Fall for You

By Angela Verdenius

Finding a curvy cutie hanging out of a kitchen window at three in the morning wasn’t what Kirk expected on a routine check. Amusing - yes, expected - no, exasperating - definitely.

Having sworn off all dominant men after a very painful experience, Molly was determined to keep the local cop at arm’s length. He was quietly, intensely alpha, and that made him off-limits.

Good intentions aside...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Angela Verdenius
• Release date: Nov 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310316029

Angela Verdenius

Angela lives in Australia, where she is happily ruled by her cats. When not reading, at work as a nurse, or watching horror movies, she can usually be found at her trusty computer...procrastinating by cruising the internet looking for funny cat clips and upcoming spooky movies.Angela has written sci-fi romances, BBW contemporary romances, 2 novellas, and several short stories, one of which is a zombie story she had great fun writing (because zombies rule and are the coolest of the monsters).

Book preview

Fall for You

By

Angela Verdenius

(a Gully’s Fall novel #2)

(BBW Romance)

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014 Angela Verdenius

All Rights Reserved

Cover by Book Cover Zone

Smashwords License Statement

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Table of Contents

Glossary

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Bio

Other Books by this Author

Glossary

*

I found that some overseas readers were having difficulty with the Australian slang, so I thought a list of the slang I’ve used will help while reading the following story. If I’ve forgotten any, I do apologise! Also, you’ll find some of our Aussie words have different spelling to the US. Interestingly enough, as I’ve grown (gracefully) older, I find a lot of our slang is bypassing the younger generation, so if a young Aussie says they have never heard a certain word, don’t be surprised! But trust me, I’ve used these words all my life growing up, and so have a lot of my family and friends. Does that make me an older Aussie? Heck yes! LOL

Cheers,

Angela

Australian Terms/Slang

Ambos - ambulance officers

Arvo - afternoon

Barbie - BBQ

Beaut - beautiful, awesome, great, wonderful

Bewdy - as in ‘awesome, great’

Biccies - biscuits. The same as cookies

Bikie - biker, person who rides motorcycles.

Bloke/s - man/men

Bloody - a swear word ‘no bloody good’, in place of ‘no damned good’

Boofhead - idiot, simpleton, etc. It’s an insult, though sometimes we use it as a term of affection. It depends on how it is said and meant.

Boot (of a car) - trunk

Brown nose - currying favour, sucking up. Has a cruder description, but let’s not go into that here. Means the same thing!

Budgie smugglers - men’s bathers, small, brief and tight-fitting

Buggered - many Aussie use it as a slang word for ‘broken’ (it’s buggered), ‘tired (I’m buggered), and ‘no way’ (I’m buggered if I’m going to do that). Just some examples

Bung/Bunging - as in ‘bunging onto something’, putting on something (bung veggies on a plate, putting veggies on a plate), usually in a careless or ‘easy’ manner.

Cark/carked - die, died.

Chemist - pharmacy

Chips - in Australia we have cold crunchy chips form a packet, or hot chips known in some countries as French Fries

Crack a tinnie - open a can (of beer)

Crash cart - resuscitation trolley in a hospital or medical setting - used for life threatening situations such as cardiac arrest

Dander – temper

Dill - silly, idiot

Doona - like a padded quilt that fits inside a cover and lies on the bed. Can have the warmth of two, three or four blankets, etc.

Donger - penis. Also another meaning is a place people sometimes sleep in, such as ‘dongers’ on mine sites.

Dunny - toilet. When used in the terms ‘built like a brick dunny’, it refers to something built solid, unmoveable.

Firies - fire fighters

Flog -steal

Garbo/s - the person/s who drive and/or load garbage onto the garbage truck.

Gee-gees - horses

Giggle-box - TV, television

Got his/her/their goat – annoyed him/her/them

Hoon/s - person/people who indulge in antisocial behaviour. Great explanation in Wikipedia

Iced coffee/chocolate - a milk drink flavoured with chocolate or coffee

Jumper - sweater

Local rag - local newspaper

Lolly - sweetie, candy

Loo - toilet

Lug - face

Milo - chocolate malt drink. Can have it hot or cold. Yummy!

Moosh - slang for face/mouth

Mobile phone - cell phone

Mozzie - mosquito

Mug - face. Also a cup (just to really confuse you )

NAD - No Abnormalities Detected

Nong - idiot

Nooky - sex

Paddy wagon - four wheel drive police vehicle carries four police in the double cab and has a filled-in imprisonment section in the back to place prisoners.

Panadol - paracetamol, similar to Tylenol in the US

Pav/s - Pavlova/Pavlovas - best dessert ever!

PCYC - Police and Citizens Youth Club

Pedal Pushers - three quarter pants/knickerbockers

Porking - having sex

Primapore - sticky patch with a pad in it, a medical dressing

Pub – hotel

‘Pulling your leg’ - to tease someone, have fun at their expense

Quack – derogatory term for a doctor

RAC - Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia. Covers insurance, holidays, loans, etc

Red backs - poisonous spider, black in colour with a red stripe on its back.

Rotty – Rottweiler breed of dog.

Rubbers – condoms

Sack - bed - as ‘in the sack’ meaning ‘in bed’

Servo - service station

Shag - sex

Sheila – female

Slab – carton of beer.

Snaggers - sausages

Smoko - morning tea and afternoon tea break

Soft drink - soda, fizzy drink

Spuds - potatoes

Stiffy - erection, boner

Tea - some people call the evening meal dinner. In my family, we’ve always called it tea, as in breaky, dinner and tea, or breaky, lunch and tea.

Thongs - worn on the feet, same as ‘flip flops’

Tickled pink - delighted

Tim Tams - a brand of Arnott’s Biscuits. Yummy!

TLC - Tender Loving Care

Toastie - toasted sandwich

Togs - bathers, swim suit

Torch - flashlight

Toot - toilet

Tucker – food

Twat - female genitalia

Twistie – a brand of cheese-flavoured snack food – very yummy!

Ute - small truck

Vegemite - most Aussies find this spread yummy, many non-Aussies find it too salty. Here’s the hint - if you ever have Vegemite, use it spread thinly, never thickly!

Wacky baccy - marijuana

Wanger - penis

Waterworks - crying

Whopper - a lie

Yamaha & Suzuki - ‘brands’ of motorcycles.

‘Yanking your chain’ - teasing

You wally - silly

Chapter 1

*

It was three o’clock in the morning and everyone should have been in bed except for the nightshift workers. Certainly no one should have been at Gully’s Fall Boarding House, not at three in the morning.

But there was according to the report that had come into the police station, courtesy of a neighbour seeing a torchlight flashing around before disappearing behind the big old boarding house.

Kirk turned into the driveway of the boarding house, the lights of the patrol car sweeping over the front of the house. Pulling up in front of it, he thumbed the radio on his shoulder. I’m going in for a look.

Roger that, Phil’s voice replied from the cop station. I’ll be waiting.

Swinging out of the cop car, Kirk switched on the torch and held it up to his shoulder. The light from the cop car lit up the front, but the sides and back were dark, who knew what awaited him. The Dawson brothers doing a little B and E maybe, upping their resume to something a little more higher than just drinking and fighting? Kids up to mischief? Unusual in Gully’s Fall where everyone knew everyone, but he’d lived and trained in the city so even though it would have made him wince, seeing as how he knew most of the kids in town, he was prepared for anything.

He wasn’t prepared for the sight that met his eyes when he strode quietly around the back of the house and trained his torch light on a very generous bottom sticking out of the kitchen window, a pair of legs flaying around accompanied by a whole lot of cursing.

"Oh for - damn it all to hell and back! Of all the stinking, useless, unlucky - crap!"

His eyebrows shot up. Okay, he knew he should have called this in to Phil, but he just had to stand there for several seconds taking in the sight.

It was some sight.

Training the torch light on that bottom, he grinned a little. A pair of lilac-coloured slacks on rounded legs and medium-heeled white Mary Janes on a pair of flailing feet. The owner of the slacks, legs and Mary Janes was stuck in the window and not just because her bottom was generous. The window had slipped down and neatly pinned her right in the small of her back, effectively trapping her.

Seeing as his intruder wasn’t going anywhere, Kirk turned his attention to ensuring that no one else was waiting to pounce on him. A quick but careful check around revealed no one else lurking, so he returned to his previous position at the bottom of the veranda, torch light trained on that figure still wriggling and cursing.

As funny as the sight was, it was time to sort out the reason and the intruder’s identity.

Going up the steps, he crossed to the side of the woman and shone the torch light through the window, but the curtains covered the top half of her so he couldn’t see anything else but a wildly waving curtain.

Going somewhere? he asked loudly.

The figure froze, silence falling.

Ma’am, what are you doing?

"What am I…? What does it look like? I’m stuck!"

I can see that. That’s not what I’m asking. He eyed the bottom that started wriggling.

Hmmm, nice arse. He did like a generous handful of arse. Unfortunately, this generous arse was attached to an intruder.

Who the hell are you? she demanded.

Police. When there was dead silence again, he added, Officer Morrison.

Police?

Police.

Oh, thank God!

Kirk’s eyebrows rose again. Odd thing for an intruder to say.

"Intruder? Intruder? The woman’s voice was outraged. I’m not an intruder!"

You’re stuck in a window. Intruders generally go through windows or pick locks. Lawful people usually carry keys.

Look, Officer, I lost the keys, all right? I tried to get in through the window and now I’m stuck.

I see that. Boy, did he see it. He couldn’t help but grin.

There was a pause, then, Are you laughing?

No, ma’am, I’m not. I don’t laugh much at breaking and entering.

I am not breaking and - look, just get me out of here. Please?

That was my plan.

Well I’m glad you’ve got a plan, Officer, she said sarcastically. I admire a man who thinks on his feet.

Shaking his head, Kirk slid his hand between the woman’s back and the window frame and lifted. The window jolted, whatever had caught it let go, and it slid smoothly upwards. The woman flailed around, cursing, before bracing her hands on the frame and with a sudden lurch disappearing into the kitchen. There was a muffled thump, another curse and then silence.

Stay right there! With no intention of losing the intruder, Kirk moved fast, climbing through the window and jumping off the sink to land almost on top of her.

The woman staggered back, slipping on the mat and almost falling.

Instinctively, he grabbed hold of her, his hand curling around her upper arm and jerking her forward. She stumbled and fell into him, knocking him back against the sink, the torch flying from his hand to land on the floor and go out.

Now it was his turn to curse. One, because he felt the full warmth of all those soft curves against him and boy, she smelled good, the scent of strawberries coming from the vicinity of her hair well below his chin, and two because he couldn’t see a damned thing in the dark and if she got free he might actually lose her.

Don’t move. His fingers tightened on her upper arm.

Geez, chill, Morrison. I’m not moving.

He started forward carefully, his eyes adjusting slowly to the darkness but not enough to find the torch. However, he knew the layout of Julia’s kitchen, he’d been there often enough over the last six years.

You’re moving, the woman pointed out.

Yes.

That means I’m moving.

I’m not letting you go.

You just told me not to move. There was a touch of humour in the light tone.

She might find their situation funny, Kirk not so much. He pulled her along with him and she followed without struggling. Reaching the wall, he slid his hand along it.

The woman was close beside him, something soft and definitely rounded pressing against his arm as they moved. Cripes, was that her breast? If he wasn’t careful he’d get done for sexual assault, if she was inclined to think that way.

His hand slid across the light switch and he flicked it on, light flaring through the kitchen. Blinking as his eyes adjusted, Kirk turned to look down at his intruder.

She stood close to him, very close. And yes indeed, she had a pair of magnificent breasts that were pressed against his chest, thanks to their position facing each other.

Taking her other arm, he firmly shifted her back. The sensation of those breasts might be burning a hole in his shirt front but a felon was not for him.

Damn shame she was a felon.

Frowning at his thoughts, Kirk forced his attention back to her being an intruder. He cast his gaze over her face, trying to see if he recognised her from any mug shots.

Nope, he was sure he’d remember that pretty face anywhere. Big green eyes, pert little nose, apple cheeks, full pink lips and a sweetly curved chin with a decided stubbornness about it. A mass of shiny brown hair shot with gold lights tumbled around her shoulders in disarray. His eyes slid lower. Magnificent breasts pressed against a thin, flower-printed blouse that dipped in at the waist to flare out over generous hips. A pair of lilac slacks. White Mary Jane shoes on her feet.

This did not look like a B and E intruder, but one never knew. Yet his gut feeling said this was all wrong. However there she stood, found by him hanging out of a window of a house definitely not hers. This was one for the books on unexpected happenings.

Even weirder, when his gaze lifted back to her face it was to find her grinning widely at him.

Grabbing his hand, she shook it cheerfully. Thank you so much for rescuing me.

Wait. What? His jaw actually dropped.

Still pumping his hand, she continued, I lost my keys, tried to get in - because, you know, it’s early in the morning and everyone is asleep, geez, I couldn’t walk in the dark or anything to Scott’s place, could I? - and the bloody window fell on me before I could wriggle through. I’m telling you, she added earnestly, someone needs to seriously look at locking windows properly.

Unbelievable. Retrieving his hand from her smaller one, Kirk began, Look, I don’t know who you are-

Molly. Molly Travers. She smiled. Julia’s niece.

His eyebrows shot up. Julia’s niece. You’re Molly?

I am.

You’re not expected until Friday.

Got here a little early.

Well. He studied her. Big relief if this was true. I need to see some identification.

Sure. Turning, she walked to the door and through into the hall.

Kirk followed closely, still not quite ready to believe her until he saw her identity confirmed.

I must say, opening the front door, she snapped the outside light on before stepping out onto the veranda, it’s nice to see that the local cops are eagle-eyed.

For intruders? he asked dryly.

Makes one feel all safe and secure.

Secure as in pinned down by a window frame? He watched her go to a table in the dark corner and pick up a small shoulder bag.

Ha ha. And a sense of humour to boot. Pulling out a wallet, she withdrew a small card and held it out to him. My driver’s license, Officer Morrison.

No doubt about it, the laughing woman in the photo was the same as the woman standing before him with twinkling eyes and a huge smile on her face. Definitely Molly Travers.

Okay. He handed her back the driver’s license, relaxing. Mrs Preston said you’d be arriving the day after tomorrow.

Like I said, got here early. She slid the driver’s license into the wallet and dropped it into the handbag. Not a problem, is it?

Really? He eyed her. Three in the morning, sneaking into a house and getting trapped by a window before the local cop arrived with every intention of arresting her? Oh no, no problem.

Good to know. She practically beamed at him. Would you like a cuppa, Morrison?

Uh - no. I need to go back on patrol.

Catch intruders? She winked. Good plan. Such dedication should be rewarded.

You’d think so, wouldn’t you? Kirk spotted the three suitcases sitting behind the table. No wonder he hadn’t seen them when he’d swept the torch light over the veranda. Careless, could have been anyone crouched there instead of suitcases. Yours?

Yep.

I didn’t see your car.

I came on the midnight bus. Slinging the shoulder bag over her shoulder, she picked up one of the suitcases

Ah. Grabbing the other two, he hefted them in his hands. After you.

My, and chivalrous, too.

He couldn’t help but grin at the absurdity of it. Apparently so.

Well, Morrison, come on back in. She led the way directly to one of the bedrooms on the right, pushing the door open and walking in to drop the suitcase and shoulder bag on the floor.

Placing the suitcases down, Kirk straightened. Okay. Sorry about the suspicion, Ms Travers-

Molly. Call me Molly.

Molly. Do you happen to have any idea where you lost the keys?

If I did, they wouldn’t be lost, would they?

Oh boy, cute and a smart arse to boot. He locked his gaze on hers. Did you have them on you when you got on the bus?

Of course.

When you got off the bus?

She looked at him like he’d lost his mind. Yep.

So you lost them when you got out of the taxi?

Maybe. I dropped my shoulder bag, so it could have fallen out.

Now they were getting somewhere. Where did the taxi drop you off?

Not far from the front steps. Passing him, she strode out into the hallway, out the front door, across the veranda, down the steps and into the yard. About here.

Flicking on the torch light, Kirk swept the ground with it. It’s dark out here, how did you manage to find your way out the back?

I used my little torch.

I didn’t see a torch.

Because it was dark in the kitchen.

Pausing, he looked at her. Was she serious? At the smile that curved those lush lips he decided, no, she wasn’t, and he was starting to wonder if the woman had a serious bone in her body.

When the window dropped down onto me, the torch fell on the floor and went out, she explained.

Ah, so she was serious. I see.

Good eyesight, then. At his quirked eyebrow, she added, I couldn’t see it.

Good grief. Shaking his head, Kirk returned his attention to the ground, casting the light around and slowly widening the circle.

Molly followed him, her gaze also on the ground, her neat white shoes following in his bigger, booted steps. She was so close that when he finally stopped, she walked right into the back of him.

Oops. Immediately she took a step back. Honestly, Morrison, that was an accident.

I kind of figured that, he replied dryly.

Don’t arrest me for assault.

I won’t.

Good to know. There flashed that irrepressible smile again, one that drew his gaze to those lush lips.

For a fleeting second he wondered if they were as soft and silky as they appeared, as sweet as the smile that curved them.

It was with effort that he drew his gaze back to her face to find her glancing around before looking back up at him. The faint breeze sifted through her hair, carrying the scent of strawberries to his nose. He wondered if she tasted as sweet as she smelled.

Jesus. Never having had those kinds of thoughts before when on the job, Kirk dragged his attention from those nefarious ideas to concentrate on the situation at hand. Okay, Molly, I can’t see your keys anywhere, so it looks like this is going to be a daylight hunt.

You’re calling out the hounds?

Not quite.

Police dogs for a search and rescue?

Uh - no. He resisted the impulse to rub his brow. Honest to God, he wasn’t sure whether to laugh with her or give her a lecture on the seriousness of the situation. I’m saying it’s no use continuing to look when they’re obviously not easy to find. In the dark we could accidentally kick them anywhere. Now, I suggest we- His words broke off when she leaned forward to lay one hand on his bicep.

Earnestly, she looked up at him. I understand, Morrison. It’s okay.

What’s okay?

I was pulling your leg. I know I have to wait for daylight to find the keys, all right?

Cripes, was she trying to comfort him? He looked down to where her hand was rubbing along his arm in a definite gesture of comfort. Yep, she was trying to comfort him. Okay, that hadn’t happened before, he was the one used to doing the comforting while on the job.

This had to stop. Now. Besides, he rather liked the feel of that soft little hand rubbing along his arm, and he was pretty sure her intentions and his reaction were two entirely different things. He had some very early morning wood starting to rear its head and that had never happened on the job. Ever.

Taking her hand carefully in his, he removed it from his arm and placed it gently by her side while leaning down to look her right in the eyes.

Man, those eyes were dark green in the shadowed light, mysterious almost, and the way they widened just a little only emphasized the thick, black lashes that ringed them. Mentally berating himself for even noticing, he turned back to the situation at hand.

Molly, he said quietly, I want you to go into the house, lock the door behind you and don’t come out until morning.

Why?

Because even though Gully’s Fall is a safe enough town, you never know who is passing through or what may happen, and you’re a woman alone. I don’t like the idea that your house keys are missing, I’ll have one of the boys come out and look around for them in the morning. When she opened her mouth, he added, When the sun is up.

No need, she replied. I can manage.

I’d feel better-

Really, Morrison, you’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty. Reaching up, she patted his shoulder. I’ll scout around, I’m perfectly able to do that myself. If all else fails, I’ll rouse Scott to get me another set of keys.

Molly-

Now, you go back to the station. Placing her hand at his back, she turned him and started walking towards the patrol car. Have a nice hot cuppa, a little rest, and stop worrying, okay?

Okay? Who was in control here? Kirk halted. Molly. When she simply kept walking towards the cop car, chattering the whole time, he reached out, grabbed her upper arm and drew her to a halt.

Turning, she looked up at him with mild curiosity. Yes?

It was time to take control. Again. Swinging on his heel, he let his hand slide down to lightly shackle her wrist and tug her along behind him. In silence he strode across the yard, up the steps and onto the veranda, opening the security screen door and holding it open while he pulled Molly past him and into the hallway.

Releasing her wrist, he said, Lock the door. When she opened her mouth to object, he pointed one finger at her and repeated more sternly, Lock it.

For a second he thought she was going to argue, but instead she suddenly sighed. You’re not an easy man, Morrison.

No, he agreed, I’m not. Now do as I tell you.

Fine. She shrugged. I’ll lock the door.

And you’re not coming out until the sun is up.

Sure.

He narrowed his eyes at her.

Fine. Yes. She rolled her eyes.

Good grief. Molly, if I hear that you’ve been out looking for those keys before morning, I’ll be back out here to talk to you.

"I said yes. Chill, Morrison, before you give yourself a heart attack."

Taking a step back, he shut the door. Lock it.

Muttering, she snicked the lock.

Goodnight, Molly. Kirk returned to the cop car.

Getting in, he started it but didn’t pull way until the wooden door shut and the veranda light went off. Putting the cop car in gear, he drove down the driveway and pulled out onto the road, and only then did amusement start to trickle in, a grin tugging at his lips.

Molly Travers.

He started laughing.

~*~

Man, that cop was cute, all tall and broad-shouldered, but he needed to learn to relax. One had to admire his dedication to duty, but going so far as to order her back inside, well, that was taking things a little too far. Surely the law could only go so far? After all, she had her freedom, her rights.

She had no doubt that if she’d tried that tactic on him, Officer Morrison wouldn’t have blinked his steady-eyed gaze, just given her another of those inscrutable looks while shoving her through the door. Maybe he’d handcuff her to the kitchen table to make sure