“She had an abortion?” Holly asked, her voice hushed and filled with disbelief.
“Without ever telling me—then she was sterilised to make certain it would never happen again.” Connor drew back and looked deep into her eyes, relieved to see the anguish had begun to fade, that the tears had finally dried. “Holly, you were right. I did treat you like nothing more than an incubator. By dehumanising you I didn’t need to face my own feelings or inadequacies. I couldn’t help my first baby, couldn’t stop its murder. I was prepared to do anything to make sure that never happened again. Can you ever forgive me? Can you ever love me?”
“Love you? I’ve loved you forever, Connor Knight. It was killing me slowly inside working with you, then living with you, and knowing you were unattainable. I felt so alone, so unwanted. That night we made love? I wanted you so much. Making love with you gave me a chance to pretend that you wanted me, too.”
“Holly, you didn’t need to pretend. I needed you that night more than I’d ever needed another human being in my entire life. You were so real. So giving. So beautiful.”
“And so wrong for you. When I saw you with your family the next day, I knew I could never be good enough for you. I had no background, no family. And at the office party, you obviously loved children. It was there in every movement, every gesture you made with the children. I couldn’t give you that. My fear made that impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible. Not for us. Not anymore. I love you, Holly Christmas. Will you marry me?”
“Marry you?” Her breath squeezed tight in her lungs. Her hands shook. “You don’t need to marry me. What will your father say? What about your brothers?”
“They’ll tell me again what a fool I was not to have married you before our child came into this world. In fact, they’re barely speaking to me, they’ve been so disgusted with my actions. So, do you have an answer for me, my beautiful Holly?”
“Nothing would make me happier.” She reached for him, a burst of pure joy blooming deep in her chest, chasing away the last pockets of darkness, of fear, of loneliness.
“So what do you say you reintroduce yourself to our little man.” Connor tipped his head towards the door through which the newborn’s demanding cries could be heard. “Something tells me he wants to meet his mama.”
“Please! Bring him back.”
Connor rose from the bed and swung open the door, putting his arms out to take the baby, his heart filled to bursting at the feel of this tiny adorable infant in his arms. Gently he gave him to Holly and watched, a lump forming in his throat as the baby settled in her arms and she pushed away the blanket and checked his long slender fingers tipped with perfect nails and his tiny pink toes, before gathering him to her and pressing her lips against his little face.
“He is perfect, isn’t he?” Her voice was full of wonder.
“Yes, yes he is. And so are you. Thank you for the gift of my son.”
“Poor little guy, he needs a name,” she said softly, a gentle smile of wonder curving her lips as she gazed upon his tiny face.
“Why don’t we call him André, for his aunty.”
“André.” Holly tested the sound of the name on her tongue. “Thank you. Andrea would have loved that.”
Epilogue
“Have I told you how beautiful you look today, Mrs. Knight?”
“Only about three dozen times.” Holly smiled as she leaned into her husband, relishing the hard strength of his body against hers and feeling the embers of desire stir deep within.
Their wedding guests had departed on Tony Knight’s luxury yacht and into the crisp clear winter night, and with them, André. It would be their first time without him. She’d objected, but his doting grandfather had insisted that he and Queenie, who was staying at his house for the weekend, could manage just fine.
She still couldn’t believe the chubby little boy was theirs, or that he’d been an active and demanding part of their lives for nine months now. Soon he’d be walking, no doubt making Thompson’s life far more complicated than he’d ever bargained for.
But tonight wasn’t about André. Tonight was about Connor and her.
She reached up and pulled her husband’s face closer to hers, inhaling his scent, making it a part of her as much as she was now a part of him.
“Have I told you today how much I love you, Mr. Knight?”
Connors lips parted in a smile. “Only about three dozen times.”
He closed the gap between them, taking her lips with a fierce possession Holly savoured with soul-deep satisfaction and the embers flamed into urgent need.