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Stavros hadn’t intended to propose ical It was the best way to secure his son, and give the baby the future he deserved—with two parents in the same home

When he’d returned to Holly’s cabin an hour before, he’d intended to calhts, or perhaps threaten to sue for partial custody

He’d arrived just in time to see Holly and the baby—dark-haired, tiny—climb into another man’s car And

all his calrimly had his driver follow them at a distance

Meeting Hans in person at the Christmas market, Stavros was reassured that the man was no threat Holly herself made that clear There was no way the two of them had even kissed, for all the man’s obvious interest in her

But Holly was too bright, too beautiful, to be alone for long As Stavros had watched her push the stroller through the Christ behind her, she’d looked effortlessly pretty in her black leggings and black puffy jacket She shter than the star at the top of the Christmas tree

He’d been mesmerized

But he couldn’t let her know that He couldn’t reveal his weakness The one tis last Christed not just his life, but hers—peres from a momentary whim

He had a son From the moment he’d seen his tiny, innocent baby, he’d known he would die to protect hi his cheek had made Stavros’s heart expand in a way it never had before He looked again at the sweetly drowsy baby in the stroller He ached to take his son in his arms, but he’d never even held a baby before He didn’t kno But there was one thing he could do: give Freddie the ho his mother

Stavros tightened his hands at his sides

“Well?” he said to Holly coldly “What is your answer?”

He waited, wondering what her reply would be Any other woman would have immediately said yes, but then, Holly wasn’t like any other woman She clearly despised hireed to marry him last Christree to it now They had a child

She stared at hi he’d never expected

She burst into laughter

“What’s so funny?” he said grumpily