Page 85 of Lost in Love
Chapter 27
As soon as they arrived at Abbey House, Katherine showed Anna to a spare bedroom. Anna set her bags down and collapsed onto the bed.
“I’ll let you sort yourself out whilst I make dinner.”
Although the room was very comfortable and about six times the size of her room at her dad’s, it felt weird being in a different bedroom to Katherine’s, having already spent a night in there. Anna was relieved to have a roof over her head. The plan had been to kip on Gloria’s floor until she found somewhere more permanent. Now she was going to be living in a sumptuous palace with a beautiful woman.
Katherine’s appearance on her doorstep had been a relief to Anna. After her outburst in Katherine’s garden and the realisation that Katherine hadn’t abandoned her dad, she had been desperate to make amends. Embarrassment had prevented her from approaching Katherine; so much had passed between them, things that shouldn’t have been said. It was all now water under the bridge.
Anna made her way downstairs, admiring the staircase again as she went. Katherine was clattering about in the kitchen.
“This isn’t going to work,” Anna said as she entered.
Katherine’s face dropped.
“But… you haven’t even stayed a night yet. At least give it a night.”
“I mean me staying in a separate room. I’d like to share; I’m assuming the rent will be cheaper too?”
Katherine’s relief was audible.
“Why couldn’t you have led with that?” She flicked the tea towel she was holding at Anna. “Get some champagne out the fridge.”
Anna grinned and extracted a bottle from the fridge, filling the flutes Katherine placed on the island.
Katherine raised hers. “To the future.”
“Toourfuture,” Anna added, chinking her glass. “Do you mind if I have a bath later? I need to wash the day off.”
“Of course not. You don’t need to ask; this is your home now too. I’ll run it for you.”
Anna’s eyebrows drew together. “You don’t need to run me a bath.”
“No, but I’d like to.”
Anna wasn’t going to argue with her, and she was glad she hadn’t when she entered the bathroom after dinner. It was lit with endless candles, and the enormous tub, with taps in the middle, was filled with bubbles. She plunged herself into the deep bath and lay back. It was the most luxurious bath she’d ever been in and far surpassed the one in the five-star hotel she’d stayed in once with Jessica.
There was a tap at the door. “Are you decent? Can I come in?” Katherine called.
Anna covered herself with bubbles but then washed them off her chest. She had nothing she didn’t want Katherine to see. “Yes, come in?”
Katherine entered with their champagne glasses refilled. “I thought you might like a champagne bath.” She stopped, noticing that Anna wasn’t as decent as she had expected her to be.
“I won’t say no.” Anna held out her hand to take it, exposing more of herself.
Katherine was too distracted by Anna’s body to notice.
Anna cleared her throat loudly.
“Oh, sorry.” She passed a glass to Anna. “I’m going to have a shower.”
“Aren’t you getting in with me?” Anna teased.
Katherine shot her a look. “Is that a question or an invitation?”
“An invitation of course.”
Katherine placed her champagne glass on the side of the bath and dropped her fluffy, white robe to reveal her naked body. She climbed into the other end of the bath.
