LITMIR.BIZ

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other side of the table with coffee, toast and eggs.

      It had been excruciating. She could sense every eye in the canteen on them both and it had been as quick as she could bolt down her porridge and hurry out of there.

      Normally she loved breakfast in the canteen at Christmas time. Christmas pop tunes were always playing and the menu food got new names like Rudolph’s raisin pancakes or Santa’s scrumptious scrambled egg.

      ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she said defensively to Charlie, who was obviously trying to wind her up.

      He laughed as he pulled open the door and looked out for a second. ‘He seems like a nice guy. Maybe you should give him a chance.’

      She laid her hand on her large stomach. ‘Oh, I think it’s pretty obvious I’ve already given him a chance.’

      He just kept laughing. ‘Well, he’s on the charm offensive. And he’s winning. Everyone that’s met him thinks he’s one version of wonderful or another. Including Juliet’s daughter.’

      ‘He’s met her daughter?’

      Charlie nodded. ‘She loves him already. He gave her some kind of doll that the little girls in Montanari love. A special Christmas one with a red and green dress. She was over the moon.’

      Sienna wrinkled her nose. ‘You shouldn’t let her speak to strangers.’

      Something flashed over Charlie’s face. ‘If I didn’t know any better, Sienna, I’d think you were a woman reaching that crabby stage just before she delivers.’

      She shook her head fiercely and patted her stomach. ‘Oh, no. No way. I’ve got just under six weeks. This baby is not coming out before then.’

      ‘If you say so.’ Charlie stuck his head out of the door again. ‘Okay, you can go. The coast is clear. Just remember to be on your best behaviour.’ He held the door before her as she rushed outside. ‘And just remember... I recognise the signs.’

      * * *

      The coast wasn’t clear at all.

      Sebastian was waiting outside the unit, leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

      ‘I’m going to kill Charlie with my bare hands,’ she muttered.

      It didn’t help that he was looking even sexier than before. When he’d joined her this morning at breakfast he’d been wearing a suit and tie. Something to do with a business meeting. She hadn’t really been paying attention.

      Now, he’d changed into jeans, a leather jacket and a slim-fitting black T-shirt. His hair was speckled with flecks of snow.

      ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked as she made her best attempt to sweep past.

      Sebastian was having none of it. He fell into step beside her. ‘Waiting for you.’

      She stopped walking and turned to face him. She wanted to be angry with him. She wanted to be annoyed. But he had that look on his face, that hint of cheek. He was deliberately taunting her. They’d spent most of the weekend in Montanari batting smart comments back and forth. This felt more like sun-blessed Montanari than the snow-dusted Cotswolds.

      She stifled her smile. ‘This better not get to be a habit. I’m busy, Seb. I’m at work.’

      His grin broadened and she realised her error. She’d called him Seb again.

      ‘When do you finish work?’

      ‘Why?’

      ‘You know why. I’d like us to talk—have dinner maybe. Do something together.’

      His phone buzzed in his pocket. He shifted a little on his feet but ignored it.

      ‘Aren’t you going to get that?’

      He shook his head. ‘I’m busy.’

      ‘How long—exactly—have you been standing out here?’

      He smiled. ‘Around two hours.’ He lifted one hand and shrugged. ‘But it’s fine. The people around here are very friendly. They all like to talk.’

      ‘Talk is exactly what they’ll do. You might be a public figure, Seb, but I’m not. I’m a pretty private person. I don’t want anyone else knowing about our baby.’

      The look on his face was so surprised that she realised he hadn’t even considered that.

      How far apart were they? Had he not even considered that might put her under stress? Not exactly ideal for a pregnant woman.

      And it didn’t help that wherever Seb was, men in black were permanently hovering in the background.

      He’d already made the assumption that she would want to marry him. Maybe he also thought she would be fine about having their baby in the public eye?

      Oh, no.

      She gave a sway.

      ‘Sienna? What’s wrong? Are you okay?’

      He moved right in front of her, catching both her arms with his firm hands. He was close enough for her to see the tiny lines around his eyes and the little flecks in his forest-green eyes.

      ‘You’re a prince,’ she breathed slowly.

      He blinked. There was a look of amusement on his face. ‘I’m a prince,’ he confirmed in a whisper.

      ‘I slept with a prince.’ It was almost as if she were talking to herself. She knew all this. None of it was a surprise. But all of a sudden things were sinking in fast.

      Before, Sebastian Falco hadn’t featured in her life. Apart from the telltale parting gift that he’d left her, there was really no sign of any connection between them. No one knew about their weekend together. No one knew that they’d even met.

      When she’d come back, it was clear that even though Oliver was Sebastian’s friend, he’d had no idea about their relationship.

      That was the way things were supposed to be. Even though, in her head, she’d known she should tell Seb about the baby, once the engagement was announced she’d pushed those thoughts away.

      She’d pushed all memories of Sebastian and their time together—the touch of his hands on her skin, the taste of his lips on hers—away into that castle of his that she’d never seen.

      A castle. The man lived in a castle. Not in the mountain retreat he’d taken her to. Her stomach gave a little flip as she wondered once more how many other women had been there.

      ‘Sienna, honey? Are you okay? Do you want to sit down?’

      Honey. He’d just called her honey as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do.

      He wanted them to get married. A prince wanted to marry her.

      Most women would be happy. Most women would be delighted.

      Marry a prince. Live in a castle. Wasn’t that the basis of every little girl’s favourite fairy tale?

      Not hers.

      She wasn’t a Cinderella kind of girl. Well, maybe just a little bit.

      She definitely wasn’t Rapunzel. She didn’t need any guy to save her.

      And she so wasn’t Sleeping Beauty. She’d never spend her life lying about.

      She looked around. They were three floors up. The glass atrium dome above them and the Christmas decorations directly underneath them. People flowed all around them. The Royal Cheltenham Hospital was world renowned. People begged to work here. Posts were fiercely contested. Three other surgeons she respected and admired had interviewed for the job that she’d been appointed to.

      That had been the best call of her life.

      She sucked in a breath. Teddy’s was her life.

      She loved her job, loved the kids,

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