Page 13 of Her Spanish Scandal

“Bossy behavior is a different story.”

“I’m hardly bossy.”

“You’re hardly ever not bossy. Ever since we met you’ve been telling me what to do and what to think.”

“Never what to think, Kara. You are too smart to let a man do that.”

She smiled up at him. “Yes, I am.”

He shook his head. “You’re very stubborn.”

“So are you. And you’re arrogant to boot. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

His finger rubbed against her inner arm where he held her. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t notice.”

“Maybe that’s why you had to resort to what you did to get a woman to be your—” She stopped talking and glanced around to make sure that there was no one close by. Just to be safe she stood on tiptoe, bracing her hands against his broad shoulders and spoke it in his ear.

“—fiancée.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her off balance so that she was supported by his body.

“I didn’t resort to anything devious to get you.”

Before she could think of a response, he kissed her, and even though she knew she should stop letting him end conversations by embracing her, she couldn’t. No man kissed the way Gui did. Or at least no man had kissed her the way he did. And he made her feel the opposite of what Christos had earlier. He made her feel like she truly was a beautiful woman.

As soon as Kara reentered the ballroom, Courtney grabbed her hand. And she’d never been so glad to see her friend as she was in that moment.

“Pardon me, Count de Cuaron, but I need a word with Kara.”

Gui gave Kara a kiss and then let his hand drop away. But she wasn’t sure he was going to walk away until he said, “I will see you shortly.”

He bowed to Courtney before turning on his heel and striding away from them, disappearing into the well-shod crowd celebrating Tristan and Sheri’s wedding.

As soon as he was out of earshot Courtney said, “What is that all about? I didn’t think you even knew him.”

“Of course I know him. I said I did,” Kara said, regretting it more than ever.

“Yes, but you also said that you knew David Beckham.”

“Well, Rina does know him, and I met him once.”

“You’re not Rina.”

“No, I’m not,” she said, aware that she was letting the conversation go into that crazy land where she’d not have to talk about Gui.

Her lips still tingled and she didn’t want to dwell too much on the fact that, when he’d held her the last time, she hadn’t wanted him to let go.

“So what’s up with you and the Count? Emily heard someone talking in the bathroom about an engagement.”

“Oh my God.” She was going to be utterly humiliated if everyone was talking. There wasn’t going to be a graceful way for her to back out of the “engagement.” And no matter what the truth was, if the engagement ended, everyone would think Gui hadn’t wanted her.

“What? Is it true?” Courtney asked, and for once Kara had no answers.

Kara shook her head, unwilling to lie to her friend, but the truth…she really had no idea what it was at this moment. “I have no idea.”

“Um…Kara, dear, you really should know if you have a fiancé.”

“It’s complicated.” God, she had no idea how she was going to explain this. If she told her best friends that she wasn’t engaged and Gui had used her to make another woman jealous, they’d go after him. And if she said she was engaged…Heck, she wasn’t going to say that.