It was their turn to stage the family Christmas this year and the palace was already hopping with children having a whale of a time. Freddy had discovered that his older cousin, Lucy, wasn’t impressed when he announced that he was a prince and that he should be in charge even though he was younger. Gaetano had told his son that he should be looking out for his siblings, five-year-old Rosa and three-year-old Tommaso. Freddy had heaved a sigh of disgust, protesting that Tommaso was still a baby who ate with his fingers if he could get away with it, while Rosa insisted on lugging a baby doll and buggy everywhere.
Leah and Gio had three boys and two girls and Ari and Cleo had four boys and a girl, so the games they played could be fairly rough and lively, even with supervision. As far as Lara was concerned their own family was complete but Gaetano was trying to persuade her to consider one more pregnancy. She had said she would think about it while pointing out that they had so far contrived to miss out on a twin arrival, and it might not be wise to tempt providence. Gaetano, however, was very much of the ‘more the merrier’ persuasion and was willing to take that risk.
Life was good but frantically busy. Lara now had a busy social life. And as her confidence grew, she had ventured out from behind closed doors in the palace to take on a children’s charity. Other responsibilities and requests for her presence had quickly followed. She had spread her wings a little but still zealously guarded her time with Gaetano and her children. Time went by so fast, and she didn’t want to miss out on the children’s early years.
Gaetano joined her in the once formal drawing room, which had all the space they needed to entertain her relatives and friends. Alice was joining them with her husband, Rory, Iris and her little boy, Amos. Dario and Carla, along with their baby, Sofia, would also be part of the festivities.
‘You seem thoughtful,’ Lara remarked as Gaetano studied her, his dark golden gaze brilliant below the thick canopy of his lashes.
‘You look good,’ he told her, scanning the short velvet fitted skirt she had teamed with a soft silk shirt, her shapely legs crossed and capped by slender high heels.
It was Christmas Eve and their wedding anniversary, and later, they would be having a special dinner with their family and friends and attending a carol service at midnight. The most beautiful tree took up the whole of one corner. It was the family tree, the one adorned with the children’s hand-crafted gifts and ornaments that had been bought to commemorate certain events. Decorating it was an annual exercise of reliving fond memories.
‘It scares me to think that I might never have met you,’ Gaetano admitted, startling her. ‘That bout of amnesia was the best thing that ever happened to me.’
Her aquamarine eyes widened in surprise. ‘How can you say that?’
‘I didn’t know who I was, and the amnesia allowed therealme to emerge...the guy I would have been had I not been born royal and conditioned to be a cold bastard,’ he breathed through compressed lips. ‘Vittorio did his best with me, but I was taught to suppress every normal emotion.’
‘I know, but he was too buttoned up himself to see any other way of handling your temperament,’ she told him gently, knowing how guilty he felt if he criticised his late brother.
‘I didn’t let loose until I met you and the instant I was free of those fetters, what did I do? I fell in love and married you within days and then, when I regained my memory, I thought that I must have been insane to do something like that. But in reality, I was doing what came naturally to me.’
‘Only it shocked the life out of you when you recovered your memory and found a wedding ring on your finger,’ Lara reminded him.
He stretched out a hand to her. ‘Come here...’ he urged and as she crossed the room he caught her hand in his and slid a glittering ring onto her finger. ‘An eternity ring for our anniversary. Sapphires and emeralds to match your eyes,bambola.’
Her eyes shone. ‘It’s beautiful, Gaetano.’
‘I was telling you the truth when I told you that I didn’t have a single happy moment without you. I was re-energised the minute I saw you again, although I did try to play it cool,’ he murmured with husky amusement. ‘You transformed my life, and you gave me the strength to be the man I am now.’
When he looked at her in a certain way, her whole body lit up like a traffic light and pulsed with sexual energy. ‘I love you...’
Gaetano reached down to grasp her waist and hoisted her up against him. ‘And I’m about to take advantage.’
‘Wecan’t!’ Lara gasped. ‘Our guests?’
Gaetano grinned down at her as he elbowed his way out of the room, taking the shortcut down a former servant’s staircase to their bedroom. ‘Already organised. Our guests are taking the kids to the Winter Fair to give us some downtime to celebrate our anniversary,’ he imparted.
‘You don’t do that to your guests!’ Lara moaned in horror.
‘They’re family and they understand that we can’t help the fact that our anniversary is Christmas Eve and we’re usually entertaining or in someone else’s house. And thank you for making your family my family as well. Sometimes they come in very useful!’ he teased.
Lara punched his shoulder in mock rebuke as he dropped her down on the bed and slipped off her heels, following her down to claim her mouth passionately with his own. Clothes fell away like confetti in a breeze. There was passion and laughter and joy and great tenderness. As usual, Gaetano’s sheer intensity blew her away and, in the aftermath, she felt buoyant with happiness.
‘I’m insanely in love with you,’ he groaned into her tumbled hair, rolling back to keep her with him, both arms still wrapped round her, lean hands smoothing over her slender back with warm affection.
‘I’m crazy about you, too,’ Lara whispered, sinking deeper into contentment, a drowsy smile on her lips as she rested her head down on his shoulder, her nostrils flaring at the achingly familiar scent of his skin. She had the loving, supportive family that she had always craved and in addition she had Gaetano and their children. Life was better than she had ever believed it could be.