Dalton Boys Box Set Books 1-5 (The Dalton Boys)

by Em Petrova

  “Look, Maya. Your Papa wants you out of Mexico.”

  “Yes.”

  “We brought you here on a visitor’s pass. But you can’t stay.”

  Panic crossed her face, and her eyes glittered. “I will work and get my visa.”

  “You could do that, yes. But there’s another way.”

  Damn, should he pull over for this? It seemed silly to get on his knees to propose to a woman he didn’t know.

  Tension clouded the truck. He’d thought he’d have an hour or so to pop the question, but why wait? Get it over with and come to terms with it before they hit a courthouse for a license.

  “What way, Mr. Dalton?”

  “Cash.”

  “Cash.” Her sweet lips forming his name sent a spike of lust through him.

  “Well, I was hoping we could strike a deal.” Wait—was this how she’d want to remember her marriage proposal?

  “What kind of deal?” She wore her worry like a cloak, thick and heavy. Hell, he couldn’t ask her to be his wife if she was afraid.

  He swallowed hard. “I was hoping we could be friends.”

  “Okaaaay. I’d like that,” she said slowly.

  “Dammit, that’s not what I wanted to say. I mean, yes, I want to be friends. And more.” He dug into his front pocket, swerving within the confines of his lane. He thrust his hand in front of her, palm up. Three rings glowed.

  She sucked in a breath, staring at the rings with sheer terror etched on her pretty face.

  He plowed forward, as determined to make this right as he’d been to catch that chestnut horse. First, he needed to pull over. Once he had the truck guided to the roadside, he turned in his seat to face Maya.

  She blinked at him in shock. “What are you asking of me?” Her voice wobbled.

  He pushed a breath through his nose. “I’m sorry. I’m making a muck of this. What I’m saying is you need a green card, and the fastest way to get that is marriage.”

  She nodded. “That’s what I thought you were saying.”

  Wishing he knew what was going on behind her chocolate-brown eyes, he slipped his fingers around her wrist. She breathed more raggedly. He held her gaze as he held the diamond ring between thumb and forefinger.

  “I’m just a cowboy, but I’m hardworking, and I’ll have a plot of land soon. My brothers say I’m funny at times, and I don’t lose my temper easily. I think I can be a good husband to you.”

  “We…don’t know each other!”

  “Not yet. But I like what I see. I hope you do too.”

  Her gaze dropped to his chest then travelled over his waist to his thighs and back up. When she lifted her eyes, they burned. Satisfaction heated him. So she wasn’t immune to him either. Maybe they could have a good marriage.

  As silence stretched, he started to rethink his hasty proposal. He couldn’t back down, though. He held the ring over her fingertip, ready to slide it into place if she gave even the faintest nod.

  “Maya Perez, will you be my wife?”

  “It’s Maya Rose,” she said quietly.

  His smile widened. “See? We know each other better already.” Taking a leap, he glided the gold band over her finger and settled it at the base. The stone glinted, fat against her slender finger, making it look as if he’d spent way more than he had. A good thing, because he’d been worried about his low budget.

  Her lips fell open to reveal the soft pink interior of her mouth. Dark need captured him, and he took another jump.

  Reaching out, he skimmed his fingers over her cheek. Silk met his rougher skin, ratcheting up his desire. He ran a finger down along her jaw, aware of how delicate she was compared to him.

  “I’m going to kiss you.” His quiet tone sounded more uncontrolled than he wanted.

  She didn’t move, just stared at him. When he leaned in, she didn’t twitch an eyelash. Kissing a stranger was almost as weird as proposing to one, but his gut instinct told him to touch her.

  He’d been thinking of it for two weeks.

  Very slowly, he brushed his mouth over hers. She didn’t move to increase the pressure of their kiss, but she didn’t jerk away or slap his face.

  So soft and pliant.

  Hope did a jig in his chest as he pressed more firmly. He felt dizzy, drunk on moonshine. Withdrawing slowly, he allowed a crooked smile to creep over his face. “Say yes?”

  Sinking her small white teeth into her lower lip, she blushed to the roots of her hair.

  “Say the words, Maya.”

  She tried to extract her hand from his, but he held on. Their connection was too tenuous to stop touching each other yet.

  “Do I need to convince you more?” Please say yes to more kisses. A wildfire raged through his system. He had an urge to grab her and yank her into his lap. Strangers be damned. He wanted her, and the erratic rise and fall of her chest told him she wasn’t unaffected.

  In his early twenties, he’d done a stint with the rodeo, touring small-town Texas and leaving the ranch he loved. It had taken guts to go, but he wasn’t sorry for his time away. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be sorry for taking this plunge either.

  He leaned across the console and sank his fingers into her hair. Their stares locked. “You have the most beautiful eyes,” he said a split second before claiming her mouth.

  Intense need stampeded through his system. She hadn’t thrown the ring at his face, so that must mean she liked him a little. He nibbled her lower lip, and she issued a squeak of surprise.

  Taking advantage, he smoothed his tongue over her plump lower lip. God, she tasted like cherries and pure woman. The need to get closer raged.

  She set a palm against his chest, groping over his muscles for a second. Then she pulled away, panting. Running her fingers through her hair, she stole a look at him. “I’m not sure about all of this.”

  He eased into his seat, giving her space. “This must seem mighty strange to you. A stranger picks you up at the airport and gets you in the truck only to ask you to marry him. Then kisses you senseless.”

  She gaped at him. “I was not senseless.”

  Her fiery response only tossed more kindling on the fire. He cocked a brow at her.

  She started twisting the ring off her finger, but he locked a hand around her wrist. Holding her gaze, he said, “Just think about it. We aren’t home yet.”

  “Aren’t home yet? Do you plan to marry me before we get to the ranch?”

  When he didn’t answer, she said something in Spanish that might have been a curse. “You did!”

  He put the truck in gear and looked before pulling onto the interstate again. “I won’t deny I thought about it. But we need three days to get a weddin’ license. I plan to announce it to our families as soon as we’re in Paradise Valley, though.”

  “Are you so arrogant that you believe you can do what you want without asking?”

  “I asked.”

  “I didn’t say yes.”

  “No, but you will. Maya, your days in the US under your passport are numbered. Without me, you’ll be deported before your green card comes through.” He sounded like a real ass, but he was giving her facts.

  She made a disgusted noise, and he glanced over to see flashing eyes and anger twisting her plush lips. She looked damn gorgeous when angry.

  “Does Papa know of your crazy plan?”

  Should he tell her it was her father’s suggestion? No, he’d better not reveal everything.

  “He knows you need to stay in the US with him. This is the easiest way to achieve that.”

  “Did he force you into asking me to marry you?”

  “I can’t be forced to do anything, Maya.”

  She folded her arms, her eyes shooting sparks. “Neither can I.”

  Damn, should he tell her what he’d get from this deal? The miniature angel on his shoulder poked him. His mother had put the angel of conscience there long ago, and it had been stamping on his good plans ever since. He sighed. “Okay, I’m not being totally honest with y
ou.”

  “Hmph!”

  Spirited little filly. If she said yes, he was in for a helluva ride.

  “That land I spoke of? It’s not mine yet.”

  “You’re a liar as well as arrogant?”

  Losing his patience, he leveled his gaze on her. “The land is mine. Just not yet. There are conditions set on receiving it.”

  She crossed her legs, tormenting him with thoughts of round thighs riding high on his hips. “What conditions?”

  Suddenly he wanted this to work with Maya just so he could get to know her better. So far he liked the sneak peek of her fiery attitude.

  He sighed. There was no good way to say this besides flat-out, balls to the wall.

  “I can’t have the land without a wife to put on it.”

  * * *

  Maya wasn’t prepared for this. The drive to the ranch could never be long enough to ready her to meet her father and the Daltons.

  From under her lashes, she shot Cash a disgusted look. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of believing she was staring at him, although it was hard not to notice the muscles straining in his forearms with every little twitch of the steering wheel. While his shirt clung to his chest in all the right places and his voice gave her shivers, she wasn’t willing to marry him.

  She glanced away. The big city was left behind, and they drove through smaller towns. The farther they drove, the more fidgety she grew. How could she face her father and tell him Cash had asked her to marry her to give her citizenship?

  And how would his family see her? Surely, they’d believe her to be sinking her talons into him. Taking advantage.

  She shook her head.

  “Wish I knew what was going on in that pretty little head of yours.”

  His drawl made her stomach flop. His voice, low and rough, could make a woman peel off her clothes. Maybe he was used to that.

  She folded her arms. She wasn’t going to fall for him like other women probably did.

  The sigh he released was strong enough to stir the air in the truck. Glaring at him, she snapped, “You obviously have heavy thoughts of your own.”

  “Are you always so sharp-tongued?”

  “Yes.” Maybe he’d dislike her enough to take back his stupid ring. When she met his gaze, she instantly regretted it. His eyes burned, and she became too aware of the golden lights in them.

  A grin spread over his face like the sunrise kissing the land. Did he like her being snappish with him? What a sick man.

  She turned her attention to the side window and drank in the landscape. She couldn’t stop thinking of him leaning over the seat and kissing her, though. If she’d believed herself to be jittery in Mexico, she was far from calm in Texas.

  “How long has it been since you’ve seen your father again?”

  “Over a year.”

  “Good. Another day won’t hurt.” Cash made a quick turn off the highway and onto an exit ramp.

  With a gasp, Maya gripped the seat to keep from being tossed against the door. “What are you doing?”

  “I can’t take you home and introduce you as my fiancée when you look like a scared rabbit.” He pronounced scared like skeered. “We’re going to stop for the night and get to know each other.”

  Panic zipped along her veins, followed by a heat so searing, she clamped her thighs together. “What? You’re crazy. You can’t mean to—”

  “Probably not what you’re thinking.”

  “How do you know what I’m thinking?”

  “You have me labeled as a depraved sex maniac. Tell me, would a sex maniac have put that ring on your finger?”

  She swallowed hard. So he didn’t want sex? Her thoughts did a loop, circling his words. Did he mean he didn’t find her attractive? What kind of marriage could she expect if he didn’t want to be intimate with her?

  She raised her jaw a notch, refusing to respond to him or acknowledge the insane path of her mind. She just wanted to get to the ranch and let her father deal with Cash. Visions of Papa punching the grinning cowboy in the stomach made her smile a little.

  “I’ll take the tilt of your sensual lips as a good sign, darlin’.”

  Insufferable—

  She clung to the seat as he whipped the truck off the road and into a parking spot. “Are you some kind of race car driver in your spare time?”

  He put the truck in park and draped an arm over the wheel, giving her a look that licked along her senses. “Nah, but I do some fancy tricks on a horse.”

  “With a horse, most likely,” she muttered.

  He laughed, a big, booming sound that encompassed her. The laugh bounced around the truck. She couldn’t get away from it, so she yanked the door handle and jumped to the ground.

  Of course she had nowhere to go. She was in a foreign country with no cell phone. She did have a little money though, and she planned to use it to pay a driver to take her to her father.

  Wasn’t that what Cash was doing?

  A driver won’t come with a marriage proposal.

  He caught up to her, carrying her suitcase.

  Shooting him a glare, she said, “Why are you smirking?”

  “Darlin’, this is the ugliest damn suitcase I’ve ever seen in my life, and that’s saying something. As soon as you meet my Aunt Diane, you’ll know what I mean.”

  She let her gaze drop over bulging biceps, straining shirt buttons and a delicious amount of worn denim, to his fingers curled around the suitcase handle. She had to agree—the suitcase was ugly enough to make her eyes water. “It was all I could buy in short notice.”

  Actually, Señora Garcia had given it to her, and free was Maya’s preferred price. She’d be forever grateful to the woman who had looked after her since her mother had died. When she’d parted from Señora Garcia, they’d both shed tears.

  Cash did that adorable jaw-twitch thing toward the door, and Maya’s nerve endings took notice. “Ladies first.”

  Did he really expect her to enter a hotel with him—a man she’d known less than an hour? She was wearing his ring, though. His bargain suddenly tantalized her. She could get what she wanted—freedom and a safe home. She’d be in the same country as her father for once.

  Cash leaned close enough his words brushed the shell of her ear. “I promise not to lay a hand on you—unless you ask for it.”

  She was in so far over her head, she couldn’t even formulate a smart retort.

  As he strode to the front desk and secured a room for “Mr. and Mrs. Cash Dalton,” she was struck dumb. Especially after he gave her a slow, seductive wink.

  The elevator ride to the third floor only made her more aware of how big he was. He seemed to take up most of the space. Reeling, she followed him down a corridor and into a room. By now she knew how he ran his forefinger along his hat brim every few minutes and that he smelled like spiced soap.

  When she set eyes on the two beds filling the room, relief flooded her.

  Cash set down her suitcase. “You didn’t think I’d expect conjugal rights, did you?”

  She had no idea what conjugal meant. Feeling stupid, she realized she had a lot to learn if she were going to adopt English as her main language.

  Twisting away, Cash pinched the bridge of his nose. With his hat pitched low over his face and his shoulders slumped, he wore defeat like a brand. Maya’s heart throbbed.

  “I don’t expect you to sleep with me,” he said quietly.

  She filled her lungs with stale air. “Thank you.”

  He went to the window and flipped back the ugly curtain to stare out. She only caught a view of the parking lot and a few dry-looking trees. When he didn’t turn, she went into the bathroom and closed the door.

  She switched on the faucet and filled her hands with water. Splashing the coolness over her face didn’t cut her rising emotions. What was she doing here? She glanced at her reflection, but all she saw was the square diamond sparkling on her finger.

  With a half-sob, she curled her fingers over the
ring. What was she going to do?

  The soft notes of Cash’s voice oozed through the door at her. She couldn’t make out his words, but he must be speaking on his cell. Hands shaking, she cracked the door.

  “I won’t take her until we’ve said the vows, Manny. I’ll do right by your daughter, but I felt the need to stop and get to know each other before heading home.”

  Maya’s stomach pitched. “Take her,” he’d said. As if she was a prize to be claimed. As if she had no say in her own life and no choices.

  She slipped the ring off her finger, prepared to throw it in Cash’s handsome face. She’d get her green card on her own.

  “Thanks for your blessing, Manny. She’s a beauty—and feisty.” She caught the smile in Cash’s voice.

  Heart pounding out of her chest, she glided the ring back into place and left the bathroom. He turned, and she held out a hand for the phone.

  “Here she is now.”

  She ignored Cash’s beautiful upturned lips and took the phone. “Hola, Papa.”

  “Hello, daughter. I’m so happy to hear you’re in Texas and I’ll have you with me tomorrow.”

  She slanted a look at Cash, who sank to the edge of one bed and bounced as if testing it. “I’m excited to begin my new life.”

  Cash’s head snapped up. Their gazes locked. The question was there: Was she accepting his offer? Maybe unconsciously?

  “I know you must be shocked by Cash’s question, Maya. But consider it carefully. He’s a good man. He has heart and drive. I couldn’t ask for a better husband for you.”

  Her throat ached to say she didn’t want a husband, she wasn’t ready. But what did she have to lose, really? And so much to be gained.

  “Thank you for your blessing, Papa. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  When she ended the call, Cash was as still as a stone carving. He stared at her. She stared at him.

  “Is it yes then?” His gritty tone raised the hairs all over her body.

  “I haven’t decided yet.” She flounced to her suitcase and unzipped it with jerky motions. Then she grabbed a few garments and shut herself in the bathroom again. His deep chuckle followed her.

  * * *

  Cash had spent countless nights sleeping rough. In fields, barns and in his truck. Most times because he was keeping watch over a wounded or sick animal. He’d trained himself to listen for changes in their breathing or restless movements that might indicate pain.