Page 145 of Culinary Chaos

“Oh, Ange.” Hope came closer, hands on Angelica’s arms as she squeezed them lightly and then rubbed up and down.

“I was wrong to have made such an assumption.” Angelica stepped to the side, breaking the physical contact. She couldn’t handle it. Not again. “Leanne worked for me for the next six months and then resigned anyway. Apparently, I wasn’tworth it.”

“Don’t ever believe that,” Hope said compassionately.

“Josef knew, Hope. That was the entire point of this. He knew, and when he saw the two of us together, he knew.” Angelica clenched her hands together tightly, trying to make her point clear. “When he saw us the other day, he knew,” she whispered the last two words. “And I can avoid, I can skip around his words, I can push back as hard as he can?—”

“But you can’t lie,” Hope said.

“I can’t lie,” Angelica repeated, glad that Hope was finally understanding.

The room fell silent. Angelica didn’t know what else to say. She’d poured her heart out in a few short seconds, and she didn’t know if she would be able to pick up the pieces before she walked out of here. Angelica steadied herself, preparing to leave because it was so hard to stay.

“I’ll make sure Rex doesn’t tell him.”

“You can’t guarantee that,” Angelica responded sharply, her defenses coming up in an instant. “Though I suppose it doesn’t really matter now, does it? No show, no reason to see each other. And I think it’s best left that way.”

“So we’re ending this?”

“There’s nothing to end,” Angelica corrected. “You have your husband, your daughter. You have your restaurants and your daytime show.”

“And you have what?” Hope dipped her chin down, looking directly into Angelica’s eyes. “Yourself?”

Angelica pursed her lips, not prepared to answer that accusation. “Just work with me, Hope. I can’t…” Angelica stopped. “… I’m not going to make the same mistake again.”

“What mistake?”

Angelica dragged in a ragged breath.

“Am I the mistake?” Hope stepped closer, moving into Angelica’s space. “Am I what you’re avoiding?”

“Yes…” Angelica breathed.

“I’m not a mistake.” Hope leaned in, pressing their mouths together.

Angelica moaned, leaning back and sliding one hand around Hope’s back and one up against her neck to just hold on. Hope pressed into her mouth, parting her lips and sliding her tongue out along Angelica’s lips. Angelica moved in response, taking Hope’s tongue into her mouth, sliding their tongues together in a slow, deliberate dance.

Hope nipped her lip before diving back in for another kiss. Angelica tilted her head to the side, changing the angle of the embrace as she breathed in deeply to steady herself. This felt so good. Just like the last time. Full of passion, of touch, of thrill. She didn’t want to give this up. She didn’t want it to end.

Threading her hands up the back of Hope’s head and deep into her hair, Angelica pulled her in even closer. Their hearts raced together. She could feel the heat of Hope’s skin against her chest, the weight of Hope’s body pressed into hers, the breath from her nose against her cheeks. Angelica reveled in it. To give this up would cost her dearly. To give this up was exactly what they both needed.

She pulled away, her lips parted as she caught her breath and stared deeply into Hope’s crystalline eyes. “You’re not a mistake, Hope.”

“Neither is this,” Hope said.

“Yes, it is.” Angelica brushed a stray strand of hair behind Hope’s ear, curling her fingers slightly as she trailed them down Hope’s arm. “And you know it is.”

Angelica stepped back, removing her hands from Hope’s body and putting space between them. She didn’t know what else to say to get her point across, but this had to end, and she needed to be the one to end it. Angelica eyed the door and nodded toward it.

“I should go.”

“Angel.”

“I need to go,” Angelica reiterated. She walked to the door, grasping the handle. With one last look over her shoulder, she said the only thing she could think to say. “Good luck in San Francisco, Hope.”