Worth a Thousand Words

by Doreen Alsen

  Sometimes she was so dazzlingly beautiful that he lost the ability to breathe, never mind think. She brought a fragile loveliness, a glow into his very dark life.

  He could almost believe there was goodness in the world and that he would find it and live in it.

  “I’m going to take a walk on the beach before I start whipping up some extra hot gumbo. Do you think Chester would like to come with me?” She reached down to pet the dog’s head. The dog flashed his most polite and beguiling smile and whimpered a little.

  Oh, manipulator, thy name is dog. Tim shook a finger at Chester. “Sure, if you want him with you. Just don’t let him run away and barge in on anybody’s cookout searching to score a hamburger or a hotdog, like he’s just some starving doggie who gets no love.”

  Angelique clapped her hands a couple times and beamed at Chester. “C’mon, buddy. Let’s go for a walk.”

  Tim watched and waited several very slow seconds as Angelique and Chester took off down the beach. When he knew she couldn’t see him, he ran into his cottage to grab his camera.

  He hurried down to the beach and found Angelique and Chester in his viewfinder. He adjusted his lens to telephoto to get both woman and dog more up close and personal.

  A furious drive to take pictures washed over him. Driven, every synapse he possessed cried out to keep on going. This long-dead hunger he had for the perfect shot sang with the joy of being set free.

  A lesser man would close his eyes and enjoy the connection to the world via his camera.

  No. He couldn’t close his eyes. He had to drink up and revel in the feeling that he was back in the game.

  A wave of guilt splashed over him. Tim knew she didn’t want to have her picture taken.

  He should regret breaking her trust, but he didn’t. He just rejoiced that she had brought his gift back to him. There had to be a way to make her understand.

  ****

  Angelique laughed as she watched Chester scamper down the beach. He’d run away then stop and look around for her. After knowing where she was, he came flying back to her, tongue lolling, panting in joy.

  She gave him praise for coming back when she called. Chester looked behind her and gave a happy woof. She tried to see who he was woofing at, but the light was in her eyes.

  Nothing seemed unusual or out of place.

  But why couldn’t get over the feeling someone was watching her?

  She shrugged. She needed to head back to her cottage because she had some gumbo to make.

  Chapter Thirty

  Angelique got back to Tim’s just as the party was getting underway. Tim stood near the grill, beer bottle in hand, probably waiting for the coals to get hot enough to cook over. Beth was setting out big bowls of potato salad and who knew what else. Jeff, Danny, Cookie, and Chester played a very noisy game of tag down on the beach.

  “Hey! You made it!” Beth hurried over to Angelique. “Let me take that from you. Does it need to go on the stove?”

  Angelique nodded. “On low, I guess.” Really. What did she know?

  “It smells delicious! Can I get you a drink? A glass of wine or a beer? We’ve also got iced tea and lemonade for the kids.”

  Angelique surrendered the pot of gumbo to Beth. “A glass of red wine sounds lovely.”

  “You got it.” Beth trundled off into Tim’s house.

  Angelique frowned. Her back straightened at the familiarity and ease with which Beth had taken on the mantle as Tim’s hostess. For some unknown reason, it bugged her.

  She should be the one to trundle into Tim’s house, not Beth.

  Wait? Could this be jealousy? Angelique didn’t know. She’d never, ever felt that emotion.

  Tim crossed the patio to give her a kiss. “Hey.”

  She held back a sigh. “Hey.”

  “I’m happy you’re here.”

  God. How could she think when he looked her that way?

  “Oh yeah? Looks like you and Beth have everything under control.”

  “Looks are deceiving.” Tim’s voice lowered to a purr.

  God, that deep I-am-Batman voice just rasped along every nerve she had and buzzed some nerves she’d forgotten about.

  She shivered as he nuzzled her neck. The man had the most sexy pair of lips in the world.

  Maybe even the galaxy.

  Or maybe the universe.

  Upshot? The guy had a killer mouth, one designed to drive a girl crazy.

  She liked that in a man.

  He lowered his head to kiss her again.

  “Hey, Romeo,” Jeff slapped a hand on Tim’s shoulder. “Those coals hot enough to start cooking?”

  “Go away,” Tim said. “Far, far away.”

  Jeff laughed. “The kids are getting hungry and those hot dogs and burgers aren’t going to cook themselves.”

  “Whatever.” Tim pressed a quick kiss on Angelique’s nose. “Be right back.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  And to her surprise, there was no place else she’d rather be.

  ****

  Tim and Jeff had gotten a bonfire going on the beach as the sky turned bright shades of magenta, fuchsia, and apricot. At least, those were the names Beth and Angelique called the colors. Pink, red, and orange worked just fine for Tim, even though he was supposed to be some big shot visual artist. The driftwood crackled, sending yellow sparks up into the sky. The scent of wood smoke permeated the air.

  Jeff and Beth’s children, Danny and Cookie, were shrieking and running up and down the beach, fueled by S’mores and excitement about the coming fireworks. The kids had even exhausted Chester, who flopped at Tim’s feet.

  Tim expected that Chester would run along home to hide once the fireworks started. Loud noises weren’t his dog’s favorite thing. In fact, he usually hid when Cookie was around, as her high-pitched voice could pump out ear-splitting noises only dogs could hear.

  “Penny for your thoughts.” Angelique sat on the sand next to him.

  He took her hand and pressed a kiss into her palm. “You smell good.”

  She nudged him with her shoulder. “That all?”

  “You’re pretty, too.”

  A smile bloomed across her face. “Thank you, kind sir.”

  “The gumbo was a success. I think Jeff will stop with the jokes.”

  She sighed. “I still feel so stupid about that.”

  “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”

  “I must be really cute, then, because I’m still really embarrassed about the whole thing.” She wrapped her arms around her middle and shivered.

  “Are you cold?”

  “A little bit.”

  “Do you want me to get you a jacket or something?” He might have something of his mother’s in the hall closet.

  “Would you mind? The wind is kind of picking up out there.” She obviously tried to hide the fact that her teeth chattered.

  “Not at all. I’ll bring a blanket out, too.”

  “Thank you.” She gave him another sweet smile to carry with him as he gladly went on his mission.

  He found a navy blue Spinnaker Sailing and Yacht Club sweatshirt in the front closet, exactly where he remembered it was. He grabbed a red tartan blanket off the top shelf and whistled on his way back to the beach.

  Angelique sat where he left her, arms wrapped her knees, while she listened intently to Cookie. His heart lurched with an out-of-the-blue longing for Angelique and a child.

  His child.

  Six months ago, hell, just last month, the thought of bringing a child, children, into this piece of shit world was the most irresponsible thing he could do. He’d never counted on the innocent tableau Angelique and Cookie made to tug at him so sharply.

  “Hey, you two.” He dropped the blanket on the beach and handed Angelique the sweatshirt as she stood.

  “Oh, thank you.” She sighed. “It’s getting cold.”

  Cookie nodded. “It’s why I gotta wear my Sharks hoodie.” She frowned. “Sharks are scary. I like Barb
ies better.”

  Tim spread the blanket and helped Angelique down onto it before sitting beside her.

  “I like Barbies better, too.” She scrunched her nose at Cookie while the little girl climbed into Angelique’s lap.

  Tim didn’t know what astonished him more: Angelique liking Barbies or Cookie sitting in Angelique’s lap.

  “Does your scar hurt?”

  “It did at first, but not anymore.” Angelique ran her hand down the little girl’s blonde curly hair.

  Cookie lifted up her hand then pulled it back onto her lap. “Can I touch it?”

  Angelique’s breath hitched. “Sure.” She sat absolutely still.

  The child barely touched the scar, with a fragile and tentative hand. She bit her lip as she traced her fingers up and then down the injury. Done, she sat back. “I think you’re really pretty, even though you’ve got a scar.

  Angelique sniffed and Tim knew without a doubt that she was choking back tears. “Thank you.”

  “Everything okay over here?”

  Tim looked up to see Beth looking at them. “Yeah, I think we’re good.”

  Beth smiled that Lady Madonna smile she’d perfected. “Fireworks are going to start soon, Cookie. Why don’t you go to the bathroom before they start?”

  “Can Angie take me?”

  If Beth was taken aback, she didn’t show it. “Of course. But Angie might have something else to do. And you’ve been going to the bathroom by yourself for about five years now.”

  “I don’t mind.” Angelique stood. “It’s no problem. I’m happy to go with her.” She shrugged. “I should use the bathroom myself.” Tim stood to help her up.

  The two went hand in hand into the house, Cookie skipping all the way. Tim couldn’t have looked away from them even if someone held a gun to his head demanding he turn his attention elsewhere.

  “I hope Cookie didn’t say anything to upset Angie. She’s like any other kid. She doesn’t have the greatest filter.” Beth sighed. “And sometimes it’s like she’s channeling her mother. We both know that Katie isn’t the most generous person.”

  “No,” Tim said, “She isn’t.” He slipped his arm around Beth’s shoulders. “But you’re doing a great job with her regardless of Katie.”

  Beth shook her head. “Jeff and I just love her.” She shrugged. “I know she can act really selfish and Lord knows Danny can be a handful when he plays Captain My Way or the Highway.” She sighed. “It’s never easy, but love is the key.” She glanced over to Jeff and Danny throwing a football around.

  Tim followed the shift of her eyes and had to admit his best friend had found true happiness with this woman and his two children.

  Jealousy stabbed him right in his heart. He wanted what Jeff had. He wanted a family, a place to settle down, work that didn’t send him haring all over the world, documenting the worst of the cruelty of men.

  Angelique and Cookie laughed as they came out of his house, the sound sweeter than any other he’d ever heard. Cookie, carrying two popsicles, raced over to Jeff and Danny to give Danny his frozen treat. Both the kids sat right down in the sand to consume the popsicles.

  Jeff jogged over to Beth and Tim. “Those two are about to launch higher than any rocket.” He sat next to Beth. “They’ve had so much sugar we’ll never get them to sleep tonight.”

  “I’m sorry,” Angelique said as she joined the rest of them. “Cookie asked so prettily I couldn’t say no.” Tim reached up for her hand and pulled her down next to him.

  “What color are their faces going to be?” Beth leaned in to Jeff.

  He grinned. “Purple.”

  “Ugh.” Beth groaned. “For the first ten years of his life my son never had any kind of junk food. Now I put him to bed with a purple face.” She elbowed Jeff. “You’re paying all the dental bills. And,” she added, “working to get the stains out of their clothes.”

  He kissed her. “Absolutely and without a single complaint.”

  Tim cleared his throat and turned his gaze to Angelique. She stared over the bay, her dark eyes unreadable.

  He wanted to kiss her, right then and there. Better yet, scoop her up in his arms, carry her to his bed, and make love to her all night.

  They’d make their own private fireworks. He liked the sound of that.

  Truth to be told, he liked, more than anything in the whole world, the noises she made when she came.

  The absolute best music ever.

  Mozart wouldn’t have even come close to replicating the amazingly awesome sounds Angelique made as he gave her pleasure.

  “What?” Angelique turned her head. “Did I do something wrong?”

  He brushed a couple of silken curls off her face and tucked them behind her ears. “I’m just wishing that the fireworks were over. While I love Jeff and Beth and their kids, I can’t wait for them to leave.”

  “Why is that?” Angelique’s dark eyes sparkled.

  “Let’s just say that I have some plans for dessert.”

  “We had blueberry tarts from Julie’s Coffee and Sweet Shop,” she pointed out.

  “Not blueberry tarts.” He shook his head as he took her hand and played with her fingers. “Something different.”

  “What then?” She pulled her hands out of his and poked him in the side.

  “Let’s just say we didn’t use all the whipped cream for the tarts.” He waggled his eyebrows up and down like a cartoon villain.

  Her eyes widened. “That sounds, uh, intriguing.”

  “Doesn’t it just.”

  “How long do these fireworks last anyway?”

  “Too long, if you ask me.”

  “I did ask you, cher.” Angelique snorted.

  “See? You make me crazy.”

  “But you’re enjoying every wild moment of it.” She snuggled next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He felt so warm and smelled of the wood smoke and salt air. “Mmmmmmmm.”

  Tim pulled her in closer. “You sound happy.”

  Angelique blinked. “I guess I am.”

  “Is that a problem?” He pressed his lips to the top of her head.

  “I don’t know. I’m not used to being happy.”

  “It’s about time you get some more happy in your life.”

  “I think you’re right.” She sighed.

  Sparkling bursts of color streaked into the sky followed by a loud boom.

  “Looks like the fireworks started. Good,” he murmured. “Once they’re done the sooner I can work on making you all kinds of happy.”

  Tim didn’t know all the kinds of happy there could be, but he was more than willing to find out for Angelique’s sake.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  “I thought they’d never leave,” Tim said after he closed his front door behind Jeff and his family. “I love them to death but tonight, not so much.”

  Time to get on with his happiness project. He crossed the room to get to Angelique, who stood next to the small fireplace on the far wall. He caught her face with both hands and dipped his head to kiss her.

  Her lips were so soft underneath his lips. He coaxed her mouth to open and let him in for an outrageous French kiss.

  She tasted so sweet, so rich. So Angelique. He couldn’t get enough of her. His hands slid from her face to her shoulders in order to remove the straps of her pretty little dress. Thank the baby Jesus that she was not wearing a bra. He pulled down the top of the dress to bare the tight peaks of her breasts while he nibbled up and down along her neck.

  He rubbed his thumbs over the hard, ruched nipples. She moaned and pushed her breasts into his palms. The sound skittered down to his cock and hardened him to the point of exquisite pain.

  He needed to be inside her, like yesterday. He grabbed her butt and hoisted her up to his waist. She wrapped her legs around him. He turned and braced her against the wall.

  He supported her with one arm as he used the other to free his erection and push her thong panties aside. “Sorry baby. I just can’t wait a
nymore.” He fit the plump head of his penis to her warm, wet sheath and entered her in one brutal thrust.

  She panted as she met him stroke for stroke. “Oh God,” she keened and rocked her pelvis in small circles around him.

  “God, that’s so good baby,” he groaned against her mouth as they traded rapacious kisses. “So good.”

  He felt the soft flesh of her channel begin to pulse against the hard length of him. The delicate muscles squeezed harder and harder as she went up in flames.

  Damn, he was going to blow. With one long thrust he growled as he gave in to his own pleasure, pouring his seed deep within her.

  ****

  Angelique slowly lowered her legs from around Tim’s back to stand on her own. She wasn’t exactly sure she’d be able to stay upright without Tim’s help so she melted against him, relying on his arms to prop her up.

  “I’m sorry, baby. I meant to go slow tonight, make it last.”

  She couldn’t seem to form words yet, so she rested her cheek against his chest.

  Against his heart, with its steady and reassuring thump, thump, thump. “Any longer would be like to kill me.” She sighed.

  “We’ll have to put that to the test.” He swept her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs.

  She twined her arms around his neck and held onto the solid warmth of him. Her eyes drifted shut and she turned her head to run tiny kisses up and down his neck. His evening beard rasped deliciously under her lips.

  Tim laid her on the crisp white cotton sheets of his bed. “You wait here. I’ll be right back.” He kissed her.

  “Wh-where are you going?”

  He grinned. “I promised you whipped cream and I always keep my promises.” He hitched his jeans into place and headed down the stairs.

  Oh. My.

  Wondering whether she should take off her clothes the rest of the way or just put them to rights, she realized she must look a sight. Instead, she fluffed up her hair before starting in on her rumpled, twisted sundress.

  “No, you don’t,” Tim said from the doorway. He held a couple of cans of Reddi-Whip. “That’s my job.”

  After setting the whipped cream on the nightstand, he went over to his bureau and lit three fat, fragrant candles then he slid onto the bed. “C’mere.” He pulled her close and pulled her dress over her head.