Breathing a sigh of relief when he heard the faint steps on the nearby stairs and his wife’s melodic voice wafting toward him, Devil felt his shoulders begin to relax. His grin was automatic as he watched Molly ease into the room with them, their daughter tucked against her shoulder.
Yeah, it was a fact, his woman had him by the balls – and he didn’t even care. In the past, Devil had been proud that he’d never allowed any woman to lead him around by his dick. Right up until he’d fallen in love with his Molly. That’s when he’d realized that if a man was with the right woman… his woman, he’d allow her to pull his cock any direction in the world that she wanted to go.
And damn if Molly hadn’t been that woman for him. Then and now.
His smile only widened as Devlynn’s dark head popped up from her mother’s neck as they moved into the room, the alert baby’s attention drawn by the change in scenery.
He was certain that he would never cease to be amazed by the sight of this tiny, perfect little combination of Molly and him. From the moment she’d made her loud, irritated entrance into this bright, shiny new world and screamed her displeasure, this child had held him in her thrall. He was unashamed to admit that he was unapologetically hooked on his gorgeous kid. Her birth had forever changed him and every time he saw her, something deep inside of him warmed.
Not that he’d be sharing that shit with anybody but his wife and his kid. He did have a reputation as a master asshole to uphold and cultivate. No, as far as the rest of the world was concerned, he was still the biggest, nastiest badass corporate takeover genius south of the Mason Dixon line. With a heart of stone and blood like ice, he decimated his competitors with cold skill. That was his story and he was sticking to it.
His wife, he accepted, knew otherwise. And if the amused look in her eyes was any indication, his grandmother saw right through his act, too.
Oh, well, he thought confidently, he’d make sure he was on top of his game before his precious Devlynn began to date. Grunting as his Nana pushed aside the arms he was already holding out to his daughter, he sighed as the elderly woman pushed herself out of her comfortable chair and couldn’t help laughing. Kathleen Delancy might have most of the world fooled into thinking she was just a harmless, feeble geriatric, but he knew better. When it came to claiming time with her one and only great granddaughter, Kathleen Delancy had the strength of an NFL linebacker and the cunning of a fox entering the hen house. In short, grandma got game.
Reaching automatically for her favorite little person in the world, Nana cooed, “Come to your nanny, wee one. It’s been a whole three days since I’ve held ye in me arms and they feel empty without me little darlin’ in ‘em. I think ye papa has been tryin’ to keep ye all to hisself, hasn’t he?”
Knowing he’d lost his chance to spend time with his tiniest fan, Devil watched as Molly laughingly handed over their only child to the woman who’d raised him. He’d simply have to console himself by copping a feel of his wife. Slipping one arm around Molly’s waist, he pulled her back against his chest as he bent to nuzzle her ear. Keeping one eye on his Nana and kid, he murmured, “Well, the good news is that at least if she’s holding Devlynn, she won’t be tryin’ to assault our guests with kitchen implements. Think I should make a grab for the spoon while she’s occupied?”
Turning her head to press a kiss against her husband’s cheek, Molly grinned. “That depends,” she whispered back, “Do you actually need all of your fingers or not?”
“Good point,” Devil averred, rocking his pelvis against the curve of her ass. “Well, now that the old one is occupied and our daughter is in capable hands, I say you and me ditch this party and find a quiet corner to get to know one another again,” he suggested huskily, deeply inhaling Molly’s intoxicatingly unique scent. Vanilla and honeysuckle. It was a smell that went straight to his dick every damn time.
“And poor Nick?” Molly asked softly, inclining her head slightly toward where their unhappy friend sat alone, morose and silent, on the sofa. “What do we do about him?”
“Hell if I know,” Devil grumbled, wondering how much longer Sofia and Gino Santino were gonna keep them all waiting. “Hopefully, in a couple of hours, we can come off his suicide watch. Speaking of, where’d you stash Mr. Bitchy McBitterness? I haven’t heard Armando whine about something in at least a half hour. Did you give into temptation, gag him, and stuff his ass in the pantry?” he asked, perhaps a bit too hopefully. The truth was he loved Armando like a brother, but if the guy didn’t find something better to do with his time than ruin Devil’s chances of getting laid soon, he was gonna have to kill him and put them all out of their misery.
“Hush,” Molly chastised him huffily. “Mannie is just sensitive right now. You know he’s hurting.”
“Yeah, I know. So is Nick. That’s why we’re hosting this little soiree. To get these two little pricks back on the same page,” Devil said as much to remind himself as he was to remind Molly.
Both Devil and Molly turned as they heard Armando stomp into the room, the custom made bells he’d had attached to his Italian loafers heralding his arrival. “Speak of the diva and one shall appear… with bells on,” Devil muttered as Mannie made his grand entrance with a loud, mournful sigh.
“When is this dinner party from Hell going to get underway? I’ve had waxings that were less painful than this little get together you planned, chica,” Mannie questioned Molly as he walked into the living room, steadfastly ignoring his lover staring at him with lovesick eyes from the sofa.
Stepping out of Devil’s arms, Molly frowned at her best friend. “Mannie, you promised if I loaned you that Hermes scarf you’ve been lusting after that you’d be on your best behavior and listen with an open mind to what Nick has to say over a nice dinner among friends. This does not sound like an open mind to me. That sounds like I might need to get my scarf back,” she accused, propping her hands on her hips as she tapped her foot against the tiled floor.
“You’re just jealous that I can pull off this look better than you,” Mannie declared dismissively, toying with the silk sapphire scarf tied around his neck like an ascot. I make this look good.”
“You make everything look good, Tesoro. So perfect, you could have been sculpted by Michelangelo,” Nick stated tenderly, staring at Armando from his seat before slowly rising to cross the room. “You never fail to steal my breath.”
“Ha!” Mannie spat, tossing his head back as he crossed his arms over his chest. Dressed in a casual white linen suit, he looked every inch the GQ Model he’d once been. “I might have believed those lines before I found out what a lying liar you were, but no more! Armando is smarter than you have ever given him credit for being!”
“Aw, Christ, Molly,” Devil groaned, frowning at the two men in the center of the room. “He’s talking about himself in the third person again. You promised me you talked to him about that. I clearly remember you offering him a raise with my hard earned money if he would refrain from doing that. I also recall that he took the money!”
“I really think that’s the least of our worries, Devil,” Molly whispered violently, smoothing her hands nervously up and down the navy pencil skirt she wore. Taking a half step toward the couple, she said, “Now, boys, let’s keep it civil here. We’re here today to try to clear the air, remember?”
“And that’s exactly what I’m doing,” Mannie returned snottily. “Unlike some, I don’t believe in blowing smoke up someone’s ass and telling them just what they want to hear. Armando tells the truth. The whole truth! And nothing but the TRUTH! Even when it hurts. Even when it kills. Armando tells truth,” he concluded, appearing to take smug delight in the pained look blanketing Nick’s face.
“Baby, I have never lied to you….” Nick began to explain, trying to catch Mannie’s hand in his before the ex-model took a step back and shook his head.
“No! This is biggest lie you have told yet! Step back, you lying liar before the lightning strikes me by mistake!” Mannie yelled, the soun
d disturbing the normally calm Devlynn where she laid in Nana’s arms.
“Alright, children,” Nana said, holding her grandbaby closer as she moved to the arguing men. “That’ll be enough out of both of ye,” she scolded, her Irish accent thickening. “I’ll beat ye both ta death with me spoon if ye scare this bairn again!”
“And if she doesn’t kill you, I promise you, I will,” Devil growled, his gaze narrowing on the two men now glaring at each other.
“Lo siento, abuela,” Mannie apologized remorsefully, hanging his head as his own Spanish accent grew more pronounced.
“I’m sorry as well, Mrs. Delancy,” Nick added respectfully. “I forgot myself for a moment. I shouldn’t have said anything with a child in the room.”
Rolling his eyes, Devil shook his head at his employee. “Hey! Your future groom started it, man,” he consoled Nick, clapping the man on the shoulder.
“Devil!” Molly hissed when Mannie’s eyes bulged.
“Judas!” Mannie hissed at Devil. “I knew you were on his side! You are traitor, Devil Delancy. I wonder if Nicholas will arrange your schedule just the way you like it. Perhaps Nicholas will make sure that you always have your favorite coffee in the morning. I bet Nicholas will run interference between you and all those ex-hoes that flutter around you….”
“Excuse me!” Molly yelped, turning sharply to face her husband. “What ex-hoes?”
Shifting his attention from his irate wife to a hapless Nick, Devil ground his teeth together. “Do you absolutely have your heart set on this guy, man? ‘Cause I gotta tell ya, he’s living on borrowed time if another stupid comment like that comes out of his trap,” Devil threatened before focusing on his wife. “Baby, I promise you’re the only hoe in my life,” he attempted to sooth.
“Somehow I don’t think that remark is going to help you, Dev,” Nick muttered under his breath.
“It won’t,” Molly agreed, before lifting her chin and squaring her shoulders. “We’ll be discussing your hoes later, Devil Delancy.”
“You are so going to pay for this,” Devil hissed at an unconcerned Armando.
“My boss pays very well. I can afford it,” Mannie returned, blinking owlishly at their irritated host.
Clearing her throat, Molly interrupted, “For now, I think our company has arrived,” she informed the group, gesturing with one hand at the Cadillac pulling into their driveway outside the house. “Nana, would you mind taking the baby upstairs to the nursery and staying with her. I don’t want her little ears to fall off from the things she might hear this afternoon.”
“What company?” Mannie asked with a suspicious look at Molly. “You said that Vivian and Sami had other plans,” he continued as Nana passed him on her way up the stairs.
“Mannie, you know how you’re forever telling me that it is so much easier to ask for forgiveness than to beg for permission?” Molly asked as the doorbell pealed in the foyer.
“Si,” Mannie answered slowly.
“Well, I finally understand what you mean, sweetie.”
Chapter Nine
Molly
Hurrying past a confused Armando and an uneasy Nick, Molly followed after Devil. She pasted what she hoped like hell was a welcoming smile on her face and walked into the foyer to greet their guests. “Hello,” she greeted the older couple that stood on their threshold. “You must be Mr. and Mrs. Santino. I’m so grateful that you accepted our invitation. I’m Molly Delancy and you’ve already met my husband, Devil,” she said pleasantly, extending her hand.
“Yes,” Sofia Santino replied, somehow managing to look down her nose at Devil even though she was several inches shorter than him while shaking Molly’s hand. “I met your aptly named spouse several years ago. He doesn’t appear to have changed very much,” she continued haughtily, looking Devil over with an exacting eye.
“Oh, now, Sofia. I’ve changed. I’m a whole lot less patient with rude folks that ought to have learned better manners given their social standing,” Devil returned icily.
“Oh, good! We’re already on a first name basis with each other, too,” Molly tittered. Dropping Sofia’s hand, she reached for Gino Santino next. “And you must be Nick’s father. Gino, isn’t it?” she questioned quickly before her husband could continue insulting Sofia. The old witch deserved it, she thought angrily, but they were here to try and repair Nick and Armando’s relationship. These two uptight assholes were part of that pivotal plan whether they wanted to be or not. Therefore, she couldn’t allow her husband to decimate those thirty seconds after arrival before the meal and peace talks even got underway. Maybe by dessert, though, if their attitudes didn’t improve.
Gino took Molly’s hand in his, shaking it gently and smiling. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Delancy. My son told us that Devil had married, but he neglected to tell us how beautiful you were.”
Probably because I don’t have a penis, Molly thought silently even as she blushed and smiled at the older man. He didn’t seem quite so bad. Perhaps, there was a bit of hope on the horizon. “Thank you, sir. And please, call me Molly. And come in. Welcome to our home,” she continued, gesturing for them to precede she and Devil into the formal living room. “Nick and the others are waiting inside for us.”
“By others, you mean….” Sofia broke off meaningfully.
“I mean that he is waiting with his fiancé, Armando,” Molly acknowledged softly, carefully keeping her face expressionless as she stared down the older woman.
“I will thank you not to refer to that man as my son’s anything,” Sofia ordered sharply, stiffening as she glared at Molly.
Sighing heavily, Gino looked at his wife. “Sofia, we spoke of this already. You will be civil and not offend our hosts with rudeness. Let’s just go inside and hear what our son has to say,” he suggested reasonably, placing a guiding hand on his wife’s lower back. “How can I convince you to remain quiet for long enough to get the facts, wife?”
“Might I suggest a muzzle,” Devil offered with a graciousness that pulled a faint smile to Molly’s lips even as she painfully pinched his side in warning.
“Will you please behave?” Molly beseeched her husband as she turned to hiss against his ear. “We’ve got one chance to get this right or Mannie lives in our guestroom indefinitely!” she reminded him in a violent whisper as the other couple walked ahead of them into the other room.
“Fine! I’ll rein it in, but you should know that holding back is definitely not good for my digestion,” Devil complained in a low voice.
“Think about what having Armando as a permanent houseguest will do to it,” Molly volleyed back menacingly, lifting both her eyebrows as she shot her husband an eloquent look.
Molly ignored whatever her husband continued to unhappily mumble and sped into the living room, relieved to find that there hadn’t been any bloodshed. Of course, the afternoon was young, but she was making a choice to remain positive.
“Mother. Father. I’m pleased you made it here safely,” Molly heard Nick address his parents as he turned to face them, blocking Mannie from Sofia’s fuming gaze.
“Estos son tus padres?” Mannie questioned Nick in horror. “You brought them here, su madre y padre? Por que?” he asked frantically.
“If it wouldn’t be too much of an imposition,” Sofia Santino began snidely, “Would you please ask your….friend to use English? He does know English, doesn’t he?” she asked, making no attempt to hide the mockery in her tone. Clearly, she believed Armando to be beneath her.
Witnessing Nick’s now flushed face and his clenched jaw, Molly jumped in. “Of course, he speaks English! Our Armando graduated from Penn with a degree in business administration. He just vacillates between Spanish and English when he’s nervous or stressed,” she defended her friend sharply.
Not bothering to even look at Mannie, Sofia lifted her chin. “Oh, really. I was under the impression that he was a model,” she returned, spitting out the word ‘model’ like it was poison.
“Modeling
is how I worked my way through university,” Mannie responded with quiet dignity.
“Mother, I warned you on the phone, you will be civil or leave. It’s your choice. One more rude remark to the man I intend to marry and I will personally see you out,” Nick warned, his shoulders stiffening as his dark eyes bored into his mother.
“Yes, Sofia,” Gino added, glaring at his wife, “And I, for one, want to understand what the hell is going on here. For the sake of our boy, Sofia, just open your mind and ….”
“I think it is obvious what’s happening here,” Sofia countered, looking from her son to the man she held responsible for her family’s current woes. “This…. This person has obviously brainwashed our son.”
“Alright, Mother, let me try to explain this to you in terms that you’ll understand,” Nick began tightly, balling his fists at his side even as Molly witnessed Armando placing a calming, supportive hand at his shoulder. “To be brainwashed, this would mean that I had no control over my choices or actions. I assure you, it was my choice and my honor to love and be loved by this man,” he stated in a voice brimming with pride and dignity as he took Mannie’s hand and tugged him to stand beside him. “The way I choose to live my life and my sexual orientation is NOT a choice! However, I do choose to see it as a gift from God that I received before I even left your womb.”
“A gift!?” Sofia echoed, scandalized and angry as she looked at her son as though he were a stranger to her.
“Absolutely, Mother. Because without being born this way, I’d never have had the privilege of loving and being loved by this wonderfully funny, caring man,” Nick concluded, his shoulders straight and chin high. “I suppose for that I should thank you
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