You're the One (2 page)

The inspector
got out of the ute, strode leisurely around to the front and rested
his lean hips back against the bonnet, his long, heavy legs crossed
leisurely at booted ankles. His arms folded across his chest, the
material stretching across the bulge of his biceps and triceps.
Tipping back his head, he looked right up at her, the sun
reflecting off the mirrored sunglasses he wore.

Del took a
mouthful of water while eyeing him back.

Moz Baylon,
the new RSPCA inspector of Gully’s Fall and the surrounding towns.
His beat covered a large area, up to five hundred kilometres and
even more if needed. He was, she acknowledged, one hunk of manhood.
The man stood around six foot nine and had muscles that reflected
his hobby of weight lifting, presenting an imposing figure. Add to
that his face, well… To be fair, when she’d first met him at Ash
and Scott’s wedding over a year ago, she’d agreed with most of the
town women - he was handsome in a bit of a rough-hewn way. Fair
hair in a short ponytail, dark brown eyes, tanned skin, square jaw,
firm lips. Tack on a gravely voice that rumbled from deep in that
muscular chest and he was a panty-dampener, no doubt about it.

He didn’t make
her panties damp. He did, however, have the power to annoy her at
the most unexpected moments. Such as at the wedding.

She took
another sip of water, continued to watch him watching her.

When the
silence stretched a bit too uncomfortably, she drawled, “Keeping
bad company nowadays, Moz.”

His head
angled a little to one side. “You’re up on the roof.”

“You
noticed.”

“We all
noticed.”

“You and your
bad company.”

“What is so
appealing about sitting on the roof?”

“I can see
everything that happens.”

“Nosey parker,
then.”

“Call it what
you like.” She shrugged. “I watch the cars, the houses, the bush. I
enjoy myself. I
like
it.”

“Did you like
those men spotting you up here and waving?”

“They’ve seen
me up here before.”

The corner of
his firm lips tightened just a fraction, the only hint he didn’t
like her answer.

“So, what made
you seek out that motley mob?”

“Work.” His
gaze flicked to the step ladder propped up against the side of the
house. “You coming down?”

“Why? Are you
going to tell the boys if I don’t?”

“I can deal
with you myself.”

Del arched one
eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”

A small smile
flickered around Moz’s mouth. “I don’t need Ryder, Simon, Kirk or
Scott sorting out my problem. I can do it myself.”

Cheeky prick.
“I’m not
your
problem.”

“You’d think
so, wouldn’t you?” There was a definite smile around his lips
now.

That irked.
She had half a mind to flip him off, but no doubt he’d come up and
get her. Maybe. She wasn’t really sure because truth be told, he
hadn’t been around much when she’d been perched on the roof. He’d
driven past, honked his horn a few times, but he’d never come in
and demanded she come down. Not like her male friends who were so
certain she’d fall down and break her neck.

Probably
wouldn’t worry Moz that much if she did.

For some
inexplicable reason that thought had a small frown skittering
across her brow. Abruptly pushing to her feet, she picked up the
silicone gun and moved with sure-footedness across the roof,
stopping near the ladder.

As she’d
moved, so had Moz, and he now stood at the bottom of the ladder
looking up at her. “Chuck the gun down.”

Made her life
easier. She tossed it down, followed by the water bottle.

Moz caught
both quickly, not even juggling the second unexpected item. “Want
me to catch you as well?” Amusement was clear in his gravely voice
as he placed the items on the ground.

That had her
gaze jumping to those brawny arms, those broad shoulders. No doubt
if she did jump off the roof he would catch her easily. That had
her belly do a little dip and roll which, she assured herself, was
perfectly normal for anyone thinking of jumping off a roof. Which
she wasn’t - thinking about it, that was.

Impatiently,
she turned and reached down to grasp the protruding sides of the
ladder, swinging her leg down so her foot hit the first rung. As
she’d done a hundred times since buying the ramshackle old house,
she climbed down the ladder easily.

Or as easily
as she could until a passing car backfired loudly. Intensely aware
of Moz watching her, the sound caught Del unawares. She jumped, her
foot slipped, and before she could readjust her grip or step, a
pair of big hands clamped around her waist and plucked her off the
ladder to place her on the ground.

Startled, she
swung around to stare up at Moz. “What the hell…?”

“I can’t stop
you going up the ladder, Del,” he rumbled mildly, “but no way will
I watch you fall down.”

“I wasn’t
falling. My foot slipped.”

“People slip,
people fall.” He shrugged, shirt pulling tightly across his
shoulders.

“I was
fine.”

“Sure.”

“I
was
.”

He nodded.

Damn it, if
she could only see his eyes. Bloody mirrored sun glasses.

Taking a deep
breath, she remembered her manners. He was only helping, she didn’t
need to be so sensitive. Or rude. “All right. Well, thanks.” Man,
that nearly choked her.

Obviously he
realised it, too, going by the quirk at the corners of his
lips.

Annoyed, she
bent down to pick the water bottle and silicone gun up off the
ground, using the momentum to get her frazzled emotions under
control so that by the time she straightened, she appeared cool and
calm.

However, Moz
wasn’t looking at her, his gaze flickering around the clearing, a
frown creasing his brow as he studied the bushes. “I knew you had
privacy here, but it’s really isolated.”

She glanced
around as well. “Yes, it is, but that’s part of the charm.”

His gaze cut
back to her. “Does your house have an alarm system?”

“An alarm
system?”

“Yes or
no?”

“No. But-”

“You should
get one.”

“Get one?”
Flabbergasted, she trotted behind him as he strode around to the
front of the house. “Get an alarm system?”

“Yeah.” He
didn’t bother taking the two steps onto the veranda, just took one
easy, big stride up, two paces across the old wood which creaked
alarmingly under his weight, and reached for the security
screen.

Dropping the
silicone gun and water bottle on the little table, she watched him
open the security screen. Then she watched him look from the handle
to her, the frown growing on his face. Bewildered, she raised her
eyebrows at him and held her hands out. “What?”

“You didn’t
lock it.”

“Why would I
lock it? I’m right here.”

“You were on
the roof. You wouldn’t have a clue who might have walked into the
house.”

“Why would
anyone - hey! Where are you going?” Good grief, he’d just walked
right into her house. Following hot on his heels, she could only
watch in growing irritation as he checked the lounge room windows.
“What the hell, Moz?”

Dropping the
curtain into place, he glanced around the room, big hands on lean
hips.

Man, he was so
big he seemed to make the room shrink. Suddenly it didn’t seem so
roomy anymore. And what the hell was he doing?

Taking off his
sun glasses, Moz folded the arms briskly, slipped the glasses into
his top pocket while striding across the room right past her,
through the hall and into the kitchen.

“Look, are you
going to tell me what you’re doing?” Del watched him open the back
door security screen.

“Just
checking.” Turning, his gaze flicked over her, running from the tip
of her head to the toes of her sneakers and back up, his frown
deepening. “Damn it.”

Del’s eyebrows
shot upwards. Okay, something was pissing him off, she could see
the storm clouds gathering in those expressive brown eyes. “Care to
share?”

“Oh, I’m going
to share all right,” he retorted a trifle tightly. “In a
minute.”

“Well, don’t
let me hurry you.” She swung her arm outwards. “Here, just help
yourself to the rest of the house. Check out whatever you
want.”

Okay, she’d
said it, she just hadn’t
meant
it. So she really only had
herself to blame when Moz strode across the new lino she’d had put
down the week before and back out into the hallway.

Following only
as far as the doorway, she leaned one shoulder against the frame
and watched Moz proceed to go into each room - including her
bedroom, so much for privacy - and come out with a bigger frown on
his face each time. By the time he exited the bathroom his
rough-hewn handsomeness was now a pissed-off handsomeness.

“Have a good
look around?” she asked sarcastically. “See anything you like? The
underwear in
my
bedroom, the soap in
my
bathroom,
the-”

“Do you have
any sense at all?” Moz growled.

Indignantly,
Del straightened, her head tipping back so she could see his
glowering features as he towered over her. “I beg your freaking
pardon?”

“You’re a
woman out here alone, Del.”

“So?”

“
So?”

“Yeah, so?
I’ve lived out here alone for awhile now.”

“And your
parents are in agreement?”

Annoyance
snapped through her. “My parents are fine with it.”

“Then your
friends? Your seemingly over-protective
male
friends who go
ape shit if you get on the roof?”

“Hey now,
don’t you dare bloody start on Scott and Simon and -”

“They go ape
shit if you go on the
roof
.” Bending, Moz glowered down at
her. “But
this
they don’t make a fuss over? They don’t
fix
?”

Okay, if she
was a little more faint-hearted she might be intimidated, but Del
had more guts than sense - as Ryder was fond of putting it - so she
simply shoved her face up as close to Moz’s as she could and
gritted out from between clenched teeth, “I don’t know what your
problem is, Baylon, but you better think twice before you start
rubbishing
my
friends and-”

“This is my
problem.” Grabbing her wrist, Moz strode down the hallway to the
front door.

The man didn’t
grip her wrist hard, but his hold was firm enough that Del had no
option but to go with him, almost running to keep up with his
long-legged stride. “Will you let go?”

He stopped and
she almost cannoned right into him.

Grabbing the
handle of the security screen door, Moz shoved the door open. “Not
locked.”

“I never lock
it when I’m home, I just told you that!”

“You will from
now on.” With that kingly announcement, he pushed past her - a
tight squeeze with his width and her much slimmer one combined in
the hallway that apparently wasn’t as wide as she’d first believed
- and towed her to the lounge.

“As lovely as
this tour of my house is,” Del said as she followed him into the
lounge and across to the window, “I already know the layout.”

Still keeping
hold of her wrist, Moz yanked the curtains back with his free hand
and pointed to the window lock. “Flimsy.”

“What?”
Bewildered, she only had time to look briefly at it before he was
striding back across the room.

Into her
bedroom, across to the window, another curtain yanked back, her
open window pointed at accusingly, not to mention her face as he
growled, “Flimsy
and
unlocked.”

“It has to be
unlocked to be wide open. Really, Moz, what the - oh geez,
really?”

Yep, really.
Rolling her eyes, she followed him into every room, had every
window lock pointed out to her before he finally towed her into the
kitchen. Pulling her to a halt beside him, he opened the security
door wide before looking accusingly down at her.

Del peered
past him then nodded. “Yep, that’s my backyard all right.”

“Unlocked.”

She couldn’t
help it. “You can’t unlock a back yard.”

Yanking the
door shut, he flicked the lock before turning to her with eyes
narrowed and arms crossed over that massive chest.

Del threw her
hands out to the sides. “Fine, I get it. You’re in a snit because
you think I should lock myself in the house. But I am not doing it,
let me give you the tip.”

“Del-”

“No. Nope.
Nada.” Hands on hips, she glared up at him. “Besides, what gives
you the right to come into
my
home and tell me what to
do?”

He didn’t even
have the grace to look a little sheepish. “You need to take better
care of your safety.”

“That’s none
of your business.”

“I’ve made it
my business.”

“Then unmake
it.”

Eyes narrowed,
Moz looked down at her.

“Let’s put it
this way.” Del poked him in the chest. “It appears that you’re the
only threat to me right now.”

His nostrils
actually flared a little. “I’m not your threat.”

“Yeah, you
are.”

“You really
believe that?”

“Hey, you’re
the one standing in my kitchen without an invitation.” Del arched
an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

Moz’s eyes
bored into her. “I’m the least of your problems.”

“No, you’re my
only
problem right now. I don’t see anyone else standing in
here apart from you. You walked into my house uninvited, checked
out my rooms-”

“Locks.”

“You insult my
friends then have the gall to order me to lock my doors and
windows. Well you know what, Moz?”

He didn’t
blink. “You tell me.”

“Maybe you’re
the threat.”

Man, those
brown eyes held an unnerving power. Like solar radar or something,
because she could swear she felt the lick of anger that glowed deep
within the dark depths.