How to Marry a Matador (Exclusive Sneak Preview) (7 page)

Given more time to get to know him and
consider the prospect of their life together, what choice would
Jess have made? There were so many things to take into account,
like their separate commitments to their jobs and where they might
eventually live as a couple. And then there was the prospect of
children to consider.

Jess brought a palm to her belly; her face
flushed at the thought of carrying Fernando’s child. While she felt
awful about deceiving his mother, she had to admit that the notion
of making a baby with Fernando wasn’t completely abhorrent. In
fact, she probably wouldn’t have gone so far as to imagine it had
he not invented that little story about her being in a maternal
way. In any case, she hoped Fernando would tell his mother the
truth soon. Everyone here was starting to treat Jess with deference
due to her pregnancy, and that simply wasn’t fair. It was bad
enough to be thought of as married, but expecting a baby added a
whole new layer to this blanket of deception. Perhaps Fernando was
waiting until all was resolved in Seville before coming clean with
his mother. Or perhaps, Jess thought with a hopeful start, he’d
talked to her already!

Jess recalled Consuelo’s morning words,
realizing that was unlikely. And that was terrible too. The longer
this ruse went on with Fernando’s family, the harder it would be to
reveal the truth. And the more awful she’d feel about herself, for
having let Fernando get away with it. Something had to be done, and
soon.

Fernando approached his mother as she tended
the roses in her garden. “Mamá,” he began tentatively. “I have
something to discuss with you.”

Ana María adjusted the brim of her wide straw
hat. “And I with you, my son.” She carefully set down her pruning
shears and cleaned her hands on her apron. “I’m afraid I haven’t
been quite fair to you and your new wife.”

“Precisely what we need to talk about.”

“Yes,” she answered, a sincere apology in her
eyes. “It’s true. I know I’ve failed you.”

“Failed me?” Fernando said, taken aback. If
anyone was the let-down party in this twosome, it was him, and he
knew it. “I don’t see how—”

“Yesterday at lunch, I was less than
hospitable,” she said, cutting him off. “It’s just that it all came
as such a surprise.”

“I know. I understand.”

“I let the shock get the better of me. I
really shouldn’t have, but I did.”

Fernando laid his hands on her shoulders.
“Mamá, listen to me. About Jessica…”

His mother’s face brightened. “Well, there
she is now! And looking even lovelier than before. The rest must
have served her well.”

Fernando turned toward the house to see
Jessica standing on the patio, uncertainly glancing around. The
breakfast table was set, yet empty.

“Oh dear, is it eight already?” Ana María
asked. “Please, make my apologies to Jessica. I’ll dash on in the
house and clean up. Be back in a flash.”

Fernando sighed with dismay as his mother
scurried off toward the garden shed to deposit her tools. He really
needed to tell her the truth, but sharing such dismal news over
breakfast hardly seemed civilized. He shoved his hands in his
pockets and trudged toward the house, considering how he might put
things. There really wasn’t an easy way around it. He’d just have
to come straight out and tell her the whole thing was a lie. But it
hadn’t been, starting out. That was the hard part. Jessica caught
sight of him and waved, her flowing sundress rippling in the
morning breeze. She was a sight to behold by the trellis, her
golden hair catching sparkles of sunlight. Fernando felt a pang of
regret, knowing he’d have to let her go. That seemed such a
contrary thing to do, when every ounce of his being argued that she
belonged right here.

He sent her a soft, sad smile, then made his
way along the path, snapping a beautiful red rose off its stem
along the way. His mother wouldn’t appreciate his pilfering her
garden, but he could no more stop himself from securing this
impromptu offering than he’d been able to quell his desire for
Jessica last night. He’d barely slept a wink in the study, tossing
and turning… Wanting nothing more than to sneak up into that bed
and kiss her languorously. Perhaps if he made love to her long—and
perfectly—enough, she’d ultimately change her mind? Fernando chided
himself for letting such absurd, romantic notions fill his head.
The sooner he faced reality, the better. Jessica Bloom wanted
nothing more than to be rid of him. And, soon enough, her wish
would be his command.

Fernando stepped onto the patio, extending a
pretty red rose in Jessica’s direction. She felt the warmth in her
cheeks as he captured her in his hypnotic green gaze.

“Forgive me for being forward, but it
reminded me of you.”

“I hardly think it’s forward, considering
that we’re married,” she said, deflecting the moment.

“You don’t have to remind me.”

She accepted the flower and brought it
lightly to her nose, inhaling its sweet scent. “Thank you,” she
said, meeting his eyes. “It’s beautiful.”

“Well, this is what I like to see!” Ana María
said cheerily, stepping over the great room’s threshold. “Two
lovebirds in the morning, making up.”

Jess and Fernando exchanged glances as Ana
María took her seat.

“Oh sorry, Mamá.” He scuttled over to help
her with her chair and then assisted Jess with hers.

Within seconds, Consuelo appeared to pour
fresh-squeezed juice and serve up a bounty of aromatic foods.

“So, what are your plans for the morning?”
Ana María asked, spreading her napkin on her lap.

Jessica stared at Fernando and blinked.

“We…haven’t really had time to talk about
it,” he said.

“Wonderful, then I have a suggestion.”

Jess turned her attention on the older woman.
“Oh?”

“Fernando,” she encouraged with a smile. “Why
don’t you take Jessica into town today? Show her around, let her
get acquainted with our nice little village.”

“I think that sounds like a fine idea,” Jess
piped in. And it did too. Anything sounded better than sitting
around here, second-guessing her decision all day through.

“You do?” Fernando asked with mild
surprise.

“Absolutely.” She took a heavenly bite of
huevos rancheros cooked with chorizo, and to perfection. “How soon
can we get started?”

Fernando met her gaze with a puzzled frown.
“Just as soon as you’d like.”

“Fernando!” his mother scolded, slapping his
arm with a whack. “Where are your manners? Show some
enthusiasm!”

Fernando glanced at his mother and then
slowly turned his gaze on Jess. “I apologize,” he said with
devilishly disarming eyes, “if I came off as
anything
less
than enthusiastic. As you’re aware, I’m quite capable of giving you
my focused attention.”

Jess gave a little laugh and fanned her face
with her napkin. She be damned if he didn’t look like he wanted to
take her, right then and there—on top of this linen tablecloth!
Jess felt a rash of heat sweep from her temples to her toes, but
the hottest spots were those situated somewhere in between.

“Perhaps you two should take a little nap
before heading out?” Ana María noted astutely.

“Excellent idea, Mother,” he said, not
pulling his gaze from Jessica’s while he lightly kissed the back of
her hand.

Jess’s pulse whipped into overdrive as
Fernando’s lips lingered an extra-long moment.

“You’re looking a little tired, my love,” he
said in a husky whisper. “Why don’t we finish up? Then I’ll take
you to lie down.”

Fernando firmly took Jess’s hand and led her
up the stairs. Okay, she had twenty-two steps to think about it.
The trouble was, she’d already lost count of which one they were
on, and they were nearly to the landing. Hopping back into bed with
her new husband wasn’t exactly the best way to start an annulment.
And they
were
getting this annulled or stopped from
processing, whichever one applied. Whatever had to happen once they
got to Seville. But there were still a lot of hours between now and
tomorrow.

Fernando reached the upstairs hall and pulled
her up and off the last step and into his arms. “You know,” he said
in a sexy whisper, “my mother never would have condoned this if
she’d known all the paperwork hadn’t gone through.”

“You said we were married in the eyes of the
church.”

His mouth hovered over hers as he backed her
up against the wall. “It feels real enough to me.”

Fire raged through her as he captured her
mouth with his and kissed her deeply, his touch tracing the line of
her throat, then trailing to her cleavage. Jess gasped
involuntarily, her knees threatening to give way. That was some
silly cliché from the movies. A woman didn’t
actually
swoon
in a man’s arms. Then again, most men weren’t built like Fernando.
She’d certainly never met anyone of his…aptitude, the most pressing
part of which pushed rock-hard against her thigh.

He brought his mouth to the side of her neck,
then nibbled slightly as he squeezed one breast and then the other.
“So good,” he breathed. “I want to taste more.”

Jess felt her panties moisten and knew she
was doomed. All she wanted to do now was step out of them.
Fernando’s hand slid up her thigh and under her dress, making her
want to rip it off completely.

“Fernando,” she moaned, grappling with the
words, “we’re still in the hall.”

He pulled back in a heated flush, a savage
passion in his eyes. “I can fix that.” Then, in one deft movement,
he unlatched the door and kicked it open. The next thing Jess knew,
she was airborne, swept into his arms and cradled to his sturdy
chest. He spoke as he carried her over the threshold, his voice
husky with desire. “If you don’t mind,” he said with a sultry gaze,
“I’d like to make love to my new wife…for as long as she can
stand.”

That might be quite a while, Jess reasoned.
But she didn’t have to say so. He’d already laid her on the bed and
was stripping away her panties. Jess knew she might regret this
later, but it certainly seemed the right thing to do now. She
gasped as he entered her, feeling as though she’d found the place
in the world where she’d always belonged.

“I do love you, Jessica,” he whispered
between kisses. “I’m praying that someday soon you’ll believe
it.”

She believed it now, oh yes, she did, and she
wanted this feeling to go on forever. Jess wrapped her arms around
his neck and kissed him back, hoping this wasn’t an illusion. Even
if it was, she didn’t care to stop it. She’d never experienced
anyone like Fernando in her life, and this morning he was all
hers.

“Are you newlyweds going to want dinner?” It
was Ana María’s voice outside the door.

Jess opened her eyes to find herself wrapped
in Fernando’s arms, the sheets twisted around them.

“We’ll be down in a minute, Mamá!” Fernando
called, snuggling Jess closer. “You
are
hungry?” he asked
Jess in a whisper.

“Starved,” she answered truthfully.

“Good,” he said with a firm kiss on her lips.
“That means I did my husbandly duty.”

He’d more than done his husbandly duty. Given
the various kinds of attention he’d administered, Jess feared it
would be weeks before she’d ever walk again.

“I’ll say,” she said, smiling. “I’m honestly
not sure how well my knees will hold up after that.”

He shot her a sexy grin. “I can carry you, if
you’d like.”

“Your carrying me is what landed us in
bed.”

“So it did,” he replied, lightly caressing
her cheek as he kissed her again.

“What time do you think it is?” she
asked.

“It must be around two o’clock.”

“In the afternoon? We’ve been here half the
day?”

“I wouldn’t say it was a waste, would
you?”

“No, it was…marvelous.”

“Marvelous?” he asked, with an amused grin.
“That makes me feel pretty special.”

“You are special,” she said, meaning it
absolutely. In an utterly confounding way, he was the most
marvelous man she’d ever met.

Fernando’s heart lit up at the sound. Was
that hope springing from his new bride’s lips? Was she actually
starting to fall for him?

“You’re not sorry, then?” he asked, holding
her gaze.

Her beautiful blue eyes softened. “I’m not
sorry that I met you, no. Not sorry that things became intimate
between us…”

“And the wedding?”

She stiffened beneath the blankets. “Don’t
push it, Fernando.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

Jess sat up, covering herself with the duvet.
“Don’t you think we should get dressed? Your mother’s waiting.”

Fernando pressed his palms together and
sighed. From one moment to the next, he couldn’t tell if he stood a
chance with this woman. Maybe he’d been a fool to believe one
concentrated morning of loving would change her mind. “Fine. We’ll
go down and eat. Do you still want to head into town later?”

“Yes, I think we should. Don’t you?”

“I actually wouldn’t have minded if you’d
suggested another nap.”

She picked up a pillow and swatted him
playfully.

“Ow! Watch where you aim that!”

“Protecting something?” she asked with a
wicked grin.

Fernando might not totally understand her,
but he knew her well enough to sense when she wanted more. “Yes,
let me show it to you.”

“Oh God, are you serious?”

He rolled her onto her back, clambering on
top of her. “I think there are too many blankets between us.”

She threw them back with reckless abandon and
grabbed his naked rear.

“As long as we’re still married…” she said,
tilting up her chin.

“If ever I’ve seen a conflicted woman, it’s
you,” he said, parting her knees.

“Maybe I need further convincing.”