The Royal Collection. Rebecca Winters

      Within seconds the two men came in. “Princess Christina? This is Dr. Ulani.”

      He brought his bag with him. “Thank you for coming, Doctor. As you can see, my wife stepped on a sea urchin. She’s in pain.”

      “Hush, Antonio. It’s not that bad at all. More of a discomfort.”

      The native doctor smiled. “Accidents like this happen every day, even to someone like Your Highness. Let me check your foot. I’ll try not to add to your pain.”

      Antonio placed a chair for him to sit while he worked on her. Relieved as he was that she was getting medical attention, it suddenly hit him how frightened he’d been when she first surfaced. In very little time she’d become so important to him that he couldn’t bear the thought of anything truly serious being wrong with her.

      The doctor opened his bag and proceeded to get rid of the two spines. He put ointment on the sores and a dressing. “You’ll be fine tomorrow. Just make sure you wear some kind of shoe in the water if you’re not snorkeling with fins. I’ll give you a tablet for you to sleep that will kill the pain. Tomorrow if you’re still too sore, take some ibuprofen.”

      “Thank you so much. It feels better already.”

      “It’s a privilege to help you, Princess.” When he’d finished, he stood up. “Take care, now.”

      “I’ll make sure of it,” Antonio muttered. He shouldn’t have let her slip into the water like that. The action had caught him off guard.

      “Here’s the pill. Tomorrow you can take off the dressing.”

      Antonio walked him out to the living room. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am you came.”

      “It is my pleasure to wait on the future king and queen of Halencia. Our people are aware of your presence here and they are delighted. Don’t hesitate to get hold of me through Manu if you are alarmed by anything.”

      Manu stood by. “You want your dinner in the bedroom, Your Highness?”

      “Yes. Thank you. Will you bring a glass of water so she can take her medicine?”

      He nodded and hurried to the kitchen. Antonio headed back to the bedroom. “Christina? It’s my fault you got hurt this evening.”

      “Nonsense. I wasn’t thinking. When I saw those fish, I just had to get in closer.”

      “Please tell me you’ll give me a heads-up next time before you do a disappearing act.”

      His mermaid was resting against the headboard with a sore foot. “I’m sorry to be the one at fault for not having the sense to get in the water prepared. But, Antonio, you don’t have to try to be perfect with someone as imperfect as I am. I did a stupid thing, but the situation really is funny, don’t you think? Your parents planning for every contingency to bring us joy? And I blew it. At least for tonight. Now you have to give me my medicine and be stuck with your ball and chain until morning.”

      “Don’t say that! Not ever! I don’t feel that way about you and never could. Promise me!” He sounded truly upset.

      “I promise,” she said as Manu appeared with their dinner. Antonio thanked him and put the tray of food on the side of the bed next to her. He handed her the glass of water and the pill. “Take this first.”

      After she did his bidding, he sat in the chair the doctor had used and they ate their dinner. He heard her sigh.

      “It’s another beautiful night, so balmy. I’d wanted to go walking on the beach with you.”

      “We’ll do that tomorrow night. For now, you need to try and fall asleep.”

      “You won’t leave me?” Her eyes beseeched him.

      “As if I would,” he murmured, experiencing a hard tug of emotion. It came to him that his new wife had become of vital importance to him. “I’ll join you as soon as I change out of my swimming suit.”

      “Good. Don’t be long.”

      Christina, Christina.

      He put the tray on the table and went into the bathroom to change. After putting on a robe, he turned out the lights, then got into bed beside her. The pill must have been powerful, because her eyelids were drooping. Antonio rolled her into him and she let out a deep sigh. Soon she was asleep. Before long, oblivion took over.

      Around six in the morning he felt the bed move. She’d gotten up to use the bathroom.

      He eyed her through sleep-filled eyes. When she returned he said, “How’s the pain?”

      “There’s hardly any at all. I can walk fine as long as I’m careful.”

      “That’s wonderful news. Come back to bed and rest that foot some more. It’s still early.”

       CHAPTER SIX

      CHRISTINA EYED HER HUSBAND, who’d kept a vigil over her all night. She got back in bed, lying on her side so she could watch him sleep. He was such a gorgeous man. Dawn was sneaking into the bedroom with the morning breeze. Through the open windows she could see the unique shape of the mountains on Bora Bora. If she could be anywhere in the world, she wanted to be right here with the man she’d married.

      When next she came awake, she found herself the object of Antonio’s blue gaze. She propped her head up with her hand. “How long have you been awake?”

      “Long enough to watch my lovely wife. You’ve been sleeping so peacefully.”

      Without hesitation he leaned over to kiss her. “Good morning, esposa mia. I dreamed about kissing you all night long.”

      “I had the same dream.”

      Before she could blink he put his arm around her and kissed her deeply, not letting her go until she had to breathe.

      He sighed. “I needed that.”

      “I’m pretty sure you need something else after taking care of me all night. I’ll ring Manu to bring our breakfast tray.” She reached for the phone and put in their order. After hanging up, she turned to her husband.

      “How did you know?”

      “That you’re starving?” she quipped. “I’m hungry too.”

      He raised himself up and leaned over her. “You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you? I could eat you up.”

      But at that moment Manu appeared at the door. “Shall I put your breakfast on the table?”

      “No, Manu,” Antonio said. “I think we’ll have it right here in bed.”

      The other man smiled and set it on the end of the bed before making a discreet departure.

      She smiled at her husband. “We’re spoiled rotten. You know that.”

      He moved to put the tray between them. Christina propped her head with a couple of pillows and bit into a croissant. “If the famous French impressionist Gauguin were here to paint us, he’d entitle it Petit Déjeuner au Lit Tahitien.”

      His lips twitched. “Breakfast in a Tahitian bed is far too mundane. I think a more appropriate title would be Le Mari Amoureux.”

      The Amorous Husband? Christina laughed to cover the quiver that ran through her. She’d forgotten he’d attended a French/Swiss boarding school too and was fluent in French besides Halencian, Italian, English and Spanish.

      “What do you want to do today?”

      “I’m up for anything.”

      “Honestly?”

      “My foot doesn’t hurt and I don’t want us to miss out on anything while we’re here. We don’t