Leanne Banks: A Princess Under The Mistletoe

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 Sam’s bedroom.

“That’s a first,” Gavin said. “In six months. Sam has been coming into my bedroom and staring at me, making sure I’m not going to leave him forever. The way, in his eyes, his mother did.”

Her heart twisted at his words. “He’s had a hard time. You’ve all had a hard time.”

Gavin gave a slow nod, and she was all too aware of his height, his power, his masculinity. “Yeah, we have. Who would have known a sound machine would make such a difference?”

She shrugged, knowing that a sound machine was the secret to a night of sleep for her. “Yeah. Who would have known?”

“Thank you,” he said, and lowered his head toward hers.

She caught her breath.

He squeezed her arm. “Get some sleep.”

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 princes—and princesses!

www.millsandboon.co.uk

LEANNE BANKS is a New York Times bestselling author with over sixty books to her credit. A book lover and romance fan from even before she learned to read, Leanne has always treasured the way that books allow us to go to new places and experience the lives of wonderful characters. Always ready for a trip to the beach, Leanne lives in Virginia with her family and her Pomeranian muse.

This book is dedicated to all the single parents and all the people who step in to help when things get crazy. You are everyday heroes!

Contents

Cover

Introduction 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 Sam’s bedroom. “That’s a first,” Gavin said. “In six months. Sam has been coming into my bedroom and staring at me, making sure I’m not going to leave him forever. The way, in his eyes, his mother did.” Her heart twisted at his words. “He’s had a hard time. You’ve all had a hard time.” Gavin gave a slow nod, and she was all too aware of his height, his power, his masculinity. “Yeah, we have. Who would have known a sound machine would make such a difference?” She shrugged, knowing that a sound machine was the secret to a night of sleep for her. “Yeah. Who would have known?” “Thank you,” he said, and lowered his head toward hers. She caught her breath. He squeezed her arm. “Get some sleep.” 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 princes—and princesses!

Title Page A Princess Under the Mistletoe Leanne Banks www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author LEANNE BANKS is a New York Times bestselling author with over sixty books to her credit. A book lover and romance fan from even before she learned to read, Leanne has always treasured the way that books allow us to go to new places and experience the lives of wonderful characters. Always ready for a trip to the beach, Leanne lives in Virginia with her family and her Pomeranian muse.

Dedication This book is dedicated to all the single parents and all the people who step in to help when things get crazy. You are everyday heroes!

Prologue

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

Extract

Copyright

Prologue

“Your Highness, Princess Fredericka Devereaux, please allow me to introduce you to Princesses Sasha and Tabitha Tarisse,” Paul Hamburg said as the beautiful princess who had arranged for Sasha and her sister’s 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 they’d turned their anger and frustration against the royal family. There’d 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.

“Please call me Ericka,” she said, moving toward the two women. “You must be tired. Would you like some tea?” she asked.

“Yes, please,” Sasha said, hoping she’d 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 Ericka’s cool, blond beauty, the woman’s eyes held a world of compassion.

Ericka nodded toward the assistant. “Please get some tea and pastries.”

Sasha patted the loose chignon at the back of her neck. “We’re grateful you’ve welcomed us to your country,” Sasha said. “You’ll forgive us if we’re not at our most congenial.”

“Because we’ve been tricked,” Tabitha added with a scowl. “We made an agreement with our brother, Alex. He told us he would meet us in Chantaine, but he has disappeared.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Do you have any idea where he could be?” Ericka asked.

Tabitha crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes nearly spitting sparks. “Who knows? He may be roaming the mountains on the border of our country. Or he may be partying in Italy.”

“Tabitha,” Sasha said in an admonishing voice. “I apologize,” she said to Ericka.

“I can understand some of your frustrations. I’ve dealt with my share of sibling skirmishes.”

The assistant returned with tea and snacks and the three women sat down. Although Sasha was hungry, she couldn’t imagine being able to swallow a bite. She did well to sip the tea.

“It’s my pleasure to welcome you to Chantaine,” Princess Ericka said. “But as you know, we have several conditions for your visit here. These are for both your safety and the safety of our citizens. I’m sure you’ve been told you’ll need to assume different identities. You’re not to reveal your true identity to anyone. Sasha, I know you’re a talented concert pianist, but while you are here, we ask that you not play in public.”

Sasha nodded, fighting a stab of sadness. Music had always provided her with peace. Even though she’d known that giving up her concert career would be part of the bargain, she couldn’t help the emptiness she felt.

“You can, however, play in private. We’ll try to make sure you have access to a piano during your stay.”

“Thank you,” Sasha said. “It would be difficult for me if I couldn’t play at all.”

“Tabitha, we’re working on finding a position for you within the next few days. In the meantime, the two of you can stay here. However, and this is hard for me to say, you must not appear in public together.”

Tabitha’s face fell. “Never?”

“This is not forever,” Ericka reminded her. “This is just during your stay while your country resolves its current turmoil. It’s for your safety. Think about it. If the two of you are seen together, it’s more likely that someone will figure out your true identities.”