A Princess By Christmas. Jennifer Faye

      

       When she started walking, he fell in step next to her.

      Hand-in-hand, they moved as though they’d been together for years.

      She glanced over at him. “Are you still up for going to dinner like we planned?”

      He was hungry—there was no doubt about that. But food wasn’t what he craved.

      Big snowflakes drifted lazily to the ground and quickly covered her hair. He’d 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 …

      In that moment he heard the King’s clear, distinct voice in his head. “Your life is one of honor—of duty. You must always think of the kingdom first.”

      And that was what he was doing—but each day it was getting harder and harder to live by those rules. He glanced at Reese. Definitely much harder than he’d ever imagined.

      A Princess by Christmas

      Jennifer Faye

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      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 couldn’t pass it up. These days, when she’s 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 cats—but shh … don’t tell them they’re not human!

      Jennifer loves to hear from readers—you can contact her via her website: www.jenniferfaye.com.

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      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 Marcia’s Book Crew

      Thanks for all of your kind words and encouragement. You ladies are amazing!

      Contents

       Cover

       Excerpt

       Title Page

       About the Author

       Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

       CHAPTER FIVE

       CHAPTER SIX

       CHAPTER SEVEN

       CHAPTER EIGHT

       CHAPTER NINE

       CHAPTER TEN

       CHAPTER ELEVEN

       CHAPTER TWELVE

       CHAPTER THIRTEEN

       CHAPTER FOURTEEN

       CHAPTER FIFTEEN

       CHAPTER SIXTEEN

       CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

       CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

       CHAPTER NINETEEN

       EPILOGUE

       EXTRACT

       Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

      AT LAST HE’D 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. He’d 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, Alex’s 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.

      “You can let me out here?”

      “No. I get you there quick.”

      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? Didn’t he know that he’d make more money by taking his time?

      “You don’t have to hurry.”

      The man grinned at him in the rearview mirror. “Hurry? Sure. I hurry.”

      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