by Maggie Ryan
“And just when I was forgetting you were a gringo, you go off and remind me,” she said, giving a small laugh. Although she was grateful that Anson had lightened the mood. Memories of her past stabbed at her very soul, and she didn’t have the time or luxury to go down that path when they were in the middle of survival mode.
“Nothing wrong with being a gringo, mí corazón.”
She noticed how well he said the simple words, her heart giving a little jump as he called her “his heart.” “Ooh, you even have the proper accent when you speak Spanish to me.” She gave a wink as she walked over to the gear they had brought down with them to go fishing with.
“Courtesy of Stryder. He grew up in Rosario, and made sure that when we spoke Spanish, we did it right. He wouldn’t let me sound like I had just learned the language from a text book.”
“So you speak it fluently?” Natalia asked over her shoulder as she squatted next to the pile of materials they had gathered.
“Depends what you call fluently. I wouldn’t want to have a full conversation with you, but I can hold my own if I have to.” He walked over, sat down, and assisted her in preparing the fish traps.
She had learned this basic survival skill while living in Chile, and was now happy she had. It was obvious Anson knew what he was doing in regards to the making of the shell, but two sets of hands were always better than one. They could make two traps now and up their chances of catching something for dinner. She and Anson had already collected what they needed. The stand of cusquea quilas provided the bamboo, and they’d also gathered flexible vines before bathing in the river, so the rest of the work would require them sitting down and actually making them. At least the tedious and time consuming work would keep her mind off the massacre that had just occurred so close to them that she could all but hear the cries of death.
“And you think Stryder will be able to find us?” she asked, not looking up as she tied little knots into the vine, looping it around the bamboo repeatedly.
“I know he will. It’s just a matter of time.”
“I hate to break it to you, gringo, but Argentina is a pretty big country. You Steele brothers may have some superhuman power I am unaware of, but I find the fact that he could find us pretty unbelievable. There’s no way he is going to know we are in the jungle, much less where in the jungle. He’ll more likely go looking for us where Montez is and get himself killed.”
“No, my brother is smart. Too smart to get killed. Trust me.”
They sat there in silence for several moments, both concentrating on their tasks. She glanced over at Anson who, despite having to be careful using his right arm, already had the funnel of his trap taking shape. The competitive nature in her wanted to beat him and have her trap first in the water. Maybe if she kept him talking, it would slow him down. “So tell me the plan. How do you expect Stryder to find us?”
“We go to him.”
She stopped and stared at him. “Where?”
“Well, I have to think the way Stryder thinks. And trust me, that is scary as fuck,” he said with a chuckle. “Anyway, he’ll get to Argentina and soon discover that you and I are not with Montez. He’ll also find out there is a bounty on our heads, which means he will know we are in hiding. Stryder will then know that he won’t be able to just simply find where we are, because he understands I would never allow us to hide in a place that can be found. So, his next step will be to go someplace where I can find him. A meeting place of sorts.”
“And you know all this without even talking to Stryder?” Natalia asked skeptically. She began weaving leaves in and out of her basket to close any holes large enough for the trapped fish to escape.
Anson shrugged. “We’ve worked as a team many times so, while I admit it’s a risk, I’m willing to bet that Stryder will go to Rosario. It’s his home town and it’s where I’d head.”
She nodded, trying to speed up her trap-making as she noticed she was gaining on Anson in the creation. “Okay, I’ll give you that. He could go to Rosario. But you think it will be easy finding him in the narco capital? Rosario isn’t exactly the smallest city.”
“I remember Stryder talking about his childhood neighborhood—Nuevo Alberdi. More importantly, his mother is buried there. My guess—and this is just a guess—is he will be paying his mother a visit. But he will also assume that I know he will be paying her a visit, so he’ll wait for me to show up there.”
Natalia paused, stunned. “That’s really smart. I have to hand it to you, Anson. Smart.”
He smiled. “Thanks. I’m known as the smart brother.”
“I bet your brothers would argue that fact.”
He laughed loudly, wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes. Anson looked so happy and content sitting on the riverbank with a nearly created trap between his legs. “Very funny. I’m sure they would disagree with me for sure. But it’s still the truth.” He gave her a playful wink.
“You are really lucky to have a close family.” She said the words as fact, and was careful her voice had no undertones of sadness. She didn’t want any pity for all the siblings and loved ones she had lost.
“Oh, I am. We are all very close. The Black Stallion Ranch truly is a home in every sense.”
“And you all live together? Under one roof?”
He nodded as his fingers continued to weave. “It’s a big roof and a lot of land. We work from the ranch as well. My father and brothers and I built the place ourselves. A lot of heart and soul went into it.”
“You may be gringos, but it sounds very Latin of you all. I like that. My culture believes in staying close.”
“Well,” he said as he tied one of the last knots, almost finishing his trap, “I guess you could say my family believes that, too. We’ve created our own culture on that ranch of ours. I can’t wait to show you.” He smiled and looked up at her. “Almost done?”
Natalia looked down at her trap, hoping her hastily-tied knots would hold. “I am. Two more seconds, and I’m about to show you how to catch a fish.”
Anson chuckled as he stood, dusting off the jungle debris from the seat of his pants. “Oh, is that so? Care to make a wager?”
“Wager?” she asked, testing the strength of her bindings.
“Yes, a wager.” He picked up his cylinder-shaped fish trap and walked over to the water’s edge. Natalia got up and did the same. “Whoever’s trap catches a fish first is the winner.”
“And what does the winner get?” They both walked along the edge, looking for dead fish or anything rotting to use as bait. They hit the jackpot when they discovered several dead minnows in a pool of stagnant water that had formed between the bank and a tangle of tree roots.
“Whatever they want.” Anson grabbed a couple of the dead fish, adding them to his trap. He put it in the water, and placed rocks in and around it to hold the trap in place.
Natalia stood there for a moment, contemplating his suggestion. “Meaning? What would you want?”
“It’s a secret. I’ll tell you once I win.”
“Please, that rickety trap has no chance against mine,” she said, baiting her own and then grinning. “Besides, yours is too shallow.” The fact that she was wearing a skirt and not pants would allow her to wade out into the stream to place her trap into deeper water a few feet away from Anson’s. She’d also place it upstream in hopes that the stupid fish would go into the first trap that they passed—namely, hers. Still, she couldn’t help but tease him. “I watched you make yours. You didn’t block all the holes. The fish are going to take your bait and then be on their merry way.”
“Oh, we’ll see about that, Miss Sassy. So I take it you agree to the wager?”
Natalia paused and studied Anson’s twinkling eyes. She wondered what he would want if he won, but feeling pretty confident in her trap, decided to throw all caution to the wind. “You got it, gringo. Winner gets whatever they want.”
“Mí cariño, you just sealed your fate,” he said with a hearty chuckle. “I’m
going to enjoy this.”
Chapter 13
Anson watched Natalia as she stood on the river bank, her head swiveling back and forth as if at some tennis tournament. He knew that she wasn’t watching a yellow orb being driven across a net but was looking for the colorful flash of an unsuspecting fish. It had been fun sitting across from her, working on the traps. Really hoping they’d be successful, as fresh fish was sounding better and better, he couldn’t help but also hope he won the wager.
She finally turned from the river and shrugged. “This is a bit like waiting for the pot to boil. Why don’t we try to find some wild greens and mushrooms to go with our meal?”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Anson said, shaking his head.
“Why not? The jungle is full of possibilities.”
“True, but say we come back to find fish in both our traps? How will we know which one swam in first?”
“Anson, is it really that important? It’s just a silly bet.”
It was most definitely not a silly bet—well, maybe it was, but hell, he couldn’t help but hope he won the wager. Natalia might not know what she would demand as the winner, but he’d known instantly what he’d require of the loser from the moment he’d suggested the bet. “Fine, then I’ll accept your concession.”
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“That means you have chosen to forfeit, and since that makes me the winner, I can now claim my prize.” Gorgeous green eyes widened as he grinned and slowly began to walk towards her.
“Wha… what exactly do you expect to claim?”
“Ah, mi niña hermosa, that is for me to know and…” His next step had him close enough to reach out and stroke a finger down her cheek. “You to discover… or should I say experience?”
He loved the fact that though she swallowed hard enough for him to see the movement of her throat, she didn’t step away. Moving his hand behind her head, he bent to kiss her. Her lips were so incredibly soft beneath his, her response instant as he slid his tongue into the sweetness of her mouth. She wasn’t only his beautiful girl, she was his heart and soul. Deepening the kiss, his fingers tangled in her hair as he pulled her closer, her breasts flattening against his bare chest, the pebbled points of her nipples causing his cock to stiffen. Pulling back, he enjoyed the flush on her cheeks. The fear he’d seen in her eyes at the sound of gunfire had been replaced with a softness, a desire that he would enjoy fulfilling.
“Are you ready to pay?”
Her hand lifted to press against his chest. Not to push him away, but to simply lie there as if relishing the beat of his heart against her palm for a moment before her fingertip began to stroke ever so slowly against his skin.
“I never said I was actually conceding, you know,” she said, evading his question. “It would help to know exactly what this is going to cost me.”
Anson saw a movement over her shoulder and grinned. “Seems that the gambling gods are definitely on my side today.”
Confusion caused her brow to furrow and her nose to crinkle. “Why would you think that?”
“Because concession or not, I have definitely won.” Turning her, he directed her attention to the water. “Looks like a nice fat fish has decided to grant me my wish.”
The fact that his trap was rocking back and forth without the benefit of any waves told of his success, and yet he wasn’t truly surprised when he heard, “But I might have one, too!”
Anson chuckled and shook his head. “Ms. Alvarez, you didn’t strike me as someone who would renege on a wager.” With his arms already around her, it was easy enough to move his hands to gently cup her breasts. Bending down, he kissed the side of her neck. She moaned, pressing into his hands as he began to stroke his thumbs over her nipples.
“You don’t play fair, Mr. Steele.” She sounded a bit breathless, and his response was to press his erection against her bottom, give a long lick to the sensitive area behind her ear and then blow across it before giving the skin the softest of bites. Her gasp of pleasure was as incredible as the press of her ass against his crotch. Lifting his lips, he stepped back, grinning when she turned, the surprise of his departure clearly written on her face. “Why… why’d you stop?”
“Because I am an honorable man. Please, be my guest. Go ahead, wade out and check yours.”
“I didn’t mean… I was only… fuck… I don’t care if there is an entire school of fish in my trap. You win, Anson.”
He grinned and stepped to her again. “It’s my hope, pequeño colibrí, that it is you who feels like the winner when I claim my prize.” Cupping her chin in his fingers, he held her still as his mouth once more descended on hers. By the time he released her, she was panting. “But first, you shall need sustenance.”
“What! I thought… don’t you want your prize?”
“Yes, I want it very much,” Anson said, loving the fact that she’d gone from somewhat reluctant to extremely anxious to discover what he had in mind. He was a man who believed strongly in the power of anticipation. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to keep her wondering for a bit, and they both needed to eat. “But I see your point in the need to forage for the rest of our supper.”
He laughed when she actually stomped her foot. “Now who’s throwing a temper tantrum?” he asked.
“You are going to drive me loco! At least have the decency to tell me what you are planning.”
Anson reached out to pat her ass before heading towards his trap. “And spoil the surprise? I think not.” He ignored her huff of frustration and soon had his trap on the bank. Inside was a beautiful silver fish. Using one of the vines they’d gathered, he threaded it through the trout’s gills before releasing the improvised stringer back into the water. Securing the end to a tree, he picked two more dead minnows and rebaited his trap. He wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Natalia wading out to check her trap and grinned. Though it was totally unnecessary, the little Latin lady was holding her skirt up to her waist, her bare ass in full view as she pushed through the water. When she bent over, much further than required to reach her trap, her heart shaped bottom swayed from side to side in a clear attempt to capture his attention.
“I love charades,” he called out, causing her to turn her head towards him. “Don’t tell me, let me guess.” She straightened, clearly confused. “Oh, I’ve got it. You either caught a bottom feeder or a snake.”
She came out of the water far faster than she’d gone in. He was laughing hard by the time she reached the bank.
“You think that’s funny?” she demanded. “A snake!”
“Oh, babe, you are just too cute,” he said in answer, drawing her to him, his palms cupping the globes of her ass as she’d not yet dropped her skirt. He silenced her huff of indignation with another kiss, squeezing her flesh as he explored her mouth yet again, but again, pulled away, leaving her wanting more.
They did forage for greens and when Natalia found some mushrooms, they gathered those as well. Anson’s trap caught another fish that he added to the streamer. When he stood again, it was to find Natalia smiling, and his thought that she was up to something was confirmed when she pointed out to the water.
“Since you found it so hysterical to scare me to death, I think it only fair that you go check my trap, don’t you?”
He’d never tire of playing games with this incredible woman. “I’d love to. In fact, I have to thank you for demonstrating the proper way to do so.”
She huffed. “You’ve caught two fish in your trap already.”
“True, and though you haven’t had quite the luck, you still taught me a valuable lesson.” He watched her eyes narrow with obvious suspicion and then snap wide when he unzipped his jeans.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking my pants off.”
“I can see that, but why?”
Not bothering to answer he continued working his jeans down his hips. He didn’t need to be touching her to be aroused. Hell, since he’d met her he’d been hard most of the time. No
t having replaced his boots after checking his trap, he kicked out of his jeans. He kept his eyes on her as he straightened, his erection jutting from his body.
She lifted her gaze from his cock. “Well done, Mr. Steele.” She paused and grinned. “Really smart to go nude and even better to go in with your cockstand.”
It was his turn to be puzzled, her reaction not exactly what he’d expected. Though he sensed a trap—and not one containing any fish—he had to see where this went. “All right, I’ll bite. Why do you say that?”
His heart skipped a beat as she walked slowly towards him, her hips swishing from side to side. Reaching him, she placed her hand on his chest. “Exactly. You continue to amaze me with your supreme intelligence.” Her hand dropped to wrap around his shaft. “I might have shown you how to keep your clothing dry, but, you, sir, took such a simple lesson and made it so much more.” Her hand felt incredible and while he liked to think he was a man of iron control, he was beginning to wonder when her fingers began to squeeze and release along his cock.
When she leaned in, he bent, ready to accept her kiss. Instead of moving the final step necessary to lift her face for that kiss, she lifted her eyes to his. “Quite ingenious, actually.”
He’d known her long enough to know that he’d most likely regret it, but he couldn’t help himself. “Care to elaborate, Ms. Alvarez?”
“Certainly. You obviously knew that a limp dick dangling between your legs would look like quite the delicious treat, too alluring for any species of fish not to nibble on. With this…” she paused speaking but her hand didn’t pause in stroking him, “rod of steel, tiny little fish teeth don’t stand a chance.”
She gave him a final squeeze and then released his cock, which had grown thicker and harder with her ministrations, leaving him just as unsatisfied as he’d left her. Pointing towards the river, she smiled. God, she had spirit and sass, and he thoroughly enjoyed both.
Standing in the water, he was pleased to discover that she, too, had caught a fish. Having forgotten the stringer, he bent further to push away the rocks holding the trap in place, grinning as he imagined her watching. Giving in to his playful side, not particularly caring that he could picture his brothers both deciding he’d just lost his “alpha card,” he wagged his butt up and down and from side to side before finally lifting the trap. Looking up, he smiled, fully expecting her to make some silly comment. Instead, he saw her standing on the bank, wringing her hands, her face telegraphing worry.