Page 111 of A Princess for Christmas

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr.Leonardo Ricci of New York.”

—perfect.

Marie emitted a strangled, muffled shriek and went from holding Leo’s hand to clutching his arm like she was drowning as the room broke out in cheers.

“Mr.Ricci, I owe you an apology,” the king said when the applause died down.

Well, shit. This wasnothow Leo had seen this story ending.

The king’s face softened. “And you, too, my Marie.” He cleared his throat. “But you’ll be getting those later.” Emil’s voice took on amore regal tone as he went back to addressing the assembly. “For now I would like to introduce you to my friend Miss Gabriella Ricci. Miss Ricci and I will be joining our happy couple for a dance, and I invite you all to do the same.”

Leo turned to Marie and saw his own shock mirrored on her face. And happiness. There was happiness there, too. “I guess we gotta dance, Princess.”

She blinked rapidly but managed a bewildered smile. “I guess we do.”

As the orchestra struck up another waltz, Leo took Marie into his arms the way Monsieur Lavoie had taught them, but she wasn’t having it. She wound her arms around his neck and pasted herself onto him. Burrowed into his chest.

“I’d rather dance your way,” she whispered.

As they swayed, his mind started to reel. How was this going to work? Where were they going to live? Was the king really going to be cool about this? But he forced those thoughts back. Concentrated on the woman in his arms. His love.

He’d fallen in love with a goddamned princess.

He couldn’t hold in a laugh.

She tipped her head back to look at him. “What’s so funny?”

“This. Us. Everything.”

“We do have a lot to discuss, don’t we?”

“Shh.” He pressed a finger against her lips. He had no doubt her mind was swirling with all the same questions his was. “We’ll figure out the details later, because that’s all they are—details. It’s Christmas Eve.”

“Let’s get this silly dance done with and go celebrate,” Marie said.

“I don’t know.” Leo peeled her off his chest and locked his arms into the frame position. “I kind of feel like dancing.”

“Likewaltzing?”

“Yeah, I mean, look.” He nodded down at their feet as they picked up speed and glided effortlessly across the floor. She followed his gaze and they both laughed at the picture they made, her muddy, wet dress brushing against his jeans-and-sneakers-clad legs. “You’re so good at it now.”

“Only with you.”

“Damn right, Princess.” He winked at her as they twirled under the chandelier in the ballroom in the goddamn royal palace of Eldovia with Gabby and the king and the entire country looking on. “Damn right.”

Epilogue

Four months later

Leo picked Marie up at LaGuardia in the cab. He wasn’t actually driving it that much anymore—he was busy getting ready to move to Eldovia at the end of Gabby’s school year—but he thought it might amuse Marie.

When she emerged from Customs, his nerves flared. He had been a borderline basket case all day. When she threw herself into his arms, he was a little worried that she would feel his thundering heartbeat, but she didn’t seem to notice. She just hugged him and laughed—and cried a little, too. He could sympathize. He was so freaking happy to see her. His small, strong princess. Back at the cab, his own eyes were suspiciously watery as he opened the passenger-side door for her and got her settled. When he came around his side and got in, she grabbed his right arm with both hands and hugged it.

“You don’t need this arm to drive, do you?” she said. It was the first thing she’d said—their embrace before had been silent—andher voice dragged against some tender, inner part of him, like fingers massaging a scalp. It felt sogoodto hear her in person and not through a phone speaker. He almost groaned.

“Sure don’t,” he said, reaching his left hand over to put the car in gear. He switched it to the steering wheel as she clung to him. Once they’d gotten going, he glanced at her. “You better stop looking at me like that. I’ll get a big ego.”

She rolled her eyes affectionately and let go of his arm.

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