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 and 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 an issue that’s up for debate.”
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 my finger, Devil.” Holding out her hand in front of her, Molly eyed her digit critically before eyeballing the contents of her cabinets. “Maybe Crisco would be a better lubricant than peanut butter. What do you think, Dev?”
“I think you need to leave my ring right where it is and listen to me.” Capturing her slender wrist, Devil tugged gently until Molly turned to face him. “I’m serious, sweetheart. I’m going with you to church this morning and you are going with me with your finger sporting my engagement ring.” 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 on them during the devotional, Devil? You hopin’ my daddy won’t kill you if he’s sitting in a church pew?”
“I actually 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 magnanimously, 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.
Devil breathed a sigh of relief as the animals dispersed and left him alone with his future wife. Turning her in his arms, he smiled. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. One word from me and you’re kibble for them,” she warned, only half kidding. She was fairly certain that Chanel would try to eat Devil on demand and Coco would feast on his corpse when the dog was done. It would definitely be an ingenious way to get rid of his body if she ever needed it, she thought with a private smile.
“Hell, you’re looking all reflective,” he worried, staring down into her distracted eyes. “You’re at your most lethal when you look like that.”
“Are you scared, Devil?” Molly asked with a mysterious smile, looking up at him through a thick fringe of eyelashes.
“I should be,” Devil rumbled as the desire to claim her lips throbbed within him. “Mostly, though, you just excite me. You have since the day you walked into my office and announced that you would be the best thing that could happen to my business. You were completely wrong about that.”
“Oh, you are a sweet talker, aren’t you?” Molly retorted drolly.
“You were the best thing to happen to me, Molly,” Devil explained, lifting a hand to cup her cheek as he stared into her emerald gaze.
Damn it. How did he do that? One moment she wanted to pluck out his eyeballs and serve them to her pets as a succulent treat, and the next he was melting her heart with the tender things he said. He was an enigma. One that she was pretty sure she’d never fully understand. Variety was said to be the spice of life, though, and he definitely seemed to have a limitless amount of sides to his personality. Boredom seemed like it would be a distinct improbability with him.
“I like it when I’m able to stun you into silence.” Devil smiled. “I always feel like I’ve conquered the universe for a few heartbeats,” he murmured, stroking his thumb along the line of her jaw. “It’s a hell of a high.”
“Enjoy it while you can. I can guarantee you that once you announce our impending marriage this afternoon, nobody will be silent for long. Are you really sure about this, Devil? Once you tell my parents, there won’t be any way for either of us to backtrack unless it’s in a hearse,” she cautioned gravely, leaning slightly against his hand.
Kissing the tip of her pert nose, Devil grinned. “I want you. I want this. I’m not the one that has cold feet here.”
“Maybe that’s because this thing,” she stated, gesturing between them, “It hasn’t been defined.”
“I told you, Molly. I want a real marriage,” Devil reasserted, inching closer to her until their breath mingled. “I want you and me in a committed relationship where neither of us can run. Yes, this began because I wanted to make my grandmother happy during her last days, but I’ve always had feelings for you. Nana just offered me a plausible excuse to make a move.”
“You don’t need to marry me to sleep with me Devil. If that’s all you want…”
Devil’s jaw tightened. “Molly, you’re edging closer and closer to the spanking I promised you last night,” he warned darkly. “Don’t minimize what’s between us to mere sex.”
Why did the mention of a spanking send a pulse of pure wanton desire through her? When had she turned into a freak that liked the threat of discipline being held over her head? She had to regain some control here. “Fine, Devil, I will.” she agreed. “You, however, need to quit romanticizing it,” she ordered, jabbing a finger into his chest. “You’re horny. You’re not in love,” she accused tersely. She needed to remind herself of that fact as much as she needed to advise him. It would be too easy to get lost in those twin pools of blue sea currently staring at her. She wouldn’t forget that she needed to guard her heart from him. “This marriage is a business deal,” she reminded him. “It has a start and finish date - no matter how real it does or doesn’t get inside the bedroom.”
“We’ll see,” Devil replied blandly, stroking her smooth cheek once more before taking a step back and glancing at the gold Rolex on his wrist. “We need to get moving if we’re going to get there on time. Are you just about ready? You already look beautiful,” he remarked, eyeing the teal sheath dress she wore appreciatively.
Straightening the seams of the dress’s pencil skirt, she nodded. “I just need to grab my sweater,” she murmured, uncomfortable with his praise. The dress fit her well, clinging to her curves in all the right places, but she always felt a little fat when she wore something form fitting. It seemed like no matter how much she dieted or tried to diet, the calories seemed to lodge themselves in either her hips or breasts.
Devil caught her wrist when she would have turned away from him and frowned. “Molly, look at me,” he urged. Waiting until she lifted her eyes to his, he repeated, “You look beautiful.”
“I look plump and curvy,” she retorted through barely moving lips, “But, I appreciate you saying that.”
Tightening his hand on her wrist, he held her immobilized when she would have taken a step away from him. “I don’t just say what people want to hear, Angel. I mean the words that I speak.” Witnessing the deep red blush that began to stain her fair complexion, he frowned.
Molly avoided his gaze, staring at the floor. “People are going to laugh their asses off when this gets out, Devil. I’m not the kind of arm candy that you’ve been sporting around for the last year. There’s nothing model-like about me. I don’t have the bloodline of a thoroughbred. I’m an average woman from a nice family. I haven’t made my name in the business world or on a runway somewhere. Don’t you understand that I am going to feel like an alien in your world? No one is going to accept that I had that little something extra it took to land the great white whale. I’m not even sure how your grandmother is buying this. I’m pretty certain my parents never will.”
“Then I’ll have to convince them the same way I’ll convince you. Time, hard work and perseverance,” he replied steadily.
“Good luck, Devil,” Molly replied with a sad smile.
“When I figure out who took a wrecking ball to your self-confidence, I’m going to kill them,” Devil growled under his breath, finally releasing her so that she could go get her sweater.
“I have plenty of confidence,” Molly returned over her shoulder as she reached into the coat closet and pulled out a cream cardigan, slipping it around her shoulders. “I’m just a realist that can recognize things for what they are.” Currently, she wished he’d recognize that this conversation was making her wish the Earth would swallow her whole and let it go.
“I do, too,” Devil replied, crossing the room to join her by the door. Cupping her upper arms in his hands, he stared into her slightly distrustful eyes. “I don’t lie. I have no problem calling a spade a spade. You, Molly, are one of the most gorgeous creatures that I’ve ever encountered. Convincing you of it will be my pleasure.” He brushed a chaste kiss against her dry lips. “Now, let’s go and get our day started. We have an engagement to announce,” he suggested, gently easing her toward the door.