A Princess By Christmas
A royal kiss under the mistletoePrince Alexandro Castanovo arrives in snowy New York intent on protecting his royal family from scandal. And when Reese Harding–down-to-earth and heart-stoppingly beautiful–finds room for him at her inn, it seems like the perfect twist of fate.Not long ago Reese's world came crumbling down, shaking her foundations. But this enigmatic stranger intrigues her! She's learned to be wary of secrets…but when she discovers Alex's true identity, might there be enough magic in the air to make this regular American girl a princess by Christmas…?
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When she started walking, he fell in step next to her.
Hand-in-hand, they moved as though theyâd been together for years.
She glanced over at him. âAre you still up for going to dinner like we planned?â
He was hungryâthere was no doubt about that. But food wasnât what he craved.
Big snowflakes drifted lazily to the ground and quickly covered her hair. Heâd never seen anyone so beautiful. It was going to be hard to stay focused on his priorities when all he wanted to do was get closer to Reese. If only his life were different â¦
In that moment he heard the Kingâs clear, distinct voice in his head. âYour life is one of honorâof duty. You must always think of the kingdom first.â
And that was what he was doingâbut each day it was getting harder and harder to live by those rules. He glanced at Reese. Definitely much harder than heâd ever imagined.
In another life JENNIFER FAYE was a statistician. She still has a love for numbers, formulas and spreadsheets, but when she was presented with the opportunity to follow her lifelong passion and spend her days writing and pursuing her dream of becoming a Mills & Boon® author, she couldnât pass it up. These days, when sheâs not writing, Jennifer enjoys reading, fine needlework, quilting, tweeting and cheering on the Pittsburgh Penguins. She lives in Pennsylvania with her amazingly patient husband, two remarkably talented daughters and their two very spoiled fur babies, otherwise known as catsâbut shh ⦠donât tell them theyâre not human!
Jennifer loves to hear from readersâyou can contact her via her website: www.jenniferfaye.com.
For Marcia
To the most wonderful, caring, generous lady I know. Thanks so much for being a very special part of my life. Someday when I grow up I want to be just like you.
And for Marciaâs Book Crew
Thanks for all of your kind words and encouragement. You ladies are amazing!
Contents
AT LAST HEâD lost them.
Prince Alexandro Castanavo of the Mirraccino Islands stared out the back window of the cab as it snaked in and out of traffic. Heâd never driven in New York City but his concern deepened when they swerved to the berm of the road. While all of the other traffic was at a standstill, they kept rolling along.
When the cab suddenly jerked to the left, Alexâs shoulder thumped into the door. He reached for the armrest and his fingertips dug into the hard plastic. What had he done to deserve the cabbie who thought he was a grand prix driver?
Alex jerked forward as the car screeched to a halt in front of a traffic light. At least the guy obeyed some traffic rules. Another glance out the rear window revealed a bread delivery truck behind them. He breathed a sigh of relief. No one was following them. But then again, how could they? He doubted many people drove as erratically as this cabbie.
âYou can let me out here?â
âNo. I get you there quick.â
Alex reached for his wallet, but before he could grab it, the car lurched forward. He fell back against the seat. What was up with this guy? Didnât he know that heâd make more money by taking his time?
âYou donât have to hurry.â
The man grinned at him in the rearview mirror. âHurry? Sure. I hurry.â
Alex inwardly groaned. He was about to correct the man when he realized that every time the man spoke, he took his eyes off the roadway. It was best not to distract him if Alex wanted to reach his destination in one piece.
He silently sat in the backseat while the cabbie jockeyed through the streets of Manhattan. Alex stared out the side window as a fine snow began to fall. Cars and people abounded in every direction, seemingly undisturbed by the deteriorating weather. Garlands and festive wreaths adorned the fronts of buildings while pine trees and shiny ornaments decorated the shop windows. Christmas was definitely in the air, even though it was still a few weeks away.
City life would definitely take a bit to get used to. Not that he planned to live it up while in town. Unlike his usual need for high visibility on behalf of the kingdom, this trip required stealth maneuvers, especially since heâd gone against protocol and stolen away without his security detail. Although in his defense, it was a necessity. Trying to elude the paparazzi was tricky enough, but doing it with an entourage would be impossible.
Soon the stores faded away, traffic thinned out and rows of houses dotted each side of the street. One last glance out the rear window assured him they hadnât been followed. At last, the tension in his neck eased.
When a loud clicking sound filled the car, he noticed theyâd turned onto a cobblestone roadway. It was a narrow residential road with no parking on either side.
