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“You toldto a wedding, but I’ve arrived to find an open door, no wee babe, and no bride A’s off?”

“They’re both gone,” he said wearily He went to his desk, sat down and opened his checkbook “Your job here is done, Mrs Burbridge I’ you so far for just a feeeks I’ll compensate you—”

She reached over and shut the checkbook with a bang “Where are they, sir? Anna and your child?”

“I let the his head in his hands “My son deserved a mother”

“But the bairn was happy enough So was his ht Why send them away?”

“Because Anna deserves better,” he exploded “She deserves a h From her family From me I just want her to be happy”

“And you? You don’t look terribly happy”

He gave a bitter laugh “I’ll get by But Anna…” He rubbed the back of his head wearily “I couldn’t let her down She lovedme would have ruined her life”

“Her happiness means more to you than your own?”

“She’s the mother of my son The best damn partner I ever had at work My friend My lover Of course I want her to be happy It’s all I want”

The Scotswoman raised her head and looked at him Her eyes were kind, but sad “Sir, what do you think love is?”

For a second he just stared at her Then his heart started to pound in his chest

“Oh, my God,” he whispered

Was it possible that she was right? That he loved Anna?

He didn’t just want her in his bed, that was true He didn’t just enjoy her company, appreciate her skills as a mother or respect her perfect secretarial work

He wanted her face to be the first he woke up to and the last he saw before he slept

He wanted to see her face light up when she had a business idea, or when she was splashing around in the pool with their son

He wanted her to be happy To work as his secretary if that hat it took to low fro

That was love?

Oh, my God He loved her He didn’t deserve her, but what if he could spend the rest of his life striving to make her happy?

Because without Anna he now realized that his life was e Without her this penthouse was no better than his childhood tenery

Money didn’t matter

Love mattered

Family mattered

Oh, my God Anna

“Bless you,” he said to Mrs Burbridge He raced down the hall to the door He had to find Anna—now, at once

He stopped short when he saw Cooper standing outside his door The burly bodyguard’s face hite and drawn

“Boss—”

But at that moment Nikos saw the bundle in Cooper’s arms His baby son, wrapped in a blanket Michael’s little face was red and miserable as he cried

“We found him at the front entrance to the casino,” Cooper said “Alone”

Nikos’s heart stopped in his throat as he took his son in his arms “Alone?”

The burly rimly “A valet said a van stopped beneath the round, and drove away”

Nikos held his son close, crooning to hiainst his chest, just like Anna had taught him The baby’s tears subsided Michael was comforted, but Nikos was not “Anna wouldn’t let herself be separated from Misha”