Submitting in Vegas (Vegas Morellis 3)

I halt in front of the table, pen poised over paper, and open my mouth to ask what they’d like—but not a single word comes out. The table I walked away from had two people seated there—Rafe and the pretty blonde he brought in to torture me with.

Now there are four people at the table. Rafe is still alone on the right-most side of the booth, the blonde woman is still seated beside him, but on her other side is a gorgeous, sophisticated-looking man with dark eyes and even darker hair, and beside him is rougher-looking man. One side of his face is scarred, and—

My thoughts freeze as their physical presences begin matching up with photographs in my mind.

Mateo Morelli. Adrian Palmetto.

This is Rafe’s family from Chicago.

And Mateo has a beautiful, blond wife…

I gasp, looking at her with much less murdery eyes. “You’re Mia!”

Her blue eyes widen, like she doesn’t understand what’s so exciting about that. “Yes?”

“You’re Mia, that’s why he—and you’re—you’re married to him.” I look at Mateo, and word vomit just spills right out of my mouth. “I could just hug you. Thank you for being her husband.”

Mia frowns at me, sliding her arm possessively around Mateo like she’s not sure what to make of me, but I better not even think about hugging her man.

Oh, this is rich.

While the three strangers stare at me, Rafe has his head down, laughing his ass off.

I want to yell at him for being a jerk, but I’m too relieved, and I can’t get the smile off my face. When he finally comes up for air, his brown eyes glistening with mirth, I want to jump in his lap, smack him right in the face, and then kiss him. “You’re a jerk. You could have just told me that.”

“I could have, but this was more fun,” he says, still grinning at me like the rogue he is. Now that his joke has run its course, he gestures toward their much fuller side of the booth. “Virginia, this is Mia Morelli.”

“I gathered,” I say dryly. Then, much more politely, I smile at her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m sorry about that before. I had a stroke. I’m all better now.”

Rafe smirks. “And this is her husband, my cousin, Mateo. And down there, that’s her second husband, Adrian.”

I lift my eyebrows, but before I can take his words to heart, Mia jumps in to explain, “He’s joking. One husband. Just Mateo. Adrian is his—our best friend. He has a wife. It isn’t me.”

Pointing toward the bathroom, I ask, “Should I wait for her?”

“Oh, no, she’s not here tonight,” Mia explains, apparently the family speaker, at least for tonight. “She’s watching our babies at Rafe’s house.”

Married with babies. I knew that, but the reminder soothes my soul. I want to hug everyone at the table. I mean, I know Rafe does have affection for her, but that doesn’t matter. If she had been his date, that would have mattered.

I look back at that dastardly man and he’s still smirking, his dark eyes shining with amusement. God, he’s such a troublemaker. I want to loop my arms around his neck kiss his perfect mouth.

Shake it off, Virginia.

This is not the first impression I wanted to make on his family, but here we are. I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m just some waitress to them. Still, would have preferred to land on a stronger foot.

Oh well.

I put the orderpad and pen back in my apron. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Rafe has told me so much about you.”

Adrian cocks an eyebrow. “He’s told his waitress so much about us?”

“I’m not just a waitress. I mean, I am, but I’m also a friend of the family. I give all the guys safe rides home when they drink too much. I’m friends with Laurel and Sin, too. Don’t ask Sin to verify that, he’ll deny it. He doesn’t think he has friends. I’m Rafe’s friend, though. Kinda.”

Rafe saves me from rambling. “She’s good people. She spent Christmas with us, so she knows Vince and Carly, too.” Glancing at me, Rafe tells me, “They got in today, too. This city is crawling with my family right now.”

“That must be why Laurel didn’t text me back earlier.”

Rafe nods. “She and Carly went to the party store. Vince and Sin are grilling out for dinner. Laurel invited us, but…” Gesturing to himself and his relatives seated at the table, Rafe says, “It just so happens that not a single one of us should touch food Vince has had access to.”