist to stop her. When she lifted her head, he turned to meet her eyes and simply shook his head to let her know it wasn’t happening.
 
Carmen’s mouth dropped in surprise as she sat up and just stared at him.

 
 
 
 
“You really do love her, don’t you?” Angel leaned his head back again and closed his eyes, but not before Carmen saw her answer. She let out a small puff of air. “Wow.”

 
 
 
 
Angel’s lips curved upwards. With his eyes still closed, he asked “And what is that supposed to mean, Caramel One?”

 
 
 
 
Carmen smiled at the pet name he used to call her. “I just never imagined you truly loved her. I thought it was more an infatuation than anything; an infatuation which had finally worn off.”

 
 
 
 
Angel snorted out a short laugh. If Carmen thought that, she really didn’t know him at all. But then again, Nikki was the only person who’d been able to peel back the complex layers guarding his soul and discover hints of the man he was deep down inside.

 
 
 
 
 
“Angelo…”
 
Carmen placed her hand on his arm. Although she’d always hoped to be the woman who eventually won his heart, she wanted nothing more than his happiness, even if Nikki was the one to give him that. She was getting ready to tell him this when a voice behind them interrupted her.

 
 
 
 
“I’m sorry to break up this little party you two have going here…" Her tone said just the opposite. "But Carmen, you need to leave.”

 
 
 
 
Carmen turned around and saw an extremely pissed off Nikki standing there with her arms folded. The expression on her face conveyed the message, in no uncertain terms, that if Carmen didn’t leave on her own, Nikki would have no problem throwing her out.

 
 
 
 
For several moments, Angel didn’t move from his spot on the couch and kept his eyes closed. He'd known she was here almost the moment she entered the house. He'd smelled her fragrance which was so much a part of her. Inhaling deeply, he finally stood up, turning slowly to face his wife. He took his time and finished off the rest of his whiskey then placed the tumbler on the table beside Carmen’s unfinished glass of wine.

 
 
 
 
Nikki’s eyes ran over him with a sharp, eagle eye, not missing one single detail. She took in the shirt that was unbuttoned to his stomach and the lipstick smudge on the collar of his shirt. Seeing the evidence of what she'd interrupted, Nikki leveled a narrowed glare at him.

 
 
 
 
“I hope you enjoyed your little
dalliance
,” she said sarcastically. “But you and I need to talk. Now.” Her eyes slid to Carmen. “And I thought I told you to get out.”

 
 
 
 
Angel’s eyes ran over Nikki, taking in the stiff set of her shoulders as she stared him down. He’d never known her to be this angry. No, angry wasn’t the word. She was furious as her eyes darted to him then just as quickly zoomed back to Carmen. When Carmen continued to lounge on the sofa as if she was in no particular hurry to move, Nikki took a step towards her.

 
 
 
 
“Did you hear me? Get your ass up and get the hell out of my house,” she snapped.

 
 
 
 
Carmen flicked a lock of her hair over her shoulder with an air of unconcern. “From what I’ve gathered, this isn’t your home any longer, is it Nicole? Correct me if I’m wrong, but you moved out and left Angelo, did you not?”

 
 
 
 
Nikki‘s eyes sizzled. “Whatever goes on between Angel and myself is none of your business. But I will correct you on this. There’s only room for one woman in this house and in
his
life.” Her head gestured in Angel’s direction, but Nikki kept her eyes on Carmen. “Now, until he and I decide otherwise, you’re looking at her. He got rid of your ass for a reason, and that reason was me. If you need to hear it from Angelo then ask him,” Nikki sneered.

 
 
 
 
Seemingly uninterested in the conversation the two women were having, Angel sighed when two pairs of feminine eyes turned his way. One set showed indignation at being spoken to in such a manner and the other reflected a cool confidence that fascinated him. It was almost as if Nikki was daring him to dispute anything she’d just said.

 
 
 
 
Angel’s gaze drifted over her glowing brown complexion. His wife's beauty was exotic and mysterious, not overly glamorous like Carmen’s. Nikki revealed just enough to leave a man intrigued and wanting to find out exactly what it would take to make her dissolve into a river of flowing, hot lava in his arms. She was the kind of woman men looked at and just knew she had good pussy. It was her walk and the sexy sway of her hips that invited a man's gaze to follow as if hypnotized by the way she swung them. He'd seen the way men watched her with covetous eyes.
 
Angel had slept with a lot of women, but the moment he had Nikki, he’d been sprung, ruined for anyone else but her.

 
 
 
 
“Well?” she practically spat out.

 
 
 
 
Angel raised a brow at her tone. Knowing he would incense her even further, he ignored her question and asked one of his own. “So, you’re finished with your business?”

 
 
 
 
Nikki’s eyebrows bunched together at his evasiveness. She folded her arms and angled her body in his direction. “Angel, as I stated, when I first came in, you and I need to have a discussion, and I'd like to have it in private.”

 
 
 
 
Angel cut his eyes away from her, picked up his empty tumbler and walked over to the bar to pour himself another drink. “Oh, I agree. We do need to talk. In fact, that’s exactly what I was trying to accomplish earlier when we spoke on the phone but you made it seem as if you’d be tied up all night.”

 
 
 
 
In no hurry, he took a sip of his drink before he fixed her with a direct stare that told her he was tired of bullshitting around. “Have things changed?” They both knew the question was a double sided one.

 
 
 
 
Nikki understood what he was asking her. Her eyes fluttered from his for a brief second before she lifted her chin. “Possibly.”

 
 
 
 
Angel’s lips tightened. He didn’t want possible. He wanted to know once and for all if he needed to make the call he’d planned on making in the morning to speak with his attorney. His eyes went to Carmen. No matter his problems with Nikki, no other woman came close to being her equal in his life, a fact in which the other woman was well aware of.

 
 
 
 
“Carmen I’m going to have to cut our evening short.” His eyes slid back to Nikki. “It would seem my wife and I have some things we need to talk about. Dre will take you back to your hotel.”

 
 
 
 
Carmen stood up and made a sound of disbelief. “Angelo, I can’t believe you’re letting her just walk into your home and…”

 
 
 
 
“Excuse me?” Angel tilted his head and squinted. His expression said he couldn’t have possibly heard her correctly. His voice never rose, but the tone took on a harsh edge. “You can’t believe….what?” he slowly asked her.

 
 
 
 
Carmen’s mouth snapped shut, running her fingers through her hair nervously. Nikki almost felt sorry for her, but since she’d decided to stick her hand into the mouth of the lion, it was up to her to ease it out without getting it bit off. Years ago when Nikki first saw Carmen and Angel at
DWC
's charity function, he’d treated her as if her only role in his life was to do his bidding without question. At the time, she’d admonished Angel for speaking to her that way, but that was the nature of his relationship with her and the rest of his women at the time.

 
 
 
 
Nikki came along and shattered that mold with a quickness.

 
 
 
 
Carmen stuttered and her eyes beseeched Angel to forgive her. “I’m sorry, Angelo, I…” She looked at Nikki. Apparently deciding to leave with whatever dignity she had left, she tossed her hair and slipped her heels on. Pulling her lips into a carefree smile, she picked up her purse and walked over to Angel with a stride any supermodel would envy. “It was good seeing you again,
papi
.” Angel bent his head as she reached up to kiss both sides of his cheeks. “If you need me…” she whispered.

 
 
 
 
“He won’t.” Nikki was quick to check her and set her straight.

 
 
 
 
Carmen muttered something in Spanish and walked towards the door. As she passed Nikki, she paused, and deciding she had nothing to lose, told her “If you ever let him go again, I will fight with everything in me to make him mine. It takes a special woman to accept Angelo the way he is. I’ve always done so. You need to ask yourself if you can.”

 
 
 
 
The two women stared at one another before Nikki gave a small, almost imperceptible, nod. “Goodbye, Carmen.”

 
 
 
 
“Goodbye, Nicole.” She blew Angel a kiss. “
Adios
, papi.”

 
 
 
 
Silence blanketed the room after she was gone. Now that the rush of adrenalin in her veins had eased, Nikki was a little hesitant as to how to proceed from here. One look at Angel’s face told her he wasn’t going to be much help, so she forged ahead and asked the question uppermost in her mind.

 
 
 
 
“Were you going to sleep with her?”

 
 
 
 
The corner of Angel‘s eye twitched. “Is that the only reason why you came over? Because you thought I was going to fuck Carmen?”

 
 
 
 
Nikki‘s eyes widened. “Listen to yourself! How can you sound so blasé? You went out with another woman, Angel! You brought her back to our home!” She flicked her hand towards his shirt. “Lipstick on your collar…she was on her way to undressing you if I hadn’t walked in when I did! And you were going to let her?”

 
 
 
 
The icy veneer surrounding Angel developed a slight crack as his eyes flashed green fire. “You act like the conversation between us earlier never transpired, Nikki. Now…I don’t know what you heard, but to me, it sounded like you were telling me you weren’t willing to continue with this marriage. Am I wrong?”

 
 
 
 
Nikki avoided his eyes and shifted from one foot to the other. “I never said that.”

 
 
 
 
The crack spread, shattered, and exploded. “You're playing games with me, Nicole,
trying to fuck with my head!” Nikki jumped when he slammed the glass down on the bar. “Please,
please,
don’t make the mistake of thinking you can pull my string when the mood strikes and make me jump like some mindless puppet!
Please
tell me you know me better than that.”