Free Cowboy Bargain (The Dalton Boys Book 2) by Em Petrova Page A

hat. Five heartbeats passed, and she realized he was as riled as she was. Sparks flew from his eyes, and a muscle in the crease of his jaw fluttered.
    “It’s necessary, and I’ll tell you some reasons why.”
    “Because you think I need help with a green card. Papa wants us to get married. And you need me to help you get your land.”
    “All true. But I’ll tell you some reasons you don’t know.”
    Her arms ached from holding her middle so tightly. “Like?”
    “Like this attraction between us? It can’t be quenched until we’ve signed that marriage certificate.”
    “You could…have me without getting married.”
    He arched a brow. “That ain’t how I operate, darlin’.”
    “You’ve never slept with women? Or have you married them all?”
    “No, I’ve slept with girls . Not women. When I have you, I’m going to scream my wife’s name at the end.” With those blood-scorching words, he pushed past her and opened the door of the trailer.
    Mind made fuzzy by his speech and old-fashioned ideas, she tried to process what she was seeing—a full apartment inside the horse trailer.
    “We use it when we travel. A family in a trailer of this size is no fun, believe me. But there’s enough space for you.”
    His unspoken words: “And soon for me.”
    He went inside and switched on a light.
    She gasped. “There’s electricity.”
    “Of course. Did you think I’d leave my future wife in the dark? Although the idea has merit.”
    Ignoring him and stepping up into the space, she looked around at the few cabinets with a sink and a coffeemaker. There was a sofa and TV with a pile of DVDs beside it. “Where’s the bed?”
    “Oh, it’s a sofa bed. I’ll pull it out for you. Momma keeps the sheets clean. Sometimes one of us boys falls out with the family and we end up sleeping out here.”
    “What do you argue about?”
    He set about removing sofa cushions and clearing a bit of space to extend the mattress. “Normal brother stuff. You stole my favorite horse bit. You’d better mind your own business. I can’t sleep in the same room with a man who doesn’t change his socks.”
    She giggled. “It must be nice to have brothers though. I always wished for a big family.”
    “Yeah, it’s good, especially when we need each other. Like now, we’re all pitching in to help Hank and Charlotte get their house built. It’s hard finding the hours after putting in so much time on the ranch.”
    “I’ll help wherever I can.”
    He shot her a smile that blinded her. “Can you swing a hammer?”
    “I’ve never tried.”
    “You’ll probably have to when we build our own house, because I don’t want to be sleeping in this trailer with you for too long.”
    She shivered. “Why’s that?”
    He pointed at the wall. “The bunkhouse—and your father—are about ten paces that way.”
    Taking his meaning that they’d get noisy together in the sofa bed, she felt a blush creep over her.
    He chuckled and crowded close. “That small door in the back is a bathroom. Sleep tight, Maya.” He dropped a light kiss to the tip of her nose, leaving her hungry for a taste of his lips. Then he walked out of the trailer and closed the door behind him.
    She stared at the wall, imagining his muscles rolling as he walked back to the house.
    * * *
    Cash inserted a finger between the high collar of his best Sunday shirt and sweaty neck. He never wore a tie, and it was choking him. Though he might be a tad nervous about seeing his bride for the first time since they’d gone to Vixen together.
    Momma and Charlotte had hidden Maya from him while prepping the ranch for a shindig worthy of a wedding magazine. For the thirty or so guests they’d invited from town, it seemed like a helluva lot of work. But hopefully Maya would have a day to remember.
    A mish-mash of benches and chairs had been dragged into the yard. Some were covered with country quilts, and big pots of wildflowers set at the end of each row. The guests were as