page21 (1/1)

She was feeling very relaxed as she put the finishing touches to her outfit So nail polish On her bed was an assortment of Christmas presents From her parents, much-needed cash and a necklace From her sisters, clothes and make-up, and a very jolly Christmas card that cracked a supercorny joke when opened Froht now she earing sos in the shape of Christmas trees Fabulous

And she wasn’t going to think about Alessandro at all today She had spent way tooabout him, ever since he had resurfaced in her life like a bad dreaoing to relax and have fun

An hour later and the punch was helping with herup the recipe as they went along They hadn’t been entirely sure of the ingredients, but had figured that, if in doubt, better too much alcohol than too little It was consequently very potent and now almost finished, thanks to a houseful of nearly twenty people, all of who array of food The kitchen table and counters were groaning under the weight of a nut loaf, a lentil loaf, several quiches, cold haes, and salads of every description There was even a huge pot of curried chicken, courtesy of Amrita, one of Charlotte’s friends from work

So the line soan’s head, which was tilting precariously to one side The ht have been expected, taking on the role of host He was decked out in a pair of red surfer shorts—the only red ite he’d been able to rustle up froreen shirt which he had bought froan had to adood, with his blonde hair and blue eyes and rinned and waved, and he weaved over towards her

‘Your crown’s slipping,’ he said, righting it and then standing back to inspect his handiwork ‘You’re in danger of your people revolting if they think you’re no longer in charge of the throne, Your Majesty’

Megan had to s like a house on fire with Do to prise a few more details about that from him, and had had no chance thus far

‘She’s a very nice lady,’ he said, before waxing lyrical about the i kids and Dominic’s enthusiasm to join a football club

‘You’re beginning to sound like a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health’

Megan was still laughing, one hand on her crown, the other wrapped around her second plastic cup of punch—whichsolid went into her stomach—when Robbie whipped out a piece of led it over her head

It was so sudden and so unexpected that at first Megan wasn’t quite sure what he was doing, waving a leaf above her But it clicked when his hand went to her waist and he pulled her towards hihter, he delivered a kiss worthy of any theatrical performance

She was tilted backwards at the waist, and it flashed through herthe short scarlet dress One shoe went flying, and as she regained a vertical position, still laughing, with her arht of Alessandro and Victoria standing at the doorway—late arrivals

What the heck were they doing here?

‘We have unexpected coroaned in a mortified undertone

Robbie followed the direction of her glance and she et the impression that the appearance of Alessandro and his fiancée was not entirely shocking for him?

‘Didn’t think they wouldhis hand around her waist He was s her towards the door, while the rest of their asse fun

Megan wanted the ground to open and s her up This had all the hallmarks of the birthday-cake fiasco, which had been forever branded in her mind as the day romance died Of course it was a silly notion, because as she no, for Alessandro, she had always been an interlude, but it had often seemed easier to pin her misery on that one isolated incident

And now here she was, in a ridiculous situation all over again, as though she stillwild

She could feel Alessandro’s eyes pinned coldly on her face as she paused to stagger into the mislaid red shoe