Stella couldn’t believe that Kevin had been brought into her life, taken away, brought back in, and taken away — again. Krampus had brought Nivek back to the bakery, but Nivek had been under his best behavior. He’d even given Stella a semblance of a real apology. It didn’t change the fact she had no interest in the cocky bastard and that the one man she was interested in was…well, wherever the heck Clan Marron was.

Stella had half a mind to go charter a private chopper to take her to Kevin, but every time she fantasized about some way to get back with Kevin, one fact brought her back to reality.

Kevin had obviously done some bad things to get on The Naughty List. He’d been kind to her, but what about to others? Could she be with someone that was as selfish as her family? In her heart, she knew the answer to her question was no.

That was why, when Stella saw a familiar wannabe Viking walk up to her counter, she was filled with a feeling as bittersweet as her baker’s cocoa.

“K-Kevin?” asked Stella. “What are you doing here?”

“I had to get back to you,” said Kevin. “I didn’t trust Nivek to be decent. Are you okay? Have things been okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” said Stella. “But…Kevin, we have to talk.”

Stella clocked out and let her coworker, Jasmine, take over the counter. Stella walked with Kevin to the back patio.

“Kevin, look,” said Stella. “I…I can’t be with you, and I think we both know why.”

“No,” said Kevin. “No, I don’t know why.”

“Because…at the end of all this, I still have to do what I promised I’d do,” said Stella.

“You don’t mean —” started Kevin.

“I do,” said Stella.

“But he’s a jerk!” said Kevin.

“He’s my betrothed, and I, his,” said Stella. “My family made a promise. He’s a jerk. That’s not a crime. I’m sure there are worse guys out there…”

“I…I don’t know what to say,” said Kevin. “When I was here before, you wanted me to pretend to be your boyfriend, Stella.”

“I don’t want to be with Nivek, not this Christmas, not ever,” said Stella. “I thought that would get him to leave me alone, but it just…caused that fight, that needless trouble.”

“Why now?” asked Kevin. “What changed since I was away?”

“You came back,” said Stella.

“What do you mean?” asked Kevin.

“Open your shirt,” ordered Stella.

“Stella, I –” started Kevin.

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” said Stella. “Shirt. Open. Now.”

Kevin sighed and unbuttoned his flannel shirt. He revealed just a sliver of the green word on his chest. Stella pulled the shirt open, showing more than just Kevin’s rock-hard pecs that smelled of wild pine. There was one word across his chest, in a green more verdant than absinthe and emeralds – ‘Naughty.’

“You managed to get back on The Naughty List, Kevin,” said Stella. “You got back on the list twice. That’s what makes you dangerous, Kevin — the fact that…I have feelings for you when I don’t know the first thing about you, including what you’ve done to qualify as a bad boy.”

“Stella, if you’d let me explain —” started Kevin.

“Then what?” asked Stella, turning back to face Kevin, tears welling in her eyes. “You’ll make me fall even more in love with you, even though you know that I can’t be with you, that you, you can’t be with me? Why would you willingly choose to break both of our hearts? That…well that might just get you on The Naughty List again.”

Stella rushed back into the bakery while Krampus and Nivek left.

“Come on,” said Krampus. “Time to get back to training.”

“No luck with Stella?” asked Nivek with a smirk.

“Don’t you dare say her name,” said Kevin.

“What, the name of my future wife? Stella?” asked Nivek.

Kevin lunched for Nivek, but Krampus kept the two apart, using magic to keep the load of pastries and coffee carafes that he was holding in mid-air.

“That’s it,” roared Krampus. “You two need to get in flying shape for The Ride, and that means that you two are grounded for the next twelve days. All this fighting is a distraction, and obviously, these trips to the ‘mainland’ are having the opposite of their intended effect — and causing the three of us more stress rather than less.”

“But I —” started Kevin. Then, Kevin remembered what he’d told Ethan, why he was out there — to protect Stella from Nivek. If they were both grounded, at least Ethan would have Nivek in his sights at all time.

“Fine,” said Kevin.

Kevin, what are you doing? asked Donner.

If I can’t win her heart, at least I can protect it, answered Kevin.