‘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 you didn’t watch it, because I know a hot-blooded woman like you wouldn’t have been able to resist.’
OK, I was rumbled and, let’s face it, I’d only watched the movie – he was the bloody star of it. What did it matter if I confessed to having seen it?
I wound my hands up and over his shoulders and linked my fingers at his nape. Pulled in a deep breath laced with his intoxicating cologne, and harnessed my courage. ‘I liked it when you fucked her with your mouth.’
He grinned. It was kind of an arrogant tilt to his lips, but at the same time so damn sexy my pussy actually trembled.
‘Yeah, that’s a speciality of mine,’ he said.
Suddenly he dropped to his knees and I was left looking at the top of his head, studying the little whirl of hair at his crown.
He slid his hands upwards, scooping my skirt and letting the material gather at his wrists.
‘Jesus,’ I said. ‘Anyone could come in and see you doing that.’ I glanced at the door.
He reached and placed his palm on the wood. Shoved it so hard the door slammed shut with an ear-splitting bang, and a framed picture of dogs playing pool shifted on its nail. ‘There, now your skirt has no need to fear being caught inflagrante delicto.’ As he spoke he slid it right up, so that it sat like a belt at my waist.
‘Jared,’ I gasped. ‘What are you doing?’
He looked at me, licked his lips and grinned. ‘I’m going to give you a personal demonstration of my best performance.’
If my knees had been weak before, now they were positively noodle-like. What the hell was I doing? Could I really let this gorgeous young man go down on me in the back of my shop?
Like hell I could.
He tugged my knickers below my knees and eased apart my thighs. Pressed his mouth to my lower abdomen, softly, reverently, the light sprinkle of stubble on his chin slightly scratchy.
A juddering sigh escaped my lips and I slotted my hands into the thick, warm strands of his hair. Letting it mesh around my fingers and tickle my knuckles.
His attentions headed south and he kissed through my patch of pubic hair, tugging the roots slightly and creating a tingling sensation that travelled straight to my clit.
‘Mmm, you smell divine,’ he murmured, burrowing his nose further in and nuzzling it side to side. He pulled in a deep breath, his shoulders shifting as his chest expanded.
‘Oh, God,’ I said. The erotic image of him filling his lungs up with my scent was almost enough to make me come right then.
‘You smell of woman and desire,’ he said, sliding his hands up and down my thighs,