The Tycoon's Tots by Stella Bagwell

know you can’t manage alone. Now that your aunt is out of commission for a while, you—”
    She whirled on him and the absolute terror he saw in her eyes halted the rest of his words.
    â€œI know what you’re going to say. Now is the time for you to take the twins, right?”
    A few days ago he probably would have said just that. But today the idea hadn’t as yet crossed his mind. He’d been too busy worrying about Chloe and wondering what he could do to ease her burden. Where, along the way hadhis thinking changed? Why did his heart soften every time he looked at her? This wasn’t the way he’d planned for things to go.
    The horrible whiteness of her face tore at him and before he could analyze his actions, he reached out and touched her arm. She immediately flinched, but didn’t pull away as she continued to hold his gaze in the grip of hers.
    â€œNo. That wasn’t what I was going to say at all.”
    Confusion flickered in her eyes and her lips parted with surprise. It was all Wyatt could do not to pull her into his arms and taste those soft pink lips once again.
    â€œThen what—”
    â€œI was going to offer myself to fill in for Kitty,” he said quickly before he had time to ask himself if he’d gone mad.

Chapter Seven
    C hloe laughed. Softly at first, then louder. Wyatt was bewildered by the response. He’d expected a tirade of cursing or some sort of sarcastic rejection. Yet she continued to laugh until there were tears in her eyes and on her cheeks.
    â€œChloe. Chloe,” he said gently and pulled her into his arms. She didn’t try to resist him, but her body was stiff and rigid as he smoothed a hand down her back. “Why are you crying?”
    â€œI—I’m not. I’m laughing.” She hiccuped and scrubbed her eyes with her fists.
    â€œYou are crying, and there’s no need for it,” he assured her.
    Like a moth testing a flame, she leaned her cheek against his chest, drew it back, then finally decided to settle it against the beat of his heart.
    â€œWhy not?” she asked in a wobbly voice. “The idea of an oilman becoming a cook and baby-sitter is enough to make anyone cry.”
    He smiled over her head. “I don’t think the world will run out of gasoline if I lay off work a few more days.”
    â€œThat wasn’t what I meant!” Her composure gathered, she started to pull away from him. Wyatt’s hand caught the back of her head and she found her face a breath away from his.
    â€œWhat do you think about the idea?”
    She couldn’t believe he’d offered, or how much it touched her that he had. “I think you’re crazy. You can’t stay here with me!”
    Wyatt hadn’t exactly thought about staying here at nights, but now that she’d brought it up, he knew he wouldn’t be much help unless he was here on the ranch twenty-four hours a day.
    â€œWhy not?” he asked.
    She wished he’d let her go. She couldn’t think sensibly while he was touching her, while the male scent of him swirled in her head and his tempting lips were only a breath away.
    â€œBecause. We’d be alone.”
    â€œThe twins will be with us,” he reasoned.
    She groaned. “Two ten-month-old babies can’t be considered chaperones.”
    One of his brows arched. “You think we need chaperones?”
    She drew in a sharp little breath. “After last night, I know we do.”
    Last night . Yeah, last night was still on his mind and Wyatt just had to see if it was still on hers.
    Lowering his head just a fraction, he covered her lips with his and drew her into the tight circle of his arms.
    Chloe told herself she wanted to pull away from him. She even put her palms against his chest to pry some distance between them, but that was as far as her resistance took her. Heat and a sexual excitement she had long ago forgotten swept through her body and