The Billionaire's Bargain

This is the story of Dylan Valentine, billionaire security company exec whose emotionally-deprived childhood has left him unsure of his ability to connect with anyone. Having agreed to babysit his eighteen-month-old half-brothers, while their mother is out of town, Dylan goes to a charity auction, hoping to hire a no-nonsense grandmotherly type to help him. Instead, all his protective instincts come to the fore, and he winds up hiring high school teacher April Pruitt to save her from the unwanted attentions of another man. April has her own issues with childcare; a failed romance and subsequent miscarriage have convinced her that her mother was right: love and passion are dangerous ingredients which should be kept out of relationships. As a result, she has created a computer program which she is using as she attempts to find the man who is "scientifically" right for her. But April agrees to help Dylan, and slowly they both fall for the adorable toddlers and for each other. It's the kids--and April and Dylan's evolving relationships with them--that give this book much of its punch. On the downside, there's a lot more sexual fantasizing here than I'd have wanted, although there's very little followup on it.