‘ARE YOU COMING down with something?’ Oliver was staring at him in a way only a doctor could.
‘What? No. Don’t be ridiculous.’
Oliver gave a slow, careful nod. ‘The board paper was excellent. They love the idea. It looks like the Falco charm has done its magic.’
‘Except where it counts.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Oliver rolled his eyes. ‘No. Please. I’m not sure I want to know.’ He walked around the desk and leaned against the wall.
Sebastian sighed loudly. He couldn’t help it. ‘I thought once I came here, Sienna might be happy to see me again. I didn’t expect her to be quite...quite...’
‘Quite so Sienna?’ Oliver was looking far too amused for his liking.
Sebastian let out a wry laugh. ‘Yeah, exactly. Quite so Sienna. I still can’t believe she didn’t let me know.’
Oliver shook his head. ‘Doesn’t sound like her. She’s fierce. She’s independent. She’s stubborn—’
‘You’re not helping.’
Oliver laughed. ‘But she’s also one of the kindest-hearted women I know. She’s always been professional but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught her sobbing in a dark corner somewhere when things aren’t going well with one of her patients. Working with neonates is the toughest area for any doctor. They’re just getting started at life. They deserve a chance. And Sienna needs to be tough to get through it. She needs to be determined.’ He paused for a second and his steady gaze met Sebastian’s. ‘Sienna puts up walls. She’s honest. She’s loyal. If she didn’t let you know about the baby—she must have had a darn good reason.’
Sebastian bit the inside of his cheek. All of Oliver’s words were striking chords with him. ‘She said it was the engagement announcement. It put her off. She didn’t want to destroy my engagement and cause a scandal.’
Oliver’s brow creased. ‘That’s very considerate of her.’ He stood up straight and took a few steps towards Sebastian. ‘Quick question, Seb. Did you believe that?’
Sebastian was surprised. It hadn’t occurred to him to doubt what Sienna told him. ‘What do you mean?’
Oliver started shaking his head. ‘I guess I just think it could be something else.’
‘What do you mean?’
Oliver began walking around. ‘It all sounds very noble. But would Sienna really deny you the chance to know your child? She could have spoken to me—she knows we are friends—I could have found a way to get a discreet message to you.’ He gave Sebastian a careful look. ‘I wonder if there was something else—a different kind of reason.’
Sebastian shifted in his chair. He couldn’t get his head around what Oliver was saying. ‘What do you mean? You think the baby might not be mine?’
Oliver held up his hand. ‘Oh, no. Sienna wasn’t seeing anyone. I couldn’t even tell you when she had her last date. She’s totally dedicated to her work. You don’t need to worry about that.’
Thoughts started swirling around his head as relief flooded through him. Sienna had nailed exactly why he had come here. Duty. That was how he always lived his life.
It had been instilled in him from the youngest age.
He might not have loved Theresa. But she would have fulfilled the role of Queen with grace and dignity.
Sienna? Her personality type was completely different. She was intelligent. She was a brilliant surgeon. But she hadn’t been brought up in a royal family. She didn’t know traditions and protocols. He wasn’t entirely sure she would ever follow them or want to.
He was pushing aside the way his heart skipped a beat when he saw her. The way his body reacted instantly. Passion like that would never last a lifetime no matter how pleasurable.
But that passion had created the baby currently residing inside Sienna. His baby. The heir to the throne of Montanari.
He stared back at Oliver. Knowing there were no other men in Sienna’s life was exactly what he needed to hear. His press team were already wondering how to handle the imminent announcement about the baby.
‘Then what on earth are you talking about?’ He was getting increasingly frustrated by Oliver talking around in circles.
Oliver ran his hand through his hair. ‘Let’s just say I recognise the signs.’
‘The signs of what? By the time you actually tell me what you mean this baby will be an adult.’
Oliver laughed again and started counting off on his fingers. ‘Do you know what I’ve noticed in the last day? Sienna’s twitchy. She’s on edge. She’s different. Throughout this whole pregnancy she’s been as cool as a cucumber.’
‘You think I’m having a bad effect on her?’
Oliver put his hand on Sebastian’s arm. ‘I think you’re having some kind of effect on her. I’ve never seen her like this.’ He gave a little smile. ‘If I didn’t know any better—I’d say Sienna McDonald likes you a whole lot more than she admits to.’
Sebastian was stunned. ‘Really?’
Oliver raised his eyebrows. ‘It’s such an alien concept to you?’
A warm feeling spread all over Sebastian’s skin, as if the sun had penetrated through his shirt and annihilated the winter chill. When he’d proposed marriage the other day it had been an automatic reaction—something he’d planned on the flight over. But it had been precipitated by duty. Their baby would be the heir to the throne in Montanari.
Part of him was worried. She did actually like him? Was that why Sienna was acting the way she did?
He stood up and started pacing. ‘She told me outright she’d never marry me. She told me she wanted everything. Love, romance, marriage, a husband who would love and adore her. She told me being a prince wasn’t enough—not nearly enough.’
‘And you thought it would be?’ Oliver’s face said it all. ‘How come I’ve known you all these years and never realised how stupid you were?’
He stood up, stepped forward and poked his finger into Sebastian’s chest. ‘How do you feel about Sienna? How do you feel about her in here?’
His answer came out automatically. ‘What does that matter? A marriage in Montanari is usually about a union. On this occasion, it’s about a child. Feelings don’t come into it.’
It was an uncomfortable question. Memories of Sienna McDonald had swirled around his head for months. The most obscure thing—a smell, a word—could conjure Sienna front and foremost in his mind again. The briefest thought could send blood rushing all around his body. His first sight of her—pregnant with his child—had affected him in ways he hadn’t even contemplated.
From the second he’d met her Sienna had got under his skin.
The sight of her, the taste of her, the smell of her was irresistible. The way she responded to his teasing. He did care about her. He did care about this baby. But could it be more?
How would someone like him know what love was anyway? It wasn’t as if he’d spent a life exposed to it. He’d had teenage crushes. A few passionate flings. But marrying for love had never really been on his radar. Sienna’s words and expectations the other day had taken him by surprise.
Oliver folded his arms and raised his eyebrows. He knew Sebastian far too well to take his glib answer at face value.
‘I... I... I...’ He threw up his hands in frustration. ‘I don’t know. She confuses me. I never contemplated having emotional ties to the woman I’d marry. Sienna has just mixed everything up.’
Oliver shook his head. ‘Then hurry up and decide. Hurry up and decide how you feel about the mother of your child. A beautiful, headstrong and highly intelligent member of my staff and a friend of mine.’ He took a step closer and held up his finger and thumb almost pressed together. ‘Do you want to know how much Sienna McDonald will care about you being a prince? Do you want to know how much a palace will impress her? This much.’
Oliver walked away and sat down behind his desk. He looked at Sebastian carefully. ‘The trouble with you is that you’ve had too much help in this life.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
Oliver waved his hand. ‘Someone to do this for you, someone to do that. You didn’t even do your own grocery shopping when we were students together.’
Sebastian looked embarrassed.
‘Sienna doesn’t have that. Sienna has never had that. Everything for this baby, she’s worked out for herself. She’s juggled her schedule. Worked out her maternity leave to the second. Put plans in place for every patient.’ He put his elbows on the desk. ‘Everything to do with her house—what we’d call a fixer-upper—she’s sorted out herself too. She’s spent years saving to get the house she really wants. It’s not a house to her—it’s a home. Do you know how crazy she is about Christmas? Do you know that she’s a fabulous baker?’ Oliver sighed.
Sebastian shook his head. ‘All I know about Sienna is what I learned on that weekend back in Montanari, and what I’ve learned in the last few days. Everything’s a mess. She’s still angry with me—angry that I was engaged to someone else. She told me exactly what she wanted in this life and it was the whole fairy tale.’ He dropped his voice slightly. ‘She also told me I wasn’t part of it. I have no idea how to connect with this woman, Oliver. I have no idea how I can manage to persuade her to give the thought of us a chance. Sometimes I think she doesn’t even like me.’
Oliver frowned. ‘Oh, she likes you—I can tell.’
‘She does?’ It was the first thing that gave him some hope.
Oliver leaned back again and looked his friend up and down as if he were assessing him. ‘In the past she’s been very selective. Guys who don’t live up to her expectations?’ He snapped his fingers and gave Sebastian a wicked grin. ‘Gone. Just like that.’
Sebastian had started to feel uncomfortable. But Oliver was his friend—he couldn’t keep up his serious face for long. It was obvious he cared about the welfare of Sienna. And Sebastian was glad about that, glad to know that people had her back.
He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall. Some of the things that Oliver had said had struck a chord. There were so many things about Sienna that he didn’t know. Things he wanted to know.
The bottom line was—could Sienna really be Queen material?
One weekend was not enough. It would never be enough. But he wasn’t sure he wanted to say that out loud now. At least not to his friend.
‘So, how do I get to know the real Sienna McDonald—the one behind the white coat?’
Oliver smiled. ‘Eh, I think you’ve already achieved that.’ He raised his eyebrow. ‘There is evidence.’
Sebastian started pacing. Things were rushing around in his mind. ‘Stop it. What about the other stuff? The Christmas stuff? What she takes in her tea?’ His footsteps slowed. ‘How she wants to raise our kid?’ His voice got quieter. ‘If she actually might more than like me...’
He stopped. Sienna. He needed to be around Sienna.
Oliver gave him a smile. ‘I guess you should go and find out.’
* * *
It was an Aston Martin DB5. She’d seen one in a James Bond movie once. Even she could recognise it. A classic machine. She should have known he’d own something like this. He opened the door of the pale blue car revealing a red leather interior and she sucked in her breath.
She’d never been a show-me-your-money-and-I’ll-be-impressed kind of girl. But this was a bit different. This was pure class. She’d watched enough car shows in her time to know that owning a car like this was a labour of pure love.
Just looking at it made her tingle.
The streets were dusted with snow. People were crossing the car park and staring, nudging each other and pointing at the car.
Christmas lights lit up the street opposite. Every shop had decorations in its windows. She could hear Christmas pop songs drifting out of the pub across the road. At the end of the road was a courtyard where a giant tree was lit with gold and red lights. It was paid for by the local council and the kids on the paediatric ward could see it from their windows. The lights twinkled all night long.
‘What are you doing, Sebastian?’
He smiled. He was dressed for the British weather in a pair of jeans, black boots and his black leather jacket. She gave a little gulp as her insides did some weird little flip-flop.
He smiled. Oh, no. The flip-flop turned into a somersault. ‘I came to pick you up. Someone told me you had car trouble. I thought I could drive you home.’
She bit her lip. Tempting. Oh, so tempting.
‘I can call for roadside assistance. I really need to get my car sorted. It shouldn’t take too long.’
He waved his hand. ‘Albie, the porter, said if you leave your keys with him he’ll get your car started later. It’s too cold to hang around and wait for roadside assistance.’ He stepped a little closer.
There it was. That familiar aroma. The one that took her back to Montanari, and sun, and cocktails, and...
‘We could pick up a little dinner on the way home.’
Her stomach let out a loud growl. It was almost as if her body were conspiring against her. She scrambled to find a suitable excuse but her stubborn brain remained blank. ‘Well, I... I...’
‘Great. That’s sorted, then.’ He took her car keys from her hand and walked swiftly back to the hospital, leaving her to stare at the pale blue machine in front of her, gleaming as the sun dipped lower in the sky.
She was still staring a few seconds later when he returned. He stood alongside her and smiled. ‘Like it?’
She couldn’t help the smile as she met his proud gaze. ‘I guess I’m just a little surprised.’
‘By what?’
She waved her hand towards the car. ‘I guess I thought you might be in something sleek, low-slung and bright red.’
He laughed out loud. ‘You think I’m one of those kind of guys?’
She nearly laughed herself. He really didn’t need to elaborate. But as she kept staring at the car she felt a wave of something else. ‘I guess I don’t really know, do I?’
She turned to look at him, her warm breath frosting the air between them. Those dark green eyes seemed even more intense in the darkening light. He held her gaze. She could see his chest rise and fall as he watched her, searching her face.
All of a sudden she felt a little self-conscious. Was there any make-up even left on her skin? When was the last time she’d combed her hair?
This time Sebastian wasn’t smiling. He was looking at her in a way she couldn’t really fathom. As if there were a thousand thoughts spinning around in his head.
He would be King one day. He would be King of his country. She’d tried not to think about any of this. It had been easy before. He was engaged. He was getting married. He was with someone else.
But now he was here.
Here, in the Cotswolds, to see her. Her, and their baby.
He leaned forward and she held her breath, wondering what would happen next.
His arm brushed against hers as he pulled open the car door. ‘Then let’s do something about that,’ he said huskily.
Snowflakes started to fall around her. She looked up at the now dark purple streaked sky. She could almost swear that there was something sparkling in the air between them.
As she took a step towards the car he turned towards her again, his arm settling at the side of her waist.
‘In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a flashy kind of guy. I like classics. Things that will last a lifetime. Something that every time you look at it, it makes your heart flutter just a little. Because you know it’s a keeper. You know it was made just for you.’
She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t actually breathe. Large snowflakes were landing on his head and shoulders. His warm breath touched her cheek as he spoke—he was that close. Her hand rose automatically, resting on his arm. They were face to face. Almost cheek to cheek. If she tilted her chin up just a little...
But she couldn’t. Not yet. Maybe not ever. She needed her head to be clear around Sebastian. And right now it was anything but clear.
It was full of intense green eyes framed by dark lashes, a sexy smile and sun-kissed skin. She could smell the leather of his jacket mingling with the familiar scent of his aftershave. She could see the faint shadow along his jaw line. The palm of her hand itched to reach up and touch it.
She hadn’t moved. And he hadn’t moved either. Being this close was almost hypnotic.
But she had to. She had to look away. She broke his gaze and glanced back at the car. ‘It’s blue,’ she said. ‘I thought all these cars were silver.’
Cars. A safe topic. A neutral topic. Something that would stop the swell of emotion currently rising in her chest.
He blinked. His hand hadn’t moved from her currently non-existent waist. He gave a nod. ‘A lot of them were silver. James Bond’s was silver. But mine? Mine is Caribbean blue. As soon as I saw it, and the red leather interior, I knew it was perfect. I had to have it.’
He held her gaze again and she licked her lips anxiously. I had to have it echoed in her head. Why did it feel as if he wasn’t talking about the car?
There was a screech behind them. A bang. A huge shattering of glass. And they both jumped apart.
Two seconds later the air was filled by a blood-curdling scream.
Sebastian didn’t hesitate. He ran instantly towards the scream.
The doctor’s instinct in her surged forward. She glanced towards the hospital doors. She could go and ask for help but Teddy’s only took maternity and paediatric emergencies. It wasn’t a district general and she didn’t even know what was wrong yet.
She started running. Running wasn’t easy at her current state of pregnancy. The ground was slippery beneath her feet as snow was just starting to settle on the ground.
As she reached the road that ran alongside the hospital she could see immediately what was wrong. One car had skidded and hit a lamp post. Another car had mounted the pavement and was now embedded in the dress shop’s window. The Christmas decorations that had decorated the window were scattered across the street. She winced as her foot crunched on a red bauble. Sebastian was trying to talk to the woman who was screaming. He had his hands on both of her shoulders and was trying to calm her down.
Sienna’s eyes swept over the scene, trying to make sense of the situation. An air bag had exploded in the car that had hit the lamp post. A young woman was currently slumped against it.
The other driver was slumped too. But there was no airbag. It was an older car and his head and shoulders were over the steering wheel of the car. The windscreen was shattered and shards of glass from the shop’s window frame were directly above him.
The woman on the pavement was obviously in shock. She’d stopped screaming and was talking nonstop between sobs to Sebastian.
He turned towards her, his eyes wide. ‘Her kid. Her kid is under the car.’
Another bystander stepped forward and put his arm around the woman, nodding towards Sebastian and Sienna. ‘I’ve phoned an ambulance.’
Sienna gulped. She was familiar with obstetric emergencies. She was often called in for a consult if there could be an issue with the baby. Paediatric emergencies took up half of all her days. Neonates had a tendency to become very sick, very quickly and she needed to be available.
But regular emergencies?
She dropped to her knees and peered under the car. There was a mangled pushchair, and further away, out of her reach, a little figure.
Her heart leapt. Sebastian dropped down next to her, his head brushing against hers as he looked under the car.
He pressed his hand over hers. It was the quickest movement. The warmth of his hand barely had time to make an impact on her. ‘I’ll go.’
She hardly had time to speak before Sebastian was wriggling his way under the car. She opened her mouth to object just as baby gave her an almighty kick. Her hand went automatically to her belly. Of course. There was no way she could possibly fit under the body of the car—Sebastian was already struggling.
She edged around the front of the vehicle, watching the precarious shards of glass hanging above the car and staying on the ground as low as she could. The slush on the ground soaked her knees and legs, her cream winter coat attracting grime that would never be removed. She slid her arms out of the coat and pulled it over her head—at least she’d have some protection if glass fell.
‘Can you try and feel for a pulse?’ she said quietly to Sebastian, then added, ‘Do you know what to do?’
There was a flicker of light. Sebastian had wriggled his phone from his pocket and turned on the torch, lying it on the ground next to him.
In amongst the darkness and wetness, Sienna thought she could spot something else. The little boy was still tangled in part of the buggy and her view was still partially obscured.
She turned to the people behind her. ‘Can someone find out the little boy’s name for me, please?’
Sebastian’s face was grim; he had a hand up next to the little boy’s head. ‘Yes, I’ve got a pulse. It’s fast and it feels faint.’
Truth was, so did she.
She nodded. ‘What position is he in?’
Right now she so wished she could be under there. Her frustration at not being able to get to the child was building by the second.
‘He’s on his back. Wait.’
She couldn’t see what Sebastian was doing. He was moving his hand and holding up the torch to the little guy’s face.
A voice in her ear nearly made her jump out of her skin. ‘Gabriel. The little boy’s name is Gabriel.’
She sucked in a breath. ‘Sebastian, tell me what’s wrong. What can you see? His name is Gabriel. Is he conscious?’
The wait must only have been a few seconds but it felt like so much longer.
Sebastian’s face was serious. He held up one hand, palm facing towards her, and held his phone with the other so she could see. It was stained red.
‘There’s blood, Sienna. Lots of it. He’s pale but there’s something else—his lips are going a funny colour.’
Sienna turned to the crowd again, searching for the man’s face she’d seen earlier. ‘Any news about the ambulance?’
The man shook his head. ‘Someone has run over to the hospital to try and get more help and some supplies.’
She nodded. ‘I need swabs. Bandages. Oxygen. A finger monitor if they’ve got one.’
‘I’ll go,’ said a young woman and ran off towards the hospital entrance.
Sienna felt in her pocket. All she had was an unopened packet of tissues. Not exactly the ideal product—but at least they were clean.
She threw them towards Sebastian. ‘It’s all I’ve got. Try and stem the flow of blood. Where is it coming from?’
Sebastian moved his body, blocking her view again, and she almost whimpered in frustration. She felt useless here. Absolutely useless. She couldn’t check the child properly, assess any injuries or provide any care. It was the only time in her life she’d regretted being pregnant.
But Sebastian was calm. He wasn’t panicking. He hadn’t hesitated to slip under the car and help in any way that he could. As she watched he tore open the packet of tissues and tried to stem the flow of blood.
‘It’s coming from the side of his neck. I think he’s been hit by some of the glass.’ He paused for a second and she instantly knew something was wrong.
‘What is it? Tell me?’
Sebastian kept his voice low. ‘His lips are blue, Sienna.’
She hated this. She hated feeling helpless. ‘Do you know what the recovery position is? Turn him on his side, Seb. Open his mouth and try and clear his airway. Check there’s nothing inside his mouth. He’s not getting enough oxygen into his lungs.’
The noise around them was increasing. There was a faint wail of sirens in the distance. The volume of the murmuring voices was increasing. People were always drawn to the scene of an accident. She could hear someone shouting instructions. A voice with some authority attached to it. She could only pray it was a member of the hospital staff dealing with one of the drivers.
The driver. She should really look at him too. But her first priority was this child. If Gabriel didn’t breathe he would be dead. If his airway was obstructed he would be dead. She had no idea the extent of his other injuries but no oxygen would certainly kill him. If she had a team around her right now they would take time to stabilise the little guy’s head and neck. But she didn’t have a team—and there wasn’t time.
All she had was Sebastian—the Prince from another country who was under there trying to be her right-hand man.
She could hear him talking to the little boy, coaxing him, trying to see if he could get any response. Shadows were shifting under the car; it was still difficult to see what was going on.
‘Sebastian? Have you stopped the bleeding? What about his colour? Have you managed to put him in the recovery position yet?’
‘Give me a minute.’ The voice was firm and steady.
He doesn’t have a minute. She had to bite her tongue to stop herself from saying it out loud. There was a clatter beside her. ‘Sorry,’ breathed a young woman. ‘More help is coming.’
Sienna looked at the ground. There was a plastic tray loaded with supplies. She grabbed for the pulse oximeter. It was one of the simplest pieces of equipment they had—a simple little rubber pouch with a sensor that fitted over a finger and gave you an indication of someone’s oxygen levels. She switched it on and reached as far under the car as she should, touching Sebastian’s back.
‘Here. Take this. Put it over his finger and tell me what the number is.’
Sebastian’s position shifted. ‘Come on, Gabriel,’ he was saying encouragingly. He’d moved his torch. It was right at Gabriel’s face, which was now facing away from her. For the briefest second she could see Sebastian’s face reflected in the glass. He was focused. Concern and anxiety written all over his face.
She held her breath. His hand reached behind him to grab hold of the monitor. He’d heard her. He was just focusing on Gabriel.
She could almost swear her heart squeezed. If she were under the car right now, that was exactly how she’d be.
Focused on Gabriel. Not on any of the noise or circumstances around them.
‘Watch out!’ came the shout from her side.
There was a large crash and splinters of glass showered around her like an explosion of tiny hailstones. Her reaction was automatic: she ducked even lower, pulling the coat even further over her head. There were a few shrieks around her. Sebastian’s head shot around. ‘Sienna?’
His gaze met hers. He was worried. And he wasn’t worried about himself. And for the tiniest second he wasn’t thinking about Gabriel. He was thinking about her.
She didn’t have time. She didn’t have time to think about what that might mean. The cramped position was uncomfortable and baby wasn’t hesitating to let her know it.
‘His colour. How’s his colour, Sebastian?’
Sebastian quickly looked back to Gabriel. ‘It’s better,’ he said. ‘He’s still pale but the blueness is gone.’
Sienna breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Put the monitor on his finger and tell me the reading.’
The sirens were getting much louder now; the ambulances must be almost there.
Sienna started grabbing some more of the supplies. Swabs, tape, some saline. She unwound the oxygen mask from the canister.
‘Ninety-one. His reading is ninety-one. Is that good?’ She could see the anxiety on his face. His steady resolve was starting to fade a little.
If she were in a hospital she’d say no. But since they were cramped under a car with a little boy bleeding and on his side she remained optimistic. Sebastian had done a good job. She was surprised at how good he’d been. He had no background in medicine. No training. But he hadn’t hesitated to assist. And the weird thing was he’d been so in tune with her. He’d done everything she’d instructed. He’d been calm and competent, and somehow she knew inside that she wouldn’t have expected Sebastian to act in any other way.
She took a deep sniff. No smell of petrol. No reason to deny Gabriel oxygen. She switched on the canister and unwound the tubing, pushing the mask towards Sebastian. ‘Try and hold this in front of his mouth and nose. Let’s see if we can get that level up a little.’
Something green flashed to her side. The knees of a paramedic as he bumped down beside her. He lifted the edge of her coat. ‘Hey, Doc, it’s you.’
She jerked at the familiar voice and felt a wave of relief. Sam, an experienced paramedic she’d met on a number of occasions, gave her a worried smile. He glanced upwards. ‘I’m getting you out of here. Tell me what I need to know.’
She spoke quickly. ‘There’s a little boy trapped under the car. He was in his buggy. He looks around three. His name is Gabriel. His mother is being cared for at the side by someone.’ She almost stuck her head out from the coat to look around but Sam shook his head. She pointed under the car. ‘He was blue. My friend had to move him into the recovery position and he’s bleeding. His sats are ninety-one. There’s oxygen under there too.’
Sam nodded solemnly. He didn’t remark on the fact Gabriel had been moved. He just peered under the car. ‘Who’s your friend?’
She hesitated. ‘Seb—Sebastian. He’s just visiting.’
Sam had never been slow. ‘Oh, the mystery Prince everyone’s talking about. Is he a doctor?’
She pretended not to hear the first part of the conversation. ‘No, he’s not a doctor. He’s just been doing what I told him to do.’ She patted her stomach. ‘I couldn’t quite fit.’
Sam nodded and jerked his head. ‘Right, move away and stay under that coat. Back away slowly. I’ll get your friend to come out and I’ll replace him.’ Another siren came screaming up behind them. ‘That’ll be Fire and Rescue. They’ll help with the car and the glass.’ He gave her another look. ‘Now move, pregnant lady, or I’ll admit you with something or other.’
She gave a grateful smile. Sam wasn’t joking. She backed away to let him do his job. She heard him give Sebastian a few instructions then, in the space of under a minute, Sebastian slid out from under the car and Sam replaced him. His colleague appeared with the Fire and Rescue crew and everything just seemed to move quickly.
Sebastian moved over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. ‘You okay?’
There was a tiny smudge of blood just above his eye. She felt in her pocket. No tissues. They’d used them.
She gave a nod. His jeans and jacket were muddy and dirty—as was her cream coat. Truth was, it would never recover. She shivered and pushed her arms into the damp coat. ‘I’m fine. Give me a minute and I’ll find something to clean your face.’
He shook his head, just as there was a shout and another shard of glass fell from the shattered shop window. Sebastian winced. But he didn’t try and pull her away. He must have known she’d refuse. Instead they waited for another fifteen minutes as the Fire and Rescue crew worked alongside the paramedics and police to help all the victims of the accident.
Now she had time to take her breath she could survey just how bad things looked. The two drivers were quickly extricated from the cars, neck collars in place, one conscious and one still unconscious.
A policewoman was standing with Gabriel’s mum. The poor woman looked terrified. Once the hanging shards of glass had been safely cleared from the shop window, the fire crew surrounded the car and, on instruction, just bodily lifted it to allow Sam to slide out from underneath with Gabriel on a sliding board. The buggy was still tangled around his legs.
Sienna drew in a sharp breath as her baby kicked in sympathy. Half of her wanted to rush back over and offer to help, but she knew that Sam and his colleague were more than qualified to do emergency care. Gabriel didn’t need cardiac surgery—trauma wasn’t exactly her field, and part of being a good physician was knowing when to step back.
Sebastian didn’t rush her. He didn’t try to hurry her away from the site of the crash. As they watched all the accident victims being loaded into the ambulances he just kept his arm wrapped firmly around her shoulders.
She was glad of it. The temperature seemed to have dropped around them and the underlying shiver hadn’t left her body.
A few of her colleagues who’d also helped at the scene came over and spoke to her. One of the midwives gave a wry smile. ‘Can’t remember the last time I treated a seventy-year-old man.’ She shook her head as she headed back towards the hospital main entrance.
Sienna turned to Sebastian. ‘I think it’s probably time for us to go.’
He nodded and glanced down at their clothes and smiled. ‘Somehow I think dinner should wait.’
She put her hand to her mouth. ‘We can’t go in that gorgeous car while we’re so mucky.’
As they walked towards the car he let out a laugh. ‘That’s the beauty of a leather interior—any dirt will wipe clean. Don’t worry about it.’
Her stomach gave a growl. ‘Let’s pick up some take-out,’ she said quickly.
Sebastian gave a little frown. She almost laughed out loud. He was a prince. The last time he’d eaten take-out he’d probably been a university student. She made a note to ask Oliver about that. For all she knew, Sebastian had arrived at university with his own chef. It was time to show him how the other half lived.
He held open the door for her again. She shot him a wicked smile. ‘What will we have—Chinese? Indian? Pizza? Or fish and chips?’
He made something resembling a strangled sound and gave a sort of smile. ‘You choose,’ he said as he closed the door and walked around to the other side of the car.
She waited until he’d climbed in. ‘Pizza it is, then. There’s a place just five minutes from where I live. It does the best pizzas around here.’
She settled into the comfortable seat. Even the smell in the car sent little shivers down her spine. It was gorgeous. It was luxurious. It just felt...different from anything she’d been in before.
Sebastian started the engine. It was a smooth ride; even the engine noise was soothing.
She gestured to the sleek black car following behind them. ‘Do they follow you everywhere?’
He gave a little shrug. ‘It’s their job. They’ve learned to be unobtrusive. I promise, you won’t even know that they’re around.’
She smiled. ‘Do you have to buy them dinner too?’
He laughed and shook his head. ‘Don’t worry. They’ll make their own arrangements.’
She gave him directions, pointing him to the pizza shop.
When they pulled up outside she went to open the door but he grabbed hold of her hand. ‘No way. You stay where you are. I’ll order. What would you like?’
Part of her wanted to refuse. But she’d spent so long outside in the freezing temperatures that her body was only just starting to heat up. She didn’t answer straight away and he prompted again. ‘What’s your favourite pizza?’
‘What’s yours?’
Their voices almost came out in sync. ‘Ham, onion and mushroom.’
Silence. Both of them stared at each other for a second and then both started laughing.
She shook her head. ‘Seriously? Really?’
He nodded. ‘Really.’
She held up her hand. ‘Wait a minute. Deep pan or thin crust?’
He glanced outside at the thick snow that was falling around the car. ‘Somehow, I think tonight has to be deep pan night.’
She gave a thoughtful nod. ‘I think you could be right.’
She reached out and touched his hand, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. ‘Seriously, when was the last time you ate pizza?’
He winked and climbed out of the car. ‘That’s for me to know and you to guess. Give me five minutes.’ He slammed the door and ducked into the pizzeria.
She watched while he placed his order and talked away to the guys behind the counter. Within a few moments they were all laughing. She, in the meantime, was kind of fixated on the view from the back.
She was ignoring the grime and mud all down one side of his probably designer jeans and staring instead at the distinctive shape of his broad shoulders and muscled arms under his leather jacket. If she followed the gaze down to the jeans...
Her body gave an inadvertent shudder as baby decided to remind her of his or her presence. It felt odd having the same urge of sensations she’d felt the last time she’d been around Sebastian. It seemed like a lifetime ago now. And yet...it felt as if it had just happened yesterday.
But it hadn’t been yesterday, it had been months ago.
And months ago she hadn’t been this shape. Months ago, she hadn’t needed to adjust her position every few minutes in an attempt to try and get comfortable. Months ago her breasts hadn’t virtually taken over her body. Months ago she hadn’t spent her days considering where the nearest loo was.
Months ago she’d been happy to toss her clothes across the bedroom floor and let the sun streaming through the windows drench her skin.
She sighed and settled back into the seat.
Then sat straight back up again.
Her house. She would be taking Sebastian to her house.
Now they weren’t having dinner at some random neutral venue. They were both covered in mud. She’d need to invite him in, and to clean up.
Sebastian. In her home.
The place where she’d made plans. The nursery that was almost finished. The wooden crib that had arrived and was still in its flat-pack box as she was so disappointed by it.
The drawer with tiny white socks and Babygros.
Her stomach gave another leap as she saw Sebastian give the guys a wave and pick up the large pizza box. How would it feel to have Prince Sebastian Falco in her home?
* * *
It was almost as if the atmosphere in the car had changed in his absence. Sienna seemed a little tense as he handed her the pizza box. She gave him stilted directions to her house and one-word answers on the five-minute drive.
He had to admit the smell from the pizza box wasn’t too bad. The last pizza he’d eaten had been prepared by a Michelin-starred chef. But somehow he knew that wasn’t something he should share with Sienna right now.
Earlier, he’d felt the connection to her. It didn’t matter he’d been completely out of his depth and—truth be told—a tiny bit terrified of doing something wrong under that car. But every ounce of his body had told him he had to help. There was no way he could leave an injured child under a car on his own, and, with Sienna’s instructions, he’d felt confident to just do as she asked.
It didn’t help that the whole time he’d been under there he’d been thinking about the perilous glass dangling directly above the car and Sienna’s body.
They turned onto a tree-lined street. Each house was slightly different from the one next to it. Most were painted white, and most were bungalows. A few had sprawling extensions and others had clearly extended into the roof of their property.
Sienna pointed to the left and he pulled up outside a white bungalow with large bay windows and a bright red door. It was covered in a dusting of snow and there were little white lights strung around one of the trees in the front garden.
It wasn’t a castle. It wasn’t a mansion house. It wasn’t even a chalet in the mountains. But he could sense her air of pride. He could instantly tell how much she loved this place.
He gave her a smile. ‘It’s lovely.’
She let out a deep breath as her eyes fixed on her home. ‘Thank you. I love it.’
He walked around quickly, holding the door open for her and lifting the pizza box from her hands. She opened the garden gate and they walked up the path to the front door.
Warmth hit them as soon as she opened the front door. She gave him a smile. ‘I have a wood-burning stove. Costs next to nothing. I stack it full in the morning and it burns all day. I’d hate to come home to a cold house.’
A cold house. There was just something about the way she said those words. Almost as if cold didn’t only refer to the room temperature.
She walked through to the kitchen and took the pizza, sliding it into her bright red Aga stove. She bit her lip as she turned towards him. ‘I don’t really have anything you can change into. You can clean up in my bathroom if you want. There are fresh towels in there if you want to use the shower.’
He could tell she was a little uncomfortable. He had no problem taking a shower in Sienna’s home—it might actually help warm up his bones a little—but he didn’t want to make her feel any more uncomfortable than she already did. He tried not to stare at his surroundings. There was tinsel looped over the fridge. An advent calendar with doors open hanging on the wall, and an array of little Santa ornaments lining the window ledge. Sienna really did love Christmas.
‘Do you want me to leave?’
He almost held his breath.
‘No. No, I don’t.’ She slid her dirty coat from her shoulders. ‘Look, I’m going to put this in the wash. Leave your dirty clothes at the bathroom door and I’ll wash them too. There’s a white bathrobe on a hook behind the door. You can wear that while we eat dinner.’
He gave a little nod and walked down the corridor depositing his jeans and T-shirt outside the bathroom door. By the time he’d showered—and scoped out the bathroom for any non-existent male accessories—the pizza was back out of the oven and she had some glasses on the table.
He almost laughed out loud. The dressing gown covered him. But not entirely. His bare legs were on display and, although he’d managed to tie the waist, it gaped a little across his broad chest. It was clear Sienna was trying to avoid looking too closely.
He sat down at the table opposite her and adjusted it as best he could. ‘It’s not like you haven’t seen it all before,’ he half teased.
Colour flushed her cheeks. She lifted up the diet soda and started pouring it into glasses. ‘Yeah, but I haven’t seen it sitting at my kitchen table. Things that happen in Montanari tend to stay in Montanari.’
He tried not to flinch. It was a throwaway comment. He pointed towards her stomach as she served the pizza onto plates. ‘It seems that what we did didn’t want to stay in Montanari. It wanted to get right out there.’
He was doing his best to lead up to something. He’d had four phone calls today from the royal family’s publicist. The British media knew he was here. The whitewash about twinning the two hospitals had quickly came unstuck. Any investigative journalist worth their salt wouldn’t take too long to find out why he was really here. He expected to be headline news tomorrow.
She set down his plate with a clatter and before she could snatch her hand away he covered it with his own. ‘Sienna, are you okay?’
She shot him an angry glance and walked around to the other side of the table and sat down, staring at him, then the pizza, then him again.
He folded his arms. ‘Okay, hit me with it. It’s time we were honest with each other.’
She pressed her lips together for a few seconds, then blurted out, ‘Why are you here, Sebastian? What is it—exactly—that you want from me?’
He sighed. ‘I’m here because of you, Sienna. Even if I hadn’t heard about the baby I would never have gone through with the marriage to Theresa. I’m not my parents. I can’t live that life. No matter how much they want me to.’ He stared at the woman across the table from him.
She had little lines around her eyes. Her hands were spotless but there was one tiny mud splash on her cheek. Her pale skin was beautiful. Her light brown eyes looked tired. Her blonde hair had half escaped from the ponytail band at the nape of her neck. Her cheeks were a little fuller than when they’d been together last; her whole body had blossomed and it kind of suited her.
In short, he’d never seen anyone look so beautiful.
‘Baby or not, I would always have come back for you, Sienna,’ he said quietly. ‘I thought marriage was about a union between countries. I thought I could tolerate a marriage to a friend. But as soon as it was announced I felt as if the walls were closing in around me. It wasn’t enough. I’m not built that way. I just hadn’t realised it. A marriage to Theresa would have made her miserable, and me miserable. It could never have lasted.’
There was silence in the room. The only sounds from the ticking clock on the wall and the rumble from the washing machine in the next-door utility room.
She licked her lips. Those luscious pink lips that he ached to taste again. ‘I don’t believe you,’ she whispered. ‘You want the heir to your kingdom. You don’t want me. I was just the stranger to have sex with.’
There was hurt—hurt written all over her face. A face he wanted to cradle in his hands.
He took his time to choose his words. ‘It was sex. It was great sex. With a woman who managed to crawl under my skin and stay there. A woman who has haunted my dreams—day and night—ever since. The baby is a bonus, Sienna. A wonderful, beautiful bonus that I’m still getting my head around and I get a little more excited about every day.’
Part of what he’d said was true. She had got under his skin. He’d thought about her every single day. He’d just not ever considered making her his Queen.
But this baby? This baby was too important. In a way, it would be easier if it weren’t Sienna that was having his baby. Theresa had been easy to put in a little box in his head. She was a friend. She would only ever be a friend.
But Sienna? She was spreading out of any little box like a new and interesting virus. One that had started reproducing the first second that he’d met her. He couldn’t squash her into some box in his head.
Because he felt something for her.
He just wasn’t entirely sure what that was—or what it could be.
Fear flashed across her eyes and her hands went protectively to her stomach. ‘This is my baby, Sebastian. Mine. I get to choose. I get to say what happens. You haven’t been here. You can’t just show up for the grand finale and expect to be the ringmaster at the circus. This is my life. Mine.’
He couldn’t help it. Emotions were building inside him. He hated that she felt this way. ‘But I want it be ours. I want it to be our lives. You’re writing me off before we’ve even started. You have to give me a chance. Look at tonight. Look at how we fitted together. Do you think I could have done that with anyone else?’ He shook his head. ‘Not for a second, Sienna. Only with you.’
He stopped. He had to force himself. He picked up a slice of pizza even though his appetite had left him. ‘Let’s try and relax a little. It’s been a big night. We need some down time.’
He could see a dozen things flitting behind those caramel eyes of hers.
‘Stuff it,’ she said as she stood up quickly. She marched to the fridge and brought out a white box that came from a bakery. She lifted out the biggest chocolate éclair he’d ever seen and put it on a plate and shrugged. ‘Figure you might as well see how I deal with stress. It might give you a hint for the future.’
He sat quietly, trying not to smile as she devoured the chocolate éclair with a fork and sipped her diet soda. The atmosphere slowly settled.
From the table he could see outside into her snow-covered back garden, framed by the now black sky. It was bigger than he’d expected with an unusual style of seat and a large tree. Next to the seat was a little bush with a string of glowing multicoloured lights that twinkled every now and then.
He smiled. ‘You really do like Christmas, don’t you?’
She raised her eyebrows. ‘Wait until you see the front room.’ She sighed as she stared at her back garden. ‘I’ve been here less than a year. I have visions of what my back garden should look like. Our local garden centre has a whole host of light-up reindeers and a family of penguins.’ She pointed at the large tree. ‘And I wanted lights for that tree too, and a light-up Santa to go underneath. But if I’d bought everything I wanted to, I would have bankrupted myself. So, I’ve decided to just buy one new thing every year. That way, I can build myself up to what I really imagine it should look like in my head.’
He watched her as she spoke and couldn’t help but smile. The more she spoke, the more of a drifting-off expression appeared in her eyes, it was almost as if she were actually picturing what she wanted her garden to look like.
‘Why do you like Christmas so much?’
She gave a throwaway shrug. ‘I just like what it means.’ She paused and bit her lip. ‘It was the one time of year my parents didn’t fight—probably because my Aunt Margaret came to stay.’ She smiled. ‘It was almost as if she brought the Christmas spirit with her. She had so much energy. So much joy. When I was little she made every Christmas special. She was obsessed by it. And I guess I caught a little of her bug.’
It was nice seeing her like this. He stood up and lifted his glass of diet soda. ‘Okay, hit me with it. Show me the front room.’
She laughed and shook her head as she stood up. This time she didn’t avert her eyes from the dressing gown that barely covered him. She waved her hand. ‘Give me a second.’ Then she walked along the corridor and bent down, flicking a few switches just inside the door. She smiled and stood back against the wall. ‘I wanted to give you the full effect.’
He stopped walking. She was talking about her front room. He knew she was talking about her front room. But he was already getting the full effect. The full Sienna McDonald effect. Every time she spoke with that lilting Scottish accent it sent blood rushing around his body. Every time their gazes connected he felt a little buzz.
She looked excited. It was obvious she was proud of whatever he was about to see.
The main lights in her room weren’t on. They weren’t needed, because every part of the room seemed to twinkle with something or other.
He stepped inside. The tree took pride of place at the large bay window. The red berry lights twinkled alongside the red decorations. In the corner of the room were three lit-up white and red parcels of differing sizes. A backlit wooden nativity scene was set out on a wooden cabinet. The pale cream wall above her sofa was adorned with purple and white twinkling stars.
In the other corner of the room were a variety of Christmas village ornaments. All had little lights. He smiled as he noticed the school room, the bakery, the shop and Santa’s Christmas workshop.
The one thing he noticed most about this place was the warmth. Nothing like his Christmases in the palace in Montanari. Oh, the decorations had been beautiful. But anonymous people had arrived and assembled them every year. There was no real connection to the family. Everything was impersonal. Most of the time he was told not to touch. Sienna’s home had a depth that he hadn’t experienced before.
He turned to face her. ‘It’s like a Christmas grotto in here. How long did this take you?’
She shrugged. ‘Not long. Well...maybe a few days.’
He stepped a little closer. Close enough to feel her swollen stomach against his. The rest of the room was dark. He reached up and touched the smudge on her cheek. ‘You didn’t get a chance to clean up, did you? I wonder how little Gabriel is doing.’
She froze as soon as he touched her cheek. Maybe it was too familiar a gesture? Too forward of him. The tip of his finger tingled from where he’d come into contact with her skin. He couldn’t help but touch her again. This time brushing her cheek as he tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.
Her eyes looked darker in here. Or maybe it was just the fact her pupils had dilated so much, they were currently only rimmed with a tiny edge of brown.
‘I’ll phone the hospital later.’ Her voice was husky, almost a whisper. If she objected to his closeness she hadn’t said.
He took in a deep breath. A deep breath of her.
There it was. The raspberry scent of her shampoo, mixed with the light aroma of her subtle perfume and just the smell of her. For Sebastian it was intoxicating. Mesmerising. And sent back a rush of memories.
His fingers hesitated around her ear. He didn’t want to pull them away. He didn’t want to be out of contact with her.
This felt like something he’d never experienced before.
Something worth waiting for.
She bit her bottom lip again and he couldn’t stop himself. He pulled her closer and met her lips with his. Taste. He could taste her. The sweetness of the éclair. Now, he truly was having a rush of memories.
The memory of her kiss would be imprinted on his brain for ever. Her lips slowly parted and his fingers tangled through her hair, capturing the back of her head to keep her there for ever.
Her hands wound around his neck as she tilted her head even further to his. Somehow the fact that her swollen belly was next to his was even better than he could have imagined. Their child was in there. Their child was growing inside her. In a few weeks’ time he’d be a father. And no matter what his parents might think, he couldn’t wish for a better mother for his child.
His hand brushed down the side of her breast and settled on her waist.
He felt her tense. Slow their kiss. He let their lips part and she pressed her forehead against his. Her breathing was rapid.
He stayed like that for a second, letting them both catch their breath.
‘Sebastian,’ she breathed heavily.
‘Yes?’
She lifted her heavy eyelids to meet his gaze. ‘You have to give me a minute. Give me a few seconds. I need to go and change.’
He stepped back. ‘Of course. No problem.’
He’d no idea what that meant. Change into what?
She disappeared into the corridor and he sank down into her comfortable red sofa for a few minutes, his heart thudding against his chest.
Maybe she wanted him to leave. Maybe she wanted him to stay.
He’d always been confident around women. He’d always felt in charge of a relationship. But things were different with Sienna.
Everything was at stake here.
Sebastian didn’t do panic. But right now, if he said the wrong thing, he could mess up everything. And what was the right thing to say to a pregnant woman who’d already told you she wanted the fairy tale?
He looked around the room. The Christmas grotto. Sienna’s own personal fairy tale. No castle. No prince. Just this. He tried to shift on the sofa but it was almost impossible. It was one of those sink-in-and-lose-yourself-for-ever kind of sofas.
Sienna had a good life here. She had a house that she loved. Loyal friends and the job of her dreams. The truth was, she didn’t really need him. If Sebastian wanted to have a place in her life he was going to have to fight for it.
And he had to be sure what he was fighting for.
He’d meant it when he told her he’d always have come back for her. At first, it had just been words. He just hadn’t said the next part—he just wasn’t entirely sure what he was coming back for.
Someone to have a relationship with? An affair?
Or something else entirely?
It hadn’t even been clear in his head until that moment. But as he’d watched her face he’d had a second of pure clarity—sitting across the table was exactly what he wanted. Tonight had given him a new perspective. If he hadn’t been there he didn’t doubt that Sienna would have put herself in harm’s way to try and help that child. It was part of what he admired so much about her.
This might not be the way he had planned it. But Sebastian was always up for a challenge.
Sienna walked back into the room. She glanced at the gaping dressing gown and looked away. ‘Your jeans are washed. I’ve put them in the dryer. They won’t be long.’
He nodded. ‘Thanks. Now, come and sit down. It’s been a big day. Sit for a while.’
He could see her hesitation. See her weighing up what to do next. She’d washed her face, pulled her hair into some kind of knot and changed into what looked like pyjamas.
She walked over and sat down next to him, curling one leg up underneath her. He wrapped his arm back around her shoulder.
Sienna wanted things to be by her rules. He wanted to keep her happy.
‘Tell me what you’ve organised for the baby. What would you like me to do?’
She looked at him in surprise. ‘Well, I’ve pretty much organised everything. I’ve turned one room into a nursery. I just need to give it a lick of paint and some of the furniture has arrived. But I haven’t built it yet.’
‘Let me do that.’
She blinked. ‘Which one?’
‘Both. All of them. Do you know what colour you want for the nursery? I could start tomorrow.’
Had he ever painted anything in his life? What did he actually know about room decoration? It didn’t matter. If that was what she needed for the baby, then he would find someone to do it. Money wasn’t exactly an object for Sebastian. If he paid enough, he could get it done tomorrow.
She drew back a little. It was all he could do not to focus on those lips again. He was trying his best to keep her at arm’s length. Even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. If he wanted a chance with Sienna and with his baby, he would have to play by her rules.
‘Well, okay,’ she said after what seemed like for ever. She pushed herself up from the sofa. ‘Come and I’ll show you the nursery.’
He tried to follow her and fumbled around on the impossible sofa. ‘How on earth did you do that? This thing just swallows you up like one of those sand traps.’
She started laughing. ‘It does, doesn’t it? It was one of the first things I bought when I got my own flat. I love the colour and, even though it needs replacing, I’ve never found another sofa quite the colour that I love. So I keep it. The removal men just about killed themselves carrying it down three flights of stairs when I moved from my flat to here.’
He gave himself an almighty push and almost landed on top of her. ‘Oh, sorry.’ His hand fell automatically to her waist again. It hadn’t been deliberate. Not at all. But not a single part of his body wanted to move.
This was his problem. His brain was screaming a thousand things at him. He was getting too attached. He was beginning to feel something for Sienna. Something other than the blood rushing through his body. The rational part of his brain told him she didn’t really want him, she didn’t want to be part of the monarchy in Montanari. She was probably the most unsuitable woman to be his wife.
But little question marks kept jumping into his thoughts. Was she really so unsuitable? She was brilliant. She had a career. She was a good person. Yes, she was probably a little unconventional. She certainly didn’t hesitate to speak her mind. But, after spending his life around people who didn’t say what they meant, it was actually kind of refreshing. Add that to the fact that even a glimpse of her sent his senses into overload...
She pulled back a little from him so he dropped a kiss on her forehead and stepped away. ‘Blame the sofa.’ He smiled.
She showed him across the hall to the nursery. So far he’d seen the bathroom, the main room, the kitchen and the utility. Two other doors in the corridor seemed to glow at him. One of them must be her bedroom.
He waved his hand casually. ‘This is a nice house. What’s down there?’
She looked over her shoulder. ‘Just my bedroom and the third room, which is a dining room/bedroom. I hadn’t quite decided what I wanted to do with it yet. There’s another sitting room at the back, but the house layout is a little awkward. I think the people that built the house added it on at the last minute. It ended up being off the utility room.’
Sebastian gave a nod as she flicked the switch on the room she’d designated the nursery.
It was a good-sized room. There was a pin board on the wall covered in messages and cut-out pictures. Some were of prams, some of other nurseries, some of furniture and a few of treehouses and garden play sets.
He smiled as he looked at them all. She pointed to one of the pictures. ‘That one. That’s what I decided on.’
It was lovely. A pale yellow nursery, with a border with ducks and teddy bears and with pale wooden furniture.
She nodded towards the flat boxes leaning against one wall. ‘It only arrived yesterday.’ There was a kind of sad twang in her voice.
He walked towards it. ‘What’s wrong?’
She sighed. ‘Nothing. It’s just not quite what I’d hoped for. I’m sure it will look fine once it’s all built. But there was no point in building it until I’d painted the room and put the border up.’
One of the ends of the flat-pack furniture box was open and he peered inside, reaching in with his hand to touch the contents. He got it. He got it straight away. The furniture on the picture on her pin board looked like solid oak with delicate carving and professional workmanship. Furniture bought from a store would never compare. He knew exactly what he could say right now, but he had to be careful of her feelings. She’d worked hard to make preparations for their child.
‘Do you know what shade of yellow you want?’
She pointed to the corner of the room. There were around ten different little squares of varying shades of yellow. ‘Yeah, I picked the one three from the end. I’ve bought the paint, I was planning on starting tomorrow.’
She walked over to a plastic bag. ‘I have the border here, along with the matching light shade and bedding.’
He took a deep breath as he walked a little closer. ‘I really want to help. I really want to be involved. Will you let me paint the room for you tomorrow? And hang the border? Once that’s done I can build the furniture, and if you don’t like it we can see if there’s something more suitable.’
This was the point where she could step away. This was the point where he could end up flung out of the house. But she stayed silent. He could see her thinking things through. The reserve that she’d built around herself seemed to be slipping a little, revealing the Sienna that he’d connected with in Montanari.
His finger wanted to speed dial someone right now. There had to be someone around here that could help make good on his promises.
She nodded slowly then met his gaze with a gentle smile. ‘Do you know what? That might actually be good...thanks.’ She narrowed her gaze and wagged her finger at him. ‘But you’re not allowed to bring in someone else to do it. You have to do it yourself. I don’t want anyone I don’t know in my house.’
There was a tiny wave of unease. She could read him like a book. ‘Of course. Of course, I’ll do it myself. It will be my pleasure.’ He looked around the room. It would be nice with the pale yellow colour on the walls.
He’d tell her things on a need-to-know basis.
He walked back to the pin board and pointed at the prams. ‘Have you ordered one yet?’
The two on the board were both brightly coloured with modern designs. Nothing like the coach-built pram he’d been pictured in as a child. He gave a little smile, thinking about his room as a small child with its dark furniture and navy blue drapes.
She stepped up next to him. ‘What are you smiling at?’
He gave a sigh. ‘I know nothing about prams. But they both look kind of funky. I’m sure I won’t have a clue how to put them together.’
Her gaze changed. It was thoughtful. Almost as if she’d finally realised that he planned on being around. Planned on being involved.
‘You can buy a plain black one if you want,’ she said softly. There was something sad in her voice.
His hand reached down and he intertwined his fingers with hers. ‘I’ll be proud to push whatever red or purple pram you choose. Why don’t you let me buy you both? That’s if you haven’t ordered one yet.’
She paused. She hadn’t pulled her hand away. He started tracing little circles in the palm of her hand with his thumb. ‘Sienna, I’m here because I want to be here. I want to be here for you, and for our baby. But...’ he turned to face her straight on ‘...this might all get a little pressured. I have to tell my parents that they’re going to be grandparents.’
Her eyes widened. ‘They don’t know?’
‘Not yet. I wanted to speak to you first. To give you a little time.’ He reached and tangled his fingers through her hair. ‘Once I tell them, the world will know. You won’t just be Sienna McDonald, cardiothoracic neonatal surgeon any more. You’ll be Sienna McDonald, mother of Prince Sebastian Falco’s child. I want to protect you from that. You’ll be bombarded with phone calls and emails. Everyone will want a little piece of you.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t want that.’ He gave her a sorry smile. ‘There’s not enough of you to go round.’
For a moment she looked terrified. Surely, she must have expected this at some point. Surely she must have realised that the press would be interested in their baby?
Maybe his concerns about her had been right.
Her response was a little shaky. ‘I don’t want people interfering in my life. I’m a surgeon. I do a good job. I’ve made plans on how to raise this baby.’
Something twisted inside him. He wanted to say everything he shouldn’t. He might only have known about this baby for a couple of weeks but every sleepless night had been full of plans for this child too.
Somehow he had to find a way to cement their plans together. There would need to be compromise on each side. How on earth would Sienna cope with his mother?
His mother’s idea of compromise would be to sweep this baby from under Sienna’s nose, transport the baby to the palace in Montanari and bring up the child with the same ideals she’d had for Sebastian.
For about ten seconds that had been his plan too. Had he really thought Sienna would be happy to marry him and leave her job and friends behind?
He could see himself having to spend the rest of his life having to prevent Sienna and his mother from being in the same room together.
It didn’t even bear thinking about. There would be time enough for all that later. He had to start slowly.
He looked around the room. Then he glanced at Sienna’s stomach. He let the wave of emotions that he’d tried to temper flood through him. That was his baby in there. His.
He didn’t want to be a part-time parent. He wanted to see this child every day. He wanted to be involved in every decision.
And the truth was, he wanted to be around Sienna too.
He touched her cheek. ‘I want to be part of those plans, Sienna. That’s all I’m asking.’
She stared at him for the longest time. Her gaze unwavering.
‘Let me do something to try and help. Once I’ve spoken to my parents, can I get one of the publicists from the palace to contact you? To try and take the pressure off any queries you might get from reporters?’
She gave the briefest of nods. At least it was something. It was a start. He hadn’t even mentioned the fact that he would actually have to hire security to protect her.
‘You can come tomorrow. You’ll need to be up early before I go to work.’
He smiled. ‘No problem. I like to be up early.’ He pointed to the pin board again. ‘What about the prams?’
The edges of her lips turned upwards and she gave a little shake of her head. ‘You’ve no idea how hard this is for me.’
‘What?’ He couldn’t keep the mock horror from his voice as he put one hand to his chest. ‘You mean letting someone else help? Letting someone else be involved?’
She nodded. She waved at the photos on the board. ‘I’m running out of time. I need to order the pram that I want this weekend if it’s going to be here on time.’ She pulled a face. ‘Trouble is, I still can’t choose. And the lie-down pram, buggy and car seat all go together. At this rate, if I don’t choose soon, I won’t even have a way to get my baby home from hospital, let alone out of the house.’
He nodded. She hadn’t taken him up on the idea of getting both. ‘How about we go this weekend and look again?’
She gave him the strangest look. ‘Have you any idea what these places are like? The guys in the giant nursery stores always look like they’ve been dragged in there kicking and screaming and can’t wait to get back out.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Well, I will be different. I can’t wait to spend hours of my life helping you choose between a red and a purple pram set.’ He gave a hopeful smile. ‘Is there coffee in these places?’
She nodded. ‘Oh, yes. But you need to drink decaf in support of me. But there’s also cake. So it might not be too bad.’
Finally, he was getting somewhere. Finally he felt as if he was starting to make inroads with Sienna. They’d made a connection today that felt like it had back in Montanari.
And this wasn’t just about the baby—even though that was all they’d really talked about. This was about them too.
This would always be about them.
She walked back to the door of the nursery. ‘Okay, thanks. Tomorrow it is. Now let me get your clothes. The dryer will be finished by now.’
His heart sank a little. It was time for him to go. It didn’t matter how much he actually wanted to stay.
He followed Sienna down the hall as she pulled his clothes from the dryer. The jeans were still warm as he stepped into them and fastened them. He put the dressing gown on top of the dryer and turned to face her.
Her tongue was running along her top lip. She was watching him. Her eyes fixated on his bare chest. He took a step towards her.
‘Sienna?’
He could act. He could pull her towards him and kiss her exactly the way he wanted to. But he’d already done that tonight. This time it was important for her to take the lead.
She put one hand flat on his chest and took a deep breath as she looked down at the floor. There was a tremble in her voice. ‘You need to give me some time, Seb. It would be so easy just to fall into things again. To take up where we left off. But there’s so much more at stake now.’
His heart gave a little jump. Seb. She’d just called him Seb again.
She lifted her head and met his gaze. ‘I didn’t expect to see you again. I didn’t expect you to come.’
He placed his hand over hers. ‘And now?’
‘You asked me to give you a chance. I want to. I do. But I need to be sure about why we’re both here. I’ve had more time to get used to the thought of our baby than you have. And the thought of being under the gaze of the whole world is something I hadn’t even contemplated.’ He gave her hand a squeeze. Now he couldn’t help himself. He stepped forward and put his arms around her.
‘Let me help. Let me get you some advice. We could release a press statement together if you wanted.’
She pushed back and shook her head. ‘Release a press statement? Those are words I never thought I’d hear. Just give me a bit of time, a bit of space. One step at a time, Seb. If you want me to give you a chance, that’s the way it’s got to be.’
He was disappointed. He couldn’t help it. He was rushing things. But being around Sienna and not being with her was more difficult than he could ever have imagined.
Now he felt a sense of panic. What about the press intrusion into Sienna’s life? How would she cope? He was used to it. He’d been photographed since the day he was born. But, for Sienna, life was entirely different.
She loved her job. She’d trained long and hard to be a specialist surgeon. Would she be able to continue with the job she loved if she were his wife?
At first his only thought had been about duty. His duty to the mother of his child, and to his country. His proposal of marriage had only been about those things.
Now? Things were changing. Changing in a way he hadn’t even contemplated. He gave a half-smile. Was this how Oliver felt around Ella?
He pulled his T-shirt over his head and reached for his leather jacket. She handed him a damp towel. ‘Try and take some of the mud off it with this.’
She was so matter-of-fact. So practical. Ten seconds ago she’d been wearing her heart on her sleeve. He wiped the jacket as best he could and slid it on.
‘My shoes are next to the door.’ He paused; he really didn’t want to leave.
She nodded. ‘Okay, then. Be here early, around seven-thirty. I’ll leave you a key to lock up when you’re done.’
She followed him to the door and shivered as the icy blast hit as soon as he opened it. ‘Stay inside,’ he said quickly. ‘Keep warm. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘Seb?’
He’d already gone down the first two steps and turned at the sound of her voice. ‘Yeah?’
She closed her eyes for a second. ‘Thank you,’ she said softly, with one hand on her stomach.
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. ‘Any time. Any time at all.’ Then he headed down the path back to his car.