The King’s Alley Cat

by Lee-Ann Wallace

  Muffled shouting came from behind her as she ran to her car, her thongs slapping on the bitumen footpath in front of Ainsworth’s only row of shops. Tears stung her eyes, and the sun shone through the gaps in the overhangs, blinding her.

  The door slammed open, the crash ricocheting down the street like a thunderclap.

  “Ally, wait!” Troy, not Cole, called from behind her.

  She didn’t want to talk to him, and apparently, Cole thought she wasn’t worth the effort. She’d been an hour early and parked in front of Sullivan’s General Store in the hope that she could surprise Troy. He’d recognise her car the minute she pulled up in front of the shop because it had been his once, but now, she was kicking herself. She could have been driving away already.

  Ally forced down a sob as she slid into the baking heat of her old car. She felt like she’d been betrayed by two of the most important people in her life.

  Troy walked down the footpath towards her looking for all the world like he was out for a leisurely stroll. Yeah, it was just her happiness and the rest of her life on the line. It didn’t matter one little bit.

  Bastards. Both of them.

  She started her car and checked behind her for oncoming traffic before flicking her blinker on.

  Troy picked up his pace, a frown pulling his brows together. He called out again, but Ally ignored him and started to pull out. Troy swerved towards the road, and Ally gripped the burning hot steering wheel, did a U-turn and drove out of town like the fires of hell were creeping up on her arse.

  Tears blurred her vision as she left the home she’d missed so much, her brother, and the man she’d loved for eight years. A sob caught in her throat, the pain in her chest making it hard to draw a breath. She drove until tears blinded her, and she couldn’t see the road.

  She pulled over, her car spluttering to a stop and slumped in her seat, her forehead pressed against the steering wheel. This wasn’t how she’d planned for her trip home to go. She’d thought she’d be able to handle it if she saw Cole again, at least for a few moments before she could make her escape, but she never imagined any of this happening.

  Ally licked her lips, and the lingering taste of mint sent a pain stabbing through her chest.

  The baking heat in her car forced Ally to wind down the window, but only hot dry air blew in from the road. She swiped at her eyes and rubbed the tears from her face.

  Damn it, she was stronger than this. She hadn’t cried when Cole had broken her heart all those years ago, she’d been too angry at him for being just like the kids at school and judging her because of her weight. But the tears had come eventually.

  In the quiet of the night, once she was in Brisbane, and she’d realised exactly what she’d done by accepting the position at Griffith University, then the tears had come. Tears of loneliness, and heartbreak. Tears of a teenage girl’s broken dreams, and tears of betrayal.

  Cole had been one of her only friends, but not her best friend. Ally reached for her car keys. There was one other person in Ainsworth she’d come home to see. She had to see her best friend before she could leave.

  Ally turned her key, and her car spluttered. Damn it, don’t die now! She turned the key again, pumping the accelerator, but the car gave her nothing but a wheeze and a tired cough.

  She slammed her hand against the steering wheel and ripped her hair tie out. Ally dragged her hand through her hair and clenched her fist in the ends. Sienna really would be pissed if she didn’t stop in and see her, and her plan involved her friend as much as it involved her brother.

  Leaving without at least trying to talk to Sienna... and Troy would be stupid, and she didn’t make stupid mistakes. Not anymore.

  All it would take was one phone call, and Sienna would drop everything and come and get her. But before that, she needed to ring Old Mr. Smith to pick her car up and find out what was wrong with the old girl.

  Ally shoved her door open and climbed from her car. One phone call later and Old Mr. Smith, one of her favourite people in the world, was on his way to her, but there wasn’t a car or cloud of dust in either direction for miles.

  So much for not letting her leave.

  Cole was nowhere to be seen.

  Old Mr. Smith’s tow truck bounced along the dirt road, country music blaring at a deafening level from the speakers, but it wasn’t Mr. Smith singing along at the top of his voice.

  Vinnie—Old Mr. Smith’s grandson, and one of the boys Ally had gone to school with—had come to get her. He was a year or two older than she was, but she remembered him. She’d never forget him, or the way he used to tease her when she was little. By high school, he was more interested in football than teasing her, but he’d still say nasty things when he and his friends walked by.

  But the tables were turned now. Vinnie no longer had the fit athletic body he’d had in school. Now he looked like any other country boy who spent too much time at the pub and ate too many pies.

  His faded and grease-stained blue overalls flapped madly in the wind that roared through the open windows of the truck, almost drowning out his singing.

  Ally leaned her head against the door using her hand as a cushion and closed her eyes. She didn’t even know if he’d recognised her. If he did, he hadn’t said anything, but he hadn’t hidden the fact that he was checking her out, staring at her bare legs and ogling her tits.

  The truck slowed, and Ally’s eyes popped open. She glanced around and frowned.

  “Vinnie, this isn’t the Campbell farm!” she yelled over the music.

  “Know that. Gramps tol’ me to take ya to Cath’s place, so that’s what I’m doin’,” he yelled back.

  Ally groaned. Seeing her Aunt Cath had not been on her list of things to do while she was home. She loved her aunt, but she wasn’t in the mood for another talking to about family and how they should stick together.

  Vinnie pulled into her aunt’s drive and tore down the dirt road at a million miles an hour. Ally hung on to the oh-shit-handle above her head for dear life, grinding her teeth together in frustration. She’d be stuck here with Cath for hours. Sienna didn’t finish work until five, and now Ally would have to rely on her aunt to drop her anywhere, and she knew the only place her aunt would take her was home.

  A tall, imposing man stood on the steps of Cath’s rambling house when Vinnie ploughed around the circular drive and pulled up in front of the house. Ally threw open the door to the truck and climbed down. She dragged her bag out and strode over to the house, stopping on the first step to deal with Cath’s on again-off again husband.

  “You got the wrong house, kid. We aren’t expecting no guests,” Dave called down the steps.

  Vinnie cackled, a surprisingly high-pitched laugh for a man.

  The old screen door screeched on its hinges, and Cath’s voice came from behind the man. “Who is it, Dave?”

  “Dunno, love, some woman. Looks like she belongs in that idiot’s shop.”

  Vinnie cackled again and rattled the chains holding her car on the flat deck of his truck. “She sure does look a treat, don’t she?”

  Dave raised one eyebrow and stared down at her, his gaze raking up and down until he muttered, “Fuck me. Bastard wasn’t wrong, was he.”

  Cath’s husky chuckle floated down the stairs. “Let her up, boof. Ally’s not here to rob us of our fortune.”

  Dave grinned down at her, and Ally climbed the stairs and walked straight into his big arms. He picked her up—bag and all—like she weighed nothing and squeezed the breath out of her.

  “It’s good to have you home, sweetheart,” he murmured into her hair.

  Ally let out a breath and relaxed against the man who’d taught her to ride a dirt bike, and taught her to saddle her own horse, and taught her how to hit the boys when they wouldn’t stop teasing her. Dave held a special place in her heart, and his relationship with her aunt had never changed that.

  “I’d say it’s good to be home, but it’s not,
” Ally replied. “It fucking sucks.”

  Dave chuckled and carried her through the wide-open French doors that led straight into Cath’s lounge room. He put her down in front of her favourite seat and left.

  Seconds later Vinnie’s truck roared, and gravel hit the side of the house with a sharp clatter as he drove away.

  Ally dropped her bag and fell into the chair with a groan. Cath hobbled in and Ally demanded, “What happened to you?”

  Cathy let out a groan and flopped down on her favourite chair. “I got drunk and tripped on the rug and broke my toe. If you laugh, Dave’ll kick you out.”

  Ally shook her head. She didn’t feel much like laughing or even smiling. Heavy footsteps moved down the hallway away from the front door, and Ally let out a sigh of relief.

  At least here she could rest for a while, even if Cath was about to blister her ears for not ringing or sending cards or any of the crap Cath believed a family member should do while they were away from home. She could handle that, she could handle almost anything that didn’t involve talking about Cole.

  “So, I thought you weren’t supposed to be home for another month?” Cath asked.

  Ally dropped her head back on the seat and stared up at the timber plank ceiling of her aunt’s gorgeous lounge room. “I wasn’t. But things changed. I wanted to talk to Troy and Sienna about something, and depending on what they said, I might have had to leave again to sort some stuff out.”

  Her aunt made a sound of dissatisfaction and Ally lifted her head to glance at Cath, but a movement in the doorway to the hall dragged her gaze away.

  Cole stood as casual as he pleased leaning against the door frame, watching her with cold blue eyes.

  Chapter Three

  Pain ripped through Ally’s chest and stole her breath.

  Her gaze clashed with his, and a low noise escaped her. Tears burned her eyes, and she ripped her gaze away and turned to Cath, an accusation burning in the back of her throat.

  “Don’t look at me like that, kiddo. You need to sort this out, or it will follow you for the rest of your life and trust me, I know what I’m talking about,” Cath said, her voice soft but firm.

  Ally shook her head and jumped out of her seat. She couldn’t talk to Cole. It hurt too much just seeing him. She took off out the French doors. There were plenty of places to hide on Cath’s farm. Cole would give up.

  He cursed, and his heavy footsteps pounded after her.

  Ally’s chest squeezed. Oh crap! He was chasing her! She made it as far as the end of the veranda of Cath’s old Queenslander before he wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her off her feet. Ally cried out and grabbed for Cole’s arm.

  “Cole, let me go!” She wiggled and kicked her legs.

  “No, this time you’re going to fuckin’ listen, and there won’t be any interruptions here until I’ve said everything I need to say. After you forgive me, I’m going to fuck you, alley cat.”

  A sound low ripped from her throat, and she pounded on Cole’s back. Presumptuous arse, assuming she was going to forgive him. “Put me down, arsehole! You don’t have anything to say I want to hear.”

  Ally completely ignored the low throb that had started in her sex. The thought of sleeping with Cole was enough to make her drenched.

  Cole ignored her and stalked down the rest of the veranda, down the back stairs and across the backyard, Ally wriggling furiously.

  The sun burned her skin, licking at the expanse left bare where her shirt rode up. A hot, dry wind blew between Cath’s house and the old weathered barns at the back, whipping her hair into her face. She didn’t want to hurt Cole, but if he didn’t let her go, she was going to have no choice.

  There was no way she was letting him get her in the barn. She knew what happened in barns. She’d heard all the girls’ stories at school about barns, and she knew if she went in there with Cole, there would be a good chance she’d be lost. He’d kiss her, and she’d agree to almost anything.

  If he really wanted a chance to talk to her, he could bloody well do it outside in the light, not in the murky darkness.

  Cole stopped, and Ally tried one last time to wiggle free, but Cole held tight. She went for his thumb, twisting it back until he cursed and let her go, and she took off before he’d stopped swearing.

  Ally bolted around the side of the old timber barn.

  “For fuck’s sake!” Cole called behind her. “Stop, alley cat. You need to listen.”

  She didn’t need to listen, not yet. She needed to get away from the barns, but her thongs had other ideas. Ally tripped, caught herself and gasped in a breath. She glanced behind her, and her eyes popped wide. Oh God, he was fast!

  Cole was right behind her, barely a few feet away with a look on his face that sent a bolt shooting through Ally. Shit! She’d never seen him so angry. She put on a burst of speed, grateful she’d taken up jogging two years ago in an attempt to shift the last few kilos she’d wanted to lose.

  “Ally,” Cole said behind her, and she felt a hand brush past her top.

  She choked on a gasp, but swerved to the side and aimed for the old Poinciana tree Cath had tended with love and care for over thirty years. It would make a perfect place to talk. There was plenty of shade, the flowers were starting to bloom, the grass underneath was the only lush spot due to Cath’s constant watering, and you couldn’t see it from the house.

  Cole grabbed the back of Ally’s shirt, ripping a startled cry from her, and she stumbled, losing her footing and pitched over forwards, dragging Cole down with her. He cursed all the way to the ground but managed to wrap his arms around her and protect her from hitting the ground with his larger body.

  Ally gasped in ragged breaths and stared up at the canopy of the old tree. Dappled sunshine sifted through the dense bright green leaves and twinkled like a million fairy lights.

  “I should put you over my knees and spank your arse like your pa did when you were little.” The rough note in Cole’s voice sent a spasm through Ally’s insides. The threat of having his hand anywhere near her arse wasn’t a deterrent at all.

  At least out here, he’d be less inclined to want to screw her brains out instead of talk. Not that she thought being outside would stop Cole from doing anything he wanted to do.

  Ally panted, trying to catch her breath before she gave him hell. But Cole didn’t give her the chance to say anything. He wrapped his arms around her tighter and held her against him.

  He sucked in a breath and murmured, “I’m sorry, alley cat. I’m sorry I lied to you. I’m sorry if I made you feel like you were anything less than the most beautiful girl in Ainsworth. And I’m sorry I made you believe I didn’t love you as much as you loved me. Hurting you was the last thing I wanted to do, but you weren’t even eighteen, and I was twenty-five. We couldn’t have been together no matter how much we wanted otherwise.”

  Ally stared up at the branches and leaves of the tree, tears burning her eyes, the pain sharp and jagged, as it had been four years ago. “Cole, I was six months away from my eighteenth birthday. It’s not like we had to wait for years.”

  Cole took hold of her chin and twisted her around so he could stare at her. “Do you have any idea how much of a fucking temptation you were... still are?” he demanded. “A day having you as mine and not being able to touch you would be too much. I did the only thing I could think of, and that was to force you to give up on me. I needed you to hate me, or I would have given in.”

  Ally made a rude noise in her throat. “That’s bullshit, Cole. You never showed any interest in me until I told you how I felt. All those times I paraded around in the tiniest bikini tops I could get and walked around in my underwear and you never even looked.”

  He raised one eyebrow and said, “Alley cat, you weren’t paying attention.” He gripped her hips and shifted her down, and the hard ridge of his cock pressed against her arse.

  Ally sucked in a breath and blew it out in a rush. “Fine,” s
he grumbled, twisting to the side so she could see him better. “I get it. I know the laws, we studied them at Uni. They would have locked you up, but why didn’t you ring me and explain.”

  He blew out a breath of his own, and his hands tightened on her hips. Cole looked away, but said, “I thought you’d get over me, and I didn’t want you giving up your future for me. After what I did, I don’t deserve you, Ally.” He looked back at her, then rolled to the side, dragging a gasp from her at the sudden movement. Ally found herself pinned by Cole’s thick thigh and her hands dragged up over her head.

  The grass prickled the bare skin of her arms and legs, Cole’s hold firm enough on her wrists that she couldn’t get away. She had no choice but to listen to everything he had to say, and even if she’d wanted to Ally wouldn’t have been able to leave without hearing him out.

  “But I’m fucked if I’m going to let you walk away now that you’re here.” Cole lowered his face until they were nose to nose. “I know you don’t have a man, and I know you still love me because Cath told me you do.”

  Ally’s eyes widened, and she turned away, her cheeks burning. His gaze was too intense, too penetrating. She felt exposed, and with his hard body pressing against hers, she couldn’t think straight.

  Cole nuzzled at the exposed skin of her neck, his hot breath washing over her skin making Ally shudder and sucked in a breath.

  “Say yes, alley cat. I’ll live anywhere you want.”

  Soft lips nibbled their way up her neck, then Cole bit her ear, a little sting of pleasure-pain that made Ally’s back arch and a moan bubble up in her throat.

  “Say yes, little cat. I’m going to follow you anyway. The last four years without you have been shit, and I’m not going through that again.”

  Ally swallowed. Should she give him a chance? Could she forgive him for hurting her? She turned back and asked, “Do you really love me, Cole, or do you just want in my pants now that I’m not fat anymore, and when you lose interest you’ll walk away?”