Submitting in Vegas (Vegas Morellis 3)

Nicholas peers up at me and shoves his small hand in his mouth.

I nod my head. “Sounds about right.”

Laurel smiles and nuzzles him. “He’s lucky Santa came at all, considering he had Mama up all hours of the night.”

Rafe leans over my shoulder to peer down at him, murmuring, “Yeah, we Morelli men tend to keep women up all hours of the night, don’t we?”

I feel my face heat up even more.

Carly calls, “That’s why you get so much coal in your stocking.”

“Not you,” Laurel tells Nicholas, folding the blanket around him and running the back of her finger along his chubby cheek. “You’re perfect. You’re never going to do anything wrong.”

“Oh, boy,” Rafe says, leaning back, apparently done visiting Nicholas, and looking around for a spot. Sin is in daddy mode, so he looks past him to the couch. The only empty spot is next to Vince, so I’m not going to take it. I know Rafe insists Vince isn’t a creep for anyone but his ex, but I’m not trying to sit next to sexual offenders.

“You can sit next to your cousin,” I urge him, so I can sit on the floor at his feet, near Carly.

“Are you going to sit on my lap?” Rafe murmurs.

My eyes widen of their own volition and I look up at him. Since I’m unsure about his family knowing about us, I make a joke. “Are you wearing a red fat suit and a big white beard?”

“No,” he drawls. “That’s a weird fetish, even for me, Virginia.”

Laurel snickers and I feel like my whole face is on fire. Now every joke feels like a flashing sign over my head that we had sex.

Carly roots around under the tree. She made it look really nice last night, but it has all been torn apart, probably while she tried to locate all of Skylar’s gifts in the pile. “Here’s one for you, Virginia,” she says, holding it up.

“Oh. There are actually presents for me? I didn’t realize… Oh, my gosh, I didn’t bring presents, I only brought stuff to make breakfast. I thought it would just be for the kids, I’m so sorry.”

“No, we didn’t expect presents,” Laurel assures her. “We just didn’t want you to feel left out.”

“And of course I got you something,” Rafe tells me.

I’m floored. I look up at him, confused, then back at the present Carly is holding out with a pleasant smile. I take the package and look at it—it’s from Carly, strangely enough. “Well, now I feel terrible.”

“Don’t. Please, if I want something, I just use Vince’s money to buy it, right, Satan?”

“That’s right,” Rafe says easily. “Gold digger logic 101.”

Carly rolls her eyes like his existence disgusts her. “I really didn’t get you anything, though. Not a damn thing.”

“I’m heartbroken,” Rafe says, clutching his heart. “I got you a present.”

“Good,” she says, smiling up at him brightly. “I still don’t feel bad.”

“That’s all right, Vivian, I can afford to buy my own toys,” he says, stepping over a wrapping paper graveyard and walking over to take the seat by Vince.

“Really?” Vince asks. “You’re going to make her sit on the floor, and you’re going to take the couch?”

Rafe quirks a golden brow. “Your wife is on the floor.”

“Because her niece is opening presents,” Vince states. “She wanted to help.”

“Well, Virginia doesn’t want to risk getting pregnant, so I advised her to take the floor.”

Vince glares, and Carly’s head snaps around to point between them. “You two, do not even start. I mean it.”

“You’re the one who gets people pregnant, Casanova,” Laurel informs him, shaking her head. “Vince has never knocked anyone up, and I’m pretty sure when he does, it’ll be my sister.”