Page 95 of Angel

ROXY

‘Ican pull up to Rosedale Manor under the guise of checking on my mum,’ I suggested, as we cleared the dinner plates and took them into the kitchen. ‘I’ll hunt for evidence in Reese’s private office.’

Angel paused as he loaded the dishwasher.

‘That’s a high-stakes play, Rox. You sure you’re ready to risk it?’

‘I lived in that fortress for years, remember?’ I shot back, lifting my chin. ‘I can get into his workspace and run rings around his security detail.’

Without warning, he reached out and stroked my cheek, which made my pulse glitch for a beat.

‘Be careful, babe. Your dad plays dirty.’

‘Babe’ was back, sending tendrils of sensation down my spine.

‘I’ll make certain to go when he isn’t home.’ I said, tilting my head back to gaze into his eyes. ‘Now how about we wipe out all bad memories of Reese with late-night ice cream and a movie?’

Angel’s eyes lit up.

‘Now you’re talking darlin’.’

He released me, and we raided the freezer and headed out with our individual cartons of delicious goodness.

‘So wrong scoffing ice cream after dessert,’ I muttered, licking salt and caramel vanilla off my spoon.

‘Who cares?’ Angel grinned, downing another spoonful of chocolate fudge.

This man.

We moved to the living area and selected ‘Knives Out’ with Daniel Craig.

We chuckled at the antics of the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc as he sifted through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies.

Soon, Angel set aside his empty carton and nestled into the pillows on the divan.

In minutes, he fell fast asleep against the cushions, crashing out.

I leaned my chin on my palm, observing his resting features in the dim glow of the television screen.

It still struck me as surreal that this magnificent, rugged man was my actual husband.

His thick eyelashes cast long shadows across his cheekbones, his jawline looking carved from granite even when he was dead to the world.

At eleven o’clock, when the movie ended, I shook his shoulder.

‘Hey, honey. Wake up. Time for bed.’

He blinked, rubbing his face as he stood up.

‘Yeah sure.’

He prowled by my side down the quiet corridor toward our bedrooms.

We halted outside my door and locked eyes.

His were sleepy-sensual-heated, and I got hit with a wave of need.

He raked me from head to toe and then caged me into the door, one palm flat on the surface.