Chapter Twenty two

Six months ago.

And she hadn't known one end of a frying pan from the

other and now she made the best omelette in Manhattan. Well, that was what Massimo said. She was

beneath her breath when he came out of the bedroom

in just a pair of boxers, the hand which had been rak-

ing back his mussed hair suddenly stilling.

He ran his gaze over her. "Sweet heaven. What's

this?"

She did a twirl. You don't like it?"

Massimo felt a shaft of lust arrowing down to his groin.

She was like every male fantasy come to life and

standing in front of him, wearing a short baby-doll

nightdress in scarlet silk, trimmed with fake white

fur. The tiny matching knickers which showed as

she moved-were the same bright red and a Santa hat

was crammed down over her dark hair. 

'Santa, baby,

he murmured. Come here.'

"It's my Christmas present to you, she said, walk-

ing over to loop her arms around his neck. 'Because

I couldn't think what else to get you. The man who

has everything."

"Best gift I've ever had.' he said unevenly. Which

I'm now about to unwrap.

The eggs were cold by the time they got around to

eating them and afterwards they walked through the

Snow to Central Park, going by Grand Army Plaza

and ending up in Bryant Park.

 Toyin's cheeks were

glowing by the time they got back and Massimo made

steak and salad. They ate their meal beside the tiny

Christmas tree they'd put together with decorations

bought from Bergdorf Goodman And they'd

cleared away the dishes, he handed her a curved pack.

And when

age, wrapped in holly-covered paper.

"Happy Christmas, Toyin" , he said.

Her fingers were trembling as she opened it and.

even though it was probably the most inexpensive

gift she'd ever been given, she couldn't remember re-

ceiving anything which had given her quite so much

pleasure. It was a snow globe. A miniature version

of the Rockefeller Christmas tree, which he'd taken

her to see the moment his jet had touched down in the

city. She shook it and the rainbow sparkle was mo-

mentarily obscured by the thick white swirl of flakes.

"Oh, Mas: she said, trying not to let emotion creep

into her voice. " It's...beautiful." 

"To remind you of New York,' he said. When

you're back in Antiochda."

"Yes ".

The word fell between them like a heavy stone.

What was it going to be like? she wondered and now

the pain in her heart was very sharp. It wasn't set-

tling back into life as a princess after all this that she

was worried about, it was the thought of not having

massimo which was making her feel so utterly wretched.

She tried to imagine waking up in the morning and

him not there beside her and she thought how quickly

you could get used to something, which had been the

very best thing in your life.

"Have you considered what you're going to do?"

His question cut into her troubled thoughts. 'Are you

going to be content spending your days cutting rib-

bons and pulling curtains away from little bronze

plaques?"

"No. I've realised that things are going to have to

be different. She forced herself to think about her

royal life. A life which was a whole world away. "I don't just horse any more.

don't just want to be in royal clothes

I want to do more behind-the-scenes work with my

charities, and I'm going to have to work out some 

kind of satisfactory role for myself'

"That's the professional Toyin talking" , he said 

"But what about the personal one?"

She stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious? Has what happened with Dam

scared you? Or do you want to meet someone one

day and marry them, and have children of your own?"

She shifted her position on the sofa, flinching as if

he had scraped his fingernails over an open wound.

She realised that nobody had ever asked her such

a bluntly personal question before because nobody

would ever have dared. And somehow his words got

to her. They made her want the impossible and the

resulting pain was so deep that she spoke straight

from the heart.

"of course I want that. Most women do," she ad-

mitted quietly, her cheeks colouring a little, because

she realised there was only one man she wanted to do

that with and he was right in front of her. "But there

are all kinds of obstacles to that happening so it's un-

likely I'll ever get it.'

"What kind of obstacles?"

She chose her words carefully.

" Well, meeting a

man is fraught with difficulties. It would really only

work if I married someone suitable and the pool of

eligible princes isn't exactly big.

She stared at the tumbling snow flakes.' 

Anyway, that's all in the

future, which starts tomorrow. Because tomorrow's

Boxing Day and while I'm heading for the Mediterranean, you'll be hurtling down the side of some

snow-covered mountain in Vermont.