Married or not, she was his.
He’d be damned if he’d say he was sorry for that.
Besides, in a matter of days, she’d be his in the eyes of God, the church, and her sainted momma as well.
“I’m going to kill you!” Molly hissed as she finally hung up the phone and turned to glare at him. “She knew, Devil! She knew what we were doing!”
“Because you told her,” Devil clarified as he grinned even wider. “How is your inability to tell a little white lie my fault?” he asked, enjoying the view as she stomped toward her dresser and pulled another pair of sexy underwear from a drawer. How the hell was he going to concentrate on what the pastor said when he knew what kind of indecent panties she’d be hiding under her clothes? Sweet God, what the hell was the point in even putting them on…they barely covered anything at all.
“Given enough incentive, I can make most things all your fault, Devil. My mother said to tell you to keep your hands and all your other parts to yourself and get me to the church on time,” she growled, repeating her mother’s words like the dutiful daughter she was. “So, quit leering,” Molly ordered over her shoulder as she shimmied into the silk underwear. “It’s creepy.”
“You wear something like that, and trust me, I’m gonna look, leer, and lust,” he retorted with a nod at the scrap of black lace covering her mound. “It’s just a fact of life, darlin’,” he remarked when she scowled at him.
Rolling her eyes, Molly stomped toward the closet and pulled out a red sleeveless dress, sliding it over her head and pulling it down with a seductive twist of her hips. Smoothing the material over her hips, she turned to face Devil. “Well?” she asked, holding her arms out. “Do I look okay?”
“Christ, Molly!” She looked fucking phenomenal. “Is that one of the dresses you bought today?” he asked hoarsely, eyeing her body like a man on death row. The soft material fell to just above her knees and clung lovingly to every curve. The sweetheart neckline only highlighted her breasts, offering anyone that looked an enticing view of her cleavage.
“Uh huh. Sami helped me choose some styles and colors that suited my body,” Molly explained with a smile. “Do you like it?”
“You look amazing, but you can’t wear that,” he denied firmly, shaking his head.
“Why not?” she huffed, even though she glowed from his praise. “It’s Prada! I know I couldn’t wear it to any kind of formal event, but it’ll be perfect for tonight.”
“It shows way too much skin,” he muttered, running his eyes up her bare legs. “I doubt the pastor will agree to marry us after I deck him for ogling you. Which he will, because that dress leaves very little to the imagination. Any warm-blooded male would look, and based on what I witnessed on Sunday, Travis was more than a little hot for you.”
Molly couldn’t help her smirk. “Why, Devil, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sound quite so territorial. May I remind you that you were the one that insisted on my new wardrobe? You can’t complain about it now. It was your idea.”
Pressing his lips into a thin line as she stuck her dainty feet into heels that made her legs look a mile long, he nearly whimpered out loud. She was walking, talking temptation, and she was his, damn it. “I’m not complaining exactly,” he grumbled, relieved to see that she’d grabbed a cream wrap for her arms. “I just don’t like other men to see what belongs to me.”
“I’m not property, Devil,” Molly snapped, her eyes flashing dangerously as she turned to look at him. “I’d appreciate if you’d quit referring to me like I’m some kind of possession. If I’m anything, I’m a short-term loan, remember? I’m not one of your long-term assets.”
“Stop trying to arrange yourself to fit on my balance sheet, Molly,” Devil warned, tensing as he realized that she still assumed their marriage would be temporary. He’d allow her to keep her assumptions for now; there’d be time enough for her to learn he had no intention of letting her go once she wore his wedding band on her finger. Clearing his throat, he smiled as he reached for her, looping his arms around her waist. “Let’s not argue. The dress is beautiful, and you’re right… I’ve got no room to criticize your choices after I demanded you go shopping.”
“You remember that, Devil,” Molly ordered, poking his chest with a finger. “Especially when you get the bill,” she added sweetly.
He knew she was trying to bury her knife a little deeper in his chest, but he wasn’t going to rise to the bait. If she thought she’d punish him by spending his money, she was gonna have to take more drastic measures than purchasing clothes. She’d have to buy an island or two. As far as he was concerned, she could have whatever she wanted.
As long as he got her.
“My wallet can handle whatever damage you do to it, Molly,” he replied evenly. His just hoped his heart was padded as well as his bank account.
Because this woman had the power to break him completely if he didn’t move cautiously.
Sizzle: Chapter Fifty
Taking Devil’s hand as he opened the passenger side door to his Mercedes a half hour later, Molly sighed as she looked toward the brick church where she’d spent almost every Sunday since she’d been born. Worshiping here had been one of the highlights of her childhood; the closely knit flock that attended here was a second family to her. Any other time, standing outside the house of God would have given her a sense of peace and serenity.
This evening, however, the thought of walking into her lovely church only filled her belly with butterflies and her heart with dread.
She didn’t want to lie.
She couldn’t lie. Not effectively, at any rate.
Going inside the sanctified interior and telling the pastor that she intended to spend her life with Devil Delancy when she knew it was only a temporary arrangement meant to soothe his Nana in her last days was a whopper that was going to send her straight to Hell.
On the freaking express crazy train.
At least if she was asked if she loved him, she could say without faltering that she did.
Loving Devil wasn’t her problem. What woman with a pulse wouldn’t love him? When he wasn’t being an overbearing, domineering pain in her ass, he was really quite sweet. Handsome and intelligent, she knew he’d worked hard to achieve success. Now a force to be reckoned with in the business community, he wielded power with a cool efficiency and ease that she often was stunned to witness. While extremely wealthy, he was also generous and supported several charities with extravagant donations. There wasn’t a woman she knew – even his nemesis, Sami – that didn’t find him a catch.
And he was going to be her husband, albeit temporarily.
“Molly?” Devil frowned, touching her back lightly when her footsteps stalled on the sidewalk and she stared at the church, holding her lower lip tightly between clenched teeth. “What’s the matter, honey?”
Unable to look at him, Molly’s eyes drifted over the parking lot as she shook her head. Suddenly grabbing Devil’s arm as she spotted the old Chevy truck in the corner of the gravel lot, her eyes widened. “No!” she moaned, shaking her head frantically. “Oh, no, no, no, nooooo!”
Following her gaze, Devil’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
“It was supposed to be Travis, Devil! I might have been able to pull one over on him. He doesn’t know me all that well! But I’ll never fool HIM!” she rambled, panicking as her stare remained locked on Pastor Martin’s older model truck. “He’s known me since I was a baby! He baptized me!”
Taking Molly by the arms, Devil shook her slightly. “Molly, look at me,” he ordered sternly, waiting until he held her panicked eyes with his. “Slow down and explain to me what’s happening right now because I don’t have a clue.”
“I can’t lie!” Molly blurted, gripping his arm and tugging frantically.
“Tell me something I don’t know, babe. You admitted an hour ago that we’d been intimate to your mother. If I hadn’t figured it out before today, I certainly know now,” De
vil informed her calmly, wrapping an arm around her when a cold breeze rattled the oak trees surrounding the church. “C’mon, let’s just go inside.”
“I can’t! Pastor Martin is in there!”
“So?” Devil shrugged. “He’s going to marry us. Maybe he changed his mind and wants to be the one that counsels us, too.”
“That’s just it! I don’t want him to counsel us. He’ll see straight through me. Don’t you get it? He’ll know, and he’ll never agree to perform the ceremony no matter how good our intentions are!”
“Molly, again, I’m not following you.” Devil shook his head. “Make me understand before we both freeze to death out here.”
Molly could tell he was striving for patience. Unfortunately, he was failing miserably. “Pastor Martin knows me better than anybody but my family, Devil. I’m never going to be able to convince him that this is going to be a real marriage between us.”
“This is going to be a real marriage between us,” Devil countered, his face baffled. “We’re already over halfway there; it’s been consummated.”
“Nuh uh,” Molly denied vehemently, digging in her heals. “He’s going to see right through our act. You don’t know him like I do. And don’t you dare mention the fact that we consummated anything, Devil!”
“I wasn’t planning on it, Molly. I do have some boundaries even if I occasionally blur them from time to time. And for the record, I’m not acting here, Molly. I want to marry you. Let’s go tell the preacher that before Christmas arrives,” Devil retorted, jerking his head toward the door as he pulled on her hand.
“We’ll elope!” Molly offered stubbornly. “You suggested it once before and after reconsidering my options, I think you were onto something there.” She was grasping at straws and the look in his eyes told her that Devil thought so, too. “C’mon, Devil! You, me, and Vegas! Sin City! You’ll be much more comfortable there than inside my church. You can finish corrupting me,” she proposed desperately.
“We’re going inside,” Devil stated flatly, hauling her behind him as he trudged up the sidewalk.
“You wanted to elope a week ago,” Molly complained, lowering her voice as they neared the church’s entrance.
“And now I want a white wedding with all the trimmings,” he countered evenly, pausing to look down at her. “A man can change his mind, too.”
Dismayed, Molly wrinkled her nose. “What are you? A girl?”
“No. I’m a man that’s not willing to brave your mother’s and my grandmother’s wrath should we deprive either of them of our big day,” he growled. “Now, take a deep breath and let’s do this. We’ll make this as quick and painless as possible,” he promised before holding open the door and gesturing inside.
~~***~~
Molly’s footsteps dragged as she crossed the threshold into the church. She did not want to sin in the house of the Lord, but not sinning meant not lying.
She wasn’t sure how she’d work around that, but there had to be a loophole somewhere.
“Molly!” Carla Martin, the pastor’s wife greeted her as she hurried up the center aisle toward them. “How are you, sugar? Excited yet?” she asked, embracing Molly when she reached the couple.
“Very,” Molly answered, smiling when the older woman released her. “I can hardly believe the big day is almost here,” she said truthfully. She could hardly believe any of this was happening at all. “Mrs. Martin, I don’t think you’ve met my fiancé, Dev – erhmm…William Delancy,” she introduced him, quickly correcting his name. She didn’t need everybody to know she was marrying the Devil. Although, it was fitting. This marriage was gonna land her in hell yet if she wasn’t very careful. “Dev… I mean, William,” she said, wincing as she slipped again, “This is Mrs. Martin, Pastor Martin’s wife.”
“Delighted to meet you, Mrs. Martin,” Devil murmured with a smile, shaking the woman’s hand. “We’re so grateful that your husband has agreed to perform the ceremony. I know it means a lot to Molly.”
“Oh, we watched Molly grow up in this church. I know it would break her momma’s heart to see her married anywhere else. And please, call me Carla,” she invited politely. “I just got off the phone with your mother, dear,” she informed Molly with an excited grin. “The plans for this whirlwind wedding are coming together just perfectly. I think you and the groom will be pleased with the results.” She winked at Devil.
“The only thing it will take to make me happy is seeing Molly walk down the aisle to me. Everything else is just pomp and circumstance,” Devil replied with an indulgent smile at Molly. “I do apologize for the short notice, though. Once she agreed to marry me, however, I just didn’t want to wait a single second longer than necessary. We can’t tell you how much we appreciate everything you and your husband are doing to make this wedding exactly what Molly wants. She’s shown me the plans; they look beautiful.”
“Oh, he’s a charmer,” Carla clucked, patting Molly’s arm. “We were a bit worried about how we’d fit half of Atlanta in the church’s sanctuary, but your momma and I wheedled the guest list down to a manageable number.”
“Yes, William’s business associates will only receive an invitation to the reception,” Molly explained pleasantly. “The ceremony is strictly for family and friends. It’ll be more intimate that way and we can keep the wedding in the location we want.”
“Well, it’s going to be beautiful,” Carla assured her with a squeeze of her hand. “I know that my husband is looking forward to joining you in the holy bonds of matrimony. He told Pastor Davis that there simply wasn’t any way that he could not be the one to counsel you tonight.”
“Well, we truly appreciate him waiving the three sessions rule,” Molly said gratefully, smiling at the pastor’s wife.
“Posh! He’s known you all his life. And after talking to your mother and daddy, he feels like he knows your beau as well,” she said with a smile at Devil.
“Mother?” Pastor Martin called from his office, his voice carrying down the tiled hallway. “Is somebody out there?”
“Well, speak of the Devil,” Carla chuckled. “It’s Molly and her fiancé, Edgar. I’ll send them right back, dear,” she called over her shoulder. “You know the way to the office, Molly. It was very nice meeting you, William. I’ll see you both on Saturday,” she remarked, patting his hand before gesturing toward the pastor’s private office.
“See, so far, so good,” Devil murmured in encouragement as Molly tightened her hand around his and guided them toward Edgar Martin’s office.
“Shhh… we’re nowhere close to being out of the woods yet,” Molly hushed him, digging her nails into his palm as she knocked on the ajar door with the other hand.
Molly took a deep breath and exchanged a last look with Devil as the pastor beckoned them from the other side of the door. “Here we go,” she murmured, pasting a smile on her face as she entered the small office.
The older man with the silver halo of hair was up and out of his chair before she made it another step. “Molly, my dear, you are a sight for sore eyes!” Before she could get a word out, she found herself wrapped in a bear-like hug, her nose smashed against a red-flannel shirt that smelled like wood smoke tinged with baked sugar. Oh, it was just like it had been when she was 6 years old and being baptized in the creek after a Vacation Bible School picnic. Obviously the dunking hadn’t taken, her inner voice reminded her. Maybe she could get the kind pastor to do a do-over...
She was released just as quickly, and she found her mind reeling as she stumbled slightly. Devil’s steadying hand landed against the small of her back, and she swallowed as she managed to stutter out, “Pastor Martin, this is my fiancé, William Delancy...”
The good pastor smiled at the taller man and held out his hand. “William’s a bit formal, ain’t it, son? I hear tell you go by another name around town.”
Devil arched one brow as he shook hands with the man of God. “Wasn’t quite sure you’d approve of my name, sir. Molly seems to think it might be tem
pting fate for you to call me Devil.”
“Ain’t the first time I’ve heard the name. Figure if half the county knows you as Devil, I ain’t gonna stand on ceremony,” Pastor Martin said wryly as he waved the couple toward the nearby loveseat. Settling himself in the large leather chair behind the scarred maple desk, he steepled his fingers. “So tell me, kids. What happened to get you in such an uproar to get married so quickly? You get my Molly with child, son?”
At that moment, Molly fervently wished for a black hole to open up beneath her feet and swallow them both, loveseat and all, into the abyss. Anything would be better than the laser-like focus she felt coming from the pastor’s intelligent grey eyes. And if that wasn’t bad enough, obviously her fiancé was intent on adding insult to injury. She felt Devil’s arm stiffen around her shoulders and knew, beyond a doubt, that he was about to say something that she was going to eternally regret.
Devil chuckled without humor as he met the other man’s eyes. “Well, Pastor, it’s not for lack of –Ouch! What the hell, Molly?”
Her elbow made perfect contact with his ribs for the second time, and she was slightly rewarded by the obvious yelp of pain. “Do not curse in God’s house, you idiot,” she hissed under her breath, then forced herself to turn back to face the good pastor. Drawing in a deep breath, she babbled, “Please forgive him, Pastor. He’s under great pressure at work and isn’t himself these days. There’s so much to do to get ready for a wedding, you know, and with Momma intent on dragging me through all Atlanta to find the perfect dress and the perfect place setting and the perfect flower arrangements, it’s a wonder that we’ve even found time to catch our breath to even see one another, I promise!” It wasn’t a lie. Not exactly. It was all about the evasive answers, she told herself.
The Sizzle Saga Page 32