“Just a little something I put together.” Hope’s cheeks pinked, and Angelica couldn’t tell if it was because she wasexcited, embarrassed, or aroused. And honestly, it could be all three. “I never get to do nice things like this for you.”
“You do nice things for me all the time.” Angelica furrowed her brow as she reached for the button on her suit jacket. Hope had already dressed down into comfortable pants and a tank top, but Angelica was still dressed to the nines from work. “You brought a lunch platter today for the meeting.”
“Angel… a tray of pita bread and hummus isn’t a lunch platter, and if you think that’s a well-rounded and full meal, then we have some education that still needs to happen.”
Not touchingthatone with a ten-foot pole, Angelica stripped off her jacket and tossed it over the back of the chair. She surveyed the rest of the room, and she still couldn’t get the scent of lilacs out of her nose even though those were real rose petals all over the floor.
“Did you spray perfume?” Angelica asked.
Hope shrugged, that pink deepening into a darker red.
“Your perfume,” Angelica answered for herself. “Because you know I like it.”
“Well, the goal was to seduce you.” Hope bit her lip, and this time, Angelica had no doubt thatthatlook was all nerves.
They didn’t often fall into bed together like this, not with flowers and grand gestures. No, they simply found time they could spend together, and they either ended up naked and having sex or not. Angelica had never given actual seduction a second thought. Then again, it wasn’t something she typically paid attention to either.
“Sometimes you have to set the scene for people to know what the experience could be like,” Hope said with a glint in her eye.
“Are you throwing branding and marketing speak at me? As ifthat’sgoing to turn me on?”
“Is it working?” Hope asked, stepping forward and sliding her hands along Angelica’s waist and hips. She moved her fingers to the line of her skirt.
“Maybe.” Angelica tilted her face to the side. In heels and with Hope being barefoot, they were right about the same height “What if it is?”
“Then I’d say my plans were successful.” Hope stopped her fingers at the back of Angelica’s skirt. “Should we get you out of your work clothes?”
“Naturally,” Angelica murmured, her entire body already heating up with arousal and anticipation. Hope had taken such care to make this night special and different from anything they’d done before, and she didn’t want to let her down. It was such a sweet thought. Instead of moving to help, Angelica just held still.
Hope dragged the tiny zipper down slowly, her breath brushing against Angelica’s cheek and neck. Fluttering her eyes shut, Angelica focused on the gentle touch, the tenderness that it came with, the intention and sweetness. What had she ever done to deserve someone like this, someone who would actually take the time to take care of her, to love her?
Hooking her thumbs in Angelica’s waistband, Hope pushed the material over her hips until it fell away and pooled around her feet. In silence, Hope reached for the edge of Angelica’s blouse and dragged the material up. The backs of her knuckles bushed Angelica’s sides and sent another wave of arousal through her. Angelica moved her arms to get rid of the blouse.
But she couldn’t wait any longer. Moving in, Angelica stole Hope’s lips. She pulled Hope closer, moving their mouths together in a slow kiss that teased into deepening before pulling back. Angelica wanted to take this slow. She wanted the tenderness to exist here and never leave.
“Thank you for this,” Angelica whispered, pulling Hope’s tank top over her head.
“Of course,” Hope answered with a kiss to her cheek before she shimmied out of her pants and tossed them into the growing pile of clothes.
Angelica still felt way overdressed for what they were about to do. Stepping out of her heels, she reached behind her back to pinch the hook on her bra at the same time, never taking her eyes off Hope’s. “What made you think of doing this?”
“You, honestly.” Hope’s cheeks were back to that same pink color as before. “Part of it was talking about making things special with an experience, but the other part was that you were right.”
“I was right?” Angelica raised an eyebrow at Hope as she hooked her thumbs in her thong and tugged it off. “I’m always right. I thought you knew that.”
“We both know that’s a lie.” Hope laughed. “But this time is one of those where you were right.”
Angelica’s smile never faltered as she sat on the edge of the bed, the flower petals that Hope had put on the blanket itching her skin, but she ignored them. Hope stood in front of her, completely naked, staring down at her with that all-knowing and confident look that Angelica found stunningly sexy on her.
“I think I fell in love with you in Estes.” Hope tapped Angelica’s legs to encourage her to move backward on the bed. “And I think that you were right that I never would have admitted that before tonight.”
Hope straddled Angelica, one leg on each side of her hips as she bent down and pressed their lips together. “I think you made me believe in fairytales, not the other way around. I didn’t think this kind of connection could exist.” Another kiss. “I love you,” Hope whispered.
Angelica hummed, bringing up her knees to push Hope forward and down on top of her. She brushed her fingers through Hope’s hair, against her cheeks and her lips, just memorizing every inch of her body that she could. Because she never wanted to forget this moment.
“I always knew you would choose him,” Angelica murmured, running her hands down Hope’s side. “But I didn’t think you could also choose me.”
Hope winced. “I should have chosen you.”
