Page 44 of Twin Babies for the Pucking Billionaires

After he leaves, I straighten my hair, trying to calm my nerves. “Chase will be the death of me,” I tell Peanut, who just wags his tail, oblivious to my turmoil.

I grab my bag and his leash and head to Declan’s apartment, my mind still reeling from the morning’s events. As I walk, I think about the look on Chase’s face, the way he touched me and the promise of tonight. It’s enough to make me smile, despite the chaos in my head.

I reach Declan’s door and take a deep breath before knocking. It swings open almost immediately and there he is, looking a bit frazzled but still handsome as ever. “Morning, Millie,” he says, stepping aside to let me in.

“Morning, Declan. Where’s Lily?”

“She’s in the living room, playing with her toys. Thanks for coming on such short notice.”

“No problem at all.” I smile, heading to the living room where Lily is engrossed in her toys. “Hey, Lily!”

“Hi, Millie!” She beams up at me. “Can we make pancakes today?”

“Of course, sweetie. Let’s go wash our hands first.”

We head to the kitchen and as I help Lily wash her hands, Declan leans against the counter, watching us. “I still can’t believe you’re doing this. I had some of the pizza slices left over from yesterday. Honestly, I think you should be a chef.”

“I just like baking and cooking,” I say dismissively, waving a hand.

He laughs, shaking his head. “Whatever you guys make, please save some for me.”

“You’ve got it.” I swear I see him clench his jaw before he looks away.

“I’m going to get ready for practice now. I’ll be back in a minute.” And then he’s gone.

I’m fighting not to blush as I focus on the task in front of me. It doesn’t matter how sexy I think he is when he clenches his jaw like that. He is my boss…and besides, I have a boyfriend. Or at least, I think of Chase as my boyfriend.

I can’t be interested in more than one guy, right?

“Strawberry,” Lily says, jolting me back to reality.

“What?”

“Strawberry. Let’s make strawberry pancakes.”

“Oh okay. I love the sound of that.”

We start looking for the strawberries, which Lily swears she saw somewhere.

“Where are they, Lily?”

“I saw them here yesterday,” she insists, rummaging through the fridge.

“Daddy!” she calls out.

Declan comes running into the kitchen, shirtless and barefoot, wearing just his jeans. The tattoo of a lily on his bicep catches my eye, highlighting his toned muscles. He looks so clean-cut, not like a man I would have expected to have tattoos.

I have to remind myself to breathe.

“What’s up?” he asks.

“Where are the strawberries?” I manage to say.

“Sometimes, when the kitchen fridge is full, I put the rest of the groceries in the pantry fridge,” he explains, showing me where it is. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Thanks,” I mumble, trying to focus.

Getting back to making pancakes with Lily is hard after that little display, but I manage. When Declan returns, he serves himself a pancake and as he’s eating, he says, “Lily’s on school break, but every once in a while, her teachers send in reading assignments. Keep an eye on those for me.”

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