LOVE'S GHOST (a romance) Read Online Free PDF Page B

something that was quick. That would be the answer. Perhaps I’d buy a pizza from the local mini supermarket.
    But I resisted that urge. Instead, I decided that when I got in I’d just warm up some baked beans and throw them over some burnt toast. I hate toasters. I haven’t yet found one that can toast the bread evenly on both sides.
    I put the key into the latch and drearily trudged up the stairs to my front door. There was a soft light glowing, creeping under the door. I switched keys and opened that door, too.
    The first thing that hit me was the aroma. It was the sweet scent of my favourite candle — a blend of jasmine and lilac from Heyland and Whittle. There must have been more than one in the flat as the smell was quite strong. I walked past the bathroom and peeked inside. Sure enough, there were six of these candles flickering. And a bath had been drawn — only recently because there was steam rising, curling.
    “ Voila ,” said Russell, creeping up behind me.
    I jumped a little. “What are you doing home already?”
    “I got away early.”
    I should have been delighted but I wasn’t. I was perturbed. This was such a beautiful gesture. A romantic show of thoughtfulness. But it wasn’t a gesture that Russell had ever made before.
    What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I just enjoy it? The man had taken off from work early.
    “Are you okay?”
    He must have seen the confusion in my face. I draped my arms around his neck. “I’m very much okay. I’m just a little overwhelmed. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
    He kissed me on the lips, gently at first, then passionately. I held on to his muscly back, gripping it for all I was worth.
    “I bought you that bath oil you had your eye on,” he said. “That one in Harrods that you said was too expensive.”
    I looked around and saw the frosted glass bottle of Czech and Speake Neroli Bath Oil . Harrods sold it for seventy-five pounds a bottle. Wow. Russell had finished his day of loss adjusting for a top City firm and then travelled to Harrods in Knightsbridge to buy this for me.
    What a gesture!
    But I just wanted to cry again. I couldn’t believe he would do this. It was too much. But it was so romantic. I couldn’t prevent a tear coursing down my cheek.
    “No tears. You’ve had a tough time lately. It was the least I could do. I thought I’d cook you my famous risotto tonight. Is that okay?”
    I nodded, not wanting to risk trying to speak, in case my voice broke up.
    “It’ll take about forty-five minutes to cook in total. So you take your time in the bath.”
    He kissed me a second time, then headed off to the kitchen, leaving me alone in the candlelit bathroom. I took off my clothes and gingerly dangled a foot over the side of the bath. I was worried that the water would be too hot, as the steam was still rising.  
    But I needn’t have worried. The warmth of the water transferred itself to my body, snaking up my calf, then up the rest of my leg as I sat down. The temperature was perfect. Russell couldn’t have timed it better. The bath oil made the water feel more dense. It clung to my body and made my skin feel so soft and velvety.
    I watched the steam rising, the candles making it look like a lithesome dancer stretching, then taking flight away from the water.  
    I took deep breaths and told myself to calm down. What a lovely bath. What could be more relaxing than this? But I couldn’t relax. I just couldn’t. My breathing remained shallow, like an impending panic attack.  
    A bead of sweat appeared on my brow, not caused by the heat of the water, but by the intensity of my emotions. Another bead joined it. Then suddenly it had lots of friends. Beads of sweat appeared everywhere on the skin that wasn’t submerged. I hung my arm over the side of the bath and grabbed a towel from the rail, dabbing my arms, my face and my neck.
    But no sooner had I put the towel back on the rail than the sweat reappeared on my skin. I snatched at the towel