Free I Want You for Christmas: The Prince's Lost Princess - a Heartwarming Snow-Capped Holiday Romance by Holly Rayner, Lara Hunter Page A

here as a boy,” Luca said, before taking a bite of the pasta. “Gaby, this is fantastic!”
     
    Gaby blushed at the praise. “Thank you. Did you have many friends around here growing up?”
     
    Luca took another large bite of pasta, following it up with a large pull from his wine glass. “Not really. I had a lot of friends at school, but of course I was sent away to boarding school, so I didn’t spend much time here, and all my friends lived far away.”
     
    “Do you have any friends, at all?” Gaby asked.
     
    Luca laughed, breaking the tension. “Well of course I have friends. Who do you think I get into trouble with?”
     
    Gaby frowned. “Those aren’t friends. Friends are people who lift you up and make you better. They aren’t the ones trying to cause chaos and make things worse for you.”
     
    “You are a wise woman, Gaby. Is there anything you don’t know?”
     
    “I don’t know your middle name,” she said, throwing him off guard.
     
    He laughed, then. “I have two, actually: Antonio Giovanni.”
     
    “Well, Luca Antonio Giovanni of Campania. I may not know you all that well, but I’d like to think we could be friends. After all, I may be a royal myself,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.
     
    Luca’s expression softened. “You just might be. I know you don’t want to believe it, Gaby, but I have my best historians looking into your genealogy right now. There is a chance that you might end up here longer than just a few days.”
     
    “Ha!” Gaby said. “Like I’ll ever get out of Queens.”
     
    “Do you want to get out of Queens?”
     
    So it was her turn to take the hot seat, Gaby thought. It wasn’t too comfortable, at that.
     
    “Oh, I don’t know,” she said, taking a sip of wine, delaying her answer, if she only knew what it was. “I’ve lived there my whole life. It’s all I know. But coming out here and seeing the world, it just kind of opens your eyes, doesn’t it? For a long time, I figured I had everything I needed. I have a big, loving family, a nice home, an education, and a job for the rest of my life. That should be enough, shouldn’t it?” she asked, gazing into Luca’s eyes, searching for an answer there.
     
    Luca sighed. “It does sound wonderful. But it also sounds like it’s not enough. You never mentioned a boyfriend,” he said, casting a sideways glance at her.
     
    Gaby laughed. “Oh now you’re starting to sound like my family. ‘When are you going to get married, Gaby? Have a baby, Gaby. Why are you still single, Gaby?’ Like I have time to date when my whole life is spent cooking and cleaning the restaurant?”
     
    Gaby looked down and realized both of their bowls were empty, as were their wine glasses. She felt the wave of exhaustion that was jetlag hit her hard, and she held a hand to her mouth as she yawned.
     
    “You’re tired,” Luca said, rising and taking their bowls and glasses to a large basin sink.
     
    “We should wash those,” Gaby said.
     
    “The kitchen staff will take care of it, Gabriella. I think they’ll understand a few dirty dishes.”
     
    Gaby crossed her arms stubbornly and glared at him, trying to ignore the rush of pleasure she felt at hearing her full name rolling off his tongue.
     
    Finally, he relented. “All right, all right, let’s clean up our own mess. You win this round, Gabriella.”
     
    Gaby joined him at the sink, turning the faucet until hot water began to run, and dipping a cloth under the flow to wet it. She sprayed a strand of soap into one of the bowls and scrubbed it with the rag until it was sparkling clean. Then she handed it to Luca.
     
    “Now, you dry. Since this is no doubt your first time cleaning dishes, I’ll give you the easy job.”
     
    Luca frowned, taking the wet rag from her hand. “I wouldn’t dream of it, dear lady. Please, stand aside and watch my profound skills of observation,” he said, washing the next bowl and handing it to her to dry.
     
    Gaby hummed