No Holds Barred (Hotel Bombshell Book 3), page 15
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.
“You’ve been so warm and yourself one minute, like tonight, but then the complete opposite.” Angelica set the washcloth in her lap. “Like in the kitchen—”
“Yeah,” Hope agreed, sobering instantly. She held her breath, settling her fingers on Angelica’s shoulder.
Angelica turned and looked up into Hope’s eyes. “Why?”
“You said you love me, Ange.” Hope bit her lip and shook her head. “I don’t know what to do with that.”
The air thickened, steam filling the confined space. Angelica reached up, taking Hope’s hand and threading their fingers together as she moved Hope’s hand from her shoulder and pulled her back around so that they were facing each other.
“I do.”
“Not loved,” Hope said, trying to make it clear what she was saying. “Love. Present tense. You didn’t say that you loved me last year.”
Angelica nodded, but she didn’t say anything else. Nothing to clarify the statement. Nothing to discredit it. Hope stared down at her, completely at a loss.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Hope asked, her voice sounding so small.
“You never would have chosen me.” Angelica shook her head, her damp hair moving with her before sticking to her skin. “I was never going to come out of that on the right side.”
“So you held back?” Her tone held an accusation. Hope didn’t have to say anything else.
Angelica squeezed her fingers tenderly. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because it was easier that way, for both of us.”
“No. It wasn’t.” Tears stung Hope’s eyes. “It wasn’t at all. I didn’t have all of the facts, Ange. You didn’t give me a fair chance. How was I supposed to navigate every complication and decision if I didn’t know that?”
Angelica let go of her hand. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“It does!”
“No, Hope. It doesn’t. You made your choice.”
“It wasn’t a fair choice!” Hope’s voice rose. She bent down, getting as close to Angelica’s face as she could because she needed Angelica to understand what she was saying. “Rex is the one who forced me to make a choice, not you, but Ange…Angel…” she corrected at the last second “…it’s not a fair decision if I don’t have all the information.”
Angelica reached up, cupping Hope’s cheek. Her fingers were wet against Hope’s skin, warm and damp. Angelica moved her thumb across Hope’s lips tenderly. “We can’t go back in time.”
“No, we can’t,” Hope agreed. “But we have a whole future in front of us that hasn’t been written yet.”
Angelica shook her head slowly. “No, Hope. We don’t.”
“But we could.” Desperation etched its way into each of those three words, and Hope hated hearing them.
The silence lingered, and Hope finally moved away. She was here to help Angelica, not have serious conversations with her. When Angelica was done scrubbing her body, Hope helped her to turn around and wet her hair completely. She took a dollop of shampoo and scrubbed it into Angelica’s hair.
The bruise on the back of Angelica’s arm was still a deep purple. The one along her hip was much darker, though, and looked far more concerning. Hope wanted to ask, but it wasn’t her place. Angelica had shut her down quickly before.
They rinsed the shampoo and Hope started on the conditioner. She took the comb and started to brush through Angelica’s hair, pulling the tangles from it as she went. This was one thing she didn’t miss about having long hair. The amount of time and energy it took to keep it clean and healthy.
As she combed, Hope broke the silence. “Rex sent another recording of Josef to Logan.”
“What?” Angelica opened her eyes and turned to stare back at her. “Why would he do that?”
“Because we all care about you.” Hope furrowed her brow. “And Josef’s being an ass.”
“To me, not to anyone else.”
“You are someone,” Hope answered. “You deserve to have a healthy work environment, just like anyone else.”
“No.” Angelica shook her head. “No, I’m not worth it. Tell Rex he doesn’t need to bother.”
“Ange…” Hope stopped. She flicked her gaze from the top of Angelica’s head to her shoulder and back again. “Ange?”
“Hmm?”
“When we broke up…” Hope swallowed hard. This wasn’t easy to say. “When we broke up, I told you that I couldn’t risk my family.”
Angelica hummed but that was the only response she gave.
“Did you think that I meant you weren’t worth it?” Hope pressed her fingers to Angelica’s shoulder, stopping all of her motion. When Angelica turned to look up at her, Hope looked at her directly in the eye. “That you weren’t worthy?”
The look on Angelica’s face was pure pain. And she didn’t mask it. She held Hope’s gaze firmly, locking their eyes together.
“Angel…” Hope breathed deeply. “I never meant that. I never even thought it.”
“You didn’t have to.” Angelica clenched her jaw. “Let’s just… finish up. Please.”
Hope nodded, an unsettled feeling filling the pit of her stomach. She had to fix this. She had to find a way to rectify the mistake she’d made. She finished rinsing out Angelica’s hair and turned the water off.
Snagging a towel, she wrapped it around Angelica’s shoulders and helped to dry her off, putting a second towel in her hair. She walked side by side with Angelica until she was sitting comfortably on the bed with clothes next to her. Hope took her dry clothes and went back to the bathroom to clean up and change.
Everything about this broke her, shattered her into a million little pieces.
Angelica had been right all along.
She was so selfish and wrapped up in what was happening to her that she refused to look and see what was happening to those she loved the most. Hope stared at herself in the mirror and shook her head. She wouldn’t let that happen again.
She would be better.
Do better.
Because Angelica deserved it.
She was worth it.
Chapter
Nineteen
Leanne’s giggle, which used to be infectious, was anything but. Now it just grated on Angelica’s nerves. She sat in the chair while Rex and Cadence reset so they could do a second take. She hated to admit it, but that shower, while embarrassing and tedious, had done her so much good.
Not just by washing her skin and her hair.
But the connection that she and Hope had throughout it, the edges of pain they’d skirted around but started to mend.
“Here.” Hope’s voice was gentle as she slid a mug of coffee into Angelica’s hand.
“Thank you.” Angelica took the coffee, flicking her gaze up to Hope in a curious glance. Hope had left awkwardly last night, but it still felt better between them than it had since they’d started filming this season. Angelica couldn’t explain it more than that.
“All right, we’re set to go again.” Cadence’s voice reached Angelica’s ears, and she took another sip of her coffee before Hope stole it away again.
Angelica couldn’t wait until she could move around more normally. She pulled herself to standing and moved with her scooter exactly where Cadence had wanted her. She held onto the scooter as Hope stood next to her, closer than she had in days, and it felt so good. She sent Hope a smile that faltered when Leanne came to stand next to them.
If ever there was a third wheel…
Angelica breathed out, plastering on the smile that she needed. One of the techs came over and switched out Angelica’s scooter for a low stool so they could get a wider shot of them. It was all in the magic, wasn’t it? Holding her breath, Angelica prepared herself for this next take.
“Everyone set!” Cadence backed away, keeping her gaze locked on Angelica as if double checking that she was okay.
Angelica nodded at her slightly. She felt unsteady on only one foot and the stool, but Hope was right there if she needed to grab hold of her. Hell, Leanne was too, not that she wanted to do that.
“Action!”
“I’m Angelica Shields.”
“And I’m Chef Hope Lawrence.”
Angelica looked to Hope and grinned brightly at her. “And we’re in Boston this week, at The Godfrey, an upscale hotel that has been slowly withering into the abyss for the last year since owner Ashlee Trapp took over.”
Hope jumped into the conversation. “Not only are there problems with room service and guest relations—”
“But there are problems with effective management and communication,” Angelica finished for Hope. “In fact, there are so many small issues that we had to bring in help for the week.”
Angelica’s heart clenched at that line. She’d wanted to cut it the moment she’d read the script, but Josef had refused and Rex had convinced her that it’d be a good idea to not antagonize him in that way.
“I’m Leanne Coates, and for five years, I was Angelica’s right-hand woman.”
Angelica’s stomach churned. She flicked her gaze to Hope, wondering if that made as much of an impact on her. Because the implication there was egregious, and Josef knew it when he’d handed the script over.
“I know the ins and outs of how she works, and together, we’re going to tackle this problem hotel and turn this disaster into a masterpiece.” Leanne finished with a stunning grin.
“Maybe not a masterpiece,” Angelica said, the line she’d memorized earlier that morning rolling off her tongue with no effort at all. “But at least a well-oiled machine, so that guests will know exactly what they’re getting when they arrive for their stay.”
“We’re here for one week.” Hope put her hands out in front of her, focusing her gaze on the camera. “And we don’t plan on leaving until the work is done.”
That was a lie, and they all knew it. While they’d done what they could in a week and resolved some of the issues, the bigger problem was still Ashlee. She wasn’t prepared for them to leave, and she wouldn’t be. She needed more training than anyone could give her in a week. Though Angelica had recognized a bit of promise in the meek girl. Perhaps she wasn’t completely inept when it came to management.
“Cut!” Cadence called.
Angelica’s knee released, and her entire body jerked. Hope’s hands were at her back and on her arm in an instant, helping her to turn around and sit on the stool instead of kneeling on it. Leanne looked Angelica over and shook her head with a sigh.
“This is probably the most boring part of filming so far,” Leanne said.
Angelica hummed, and while she agreed, she wasn’t going to say it out loud. The introduction to the location and the exit sequences were some of the most important parts of the show. Even if they were the most scripted. She squeezed Hope’s hand to let her know that she was all right and then rested on the stool. She might be able to put weight on her foot next week, but she had no doubt that just walking was going to exhaust her. She’d probably have to bring the damn knee scooter with her for the next couple of weeks until she had her strength back.
Once again, Hope was pressing her coffee mug into her hand. Angelica sipped it.
Angelica caught sight of Ashlee standing in the background with her arms crossed as she observed everything happening. Angelica waved her closer as soon as she caught Ashlee’s attention. Ashlee came closer, squatting down so that they were closer to eye level.
“I wanted to make you a proposal,” Angelica said, bringing her mug to her lips again. “And I wanted to do it with cameras off and give you the option if you wanted to film it or not.”
“Okay?” Ashlee’s brow furrowed in curiosity.
“I’m willing to provide oversight here for three months with your assistance while you spend three months in Los Angeles training with my hotel manager there. Matthias has been working with me for almost two years and is well-versed in methods and practices. You’ll still have to do the bulk of the work here, but he can be a resource to help you.”
“Leanne can’t train me?” Ashlee frowned.
“Leanne doesn’t work for my hotels anymore.” And for good reason, beyond their breakup, Leanne needed to move on. They’d both known that. “I can’t tell her what to do or what not to do when it comes to training, and this is outside of the show. I won’t pay you a salary while I train you, but I will make sure that when you’re done with the three months, you know exactly what you’re doing and have the resources to lead.”
Ashlee’s lips parted like she was going to answer, but Angelica interrupted her.
“Think about it and get back to me by the end of the day, all right?”
“I don’t have to think about it.” Ashlee bit her lip, looking at Leanne. “She said that you wouldn’t help me, but you are. I almost can’t believe it.”
“Leanne said that?”
Ashlee nodded.
“Well, Leanne is only here because of my car accident. So what do you want, Ashlee?”
“I want the help.”
“Good.” Angelica’s lips quirked upward. “Do you want to make the rest of the world aware of what we’re planning?”
Ashlee nodded again, this time more confidently. “Of course. You’re nothing like what people told me, and they need to see that side of you.”
Angelica’s fingers tightened around her mug, that age old pain of perceptions plaguing her. “Good. I’ll let Rex know so he can film something. I’ll expect you to be in Los Angeles by the end of next week.”
“N-next week?”
“Yes.” Angelica pursed her lips. “Training starts immediately.”
“Okay. I’ll be there.”
Angelica nodded sharply, and Ashlee skittered away.
Hope bent down, her lips pulling upward into a smile. She had a hand on Angelica’s knee, and that pesky thumb was rubbing secret circles into the side of her leg again. “You really should show your soft side more often.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea for anyone,” Angelica murmured as she took another sip of her coffee. “Thank you for the coffee, by the way. I mean it. Hobbling around is taking all the energy I have lately.”
“I’ve been there before, although I was in my late teens.”
Angelica scoffed. “Try it after you’re through middle age and into menopause. It’s way worse.”
Hope’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “They want us to change clothes to shoot the exit.”
Sighing, Angelica wrinkled her nose. “I suppose that makes sense.”
“They’ll want us to change again before you and I film the exit for Maine.” Hope tightened her grip on Angelica’s knee. “Do let me know if you want help with that.”
Angelica paused, her cheeks heating. She looked around the room furtively to see who was paying attention. “Hope.”
“Just an offer.” Hope winked.
As Hope walked away, Angelica couldn’t take her eyes off her back, the way she confidently walked across the room, the lines of her body, the way she moved. She pursed her lips, a half-smile cocked and ready to fully bloom.
