grandfather clock but grunted when I told him the price. A woman who visited regularly with fine pieces of jewellery accepted thirty pounds for a gold bracelet with a butterfly clasp. She gripped the notes, her eyes moist and her lips a tight line. I decided to put the bracelet to the back of the cabinet so only the most observant of punters would spot it, then gave the little girl standing quietly at her side a mint from my jar.
I was just about to switch the sign at the front of the shop to CLOSED and retreat to my back room for a cheese sandwich and a Cup-a-Soup when the door opened.
‘I’m shut for an hour,’ I called, my head still dipped over the glass-topped drawer.
‘So do you want me to flip this sign for you?’
A flush swarmed over my chest and up my neck. I would recognise that voice anywhere. Especially after listening to him on my TV last night.
I shut the drawer and straightened, trying to look unflustered. Then watched Jared flip the cardboard sign hanging on a piece of putty so it read OPEN to the inside of the shop.
‘What do you want?’ I asked, heat travelling over my scalp and flaming onto my cheeks.
He sauntered up to the desk, removing his shades and poking them into the ‘v’ neckline of his black T-shirt. ‘I need to buy one of my DVDs back. It shouldn’t have been in the pile.’
‘Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to come back later. I’m closed now, for lunch.’
‘But it won’t take a minute. It’s the one called His Best Performance.’ He tipped his head and studied the shelf behind me.
Shit.
The DVD he wanted was still in my player at home. I’d had plans to watch it again, later, after a hot bath and with a dildo that had been gathering dust of late.
‘Mmm,’ he said, rubbing his bottom lip with his index finger. ‘I can’t see it.’
My mind whirred. I struggled to think straight. ‘I sold it. Someone bought it, this morning.’
His sharp gaze caught mine and he gave me that look again, the one that made me feel like he was seeing right inside me. ‘Really?’
‘Yes, really.’ I fiddled with a string of red beads around my neck, looping them in and out of my fingers.
‘That’s an odd coincidence.’
‘Why is it? Someone came in, they wanted porn, that’s what they bought.’
‘Male or female?’
‘I, um, male, not that it matters.’
He lifted his finger and made a show of counting the remaining DVDs, mouthing the numbers as he did so. ‘And he just bought one?’
‘Yes.’
He sighed and rested a black leather jacket over the counter. ‘Fuck, that’s a real pity.’
I licked my lips and studied the cross that was wedged at a slight angle at the base of his throat. I couldn’t help but wonder what his flesh would taste like there, what it would feel like on the tip of my tongue. A little rough in texture but a sweet flavour that matched the way he smelled. ‘Why does it matter?’ I asked.
‘Because it was important to me.’
I just bet it was.
‘There’s nothing I can do, Jared, it’s gone out into the big wide world, never to return.’ As I spoke my stomach dropped. Panic swam through my veins and my breath stuttered in my throat.
Fuck.
He raised his brows and straightened. ‘How do you know my name?’
I stopped fiddling with my necklace, crossed my arms and balled my fists.
‘How do you know my name?’ he asked again, cocking his head.
‘I’m shut for lunch. Please leave and come back another time if you want to repurchase your DVDs.’ I turned and went into the sanctuary of my backroom. My legs were wobbly, my knees weak, but I held my chin high.
I gasped when there was a sudden tightening on my right upper arm.
‘You watched it, didn’t you?’ Jared spun me to face him. ‘You didn’t sell it, you kept it for yourself. That’s how you know my name.’
‘Don’t be so ridiculous.’ He didn’t look angry; instead he looked pleased, triumphant almost.
‘So tell me, what did you think of my performance?’
I stepped backwards and he followed, holding both my upper arms now. My shoulders hit the wall and he pressed his body against mine and looked down at me. His face was so close I could make out a small scar just below his left eye and see every dark eyelash individually.
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ I said, acutely aware of his hard pecs shoved up against the soft mounds of my breasts. Pushing, pressing into me.
‘Quit the games,’ he said with a slow smile. ‘You watched me in action, you loved it, it turned you on.’ His voice was low and rumbling, and it did funny things to the very pit of my stomach.
‘No, I didn’t.’ My denial was feeble, even to my ears.
Suddenly his mouth was on mine, hard, urgent and dominant.
I gasped a protest and smacked my fists against his solid body. But he ignored me and plundered my mouth with his tongue, feeding me his syrupy yet raw flavour.
My protest turned into a groan of delight and I scrabbled for his shoulders, barely knowing whether to shove him away or drag him closer for more.
God, the man could kiss. Not only that, he was kissing me like he really was enjoying it, not acting, but actually wanted me.
He ran his hands up my arms, over my shoulders and cradled my face. ‘You’re fucking gorgeous,’ he whispered onto my lips.
If I could have let go of him to pinch myself and make sure I wasn’t dreaming, I would have. ‘Really?’
‘Yes, really.’
‘But surely you can have anyone, any young bimbo you want.’
‘For the record, bimbos don’t do it for me. I like an independent woman who knows who she is, what she wants and isn’t afraid to work for it.’
‘And that’s me?’
‘Too damn right it is.’ He kissed over my cheek, settled his lips at the shell of my ear. His breaths were hot and hard, like a storm blowing right through me.
‘So tell me,’ he said, pulling back just far enough to look at my face. ‘Which was your favourite part of the movie? What did I do best?’
‘I, well … I’m …’
‘Quit pretending
