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

by Em Petrova

  She placed her hands on his chest to shove him off. “I’m afraid of your pa walking in and seeing us tangled up like this.”

  “My pa’s been around the block with us boys. He knows to stay out of it.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want to lose face. Kade, please.”

  His features shivered into a new look. Between getting off the plane and now, she’d witnessed hundreds of emotions cross his face. When had she made it her mission to understand them?

  “Ryan,” he murmured. And said it again, as if tasting the word even as he lowered his head. “Ryan. Sweetheart.”

  The brush of his lips was gentle yet scorching. Passion flowed. He forked his fingers into her hair and she tugged the too-long locks on his nape. Once the tip of his tongue touched hers, she broke the kiss.

  “We can’t do this anymore, Kade.”

  “What are you afraid of?” he asked a second time.

  “What’re you?” she shot back. “Are you afraid of not having that piece of land and the wife to put on it? Yeah, your brothers told me.”

  He gazed into her eyes. Very quietly, he said, “I’m afraid of not having a good woman beside me at the dinner table. Of never curling up beside her at night and making plans for tomorrow and dreaming of forever.”

  Her heart turned over. That was as far from land greed as a man could get. She traced a path down his chiseled jaw, scraping the five o’clock shadow there. Her nipples ached and white-hot need speared her.

  “Your turn. Tell me what you’re afraid of. Besides storms.” The creases around his eyes when he smiled were far too appealing for her sanity.

  “I’m afraid of…” Never having a real family again. She felt adrift. In a few short weeks the Daltons had given her back a sense of belonging—though Kade was still a pain in the ass.

  “Afraid of?” He arched a straight, dark brow at her, sending brand new shivers between her legs.

  “Nothing.” She pushed against his chest, levering him away enough for her to roll out from under him. She jumped to her feet, found her hat and hurried from the barn. He didn’t call after her or even follow. He had to know this attraction they shared was dynamite in a hay field. Everything around them would combust if they lit the first match.

  Halfway across the field she stopped. Crap, she’d left her horse in the barn with Kade. Oh well, he’d bring it home. She had to put some distance between them.

  It took her a few minutes to walk to Hank’s house, but her emotions were still roiling. Hank Jr. answered the door with a shy smile and Charlotte appeared behind him with a little one in her arms. “Ryan,” she said with surprise.

  “Hi. I’m here to ask a favor.”

  Charlotte looked behind her. For Kade? “Sure. Come in.”

  “If it’s okay with you, I’ll pass. I’d like to borrow your car.”

  Charlotte’s eyes widened further. “Why, of course. Is everything all right?”

  “Yes. I just thought I’d go into Vixen and get a few things. There’s a general store there?” She had no interest in the general store or Vixen—but she needed to get off the ranch for a while.

  Away from Kade Dalton.

  The candle of desire for him still wasn’t doused. It flared bright and hot at the mere thought of the man. His touch still lived on her skin.

  She shook herself and focused on what Charlotte was saying—Vixen was an hour that direction.

  “Thanks, Charlotte. I appreciate it. Is there anything I can get for you while I’m there?”

  The woman patted the baby’s bottom and reached for something on the wall inside the house. She revealed a set of keys, which she placed in Ryan’s hand with a smile. “No, we’ve got all we need.”

  “I promise to fill your car with gas.”

  “And bring me a treat from Aunt Shelby’s shop,” piped up Hank Jr.

  Charlotte and Ryan shared a laugh and Ryan squatted before the boy. She’d heard talk at the supper table about Witt’s wife, Shelby’s candy shop. “If your momma says it’s all right, I’ll bring you a treat. What’s your favorite?”

  “The cookie shaped like a bear.” His bright blue eyes melted her right down to the toes of her boots. Suddenly her biological clock switched on and started ticking—loudly.

  Patting him on his sturdy little arm, she stood. “Is that okay with you, Charlotte?”

  “Yes, it would be sweet of you.”

  “The least I can do.” She tossed the keys up in the air, did a fancy twirl and caught them. “Thanks again. Oh, and is there cell service in town?”

  “Sure is. It takes some getting used to, being isolated this way. But I think you’ll like the way of life in time. I know I do.” The baby released a drool geyser down Charlotte’s arm. Then she was waving and turning to go back inside. Hank Jr. gave Ryan a nod of his head that mimicked those all the Dalton boys used.

  Kade included.

  Ryan got into the car and headed down the long drive to the main highway. After a couple miles she relaxed and drew a deep breath of fresh country air. After a couple hours in the quiet of a barn, she’d totally switched from seeing the ranch as a place to work and prove herself to only seeing a way of life she loved, a family in her future…and Kade.

  She hadn’t even known him that long. It must be some Dalton boy spell he’d cast. Blue eyes, dark hair, masculine beyond belief. And the release he’d given her with his talented fingers.

  Her body still tingled from his nearness.

  Rolling down the window, she gathered more air into her lungs. The warmth in his gaze when he’d confessed his fear had burned a hole in her soul. She was utterly defenseless against that look.

  She loved the ranch and wanted to stay, but that would mean not working together. She couldn’t trust herself not to want to run her hands down his broad chest or taste his lips. And he’d proven he couldn’t keep his hands off her either. Now lit, they either fed the fire or stomped it out.

  The sky hung with heavy storm clouds. They weren’t anything compared to those in her soul. By the time she got to Vixen, she was more keyed up than when she’d left the barn.

  Main Street ran the short length of the town with a few side roads branching off. A single blinker light controlled traffic at an intersection. First she filled Charlotte’s gas tank then found the general store. It wasn’t far from the feed and seed, Kade’s earlier destination.

  Ryan generated a little more attention than she would have liked inside the general store. It seemed to be a meeting place for some of the older gentlemen. They sat around drinking coffee and talking. One asked where she was from, and she said, “Up north.”

  She browsed the aisles, which held everything from Hamburger Helper to hand tools and odd tractor parts. As she picked up a part to look at the handwritten label, a big man came into the aisle with her.

  “You finding everything okay, li’l lady?”

  “I’m good.”

  “You surrrre are.”

  Ugh, she’d been waiting for this—the first man to eye her body won a ticket to Shut the Hell Up theme park. There, he could have his choice of a boot in the mouth or a punch in the family stones.

  She held up the item in her hand. “I’ve got an old International 2444. It’s got a leak around the stem, it’s very hard to turn and I had to use channel locks and a rag to budge it. Do you suggest I take out the bolt and see what the packing looks like?”

  The man blinked and his jaw hung open. Satisfaction stole through Ryan.

  “That’s what I thought. Thanks anyway.” She put the part back on the shelf, paid for a pack of gum and left the store.

  She looked up and down the street. Settled between a craft store and a barber shop was The Sweet Tooth. The sign boasted curlicues and lots of pink. Ryan smiled. It looked like a child’s dream place. No wonder Hank Jr. thought so highly of it.

  Before going inside, though, Ryan pulled out her cell. Might as well get it over with. Stabbing a button, she waited for her mother to answe
r.

  Two rings…three.

  “Mom,” she said when she picked up.

  “Ryan! So nice to hear from you!” Why was she gushing? This wasn’t her usual way of greeting Ryan.

  “Do you have company, Mom?”

  “Why, yes, sugar bug, I do. I’ve told you about my bridge group.”

  “You have the whole group there?”

  “Yes, and Sal brought sangria! You’d love it, dear. Now what are you calling about today?” A whispering followed, and Ryan could practically see her mother shielding the phone with her hand and hissing things to her friends about her.

  “I wanted you to know I’m settled on the Paradise Valley Ranch. There’s no service there, but they have a landline if you need me for anything. Do you have a pen?”

  “Can I get the number from you later? It’s my play.”

  Ryan shouldn’t be hurt by her mother’s distraction and uncaring ways, but she was. Again. That drifting feeling came over her once more. She was truly homeless, a mere worker.

  Who happened to have my boss’s fingers in my panties.

  She sighed. “Okay, Mom. That’s fine. I’ll talk to you as soon as I can. Enjoy your bridge!” she ended with the same falsetto trill her mother had used moments ago. “Ugh.” She pocketed her phone and strolled up the street until she reached a school. Since it was summer, no kids played in the yard and everything was buttoned up tight.

  She stared at a swing and wondered if Kade had ever sat there as a boy. It wasn’t difficult to imagine him as a child—he’d look a lot like Hank Jr. Any offspring he had would too.

  Pushing ideas of little Kades running around the countryside, she went into the candy shop. Shelby looked up from behind the counter, her face all smiles. “Ryan, so nice to see you off the ranch. Welcome.”

  Returning her smile, she approached the counter. A glass case held dozens of candies and there was a chalkboard sign with flavors of ice cream. “What a place. It’s so charming in here.”

  “I’m lucky, I know. Such a small country town shouldn’t support a business like this, but I have some people coming by every day for a snack. It’s a little slow with school out for summer, though. I miss the after-school rush.”

  “I bet. I’ve come with a request for a bear cookie.”

  “Oh that must be for Hank Jr.” Shelby laughed, and Ryan could see why Witt was so smitten with her. From what she’d witnessed at suppers, Witt and Shelby were so good together. A sort of sadness settled in Ryan’s chest. Whoever got Kade would be just as lucky. He might be the wrong man for her, but he was definitely a good one.

  She nodded and pushed her hair off her shoulder. “Yes, Hank Jr. says they’re his favorite.”

  Shelby grabbed a blue box and placed two bear cookies with candy eyeballs inside. She winked. “I can’t send him just one cookie. Now what can I get you?”

  “The raspberry ice cream sounds perfect.” She reached into her front pocket for some bills, but Shelby threw out a hand.

  “No, no. On the house.”

  “I can’t accept that. You’ve got to make a living.”

  “Family always gets a freebie.”

  “But I’m not—”

  Shelby shushed her. “Close enough. Now, sugar cone or cake cone?”

  “Cake please.” What did she mean by close enough? Had she picked up on the attraction between her and Kade and think they were together? If she believed anything would come of it, she was mistaken. Ryan had had a momentary brain lapse in even letting him kiss her, let alone stick his hands—

  Well, there definitely wasn’t more going on with Kade.

  She sank to a barstool at the counter to eat her ice cream, rich with big, fat berries, and talked to Shelby. A half hour later she left feeling more confused about Kade than ever. Listening to Shelby’s own love story with Witt made her believe anything might be possible.

  With a thick peanut butter cup in a bag for him, she headed back to the ranch. She was only being nice, bringing him a treat, right? So why did her heart do a backflip when she saw him sitting on the front porch, staring into the distance, looking as though his favorite dog had run away?

  She watched him for a moment before cutting across the yard to the porch. As soon as he heard her boots on the steps, his head snapped up. Their gazes locked and a ray of happiness fell over his handsome face.

  Throat tight with longing, she held up the bag. “I got you a treat.”

  “Sweetheart, seeing your pretty face is treat enough.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Not here,” Ryan whispered as he drew her soft yet strong body against his. When he lowered his head to sniff her fragrant neck, he bit back a groan.

  Hellfire, he’d been moping around since hearing she’d gone to Vixen. He hated that she hadn’t invited him along. She could sass him all day and even refuse to listen to his direction, but the minute she ignored him he was as coiled inside as a rattlesnake.

  She started to push away and he swooped in to press a light kiss to her throat. Just under her ear, a place he’d found made her breath come in short pants.

  A shiver ran through her.

  Grinning, he straightened and let her go. Snatching the bag from her hand, he said, “What’d ya bring me?” He’d eaten enough of Shelby’s peanut butter cups to know the weight in the bag.

  “Just a peace offering.” Ryan dropped her gaze to her boots.

  He stared at her. Hat low, red waves tangled on her shoulders, most likely from an open car window. But her clenched fingers really worried him.

  “Peace offering?” His voice sounded as though he’d been drinking moonshine. He wouldn’t be doing that for a while, not after the skull-cracking he’d gotten last time.

  “Yes, I shouldn’t have walked away without talking.”

  “Damn straight you shouldn’t have.”

  She jerked her head up to look at him. Then lifted her jaw in defiance. “I work here. I’m not your dog to command.”

  Slipping the bag into his shirt pocket, he took a step toward her. “No, you’re not. But after what happened in that barn—”

  “Shhhh!” She gripped his arm and towed him down the steps. She was fuming, but he couldn’t keep his gaze off her tight ass or the sway of her hips. When she tossed a glance over her shoulder, she caught him looking. Releasing his arm, she rounded on him, eyes burning.

  “What happened in the barn wasn’t the end of it, Ryan.”

  “No, because I’m ending it right now.” She stamped her foot to prove her point.

  Damn, she was feisty. And smart, sexy, amazing. She was everything his brothers loved in their wives and so much more. He took a step toward her.

  She backed up, hands thrown out. “I know that look on your face, Kade Dalton.”

  “What look? And it’s just Kade.” As soon as he got her in his arms, he was going to make her moan his name.

  “That hungry look. Like you’re going to eat me up.”

  In a blink, he realized he intended to do just that. Only he wasn’t toying with Ryan—if he got her in his bed, he’d never let her go.

  “I intend to do more than eat you up, sweetheart. Stop fighting it.”

  Her eyes darkened but they definitely weren’t green, which meant he wasn’t about to get a tongue-lashing. No, he’d seen that deep color right before she’d come apart for him.

  In one step, he had her in his arms, hauling her against his body. His cock throbbed to life at the first contact. Holding her face, he claimed her mouth. Their tongues collided with a groan. Wild need throbbed through him even as his heart soared with happiness.

  In one trip to the airport he’d found something he’d stopped looking for—the woman he didn’t want to let go of. And she tasted like the sweetest raspberry ice cream.

  “My favorite,” he said between gulping kisses.

  She raked her short nails up his back to his nape. “Favorite what?”

  “Ice cream. Don’t fight it, sweetheart.” He stared int
o her eyes for five full heartbeats. Something soft and pure lived in her gaze, and he needed to get closer to it. Now.

  She went on tiptoe to kiss him again, but he held back, just looking at her. “Ride with me.”

  “Where?”

  He curled his fingers around her wrists and tugged her toward the barn. “Just say yes.”

  “Okay.”

  When he had her on the back of the four-wheeler, his need grew to a bone-deep ache. “Put your arms around me.”

  “What? No. Everyone will seeeee—” He hit the gas and she rocked back then snapped her arms around his middle.

  Releasing a whoop of joy, he shot across the ranch. With her clinging to him and the wind in his face, he’d never felt such happiness. She squealed as he cut hard to the left. They hit a bump and got a little air.

  “Kade,” she cried, but he felt her giggle before she rested her head between his shoulder blades.

  Flying across the ranch with her felt so right. She’d seen him at his worst and damn if he didn’t want to show her his best—every day of his life.

  When he’d asked her to ride with him, he hadn’t given a thought to where they’d end up. Now it was totally apparent to him. The lights of Witt’s house were the closest to the property he’d someday own—if he ever met the terms of ownership.

  Covering Ryan’s hand over his waist, he let dreams spring up in his mind. They bubbled and overflowed. A chicken coop here, horse paddock there. A log cabin with big windows overlooking all of Paradise Valley.

  Holding her all night long and waking her in the morning with kisses. Heading out before dawn—together. He wanted to work alongside her all day and take her home at night. He’d never get enough.

  Nothing had been clearer in his life.

  He’d fallen for Ryan. From her flaming hair to her sassy mouth down to the tips of her dusty boots, she was the woman for him. She drove him crazy in all ways. When she’d gone to Vixen, he’d felt a chasm open wide in his soul. Even knowing she’d be back wasn’t enough. After spending weeks in her constant presence, he didn’t want to spend even one more second away from her.

  If he were honest with himself, each time he distanced himself from her, he ended up wondering what she was doing. Wishing he could watch her tackle the next task on the ranch.