Submitting in Vegas (Vegas Morellis 3)

“Good. Keep your hands off my wife’s nipples. You’ve done enough.”

“Mm, wife.” Laurel smiles up at Sin, puckering her lips until he leans in and gives her a kiss.

I almost remind him they’re not married yet, but there’s little point poking the bear. The man just sat through watching his woman giving birth to another man’s child—again—so he’s probably low on patience for my bullshit tonight.

“Want me to grab the cover?” Sin asks her.

She shakes her head, looking down at the baby as she tries to get him situated. “He doesn’t like it. I wouldn’t like it either. Who wants to hide under a blanket and eat in the dark?”

“I can throw the cover over Rafe instead,” Sin offers.

Laurel grins. “If he’s offended by my breastfeeding, I support that action.”

I assume they’re joking until Sin starts walking in my direction, then I cock an eyebrow at him. “I have never been offended by the sight of breasts in my life.”

Sin rolls his eyes, grabbing a folder tucked under his arm and flipping it open. “Not that. You got a pen? You need to sign the birth certificate while you’re here.”

Oh, that. I already filled out my first check to Laurel for child support, but I didn’t plan on coming here tonight, so I didn’t bring it with me. I’m not sure I’ll give it to Sin, anyway, since it might annoy him more than anything to be given money for raising my child. Laurel won’t be a pain in the ass about it, so I’ll give it to her once she’s feeling up to an outing. I pay for most things in cash, but I’d like to get that on record. In the limited ways I do respect the law, I want a paper trail to prove it.

I grab a pen out of my breast pocket and uncap it, looking down at the paper as Sin puts it on a hard surface for me. “Too bad there’s no addendum, huh?” I murmur. “Maybe we should tell them this is a group effort and we need another page.”

Sin shakes his head at me. “I don’t need paperwork to tell me I’m a parent.”

3

Virginia

When I come back with the onesie and Rafe’s leftover steak, he’s standing over by Sin, and Laurel’s sister is perched on the edge of her bed, doting on baby Nicholas.

I stopped a nurse for some plasticware and an apple juice—probably an odd pairing with steak, but hell, I work with what I’m given—which I bring over to her now, smiling tentatively.

“Sorry, don’t want to interrupt, just want to feed the mommy.”

“Carly, I love you, but move,” Laurel says immediately.

Carly stands and holds out her hands for the baby. “Want me to hold him so you can eat?”

I glance across Laurel’s bed at Rafe. I had hoped I’d get to see him with the baby, but of course we all want to hog the newborn. Now that Carly is out of the way, I drag the little rolling table over to Laurel’s bedside, pop open the takeout container, open the silverware, and on instinct, I also open the juice before I realize Laurel probably could have done that herself.

“Sorry, I know you’re not an invalid, just force of habit,” I tell her.

Laurel smiles. “Thank you, Virginia. Would you like to hold Nicholas?”

“Oh, yes. I sure would.”

I got shooed out of the room so fast upon entering, I didn’t even

get a chance to look at him, but now I shave off a little piece of my heart to give him, because holy hell, what a sweet little angel.

“He just ate, so he should be happier to see you than he was me,” Rafe remarks, smiling faintly.

I settle Nicky against my chest, looking at his little face for a moment, then I glance up at Rafe. “Well, get over here, then.”

Hands shoved into his pockets, Rafe moves around Sin and makes his way over to this side of the bed. Carly eyeballs him, but he pays her no mind as he comes over to stand beside me. “He’s pretty cute, isn’t he?”

I nod my head. “He most certainly is. Cutest baby award goes to baby Nicholas.”

“He had pretty good genes to work with,” Rafe states.