oOo
The following weeks passed peacefully. After the first glimpse of spring, the city had been turned back into muddy, snowy grey and everyone wore depressed faces. It had been dark and cold for a long enough time, and Londoners were yearning for sunshine and lightness.
A week before Easter, it got warm at last. Bella, who had been freezing for months, was delighted, and she was even more delighted to learn that Edward was a bit of a gardener. He set to work in the small space behind his house the moment temperatures went higher, clearing away dead leaves and planting bulbs.
She liked to watch him as she would sit on the porch with a book and a cup of tea, snuggled into a fleece blanket. The way his muscles flexed when he dug into the earth with his bare hands, smiling at something, the sun reflecting in his hair. He was happy, and that simple fact made her happy.
He wasn't working much, telling her he needed a period of rest to recharge his artistic batteries. The Berlin exhibition was planned for the end of April with his works that were currently being displayed at the Saatchie. The pieces would go to Berlin for a period of three months before going to their new owners – "The Meadow" would return to the artist.
Bella was excited to go to the Continent with him. Their tickets and hotel room were booked and since the museum was paying for their expenses, she didn't feel like she was sponging off on Edward.
A week into April, she was unwinding from a long day at the British Library, taking a bubble bath, her nose in a celebrity magazine. Reading about the love lives and weight problems of the rich and famous, she soaked in the hot water, relaxing to the point of drowsiness.
A sound made her sit up straight, splashing water over the edge of the tub, and adrenaline began to course through her veins.
A second later, she heard his voice from the living room.
"Hey love, I'm here."
They'd talked on the phone an hour ago, and she'd told him to use his set of keys should she still be in the bath.
"Bella?" His voice got closer. "Are you still in the –?" The door opened, revealing a smiling Edward. "You must have grown fins by now." He grinned. He looked extremely handsome in a bottle green Polo shirt and jeans. His cheeks were slightly stubbly and his hair was its usual delightful mess.
"No fins." She smiled lazily. "The last time I looked. Unless you want to check?"
"Hmm." The corners of his mouth went even higher into what she now knew was a downright dirty smile. "You want me to?"
Bella lifted one of her hands out of the water and eyed it doubtfully.
"Actually, I'm pruny."
Edward's eyes darted around her small bathroom and he grabbed a towel from the rack, opening it in invitation for her.
"Thank you."
She climbed out of the tub, noticing the way his hungry eyes were on her.
"See something you like?" She raised one eyebrow at him while he wrapped her into the towel, and in his arms.
"You," he growled softly, his breath teasing and warm by her ear.
Bella shuddered. Without further preamble, she pushed him backwards and into her bedroom.
oOo