We Met In Argentina (International Alphas Book 6) Read online

  “Hey, I’m sorry if I offended you… I might be better at poker than you thought.” She smiled and he gave a laugh.

  “You haven’t offended me one bit; you just hit close to home on something I’m not exactly proud of.” Lance took another sip of his drink, and his eyes returned to the door.

  “I see. Well, I’ve been there too, but I can’t imagine the pressure from a father who runs an empire.”

  Lance nodded and looked back at her. “I’m assuming it’s different, but it’s all I’ve known. Enough about me, what about you?”

  Jenna sat back and briefly bit her lip. “Me? Not much to it.”

  Lance narrowed his brow. “Well, I don’t believe that for a second. How did a gorgeous young woman like you become a private investigator?”

  “Originally I worked for the NYPD. I went to school for criminal justice and was an absolute nerd about it. I knew there were easier paths I could take, but getting involved in the day to day and working with the people firsthand really appealed to me. But, when you get out there, things change your perspective pretty quickly.” Jenna took a sip of her drink, and her eyes cast down as the years she had spent on the force came back to her.

  Lance nudged her with his knee. “You don’t have to tell me about that stuff. What made you decide to go with the investigating work?”

  “I always liked puzzles, and on the force, I had a knack for connecting dots that others didn’t see. So, in order to have more control over the cases and get away from the shit I really didn’t want to see every day, I went out on my own. I’m happy I did it. I’ve already been able to help people, not always in the way I want, but closure is important.”

  Lance nodded. “I get that.”

  Jenna was silent for a moment. She was about to continue when two gentlemen entered the bar. She gently laid her hand on Lance’s knee; he looked at her with curiosity, and she signaled toward the gentlemen. He nodded, they both looked down at their drinks, and then their eyes looked up to watch the men carefully from the corner.

  The men were locals. Their skin was a deep tan, and their faces were weathered from years outside. The one on the right was shorter; his chest and shoulders were strong and broad, but a beer belly protruded from his shirt. He had round cheeks, eyes that squinted as he spoke, a pencil thin mustache that sat awkwardly above his lips, and a smile that revealed a few teeth were missing.

  The other man was taller, although not a tall man by any means. He was lean and stringy, with a long, scraggly beard that moved as he spoke. His face was longer, more weathered, and his hair had started to gray. She noticed as he clasped the other gentleman on the shoulder that his hands were beginning to gnarl with age and years of manual labor. Both wore old, torn up, and faded jeans, and their shirts were stained with grease, oil, and who knew what else. The scent of gasoline and fish came in with them as they entered the place. Jenna guessed they had to work at the beach nearby, either servicing engines or working the fishing boats.

  The two men laughed as they took seats at the bar. They were speaking in Spanish, and Jenna perked her ears to listen more carefully. She heard one mention the boss, causing the other to fall momentarily silent. When he replied, he spoke in a hushed tone, and though Jenna leaned a bit closer, it didn’t do any good. She couldn’t hear what he said.

  The bartender approached at that moment with two shots in hand, so it appeared they were regulars. The men looked up and greeted her with smiles and laughs. They thanked her and told her that soon they would buy the bar from her, have a retirement fund for her.

  Lance’s surprised eyes met Jenna’s, confirming in that moment that he could understand them as well. Both turned their attention back to the gentlemen as the two finished their shots and continued their conversation.

  Jenna couldn't quite hear the next sentence, but then she heard the name Pierce, and she felt Lance hit her under the table. She grabbed his knee, and together they listened. The taller gentleman nodded and leaned in close to his comrade; he whispered but Jenna still heard the words “lots of money”. The shorter man laughed. A broad smile spread over his face, his voice rising to a near shout as he declared, “We’ll be filthy rich!”

  Lance and Jenna looked at one another. She could feel the anger rolling off Lance with the heat from his body, and she held her index finger to her lips to tell him not to speak. She needed to talk to this gentleman. She watched as the taller man stood up and bid the other man goodbye. He walked out another door toward the back of the bar, she assumed into the alley beyond.

  “You stay here and watch him. I’m going to go talk to this guy,” Jenna whispered as she stood up. Lance’s eyes flashed angrily, but she was gone before he could respond.

  Jenna pushed open the heavy wooden door, and the afternoon sun nearly blinded her. The town seemed to simmer in the hot, tropical heat, and the smell of the alley hit her nostrils. She felt her heart quicken in anticipation; the man was only a few steps in front of her.

  “Discúlpeme señor?” Excuse me sir, she asked as she reached in her pocket for her phone.

  He turned around and said nothing; he only studied her for a moment.

  “Has visto a esta chica?”

  She asked the gentleman if he had seen this girl, using her phone to show him a recent photo of Lia. His brow furrowed, and he looked up at her with stone cold eyes.

  “No, señora.” He turned back around and started to walk again, this time at a quicker pace.

  “Señor—” Before Jenna could finish, she saw a flash of a man out of the corner of her eye. Lance lunged at the man and tackled him to the ground, straddling him and pinning his hands while the restrained man yelled nonsense.

  “Donde esta ella?!” Where is she?! Lance demanded. The man rolled around in the dirt below him, squirming and kicking to no avail as Lance outsized him by a foot and close to eighty pounds.

  “Lance! That’s not how we do this!” Jenna yelled, her own fury seared in her mind as she watched him hold down the man.

  “That is how I do this. He knows something,” Lance growled as he held the man steady.

  The man looked at Lance, spat at him, and told him in Spanish, “I saw her here once. She was headed to Franco. That's all I know.”

  “Quien es Franco?” Jenna asked who he was referring to.

  The man laughed loudly, the noise echoing against the alley walls. The sound chilled Jenna to the bone.

  “Right-hand man of the boss,” he replied simply in Spanish. He stilled under Lance, and Jenna looked at him with confusion.

  “Quién es el jefe?” She asked who the boss was, afraid the answer wasn’t going to be anything she wanted to hear. The man smiled, a gold-capped tooth sparkling in the sun. His face was damp with sweat, and his black hair was plastered to his forehead in a sticky mess.

  “A man who can do much worse than you could ever imagine,” he said slowly, his eyes looking at Lance and then Jenna. “You can find Franco Garcia at Marina Amanecer. Maybe he can help you find your friend.”

  Lance stood up and reached out his hand; the man sneered at him and didn’t take it as he rose and walked away. Lance watched him go and looked to Jenna.

  “He’s lying.”

  Jenna sighed and rolled her eyes at him. “I know, but you sure as hell didn’t help get any of the truth out. We don’t pummel people, unless they pummel us first!” Jenna was angry. This case wouldn’t go over well if Lance continued this behavior. She spun around and headed toward the main road. She needed to research this marina before she went in blind.

  “Wait, where are you going?” Lance trotted behind her.

  “Lance, you can’t pull this shit! Your recklessness could blow the whole case, and we could lose Lia. Do you understand me?! This isn’t a game. You don’t just get to go around guns blazing. This is about putting the damn pieces together, not breaking everything and making more.” Jenna’s eyes burned into his.

  Lance relaxed his stance and looked away briefly, then back to Je
nna. “I’m sorry, you’re right. I lost my head back there, made a rookie move. Let’s just head back to the house, clean up, and see what else we can find about Marina Amanecer and this Franco Garcia guy. I’ll make it up to you with some lunch,” Lance added lightly as he tried to turn the mood.

  Jenna glared at him with crossed arms. She sighed heavily as she shook her head, turned, and began walking back toward the road.

  She shouted back over her shoulder, “I want real empanadas.”

  Chapter3

  Jenna decided to swing by her hotel and grab a few things, because the two of them were going to spend the rest of the afternoon looking into the Marina Amanecer history, any recent crimes there, and Franco Garcia. She needed fresh clothes and her other supplies. She hadn’t even spent a day in the room but wasn’t sad that her accommodations had been unintentionally upgraded by meeting Lance.

  She smiled to herself as she thought of his handsome face and deep laugh. She hadn’t expected to come to Argentina and fall head over heels for her client’s son, but there was something there, something she couldn’t describe. She moved quickly as she packed up her canvas bag. She was eager to return to the beach house and be back in his presence.

  Jenna sighed and shook her head. She felt more alive than ever before, but she also felt tense and conflicted, that right in the middle of their growing feelings was his missing sister. She felt so unfocused, so off course, and she couldn’t bear the thought of another woman suffering at the hands of some truly evil people because of that.

  She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders as she looked out the small hotel window to see the bustling cityscape that shone in the bright sunlight. Somewhere, out there, was Lia, and Jenna knew in that moment, dead or alive, she was going to find her.

  *

  Jenna returned to the beach house to find a brown paper bag of fresh empanadas on the kitchen table and the sound of the shower going. She smirked as an idea crossed her mind; she had the perfect opportunity to repay Lance for his hospitality from the night before.

  She headed down the long hall toward the back bedroom. Steam poured out of the private bathroom, and she heard the echoes of Lance singing something incoherent as he bathed. She laughed lightly to herself at his exaggerated tones and pitches; he seemed to thoroughly be enjoying himself in there, but Jenna realized she could improve the experience a bit more.

  She stripped off her clothes and threw them in the laundry basket. Her lean figure and warm, brown skin were slicked with sweat from the heat and humidity outside. She pulled the hair tie out of her ponytail and thick, black curls bounced around her face. She grabbed the doorknob and paused for a moment, biting her lip, asking herself one last time if this was a good idea. She nodded and cocked her eyebrow. Oh yeah, this was a great idea.

  As Jenna opened the door, the thick clouds of white steam poured out of the bright white and sky blue bathroom. The mirrors were completely fogged, the creamy floor and wall tiles covered in condensation. The echoes of Lance’s singing were loud now; he hadn’t skipped a beat at the soft sound of the door opening. The curtain waved gently in the draft, the blue linen hiding his naked body from Jenna’s view.

  She crept forward slowly. Her light steps didn’t make a sound on the white, cushy, soft bathroom rug. Jenna reached out and pulled the curtain back, a sexy smile on her face as Lance turned around. His eyes went wide in surprise as the last bit of bubbly soap rinsed away from his hair.

  “Well, hello there. I wasn’t expecting company.” Lance grinned. His soft cock was already growing a bit harder at the sight of her naked figure.

  Jenna faux pouted, “Should I go?”

  Lance stepped closer to her. A drop of water splashed off his broad, well-muscled chest and onto Jenna’s cheeks, the warm water inviting her to join him.

  “I would prefer you stay. I think it would make one of my favorite things in life that much better.”

  Jenna cocked an eyebrow. “Showers are one of your favorite things in life?”

  Lance stepped forward and looked up innocently, then looked back down at Jenna with eyes that twinkled playfully. “I mean, they’re nice and warm, wet, and feel ohhhhh so good.”

  Jenna bit her lip. “Oh, that does sound nice. I think I’ll join you.”

  She stepped into the shower and felt the rush of warm water. Her muscles relaxed, and she felt the grime of the day began to rinse away. Lance stepped back. The shower was much larger than any other she had ever been in; it matched the luxurious size of the house. There was plenty of room for them to enjoy.

  Jenna reached her hands around Lance’s neck and felt his wet hair beneath her fingertips as she pulled him closer. Her lips trailed his seductively, and she felt him stiffen against her. His hands wrapped around her lower back, slid down to her full, tight ass and squeezed gently; his cock pulsed in pleasure as he did so.

  Jenna pulled back and looked up at him with lustful eyes “You like that ass, don’t you?”

  Lance groaned and squeezed again. “I do. I couldn’t help but watch you from behind all morning. I wanted to take your pants off right there.”

  Jenna stood on her tiptoes and began to nibble and kiss his neck and chest, her body pressed closely to his wet skin. Drops of water cascaded down their bodies, and the steam rolled around them in puffy clouds as his hands slowly slid up her sides and caressed her full breasts. Reaching back down, he kissed his way from her cheek to her earlobe. She moaned, her body writhing beneath his touch.

  Lance gingerly turned Jenna around, his hands traveling down every inch of her body until he came to her ass. He smacked it hard in the falling water, and it echoed loudly. Jenna bit her lip and let out a small hiss at the sting.

  “Mmm, that feels good. Do it again.”

  She leaned forward a bit, her round ass primed for his next smack. He gave her a small smirk and smacked again, this time harder and louder.

  She hissed again and bit her lip harder, her eyes glazed in sexual ecstasy. His cock was now rock hard, and his lips were pulled back in a hungry sneer; he wanted more. He pressed himself against her and gasped at the sensation of her ass pressed against his sensitive head. She flattened her back and rubbed herself slowly up and down his shaft, as his eyes rolled back in pleasure and he gripped her hips in desire.

  Jenna lowered herself and pivoted around so her face was right in front of his throbbing dick. Lance looked down at her in confusion, but she slid her hands up, one gripping his member and the other his tight balls beneath his wet pubic hair. He tossed his head back with a grunt of satisfaction.

  Slowly she began to rub up and down; he felt so big and thick under her delicate hands. She leaned in and sucked lightly on his sack. Her tongue explored the round shape and flicked to test his pleasure spots. He moaned and she sucked hard and popped one in her mouth.

  “Fuck.” He grunted as he fell back against the shower wall, the pang of gratification rippling from his middle to the rest of his body.

  She sucked harder, and her hand moved quicker as he responded to her touch. She released the one, and her tongue prodded until she found the outline of the other. She rolled her tongue over it and swirled, his noises of bliss guiding her movements.

  Jenna released it, and her tongue trailed the seam of his sack up to his penis, all the way to the head. He grabbed her hair and pulled her back to look her in the eyes. His own eyes dilated in euphoria, and he bit his lip irresistibly.

  “Do that again,” he demanded and relaxed his fingers. She smiled and reached back down.

  Her tongue traced down and then up again. This time when she reached the top, she swirled around the tip and teased him with flicks and lips that barely went over the head. Her hands caressed his balls; they gently massaged as she toyed with his dick.

  “Please… go deeper.” He begged now, desperate to feel her take him in further.

  Jenna obliged, and this time she slid her lips over his head and down his shaft; his cock twitched at the relief of being
teased. He moaned, his fingers curling against the tile wall as she inched further down until she reached the base.

  “Damn it, you feel so good,” he whispered, the roar of water almost drowning him out.

  “Mhmmmm.” She hummed, and the sensation sent pleasurable vibrations through his member.

  “Fuck, yes.”

  She moved her head up and down. Her tongue pressed against the rim of his head; she flicked and twirled around it as she moved up and down. Her movements developed a rhythm. Her lips slid up and down, while her tongue worked his entire package and responded to his every moan and thrust.

  Jenna felt her own excitement simmer deep within her. The slick wetness and throbbing clit demanded him, but she pushed it away. He had done her a favor last night. Today it was his turn. She picked up the pace and the rhythm. His sack tightened, and she felt him twitch in anticipation; he was ready.