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

as she dried the rest of the dishes and the two of them put everything back where they’d found it.
     
    “See, now that wasn’t so bad. And I’m sure the staff will appreciate our consideration of their time.”
     
    Luca’s smile was warm as he gazed down at Gaby. “They’ll never even know we were in here.”
     
    “Oh, they’ll know,” Gaby said, leading the way back out of the kitchen and turning off the light. “I always know when someone’s been in my kitchen. You can just feel it.”
     
    “You’re a strange one, Gabriella.”
     
    “You stopped calling me Gaby.”
     
    Luca shrugged. “I know, I’m sorry, but Gabriella just sounds so much better to me.”
     
    They reached her door again, and Gaby turned her face up to gaze at Luca. He’d almost kissed her, and she’d almost let him. They were at another dangerous crossroads where it could happen again. Gaby wondered just how much willpower she had left to resist him.
     
    “It sounds better to me, too. Your accent makes it sound so natural.”
     
    “It is natural. For all your American ways, you are still Italian, where it matters.”
     
    He pressed his fingertips against her heart, then, and it immediately began to race. They stood like that in a frozen tableau of promise before Gaby found the willpower to open her door and bid him goodnight once again.
     
    “Tomorrow we will explore Florence, yes?” he asked before she could close the door.
     
    Gaby smiled at him. “Yes, that would be wonderful.”
     
    Luca beamed. “Great. I will show you the best time, Gabriella. I can’t wait. Until tomorrow. Sleep well.”
     
    “And you,” she said softly.
     
    When she closed the door, she turned to her room and took a deep breath.
     
    That was close.
     
    She was already way too attached to Luca. There was something about him that was so mesmerizing. There was an emptiness to him that she wanted to fill, a frown etched into his beautiful face that she wanted to erase and replace with a smile. Still, the truth hit her like a bucket of ice water.
     
    Luca was still practically a stranger. While she might think she was getting to know him, she hadn’t even known him a full day. It would be impossible to fall for someone in so short a time, wouldn’t it? And besides, she was lonely too. Two lonely people in a beautiful villa in Italy made for a dangerous combination, and she would be glad to head home, where she could keep her heart safe.
     
    Gaby brushed her teeth one more time before heading to bed. Unable to resist, she pulled out her phone and dialed the number for her family’s restaurant.
     
    “This is Il Lupo, how can we help you this evening?”
     
    It was her father. Gaby smiled broadly upon hearing his voice.
     
    “Papa? It’s Gaby,” she said.
     
    She heard her father hoot. “Gabriella! How’s Italy? How are you? How is everything?”
     
    “It’s going really great, Papa! It’s just beautiful, and I’ve actually got to spend time with a prince!”
     
    Gaby’s father chuckled. “I won’t tell your mother that, or she’ll start planning the wedding already.”
     
    Gaby thought about what it would be like to marry the Prince of Campania. An image of him standing at the altar while she strode toward him flashed into her mind’s eye, and she quickly erased it. What was the matter with her?
     
    “See that you don’t. I don’t need any weddings in the near future,” Gaby said, smiling.
     
    “I’m glad you’re safe and happy, my dear. Take good care of yourself and have lots of fun. Everything is going just fine here.”
     
    “Party of seven! Alberto we need you in here!”
     
    Even from thousands of miles away Gaby could hear her father’s sigh.
     
    “It looks like I must go, my darling, but you have a great time, okay? We’ll see you soon.”
     
    “See you, Papa. Give my love to Mama, will you?”
     
    “Always,” he said.
     
    “I love you,” Gaby said, the words choking her slightly as she