“I was just the woman standing nearest him, Nana,” Molly denied. “I mean, last night, I thought maybe he might be falling in love with me, but…
“The boy has touted any number of tarts on his arm for years. If he wanted another woman, he could have had any number of them,” Nana scoffed, slapping her palm against the arm of the chair. “If ye ask an old woman, I think he was wasting time waiting for you to grow up, lass. I don’t think he realized he was doin’ it. But I saw a change in him when you came home from college… your young heart all battered from that break-up. My Willy had always been restless, flittin’ from one young tart to the next, but when you came home… something eased in him.”
“Nana, he’s dated pretty solidly since I started working for him,” Molly objected, offering the older woman a knowing look. “You’re not blind; you’ve seen the papers, I’m sure.”
“Window dressing,” Nana said dismissively with a wave of her hand. Narrowing her gaze on Molly, her lips quirked upward, “But I think ye’ve heard that before….mayhap, from my grandson?” she asked knowingly.
“Yes,” Molly acknowledged softly with a slight nod. “He swore that since I came to work for him, he hasn’t been….”
“…inside any of the tramps’ skirts?” Nana supplied helpfully, winking at the younger woman.
“Nana!” Molly gaped. Devil’s grandmother had always been blunt, but she was a whole new level of bold today.
“What? I know my Willy’s been a rascal in his life, but he doesn’t lie. He knows I’d take my wooden spoon to his head if he did. Child, he’s a grown man; I’m sure he sowed his wild oats a long time ago, lass. If he claims he’s been true to you for nigh on a year, then he has,” she declared with a firm nod.
“I believe him,” Molly whispered, blushing. There’s no way Devil could have faked his desperation the first time he’d made love to her. She’d felt his reaction to her body. She’d seen the calm descend over him when he’d finally sank inside her.
“I see,” Nana murmured. “Ye’ve both anticipated the vows, then?”
“I…we….” Molly stumbled, flustered. Katy Delancy was more perceptive than any woman she’d ever met. She could plainly see that she already knew the truth, and her fumbling attempt at a response had only confirmed the truth. Burying her face in her hands, Molly groaned.
“I’ll be takin’ that as a yes,” Nana chuckled, taking mercy on her future granddaughter. “He loves you, Molly,” she assured her gravely. “The restlessness stilled the moment you agreed to go along with his plan beside me hospital bed. The storm that raged inside that boy quieted. You brought him peace, lass. Just as I did for his grandfather. Ours was an arranged marriage, you know, but it was no less successful. We fell in love much as you did – without even realizing it – much like you and my grandson.”
Lifting her head, Molly looked at the wise woman across from her. “You truly believe that he’s in love with me?”
“What do you believe, lass?”
“I… I hope so.”
“The heart knows already. I think, however, that the brain might need some kind of assurance from the lad,” Nana replied slowly. “Ask him, Molly.”
“What?”
“Go tell the lad that I’m on the mend. Ask him if he still wants to marry ye. We’ll still be havin’ a wedding this weekend; I’d bet me last nickel on that. He’ll not be lettin’ ye escape him on a technicality.”
“You sound awfully certain, Nana. I’m beginning to see where all Devil’s confidence comes from,” Molly laughed, her heart lightening at the sure way Nana spoke about Devil’s feelings for her.
“You’ll balance him, Molly. I’m well aware that my boy can be a tad big for his britches. Demanding as all hell and arrogant as a king. His heart, though… that’s pure. And that’s yours.”
Molly was saved from a reply when her phone rang in Nana’s lap.
Glancing down, Nana laughed. “Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear,” she said, holding out the phone to Molly and shaking it. “Take it, child.”
Seeing Devil’s name on the screen, Molly sighed, swiping the screen and pressing the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
Devil’s voice rang loudly through the receiver, his controlled anger evident in every word. “Molly, there’s a man in leopard print leather hot pants cha cha cha’ing his way in and out of my office. He’s introduced himself as Armando and informed me that he’s my new office assistant and assured me that he’s fabulous and we’re going to get along famously.” He paused for one second, then demanded, “Please tell me this is a joke. Not even you can be this cruel.”
If she wasn’t mistaken, her Devil sounded like quite the tormented soul. Choking on her laughter, she covered quickly, clearing her throat. “Armando has all the necessary skills to fill in for me and he’s between modeling jobs. He needed a favor. It’s Christmas, Dev. Play Santa for Armando,” she teased, not able to hide her giggle when she heard a Latino voice break out into song in the background. “Is he singing ‘It’s Raining Men’?” she gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. When she’d met with the handsome Hispanic man early this morning, she’d asked him to lay it on thick this afternoon, but he’d surpassed her every expectation.
“Get. Here. Now,” Devil demanded urgently. “Or I swear to God, your newest cause will meet with an unfortunate accident with my letter opener,” he whispered violently into the phone.
Glancing at her watch, Molly’s lips twitched. “Give me half an hour?”
“Where are you?” Devil barked. “Christ, Molly, now he’s howling ‘I Will Survive!’ And he’s tone deaf!”
She couldn’t help the giggle that escaped just then. “I’m at Nana’s house.”
“I’ve seen you drive. I’ll see you in….NO! For crying out loud, I don’t WANT you to rearrange my furniture! I don’t care what my chakra is telling you!”
Molly raised one eyebrow as she heard a muffled scuffle ensue. “Devil?” she questioned, cackling. “Devil, are you there?”
“Fifteen minutes, Molly! You’ve got fifteen minutes or I kill the diva masquerading as my executive assistant!” Devil yelled before disconnecting.
Meeting Nana’s dancing eyes as she dropped her phone in her purse, Molly grinned. “I need to go, Nana.”
“I heard,” the other woman chuckled. “Go on, lass. Tell my grandson that I love him and I’ll see him Saturday.”
“Oh, Nana, I hope you’re right,” Molly murmured, rising to kiss Nana’s wrinkled cheek. “I’ll see you soon,” she promised before rushing toward the front door.
Sizzle: Chapter Fifty-Two
As soon as she stepped off the elevator, Molly heard raised voices emanating from her fiancé’s office.
“I’m telling you, amigo, if you just added a little color to this office, it would sooth that savage beast inside you,” an accented Hispanic voice whined from within Devil’s lair. “It’d be fabulous. Add a few throw pillows….maybe some track lighting…. some nice soothing candles. You’d be a brand new hombre, papi!”
“I thought Molly said you were a model, not a fucking interior designer,” Devil groused, his voice obviously strained and agitated.
“Me llamo Armando. I am a man of many talents,” the model informed Devil with a passionate hiss, stomping his foot just as Molly appeared in the doorway. “I could teach you many things, Papi!” Armando insisted, propping one hand against his lean hip and lifting his chin dramatically. “I have skills you can not imagine.”
“Hello, boys,” Molly greeted them sweetly as she stepped inside the carpeted office. “Are we playing nicely together? I don’t think those were inside voices I heard when I walked into the lobby,” she chided with a smile.
“I’m going to kill you,” Devil growled as he stood behind his desk and glared at his fiancée. “Slowly and with a great deal of satisfaction,” he warned in a velvety voice.
“Molly! You in danger, chica!” Armando clucked, tossing his head as he turned from Devil.
“This one’s aura…it is dark. So very dark! And he’s so tense.”
“I wonder why,” Devil drawled, glaring at the lanky stud Molly had hired.
“Why, honey, you look positively stressed,” Molly chided, fighting the urge to laugh out loud at the aggrieved look on his handsome face.
“I asked him when the last time was that he cleansed his chakra, but he just snarled at me. I hope you have better luck than I did.” Armando sniffed disdainfully. “Personally, I think he should try some yoga. It might help his mind, body, and spirit. Downward dog would do miracles for that body of his. Not that his body could use much improvement,” the model murmured, eyeing Devil’s muscular physique appreciatively. “I offered to show him some positions, but he refused. For such an intense, self-assured personality, he’s pretty squeamish when it comes to another man touching him. He’s given me three lectures on personal space,” he informed her, using air quotes for emphasis.
“Molly….” Devil intoned in a voice laced with warning.
Molly’s lips twitched as she met Devil’s darkening blue eyes. His tie was pulled halfway open, twisted sideways as if it had been clutched in desperation, while his shirtsleeves were pushed haphazardly up his toned arms. Oh, yes, there was definitely some chakra cleansing needed! Clearing her throat, she winked at Armando. “I think you’ve had a rather challenging first day, Mannie,” she said, using the nickname that he’d invited her to use this morning. “And, if I’m not mistaken, I think I’ve made my point to Devil. Tomorrow, I think we can drop the theatrics.”
“Oh, but I hadn’t even pulled out any of my best material yet,” Armando pouted, winking at Devil. “I never got around to offering him a massage.”
Molly did laugh then as Devil’s jaw dropped. Molly decided it was time to rescue him before he actually had a stroke. “Going to push me into changing my look again, Devil? It’s not so much fun when somebody is pushing you to make yourself over, is it?” she asked, tilting her head as she stared at her future husband… at least her future husband for now, she mentally amended.
“You are diabolical. Between two phone calls from the good people at American Express regarding a hundred plus furs and three hundred PlayStations…and my new office assistant – and I use that term loosely considering the only thing he’s assisted with this afternoon is nearly helping me into an early grave – I think you’ve indeed made your point, woman,” Devil growled, clenching his jaw.
“Well, then, I think my work here is done,” Armando said cheerfully, looking between the couple he now worked for. “Same time tomorrow, Molly?” he asked hopefully.
“Yes,” Molly agreed with a smile, “I think tomorrow, however, should be more Lance Bass and less Liberace,” she said with a pointed look at his clothes.
“Note taken,” Armando replied with a grin, his cocoa-colored eyes twinkling merrily. “Mr. Delancy, it’s been a pleasure. I look forward to working for you,” he said to Devil as he extended a hand to the man behind the desk.
Warily shaking the outstretched hand, Devil nodded slowly. “I assume that my makeover is now complete, Mannie?”
“Yes, sir,” Armando acquiesced with an easy tilt of his head. “Tomorrow, you’ll meet professional Armando… the homosexual model who happens to have a degree in business administration from Penn.”
Releasing a relieved sigh, Devil’s shoulders relaxed. “I look forward to it. Have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Devil waited until the good looking model had departed his office to circle the desk and jerk Molly against him. “You, darlin’, have earned yourself one hell of a spanking tonight,” he promised darkly just seconds before he lowered his mouth to hers.
Molly allowed herself a moment to luxuriate in the warmth of his kiss, parting her mouth when his tongue swept against her lower lip, licking gently and coaxing hers open with tender insistence. Lord, he could kiss, she thought as his tongue stroked and explored, dominating her mouth in a way that made her want to crawl up his body and surrender herself to him despite the open door of his office.
“You are so damn lucky I needed a taste of your sweet mouth,” he growled against her mouth, nipping her upper lip before lifting his mouth from hers. “Otherwise, I’d already be paddling this lovely round ass of yours.”
“Devil, the door is open,” she moaned when his hands moved from her hips to cup her ass possessively through the short skirt she wore and pulled her against his, pressing her mound against the growing hardness between his thighs. “Anybody could walk in here,” she pointed out weakly when his lips assaulted the curve of her neck, nibbling and sucking at the vulnerable flesh. “Stop punishing me. You had Armando coming and you know it.”
Shuddering, Devil grimaced. “Please do not say things like that. My mind interprets things you say quite literally and that image is enough to put me off sex for life.”
“It doesn’t feel like it,” Molly purred, rubbing her hips against his, cuddling his erection between her thighs. “It feels like sex is very much in the forefront of your thoughts right now.”
“Of course it is,” he muttered, licking the shell of her ear with a flick of his tongue. “You made me sleep on the couch last night with the feline from hell and her snarling sidekick, Cujo,” he reminded her. “Even after I made things right with Pastor Martin. This new mandate of ‘no sex before marriage’ is sorta like trying to shove the pin back in the grenade, honey. It just can’t be done,” he groaned, staring at her breasts and licking his lips.
“You, Coco, and Chanel needed the bonding time,” Molly decreed shakily, patting his chest as she forced herself to take a step back from him. Her body protested the distance, but her mind knew there were important things she needed to share with him in the interest of full disclosure. If she stayed in his arms, she was self-aware enough to know that the only words she’d be uttering would be in the form of the oh-touch-me-harder-faster variety. Shaking her head when he reached for her again, she held up a hand. “Devil, we need to talk. Really talk,” she clarified solemnly.
“No.”
Blinking, she stared at him. “What?”
“I said no. Whenever you say things like ‘we need to talk’ in that tone, usually you’re trying to back out of our wedding. And I swear to God, if you try to do that after the day I’ve had, I really will bend you across my knee,” he threatened, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at her.
“I’m not trying to back out of anything, Devil. I promise,” Molly replied truthfully, her eyes softening on his hard face. “But, I’ve learned some things today that could change your mind about going through with the marriage.”
“No, you haven’t,” Devil returned sharply as he shook his head. “Nothing you could tell me will make me believe that either of us should not show up at the front of the church on Saturday. Nothing, Molly. I’m marrying you, damn it. Period. Full fucking stop.”
Obviously, the only way to get him to listen to reason was to move forward at breakneck speed. Molly squared her shoulders and said quickly, “Devil, I went to see Nana this morning. She’s been holding out on us.”
His forehead crinkled as he attempted to comprehend her words. “What are you talking about?”
“She knew. She knew all along that we weren’t involved before that day she was admitted to the hospital. Not only that, but she’s going to be okay. They’ve adjusted her medications. Her prognosis…it’s good. God willing, we won’t be losing her for a very long time. The cardiologist thinks she might just outlive us all,” Molly explained as she watched his obvious relief war with confusion. “In short, she played us, Devil. I think she had noble intentions, but I couldn’t walk down any aisle with you without you knowing the entire truth. We don’t have to do this. You’ve got an out if you want one,” she whispered, watching his face. Oh, why did she have to be so freaking honorable? Why couldn’t she have been like every other woman on the face of God’s green earth and just taken the man and ran?
The feeling of elation over hi
s grandmother’s turnaround toward good health was overshadowed mightily by the sudden flash of raw anger that threatened to overtake him as his agile mind comprehended what Molly was saying. His jaw clenched as he stared down into her green gaze. “Have you even been paying attention at all to what’s been happening between us for these past few weeks, Molly? I’ve got zero intention of letting you go now that I have you where I want you. I think I’ve made my position extremely clear.”
She could hear the angry bite in every word he spoke, although she categorically disagreed with him. His position was as clear as mud. “Devil, it’s a logical question for me to ask. You announced that you were marrying me because of Nana. Now that Nana is better, why....”
“I swear to God, Molly, if you finish that sentence, I will wrap my hands around your pretty neck and throttle you!” Devil promised, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
Molly opened her mouth to respond, only to hear a sudden angry argument develop outside the office. She couldn’t distinguish the voices, but she recognized pissed off when she heard it. Seconds later, the melee spilled into the room with them as Devil’s already open door slammed against the wall, and a shapely woman with wavy, ebony hair sauntered into the office as though she owned the building. “Devil, darling, there you are! Do me a favor, love, and call off your rabid Chihuahua, please!” she demanded, dropping her leather coat on the floor by the door as she threw her leopard-skin purse onto the nearest chair.
Armando rushed in a step behind the classically beautiful woman, flapping his arms, his cheeks flushed a bright red color that either indicated an incredibly bad temper or an oncoming heart attack. “Chihuahua? Who you calling a little rat dog, chica? I’ll have you know that I’m all Doberman and more than ready to bite your skanky ass!” Turning quickly in the direction of Molly and Devil, he added, forehead wrinkled, “Excuse me, but Little Miss Tightass here INSISTED on barging in, even AFTER I informed her that she was not on the list of approved visitors. Please tell me I can evict her sorry botox-infused face from the premises,” he begged.
The Sizzle Saga Page 34