I Want You for Christmas: The Prince's Lost Princess - a Heartwarming Snow-Capped Holiday Romance (8 page)

“What do you mean?” he asked.

Gaby shrugged. “Happiness is a choice, Luca. You have certain obligations and expectations of you, but at the end of the day you are in control of your own joys and sorrows, more than anyone else. Why can’t you perform your princely duties while balancing that with the freedom you so deeply crave? There are better ways to express that, you know.”

“Like what?” Luca looked truly perplexed.

“Like, showing a sheltered little American girl one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world,” Gaby said.

Luca took the hint and led her back to the sidewalk. “We’re almost there,” he said.

It was an unnecessary statement, because a moment later they walked into an open space, and before her, the intricately carved towers of the church rose far above her head.

Gaby craned her neck, staring at the stained glass circular window, the towers, the carvings, the green coloration. Tourists swarmed around them, but Gaby took no notice as she gazed in admiration at the three massive doors leading inside.

Gently, Luca took her hand. “Care to take a look?” he asked.

Gaby nodded, spellbound, and she followed him as he entered through the door on the far right.

The light inside the church was muted, and Gaby felt a sense of peace wash over her. Her family would have loved this place, she thought, as she gazed at the massive pillars and paintings on the wall. They walked slowly, Gaby taking it all in, until they reached the end, where the dome hovered above their heads. They reached the end of the aisle, where Gaby assumed mass was held on Sundays. She was surprised to see a series of plastic chairs on either side. It took away from the ambiance a bit, but when she looked up, she forgot all about the chairs.

The painting inside the dome was some of the most beautiful artwork she’d ever seen. She stared until her eyes hurt, and then she stared some more. When she managed to look back down, she noticed Luca was gone.

“Luca?” she called. Her voice echoed.

“Up here,” he said, and she cast her gaze up the aisle.

Gaby’s stomach dropped. Luca stood there, at the top, like a groom waiting for his bride. She looked beyond him to the stunning stained glass windows, then back at him.

“Could you imagine getting married here?” she asked, laughing to soften the question as she tried desperately not to think of what it would be like to marry him there.

Luca grinned. “Let’s try it. Ready?”

Luca began to hum a wedding march. His voice was deep and smooth, and Gaby realized he was actually a good singer, too. Was there anything Luca of Campania couldn’t do? Oh right—he couldn’t cook to save his life.

Unable to resist his game, Gaby began taking slow steps until she reached Luca at the altar. He took both her hands in his, and she looked down.

“I couldn’t possibly imagine getting married in a place like this. It must cost thousands of dollars.”

“If I ever do marry, this will likely be the exact spot it happens.”

Gaby looked up at him, then, searching for the joke in his eyes. It wasn’t there.

“Seriously? You could get married here?”

“Of course. I’m a catholic prince. I can do whatever I want.”

“Except wander the streets of Florence alone?”

Luca grinned. “Well, I can do that
now,
can’t I? All good things come to those who wait.”

Gaby craned her neck again to observe the art above them. She didn’t release Luca’s hands, and to her surprise, she felt comfortable holding hands with him, standing at an altar in the middle of Italy.

“Yes, I suppose they do,” she agreed.

They stood there, holding hands, trying not to imagine what it would be like to marry one another and utterly failing.

Finally, Gaby was the one to pull her hands away, and she clasped them behind her back, lest the urge to touch Luca take over. She couldn’t afford to have a broken heart, she reminded herself. Now why wasn’t her heart listening?

“Have you seen everything you’d like to see?” Luca asked.

The answer was no, but Gaby nodded anyway. If she had seen everything she’d wanted, Luca’s lips against hers would have been first on the list of views. The splendor of the church paled in comparison to the Prince, and that was really saying something.

“Good, because there’s one more thing I’d like to show you, but it’s a bit of a drive from here.”

Gaby tilted her head in question, but it was clear Luca had no intention of giving away the surprise. The two of them left the cathedral and walked back to the car, and Luca opened Gaby’s door for her once again before they sped off towards the countryside.

THIRTEEN

“Where are we going, Luca?” Gaby asked, but Luca only shook his head.

“You’ll see. I want to see if you feel anything when we get there.”

“Okay…” Gaby said, leaving the statement open, but Luca said nothing else.

Instead, he turned on the radio and translated pop songs for Gaby while she laughed at the absurdity of the lyrics. The Ferrari took them smoothly along the road, twisting and turning around hillsides and vineyards. Finally, they made another turn, and Gaby’s eyes widened.

There, on a hilltop, was an ancient castle. The walls were thick, gray stone, with two towers sticking up on either side. Surrounding it were rows and rows of vineyards and cypress trees. Luca cast a glance at Gaby as they approached the towering structure.

“What is this place?” Gaby breathed.

“It’s a castle I believe might once have belonged to the House of Galtieri, long before it assumed its current function.”

Gaby gasped, then sighed. “There you go with the House of Galtieri business again. Luca, that’s not real!”

“I told you, Gabriella. I’ve been doing some research into ancient royal lines, and I believe that this one might lead to your past. Tell me, honestly, do you feel anything when you look at it?”

Gaby stared out as they drove to the entrance of the castle. There was an enormous door, a story high, which rounded upward until it ended at a point at the top. While it was beautiful, there was no way Gaby could even conceive of it being her own.

“Not really,” she admitted.

Luca was undeterred. “Let’s go inside. You might feel something by having a bit of a royal experience.”

“What?” Gaby asked, but Luca had already stepped out of the car and opened her door.

Stepping out, Gaby noticed a smaller side door next to the grand entrance. Luca led the way, opening the door for Gaby to walk in. When she did, it was as if she had stepped back five hundred years.

There was a huge room made entirely of stone and coated with tapestries that were woven with deep, rich colors. One of them had an enormous white stallion on it, while another was a depiction of the Tuscan countryside.

The furnishings were more modern than the décor, even if they were old-fashioned. The sofas had clawed feet and maroon cushions, and the lamps were stately and tall. It felt as though the wealth of ancient times had combined with the riches of modern day society to create one perfectly unique experience. Gaby loved it instantly.

To their right was what appeared to be a help desk. Luca approached and spoke in Italian with a woman wearing a smart maroon uniform. After a few exchanged words and smiles, the woman handed him a very large, old-fashioned key.

Gaby lifted an eyebrow as the Prince approached her.

“What?” Luca asked with a grin. “I wanted to make it up to you, right? How about an evening in the tower of a castle you might own someday?”

Gaby rolled her eyes. “You’re delusional, you know that?”

“And you are jaded. Now, let’s go to the tower and see if you like the view.”

Fortunately, the castle had been adapted to accommodate modern society’s appreciation for elevators. Gaby stepped inside the lift as Luca tapped the topmost button, and they sailed upward.

When the doors opened, there was another stone hallway with sconces lit by electric torches. It was a magical effect, and Gaby felt like she had stepped into another world, yet again.

At the end of the hallway there was a wooden door in the same style as the one at the front—rounded with a pointy tip. Luca shoved the enormous key into the lock and twisted it, releasing the tumbler as the door creaked forward.

The room beyond the door was not at all ancient; it was the most elegant room Gaby had ever seen. The walls were a creamy lemon yellow. The floor was a smooth earth-colored tile, and the furniture still had those clawed feet, with cream-colored sofa cushions.

In the center of the room there was a small table for two, set up for dining, and to Gaby’s left there was a functioning fireplace, and a crackling fire already warming up the cool room. To her right, there was an enormous, very comfortable-looking bed. A door led to what looked like a porch area, and the room itself was entirely circular.

“This is…amazing,” Gaby gasped, taking it all in.

When she finally turned to Luca, his smile was warm. “I’m glad you like it. Shall we freshen up? I’ll have some dinner ordered for us.”

Gaby checked her phone. It really was already time for dinner. Where had the day gone?

She nodded to Luca and headed to the bathroom, which was equally as elegant as the main room. Looking in the mirror, her brown eyes searched their own depths as she considered for the first time what it might really be like to live this life.

She could move her whole family to this castle, and they could live happily there, cooking for pleasure instead of for business. They could grow and bottle their own wine. Her parents could relax for once in their lives, and her mother might actually crack a smile.

She could be with Luca.

Gaby didn’t want to think about leaving. What had that man said, back at the Prince’s estate? The plane would be ready in forty-eight hours? That meant that she could probably leave the next day, and should do so. Any more time spent in the company of Luca would be selfish of her. Her family needed her help. She was sure they were struggling, what with Christmas coming—no matter how much Rosalie had insisted that they could handle it.

But that was tomorrow. Tonight, she would enjoy herself. She might never get the chance to experience such luxury again.

Gaby straightened her hair and washed her face before heading back out into the main room. Luca was nowhere to be found, but the door to the porch area had been cracked open. Gaby opened it to find Luca staring out a stonewall window that was laced with iron metal bars. When he heard her, he turned, his eyes bright.

“Gabriella, you have to look at this,” he said, reaching out a hand to her.

Gaby shivered. It was cold, being that high up, surrounded by nothing but hard gray stone. She wanted to wrap herself if Luca’s embrace, but instead she just stood close to him as she stared out across seemingly half of Italy. The view was utterly stunning. The sun was setting, and the sky was a kaleidoscope of colors—pinks, creamy oranges, and a tinge of indigo at the horizon.

Gaby sighed. “This is unbelievable.”

She felt Luca shift a little closer to her, and she told herself it was only because of the chilly November weather.

“Is it?” he asked.

When Gaby braved a look up at him, their faces were mere inches apart. His eyes darted down to her lips as his face sank closer to hers.

There was a knock at the door and Gaby jumped, stepping back, the spell instantly broken. Luca squared his shoulders back and smiled.

“That must be dinner,” he said, stepping past Gaby to go open the door.

A tall, lanky man with jet-black hair pushed forward a cart that was laden with dishes covered with silver domes. Gaby closed the porch door and stood by the fire, warming herself as she watched the man place dish after dish on their table before uncorking a bottle of wine and setting it down to breathe. Luca handed him some bills before the man nodded to Gaby and was gone.

“Shall we?” Luca asked, gesturing toward the now fully-loaded table. The aromas coming from the table were enough to make Gaby’s mouth water and stomach grumble, and she grinned at Luca as he pulled out her chair for her and joined her on the other side of the table.

“What will we be having this evening, Your Highness?” Gaby asked with an impish grin.

Luca pulled the silver lids from their plates, revealing an appetizer of salami, cheeses and fresh vegetables. There was a plate of fresh spaghetti with what looked like black truffles and shredded cheese. Another plate sported a delicious-looking roast chicken in a lemon sauce, and the last plate Luca revealed had two delicate tiramisu pieces, drizzled with chocolate.

“I think I’ve died and gone to heaven,” Gaby proclaimed, and Luca laughed.

“I think I have, too,” he said.

Gaby noticed he wasn’t staring at the food as he said this, and she blushed.

“I thought we could share a little bit of everything. Don’t you agree?”

“Absolutely! I don’t want to miss out on any of this.”

“Then
buon appetito
, Gabriella,” Luca said, and his Italian made her heart melt a little more.

The Prince poured two glasses of wine, which paired perfectly with the food. Gaby tried not to moan aloud as she ate bite after delicious bite, savoring the experience as much as she possibly could. She was eating a gourmet Italian meal in a castle tower with a prince. If she was doing this now, who was to say what was or wasn’t possible in the future? Who was to say she might not one day have this lifestyle…this man?

She gazed up at Luca, who was watching her without a hint of embarrassment. His eyes looked hungry, and she knew it wasn’t for food.

“Tell me more about yourself, Gabriella. I want to know more about who you are.”

Gaby sighed. “I wish there were more to tell. I’ve lived a pretty boring life.”

“I think you’re anything but boring,” he said, taking a sip of water as his glistening eyes continued to watch her.

She found she liked the way he looked at her. As the sun went down and the firelight danced in his eyes, the wine warmed her limbs, and her heart.

“Oh?” she asked, purposefully coy. Maybe she wasn’t a princess, but she could sure well act the part. “And what is it about me, exactly, that you find so exciting?”

Luca thought for a moment, then answered. “I find your wisdom and insight completely intriguing. You have shown more understanding and compassion than anyone I have ever met. You’re the first person I’ve met who I feel like I can trust.”

Gaby stared at him in disbelief. “That can’t be true.”

“It is. In my life everyone I meet it usually trying to make a connection with someone more powerful or hoping to catch me doing something stupid so they can sell a picture to a tabloid. You're the first person I’ve met who hasn’t once given me the impression that you would do such a thing.”

“And I never would,” Gaby said, her tone firm.

She felt a swell of anger at the thought of people cozying up to Luca just to get something out of him. He deserved better than that.

“And you like food. Do you know how hard it is to get a woman to eat around me?” Luca said, and Gaby laughed.

“Well you certainly won’t find issue with me there,” she said, stabbing her fork into the tiramisu and taking a bite. The sweet delicacy melted in her mouth and she sighed. “I really, really love food.”

Luca grinned. “You are in the right place then,
bella
. Italy is nothing without the delicious meals we can make.”

Gaby fought her grin as she realized he’d just called her “beautiful” in Italian.

“I’m sorry, did you say we?” she asked, her tone playful.

Luca’s grin deepened, revealing that devilishly handsome dimple again. “Okay, maybe not all of us, but I’m speaking in generalities here. Besides, you told me you’d teach me how to cook.”

“And so I shall,” Gaby said, making promises she knew she couldn’t keep. Taking the last sip of her wine, she stared into the fire, feeling warm and cozy and fed.

“Shall we see what the sky looks like from this high up?” Luca asked.

Gaby nodded, following him as he headed back out to the enormous window in their private tower. When she reached the window, her eyes filled with stars.