Christian stepped into my room carrying a hot cup of tea, and stopped short when he'd seen the chaos I'd created. On every surface was a photocopied page of the grimoire I'd stumbled across. At least, I think it was a grimoire. Each page seemed to follow a strict pattern of text, and from the little I'd translated (thanks to a nifty new app I'd downloaded) the words appeared to be instructions. But I'd got caught up looking for patterns to speed up the translating process and now everywhere was a mess. My bed was covered. Each wall had been stapled with a hundred sheets or more. The book itself hadn't been particularly long, but each time I translated something, it seemed to reference something else or be echoed somewhere else. And like a spider who had lost control of her web, I sat in the middle of the floor, laptop, phone, highlighters and post-it notes at hand; and the dorkiest hair-on-top-of-my-head hairstyle you've ever seen.

"I love what you've done with the place," he said, a cool smirk on his face. "Is it going to be like this every time you get a book idea?"

"You shouldn't read my emails," I replied testily. "I only told Jack I was writing a book so I could borrow the scanner."

"Then what are you doing?" he asked, handing me my tea.

"You'll think I'm crazy."

"Ana, I'm a ghost."

"Good point well made… Well… I think this is a grimoire."

"As in, and I know I'm quoting Vampire Diaries here so forgive me, a witches cookbook?"

"That's the one. It mentions loads about ghosts. I'm just trying to find a way to… fix… our situation." I waited for the lecture. I'd barely had two words from Christian since he told me he needed space. And apart from the occasional stroking of my pyjama'd leg when he thought I was sleeping, this was the first time we'd been in the same room as each other for nearly a week. (Though, as you can imagine, it felt more like months had passed. Painfully.)

"Any luck?" he practically whispered.

Eyebrows raised, I handed him the piece I'd been scribbling on and sipped me tea.

"I think it's a binding spell. There's loads in the book that says when a soul is ripped from its body, it'll latch onto something else. Usually the building where it happened. If we can bind you to something more portable…"

"Then I'll be portable."

I nodded.

"Well… We've had worse ideas." There was something dangerous about his smirk this time and, like an echo, my body reverberated with memories of the shower room. "What do you need?"

"Excuse me?" I said, a little breathlessly. I took another sip of tea and waited for my face to stop being on fire.

"For the spell, what do you need?"

"Oh! Sorry… erm… This is the shopping list as it stands," I pointed at the bottom of the page, "but honestly, how we're going to find half of the stuff on there…"

"Is it all Canary feathers and Eye of Newt?"

"Kinda, yeah."

"Fine. I'll give it to Taylor. He has a special talent for finding things."

I nodded again. On shaky achy legs I stood, pulling paper off me and let it fall clumsily to the floor.

"Be careful of Jack…" Christian said, randomly. "He strikes me as the kind of man who enjoys lending favours so that you owe him later."

"Don't worry. Jack's a bit clingy but he's not a bad person. Plus Jason keeps an eye on me."

"That doesn't make me feel better."

"You jealous?" I chuckled.

Christian stepped closer to me, so that his face was less than an inch from mine, his eyes ablaze.

"Very."

He took my half-drunk tea from me and scooped me up in his arms. He only touched my clothes, but my long sleeves meant I could rest my arm around his neck. He kept eye contact with me the entire time, and wordlessly carried me to the bathroom.

He placed me gently on the bathroom floor. The bath was already running, steam pouring from the hot water, and the door was now shut and locked.

"Whilst you were being…studious… I was learning a few tricks of my own," he said, his smirk spreading into a gleeful grin. I realised he was suddenly naked, nothing but his ghostly form and wow! I couldn't believe how good he looked in clothes, but out of them… wow!

I stretched my hand out towards one of his pectorals, and it passed through a little. I snatched it back and blushed furiously.

"I'm sorry," he said, pulling my chin up so I was looking him in the eye.

He's touching me! He's actually for real touching me!

"Try again," he whispered. I stretched my hand out and it held firm against his pectoral muscle. It felt like a cold electricity was running along my hand. He winced a little and I withdrew my hand.

"Did I hurt you?" I asked.

"No. It's just, it takes a lot of concentration. Imagine holding a heavy weight for a long period of time, and then having someone place another weight on top."

"I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault. But how about we not ruin the illusion with accidental touching?" his smirk was back, and I relaxed a little. He undressed me, and I stepped into the bath that was now half way up. He poured some bath oil, and suddenly my nose was awash with the sweet smell of honey and cinnamon. It was lovely.

"I'm going to go full Casper for this."

"Full Casper?"

To answer my question, Christian suddenly disappeared. I sat forwards in the bath and looked around for him, but it was like he'd never been there.

Until I felt his hand on my ankle. I screamed and kicked out, until I heard him chuckle. My hand rushed to my mouth, and then I hid my face in my hand and started giggling myself.

"Really… you should have seen your face…" came Christian's voice. It was soft and far away, like it had been brought in from the wind. "Lean back."

I did as I was told, enjoying the hot water lapping over my back, shoulders and breasts. I felt his hand stroking the inside of my leg. Up and down. High and low and higher again. Closer and closer. I tried to stretch out to take his hand but he withdrew before I could.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Barely begun and you're already breaking the rules."

His hand moved up and around my outer thigh, up my waist and around my breasts. I gasped when, all of a sudden, it felt like someone's mouth was around my nipple. Sucking. Kissing. Biting. My eyes tried to convince me no one was there, but my body was reacting to my personal friendly ghost.

I closed my eyes, fading into the hot water, glorious smells and electrifying touch. I felt as his hand moved back down towards my pussy, then rubbing firmly against my clit. He moved in constantly changing patterns and every time it changed, my body arched in desperation. My mouth hung open a little, and I didn't even care when a little moan came out. That seemed to spur him on. I felt a tightening in my stomach, then it spread out through my legs and arms, even into my feet. My back went completely stiff and then the elastic snapped and my whole body filled with a warmth as I let out a long breath.

He kept his fingers on my cunt, inciting on echoes of my orgasm, and moved his mouth up my body towards my neck. I felt him kiss me and kept my eyes closed tightly shut. This was perfect. This was like having a real boyfriend. This was… Oh God… My body began to convulse as the second orgasm took over. I let out a long sigh as my whole body slumped back into the bath. I felt tingly, inside and out. Perfectly relaxed.

And then, in a move I wasn't expecting, he began stroking my hair. I didn't open my eyes, or move a muscle in case he stopped.

"Are you asleep?" he asked.

"No," I said, sleepily.

"You're beautiful."

I opened my eyes. I could see his outline in the steam, which now filled the room. He was looking down at me, so… lovingly. I felt tears sting at my eyes before I could stop them. I brushed them away roughly and sat up, sending water sploshing about the place.

"Are you okay?" he asked, serious concern in his voice.

"Yes. It's just… you're really beautiful too…" I said, feeling the hysteria creeping up on me. "Why would anyone want to kill you?"

A steamy hand moved from my hair down my back and began drawing patterns.

"In this moment, and probably just this moment, I don't mind being dead. If I hadn't been dead, we probably would never have met."

"That's… so tragic," I said, chuckling a little through the tears. The steamy hand wiped them away, but it just made my face feel hot and wet.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we kind of are."

My legs were completely jelly, but I attempted to stand anyway. Christian handed me a towel, and then used it to carry me to his room. He tucked my under his duvet, and lay next to me. The bed didn't strain under his weight, but I felt his closeness. The electricity. I yawned.

"I'm going to make him pay, whoever did this to you."

"You and me both," he said with a smile.

"Do you think it's going to work?"

He looked at me quizzically.

"The spell. Do you think it could work?"

"I don't think there's any harm in trying. And to be honest, I'm dying to get out of this house."

"That's not funny."

"No I suppose not. But it's weird for me, not to be in control of everything. Dying definitely threw a spanner in that. I don't want it to disrupt your life too."

"Christian… please don't spoil the glorious time I just had by bringing me down."

"Hey, I'm not the one who got so much orgasm that I cried," he laughed.

I huffed, and went to smack him. But as usual, my hand passed right through him.

We both looked sad in that moment.

"Don't be surprised if you don't see me for a couple of days…" he said quietly. "That little excursion took a lot out of me. I need time to recoup."

"Well…" I said squirming a little closer to him and biting my lip. "Don't be too long okay? Nobody liked waiting too long for the goods."

"Noted," he said. "Now, sleep."

I poked my tongue out at him, but the orgasm-duo had signed, sealed and delivered my good night's sleep. I went out like a light.