Fall for You

by Angela Verdenius

Damn it, she was an adult, she should just toss her head back, look him in the eyes and - what? Say what? Throw what was a nice open invitation back in his face? She wasn’t that much of a bitch. Besides, she was just as much to blame as he for what had happened on the back steps. Cripes, was she ever.

  Blushing a little but refusing to dump the blame solely on his shoulders, Molly determined to just ignore that it had happened, sit on the far side of the room to him, get through the movie and go home to hide her head under the doona.

  “Oh for - did you bring that rat inside?” Simon demanded.

  Startled, Molly looked up to see Simon holding a paper plate and grimacing, his gaze on Kirk.

  “You might want to shift from that vermin,” Simon continued.

  Okay, that was a bit much. Sure, Kirk might push all her buttons - the wrong ones, that was, geez - but vermin? That was a little strong. And how could Simon know what had happened?

  Horrified at the thought, Molly snapped her gaze up to Kirk, only to freeze in disbelief.

  Good God, there was a white rat sitting upright on Kirk’s shoulder. Little front paws up in the air, whiskers twitching, the white rat looked around before dropping down on all four paws.

  “A rat.” She blinked. “You’ve got a rat on your shoulder.”

  “Yeah.” A little warily, Kirk looked down at her. “You okay with that?”

  “Well, I…guess so.” More fascinated than horrified, she continued to watch the rat. “Is she your pet?”

  “No,” Del replied before Kirk could, “she’s a wild vermin ready to rip his throat out.”

  “No,” Ryder added, “that’s just what numb nuts thinks.”

  “She’s vermin,” Simon argued. “Rats should be in traps, not on shoulders.”

  Reaching up, Kirk took the rat in his hand and brought her down to cradle in front of him. “This is Sparkles. She’s tame, I promise you.”

  Far from finding her repulsive, Molly reached out one finger, watching as Sparkles sniffed it. “Can I pat her?”

  “Sure. She likes a stroke along her back.”

  Lightly, Molly stroked her. Sparkles sat upright watching her in turn.

  “Freaky.” Simon grimaced. “That’s disgusting. How can you touch it?”

  “She’s cute.” Molly stroked her again. “She’s so small.”

  “Do you want to hold her?” Kirk asked.

  Uncertainly, Molly chewed her bottom lip. Stroking was one thing, holding a whole other ball game. But she was cute, no doubt about it.

  “Here.” Taking her Diet Coke from her, Kirk passed it to Ash before cupping the back of Molly’s hand in his. “I’ll place her in your hand but I won’t let her go, all right?”

  “Okay.” Feeling a lot safer with his hand around her’s, Molly held her breath as he lowered Sparkles into her palm, keeping his own fingers around the little rat so that even though she rested on Molly’s palm, she stayed securely in his hold.

  “Aren’t rats, you know, dirty?” Fascinated, she couldn’t help but smile as Sparkles investigated her hand, her whiskers tickling.

  “Rats are clean if you keep them clean,” Kirk replied quietly. “Clean cage, clean food and water, shelter, and let them out for a run. One thing you never do is dump them out in the wild or they’ll cause damage.”

  “Like feral cats,” Scott said.

  “Who are feral only because people don’t care for their animals properly,” Ash immediately argued. “If they sterilised their cats and looked after them, took responsibility, there wouldn’t be feral cats.”

  “I agree.” Simon nodded. “But rats…I draw the line at pet rats.”

  “Then tonight should be fun.”

  Shaking his head, Simon sat on the floor at the far sofa, stretching out his long legs.

  Molly was captivated by Sparkles. “What will she do if we let her go?”

  “Sparkles has a liking for getting up around your neck and snuggling in.” There was a smile evident in Kirk’s voice.

  “Only with you or everybody?”

  “Anybody she takes a fancy to.”

  “And those who don’t fancy her,” Simon muttered.

  “You two rat lovers sitting down to eat before the food gets cold?” Ryder asked.

  Molly looked up at Kirk to find him smiling down at her, his eyes warm. Involuntarily, she smiled back. “She’s cute.”

  “D you want me to let her go to you, or take her back?”

  Looking back down at Sparkles, Molly took a deep breath. “Let her go.”

  The warmth of his hands disappeared as he shifted them, but the warmth of the rat stayed.

  Molly watched cautiously. “Will she run up my arm or something?”

  “Or something,” Simon muttered.

  “Ignore him,” Kirk said. “More than likely she will run up your arm and into your hair. Try not to jump when she does it, it can catch you by surprise and feel weird if you’re not used to it.”

  “Weird?” Simon snorted. “Downright freaky. It’s like a mini Godzilla with white fur.”

  “She’s ready to start moving.” Reaching out, Kirk caught Molly’s wrist in a gentle hold, lifting her arm slightly. “Give her some traction.”

  “Cripes,” Simon said. “It’s a rat, not a tractor.”

  Molly didn’t know what distracted her more, the feel of Kirk’s fingers around her wrist or the sudden prick of little claws as Sparkles suddenly dashed up her arm. If Kirk hadn’t firmed his grip to hold her arm steady, she might have shrieked and jumped instead of just gasping.

  His thumb immediately stroked along her inner wrist. “It’s all right. She’s up on your shoulder.”

  She could feel Sparkles, a light little weight on her shoulder, her tail hanging down the front of Molly’s chest. Then she felt her against her neck, felt little paws wrap in a section of her hair as Sparkles pulled herself up for a good sniff.

  It should have been creepy but Molly was utterly enchanted. “She’s so cute, Goldie.”

  His grin was a sudden flash of white teeth. “You both are.”

  “Wow,” Ryder said. “Comparing you to a rat, how sweet.”

  Never removing his gaze from her, Kirk flipped him the bird.

  “Bring the rat here, Molly,” Dee instructed. “Food will get cold and we have a monster movie to watch.”

  “A piss poor one.” Dee nudged Simon’s thigh where he sat on the floor next to her legs. “Next time get one that’s scary or at least has believable action.”

  “Sticks and stones may break my bones,” Simon sang.

  “But Dee will surely hurt you,” Ryder finished, only to swear when a glob of rice hit him in the ear. “Cripes, woman!”

  She ignored him.

  “That was bloody juvenile.”

  “Yet strangely satisfying.”

  Shaking his head, Scott hefted the remote. “Come on people, are we ready to roll?”

  Worried about dislodging Sparkles, Molly turned carefully, only to almost forget all about the rat when she felt Kirk’s hand on her back as he steered her to the sofa.

  “Sit down and I’ll get your food,” he instructed.

  She shot him a glance. Was he serious?

  “Tell me what you’d like.” Taking a little hand wipe packet from the small pile on the table, he ripped the top open and handed it to her. “Never let it be said I’m not a true gentleman.”

  Ryder snorted.

  “Thanks.” Rat or not, Molly wasn’t about to eat after having handled her. Clean Sparkles might be, but face it, she’d had the rat’s bum in her palm. Carefully she wiped her hands on the wet wipe.

  Hovering at the coffee table, Kirk looked over the dishes. “What do you fancy?”

  He filled her plate, grabbed a fork and handed the plate to her, watching with laughter in his eyes as she cast a sideways glance to where Sparkles was perched on her shoulder.

  “Don’t worry,” he said, “she won’t jump into your plate.”

  “Okay.”

/>   There were two three seater sofas and eight people, so two had to sit on the floor. Molly expected Ryder to take the floor and Kirk the empty seat on the opposite sofa, unable to hide her surprise when instead he lowered himself to the floor right beside her legs.

  Oh boy. This wasn’t good. The heat of his body was dancing along her skin, his golden head below eye level, that golden hair just begging her to run her fingers through it.

  She had a sudden thought. If he was golden-haired on top, would he be golden-haired down below?

  Oh cripes! Taking a deep breath, she tore her gaze away from him to stare at the screen, her fork frozen in her fingers. Don’t think, don’t think. Just watch. Oh God, he had his fingers in my - no! No, don’t!

  The man who’d brought her to such screaming ecstasy on the back veranda steps was now calmly sitting at her feet eating Chinese takeaway while his rat ran back and forth across her shoulders.

  Oh shit, how had all that happened?

  Chapter 8

  “Don’t worry, Molly,” Del said, “It’s not a scary movie.”

  “Huh?”

  “You’re gripping that fork like you want to stab someone.”

  Ryder grinned. “She probably does.”

  Kirk just continued eating.

  “Oh. Oh, it’s fine.” Easing her grip on the fork, Molly slid it into the fried rice. “I’m okay with horror movies.”

  “Not horror,” Dee replied in disgust. “This wouldn’t scare a one year old.”

  “Then you’ll be just fine.” Simon quickly pointed a warning finger in her direction. “No kicking unless you want a sloppy film next time it’s my choice.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Try me.”

  “I’ll try you, all right.”

  “Oohh, Ryder, hear that?”

  “Children,” Scott said mildly, “are we watching or fighting?”

  “Geez, now you sound like Kirk,” Simon complained.

  “I’m taking that as a compliment.”

  “I wouldn’t. Really.”

  Throughout the byplay Kirk ate steadily, relaxing back against the sofa, his muscular upper arm brushing her knee. His shirt was rolled up to just below his elbows so she shouldn’t have been able to feel anything, but sure as God had made green apples, her leg felt like his arm was branding it.

  Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus on the movie, the food, the rat on her shoulder, pretty much anything but the man at her feet.

  Sparkles shifted from her shoulder, diverting Molly enough to watch as she ran across the back of the sofa, stopping here and there to sniff and test the air. Scott didn’t bat an eye when Sparkles snuffled in his hair, nor did Ash. Sparkles ran down to the armrest before going to the floor and disappearing under the sofa.

  “Um, she’s loose,” Molly felt obliged to point out to Kirk.

  “No worries. She’s fine.”

  A little pink nose peeked out right beside Simon’s thigh, then a white head and finally Sparkles was sitting upright beside Simon. Fascinated, Molly watched as Sparkles placed her little front paws against his thigh, and then Simon slipped a piece of noodle to her, which Sparkles grabbed and took back under the sofa.

  Simon caught Molly’s amused gaze. “Bloody rats shouldn’t be allowed to run free. Only way to keep them out of the way is to feed them and send them away.”

  “Yeah,” drawled Ryder. “Tough man.”

  Simon flipped him the bird.

  Slowly, Molly relaxed. Regardless of being so conscious of the man at her feet, she couldn’t sit stiffly forever. Forcing herself to concentrate on the movie, she ate. Once her plate was empty, she leaned forward to place it on the coffee table only to have Kirk reach up and take it from her.

  “Refill?” he asked.

  “Goodness, no.” She sat back quickly.

  Turning his head, he looked quizzically up at her. “Sure?”

  “Yes, thanks.” Desperate for him to look anywhere else but at her, she gestured towards the table. “Could you please hand me my drink?”

  He did as asked, his fingers brushing her’s, which immediately produced a leap of her pulses.

  God, would she never get over being so self-conscious around him?

  Let’s see, he had his hand in your twat, so that would be a big, fat no.

  With a silent groan, she leaned back against the sofa and rested the can against her hot cheeks.

  Kirk’s eyes crinkled at the corners, curse him, right before he turned back to face the TV. The canny bastard knew exactly what she was thinking. Resisting the sudden impulse to kick him wasn’t easy, but she managed. Mainly because of the presence of others, but otherwise if they were alone - oh geez, if they were alone, what would he do if she kicked him? She gulped. Kirk wasn’t the kind of man to take something like that without…what?

  Oh God, she had to get her imagination under control!

  By the time the movie finished it felt like a hundred years had passed. As soon as Scott flicked the DVD player off, Molly shot to her feet. “Oh my, is that the time? I really have to go.”

  Kirk just tipped his head back to look up at her knowingly. Then he totally flustered her by winking slowly.

  Dee stood with a sigh. “I better go, too. Early morning start tomorrow.”

  “Me, too.” Del stretched leisurely.

  Her shirt inched up over her flat belly, her slim body shown to advantage in tight jeans and t-shirt, and suddenly Molly felt totally inadequate with all her overabundance of curves.

  Cripes, what would Kirk think if he saw her without clothes? Swallowing, she looked down to meet his gaze once more, only this time she felt a wash of shame go through her. God, he was such a perfect specimen of manhood, muscular, tall, handsome. He could have any single woman in the town, a couple of married ones too, yet he claimed to want her.

  Emotions swirling, she stepped away. “Does anyone know where my car keys are?”

  “Did you bring a bag?” Dee asked.

  “No. I mean, I don’t think so.”

  “You must know.”

  “I…” Frantically, Molly looked around. Shit, of course she hadn’t, she’d left it in the car along with the keys in the ignition. “Oh, how silly of me.” She managed a small laugh. “It’s in the car.”

  “That’s old age for you,” Simon quipped. “Memory going is the first sign.”

  “Bad taste in movies the second,” Dee added dryly.

  “Let it go.”

  “You wish.”

  Locking his arm around her neck, Simon tugged her against him. “Let’s get you home, brat.”

  Ash started gathering the paper plates along with Scott.

  Damn it, manners demanded she stay and help while survival instincts screamed at her to run. Gritting her teeth, she managed to smile at Ash while stacking the empty takeaway containers in a pile.

  The others fell in to help in various ways while Sparkles ran up to sit on the back of one of the sofas to watch.

  Kirk cast her several curious glances but she steadfastly ignored him, keeping her attention on the job. By the time she’d finished, everyone was ready to leave.

  Molly was first out the door, almost shoving past Ryder in her hurry. He simply looked at her - shit, was that knowingly? Foreboding swept through her as he glanced back at Kirk, but his expression was pleasantly bland when he looked back at her.

  Moving out onto the veranda, she couldn’t help but shoot him another sideways look. Did he suspect something? Or worse - she quaked in silent horror - had he seen something?

  But no, no. He’d arrived with the others, he couldn’t have seen anything, no one saw anything. Okay, he might suspect - he was such a lady’s man he had to know the signs. Oh God, did she have signs of being mast…mastu…mastur - she couldn’t even think the word.

  Oh Lord, I am so out of here.

  She was in her car with the door shut and the engine on before some of the others had even gotten to their cars.

  Kirk
was striding towards her, the veranda light at his back casting his face in shadows, but she could feel his frown, feel that intense gaze burning through the windscreen to bore right into her.

  Kind of like his finger had in her - don’t think it! Jesus, no way could she ever face him. No way. No way.

  Nerves shot from the evening, she had the car in reverse and was out of the driveway and turning onto the road before she was game to glance back at his house. Christ, didn’t the man have any shame? He was bloody standing there, hands on hips, watching her while everyone got into their cars. Like he didn’t care if they knew he was watching her.

  Heart thundering, pulses racing, Molly gripped the steering wheel, refusing to think of what had happened, fearful that if she did she’d lose her concentration and run into a tree.

  Pulling into the driveway of the boarding house was a relief, locking the car doors and running up the steps, the sensor lights helping her avoid tripping in the dark. Well of course it was dark, she hadn’t planned on staying at Kirk’s when she’d gone over earlier. Then she’d been intent on ripping his head off. Now - well, shit, now she was just a wreck.

  Unlocking the door, she almost slammed it shut behind her, turning the key in the lock and then simply turning to place her back against it. With a groan, she slid down the door to sit on the floor, legs outstretched.

  Dropping her face into her hands, she groaned again. Oh God, it had all happened, really happened. She and Kirk….his hand…his finger….her blood racing even now. Cripes, she could still taste him in her mouth, his kiss so damned potent, making her head swim and all commonsense go right out the window.

  How could she have let it happen? How? She’d never done anything like that in her life. Not like that.

  The mobile ringing in her bag had her almost leaping off the floor. Pulling it out, she took a deep breath before placing it to her ear. “Hello?” Really, her voice was that croaky?

  “Molly.”

  She almost dropped the phone, fumbled to stop it hitting the floor. Hand trembling, she put it back to her ear.

  “Molly, answer me,” Kirk demanded calmly.

  Demanded calmly, because he did that so well, made people obey with just an infliction in his tone.

  Gathering her nerves, she tipped her head back against the door. “What do you want?”