Free The Spanish Aristocrat's Woman by Katherine Garbera Page A

match my passions perfectly.”
    And she knew he was talking only about sex, but a part of her believed she matched his passions in other ways, too.
    It was a start.

Seven
    K ara didn’t know what to think of Gui’s family. After her own small one, his was a bit overwhelming. His sisters were very nice to her, and welcoming, but they had a lot of energy and big personalities. There were three of them.
    She’d only met Arcelia and Anika, who were both in their late twenties. Augustina, Gui’s youngest sister, was only sixteen and was back at boarding school in Switzerland. However, she would be joining the family for a party to celebrate Kara and Gui’s engagement.
    The two sisters she’d met were skinny and beautiful, and Kara felt fatter and plainer every second she was with them.
    Cynthia was doing her level best to find legitimate work-related functions for Kara to attend but unfortunately this afternoon she had nothing on her schedule, so when Arcelia and Anika asked her to join them for an afternoon of shopping…she said yes.
    Puerta del Sol was the center of Madrid and was considered by many to be the center of Spain. Every distance in the country was measured by how far it was from the crescent-shaped plaza in the center of Madrid. They shopped for three hours before making their way to a restaurant on the plaza where they decided to have a late lunch.
    “How did Gui ask you to marry him?” Anika asked once they were seated and all had a glass of sangria.
    Kara flushed. No one had asked these questions of her, because she’d neatly avoided being alone with her friends and her sister since the engagement had been announced. Now she was faced with either telling them the truth or making something up.
    She took a sip of her fruity wine drink. “You know how Gui is. He didn’t really ask me so much as tell me.”
    Arcelia started laughing. “Typical Gui. I hope you gave him a hard time for asking you like that.”
    “I did.”
    “Good for you. He always said he would never marry, and to be honest I was a bit surprised when I read about your engagement. Mother was furious that he didn’t call and let us know first.”
    “I’m sorry you had to find out in the newspaper.”
    “It’s okay. Gui isn’t really big on communicating. You will have to be the one to keep us in the loop.”
    “So why do you think he asked you to marry him?” Anika asked.
    “I have no idea,” Kara said. Truly, she suspected it had something to do with Tristan and Christos both settling down.
    “You’re not his normal type of woman.”
    “I know,” Kara said. She thought about that every day when she woke up in bed with Gui. Since they’d come to Madrid, he hadn’t made love to her. And a part of her wondered if he had regrets now that they were here. Now that the wedding was only a few short days away.
    Anika reached across the table and took her hand. “I think that’s a good thing. He was dating these women who were…” She glanced at her sister, who shrugged.
    “Shallow?”
    “Yes, shallow. They were a bit trying at times. But you aren’t like that.”
    “Well, thank you,” Kara said.
    Anika laughed. “I sound like a flake, don’t I?”
    “A little. What are you trying to say without saying it?” Kara was really starting to like Gui’s sisters. They had that genuine core of solidness that she sensed in Gui. Kara suspected it was because of the way they’d all been raised. There was no room for doubt or weakness in their family. Gui’s parents loved all of their children, and it was clear to see that that affection and support had helped those children to mature into adults with purpose.
    “We’d like to help out with your foundation. As soon as Gui mentioned your name, we knew who you were. A&A Works has been looking for the right charity to partner with.”
    Kara smiled at the women. They owned their own jewelry design house. “What did you have in mind? I’d have to talk to Malcolm, who heads up