Page 50 of Under the Table

Without another word, Angelica turned on her toes and stalked out of the kitchen, her heels clacking on the floor as she went. Hope shivered from the coldness of the move. She surely hadn’t upset Angelica that much, had she?

No, they were trying to remain professional. Why wouldn’t they?

Hope swallowed, the distraction of Angelica being gone sending her into another spiral of what to do now, even though she had a list of tasks she needed to accomplish. Cut was called, and the cameras were turned off. Hope immediately walked out the back kitchen door and stepped into the alleyway. She put her hand to her heart and breathed heavily.

Why did they have to be filming in Kansas City this time of year? The humidity was overwhelming, even if it wasn’tparticularly bad. It felt as though the weight of the world was pressing down on her chest and making it impossible to breathe.

She’d thrown her family into a spin. And now she had a chance of losing everything? And for what? Because she knew it was more than just sex. She loved Angelica. But she also loved her husband and her daughter, and she wouldn’t give them up. Ever.

Chapter

Seventeen

“The Jordangers aren’t happy with you.”

Angelica looked up, finding Hope leaning against the doorway to her makeshift office, arms crossed and a strange look on her face. “Because?”

“You reported them to the state.”

Angelica snorted lightly. “Deserved.”

“We could have fixed the problems before they became problems.” Hope stepped inside and shut the door behind her.

“No, we needed more time than they were willing to give.” Angelica flicked through a budget report on her iPad, glancing at the numbers and not noting any major issues. “This gave us the time.”

“They’re red taped, Ange.”

“Ange?” Angelica furrowed her brow and looked up at Hope, this time locking their gazes together. Hope never called her that when it was just the two of them. Setting the electronic pencil down, Angelica leaned back in the chair and crossed her legs. She cocked her head to the side, dropping her gaze down Hope’s body. “Would you like to talk about this morning?”

“Th-this morning?” Hope stuttered, her cheeks going slack and her body tense.

That was as sure a warning that something was wrong as anything. But Angelica had noticed right away when they were filming that morning that something was off. Angelica held her pose for few more seconds before she gave up the pretense and softened herself.

“Are you okay?”

Hope shook her head and then stopped, as if she realized what she was doing. Angelica’s heart broke a little for her. This wasn’t an uncomplicated situation. Standing up, she walked up to Hope and held her hands lightly. They were so close that Angelica could feel Hope’s breath against her cheeks.

Before Angelica could say anything else, Hope swooped in and pressed their lips together. Angelica gasped, tilting her head back and parting her lips. She lifted her hand to cup Hope’s cheek as Hope deepened the kiss. She could stay in this embrace for hours if she let herself. Last night, she hadn’t wanted to stop, and she certainly hadn’t wanted Hope to leave.

Hope teased her tongue lightly before pulling back and diving in for more. Angelica’s heart raced, her entire body was filled with arousal, and she was ready to go again. But she needed to stop Hope. Cameras were everywhere in hotels, and this one was no exception. While they might not be film cameras, surely someone would see something.

She pushed their mouths together before pulling away and sliding her hand from Hope’s neck to her shoulder and back down to her fingers, entwining them.

“We shouldn’t be doing this here,” Angelica whispered.

“I know.” Hope gave her a small smile. “I just needed to make sure.”

“Make sure of what?”

Hope didn’t answer. Instead, she squeezed Angelica’s fingers tightly and refused to make eye contact. Last night had beenHope’s first time with a woman, and while she hadn’t seemed hesitant at first, perhaps she was having regrets now.

“What are you feeling?” Angelica asked quietly, not moving away. Physical contact certainly seemed to center Hope, so she was loath to take that connection away.

“Honestly?” Hope asked, a slight scoff to her tone, which was unexpected.

“Yeah, of course honestly.” Angelica frowned at her. Maybe she was in far more turmoil than Angelica had originally thought she was.

“Last night was…is lovely.” Hope’s lips curled up, and a pink rushed to her cheeks.