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A riot of sensations exploded in him just from her touch.
“I know no such thing.” He caught her hand and pulled her into him. “But I do know this.” He stroked the back of his fingers across her soft cheek. “I want to kiss you. I want to take you to my room and make you mine.”
Her eyes widened, and she stared up at him, her lips parting.
Damn it, she was going to let him kiss her, maybe more. His blood thickened, and he grew hard and ready. “And if you don’t stop me, you won’t be fit to marry any man.”
Her eyes narrowed as his meaning settled in. “You’re just trying to scare me.”
God, yes, and please let it work.
“You wouldn’t hurt me, Daniel Werner.”
He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “I wouldn’t hurt you, but I’d thoroughly enjoy ruining you.” Just as he pressed his lips to the tender flesh behind her ear, she shoved him away.
“Well, it is just too bad you’re not the owner of this ranch, and this isn’t your room. Because the owner is the man I came out here to California to marry. Not his lying, sneaking, penniless brother.”
Her words were like knives. This is what he wanted, except it hurt like hell. “Not quite penniless.”
“But lying.”
He let the accusation stand. “And I never said a thing about marriage.”
She stepped forward, back into reach, and glared up at him. “If any man ruined me, he’d have to marry me, even if I have to hold the rifle on him at my own damn wedding.”
Then she grabbed his head and pulled him down for a hard kiss. Just as it started to get interesting, she shoved him back. She stood there panting for a second, looking flushed, ferocious and so very adorable.
All he had to do was grab her and she wouldn’t resist, and he wanted to more than anything. But Rafe was not well and was waiting to get settled for the night.
“And that is the last kiss you’ll ever have from me,” she said, then pivoted and headed for the door.
“Liar,” he mocked.
She shivered but left him standing alone.
* * *
Anna shut her door and leaned back against it, panting as if she’d run a mile when in truth she’d only run across the courtyard. Daniel’s low-voiced taunt echoed through her. What had she been thinking?
She wasn’t experienced enough to use kissing as a weapon. Yet, she’d known Daniel’s threat was empty. Not that he wouldn’t bed her, given half a chance, but he wouldn’t do it against her will as he’d tried to imply. No, if he’d been serious about “ruining” her, he would have grabbed her breast or her bottom. He would have pinned her to a wall so she couldn’t escape. Instead, he’d run the back of his fingers across her cheek, which was such a sweet, caring gesture she’d almost willingly have allowed him anything.
She’d been angry he hadn’t taken the choice away from her. But if Rafael needed an Anglo wife to keep his ranch—she’d do anything to go back in time and stop her parents from giving up their farm in Ireland—how could she fail to help him?
Like almost every other thing, there was just something a little off. He’d hesitated a bit too long, hadn’t kissed her when he had to realize she would have allowed it.
More than allowed, encouraged.
She was going to find out why he was intent on getting her back into her own room. Slowly, she cracked her door and peered out. The corridor doors were closed again, but the light still burned in Rafael’s room. She could see the faint outline around the window and a swath of light cutting the recessed darkness of the well from under the door she’d unlocked.
Daniel hadn’t entered his own room. She would have heard his door since his room was next to hers, so she waited, watching. Yep, she was just a regular Pinkerton detective. She needed a better plan.
First she’d remove her boots and tiptoe across to Rafael’s door well and see if it was still unlocked. Then—well, one thing at a time.
* * *
Daniel went out the back of the house, where the wagon was waiting. Rafael inched toward the tailgate of the wagon. Juanita held his arm, helping him. Daniel put up his hand, stopping them.
Rafael groaned and dropped back against the mound of bedding behind him. He rasped, staring at Daniel.
Both of them were looking to him to tell them what to do, which was novel. “You need to get better. Fast.”
Rafael’s chest rose and fell, but he just stared mutely at Daniel.
Yes, with brilliant instruction like that they wouldn’t look to him for long. Rafael was probably just as eager to get well as he was to get him well.
“He needs his bed,” said Juanita.
“I can’t lie to her anymore. She knows something is going on.” Daniel ran a hand through his hair. He missed his favorite hat. “You can’t go back to your room, or she’s bound to discover you in there.”
Rafael’s brows drew together.
“She’s nosy and determined to learn what we’re hiding from her. She’s going to keep checking your room until you return home.” For that matter she’d probably start checking for the wagon, too.
“He sleep my room,” said Juanita.
“No!” said Rafael.
“Shh,” Daniel and Juanita said in tandem.
Daniel considered the idea, then discarded it. They would have to move Rafe through the courtyard to put him in Juanita’s room, and she’d have no place to sleep.
Rafael put a hand to his chest and leaned his head back. He didn’t seem to be improving.
“We’ll put you in the storage room. She won’t suspect you are in there.”
“No...space,” rasped out Rafael.
He could pull out the crates for the grapes, saying he was getting them ready because they would be ripe soon. Then if Miss Nosy caught him or saw the crates, the explanation would make sense. “Come on—you can wait in the breezeway while I make room.”
“Need my...bed,” said Rafael.
“No. You need to not have Anna find you before you can carry on a conversation.” He pulled his brother and his bedding toward the tailgate. He wasn’t going to argue with Rafe, and his brother wouldn’t be able to dash for his room when he couldn’t walk without help. “Then, as soon as you can, you need to start courting her.”
“No!” Juanita’s dark eyes glistened in the moonlight as she shook her head back and forth. “You marry her.” She was looking straight at Daniel.
Daniel’s stomach dropped. How had Juanita gotten that idea? He resumed pulling his brother off the edge of the wagon. “I’m not marrying her—Rafe is.”
“But you kiss her.”
For a second they just looked at each other in silence.
Rafael clamped a hand around his wrist. “You cur.”
“What did you think was going to happen when I have to spend all day with her?” Daniel slung Rafe’s arm over his shoulder.
“Didn’t think...you’d...steal...” Rafael wheezed. “Should beat...you.”
Daniel pulled his wrist out of his brother’s grasp. “Yes, you do that. I’ll wait while you catch your breath.”
Only it didn’t seem like Rafe could catch his breath.
Daniel tugged his brother off the wagon, while Juanita helped steady him. “And then I’ll beat the hell out of you for putting us in this fix.”
Rafael glared.
“Besides, it is a way to stop her from asking a million questions. And you know she’ll want you when you’re well.” Women always did. “Juanita, get the door, and check that Anna isn’t in the passage before I haul him in there.”
The maid scurried off, and Daniel took a step toward the door.
“Don’t...touch...her...’gain,” huffed Rafael.
“For Pete’s sake, you couldn’t be bothered with her for months and now you’re angry I kissed her? You even said you were fine with her being damaged goods as the reason she couldn’t find a fellow back east to marry her.” Only Anna wasn’t damaged goods. She was an innocent. The way she reacted to his quip about naked women was as revealing as the way she’d hesitated the first time he’d kissed her. “Besides, she’s promised to use my rifle on me if I should attempt more.”
“Aren’t...doing...it...right...then,” said Rafael.
“Shut up.” He was doing it plenty right. “She just wants to marry a property owner.” Which Daniel would be, if Rafael would ever sell him the land he’d promised. Not that he wanted to marry Anna.
Juanita appeared in the doorway and beckoned them forward.
In a low voice, Daniel told his brother, “The newest story is you and I think it is our cousins who held up the stage, and you’re trying to get to them before anyone else does.”
He filled Rafe in on all the ins and outs that went with that particular lie as he hobbled him into the breezeway and lowered him to sit leaning against the wall. Juanita went past them and then returned with the blankets and pillows and arranged them around Rafael.
