Maxwell

I hadn’t meant for it to come out like that. Well, I didn’t mean to say it, but it was the truth. After talking to Billy then Mr. Davidson, I found something fishy in their dealings. I told them I would look into it over the next few days while I was in town. I wasn’t feeling one-hundred percent, so I needed time. Besides, I wanted time to get to know my sweet Maggie. They knew what I wanted from her, but they didn’t expect me to keep my word.

“I see I took you by surprise. Don’t worry, I’m not that perverted fuck. When you come to me, you’ll be begging for it.”

“You’re so sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

“I don’t like to lose, Maggie. And you’re the greatest treasure I could ever hope to win. So as it goes, I’m going to do what I can to get you under me.” I didn’t tell her that it would be every night until I died because I didn’t want to freak her out, but it was looking like that. She’d been gone five hours and I slept one of those five and still missed the fuck out of her.

“Where did you get the truck?” she asked, changing the subject.

“I made some calls, some damn angry calls, and threatened lawsuits galore.”

“Why were you in the sun earlier?”

“That rental said it had a full tank of gas, and ten miles from where your Dad and brother found me, it hit empty.”

She gasped, her hand on her chest and her pretty lips parted, stiffening my cock even more. I needed to adjust it, but she was staring at me and I didn’t want to come off like that fuckface who would get his jaw reconfigured if he looked at her again. “You walked ten miles in that heat? You’re lucky you’re not in the hospital.”

“I’m lucky to not be dead. And I’m sure lucky to have met you.” She blushed brightly, even in the darkened road. Her sexy thighs brushed against each other as she fought the desire I had created.

Suddenly, she was staring out of the window. I called her name, shaking her from her thoughts. “You’re a charmer, aren’t you? You help my father with his land issues and you can do whatever you want to my body,” she tossed out boldly. That was a punch in the gut.

Instead of being turned on, I was pissed. I could tell the family was close from the moment I walked through those doors, but the thought of her selling herself to save the property bothered me. Would she make that jackass the same offer? I pulled over to a side road between the two properties that was covered in large brush. I put it in park and turned off the engine.

She got nervous quick as I leaned over the center console. My stare was predatory and my anger was palpable. “What’s the matter, love? Don’t want to give me a taste?” I asked, raising my hand to her face and brushing my fingers along her jaw.

“I was just playing,” she exclaimed, biting her bottom lip, nearly undoing my anger, but I wanted her to beg me because she needed me to the point that it was unbearable to be without me inside her.

I jumped out of the truck and huffed to the other side. I wanted to teach her that I wanted her to give herself to me freely and not for a tradeoff. Joking or not, I was still irritated from her family accusing me of trying to buy her. I opened the door a bit aggressively, then undid her seatbelt and pulled her from the cab.

Pressing her body against the side of the truck, I placed my hands on the frame, caging her in with my body. Her eyes widened and she had them locked with mine. She was so damn beautiful, I wanted to take her lips with mine, but I still had a fucking point to make. “Maggie, you never play with a man. I don’t want your body in exchange for the fucking ranch. The thought of you giving it to me for something so worthless has me seeing red. Would you offer it to anyone willing to get the property back?”

“No,” she sobbed. Fuck, I didn’t mean to make her cry. That wasn’t my plan, but the thought of that sleezeball or someone else on that ranch getting a chance to make a deal sent me into a jealous rage.

She ducked her head, but I couldn’t have that. Standing straight up, I reached out and placed my hand under her chin, lifting it up. “Look at me.” She raised her eyes and I hated that I did this to her. Never again. “Don’t cry, Maggie. I’m not going to hurt you, but I easily could have.” She sobbed harder. I wrapped her up in my arms, cradling her head to my beating heart. “I’m sorry, Maggie. I don’t want you to give your body for some land.”

“It was more than that,” she muttered with her chin to my chest. “I’m a stupid girl.”

“No, you’re not. Naïve, a bit - yes; but if I’d been someone else, that offer would have been forcefully taken.” I tipped her chin to get her to look at me again. She was stunningly perfect. I used the pad of my thumb to wipe her tears away, then I pressed it to my lips, tasting a bit of her. And that’s when I saw it. Longing was written on her face as she watched me.

“If you were anyone else that offer wouldn’t exist. I’m…” She lost the nerve to finish her words, but she didn’t have to; the electricity between us could power this town.

“Attracted to me. I can see it, babe. That’s good, really good,” I murmured, lowering my head down to hers. With my hand sliding into her hair, I took her lips in a kiss that shot straight to my heart. “Mine,” I groaned against her mouth. I pulled back before taking it any further. I didn’t have the control tonight. Resisting my cock’s throbbing, I managed to grunt out, “It’s time to take you back now.”

“Okay,” she stuttered, her eyes hazy with need.

“This isn’t the place I want to spend our first time together,” I confessed, pressing my mouth against her forehead. Her lips were too potent for me at the moment.

“You’ll be gone when we move,” she mentioned, slipping out of my hold. I sensed her sadness, but now wasn’t the time to tell her the truth. There was much to be done and I wanted her to come to me because she couldn’t control herself and not in gratitude.

“Don’t worry about that.” I helped her back into the truck and drove us back to her parents’ house. I didn’t want to leave her there, but I promised her dad that I’d take it a little slower than hyper speed and I wouldn’t be the one to start something. But hell, I hoped I never had daughters because I would be worse than her family. Boys wouldn’t get in a word edgewise before I strung them up by their balls.

As soon as she was inside, I left for the hotel room I had booked in town about twenty miles away. Immediately, I missed her. She was going to be the one I spent the rest of my life with and I couldn’t wait to get on with it. Tomorrow, though, I couldn’t make any promises about.

First thing’s first – I had to look into the matter with the account manager. It was the reason I was down here to begin with. I had a plan in my head and it would all play out very soon. I called in for a background check on Sanchez. Having friends in the right places came in handy on occasion, and this time it was instrumental to making Maggie happy which made me happy.

I had questioned what was going on the moment my father handed Andie the purchase file. He doubted it, too, but planned to hire an investigator. My father believed in karma and was as honest as they come. I dialed his number. “How’s it going, Maxwell?”

“Dad, I’ve had one of the most fucked up and wonderful days of my life. I need you and mom to come down here in the very near future because I’m getting married.”

“What?” I could see his face in my mind. He was probably running his fingers through his thick hair, trying to keep it together. He was a very thoughtful man. Outbursts were few and far between, so I knew he was calming himself down as he waited for an explanation.

“I’m marrying Maggie Davidson. It may take a couple of weeks, at the latest, but it’s going to happen.” The steel determination in my voice even surprised me. Nothing was going to dissuade me and I wanted him to understand that upfront.

“I don’t get it. You know she’s not included with the property.”

“Dad, I don’t care about the property. She’s mine and I dare a soul to tell me different.”

“There you go, my son. When you’ve wanted something, no one could stop you. But I have to ask one question. Are you sure she’s not using you?”

“She’s not trying to use me. Maggie doesn’t have an ounce of deception in her body. She has a constant blush whenever I look at her.”

“Blushing every time? How old is she?”

“Dad, mom still blushes every time you look at her. She’s legal.”

“Not too young. And your mom blushes because she knows…”

“Hey, I don’t want to hear that shit. Besides, we were right. There’s something off. The ranch has been losing money for three years now and there’s no excessive spending. The only thing I can think of is their bookkeepers are playing with the money. Most of their staff have moved onto the ranch next to them.”

“Look into it, but stay safe. These people all carry guns and could be extremely dangerous if trapped into a corner.”

“I know. I’m not confronting anyone without witnesses standing at my side.”

“Now, tell me why you want to marry someone you just met, so quickly.”

“I’m in love. I know it. No woman ever had this effect on me. I felt like I was missing part of me when she went to work. I know it’s crazy, but I swear I want to go back to the ranch and carry her away at this moment.”

“Son, make sure it’s not just lust.”

“Dad, I’m twenty-seven. I know what lust is. This is more than I can handle. I’m telling you, a wedding will happen asap. All I can think about is having a family with her. Granted, she’s the hottest woman I’ve ever seen, but it’s more than that. I snarled at her brother for giving her a hug when all I saw was her smile.”

“Okay. I’ll tell your mom to prepare to come. What if she doesn’t want to leave Texas? Have you considered that?”

“I haven’t thought of that, but I’ll just persuade her.” My confidence was an act. There was no guarantee she wanted more than just sex, so it may take a little longer to get her to see that she’s mine.

“Good luck and get some sleep.”

“Night, Dad.” I hung up the phone and exited my truck and stepped into the hotel. The desk person waved goodnight and I headed upstairs for some sleep. It didn’t come to me for hours, but when it did, I dreamed of my lovely Maggie.