Page 133 of Culinary Chaos

“A whole lot,” Angelica corrected.

“Sure. It wasn’t your skills I was looking for that day.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “It wasn’t?”

“No. I needed a calm presence, someone who could chill me out.” Hope laughed a little. “And you were the perfect person for that.”

Angelica breathed in deeply. That was the best compliment anyone had given her in a long time. And it was so unexpected.

“Never doubt yourself, Ange. It’s not a good look on you.”

Angelica’s lips parted in surprise. “I won’t,” she whispered.

“Good.” Hope smiled at her again. “But if you really want to help me cook and have free time tomorrow, my house is always open.”

“House?” Angelica frowned.

“Yeah.” Hope cocked her head to the side. “Did you think I was doing this at my restaurant?”

“Or here, if you wanted.” Angelica brushed her thumb and forefinger together. “If you did it here, then you wouldn’t have to move the food.”

“True,” Hope said, dropping her voice a little.

And Angelica would be able to pop in and see her. And that sent a thrill through her, one she was expecting this time. She had no doubts about her attraction to Hope, but that confirmed she was interested in far more than simple attraction.

“But I think your chef might not be very happy for me to come in and take over their kitchen.”

Angelica hummed her assent. “But I’m the boss.”

“A boss who’s trying not to piss off her employees.” Hope chuckled. “I’ll be fine at home. I promise. And that way, I don’t have to find a sitter for Eva.”

Disappointment hit her first. But then the determination to make this not the last she saw of Hope, that Friday wouldn’t be the end of it. She smiled at Hope and nodded. “If it works for you.”

“It does.” Hope’s lips pulled up to the side in a brilliant smile. “I miss you too, Ange.”

Angelica stilled. She met Hope’s intense gaze, surprised. She hadn’t expected that. She’d never expected half of the things that Hope said and did. And this was the last thing she’d thought that Hope would say to her.

“We can fix that, you know. Find time to get together even if we’re not filming.” Hope reached out for Angelica’s hand, hooking her fingers around Angelica’s palm.

Her skin was so warm and smooth against Angelica’s. She dropped her gaze down to look at the touch, shivering. Oh, she was in over her head. Way in over it. Angelica needed to escape before she did something stupid, something that she’d regret, something that Josef could come back and fault her for.

“I’ll think about it.” She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and stepped away. “Thank you, for everything.”

“Anytime.” Hope nodded and stepped away, clearly sensing the shift in conversation. “I’ll see you Friday.”

“See you.”

Angelica stayed right where she was as Hope left. When the door was shut, she crossed her arms and sighed heavily. She was so in over her head. She was going to fall down this rabbit hole, and she wasn’t sure that she’d be able to come out the other side or find her way out again if she wasn’t careful.

Because there was something about Hope.

It wasn’t just her happy personality or the ease that she seemed to have with conversations. It was the depth that she carried with that ease, the intrigue and understanding that Angelica rarely found in someone. Sure, they were similar in some aspects of life, but they were also so different, and their differences actually complimented each other.

Angelica’s heart raced. She drew in a deep breath and walked back to her desk, sliding into her chair. But she couldn’t focus. She couldn’t stop thinking about Hope. About every emotion that swirled through her body, her mind, her soul.

It wouldn’t hurt to dream a little, would it?

The phone on her desk rang, an internal number. Angelica automatically went to answer it, not thinking before she picked it up. She needed to get her mind off Hope and back onto the work that needed to be done. She wasn’t here to fall in love. She was here to do her job to the best of her ability.