Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and found Gavin staring at her.
He crooked a finger at her and then pointed toward the hallway. She followed him outside the door of Samâs bedroom.
âThatâs a first,â Gavin said. âIn six months. Sam has been coming into my bedroom and staring at me, making sure Iâm not going to leave him forever. The way, in his eyes, his mother did.â
Her heart twisted at his words. âHeâs had a hard time. Youâve all had a hard time.â
Gavin gave a slow nod, and she was all too aware of his height, his power, his masculinity. âYeah, we have. Who would have known a sound machine would make such a difference?â
She shrugged, knowing that a sound machine was the secret to a night of sleep for her. âYeah. Who would have known?â
âThank you,â he said, and lowered his head toward hers.
She caught her breath.
He squeezed her arm. âGet some sleep.â
Sara nearly collapsed in a combination of relief and strange disappointment. She stared after him and felt a flip in her stomach. Yes, she definitely needed more sleep.
* * *
Royal Babies:
A new generation of
little princesâand princesses!
Prologue
âYour Highness, Princess Fredericka Devereaux, please allow me to introduce you to Princesses Sasha and Tabitha Tarisse,â Paul Hamburg said as the beautiful princess who had arranged for Sasha and her sisterâs safety swept into the room.
Sasha stood and dragged her younger sister to her feet. The past few months had been nonstop terror for her and the rest of her family, the royal Tarisses of Sergenia. Her country had suffered a terrible economic downturn during the past three years, and the citizens had grown angry and impatient. Just lately theyâd turned their anger and frustration against the royal family. Thereâd been threats. Sasha had barely escaped a beating and her sister Tabitha had nearly been kidnapped.
As much as Sasha had despised the idea of leaving her country, her brother, Alexander, had convinced her that all of them must leave, at least temporarily. One of the royal advisors had negotiated with Princess Fredericka for the Tarisse siblings to come to Chantaine, a peaceful Mediterranean island country.
âPlease call me Ericka,â she said, moving toward the two women. âYou must be tired. Would you like some tea?â she asked.
âYes, please,â Sasha said, hoping sheâd made the right choice about coming to Chantaine. She and her sister had left everything familiar to them back in Sergenia. What if this move was a disaster? Despite Princess Erickaâs cool, blond beauty, the womanâs eyes held a world of compassion.
Ericka nodded toward the assistant. âPlease get some tea and pastries.â
Sasha patted the loose chignon at the back of her neck. âWeâre grateful youâve welcomed us to your country,â Sasha said. âYouâll forgive us if weâre not at our most congenial.â
âBecause weâve been tricked,â Tabitha added with a scowl. âWe made an agreement with our brother, Alex. He told us he would meet us in Chantaine, but he has disappeared.â
âOh, Iâm so sorry. Do you have any idea where he could be?â Ericka asked.
Tabitha crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes nearly spitting sparks. âWho knows? He may be roaming the mountains on the border of our country. Or he may be partying in Italy.â
âTabitha,â Sasha said in an admonishing voice. âI apologize,â she said to Ericka.
âI can understand some of your frustrations. Iâve dealt with my share of sibling skirmishes.â
The assistant returned with tea and snacks and the three women sat down. Although Sasha was hungry, she couldnât imagine being able to swallow a bite. She did well to sip the tea.
âItâs my pleasure to welcome you to Chantaine,â Princess Ericka said. âBut as you know, we have several conditions for your visit here. These are for both your safety and the safety of our citizens. Iâm sure youâve been told youâll need to assume different identities. Youâre not to reveal your true identity to anyone. Sasha, I know youâre a talented concert pianist, but while you are here, we ask that you not play in public.â
Sasha nodded, fighting a stab of sadness. Music had always provided her with peace. Even though sheâd known that giving up her concert career would be part of the bargain, she couldnât help the emptiness she felt.