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

“Not bad,” she had to admit. “You’re a man of many talents, aren’t you?”

He laughed softly. “Darcy, I have only just begun to reveal myself to you.”

She shook her head but she knew he was still feeling a bit full of himself after the way all those women had treated him that morning. He stretched out his long legs as best he could in the confinement of the car, and suddenly she was very much aware of him as a man—a man with a hard, gorgeous body, which she remembered only too well. She caught her breath as memories flooded her for a moment, pictures of his golden form stretched out on white sheets in lamplight.

Oh my. She hadn’t thought of that for ages—and she really should block those things out of her mind, if she possibly could. She started to reach to turn up the air-conditioning, then caught herself just in time. But she couldn’t stop the heat from flooding her cheeks, and she was only glad he seemed too occupied with the passing landscape to notice.

“You know, Darcy, you’ve got a few surprising facets to your persona as well,” he said a few minutes later, turning toward her again. “It was a real shock to find out you had … the twins.” His voice deepened. “I have to admit, though I thought of you often over the last two years, I never pictured you as a mother.”

Well, that was just downright annoying. Sure, she was a mother. But that very fact made him a father. He seemed to be forgetting that part.

“I never thought of you as a Texas businessman,” she shot back. “So we’re even.”

He frowned. “I’m not a Texas businessman,” he protested.

“No?”

“Not really. Only temporarily.”

“Well, cleaned up like you are, you could pass for one.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

They were silent for a moment, then he spoke again.

“So what did you think of me as?” he asked curiously.

She raised an eyebrow. “Fishing for compliments?”

“Not at all. Just curious.”

She hesitated. What had she thought that day when she’d opened the door to Jimmy’s pied-à-terre and found the hunky hero from her teenage years standing there in the Paris rain? He was exactly what any woman would have conjured up for herself if she’d had a magic wand. But what had come to mind at the time?

“An adventurer I guess.” That wasn’t exactly it, but the best she could come up with on short notice.

“An adventurer.” He said the word as though that startled him, as though he wasn’t sure he liked it.

“That’s not the way you see yourself?”

He shook his head, looking distracted. “No. Actually I see myself more as a human rights worker.”

She looked at him in astonishment, then had to swerve back into her lane. A human rights worker? And here she’d thought he was some sort of modern day mercenary. Maybe they had different ways of defining that term.

“You’re kidding. Right?”

He sighed. “Never mind. For now, I guess I’m a businessman.”

“So that’s for sure, is it?” she asked, turning onto a smaller two-lane road. “You’re saying that this return to your home town isn’t permanent? That it’s just something temporary in order to make your mother happy for a while?”

That seemed to offend him. “Leave my mother out of this,” he said gruffly.

She looked at him in surprise. After all, he was the one who had originally brought the subject up. She hadn’t realized it was out of bounds.

But he seemed to recognize what she was thinking.

“Sorry,” he said. “I’m sort of defensive about my mother right now. I’m feeling a little protective.”

Mitch protective toward his mother. She’d thought rebelling against his family situation had been the whole point. That was the impression she’d had from what he’d told her in Paris. Obviously she didn’t have a handle on the full picture.

She pulled the car into the parking lot at the construction site. The twin mobile trailers, which served as the administration and engineering offices, sat in front of where they’d parked. Switching off the engine, she turned to look at the man beside her.

“I’m not sure why you came back,” she told him candidly, “but since you did, we need to settle the business about the twins. We can’t leave it up in the air the way it is now. Just what is your role going to be in their lives?”

He didn’t answer right away, but he was studying her face, his gaze sliding over her lips, her nose line, her smooth skin, then tucking into the protected area around her ear. When his gaze finally rose to meet hers, she saw a sort of storminess there. But only for a moment.

“We’ll talk,” he promised. “Later today. Right now, we’ve got work to do.” He turned away and reached to open the door. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

She followed more slowly, wondering what she was going to do with this man who wanted her to “show him the ropes.” She should resent him, but somehow she just couldn’t do that. Still, she had to be careful. “Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile,” she whispered to herself, shaking her head. That was just it. Keep track of your inches!

It was over an hour later when they emerged from the trailers. Darcy was feeling a bit shell-shocked. The meeting had started as usual. She and the contractor had gone over some figures and discussed a timetable. She’d brought up a few minor issues she’d had problems with and he tried to smooth over her concerns. All the while, Mitch had watched silently. And then he asked a question about the Heartland Project.

It was like he’d lit a fuse. The contractor seemed to take his question as a challenge, and before Darcy knew what was happening, the two men were shouting at each other and arguing about things she thought were pointless. She tried to intervene, but they didn’t seem to hear her. They argued sharply, then came to an agreement about something. What it was she couldn’t have said.

Then, as quickly as it had started, the firestorm was over. The two men had found a point in common and were talking like—well, maybe not old friends, but old acquaintances, at least. And as they left the trailer, the contractor shook her hand warmly and told her he would take care of all her little items, no problem.

“Thanks, Darcy,” Mitch was saying as they walked back toward the car. “I learned a lot.” He grinned. “I especially learned that I’d better leave the talking to you whenever possible.”

“On that point,” she said, sliding in behind the wheel, “I think I agree.”

He glanced over as she started the engine. In truth, he’d been impressed by the way she’d handled herself. She was good at what she did, good at talking to contractors, good at holding her own when the going got tough. Funny how that opened a whole new side of her to him, a side he’d never thought about during that weekend in Paris.

But it didn’t change anything. It didn’t help him to get over this weird fascination. He still wanted her with a deep, throbbing ache that wouldn’t go away, no matter how much he tried to ignore it.

He’d spent the last two days trying to figure out a way this was going to work. At first he’d thought maybe he would get used to having her around all day. After all, there were plenty of other beautiful women at ACW. Just that morning he’d flirted with a lot of them. Unfortunately, as pleasurable as it had been to be lionized by a group of lovely ladies, he’d found himself looking at his watch and wondering whether Darcy had come in to work yet long before his welcome party was over.

Which just went to prove that this situation was impossible. He couldn’t work with her. It was slow torture to see her and not be able to touch her. He looked at her now as she turned onto the highway. She was wearing a short, tailored skirt that rode up enough to display a nice view of her gorgeous legs. Just watching the interplay of muscles as she worked the accelerator made his blood begin to race a little faster.

It was a bittersweet reaction that came up all the time. A part of him reveled in his instant response to this woman, and another part rejected it, trying to turn it back before it caused him to make another mistake.

But it still happened every time she walked past him and he caught a hint of her fresh, sweet scent, every time she spoke to someone else in the outer office and he sat with his eyes closed listening to her cool, rich voice, every time she got up from her desk and he watched surreptitiously as she walked away toward the elevator, her silky hair rippling sensually, her round little bottom swaying impertinently, while sweet desire surged in his body, and cold, hard reproach stirred in his brain. No other woman had ever played with both his mental and physical response the way Darcy Connors did. He loved it and hated it at the same time.

And that was why he should be working to get her out of his daily life.

“How close are we to the perimeter of the Heartland Project?” he asked suddenly, realizing they must be passing near it.

She looked at him sideways. “There’s a pullout at that hill ahead that gives a pretty good overview of the eastern boundary,” she said. “I’ve got a pair of binoculars in the glove compartment.”

“Great. Let’s stop and take a look.”

“Sure.”

She pulled off the highway at the viewing area, rolling up to the thick guardrails.

“Here we are,” she noted.

“Great,” he said. “I really want to get a good look at this.” He gazed at her earnestly. “But first I want to talk about our situation for a minute.”

She threw him a startled look, but she did as he suggested, turning off the engine and turning toward him in the car. She didn’t say a word, waiting for him to take the lead.

“Okay, here’s the deal,” he said firmly, determined not to show how mixed his feelings were about her. “We can’t deny that we made two children together. And of course that it’s as much my problem as yours.”

She reacted as though he’d attacked her. “My babies are not a problem!”

He frowned, regretting his wording. “Darcy, relax. I didn’t mean it that way exactly.”

She was glaring at him. “Obviously they are a problem for you.”

He sighed, not sure how they’d gotten off to such a bad start so quickly. “That’s really not fair, Darcy. You knew from the beginning that my life was going to be nomadic. That I never expected to have a wife or kids because I couldn’t be fair to them. I never pretended otherwise.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “I know,” she said softly, her tone almost as good as an apology.

“Okay. Listen, first of all I want to commend you for having the babies. I know that’s easy for me to say, not being with you or even knowing it was happening at the time. You went through it all by yourself for nine months. I can’t tell you how sorry I am. And how much I admire you for it.”

“It was a beautiful period of my life,” she said somewhat defensively. There had been plenty of not-so-beautiful things about it, of course, but she wasn’t going to whine about them.

“That may be,” he said. “But I know it was hard.”

She bit her lip. If he kept being so nice about things, she would start to cry. Her eyes were already stinging and she knew what that meant, but she refused to let it happen. She would not cry in front of him! If tears came she was going to jump out of the car and throw herself over the edge and into the canyon.

Well, not really. But thinking that gave her the strength to hold back the emotions that tried to overwhelm her.

“So, tell me this,” he went on, staring out at the plains stretching out away from their position instead of looking her in the eye. “Why didn’t you put them up for adoption?”

A sense of shock, very near horror, shot through her. Anger came tumbling behind it, but she pushed it back. She was going to stay calm if it killed her.

“I guess I’m just too selfish,” she said gently.

He nodded. “You did consider it?”

“Of course. I went for counseling about it. I met some wonderful couples looking for babies, people who would have given my boys a great life, probably better than anything I can give them. But in the end …” She shook her head. “I just couldn’t do it. I wanted them so much.”

He nodded again. “Okay. And you’re holding to that decision?”

She stared at him. Just the fact that he could ask a question like that showed how little he understood what parenthood was all about.

“Are you asking me to consider giving them up now? Are you insane?”

He held up a hand. “Okay, okay. I just wanted to make sure. I want to get things perfectly clear between us.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I think we need to establish a base so that we can figure out how we’re going to do this. I want to provide for them in an equitable way so that the burden isn’t entirely on you.”

She stared at him, vaguely aware that he was still talking, going on about monthly payments and trust funds and clothing allowances. He hadn’t said a thing about the boys themselves. He wanted to start writing checks to remove himself from the entire mess. He just didn’t get it, did he? The anger that had been simmering bubbled up.

“Stop,” she said firmly. “I don’t want to hear it. It’s not money that I need from you.”

He looked surprised. “If you’re talking about … well, commitments, Darcy, you know I can’t …”

She looked away, avoiding his eyes. “I know that. I’m not asking you to completely change your life around.”

“So what exactly are you asking from me, Darcy?” he asked softly.

She closed her eyes. It was a darn good question. What she wanted in her heart of hearts was something impossible and she didn’t even bother bringing it up. Opening her eyes again, she turned and met his gaze. This was so important. If only she could find the right words to make him understand how very important it really was.

“I’ve tried to think this through and define what’s best for the boys,” she said. “They need a dad. You’re the first choice. You don’t have to marry me to be their dad, you know. If you could imagine just being a presence in their lives …”

Her voice choked and she stopped. He made a move toward her, but she pulled back.

“If you don’t think you can do that,” she went on in a rush, “I wish you’d tell me right away. Because I’ll have to find someone else to be their father-figure.”

His blue eyes registered shock at that. “What do you mean?”

She straightened her shoulders, regaining her strength. “I think that was pretty clear. I’ll need to marry someone. Someone else,” she added hastily.

“Someone else? Who?”

She shook her head, feeling stronger all the time. “Oh, I don’t know. There are a few candidates.”

“Kevin?” he asked, a hint of scorn in his tone.

She shrugged. “He’s a possibility. But actually, I was thinking more along the lines of …” She hesitated, wondering if she really wanted to say this, then rushed ahead. “Bert Lensen in accounting.”

“Bert Lensen?” He frowned. “Isn’t he that short, chubby, balding guy?”

“Yes. Very nice man. Not married. Seems to like me. Always asks about the twins.”

“Uh-huh” He shook his head, looking skeptical. He was beginning to suspect he was being snowed. “I don’t know, Darcy. I just don’t see you with a man like that.”

“No?” Her eyes flashed. “Well, think again. He’s perfect, actually.”

“Perfect! You’re not serious.”

“Sure. I’m not looking for a weekend fling,” she said pointedly. “I’m looking for a ‘slow and steady wins the race’ sort of guy. I need a real father for my children. I need someone reliable.”

“Unlike me.”

She drew breath deep down into her lungs. She could read a deep sense of injury in his gaze. She hadn’t meant to hurt him, just make him think a little.

“That’s not what I said.”

“But it’s what you meant.” He turned away. “Face it, Darcy. Using your criteria, I’m not good enough to be the father of my own children.”

“Mitch! I never said that!”

“You didn’t have to say it. It’s obvious.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “And damn it all,” he said gruffly, shifting back to look at her, “you might be right.”

She was not going to make a comment. And this had all the signs of a conversation going nowhere. Maybe they needed to take a break from it.

“We ought to get going,” she said, staring hard into his blue eyes.

“Sure,” he responded, holding her gaze with his own.

Something sizzled in the air between them. The air was suddenly thick and hot and she felt as though she couldn’t breathe.

“Why don’t you grab those binoculars and let’s go take a look at the landscape,” she said, reaching for the door handle and making her escape.

He stayed where he was for a moment, watching her get out of the car and walk over to the railing. This was just plain nuts. He’d never felt so out of control.

He’d always prided himself on being able to stay detached from the women he had relationships with. He was up-front about what could be expected. No one he’d ever dated had cause to complain—and he’d never stayed in one place or with one woman long enough to build up any sort of commitment expectations.

But everything had gone out of whack with Darcy. From the moment their gazes had met in the rainy doorway, it had been as though something were drawing them together. He’d never felt this way before. And now, when she started talking about marrying Bert Lenson … The first thing he’d felt was an ugly urge to go beat the poor guy to a pulp. The thought of another man touching her was like a knife in his gut. He couldn’t stand it. But as of this moment, he had no real claim to her.

Nothing was making any sense.

Swearing softly to himself, he took the binoculars from the glove compartment and left the car to join her at the railing.

CHAPTER SIX

“LOOK,” Darcy said, making a wide sweep with her arm. “Texas in the noonday sun. Isn’t she beautiful?”

Mitch heard the emotion in her voice and started to smile, but then he looked at what she was presenting to him and he frowned instead. He gazed at the rolling hills, the scattered stands of pecan and live oak, the rocky creek bottoms. A red-tailed hawk was circling a water hole and he thought he caught sight of a white-tailed deer flashing into a thicket.

It suddenly occurred to him that she was right. Why was it he had never noticed before? Texas was beautiful.

He’d spent most of the last few years in countries where deep green jungles and jagged mountains and turquoise water defined beautiful landscape. This was a different type of beauty and it resonated deeply with something in his inner core—his heart and soul. Texas was home. It had been a long time since he’d thought of it that way.

He turned and looked at Darcy. She was trying to figure out just where the borders of the Heartland Project stood and she took the binoculars from him to check. He watched the breeze ruffle her hair, exposing her tiny ear. It curled like a pink shell against her head. He wanted to touch it, run a finger around its curve. He moved closer and she looked up from the binoculars, startled to find him so near.

“Uh … I think we can see the border better from that ledge just through those bushes,” she said, gesturing toward another vantage point. “I’ll go take a look.”

She turned and went quickly, as much to flee from the look she’d seen in his eyes as anything else. Her heart was thumping in her chest. She pushed her way through the brush, looking back to see that he was following. And then a branch tangled with her hair.

“Ouch!” She stopped, caught by the bramble, yanking at it and only making matters worse.

“I’ll get it,” he said, reaching into her hair and prying the tangle loose.

She closed her eyes. He was much too close. She couldn’t breathe. He was going to touch her. She knew it without being told.

And there it was. His fingers were still wrapped in her hair, but his lips were on her neck.

“Oh!” she cried, trying without a lot of success to pull away. She swung around to look at him. “Don’t.”

He held her face in his hands. “Darcy, I can’t …”

Can’t what? she wondered a bit hysterically, but she knew. He couldn’t stop this. Well, neither could she. So who was going to do it?

When his mouth covered hers, she whimpered, as though he were fulfilling a need she’d held back too long, and she opened to him greedily. His hand on her face, his body so close, his mouth on hers. All felt so good, she was afraid she would sink into this ecstasy and never come up for air.

She had to pull away. She had to break this off. She couldn’t let this go on for another minute.

Well, maybe just a minute. Or two. For just a little while, could she let herself touch heaven again?

No! She had to be strong. She had to think of her twins.

That did it. She finally pulled away from him, breathless and angry with herself.

“Oh, Mitch!” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand while staring into his clouded eyes. “Promise me you won’t ever do that again.”

“I can’t,” he said very softly, his gaze never leaving hers.

Shaking her head, she tore away from him and hurried back to the car. He caught up with her before she reached it, grabbing her elbow and pulling her around to face him. The moment she looked into his eyes, she was relieved. He looked like a different person.

“You’re right, Darcy,” he said calmly, dropping her arm when he could see she wasn’t going to run. “Of course you’re right. And I’m sorry.”

She nodded. “Me, too,” she said.

He took a deep breath. “We’ve got too much emotional baggage between us. We’ve got to deal with it. We didn’t settle things about the twins.”

She nodded again. “No, we didn’t, did we?”

He grimaced. “We got sidetracked with you talking about marrying Bert Lenson.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not marrying Bert Lenson.”

“Then why did you throw his bald-headed hat into the ring?”

I was only trying to scare you. She couldn’t say that out loud, but it was the truth—though she didn’t even want to admit it to herself.

“I was just using him as an example of the kind of man my boys need in their lives. I just wanted you to understand the reality of the situation. You should know what’s going on.”

He shrugged. “You know, I’m a little surprised you even think I should have any say in the matter.”

She hesitated. “Look, Mitch. I know you can’t be the sort of father I would want for them. But you are their biological father. We have to go from there.”

He nodded, searching her eyes. “Just by saying that, you give up a certain amount of control. You understand that, don’t you?”

She nodded. “Yes. I know.”

He shook his head, studying her as though he could hardly believe what he saw. “I have to admire your integrity for that. It takes guts to take that sort of risk.”

She quickly dampened her dry lips with her tongue. “You know, in a funny way, I trust you. I know you’ll do the right thing, whatever we decide that will be.”

They stared at each other for a long, long moment.

“Okay,” he said, taking her hand to lead her back to the car. “We haven’t decided what to do, but we’ve decided to trust each other. That’s a step in the right direction.”

She nodded. It really was.

They were back on the road in minutes, pulling out onto the two-lane route, heading back toward the city. Mitch stretched and let out a deep breath. “We need to get something to eat,” he said brightly.

“Speak for yourself,” she responded tartly.

He looked at her, bemused. “Okay, I will. I could eat a horse.”

She almost smiled. “That’s a dangerous thing to threaten out here in horse country.”

She could see his slow grin out of the edge of her vision. “I’ll make do with a burger,” he said. He sat up straighter in his seat. “And I know just where we can get one.”

“Where?” she asked skeptically. They were out in the middle of nowhere. She hadn’t seen a gas station for miles, much less a hamburger stand.