Hope hummed. She cupped Angelica’s cheek and pulled her in for another kiss. “There’s always next time.”
Angelica softened instantly. Hope wasn’t angry or upset. Simply, she just understood. This wasn’t easy for her. She’d done everything on her own for so long, and it wasn’t natural for her to rely on someone else to begin with.
“I’m not going to see my family,” Angelica said firmly. Just saying those words out loud solidified them in her heart. This was exactly what she needed.
“I’m not telling you that you should,” Hope replied.
“I know. I just…” Angelica stopped. “I want to buy the hotels.”
“So buy them.”
“I don’t know if I’ll have enough collateral. I don’t know if I can afford it—not just financially, but time-wise.” Angelica reached up and brushed her fingers across the short hair on Hope’s forehead. “We’ll never see each other.”
“We will.” Hope kissed her again on each cheek and then her forehead. “We work together.”
Angelica sighed with a laugh. “I don’t want toonlysee you at work.”
“Well, that’s comforting to hear.” Hope chuckled and kissed the corners of her lips. “Do you know how hard it is not to touch you when you’re half-naked in front of me?”
Angelica hummed, her entire body thrumming with arousal and anticipation. She hadn’t planned to end up in this situation, but she was glad she had. She was happy that Hope had chased her down and forced her up here.
“Thank you for forcing me to talk.” Angelica slid her fingers under the edge of Hope’s tank top, teasing her skin with the edges of her nails.
“Any time,” Hope murmured.
“Hope?” Angelica asked, deciding to seize the moment.
“Yeah?”
“Two things.” Angelica backed away slightly, putting her hands on Hope’s hips to hold her there. “Work with me.”
“I already do.” Hope furrowed her brow in confusion. “I work with you nearly all year now.”
Angelica shook her head, her hair brushing her bare shoulders. “No, run my restaurants. All of them.”
“All of them?” Hope’s jaw dropped. “That’s…how many?”
“Five. Six if you include Mountain View.” Angelica deliberately reached behind her back, pinching the clasp of her push-up bra and letting the material relax against her skin.
“Am I working for you or with you?” Hope reached forward, tugging the material away from Angelica’s body and dropping it to the floor. “Because I really want to be under you, but not like that.”
Angelica chuckled and reached for Hope’s shirt, pulling it over her head. “I’m sure we can come to an arrangement.”
“Fuck.” Hope swallowed hard. “What, uh… what was the second thing?”
“Touch me.”
Their eyes locked. Hope’s were wide, pupils dilated, damp lips parted. That look said nothing other than pure arousal and desire. And Angelica wanted every ounce of it that she could get. Hope didn’t wait. She pressed her lips hard against Angelica’s, sliding her tongue out and against Angelica’s in a mere breath.
Wrapping her arms around Hope’s neck, Angelica leaned in and held on. The world that was so chaotic around her stilled. The noises, the voices, the accusations, the worries, the anxieties, the dramatics—it was all silenced.
Angelica moaned, digging her fingers into the short hairs at the back of Hope’s head and tightening her grip. She never wanted to let go. She never wanted this to end. Arching her back, she tried to pull Hope as close as possible to her. She nipped at Hope’s lip before she dove back in for another deep kiss.
Hope pushed the dress off Angelica’s hips so the fabric pooled at her feet. Before she could breathe, Hope’s fingers were deep inside her, teasing. Angelica gasped, tightening her grasp as she curled her toes in her heels.
“I love you,” Angelica whispered against Hope’s cheek. She should have taken the step to rely on Hope well before now, to confess everything that weighed her down.
Hope kissed her hard and then moved her hand away and stepped back, breathing heavily. “Get on the bed.”
