Chapter 1

This was a nice place, George Mead thought as he walked up the steps to the front door. Elegant Georgian terraced housing stretched right up the hill. A quiet street. Posh without being ostentatious.

He rang the bell and was surprised by the woman who answered. She was younger than he'd expected, and far more attractive.

"Nicole?" he asked.

"Yes," the woman replied. "And you must be George. I was told to expect you."

She was gorgeous. Delicate high cheekbones, luscious red lips and pale white skin on a face that could easily grace the cover of a fashion magazine. Her jet-black hair was cut in a stylish bob with wings to frame those perfect features. Her figure was hidden by an elegant white fur coat. Her eyes were also hidden; she wore a large pair of black sunglasses. They looked very chic.

Absolutely gorgeous. She could have been a French film star, or a perfume model. What was he doing here?

"That's right," George said. "Miss Kitson sent me."

Nicole didn't seem so thrilled. Actually, that was a bit of an understatement. George thought he was about to get a door slammed in his face.

"I bring wine," he said, holding a bottle aloft with a cheerful grin.

The bottle was Miss Kitson's idea. It was also her bottle. George didn't have a clue on the quality. There wasn't even a name on the bottle, just a label featuring silhouettes of sylph-like women dancing around oversized bunches of grapes on a plain yellow-gold background.

It overcame Nicole's reticence. She looked at the bottle and her cold hostility thawed into a warm smile.

"Come inside," she said.

George tried to place her accent. He didn't think it was French, although it had a similar sensual eroticism. Brazilian?

"Let me take your jacket," Nicole said as he crossed the threshold into a neat little hallway.

"Er, thanks," George said.

He let her help him even though he didn't really need the help. Was it him, or was she standing a little closer than was entirely necessary? She seemed to linger a little over helping him remove his garment. Odd girl, George thought as he watched her hang his jacket up next to the door. Extremely beautiful, but odd.

She picked up the bottle of wine and examined the label. Her supple lips turned up in a smile.

"Will you join me for a glass?" she asked.

"Sure," George replied. It was why he was here after all.

He followed her through into a large kitchen-slash-dining room. For all her glamorous appearance, Nicole's house looked surprisingly normal, bland even. Her kitchen was so clean and tidy George wondered if she'd ever prepared a meal in it. Nicole opened a cupboard and brought out a pair of pristine wine glasses. She popped open the wine bottle and took in the released aroma with a murmur of pleasure. George caught a whiff of something both fruity and spicy. Nicole poured out two glasses, but instead of passing one to George, placed both on the table instead.

She pulled out a chair and motioned George to sit on it. Again, she seemed to linger a little longer than was necessary behind him. This time George felt a strange prickling sensation on the back of his neck. What an odd girl. She reminded him of the stylish vamps that used to feature in old European horror films--sexy and mysterious.

Nicole moved away, leaving behind traces of an exhilarating musk that crackled up George's nostrils. Nice perfume. She sat opposite from him, her eyes still hidden behind big black shades.

The wine was an odd colour, George thought as he examined his glass. He'd thought it was a white, but it was yellower than any white he'd ever seen, almost like sparkling honey or amber. It must be a specialist brand. That would explain the label.