The Charmer

by Mandasue Heller

  ‘Not at all,’ Joel assured her. ‘How are you?’

  ‘Fine.’ Maria felt shy now. ‘You?’

  ‘All the better for hearing your voice,’ he said. ‘I’ve been thinking about you, as it happens.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yeah, I was wondering if you’d got home all right. Where was it you said you lived? Devon?’

  ‘Actually, I’m still here. Things have sort of changed since I saw you, and I’m moving back for good. Well, for a while, anyway.’

  ‘Really? That’s great news.’

  ‘Yeah, well, I thought I should give it a chance – see if it works out,’ Maria said, feeling ridiculously nervous now. ‘Anyway, I was thinking, now I’m back I should probably have my friends round. So, I was wondering . . . Well, if you’re interested, would you like to come for dinner some time?’

  ‘Are you kidding me?’ Joel said without hesitation. ‘I’d love to. When?’

  ‘I, er, hadn’t actually thought that far ahead,’ Maria admitted, blushing deeply – glad that he wasn’t there to see it. ‘When’s best for you?’

  ‘Tonight,’ Joel said with a smile in his voice. ‘Unless that’s too soon?’

  ‘No, that’s fine.’ Maria tried not to sound too eager. ‘Have you any preferences food-wise?’

  ‘Anything – as long as it’s hot and spicy.’ Joel laughed softly. ‘I’ll bring the booze. Shall we say eight?’

  Hanging up, Joel raised his eyes heavenward in a silent Thank You.

  He’d shifted two full ounces in the last few hours, more than covering what he owed the Gallaghers. But he still needed to shift the rest as soon as possible, to get himself some money.

  It would have been so easy to do a runner, but he’d considered it and decided against it within the space of a second. The Gallaghers would come after him, and the last thing he needed were yet more maniacal enemies hunting him down. Anyway, he’d much rather have them on his side if the worst came to the worst and Psycho did find him.

  The one good thing that Joel had going for him was that he was smarter than Psycho. He just had to stay calm and alert to avoid making himself vulnerable to surprise attacks. He had a few days’ grace, because Mack was too greedy to sell him out until he’d received the money – or realised that he wasn’t going to get it. But now that Maria had thrown him this lifeline he could afford to relax a little.

  Taking a shower in preparation for what he was sure would be a great night, he contemplated this latest piece of good luck. If he played Maria right – and he had a feeling it would be as easy as melting ice cream in the kettle – he might have found himself the perfect hideout until he’d planned his next move. And he’d be safe, because no one had the first clue that she even existed. How perfect was that!

  Giving his reflection a wry grin as he dried himself off, Joel very much doubted that he’d have any problem charming his way into Maria’s bed tonight. He wouldn’t frighten her off by arriving for dinner with his suitcases in tow, though. If all went as planned, he’d come back for them in the morning. If not, he’d just have to go and stay with one of his other tarts instead.

  But he didn’t anticipate that happening, somehow.

  Maria was cursing herself for inviting anyone, never mind Joel, to dinner. She didn’t even have any food in the house. And even if she had, she couldn’t have done anything with it, because she had no idea how to turn the bloody cooker on.

  Stupid!

  But, stupid or not, she had just over one hour to get it sorted, and herself ready.

  Remembering the menu leaflet that Beth had picked up at the Chinese takeaway the night before, Maria ran upstairs to get it. She shouldn’t really eat fast food two nights on the run, but this was an emergency. Crossing her fingers that Joel had meant what he said about liking hot food, she ordered spicy ribs, chilli chow mein, and chicken satay for two.

  Boiling a kettle of water, she washed her hair, then rooted through her case for something decent to wear. None of it was very dinner date-ish, but she couldn’t wear the blue dress again. Joel had already seen it, for one thing, and it was way too dressy for a takeaway in the kitchen.

  Beth’s top!

  Rushing into the bathroom, Maria found the white Lycra halter top hanging over the towel rail where Beth had left it to dry after washing it the other night. Beth had been wearing her jacket by the time they’d bumped into Joel so, with any luck, he wouldn’t remember seeing it.

  Slipping it on, she teamed it with black jeans and strappy sandals and looked herself over in the free-standing bedroom mirror. She looked great – even if she did say so herself.

  Taking her time to do her make-up, Maria sprayed herself with perfume, then made her way down the stairs just as the food was delivered.

  Joel arrived a few minutes later – wine in one hand, Jack Daniel’s in the other.

  He was dead on time, which was amazing given that he’d taken two cabs to shake off anybody who might be following him: one from his flat to town, another from town to a restaurant a few streets away from here where he’d stood in the doorway as if waiting for a date until the cab pulled away. Then he’d run the rest of the way.

  Ludicrous lengths to go to, but he wasn’t risking anything with Psycho on the loose.

  As soon as he saw Maria, Joel knew that he’d made the right decision in coming. Not only had she made an effort to look good – which told him that she definitely had the hots for him – but the house was far better than he’d expected: huge, safe, and reasonably secluded. And the area reeked of old money, so there was less than zero chance of him bumping into anyone he knew.

  ‘You look incredible,’ he told her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. ‘Really beautiful.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Blushing prettily, Maria flapped a hand towards the kitchen. ‘We’re through here.’

  Joel whistled softly through his teeth as he followed her into the kitchen. Christ, she was fit!

  And rich . . . And single . . .

  God was truly on his side, for once.

  The food was on the table, still in its foil trays.

  ‘Smells great,’ he said, taking his jacket off and hanging it over the back of one of the two chairs at the table. ‘Just us, is it?’

  ‘I, er, yeah.’ Maria’s blush deepened. ‘Like I said, I hadn’t really planned anything. I was just sounding people out, and, well, you were the first one I rang.’

  ‘I’m honoured,’ Joel said, giving her that sexy smile she remembered so well. ‘Got a corkscrew?’

  ‘There should be one round here somewhere,’ Maria said, opening several drawers before she found it. Handing it to him, she said, ‘You’re lucky. Beth only made me buy that last night.’

  Going to the draining board while Joel removed the wine bottle’s cork, she got the glasses that she and Beth had taken from the dining-room cabinet the night before.

  ‘Crystal glasses and paper plates,’ Joel said, chuckling softly. ‘Odd combination, but it works for me.’

  ‘Sorry,’ Maria said, grimacing. ‘I didn’t really fancy using the old plates, but I haven’t had a chance to go shopping for a new service yet. Me and Beth bought these when we were cleaning up. Oh, and I’ve got plastic cups as well, if you’d rather go totally downmarket.’

  ‘The glasses are fine,’ Joel said, pulling the cork with a dull Thwok! ‘Bit bright in here, though,’ he teased, shielding his eyes against the ceiling light. ‘No candles?’

  ‘I have, as it happens,’ Maria said, taking a fat church candle out of the cupboard. ‘It’s a bit big, but Beth insisted on getting it – in case the electric went off in the middle of the night.’

  ‘Very sensible,’ Joel said, tipping the rice out onto the plates and standing the candle in the empty foil tray. Folding the edges artistically inwards, he lit it with a flourish. ‘There you go . . . your very own solid silver candle-holding house-warming gift.’

  Laughing softly, Maria sat down. ‘Thanks. I’ll keep it for ever.’

/>   ‘Make sure you do,’ Joel said, giving her a meaningful look as he switched off the overhead light. ‘I’ll expect you to bring it out every time I visit – even when you’re sixty, and losing your marbles.’

  ‘I will,’ Maria murmured shyly, spooning satay onto the rice.

  Pouring the wine, Joel handed a glass to her and peered into her eyes.

  Falling headlong into his as they clinked glasses, Maria knew she was lost. It was crazy and impetuous and exciting, but she just wanted to feel his arms around her again, taste his lips on hers, run her hands through his hair, and smell him on her when she woke up in the morning.

  This was the first time she had ever felt this way, and she wasn’t sure how to handle it. Usually, she would be building the wall faster than she could blink right about now, but she just couldn’t seem to lift the bricks this time.

  ‘Shall we . . . ?’ Joel picked up his fork.

  ‘Oh, yes, of course,’ Maria said, pulling herself together. ‘Sorry . . . I hope it’s not cold.’

  ‘We’ll just stick it in the microwave if it is.’

  ‘I haven’t actually got one,’ Maria admitted. ‘I’ve got a list of things I need, so I’ll have one by next . . .’ Stopping herself before she could come out and say ‘Next time you’re here,’ which would be too presumptuous, she gave a little shrug. ‘I’ll be getting one.’

  Joel smiled to himself. This was working out better than he could have hoped. She was doing all the work for him. All he’d have to do would be close the deal, and he’d be home and dry.

  ‘This is really nice,’ he said, tasting the food. ‘It reminds me of the first time I went to Amsterdam. I was on tour with some girl singer from the States.’ Pausing, he frowned, as if trying to remember the name. Then, shrugging, he said, ‘I think it was Maria, actually – small world, eh? She said it kind of different, though. Maria Clary – or something like that.’

  ‘You don’t mean Mariah Carey?’ Maria asked, open-mouthed.

  ‘Yeah, that’s the one.’ Joel flapped his hand dismissively. ‘You tend to forget their names after a while, ’cos they’re all so alike.’

  Maria nearly choked on her food. He was so nonchalant about it, but she’d be having kittens if she was around stars as big as Mariah Carey.

  ‘She was really demanding,’ Joel went on with a chuckle. ‘Great voice, but boy did she run you ragged. Soon as she was off stage, she wanted food. But she couldn’t let you know what she wanted beforehand so you could have it waiting, you had to wait till she came off stage, then run out and try and find whatever she had a taste for. So, anyway, this night she wants chicken satay and egg fried rice, and she wants me to go for it. But it wasn’t my job, and I was getting a bit pissed off with her by then, so I said, “No! Enough’s enough! If you want food, you can damn well go and get it yourself!”’

  ‘You didn’t ?’

  ‘Too right,’ Joel snorted softly. ‘I wasn’t her gofer. I told her – I said, I’m working with you, not for you. And if you don’t like it, I’ll leave, and you can try and find someone else to hold it all together for you. And you’re not the only one who’s hungry, I said. I’m starving, your manager’s starving, and your bloody bodyguards are wasting away.’

  ‘So what did she say?’ Maria asked, sure that he would say he’d been sacked on the spot.

  ‘She said, “Sorry, babe”,’ Joel said, affecting an American female voice. ‘“I didn’t realise I was being such a bitch. Give me a minute to get changed and we’ll all go look for a place to eat. Okaaay?”’

  ‘So you went to a restaurant together? You and Mariah Carey?’

  ‘Yeah – me and Mariah, and the rest of the crew.’ Joel shrugged, getting into his stride now. ‘It’s par for the course with most of my clients, but some just need reminding that we’re not their fans. Without us, they wouldn’t be out there doing what they do. Most are great, though. Like the Gallagher brothers – I do a lot of work with them, and they’re sound.’

  ‘As in Oasis?’ Maria was awestruck all over again.

  ‘Yeah.’ Nodding, Joel grinned. ‘Nice lads, I know them well. They were one of my first, actually. Tour of Germany – retracing one of the Beatles’ early tours.’

  Listening raptly as Joel told her about that and other tours he’d organised, Maria picked at the food and took regular sips of wine. She found the melodic sound of his voice hypnotic, and his gorgeous eyes twinkling in the candlelight mesmerising. And his smile was so bright and warm that he made the large, cold kitchen seem really cosy and intimate.

  She could hardly believe that a man with such a fascinating lifestyle would be interested in an unsophisticated girl like her. He had mixed with some of the most famous singers and musicians in the world, but she had done nothing, been nowhere. How could she possibly compete?

  ‘It sounds fantastic,’ she said, when Joel stopped talking. ‘You must really love it.’

  ‘I do.’ Resting his elbows on the table, Joel licked the spicy barbecue syrup off his fingers. ‘You never know where you’re going to be from one week to the next – or who with. But it’s not all plain sailing, believe me.’

  Laughing softly, he wiped his mouth on a napkin and reached for his drink. Maria had fallen hook, line and sinker for his favourite fictitious career. Now it was time to find out where she stood on the subject of his real occupation. Not that it mattered what she thought, it just saved all the hassle of having to lie if he felt like having a line or two. And all the better if she had one with him, because the sex would be out of this world.

  ‘We all know about demanding American divas,’ he said, reeling out his tester story. ‘But our lot can be just as bad. Take this young boy band I was working with last year. Nice lads – really polite and cooperative. Then, a few days into the tour, their manager takes me to one side and asks if I know where they can get hold of any coke, ’cos the lads have run out. And I’m like, we’re in Germany. Like I’m gonna know anyone here.’

  ‘That’s terrible,’ Maria said, shaking her head with disapproval as she finished her wine. ‘Fancy expecting you to do something illegal, just because they’re famous.’

  ‘Ah, well . . . that’s celebrities for you,’ Joel said casually.

  Well, that told him. But he had to admit that he was surprised, considering she’d been born and raised on the borders of a major drugs ghetto like Moss Side. Still, much as her views clashed with his livelihood, there was something really naive about her that he found quite appealing. Finding a true innocent was almost as good as bagging yourself a virgin – and there weren’t many of them about these days.

  Finished with the food and wine, Joel opened the Jack Daniel’s and poured two large shots. Handing Maria’s to her, he leaned back in his chair and looked around.

  ‘This is a great house.’

  ‘It is, isn’t it?’ Maria agreed with a tinge of pride in her voice. ‘I thought it was amazing when I first saw it, but it just gets better the more time I spend here.’

  ‘So, you’ve definitely decided to move in?’

  ‘I’m seriously considering it,’ Maria said.

  She didn’t bother to mention that just a few hours ago she’d been so lonely that she’d been on the verge of running back home to her dingy old Teignmouth flat. Now, thanks to Joel’s reassuring presence, she felt totally at ease.

  And the booze was helping, too.

  ‘There’ll be a lot of work to do if I do stay,’ she went on, ‘but I’m getting good advice about the money, so it shouldn’t kill me. And it’s a good investment, even if I decide I want to move at a later date . . .’ Tailing off when she realised that Joel was peering at her with sexy half-closed eyes and a lopsided smile, she gave a sheepish smile. ‘Sorry. I’m going on, aren’t I?’

  ‘Not at all,’ Joel assured her, downing his drink in one and refilling his glass. Holding the bottle up, he raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to empty her glass.

  ‘Are you trying to get me drunk?’ Maria aske
d, downing it and holding her glass out unsteadily.

  ‘Might be,’ he murmured. ‘Is it working?’

  ‘A bit too well,’ she admitted, biting her lip because she could feel the smile trying to spread itself all over her face. She wanted to be sexy, not grinny.

  ‘Going to show me around?’ Joel asked after a moment, his voice soft and low.

  ‘Yeah, sure.’ Pushing her chair back, Maria stood up. ‘Oops!’ she giggled, stumbling against the table. ‘Where do you want to start?’

  ‘How about the bedroom?’ Joel purred, going to her and pulling her into his arms.

  Closing her eyes, Maria gave a tiny gasp of pleasure when his tongue grazed hers. Slipping her hands under his shirt, she scraped her fingernails slowly down his smooth back.

  Moaning, Joel lifted her off her feet and carried her out through the hall and up the stairs.

  ‘Which room?’ he asked huskily.

  Maria pointed the way, too breathless for words.

  Falling onto the bed together, they kissed deeply and pulled at each other’s clothes, desperate for the sensation of flesh on flesh.

  Running his hands gently over her breasts when she was naked, Joel lowered his lips to her nipples, sucking one then the other until she was writhing beneath him. Trailing his tongue down over her smooth flat stomach, he gently pushed her legs apart and lapped at the juices glistening on the fine blonde hairs framing her sweet-tasting pussy, pushing ever deeper until she cried out, her back arching, her hands in his hair, holding him to her until the waves had subsided.

  Easing himself into her with a gentle thrust, Joel pushed himself up onto his hands and gazed at Maria’s face as she opened herself up to him. Her lips were swollen, her eyes glazed.

  ‘You’re so beautiful,’ he murmured, thrusting harder and deeper. ‘So . . . very . . . beautiful . . .’

  Groaning as hot liquid gold tore through him, he gripped her hips in his hands and held her tight, his face a mask of agonised ecstasy as he exploded inside her.