Page 12 of Her Spanish Scandal

“Si, Gui?”

“You do yourself a disservice,” he said.

She tried to smile, but her face felt too tight and she knew she had to look like she was faking it. Which she totally was. “Well, you did it first. I’m just following you.”

He cursed under his breath. “We need to talk. Somewhere that we won’t be interrupted or overheard.”

“Yes, I think we do. But there is a reception going on and, as you pointed out, you are one of the groom’s best friends. We should get back.”

She had learned at an early age that if she took command of a situation, people would automatically follow her. There was something about a forceful tone of voice that made even the most determined man back down. She smiled as winningly as she could and decided that she wasn’t going to attend any more weddings.

This had to be the worst one yet, and she was tired of torturing herself by going. No one would remark if she started skipping them. Rina always attended; she could represent their family and Kara could stay away.

“I’m not a lapdog.”

“I never thought you were.”

“Then stop trying to lead me around,” she said.

“I don’t understand you.”

He shook his head and she caught a glimpse of something in his eyes. Maybe he didn’t understand himself, either, but she was tired of guessing what was in his head. “Just tell me what’s really going on.”

He arched one eyebrow and glanced up and down the hallway. “Now?”

Kara followed his gaze. A few groups of people were drifting nearer, perhaps looking for the restroom or a little privacy. She refused to feel silly. “If it’s okay to announce I’m your fiancée in the middle of the dance floor I think this hallway is okay for a serious chat.”

“You’re engaged, Gui?” Christos said, appearing suddenly behind Gui. How had she missed his approach?

Kara bit her lip and wanted to stomp her foot. Every time she tried to throw that bit back at him, someone overheard her. She needed to stop mentioning their “engagement” before the entire world thought it was the truth.

To Gui’s credit, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and turned so that she was tucked up next to his side. She tried not to let the way he felt pressed against her go to her head, tried not to acknowledge even to herself that there was a rightness to the way her shoulder nestled under his arm. To the way his hand felt on her back and his body heat warmed her.

“That’s what we were discussing. Do you know Kara deMontaine?”

Christos nodded toward her. “Yes, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Kara. Two years ago, wasn’t it? At Rina’s thirty-fifth?”

“Yes. Rina said that she wanted the world to know she wasn’t afraid of aging.”

“No one should be afraid,” Christos said. “Especially a woman as beautiful as your sister.”

Kara flinched and knew that Gui felt it, because he glanced down at her. She smiled, but it was forced. She hated comments like that one. Comments that inevitably made her compare herself to Rina and come up lacking.

How could she do anything but?

“I’m out here because of another beautiful woman. Sheri is looking for us—it is time for you and me to toast our best friend and his bride. So we are all needed inside.”

“Of course. I better go find my friends. I’ll talk to you later, Gui.”

“I’ll escort you,” he said, refusing to let her leave his side.

As soon as they were alone she was going to talk to him about that. She had the impression that he liked to always be in control of everyone around him.

“Why thank you, I’m not sure I could walk all the way back to the reception on my own,” she muttered under her breath.

Christos chuckled and shook his head as he walked away. He called back to Gui. “I’ll meet you at the bridal party table.”

Gui cupped her elbow and started walking back to the ballroom where the reception was being held. “Gentlemanly behavior shouldn’t elicit sarcasm.”