Twin Ties, Twin Joys: The Boss's Double Trouble Twins / Twins for a Christmas Bride / Baby Twins: Parents Needed

“Where’s the dog?” he called to them.

But they didn’t answer. And when he looked up again, they were gone.

It was almost an hour later when Darcy came to ask him if he would like to join her for something to eat.

“I’ve put the boys to bed,” she told him. “So they won’t bother you.”

“They don’t bother me.” He gazed at her steadily. “Darcy, I like kids. Don’t pretend I’m a monster.”

She finally smiled. “Good,” she said. “Now come on before the stroganoff gets cold.”

He loved stroganoff. She’d set places at the kitchen table. Red napkins. Blue plates. He was gratified when she brought out a bottle of white wine and poured two glasses. At least she was going to let this seem like a real meal and not a grudge feeding of necessity. She was still wearing the tight pants and the low-cut shirt and he was feeling definitely warm and toasty all around. He raised his glass.

“To women who brighten our lives,” he said.

“To men who bully and manipulate,” she countered, clinking before he had a chance to draw away.

“That was sneaky,” he protested, but he didn’t pursue it. Things seemed to be going well right now. No reason to rock the boat.

The food was great, from the creamy stroganoff on pasta to the leafy green salad and the cherry cobbler for dessert. They chatted inconsequentially, falling back into the pattern of banter threaded through more serious conversation they had developed in Paris. By the end of the meal, Darcy was laughing and looking as relaxed and happy as he’d ever seen her. And he was burning to take her in his arms.

But he couldn’t do that. Not only would it complicate matters, it would probably result in her kicking him out on his ear, and he didn’t relish sleeping in his car tonight.

He stayed in the kitchen and helped her with the dishes and they talked about ACW, and then about what he’d been doing all these years, staying so far away from Texas.

“Tell me about your work overseas these last few years,” she said, handing him a stack of plates to put away in an upper cabinet.

“What about it?” He reached high and confidently slid the plates into place for her.

She leaned against the counter, watching him. “What is it that draws you so strongly to it? How did you get this way?”

He put away his drying towel, then leaned against the counter facing her. “You know that I joined the Army after my freshman year of college,” he said.

She frowned. “I thought you had a degree.”

“I got that later with the Army’s help,” he said. “I was in Special Forces for eight years. By then I was ready for a change, so I got out and joined a firm that does security work all over the world.”

She nodded. “Okay, I knew that. My impression is that you were doing pretty much the same thing you’d done in the Army, only getting paid better.”

He grinned. “That was just about it.”

“So would you call what you do being a mercenary?” she asked tentatively, as though she was afraid he might take offense at the term. And in truth, he did.

“A mercenary?” he repeated, distorting the word a bit. “No. Being a mercenary has ugly connotations, like being a gun for hire. That isn’t what we do at all. We’re more like …” He thought for a moment, then went on. “Well, like a civilian rescue service. In many countries there is a huge gulf between the very rich and the rest of the population. There are all kinds of outlaws who think the rich are like fat, vulnerable piggy banks, and kidnapping is the way to open the vaults. It’s practically a major industry in some countries. Family members are always being kidnapped and held for ransom.” He gave her his quirky smile. “We specialize in getting them back.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Without paying the ransom, if possible.” “Oh.”

“That’s the major part of our mandate. We also do other things. We find lost cargo shipments. Get political refugees out of dangerous situations. Things like that.”

“I see,” she said, her gaze sliding over the open neck of his shirt, then turning back up to meet his eyes. “I didn’t really understand that. I have to tell you, that makes me feel a little better about it.”

He moved closer, taking in the scent of her hair. “About what kind of work I do?”

“Yes. I was sort of stuck on the outlaw element. Now I see that was wrong and that you could characterize it as humanitarian.”

He touched her cheek, brushing off a crumb that had landed there. Her skin was luminous. She was so beautiful, it made his heart feel full of wonder. “You prefer to think of me as one of the good guys, huh?” he said huskily, leaning closer still. “Of course.”

She looked down but she didn’t move away. He could see the pulse throbbing at the base of her throat. She wanted him to kiss her. There was no way he was going to be able to resist when it was so obvious she wanted his touch as much as he wanted hers.

“Darcy.” “Yes?”

She looked up. He dropped a soft kiss on her lips, light as a feather, then drew back.

“You’d better go,” she whispered, her eyes dark as shadows.

He nodded. “I know,” he said.

But he didn’t go. He kissed her instead. He took her into his arms, sliding his body against hers. She sighed and when his mouth covered hers, her tongue was there to meet his. She felt hot and smooth and as the kiss deepened, she arched her body into his, pressing hard with her breasts, as though she needed to feel his strength against her most sensitive places. Rational thought slipped away and all he could think of was heat and moisture and his mouth on her nipples. When she cried out, at first he was sure she was giving him an invitation, but pretty quickly, even his libido-drugged mind understood she was trying to get him to stop.

They pulled apart, panting and still clinging, but no longer pressed so tightly together. Darcy was the first to manage a coherent sentence.

“Mitch, this is exactly why you shouldn’t be here,” she said breathlessly.

“I know.” He kissed the tender area in front of her ear.

“Then what are you doing?” she cried, trying ineffectually to pull away.

He snuggled into the curve of her neck. “I think we should explore all the possibilities so we know what to guard against,” he murmured.

She laughed softly, but that didn’t change anything. Taking a deep breath, she forced him away.