Angelique (7 page)

* * * *

Chester and Willie were leaning on the back of their truck outside of a bar downtown. Deputy Leon Rue was driving by when he noticed the two men. Sheriff Lafont had warned the men about their behavior and returning to town, so the deputy decided to watch them. They were just hanging out talking when two other guys showed up and joined their little get-together by the sidewalk. He’d give them a few minutes, and then he would break them up and send them on their way. There were a lot of tourists around and locals trying to do their Sunday shopping.

He looked around the area when some woman in a pretty floral dress got out of a beat-up car near the florist. She wore her hair up in a fancy style and looked real classy. He watched her as she spoke to Mr. Perkins, the florist and he smiled as if he knew her. Deputy Leon Rue waited to see if her face was as attractive as her body when she turned toward the right. That’s when he noticed it was Angelique, the woman whom the sheriff’s brother Armand had saved from the Rousse brothers. Then he saw Chester and Willie notice her, too.
Shit. This isn’t good.

He got out of the car just as Chester and Willie approached her.

“I thought we’d never see you again, sugar,” Chester stated, moving closer to Angelique.

“She come back to visit. I told you she was interested,” Willie added, taking position behind her.

“You two leave her be. She’s not interested in you, now get,” the store owner yelled.

Chester and Willie went to grab Angelique when Deputy Leon Rue intervened.

“Is there a problem here?” he asked, stepping up to the sidewalk with his hand on his gun. Both Chester and Willie raised their hands in the air and stepped away from the woman.

“Just chitchatting, Deputy. Looking at all the pretty things is all,” Chester stated as he eyed Angelique over from head to toe and licked his lips. Leon grabbed Chester by his collar and yelled in his face.

“You leave this one alone. You hear me, Rousse, or I lock you up. The sheriff warned you, now get before I call him.” He released him abruptly, and both Chester and Willie walked back slowly across the street.

Deputy Rue turned to look at Angelique, who was standing there looking both annoyed and surprised.

“You okay?” he asked, taking the moment to look her over. She was a fine-looking woman. No wonder the sheriff and his brothers called dibs.

“What is up with those two anyway? I don’t even know them,” she told him.

He looked toward the direction the Rousse brothers left in.

“They’re just trouble. You be careful where you go.”

“Oh, I will. I just stopped for flowers.”

“Where are you off to? Maybe I should follow you?” he asked.

“No need. Just headed to Lafont’s place.”

“Oh yeah, Maw Maw is having some special business cookout today. You have fun. Hope you’re hungry for the crawfish. They will probably have a truckload there,” he told her then followed her across the way.

“Who doesn’t like crawfish?” she replied with a smile, and he thought she was a stunning woman. He was kind of jealous that he hadn’t met her first. He would have saved her from the thugs that day if he had been there.

He watched her get into her car then walked over to his car. There he stayed and watched the Rousse brothers, who didn’t look like they would follow Angelique. Then he called the sheriff.

* * * *

Angelique tried not to think about what just happened in town. Her hands were shaking a little, and she wasn’t sure if it was from the confrontation with the Rousse brothers and the deputy intervening or the amount of cars and people surrounding the Lafont residence. The house and property were stunning. There were so many ragged, moss-draped trees surrounding the old-fashioned home. It looked renovated and must have been built in the eighteen hundreds. Angelique knew that a house like this was worth over a million dollars. She was shocked. It appeared that the Lafonts had money. The grounds were perfectly landscaped, combining newer shrubbery and flowers with traditional bayou. The windows on the house were tall and large, letting lots of light into the home, and she was curious about the interior. Angelique loved looking at home-interior magazines, especially about old houses being renovated and restored. She held the bowl of fruit in her arms with the bouquet of orchids on top. She just absorbed the scenery around her.

“Angelique!” someone called, and she turned to see Maw Maw walking down the sidewalk carrying a package of some sort. She looked lovely in a free-flowing, purple chiffon dress with matching sandals. Angelique was glad she chose to wear the classy dress she wore. It appeared this was an upscale cookout.

“I am so glad you made it. You found my place okay?” Maw Maw asked as she gave Angelique a hug then a kiss on the cheek.

“Yes, fine. I brought some fruit, and these flowers are for you. This place is amazing and so beautiful.”

“You’re more beautiful than this house,” a male voice stated, and when she turned, she saw Remy heading toward her. She must have looked surprised to see him because he raised his eyebrows at her, and she smiled politely.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” she told him as he leaned closer and kissed her on the cheek. She thought this was a business meeting since Maw Maw mentioned other store owners and businesses connected to the bead shop.

“Disappointed?” he whispered against her ear, sending jolts of heat through her skin. She felt her cheeks heat as Maw Maw laughed.

“All my boys are here except Eloi. He’ll be over after work soon. Come on in and I’ll show you around then introduce you to some people,” Maw Maw said, and Angelique stopped a moment as Remy took the bowl of fruit from her hands.

When they entered the side doors, Angelique felt her breath catch in her throat. She had never seen a more beautiful and stunning house in her life. There were wide pine floors, pocket doors, medallions, and millwork throughout. Even the furniture was breathtaking.

“This is gorgeous,” she whispered as she felt Remy place his hand against her lower back and guide her through the living room and into the kitchen. She must have looked like such an idiot. She looked around at all the stainless steel appliances and cherrywood cabinetry. She would love to cook in a kitchen like this.

As she looked past the double sinks and out the wide windows, she could see the bayou in the distance and the crowds of people who were laughing and enjoying the warm day.

“I love this kitchen, Maw Maw, it is so stunning.”

“Do you cook some?” she asked.

“Oh, yes, I love to cook,” Angelique replied as Maw Maw smiled then picked up a tray of appetizers, nodded for Angelique to follow, and began walking through the main doors to the patio. Angelique began to follow until she felt Remy’s hands on her hips. He whispered next to her ear and neck.

“You’re gorgeous, Angelique. I missed you.” Then she felt his lips against her neck. She tensed a moment, feeling guilty as she looked around wondering, hoping that no one saw them. But the scent of Remy’s cologne and the way his strong, large hands covered her hips and then her waist was so masculine it turned her on. He continued to explore her neck then exposed shoulder with his lips, and then she felt his teeth. She shook out of his grasp, wrapped her arms around her midsection, and tried to control her breathing. It felt incredibly naughty to be nibbled on by Remy. Her insides tingled and other parts reacted, but she was afraid. She was afraid to get close to a man and afraid she would have to choose between the brothers.

“There you are. Remy, leave her be, will you. I’ve got important people to introduce Angelique to. Let’s go,” Maw Maw stated, grabbing Angelique by the hand and leading her out of the house. She looked over her shoulder at Remy, who smiled and winked at Angelique.

* * * *

“Angelique is here. Mama didn’t even say she was coming,” Marcel stated as he nodded toward the house where Angelique and their Mama were talking to a group of men.

“I don’t like the way they’re looking at our woman over there, Marcel, do you?” Armand asked as he stared at the crowd of men. Marcel followed his line of sight, and he watched as the men’s full attention was on Angelique. She was smiling but looked a bit shy from where they stood.

Marcel couldn’t stop thinking about Angelique last night. When Armand said that he tried calling her and she didn’t answer, they knew she was scared. Most women jumped at the opportunity to gain the attention of him or his brothers. Angelique seemed to be running away from them. His curiosity and his attraction to her were getting the best of him. Just looking at her from across the yard made his dick hard. As he watched men talking with her, he felt the rage and jealousy build up inside of him. He never experienced anything like this before.

He gave his brother a little push with his elbow as he watched Angelique.

“We have to talk to her. Maybe if we explain what we want, then she’ll understand and be interested,” Marcel stated to Armand.

“She’s interested in all of us. Maybe if she takes the time to observe the people around the party, she’ll see how happy ménage relationships can be and how common around these parts, too.”

“Yeah, that all depends on whether or not she gets the opportunity to look around. Is it me, or are they moving closer and closer to her?”

“Let’s intervene. I’d hate to spill blood at one a Mama’s cookouts,” Marcel stated as they headed toward Angelique.

* * * *

Angelique barely paid attention to the conversation the men in front of her were having about the sales industry. It was apparent that Maw Maw had told them about Angelique’s business but not that she was the owner of Secret Pleasures. They talked about advertising and manufacturing. She couldn’t stand to do it. She liked the whole idea around creating and designing her products then personally stitching each item with exquisite hand beading. People couldn’t get that type of quality from machines. At least not any machines that she knew of. It would take a lot of convincing.

She wasn’t really interested in talking business right now. It seemed that her interest lay in other places, like the Lafont brothers. She could still feel the spots on her neck where Remy kissed her. The way he nibbled on her neck and held her hips in place while he seduced her had her body feeling hot. If Remy was here, did that mean Armand, Marcel, and Eloi were, too? The thought made her nervous, and after what happened in town on the way here, it was surprising that Eloi hadn’t shown up. He was not a happy man at all. He always looked so deep in thought and mad at the world. She especially recalled the way he reprimanded her and his brothers for allowing her on the construction site, never mind the scaffolding. He made her feel nervous but at the same time lustful.

“If you would like to meet one day for lunch, we would love to discuss some options further. Here’s my card, Angelique. It would be our pleasure if you would join us,” one of the men stated as he handed her a fancy business card. She took it and placed it in the small purse she carried. It appeared that they believed she was the owner after all.

“I’ll think about it,” she stated as the men began to walk away after nodding at someone behind her. When she turned to see who was standing behind her, she found Marcel and Armand watching her.

“You won’t meet them for lunch, will you, baby?” Armand asked as he took her hand into his own, brought it to his lips, and kissed the top. She felt her cheeks warm, and she tried to pull away. Simultaneously Marcel greeted her with a short verbal “hi” before kissing her flushed cheeks.

“No, she knows better, brother, than to make us mad,” Marcel added, moving in behind her.

She should be scared by Marcel’s little threat. Her past warned her to not assume that it was just a mere threat. They were acting pretty possessive, and the possessiveness she was familiar with led to abuse. “Let go of me. You have no right to make such threats,” she stated then pulled from them and took a few steps back until she bumped into someone. She turned around to see a very concerned-looking Remy with his eyebrows raised and his eyes glaring over her shoulder.

“What did you say to her to scare her?” Remy raised his voice.

She looked around and noticed that a handful of people stopped talking. She grabbed Remy’s arm to calm him.

“Shhh, Remy, it’s okay. They were just teasing, that’s all. I need to find Maw Maw. I think its best that I get going,” she stated then headed toward the crowd and Maw Maw, who seemed to absorb the whole scene.

Angelique ignored the requests by the brothers for her to stop as she approached Maw Maw.

“I’m sorry, Maw Maw, but I think I’m going to leave,” Angelique whispered as she began to apologize for leaving. Maw Maw took her hand between her own and tapped the top.

“Nonsense. You can handle my boys just fine. They need a woman like you.”

Angelique was shocked and embarrassed. How could Maw Maw expect her to like all four of her sons?

“I don’t think you understand.”

“Sure, I understand just fine, Angelique. Why don’t you stay with me a bit? I need help getting dessert ready now that supper is being served,” she said as Angelique noticed people taking seats along the line of tables and chairs. There were buckets and buckets of crawfish, bowls of side dishes like baked beans, potato salad, and chicken-and-sausage jambalaya. There was also coleslaw, corn on the cob, and pulled pork. Angelique watched in amazement as men carried out plates of heaping, hot food and people appeared out of nowhere. Maw Maw grabbed Angelique’s hand and led her to a table next to her husband and the businessmen. Jack Lafont was a character and the perfect match for Maw Maw. The two of them flirted with one another and told stories about when they dated and some trouble they got into as kids. They had both come from poor families, and as the other businessmen added their comments, Angelique began to rethink her first impression of the businessmen.

She was talking to Maw Maw when she noticed the woman’s facial expression change from amused to concerned. Angelique followed her line of sight and saw Eloi walking from the side of the house. She swallowed hard, and her entire body felt on edge. He made her so damn nervous, and he was so far away from her. She watched him as his brothers greeted him then some other people she didn’t know. She did notice the three women who flaunted themselves at the Lafont brothers, and it bothered her. She had no right to be jealous. They didn’t belong to her anyway. Angelique tried to focus on the woman sitting beside Jack as she talked about her job at the hospital. She noticed a few men sitting beside her and observing every word the woman said. They each looked rather infatuated with the woman. Angelique got a funny feeling in her stomach. Subconsciously she must be trying to condone her attraction to the four brothers and make it appear that a relationship with all was okay, but it wasn’t. She couldn’t even date again, never mind date four men. Perhaps dating wasn’t even the right term in such a relationship.

She felt the hand on her wrist and turned toward Jack Lafont.

“Millie needs some help inside. Can you?”

“Oh certainly. No problem,” Angelique stated, and she grabbed her plate, excused herself, and headed toward the house. She entered the back door to where the kitchen was, and she could hear a deep voice coming from the living room. Her heart pounded in her chest. Someone was angry.

Angelique cleared her plate and waited for Maw Maw when she heard her name coming from the living room. Curious, she slowly walked toward the opening and stopped when the floor creaked. Instantly all eyes fell upon her, and she froze in place. Marcel, Remy, Armand, and Eloi stared at her.

“Come here!” Eloi told her in a firm voice. She shook her head and felt her skin tingle with goose bumps from his tone and appearance. The entire sheriff’s uniform, gun, and holster did a number on her insides. One glance at the others and their concerned expressions of dominance and just plain hot looks had her taking a few steps back. In an instant, Remy was there next to her.

“Don’t run. He’s just upset is all. You scared him, and he’s angry because you never mentioned what happened in town on your way here to any of us.”

She looked straight up into Remy’s eyes. He was trying to be understanding, but he looked kind of mad, too.

“I’m fine. I can take care of myself. I need to help your mama,” she stated then tried to walk back into the kitchen. Remy stopped her. Before she could try to argue, Eloi crossed the room, took her hand, and practically dragged her into the adjacent room. As soon as they were in the dark room, he pulled her into his arms and held her to his chest. She was shocked. She thought he was going to lash out at her either physically or verbally, and when he held her so tight against his chest and she heard his heart pounding against her chest, she began to cry. He was huge and encased her entire body in his extra-large frame. He caressed her lower back and whispered against her hair on the top of her head.

“I’m sorry I yelled. I was so worried about you. When I got the call from my deputy, I raced into town, but you were gone.”

He pulled back, and she refused to look up into his eyes and show her emotion. She was confused. She had flashbacks of when her ex had said he didn’t mean to yell or he didn’t mean to hit her and that he loved her with all his heart, but those were lies. She didn’t know Eloi, and she didn’t know his brothers. She couldn’t give in to the lust. She just couldn’t go down that path again.

She felt his fingers under her chin and she had no choice but to look at him. He appeared shocked by her tears.

“Crying?” he asked.

She shook her head and wouldn’t admit her defeat and fear to him. She tried to step away from him and turn her body. She was embarrassed by her weakness and show of fear. She just couldn’t read him. She couldn’t read any man.

“Tell me now,” he ordered, and she shook then tried to pull away again. He pulled her back into a firm embrace as he cupped her lower back with one hand and maneuvered his other hand against her cheek where he caressed her tears away.

He appeared to analyze her with his eyes as if he could see her thoughts and knew her fears. He leaned forward and kissed her eyebrow then her eye as she closed it. Then he kissed her other eyelid, then her nose, and finally her mouth. Surprisingly, his kiss was tender. She parted her lips to allow him deeper, and all her fears began to lessen. He was a really good kisser. The kind that made her heel pop and her body sway deeper into his embrace. He continued to kiss her as he walked her backward until her rear hit a wall. Her belly quivered, and her breasts ached with need for his touch. He released her lips and kissed along her jawline to her neck and shoulder. “You taste so good, sugar. I was worried about you so much,” he whispered.