How to Marry a Matador (Exclusive Sneak Preview) by Ginny Baird Page B

Ten
     
    “Wait! Pull over. I think that’s them,” Eve
yelped, causing Gustavo to bring the elegant sedan to a halt on the
busy boulevard. Other drivers honked and shouted insults.
    “Are you sure?” Gustavo asked.
    Eve leaned out her window and shouted to the
blonde seated on a bench by the river. “Jess!” Her back was to
them, but she was with a man, a very handsome man. They were both
laughing and eating ice cream. “Jessica Bloom! Is that you?”
    Jess swiveled her head in surprise as
Fernando turned to stare.
    “That’s Fernando, all right,” Gustavo said,
steering their car onto the curb.
    “Evie?” Jess asked in shock as Eve bolted
from the car.
    “Thank God you’re okay!” Eve said, rushing to
her.
    Jess stood uncertainly as Eve pulled her into
her arms.
    “Evie,” Jess said in disbelief. “What are you
doing here?”
    Gustavo approached at an even gait.
    “Gustavo?” Fernando said sternly. “What’s
going on?”
    “Your mother asked me to bring her to
Seville,” Gustavo said, indicating Eve.
    “Fernando,” Jess said in wonderment. “This is
Eve Parker, my very best friend.”
    “Evie!” Fernando said, stunning Eve by
sweeping her into his arms. “I told Jess to invite you to
visit!”
    “You did?” Eve asked, taken aback.
    “But I never imagined you’d act so fast!” He
gave her two swift pecks on the cheeks. “Ah yes, you’re just as
Jess described. Beautiful and capable.” In spite of herself, Eve
felt herself blush. “We’re so pleased you could come. Aren’t we,
Jessica?”
    But Jess just stared at Eve slack-jawed.
Fernando undoubtedly was eye candy with that adorable smile and his
rock-hard six-pack. His formfitting polo did nothing to disguise
the phenomenal physique beneath it. Maybe he’d hypnotized Jess with
his undulating abs.
    A siren blared, and the group turned to see a
police officer approaching.
    “Maybe we should move the car off the curb?”
Gustavo suggested.
     
    Jess sat in the backseat, unsure if she was
happy to see Evie or whether she was fuming. The truth was, Evie
showing up this way had completely caught her off guard. Fernando
had seemed to take it in stride, welcoming her good-naturedly to
their little gathering. Jess had caught only a glimpse of Gustavo
at the house once. She hadn’t observed how good-looking he was
until she’d seen him up close. She wondered if Evie had noticed,
then decided she didn’t particularly care. She was irritated with
Evie right now. Way irritated. She and Fernando had tickets to a
rare exhibit at the Archivo General de Indias tonight. There
was to be champagne and live music and the unveiling of some
“Discovery of the New World” documents not yet revealed to the
general public. Jess was living and breathing history here, and it
was exhilarating. She felt like an explorer, and Fernando Garcia de
la Vega was her sexy conquistador.
    “That bring back memories, Fernando?” Gustavo
asked as they swung around the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza
de Caballería de Sevilla, the oldest and most famous bullring in
Spain.
    “None that I care to remember.”
    “Fernando’s just being modest,” Gustavo told
the ladies. “Fernando was a very fine matador in his day. He could
have gone on to be one of Spain’s best.”
    “Gustavo’s exaggerating.”
    “No, he’s not,” Evie butted in. “I ran a
search on him. Gustavo’s right.”
    Gustavo glanced at Evie while Fernando
uncomfortably cleared his throat.
    “Where are we going?” Fernando asked.
    “I was hoping you’d tell me.” Gustavo
shrugged. “I just work here.”
    Fernando shot Jess a questioning look.
    “Don’t ask me. I didn’t even know she was
coming.”
    “What?” Fernando asked as Gustavo focused on
driving nowhere, minding his own business.
    Evie bristled a bit in the front seat. “I
thought you’d be happy to see me,” she told Jess.
    “Of course I’m happy,” Jess said, fighting
the confusion racing through her heart and