Waiting until her daughter had slowly crossed the room and sank into one of the high backed chairs at the round table, Anne crossed her arms over her chest. Watching her little girl’s face carefully, she smiled. “So…Devil Delancy, hmmm?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t love Devil, Momma. You don’t lie any better than I do,” Molly reminded her mother.
“I adore Devil. You, however, are my child. I only always want what’s best for you,” Anne clarified.
“You don’t think that’s Devil?” Molly asked curiously, propping her chin on her hand as she met her mother’s eyes. While she still wasn’t sure about the marriage herself, she was certain her mother would have looked on it as a match made in heaven. “I’m surprised, Momma. I thought of everyone, you’d be the most thrilled. He’s everything you’ve always said you wanted in a husband for me. Handsome, wealthy, affluent,” she recited faithfully, ticking the qualities off on her fingers.
“He’s all those things,” Anne agreed without hesitation. “He also has been known to have a bit of a wandering…”
“Penis?” Molly supplied helpfully, biting back a grin.
Leveling her only daughter with a piercing stare, Anne’s lips turned down. “Margaret, don’t be coarse,” she snapped. “I was going to say eye. He’s been known to have a wandering eye. Everything I’ve seen and read in the paper indicates…well, he gets distracted rather quickly. If you recall, child, chief among the attributes I had wished for in your future husband were devoted, loyal and faithful. Those qualities topped my list for you, did they not? I do not believe you should settle for less than you deserve.”
“Neither do I, Miss Anne,” Devil’s deep voice drawled from the doorway of the kitchen. “Molly will have all three of those qualities from me in spades.”
“Devil!” Both women yelled in unison as the younger man stepped into the room.
“I know your grandmother taught you better manners than to eavesdrop on a private conversation between mother and daughter,” Anne berated the grinning man irritably.
“You’re absolutely right, but I swear that wasn’t my intention. I’d finished my conversation with Walter and was just coming to find my fiancée and my future mother-in-law.”
“Well, wear a bell next time you sneak up on two women talking,” Molly retorted, wrinkling her nose. “It’s rude to linger in doorways and listen while others chat, even if it wasn’t on purpose.”
Anne’s lips twitched as she listened to her daughter put Devil in his place. Approval shined in her eyes as she nodded her agreement with Molly’s statement. “She’s right.”
“She usually is,” Devil conceded, his own grin deepening as Molly rolled her eyes at him. Turning his full attention to Anne, his expression became serious. “Miss Anne, I understand your worry. I had this same conversation with Walter. I promise you that whatever wandering any of my parts did in the past was done the moment Molly and I became serious.”
Lifting her chin, Anne slowly narrowed her eyes. “I’m sure Walter told you that we won’t tolerate our daughter being mistreated or used in any capacity, Devil. I’ll bet he even made a few well-placed threats regarding your continued existence if you harm our little girl in any way, didn’t he?”
“He did, ma’am,” Devil answered truthfully.
Smiling faintly, Anne nodded. “I know my husband better than anyone on Earth. So, let me add to his warning, son,” she stated calmly, taking a step closer to where Devil stood. “Walter would probably be humane and end you with a bullet. I won’t. I’ll roast your body over a low, open flame in the middle of Atlanta for the world to see. It will be a slow, humiliating, painful and extremely excruciating experience. I might not be the one that brought you into this world, but I assure you that I am more than capable of taking you out of it. Am I making myself clear?”
“Absolutely, ma’am,” Devil replied instantly. Of all the foes he had faced in the board room, Anne Ramsey outranked all of them. He knew from childhood experience that her threats were not idle and that she would not hesitate to deliver him to his Maker fried to a fair fricassee.
“Good.” Anne nodded once, then smiled. “Hopefully after you two complete marital counseling down at the church, we’ll all feel much more comfortable about things.”
“Counseling?” Molly and Devil echoed together, the word hanging in the air.
“Yes, counseling. It’s a requirement to be married inside our church, dear,” Anne declared with a shrug, then assured the shocked pair, “Don’t worry. It’s only three one-hour sessions.”
“Who exactly would counsel us?” Devil asked carefully.
“I suppose any pastor affiliated with our church. I know both Pastor Higgins and Pastor Davis both have spoken with couples in the past.”
“Pastor Davis? The man that ate lunch with us?” Devil asked tonelessly.
“Yes,” Anne replied with a nod. “Couples just rave about him. He’s shown a real initiative since the deacons hired him.”
“I bet he has,” Devil muttered, instinctively dropping his hand on Molly’s waist.
Shooting him a dirty look, Molly looked at her mother. “Momma, I’m not sure that Travis would be the ideal candidate to counsel us. The poor man came here this afternoon expecting to date me, and I announced I was getting married. To say he was a little shocked would be a huge understatement. We certainly can’t expect anything. Besides, I’m not even sure we’ll have a church wedding.”
“Of course you will,” Anne retorted, glaring at her offspring in horror. “You’re going to be married in the eyes of God and our church. And the only way for that to happen is to go through the church counseling.”
“But Devil’s a Catholic,” Molly argued quickly, gesturing at her quiet fiancé. The fact that the man was not currently practicing his religion was not helpful at that particular moment. And as far as Molly was concerned, what he did on his Sundays was between him and whatever saint he needed to get in touch with that day.
“Yes, that’s unfortunate,” Anne sniffed. “But this won’t be the first marriage that’s occurred in our church where both parties aren’t of the same faith.”
“Miss Anne, we worship the same God.”
“Devil Delancy, you do not worship at all,” Anne replied evenly, arching one brow. “I believe it would be more accurate to say that you’re a lapsed Catholic.”
“Which means your soul is up for grabs as far as the Baptists are concerned,” Molly warned under her breath.
“Margaret Ellinor!” Anne hissed, shaking her head in wonderment at her daughter. “I don’t care what church Devil worships with as long as he believes.”
“I believe, Miss Anne. And if marital counseling is what it takes to have Molly walk down the aisle with me, then I’ll happily do it with whichever pastor is available. I’ll even contact my priest and see if he would like to come along.”
This time, it was Molly herself who hissed. Like mother, like daughter. “Are you nuts?”
“No, Margaret Ellinor,” Devil replied, drawing out her Christian name with no small amount of humor, “I’m devoted to ensuring our happiness.” Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear, “And if you get your union rep, then I want mine there as well.”
Unaware of the small by-play, Molly’s mother beamed. “Wonderful! Now, that’s settled. When were you two thinking you’d be married? Next spring? Or maybe a summer wedding?”
“No,” Devil denied, shaking his head. “I’d like for Molly and me to be married by Christmas.”
“Oh, we’ll have a whole year to plan. That’s wonderful!” Anne said, obviously relieved.
“No, Miss Anne. You’ve got a month to plan. I want to marry Molly by this Christmas,” Devil clarified, wrapping his arm around Molly’s waist and pulling her closer.
Anne’s eyes widened dramatically as she shifted her gaze back to her daughter, who was apparently avoiding her gaze. “Are you positive you aren’t expecting? This sounds awfully rushed to me.”
“When I make a decision, I don’t believe in waiting,” he interrupted smoothly.
“But, Devil, surely you see that what you’re asking is impossible. Why, there’s the invitations, the dress, the church…. There are entirely too many details to be taken care of to have a wedding by Christmas.”
“Miss Anne, I will put an army at your disposal, but I’ve got to insist that Christmas is the deadline. I want to start the New Year as a married man. I want Molly for my wife by Christmas.”
Pressing her lips together, Anne looked at her future son for a long, tension fraught minute. Finally, she squared her shoulders and nodded her head once. “Don’t blame me when I bankrupt you making this happen.”
“There’s little worry about that, ma’am. I’ve got all the money I could ever need in life. What I need is someone to share that life. Molly is that woman for me. She’s the only woman for me.”
While Molly listened to him allay her mother’s obvious fears, she felt something weighty shift inside her. He almost had her half convinced his feelings were genuine.
Damn, he was good.
And that was bad. Very, very bad.
Because allowing herself to believe – even for a moment – that this was something other than an act on his part would destroy her.
Sizzle: Chapter Forty-Three
A few weeks later, Molly was beginning to wonder if she had been under the influence of some exotic mind-altering drug. She had to have been in order to have agreed to allow her mother to plan her wedding in such a short period of time.
Just like Sherman had once marched through Atlanta, Anne Ramsey was determined to flatten the city in her search for the perfect components for her only daughter’s one and only matrimonial ceremony. From repeated trips to her favorite florist to multiple visits to at least four different bakeries for cake-tasting, Anne had frog-marched Molly to and fro in search of the impeccable accessories.
Molly was beginning to wonder whose wedding this really was...hers or her mother’s.
Pushing those thoughts aside as she marched toward the elevator in the parking garage of Devil’s office building, she consoled herself with the fact that for the next three days, there were no appointments to keep. The flowers had been chosen. The church had been booked. The cake finally had been selected. The caterers had been arranged. And finally, the dress had been purchased and was being altered. Her wedding responsibilities were now limited for the next seventy-two hours to not killing the groom.
Trudging into the elevator, Molly jabbed the button and stepped back to lean tiredly against the wall as she waited to reach the twentieth floor of Delancy & Associates. She recognized that she shouldn’t be angry at Devil. For the past week, he had been the model of the ideal fiancé. While he’d limited their intimacy to scorching goodnight kisses, he’d been with her every night while she’d accompanied him to various celebratory dinners and fundraising galas. Honestly, she wasn’t quite sure how she was going to keep up with his grueling social schedule when she became his wife and be able to continue to function as his administrative assistant during office hours. She was exhausted. The fact that he lived this way every day of his life amazed her. Hopefully, once she could eliminate the wedding mania from her own busy days, she’d be better rested.
In just another seven days, she’d be able to call herself his wife.
Then, she thought as the metal doors slid open, the real fun would begin.
Stepping off the lift, Molly frowned as she noticed a woman sitting in her chair behind her desk. With her blonde hair pulled in an elegant French twist and dressed in a pale blue suit, she was the picture of a young professional woman. Approaching quickly, her mouth turned down in a frown, Molly forced herself to be polite. “Excuse me? Who are you?”
“Deborah Valentine, ma’am. I’m Mr. Delancy’s new executive assistant,” she greeted Molly with a cool smile on her perfectly painted lips.
Molly gripped the high counter surrounding her desk tightly as she stared at the other woman. “Is that so?” she asked through barely-moving lips. “I was under the impression that Mr. Delancy already had a very competent assistant. The last time I was here….”
“Oh, you haven’t heard?” Deborah replied, lowering her voice to a whisper. Obviously she assumed Molly worked on some other floor in the building since she was about to speak so freely.
“Heard what, exactly?” Molly replied, striving to remain calm as the beautiful woman rose to lean across the counter toward her.
“Mr. Delancy had to let her go,” she explained. “I guess when she was just fucking the boss, that could be kept under wraps, but now that she’s marrying him…. I guess the company decided her time would be better spent serving him in other ways. The temp agency called me this morning to fill the slot. At first, I was repulsed by what the ladies downstairs were saying about the girl that evidently slept her way to the top, but after seeing him? Who could blame the lady? I’d jump his bones in a second if he crooked his finger my way. Devil Delancy is sex on a stick.”
Molly’s eyes widened and her breath came quickly. “People are talking about his assistant?” she asked faintly. Of course people are talking, Marilyn’s voice chided. You’re marrying one of the richest men in Atlanta out of the clear blue sky. Did you really think you could avoid the gossip? Didn’t you read ANY of the stories about me and Jackie Baby?
“Of course, they are. Evidently, she’s not the boss man’s type at all! I mean, you work here, so you’d know,” she remarked, nodding at Molly’s employee lanyard around her neck. “You’ve seen her, right?”
“I’ve seen her, alright,” Molly muttered, nodding. If she managed to keep from using that lanyard to strangle someone before the day was out, it would be a freaking miracle, too.
“From what the gals in the typing pool are saying she’s a curvy little thing, but dresses sort of like a frump,” Deborah revealed, lowering her voice.
Glancing down at her tailored silk skirt and matching shirt, Molly frowned. She looked very well put together today, didn’t she? Her mother had complimented her, hadn’t she? “A frump? Really?”
“From what I’ve heard, the boss tended to go for poised and elegant ladies, but this woman is more like the girl next door type. I’m not sure how she hooked the sex god sitting in that office,” Deborah mused, jerking her head toward the closed door behind her. “Maybe she’s pregnant.”
“She’s NOT,” Molly denied sharply, her cheeks reddening as she absently tugged at the edge of her shirt. Had she gained weight? Was that why everybody assumed she was pregnant? She still fit into her size eight dress, didn’t she?
“Oh, you’re friends with her? I’m sorry. I’m just repeating what I’ve heard,” Deborah stated quickly, straightening quickly. “I hope you understand. I didn’t mean to offend you. I really hope this job becomes permanent for me. I’d love a chance to seduce the boss man.”
Smiling stiffly, Molly took a step back. “Don’t get too comfortable, Deborah. I have a feeling that the woman that works here won’t give up without a fight,” she warned, walking toward Devil’s door. Oh, she was going to kill him. Murdering him with her bare hands was the only recompense for the indignity of listening to what was being said about her because she was kindhearted enough to do him a favor.
“Wait! Where are you going?” Deborah asked, watching as Molly walked purposefully toward Mr. Delancy’s door. “You can’t go in there!” she denied, hurrying toward Molly.
“Watch. Me.” Molly’s eyes dared the other woman to stop her as she shoved open the door to Devil’s office and crossed the threshold. “You son of a bitch! You fired me?” she yelled as Deborah gasped behind her.
Looking up from his computer, Devil’s smile quickly dissolved as he noted the fury on Molly’s face. “Sweetheart, what are you doing here
? We’re supposed to meet for lunch.”
“Apparently, I’m being fired,” she hissed back. “Call off your dog of war, Devil, and face me like a man,” she demanded, turning to glare at his new office assistant.
“You’re her?” Deborah asked faintly, stunned. “Oh my God, you can’t be her,” she moaned, paling as she stared into Molly’s furious eyes.
“She’s who?” Devil growled, turning his dark gaze toward the new assistant that had somehow rattled Molly.
“Your fiancée,” Molly informed him tersely. “She’s realized that the woman she just spent the last ten minutes maligning is your fiancée.” Clenching her jaw, Molly continued. “You see, Deborah, here, was kind enough to let me know what folks have been saying about me since our engagement, Devil. Oh, and she’d like to boink your brains out, too. What was it you said, Deb? You’d jump his bones in a second if he’d only crook his finger your way?” Molly repeated sweetly, repeating the woman’s earlier words back to her. Glancing back at Devil, she smiled ever-so-brightly. “Evidently, you’re a sex god, I’m not your type at all, and I dress like a frump.” Patting Deborah’s arm, she offered the woman a feigned sympathetic smile. “It’s okay, Debbie dear, I’m really not his type, and I do tend to dress for comfort over style, but as far as his sex god status, you can tell the typing pool that I said he’s really not that good at all. He’s got a positively tiny…”
“Okay,” Devil interrupted quickly, wrapping an arm around Molly’s waist and tugging her backward until her back met his chest. “I think that’s enough talk about my manly attributes, darling. Which, by the way, haven’t even begun to satisfy you yet,” he added in a low voice against her ear.
“I…I…I…”
“Don’t bother with an explanation,” Devil ordered the stunned blonde harshly as he glared at her over Molly’s head. “Simply gather your things and go home. Your services will no longer be necessary here at Delancy Industries, Miss Valentine. Please close the door behind you.”
The Sizzle Saga Page 26