“I don’t have a hair-trigger temper,” Molly mumbled, blinking back tears as she listened to his praise. Oh, Lord, the man was going to make her cry again.
“Only for me, sweetheart,” Devil teased.
“Well, you antagonize me,” Molly huffed, almost hearing the smile in his voice.
“I can’t help it. When I get you riled up, those pretty green eyes of yours sparkle like emeralds. I’ve spent the last year living for those moments, Molly.”
“I want to believe that,” she divulged shakily, twisting her hands in the bedspread covering her legs. Giving voice to that one simple truth caused her insides to quake.
“You’ve no reason to distrust me, angel. For as long as you’ve known me, have you ever caught me in a lie before now?” he asked patiently.
“No,” she confessed, realizing that he had asked her that very question more than once recently. “But, you’ve never really wanted anything from me before this week either.”
“That’s fair. Honestly, though, we both know that you’re going to marry me, Molly. Your sense of duty won’t let you do anything else any more than mine will. Why would I lie now? What do I have to gain by pouring out my heart here? Well, other than you, that is.”
“I don’t know,” Molly returned softly. God, she wanted to believe him. Devil was everything she’d ever wanted, but if this was just some passing flirtation for him, she could end up with nothing but a shattered heart. “I guess after watching you manipulate entire boards of directors into doing your bidding for the past year, I’m skittish. I’ve seen the damage you do in business, Devil. You can be ruthless. I don’t want to end up one of your casualties.”
“You think I’d hurt you?” Devil asked hoarsely.
Closing her eyes, Molly winced as she heard the twinge of horror in his question. That hadn’t been exactly what she meant. “Not deliberately, Devil. Grant would kill you. You have to try and understand. I’m not in your league. Even if I wanted to make a go of this m-m…”
“The word is marriage, Molly.”
“Even if I wanted to try things the way you wanted me to do them, I wouldn’t know how. I’m a normal girl. I grew up in a normal neighborhood with a normal family that lived comfortably, but within their means. As you’ve pointed out multiple times, you’re a millionaire several times over, Dev. Our lifestyles are nothing alike. You dropped half a million dollars in my bank account like it was play money. I never expected to make that much in the next twenty years. We’re too different to even try to make this work.”
“That’s crap, Molly. I came from the same place you did. The same damn street, as a matter of fact. I watched you grow up. I was there with Grant the day you learned to ride a bike… to shoot a gun. I’m the same man now that I’ve always been. Yeah, I have more money, but I’m still the same person that used to show up for pot roast Thursdays at the Ramsey house. I haven’t changed that much.”
His words were true, but her emotions were still wavering uncertainly. “I don’t know.”
“I do. Trust me.”
“I want to,” Molly admitted softly, looking down again at the ring on her finger, the lamplight bouncing off the diamond and making the gem sparkle. She hadn’t dared take it off her finger earlier, afraid that the valuable jewel would vanish into the mist.
“I can give you anything you’d ever want, Molly,” Devil offered gently. “Give me a chance.”
“Not everything has a price tag, Devil,” Molly responded, her voice cracking as tears welled in her eyes. He couldn’t buy love, and while he already had hers, she didn’t possess his.
“Molly, I know…”
“I’m tired, Devil. We’ll talk about this tomorrow, okay?” Molly interrupted, suddenly needing to put a distance between them.
“Alright, honey,” he conceded reluctantly. “At least tell me you like the ring, Mols,” he implored softly. “If you really don’t care for that one, we can find one that suits you. I just hoped…”
Lifting her left hand, Molly stared again at the twinkling jewel on her finger. “I love the ring, Devil. No woman could ever not love this ring. Besides, you said it would make Nana happy.”
“It will thrill Nana to see somebody she loves wearing that ring again,” Devil agreed. “More than that, however, it makes me happy seeing you wear it. I’m glad you love it.”
Molly’s lips lifted in a half-smile. She could recognize that Devil was trying to be more open with her. He wasn’t a man that talked about how things felt. He’d always been more of a man of action than words. So far, however, all that his actions had indicated was that he was a horny guy in desperate need of a wife to assuage his guilt where his grandmother was concerned.
She couldn’t afford to lose sight of that fact. If there was a snowball’s chance in hell that she could make this work with him, she had to move carefully. That meant not showing him how deeply she felt until she was sure he also wanted her for her.
“I’m very tired, Devil. Goodnight,” she murmured softly.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Sweetheart.”
Molly held the phone in her hand long after the call ended. Lifting her eyes toward the ceiling, she sighed. “I know I asked for a sign, Lord, and I thank you for answering my prayer. The next time, could you please just make it a little less ambiguous?”
As she slid deeper into the bed and pulled the covers over her, she hoped it was her overactive imagination that made hear what sounded like low laughter outside her bedroom window.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Sunday morning dawned bright, sunny and clear. As she stared out the kitchen window at the cloudless sky, Molly knew the Lord was mocking her. While her life was in turmoil, the weather outside was the stuff of which dreams were made.
Muttering to herself, she dumped the tepid remainder of her coffee down the sink and rinsed it out before trudging to the bathroom to touch up her makeup. Reapplying her lipstick, she sighed. She looked like she felt. Tired, stressed and overwhelmingly crappy.
Momma was gonna notice the bags under her eyes straight off. No amount of concealer could fill those craters. That was bad since her mother had a strict policy that no matter how bad you felt, you showed up for Sunday services polished, friendly and looking your best for God… and whatever unsuspecting, single, successful Baptist she could throw in her unmarried daughter’s path. And even though her parents had returned from vacation late the evening before, she was certain they would be at church that morning. They hadn’t missed a service for anything less than hospitalization in their lives, after all. And her mother’s desire to match her up with the first available young man was legendary.
At least those well-meaning ambushes would end soon, she thought as she glanced at the shining ring on her finger. “Okay,” she muttered, pulling at the band as she tried to slip it off her finger, “This has to go. Momma will spot this rock at twenty paces,” she ground out as she yanked harder at the ring. “No,” she moaned, “Don’t be stuck! Don’t be stuck!” Molly continued to plead as the doorbell rang.
Growling in frustration as she continued tugging fruitlessly at the stubborn ring, she headed toward the door. “Who the hell would be up before eight in the morning besides me?” she complained to herself as she reached the living room. She didn’t bother to check the peephole. At this point, she was ready to just invite a serial killer into her nightmare. Yanking open the door, she frowned as she met Devil Delancy’s serene face.
“Good Morning, Molly,” he greeted her with a wide smile, his eyes skating up and down her body. “Something wrong?” he asked as he stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him.
“Devil, what are you doing here?” Molly asked absently as she resumed trying to pull the ring off her finger.
“I think the better question is what are you doing?” he volleyed, watching her bend at the waist and struggle with her finger. “Are you trying to get your engagement ring off?” he asked, unbuttoning his suit jacket an
d settling his hands on his hips as he faced her with a severe look of disapproval on his face.
“Yes,” Molly confirmed through her gritted teeth as she finally gave up and marched toward the kitchen with Devil hot on her heels. “Unfortunately,” she announced, flicking open one of the cupboards and searching for the peanut butter, “The damn thing seems to be welded on my finger. Aha!” Spying the jar of Jiffy, she pulled it into her hand.
Quickly relieving her of the plastic jar, Devil shook his head. “Maybe that’s God trying to send you a message,” he informed her sharply, replacing the peanut butter on the highest shelf of the cabinet where she couldn’t reach it.
“Hey! Give that back, Devil!” Molly glared at her future husband. “I need that.”
“No, you don’t,” Devil denied, slamming the door to the cabinet closed, before decreeing imperiously, “The ring stays on your finger, Molly.” He backed her against the cabinet and caged her with one arm on either side of her body. Leaning forward, he shook his head when she opened her mouth to argue with him. “It’s not debatable.”
Staring up into his face, Molly blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and faced the man determined to torpedo her world with his foolhardy plan to marry her. “Devil, why the hell are you standing in my kitchen before eight in the morning? Don’t you have a corporate takeover to plot or something?”
“Answer my question first. Why are you trying so hard to remove the ring I gave you last night? You haven’t changed your mind, have you?” he asked, leaning closer. “That would force me to remind you just exactly how good we are together, Molly. And today, I made sure I have a condom in my wallet,” he whispered against her ear, nuzzling the vulnerable spot beneath her ear lobe with his nose.
Damn, Molly thought, inhaling the seductive woodsy scent of his aftershave as his lips found the hollow of her neck. Why the hell did he always have to smell so good? She couldn’t afford to get distracted by him and his promises of condom-sanctioned pleasure. She had a ring to hide from her mother, damn it! Pressing a hand against Devil’s white shirt, she pushed him back. “I haven’t changed my mind. Yet.”
Lifting one eyebrow as he stared into her reddened face, a smile hovered at his lips. “They why the rush to remove my ring?”
“Because, in an hour I’m expected to be sitting in the Ramsey pew of Hillhaven Baptist Church. Since my mother and father will be sitting in their assigned seats with their eagle eyes, walking in with a diamond on my finger for them to both spot before I’ve even told them that I’m seeing you would probably be a bit of a mistake,” she explained sarcastically.
“Hmmm,” Devil hummed, straightening and dropping his hands casually in the deep pockets of his tailored slacks. “Might be,” he drawled. “Of course, your bigger problem is probably going to be the fiancé that walks in with you, holding you hand.”
Molly blinked. “What?”
“That’s why I’m here, Molly. I’m taking you to church.”
Molly laughed shortly, shaking her head. “No you’re not,” she scoffed, stepping around him as she resumed pulling on the engagement ring. “Quit wasting time and help me get this thing off, Devil.”
Capturing her slender wrist, Devil tugged gently and turned Molly to face him. “I’m serious, sweetheart. I’m going with you to church this morning.” Waiting until she tilted her face up to his, he smiled. “Now, kiss your fiancé good morning,” he ordered a bare second before his lips covered hers.
Molly opened her mouth to tell him that he’d lost his mind and found herself being thoroughly kissed instead. Gripping his shoulder as he slipped a hand into her hair, she moaned as his tongue sought hers out, exploring her mouth with slow teasing strokes. He tasted like coffee and man, the perfect combination of flavors to wake up her dulled senses.
Nipping her full lower lip gently, Devil lifted his mouth from hers and smiled. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” Molly returned, feeling slightly dazed. She had to shake off this sluggish reaction she had every time he kissed her. She had places to be, people to see, and a momma to deceive, after all. “Devil, what do you mean you’re going with me to church?”
“I think that’s self-explanatory. I will be accompanying you to services this morning, Molly. This is the South, darlin’. Nothing sends a clearer signal than having a beau escort you to Sunday services. I suppose you could say that I’m making my stand.”
“No,” Molly denied as she suddenly realized that he was indeed about to sabotage her Sunday. “No way.” She shook her head furiously. “We are not sending that kind of signal today.”
“Yes, we are,” Devil countered, gripping her hips when she would have walked away from him. “Our wedding needs to happen sooner rather than later, Molly. I’ve managed to keep Nana from spilling our beans so far, but she’s not going to keep quiet forever. She’ll be going home from the hospital tomorrow. You know the first visitor she’s going to have is your mother. We need to tell your parents the truth about us.”
“What version of the truth?” Molly asked tersely. “You just gonna drop this bomb during the devotional, Devil? You hopin’ my daddy won’t kill you if he’s sitting in church?”
“I thought we’d tell them during Sunday dinner,” he suggested evenly, ignoring her sarcastic questions. “Which I assume your mother will invite me to since I’ll be escorting you to church.”
“Boy, you’ve got this all worked out, haven’t you?” Molly grumbled. Obviously, he’d given this some thought. Dissuading Devil from a plan he believed in was a far greater task than she was prepared to undertake. If you looked up stubborn in the dictionary, she was pretty sure his picture would be there beside the word.
“I’m a man that appreciates having a solid plan. We’ll be laying the foundation this morning when we walk in together. Your mother probably won’t even notice the ring.” He shrugged, unconcerned.
“You obviously haven’t spent enough time in my mother’s company recently. She’s made it her personal mission in the past year to find me the perfect man. Strangely, your name has never come up during any of those discussions of potential hubbies,” she informed him with a sweet smile. “Nevertheless, she wants grandchildren. It doesn’t seem to matter to her that she already has a couple; she’s decided that she wants mine. Believe me when I say, she’s gonna notice the ring on my finger and as soon as she sees you, she’s gonna make the correlation between the ring and your sudden appearance in her church. Do us both a favor, Dev. Stay home! We’ll figure out how to tell my parents this afternoon.”
“I’m going with you.”
Growling in frustration, Molly stiffened. “You’re not even a Baptist! Don’t you Catholics have some kinda code about not goin’ into another church?”
“I believe my priest will understand,” Devil replied dryly. Hell, he wasn’t even sure who the parish priest was anymore.
Narrowing her eyes, Molly lifted her chin. “Devil, when was the last time you stood in any church?”
“What year did Grant get married?”
“Oh, Lord,” Molly groaned. “This is just perfect! I’m bringin’ both a non-Baptist and a sinner home to my momma. She’ll be just thrilled.” Honestly, her mother and daddy had always loved Devil. They were proud of all his accomplishments and achievements and considered him one of their own, despite his lapsed Catholic status. She just didn’t know how they’d feel about him joining their family in an official capacity. Momma didn’t approve of Devil’s recent run as resident heartbreaker of Atlanta.
“Your mother knows that I’m a lapsed Catholic, Molly,” Devil reminded her. “You’re just afraid to tell your parents that we’re getting married. Sadly, you can’t avoid it because I’m not going to give you time to find a way to bow out on me. If we tell your parents, there’s no way you’ll stand me up at the altar. Your mother will hold a gun on you herself to keep you there. I do understand your worry about the ring though,” he offered magnan
imously, nodding to her hand.
“So you’ll help me get it off?” Molly asked hopefully, glancing at him.
“No, but I will hold your hand during services to hide it. Your mother won’t see the ring until we’re having lunch,” he declared with a grin.
“Gee. Thanks. You’re a real giver, Devil,” Molly returned tonelessly. Turning toward the living room, she sighed. “I think I liked you better when I thought you were gay,” she added truthfully. The son of a gun had been much more manageable when she’d been living in the land of delusion.
“You weren’t saying that last night,” Devil teased, following her into the living room as Chanel jumped off the sofa and snarled at him. Peering at the Pekingese, Devil shook his head. “What am I going to have to do to get this dog to like me?”
“Try dipping yourself in au jus and serving yourself to him on a bed of rice,” Molly muttered, stifling a giggle when Coco hissed at Dev from her perch on the back of the armchair and drew a startled yelp from the rattled man.
“Jesus, Molly!” Devil growled, grabbing her by the arms and moving her between him and the cat that now stood arching its back. “Do something before that beast pounces on me again. I’ve still got claw marks on my back from last time. Although, in fairness, some of those could have been from you,” he conceded with a faint grin.
Rolling her eyes, Molly battled a smile of her own. “There’s not much I can do for you, Dev. The only thing Coco and Chanel can agree on is their mutual animosity toward you. It bonds them,” she announced proudly as her cat’s paw darted out to swipe Devil’s arm as he pushed her past the couch.
“Your animals need therapy,” Devil growled as Chanel snarled at his feet. “Tell the ankle biter to heel, Molly,” he ordered, holding his breath as the canine’s mouth curled dangerously.
Sighing, Molly looked down at her pets. “Alright, you two. That’s enough,” she chastised the cat and dog. “Go play,” she ordered, making shooing motions with her hands.
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