Chapter II

''Are you hungry?'' John asked, through the closed bathroom door.

''What?'' With the shower running, she couldn't hear what he was saying.

''I asked, are you hungry?'' he repeated a little louder this time, leaning on the doorframe.

Finally turning the water off, she stepped out the shower and wrapped herself in a towel, once again calling, ''What did you say?''

Laughing to himself, he patiently repeated the question. ''Are you hungry?''

''Well, to tell the truth, I am,'' she said, looking at herself in the mirror. It felt so nice to be clean again. ''Any ideas?''

''I was planning to go to the pub. Would you like to go with me?''

''My, my, Mr. Bates...you do work fast. First asking me to stay the night in your room, now dinner. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get me into bed.'' He heard her chuckle.

''What? No, no! I didn't mean...ummm…I just thought…'' He straightened himself up and really hoped that she hadn't taken his offer the wrong way.

''Relax, I'm just kidding,'' she laughed, after hearing his worried voice through the door. She didn't know a thing about the man, only his name, but something about his demeanour made her feel like she could trust him. He was different, and it just felt right talking to him, teasing him… OK, she may have even flirted with him a little bit, but he hadn't seemed to mind. ''So, sure. Let's go to the pub and have dinner, but I'm buying,'' she added, drying her hair with a towel.

''We'll talk about that later,'' he smiled, well aware that there wasn't a chance he would be letting her pay for their dinner.

''So, are you here for just one night or…'' he heard her ask, and just when he was about to answer, a shriek from inside the bathroom made him jump. ''Miss Smith, are you all right? Did you slip? '' If the door hadn't been locked, he was certain that he would have barged in to make sure she was OK. ''Anna?'' he called again, when she didn't answer.

''Yes, yes, I'm all right. It's just…''

''What is it?'' What in the world was going on in there, he wondered, waiting for her to finish her sentence. ''Anna?''

But instead of answering, she unlocked the door and hurried out of the bathroom, wearing only a white towel around her body and carrying her bag. ''My clothes are gone!'' she exclaimed, walking past him, not seeming at all bothered by the fact that she was almost naked. ''I don't get it! Where are my clothes?!''

John stared at her with his mouth hanging open, not saying a word. She literally took his breath away. The towel she was wearing ended mid-thigh, and my god - she looked good, and smelled even better! His eyes lingered on her exposed collarbones, and for a second he wished he could kiss them.

''Mr. Bates... Mr. Bates?'' Her soft voice brought him back to reality.

''Yeah?'' He finally looked her in the eye and hoped that she hadn't noticed him staring.

''Are you OK?''

''Yes…'' He coughed and felt his cheeks blazing. ''What happened?''

''I don't know! This is my bag, but these are not my clothes!'' she replied.

''They're not? How did they end up in your bag?'' he asked.

''I don't know,'' she said. ''I mean, don't get me wrong - whoever owns them has great taste - but I can't wear this.'' She pulled a very familiar checked shirt out of the bag. Suddenly it dawned on him - had Anna picked up his bag at the airport instead of her own?

He then recalled the "A. Smith" he had rung earlier about the bag he had ended up with. My god, if that was her bag, that meant that…those were her lace bras and knickers…her blue garter... For a moment he thought that he was going to faint.

''Great taste, huh? And how do you know that?'' he asked shakily.

''Well, first of all, he wears boxers, see?'' Anna pulled a few pairs out of the bag. ''And by the size of them, he really fills them well,'' she grinned.

John was certain that his face must be completely crimson by now. He cleared his throat. "Anna, about those clothes..." he began, but she was so focused on checking out the contents of the bag that she didn't seem to hear him.

''Let's see…gorgeous ties, smart shirts and trousers… Oh, he even owns some waistcoats - I love waistcoats! More men should wear them, don't you think?'' She looked up and smiled at him.

''Yeah, sure," John nodded, curiosity starting to get the better of him. He couldn't help but wonder what else she would say about his clothes. "Umm...go on. Tell me more about this mysterious person...''

''I don't know...I mean, I'm going through some strange man's wardrobe,'' she laughed.

''Well, it feels like a lot of things this evening have to do with strangers, so I don't think he would mind,'' he replied playfully, his eyes twinkling, and for the first time, Anna felt something move inside of her. His beautiful hazel eyes stared back at her and she could see that a spark had lit up inside of them.

''OK, but if this stranger finds out, I'll blame you,'' she giggled. She went back to looking through the bag. ''If you ask me, he is someone who really loves what he does, maybe something...studious...to do with books, perhaps, but at the same time he enjoys spending his free time doing something completely different.''

''Like what?''

''I don't know, but I'd guess something skilled and delicate, working with his hands...maybe woodwork or carpentry, I think.''

How in the world did she know that, he thought to himself, completely shocked. Everything she had said was true. He earned his living as a book editor, but whenever he had some spare time, he loved to spend it with his woodworking tools, making little wooden boxes and things like that. ''How do you know that?''

''Well, I've worked in fashion for the last 12 years, and I've always had a knack for telling a lot about people just by looking at their wardrobes.''

''Really?''

''Yes.'' She bit the inside of her cheek. ''You don't believe me, do you...''

''Oh, believe me, I do,'' he responded seriously.

''No, you don't,'' she laughed, and before he could protest, she continued, ''Come on, open your bag and I'll tell you who you are.''

"Umm, Anna...about the bags..." he began again, desperate to explain before she discovered her own clothes in 'his' bag, but he was immediately interrupted by the shrill ringing of the phone on the desk.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Bates?"

"Mrs. Patmore...?"

"Yes, well...errr...I just wanted to see how you two were getting on...and to remind you that I don't want any sort of funny business going on in that room tonight. I have a reputation to maintain, you know!"

"Yes, Mrs. Patmore...we've discussed this already..." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Anna walk to the wardrobe, where he had stashed the other bag, and pull it out.

"Right, Mr. Bates...as long as we understand each other. Thank you..." He quickly put the receiver back down.

"Anna, the thing about the bags is that..."

''Oh, we have the same type of bag,'' he heard her say, but before he could explain further, she had unzipped it.

''Well, Mr. Bates...I have to say you really have unusual taste,'' she teased, but her expression quickly turned serious when she realized that it was her own clothes she was staring at. She frowned in confusion. ''Are these my…''

''Yes, I think they are,'' John interrupted, and quickly added, ''The thing is...I think that I have your bag and you have…''

''I can see that!'' her usually soft, gentle voice had developed a hard edge, and he could see distrust and even fear in her eyes. ''Who are you?'' she demanded, moving away from him.

''Anna…'' He took a step toward her.

''Take another step and I'll scream for help!'' she warned, feeling trapped. Of course he was just another pervert! She should have known better than to trust him; she never had any luck when it came to men.

''No, no, Anna, listen - this is just a little misunderstanding...''

''I'll bet it is!'' She took another step away from him.

He could see that she was about to scream blue murder any second now, so he quickly blurted out, ''The only reason I have your things is because I think that you must have taken my bag at the airport.''

Staring back at him, she was completely confused. ''Beg your pardon?''

''Look, I don't know how, but I think you must have somehow managed to take my bag instead of yours at baggage reclaim. I'm guessing that you flew from London to Manchester today?''

Still confused, she nodded her head in response. ''So did I. So, you see, I think that you took mine and I took yours without even realizing. Look...'' He went to his bag and showed her the label with his name and address on it. ''And if you don't believe me, check your voice mail. I left you a message earlier, saying that I have your bag and that you should call me back. Only your tag just says 'A. Smith,' so I didn't put two and two together until just a few minutes ago.''

''Thank god!'' she exhaled, after it had all sunk in. ''I thought that you were some kind of a stalker or maybe even worse. Sorry,'' she apologized, finally stepping away from the wall.

''No problem.'' He smiled back at her, feeling relieved.

''But you don't mind me checking my phone, do you?'' She had to be 100% sure that he was telling the truth.

''Sure,'' he chuckled. ''Please do.''

Walking past him, she plugged in her phone and quickly realized that he had, in fact, rung her about the mix-up, before they had even met. ''Sorry I didn't believe you.'' She looked up, feeling a little embarrassed for having made a scene.

''Forget about it, I get it.'' He gave her a reassuring smile.

''So...how long did you know it was me?''

''Since you held up my shirt. I tried to tell you, but I couldn't get your attention - I think you were enjoying looking through my things." Anna blushed, but he just smiled. "Once you started guessing about me from my clothes, I must admit that I was curious about what else you would say. And then when I tried again to explain, Mrs. Patmore rang and...''

''Oh, my god!'' She could feel her cheeks redden when she remembered what she had said about his clothes. ''I'm sorry about going through your things and saying all that...'' She was mortified, especially because of the comment she'd made about his boxers.

'''It's all right. I should have stopped you, but once you started, I was interested in what else you'd say," he grinned. "Your guesses were actually quite on target. And we're kind of even now - I admit that I peeked at your things just a bit, too.''

''Oh? And what did you discover?'' she laughed, looking away, well aware of what she had packed.

''Some very, very nice things,'' he said softly, gazing at her. She was much shorter than he, but she looked so lovely.

The energy in the room shifted. Looking up, she saw him staring at her, and she could feel her heart skip a beat. He really was handsome - beautiful hazel eyes, dark hair, soft lips, a day-old stubble. He was wearing a black shirt with the top two buttons open, giving her a tantalising glimpse of his chest hair.

''Nice things, hmm?" she said coyly. "Can you try and tell me something about the person who wears them?''

''OK.'' He smiled and took a step toward her. ''Umm, she is definitely a beauty - perfect body, gorgeous face,'' he whispered. Anna froze, trying to understand this feeling between them. They had just met, but it felt like they had known each other for years.

''Blonde hair, ocean-blue eyes, milky skin...'' he continued, with no idea what was making him act this way. He coughed, staring at her lips, wishing he could taste them, but knowing that he didn't have any right to do so.

''Go on...'' she encouraged, leaning closer to him, her eyes half-lidded. He had her under some kind of a spell, but she wasn't complaining. In fact, she was mesmerised, and it felt wonderful.

''She works in fashion,'' he chuckled, and saw her smile. He knew that he shouldn't, but something made him lean closer to her so their faces were just a few inches apart. ''And by the look of her lingerie and garter, she has someone very special waiting for her at home.'' He had to find out whether she was single, even though he knew there was little chance.

''She doesn't have anyone...'' she managed to say, resting her palms on his chest.

''Are you sure?'' he asked huskily, as one of his hands drifted to her waist.

''Mhm,'' she nodded, and raised herself on her tiptoes to close the gap between them. She was close enough to feel his breath on her lips, when her mobile's ringtone cut through the silence. They jumped apart and she quickly apologized, picking up her phone. As Anna talked, John had no idea what to do, so he grabbed his bag and disappeared into the bathroom to have a quick wash and change of clothes before going to dinner, if the dinner was, in fact, still happening.

The next 10 minutes were spent in complete silence. Anna ended her call, and took advantage of John being in the bathroom to put some clothes on. What in god's name had just happened here? He had been so close that she had felt his body heat on her bare skin, his scent invading her nostrils. He was a complete stranger to her, yet something about him made her feel like being with him was the most natural thing in the world.

''Damn you, Mary!'' she said under her breath, remembering how close they had been to kissing just before her friend had rung. Pulling her jumper on, she heard knocking on the bathroom door. ''Mr. Bates?''

''Can I come out? I mean, are you…are you…'' For just a moment, he considered just spending the entire night locked in the bathroom. What had he been doing?! He had just divorced his crazy wife, and here he was making a move on this beautiful woman, who was far too young for him, no doubt. Pull yourself together, Bates, he repeated to himself, gathering the courage to face her again.

''Yes, I'm decent,'' she assured him, before he emerged from the bathroom as slowly as he could.

''Are we still going to the pub for dinner?'' he asked tentatively.

''Why shouldn't we?'' she smiled, trying to act casual.

''I don't know, just making sure you still want to go.'' He relaxed a bit when he saw that she didn't appear to be feeling uncomfortable.

''I do.'' She took her handbag and walked toward the door. ''Coming?''

''Yes, sure,'' he said, grabbing his jacket and opening the door for her. They walked in silence down the stairs, and just as they were about to leave the B&B, Mrs. Patmore's voice made them stop and turn around.

''Mrs. Patmore, is there a problem?'' John asked, starting to feel a little irritated by the old-fashioned woman and her old-fashioned ways.

''Well, yes and no, Mr. Bates. You see, I was wondering if you two would do me a favour?''

'Sure, what is it?'' Anna replied politely, sensing that John was getting frustrated with the woman.

''Could you please pretend that you are married when you are outside of this house?''

''What?!'' John's eyes almost popped out of his head.

''It's just...this is a small community, and I really don't need people in the village talking about me renting my rooms to…you know…unmarried people,'' she whispered, looking around to make sure that none of the other guests could hear the conversation.

''Look, Mrs. Patmore, I'm very grateful to you for…'' John began, but Anna interrupted, saying, ''Certainly, Mrs. Patmore, don't worry.'' She gave her a smile and took John's large hand in her small one. ''No one will ever find out about our little secret.''

''Oh, thank you, lass,'' the older woman replied. ''But just remember - you are only pretending,'' she added, and before John could say anything at all, she disappeared into the back room.

''What was that all about?'' John turned in disbelief to Anna, who just giggled and pulled him out the door, saying, ''Come, Mr. Bates, let's find that pub. Mrs. Bates is starving!''

beta: ANNAMBATES! :)))))) THANK YOU!

and THANK YOU FOR READING! :**