Page 56 of No Holds Barred

They both froze. This flirting was getting a little too intense. And it was as though they’d both had that realization at exactly the same time. Hope nodded and said nothing as she stepped away slightly and started for the door. This was going to be a long night, and the next twenty minutes were going to try what little patience she had. That was for damn sure.

When they reached Angelica’s room, Hope’s stomach swirled with nervous energy. She shut and locked the door behind her and pressed her back into it as Angelica stopped. They were probably both struggling with this. Hope needed to be the bigger person right now. She touched Angelica’s arm lightly to get herattention, staring down into those baby blues and nearly losing her will to speak.

“Just…do you want a shirt or something?”

“Sports bra?” Angelica asked.

“What drawer?”

“Top left.”

Hope bypassed Angelica and made her way into the room. Everything smelled like Angelica. She was surrounded by her in here. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the drawer and pulled out the royal-blue sports bra and the tank top that she found just in case Angelica wanted that as well.

She handed them over and bit her lip.

“Is that for you?” Angelica asked, pointing at the tank top.

“Oh, yeah, if you don’t mind.” Hope hadn’t even thought about that small problem. If she was going to help Angelica wash her hair, then she was going to get wet herself. “Just, uh… let me know when you’re ready.”

Angelica wheeled herself into the bathroom while Hope went and sat on the edge of the mattress. What the fuck had she been thinking? This was a horrible idea. They needed separation, not getting naked together in a way that was only going to tempt, not tame.

“Hope?”

“Coming.” Hope winced at her phrasing, but she quickly stripped out of her pants and shirt and bra, slid the tank top over her head, and tugged it down so that it met the edges of her underwear. God, this was such a bad idea.

When she stepped into the bathroom, she found Angelica in an equal state of undress, but she was struggling to get the bag and tape around her leg.

“Here, let me.” Hope bent down and taped the bag against Angelica’s skin to protect the cast.

“Next week I can take it off to shower.” Angelica sounded excited by that prospect. Hope would be too, all things considered. “I was tempted to do that tonight.”

“Need to listen to the doctors.”

“Unfortunately. Help me up, will you?”

Hope pulled Angelica up so she was standing on one leg. They held each other, Hope staring down into Angelica’s eyes, lowering her gaze to Angelica’s lips. Their bodies were pressed together tightly, skin to skin in places where Hope hadn’t been touched since Angelica had touched her there last.

“I, uh…I have a seat.”

“Yeah.” Hope helped Angelica shuffle into the walk-in shower and sit down. She lifted her hand over the shower head to block the cold spray as she turned it on and waited for the water to warm up. Cold water flowed down her arm and over her side, wetting the clothes she wore and hardening her nipples in the process because it was so fucking cold. Why did it always seem to take hotel showers forever to warm up?

Finally.

The water tinged with heat, and Hope slowly lowered her hand as she looked toward Angelica, who held her hands out and waited for the water to hit her. Hope stepped out of the shower and snagged a washcloth and Angelica’s body wash. She needed to make this shower as quick as possible. She stepped back inside, her foot slipping on the wet tile. She flew backward, crashing down onto the shower floor with a loud thud.

“Hope!”

The water beat down on her back, soaking her shirt and underwear and hair. She closed her eyes, the laugh burbling up in her chest before it left her lips. She pressed her forehead against Angelica’s knee and closed her eyes as the laugh echoed through the shower.

“Hope?” Angelica asked.

“I’m fine,” Hope answered. “A little butt hurt, but fine.”

Angelica’s laugh joined hers, and it was music to her ears. Angelica’s hand landed on her head; she stroked Hope’s hair before she cupped the back of her head. Hope breathed in Angelica’s scent, the tension, the lightness, the hurt.

“I don’t know what to think of anything right now,” Angelica murmured.

“What do you mean?” Hope asked as she pulled back and climbed her way back to standing. She poured the soap onto the wet washcloth and handed it over to Angelica so she could get to scrubbing.