“Nope, I think it’s a little accurate,” Molly replied sweetly, pushing his hands off her and sweeping past him. She had to get out of his bedroom. She needed to get out of his house. She might need to evacuate his city at this point, she thought a little desperately as she looked around the room for her clothes, kneeling on the floor to peer under the bed.
“I stripped you in the living room,” she heard him remind her dryly from somewhere near the foot of the bed.
Grumbling under her breath, she climbed back to her feet and headed toward the door, nearly screaming when Devil thwarted her plan again by stepping in front of her.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked calmly, blocking her exit.
“Home,” she retorted succinctly. “I can’t reason with a brick wall. Get out of the way,” she ordered sternly.
Crossing his arms over his broad, naked chest, he shook his head. “No. You’re not running away. We have details to hash out between us, Molly. Hiding from me isn’t going to accomplish anything.”
“I’m not hiding,” she ground out. “I’m leaving. There’s a difference.” One that she’d be happy to demonstrate if he’d just get the hell out of her way. Her heartbeat escalated as he merely stared at her, his dark blue eyes glinting with determination.
Molly could feel herself growing hysterical. Confusion and fear mixed with a healthy dose of animal attraction to form a bubble of pure panic in the region of her heart. For years, she’d fantasized about this man… what it would be like to be with him… sleep with him… hell, even marry him.
And now, through some cosmic joke in the universe, it was all happening to her.
Fantasies were supposed to remain in a girl’s imagination where they could create no real havoc. They were not supposed to be staring her in the face, in living color. Things like this did not happen to normal women like her.
“Devil, please get out of my way,” she begged, her eyes filling with unexpected tears as she looked up at him. “Please?” she pleaded weakly.
“I’ll make you a deal,” he offered gently. “You go downstairs and get dressed while I grab some clothes to put on myself. We’ll make a pot of coffee and work things out between us. We’ll talk, Molly.”
“Just talk?” Molly queried suspiciously, not quite trusting him.
“Only talk. As you learned the hard way, I’m not prepared for anything else. At least not for tonight, I’m not.”
“Okay,” she agreed softly. It was the best offer she was going to get from him, and she knew it.
“Don’t make me chase you, Molly,” he warned ominously. “I can’t stop you from bolting if you decide to make a run for it, but I can promise that you won’t like the consequences when I catch up with you. Which I will.”
Meeting his serious gaze, she nodded. She’d seen the lengths Devil would go to for companies he wanted, she didn’t want to think about what he’d be like with the people he wanted to possess. “I won’t run. At least, not yet,” she amended truthfully, ever mindful of her mother’s valuable advice of never making a promise that you’re not willing to keep.
What she felt for Devil scared the hell out of her. Even when she’d been in a committed relationship that she’d thought would end in marriage, she’d never felt like this. She couldn’t promise that her fears wouldn’t cause her to dart at some point. She could only promise she wouldn’t make her grand escape right now. A shaky breath released from her chest when Devil stepped aside and allowed her out of the bedroom, evidently satisfied with her vow.
Sizzle: Chapter Twenty-Nine
Devil took his time coming downstairs, purposefully giving Molly the time she needed to compose herself again.
Hell, he couldn’t blame her. He’d needed a moment to himself, too. Shoving his unhappy libido back in the box and coming to grips with the fact that he needed the stubborn woman as much as he needed to breathe had taken a few minutes. Clad now in faded jeans and a soft cotton tee shirt, he leaned against the doorway to his kitchen and watched her head bend over the cup of hot chocolate she held cradled in her hands, blowing gently on the steaming mug.
“Feeling better?” he asked softly from the doorway. Wincing, he realized he’d startled her when she jerked in the chair and sloshed the hot beverage all over her hand.
“Ow!” Molly hissed, grabbing a napkin from the center of the table and wiping the scorching chocolate off her burning hand. “Jeez! Wear a bell around your neck or something, Devil!”
“Sorry,” he mumbled, crossing the room to take her hand and peer down at it. “You want me to grab some ice?” he asked, eyeing the angry, reddened skin.
“No,” Molly muttered, jerking her hand from his grasp. His touch still produced an uncomfortable effect on her body that she wasn’t ready to examine yet. “I put your coffee on to brew. I decided that I’d rather have chocolate,” she mumbled around the cup as she brought it her lips.
“Thanks.” Pouring himself a cup, he watched Molly out of the corner of his eye. Still pale and nervous, she fidgeted with her mug. “Molly, relax, honey,” he chided as he carried his own mug back across the room to sit in the chair opposite hers. “We’re still the same people we were an hour ago.”
“Yeah, except now you’ve seen me naked,” Molly grumbled under her breath, shifting anxiously in her seat as she felt his eyes smiling at her.
“I saw you naked last night, too,” he reminded her lightly. “You hit me then. At least this is an improvement.”
“The night is young,” Molly countered threateningly. “I’ve still got plenty of time to maim you yet.”
“Maybe we should spend some time focusing on things that I’ll actually let you get away with doing… like setting the terms of our marriage,” Devil suggested evenly. “I believe we had a tentative arrangement regarding its length, and we’d moved onto compensation.”
How could she have just been sprawled naked in his bed mere minutes ago and now be talking about the monetary value he was going to place on their relationship? Molly looked across the table at him with wounded eyes. “Do you really think I’d use this as an opportunity to get paid, Devil?”
“No, I don’t. I don’t think you have a mercenary bone in your body, sweetheart. That just makes me more determined to insure you get what you deserve. I don’t take advantage of people, Molly. Not intentionally.”
“I don’t want your money,” Molly growled into her hot chocolate.
“Tough. You’re getting it,” Devil declared firmly. “I’ve already taken the liberty of pulling your credit report and paying all outstanding debts. As of two p.m. today, you are completely free of any monetary obligations to any creditor.”
Molly’s eyes widened. Had she honestly just heard what she thought she’d heard? “You did what?” she virtually screamed, slamming down her cup. “Who the hell gave you that kind of authority? How in the world did you even get my personal information? Do you even know what a huge invasion of my privacy that is? Are you insane?”
Devil offered her a content smile. “Which question should I answer first?” he mused aloud, tilting his head as he met her enraged eyes. Like twin glittering emeralds, they bore into him. Unconcerned, he stretched his legs out in front of him and rested his coffee cup on his flat stomach. “I think I’ll just go in order.”
“Devil, I own a gun, a shovel, a tarp and duct tape. I am one good alibi away from the perfect murder. Do. NOT. Test. Me.” Molly gripped the edge of the table to keep from wrapping her hands around his neck.
Staring at her, he couldn’t help his involuntary grin. It was little wonder he’d fallen in love with this incredible woman. She was more than a match for him in every conceivable way, unafraid to take him on despite his wealth and power. He couldn’t imagine a time when he wouldn’t have to hustle to stay one step ahead of his ideal match.
“Go ahead, keep smiling,” Molly invited darkly. “We don’t want your final expression to be one of fear when we lay you to rest.”
�
�I apologize, but if you’ll stop being adorable then I’ll stop smiling.”
“Adorable? Really? Puppies are adorable. Babies are adorable. A little old man holding a little old woman’s hand on the front porch is adorable. I am not adorable. Homicidal, on the other hand, is a definite possibility. What did you do, Devil?” she asked, narrowing her green eyes on him as she fought the rising desire to lunge across the table at him.
“I simply took care of a few outstanding debts, Molly. It wasn’t a big deal,” Devil informed her in a bored tone.
“My college loans?” she balked, her eyes widening.
“Paid in full.”
“My condo?” she asked, breathlessly.
“It’s yours, free and clear. The deed should be in your mailbox on Monday.”
“My credit cards?” she questioned weakly.
“Cleared.”
“Devil!” Molly yelled, slapping her hands against the table, “Those were my personal debts! Mine! Not yours. MINE!”
“Only temporarily. In a short time, they would have become our debts. I hate debt. Therefore, I paid them off. Problem solved, bills paid,” he stated simply, lifting his broad shoulders in a shrug. Damn, he had always loved how those milky-white cheeks of hers suddenly flushed to a stunning rosy hue when she was furious at him.
“No!” Molly surged to her feet, fury invading every ounce of her being. Her independence was hers! She had fought tooth and nail to get where she was, damn it, and she wasn’t about to let him swoop in like the Lone Ranger and save the day! She didn’t need to be saved, thank you very much! “The problem is not solved, Devil. You invaded my privacy. You paid debts that didn’t belong to you. I do not need a Sugar Daddy!”
“First off, I did not invade your privacy. The only information I needed to complete the transactions necessary was the information that you provided freely in your employee file. Since I’m the boss, I had all the access I needed.”
“That’s….that’s…”
“Ingenious?” Devil supplied with a lazy grin.
“CHEATING!” Molly yelled. “You can’t use my file to nose into my life. It’s… it’s….it’s got to be illegal,” she argued, stomping her foot against the tiled floor.
“Nope.” Devil shook his head.
“Well, then it’s shady.”
“Not really,” Devil drawled.
“Undo it, Devil,” Molly demanded harshly, dropping her hands to her hips. “All of it.”
“Can’t.” He shrugged again. This time, however, he had the good sense to quell the smile that hovered around his lips. The steady stream of smoke rising from her ears didn’t seem all that funny at the moment. “It’s done, Molly. Just enjoy being debt-free,” he recommended smoothly.
“No! I can’t enjoy being debt-free, you interfering son of an ass! Do you want to know why?” she asked huffily, flapping her arms at her sides. “It’s because I’m not debt free, Devil! I just traded in a bunch of little creditors for one single big creditor. YOU!!” she shouted, jabbing her finger toward him.
How in the world did he suddenly become the evil villain in this morality play? She acted like he’d committed some kind of heinous crime, and he felt himself growing angry. “You don’t owe me anything, Molly. I paid your debts. Consider it an engagement gift.”
“You don’t spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a gift, Devil. I feel like I’ve been bought and paid for, and I do NOT care for the experience,” Molly spat. “You crossed a line. No, wait. You didn’t just cross the line. You firebombed it. Figure out a way to undo this,” she ordered him sternly. “I don’t want to owe you for anything.”
“You’re overreacting and being completely ridiculous, Molly,” Devil growled, coming to his feet with the full power of his convictions behind him. “I’m a millionaire. I can afford to pay a few insubstantial bills.”
Blinking, Molly’s face hardened to stone. “Did you just call me ridiculous? Tell me that I didn’t hear that correctly,” she urged him as her eyes glinted dangerously.
“Would you have preferred that I said you were being childish? They both seem to fit at the moment,” Devil snapped quickly, instantly regretting his word choice as she took a step back from him and he watched a flash of hurt dim her bright eyes. “Molly…” he began to apologize, taking a step toward her.
And in that one moment, Molly realized that her feelings, her needs were seemingly inconsequential to the mega-millionaire standing before her. Throwing up a hand to ward him off, Molly glared at him. “Don’t you dare ‘Molly’ me in that tone. I’m not going to be placated. Why, you ask? The answer is very simple. It’s because I’m not a child nor am I acting childish. I’m angry. Why? Because I’m seriously pissed that a domineering, controlling jerk of a man decided to hijack my fricking life! I’m livid that you went behind my back and made decisions that affected me without having even consulted me. You do not make my decisions, Devil. Not now, not ever.”
“Your independence is that important to you? It was a few bills, Molly, not the national debt,” Devil replied, his jaw clenching. Christ, he had millions. It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford to make her life easier. As his wife, she’d be entitled to half of everything anyway. And he wanted her to have the money! The most he was guilty of was getting a jumpstart on the process of sharing his wealth with her, right?
“They were my bills to pay, and yes, my independence does mean quite a lot to me. I’ve worked hard at getting it. Believe me, it wasn’t an easy task, either, with you and Grant always hovering around me.”
“All either of us ever wanted to do was protect you,” he defended himself immediately.
“I don’t need that kind of protection,” Molly countered, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched him pace.
“Well,” he began with a heavy sigh, “All I can say is that if paying off your debts has pissed you off this much, then, for the love of God, don’t check your bank account.” He turned away from her to pace the length of the kitchen. His shoulders were stiff as he felt her staring at him. He was probably an idiot for even turning his back on her.
When she realized what he’d done, she’d probably plant a knife in it.
Hopefully, she’d be merciful and make it a quick, clean kill. He’d hate to linger.
Sizzle: Chapter Thirty
Molly fumed as she heard his last mumbled remark. Opening her mouth to ask him what he’d done now, she abruptly closed it and opted instead to snatch her cell phone off the kitchen table. She’d rely on her trusty bank app to tell her what she needed to know. Who needed an overbearing giant anyway? Not her, that was for sure.
Tapping in her bank login quickly, her eyebrows furrowed as she stared down at the small screen. Closing her eyes, she felt panic claw at her throat while she tried to process the balance reflected in her personal account.
$500,327.56
In ten lifetimes, Molly knew she’d never have a balance that high in her bank account. There was no way. Ever.
There was only one way she’d ever have that much money in her account, and she was going to marry him.
Lifting her eyes as she dropped the phone back on the table, she stared at her benefactor’s back and wondered at his audacity. Not only had he paid her bills, but naturally, he’d assumed that she was for sale, too.
“Five hundred grand, huh?” she mused softly. “Is that the going rate for a wife, Devil?” she asked, carefully keeping her voice calm and level. “Where did you do your research? Brides R Us? Wife for Hire, Incorporated?”
Turning, Devil eyed her warily across the room. “Don’t be crass, Molly,” he admonished huskily.
“Crass?” Molly cocked her head and smiled blandly. “That’s not crass, Devil. Crass would be if I asked you which part of me you were paying to get? My hand or my pussy? Or, were you hoping you could cut a deal for both. Sort of a “buy one, get one for free sale”?”
“That’s enough!” Devil barked sharply as he spun on his heel to face her. He�
�d be damned if she devalued or debased herself one more time in his presence.
Meeting his glittering gaze, she saw how her questions had enraged him and felt a momentary burst of satisfaction. “What?” she asked innocently.
“Be careful, Molly,” Devil warned, his jaw clenching. “You’re wandering perilously close to pissing me off. I would never attempt to buy you. You are not a whore, and one more remark like the ones you’ve been making is going to force me to take actions I know you won’t appreciate.”
“Like what?” Molly snapped.
“Like turning you across my knee and paddling your ass,” Devil growled, his blue eyes darkening as he stared at her.
“Well, that would cost you extra, honey,” she informed him with saccharine sweetness. “What do hookers charge for BDSM play these days?” Seeing his eyes dilate slightly and his nostrils flare, she knew she’d struck a nerve.
“Molly…”
“Oh, did I go too far, Dev?” she asked with exaggerated patience. “Did that sting a bit? Imagine how I feel! I was bought and paid for,” she yelled, grabbing her phone again and waving it in front of him. “To the tune of half a million dollars! Should I strip right here so that you can get some return on your investment?” she shouted. The longer he stood there like a statue watching her, the more agitated she grew. “Go ahead, say something! Tell me how I’ve misunderstood your intentions, Devil. Tell me how I haven’t just been purchased like some slut standing on the street corner!”
Finally, he opened his mouth to speak.
“Refer to yourself as a whore one more time, Margaret, and I swear to God, you won’t sit for a week. And when I’m done spanking you, I’ll personally hand you over to your big brother and let him take over,” he threatened, his deep voice vibrating with anger as he made his threat.
“I don’t care what you do,” Molly spat harshly. “Just make sure you get your money’s worth out of me. I know how you hate to lose money on a bad business deal,” she sneered while she tried to ignore the burning in her eyes. She would NOT cry, damn it! She would not allow this insufferable prick the satisfaction of making her cry!
The Sizzle Saga Page 17