How to Marry a Matador (Exclusive Sneak Preview) (2 page)

“
Two
, Don Fernando?”

While it had come as surprise, Fernando
didn’t precisely view his marriage as a mistake. In fact, given the
timeline imposed by his grandfather for inheriting his fortune,
this little twist of fate just might prove fortuitous.

“
Sí, dos
. And, if you will, place a
pretty, fresh rose on the tray. I have something happy to tell
you.”

Jess let the water run hot, hitting her full
in the face. Any second now, she was going to wake up in her
apartment in Brooklyn, her best friend Evie calling her on the
phone about some recent catastrophe that had occurred… Jess’s mind
raced, putting pieces of the puzzle together.

Fernando Garcia de la Vega’s emerging
telecommunications firm had been a long-term associate of her
multinational corporation headquartered in New York. While Jess
wasn’t super tech-savvy, she knew how money worked. Trained in the
banking industry, she’d earned her stripes by helping arrange the
takeover of United National Savings & Loan’s domestic division
by InTrust Corp. While she’d really been the second in that job,
her magnanimous superior had given her the bulk of the credit. The
offer to head up the foreign acquisitions office at Global
Financial Telecom had come just two weeks later. She’d accepted the
post with a mixture of joy and trepidation. There she was at
twenty-eight, and—according to everyone else—finally making her
way. Inwardly, she feared she’d bitten off more than she could
chew. She’d never handled such a large responsibility alone. What
if she made a disaster of it all and failed everybody in the
process?

While Global Financial had started as a bank,
it quickly expanded into the lucrative computing field, piloting
the first purse-size, all-purpose computer. With computing and
telecommunications becoming so intricately linked, interest in
other types of personal electronic devices followed. So far, Jess
had done a reasonable job, impressing her stern, middle-aged boss
Madeline with her string of unlikely successes. She didn’t know how
her mergers had always come through, but it appeared as if she had
an invisible good luck charm buried somewhere deep in her pocket.
Each time she got assigned to something new, Jess silently feared
her luck would run out. Now, it appeared it finally had.

Jess shut off the water and reached for a
towel, her gaze panning toward the bedroom. How could she have let
herself get swept away? So what if Fernando was gorgeous,
intelligent, and had an accent to die for? That was no reason to go
shedding her clothes and getting married! Jess cinched the towel
around herself, realizing she had that in the wrong order. The
marriage part had come before the hopping into bed. But why had she
done it? She wasn’t that old-fashioned, for heaven’s sake. Sleeping
with a man after a few too many sangrias and a momentary lapse in
judgment was one thing. Saying “I do” under the arch of an orange
tree in the courtyard of some small church whose name she couldn’t
pronounce was something else entirely.

Jess warmed at the memory of Fernando kissing
her by the main plaza’s fountain, sweetly at first—and then with
the passion of a parched man determined to drink her in. Her face
flashed hot as she further recalled Fernando’s skilled, masculine
touch once he’d brought her back to his lair. The ranch was
breathtaking in its desolate beauty, rows of olive trees threaded
by moonlight, a faraway vineyard trailing over burnt hills.

She hadn’t even known he’d come from a family
of matadors or had once worked as a bullfighter himself. These were
stories he told to few people, he’d assured her with a tender
caress before leading her up the stairs. While the townsfolk of La
Esperanza del Corazón viewed him as a hero, in Madrid Fernando was
just a successful businessman. Neither the family he came from nor
the world he’d left behind had any bearing on his corporate
potential. So he’d shuttered away his past, vowing to reserve its
unveiling only for those special parties with whom he might share a
future. He’d led her to his bed then, saying that their impromptu
marriage had been a blessing, something he’d never wish undone—no
matter how she might think of him tomorrow. And, when he’d offered
to show her the scar that tore from his upper left thigh to his
navel, she’d found it impossible to say no.

Jess moistened a washcloth from a nearby
stand with cool water and pressed it to her chest. Fine trickles
slid south, gliding into her cleavage.

Okay, so she’d admit it. Ever since they’d
first met six months ago, she’d been reduced to a handful of putty
each time he’d given her that deep, expressive look with those
impossibly unnerving eyes. Still, she’d steeled herself against
him, understanding that when he was being flirty, it was likely in
the interest of his own financial gain. That was just what Fernando
was: untrustworthy. Which was precisely why she had no reason to
trust him now. Fernando was up to something with this marriage bit,
and Jess was determined to learn what. But first, she needed to
find an Internet connection and research Spanish marriage laws.
Surely, things couldn’t be as bad as they seemed.

Fernando hummed a love song and strategically
angled the tray, rearranging its bud vase for maybe the tenth time.
Ridiculous
, he told himself. It was only a flower. But none
could be as sweet as the delicate rose that had opened up for him
last night. Fernando would be a liar to say he hadn’t wanted
her—
ached for her
—for months on end. He’d never seen a face
so lovely or known a mind so sharp. Hers was such an intoxicating
combination, he might even have married her without the wine.

Though he’d secretly imagined laying her in
his bed at least a dozen times, he’d never envisioned the sheer
ecstasy of actually being with her. She was so sweet yet tough,
like a tiger in the wild. And her kisses were the nearest thing to
heaven. If the bright Andalusian sun hadn’t awakened him from his
slumber, he might have thought he’d fantasized the whole thing.
He’d stirred early to find a sleeping angel beside him, then had
quickly shut his eyes, lest she evaporate like an enchanted dream.
The next thing he knew, she was moving beside him, carefully
peering under the sheet to ensure he possessed the
correct…accoutrements needed to fulfill his husbandly duties.
Fernando sighed, thinking he’d be glad to perform those again and
at any time his willing wife was ready.

He stared toward the bathroom, noting the
shower had stopped. This might not be the most standard way to
begin a union, but it certainly couldn’t be the worst. Fernando was
sure that Jessica would agree—once she got over the shock.

Jess exited the bathroom with a combative air
and made a beeline for the armoire.

“Coffee this morning?” he asked, smiling
sweetly over the rim of a cup. He extended it in her direction with
the calm demeanor of a waiter at an upscale restaurant. She noted
his lower region was still covered by a large feather pillow, the
musculature of his tanned upper thighs exposed to the morning
breeze fluttering in through the window. His toned olive chest
sported richly dark hair which tapered in perfect symmetry down the
line of his taut abs and plummeted toward the breakfast tray
balanced on his lap.

She hesitated a moment, then decided she’d
think better after the java. “Fernando,” she said, cinching the
oversized towel around her and cautiously inching forward. “You and
I have something to discuss.”

He handed her the coffee, then nonchalantly
dipped a bit of pastry in his own cup. “I never discuss business
before breakfast,” he said, slurping loudly. “Mmm. This
pan
dulce
is delicious. You ought to try it.”

“I’m not hungry,” she said, steadying the cup
in her hands.

“Ah yes, that’s right,” he replied with a
knowing wave of his finger. “Fairly well satisfied last night.
Eh?”

Jess felt her face flash hot as his impish
green eyes danced with mirth. “I don’t find any of this very
amusing.”

“I’m sorry, Jessica,” he said sadly. “I
suppose I was a fool, hoping that you’d be just as excited about
this as I.”

She took a slow sip of coffee, studying him
all the while. “You claim to be a fool, Fernando. But you’re
certainly not fooling me.”

He raised his brow, perplexed.

“Come on,” she said. “Give. What’s in this
for you?”

“My new wife has cut me to the quick," he
said, bringing a hand to his chest.

“Argh!” She spun toward the armoire, clumsily
setting down her cup down on a nearby stand. Porcelain clattered
against itself with the effort.

“You’re getting too upset about this,” he
said.

“I…don’t…think…so,” she said as she furiously
tugged her clothes from huge wooden hangers, then strode toward the
bathroom.

“
Querida
,” Fernando said softly,
“please wait.”

She stopped walking, her pulse pounding. It
picked up as she felt him behind her, his warmth drawing near.
Instinct said that Fernando hadn’t carried the pillow—or anything
else—with him. “Perhaps it was…impetuous, unexpected,” he said,
palms pressed to her bare upper arms. Goose bumps rose on her flesh
as the heat of his breath warmed her neck. “But you can’t
completely believe it was wrong.”

But it was wrong, worse than wrong. Marrying
Fernando had to be the most terrible decision she’d ever made!

“I have a boyfriend,” she said, the lie
escaping as a whisper.

“What a shame.” Palms slid down her arms as
Fernando brought his lips to her shoulder. “How do you think he’ll
take the news?”

Jess gasped, fighting her automatic feminine
response. Nipples hardened beneath terrycloth, and she ached to
turn toward him. Being made love to by a strong, confident man like
Fernando was nothing short of heaven. The truth was that she and
Allen had broken up weeks ago, and the physical relationship they’d
shared hadn’t even come close. Still, the illusion of another man
was good, maybe the best thing she had at the moment. Until her
head cleared, Jess needed every ounce of ammunition against
Fernando’s manly advances that she could muster.

“He’ll be outraged,” she said, pulling her
mound of clothing in tighter.

“He must love you desperately.”

Jess pursed her lips, fighting the fire in
her eyes. The fact was, she didn’t know whether Allen had loved her
or not. Just as with her past two boyfriends, he’d never broached
the topic—and she’d never yearned to discuss it.

“I don’t do love,” she said hoarsely, making
an effort to step away.

Fernando tightened his grip and spun her
toward him. “Everybody
does
love,” he said with an earnest
look. “Sooner or later.”

Jess blinked back the moisture in her eyes.
“Not this girl.”

Fernando released her, his brow creasing.
He’d never seen a woman at once so fragile and strong. There was a
sorrow in her eyes that made him want to weep for, and with, her.
He wondered how long she’d contained it, keeping that sadness to
herself.

“I’ll just be a minute,” she said, turning
away.

Fernando watched her leave, thinking this
presented more of a challenge than he’d imagined. Then again, if
ever there was a man who knew how to rise to the occasion, it was
him.

“Take all the time that you need,” he said as
she exited the room.

Jessica emerged fully dressed ten minutes
later. “As soon as we return to Madrid,” she said, “we’re getting
this thing annulled.”

She was beautiful today, smartly polished in
a short white dress. He’d be proud to introduce her, if only she’d
trade that frown on her lips for one of those winning smiles.

“Annulled?” Fernando questioned, glancing
sideways as he straightened the collar of his polo shirt in the
mirror. “Don’t you think that’s a little rash?”

“No, Fernando. Rash is getting married to a
business colleague after too much sangria. Rash is
not
doing
the sensible thing the next morning.”

Jess didn’t know how she’d let herself get
talked into it, but she had. Right down to signing that statement
of Proof of Freedom to Marry, endorsed by Father Domingo’s
brother-in-law, the retired American Consul, whose powers of
persuasion were still apparently in force.

“But we weren’t married in Madrid,” he noted
astutely.

Jess considered this a moment, realizing he
was right. The marriage had to be annulled right here. But first,
she needed to learn precisely where that was. “Where are we?”

“In La Esperanza del Corazón, remember? Place
of my birth.”

Yes, it all came stampeding back to her, like
a trillion
toros
on the run. “Of course I recall.”

“Everything…?” he asked, suggestively lifting
an eyebrow.

Jess shook her head in agitation. She was not
going to let him do this, have her remembering all the
wrong
things. “I was tipsy…animated, okay? Foolishly and hopelessly in
love with life!”

He beheld her wistfully. “Yes, it was
lovely.”

Jess fought for the words. “It was reckless,”
she countered. “That woman you were with last night wasn’t me.”

“No? Who was it?”

“Someone else.” She huffed, trying to imagine
how she’d explain this to her mother. Jess had never gotten so much
as a B on a report card. Now here she was, failing life. “My evil
twin.”

He laughed out loud. “You’re a Gemini?”

“What?”

“The zodiac sign.”

She was puzzled by this turn in the
conversation.

“What do constellations have to do with
anything?”

“Perhaps we’re written in the stars,” he
said, a sly smile on his lips.

Jess pressed her palms to her temples,
thinking hard. Before she told her mother, she’d call Evie; that
was what she’d do. Evie would help her straighten things out. If
Jess could fix things fast, maybe her mom wouldn’t even have to
know.