Impeccably dressed in a suit that easily cost more than two of Penny’s paychecks, Diego Fuentes looked the part of the polished businessman. His more salt-than-pepper hair pegged him to be somewhere in his midsixties, and though he smiled as she and Rafe approached, there was no hiding the emptiness lurking in his eyes. Cold and hollow, they conjured a combo surge of anger and nausea that pitched her stomach to the side as Rafe accepted the man’s hand.
“Se?or Manuel, it is an honor to finally meet you.” Diego’s too-white smile flashed. “I have heard a great many things about you and your company.”
“And I’ve heard many varied things about you as well, Se?or Fuentes.” Rafe’s arm, linked solidly around her waist, tightened as she stiffened in response to his remark.
Fuentes paused a moment as if shocked that someone would speak to him so candidly, but when he let loose a low laugh, Penny slowly let her muscles relax.
“I have heard you are a straightforward man, Rafael, and this I like. And who may I ask is this exquisite creature draped on your arm?” Diego brought her hand to his lips as his eyes dropped in a breast-to-ankle assessment.
Rafe introduced, “This is Nell Hanlan.”
At the brush of Diego’s lips, Penny nearly vomited her internal organs on the man’s thousand-dollar shoes. Screw boiling water and gallons of disinfectant. To feel clean again, she’d have to skinny-dip in a vat of flesh-eating acid and then rinse off in a pool of bleach. It took the man forever to release her hand, and when he did, she barely refrained from wiping it on her barely there dress.
“Americana?” Diego’s wandering eyes made her skin crawl. “With hair as brilliant as a ruby and skin as flawless as I have ever seen, you are no doubt a model? An actress?”
She forced out a small string of giggles. “Actually, I am an actress, but I’ve been waiting tables until something that suits me comes along. Rafael’s helping me.”
“No doubt he is a good ally to have, sí? Please, join me.” Diego swept his hand toward his table, whose only occupant was a dark-haired young woman.
Penny smiled at the brunette but got nothing in return as Rafe ignored the extra chairs and pulled her onto his lap. The woman was an empty void—not a twitch of lips or a jealous sneer, and only after a full minute did the woman finally blink. Once.
“Tell me, Rafael,” Diego said as he dismissed a nervous waitress after she appeared with two more glasses of whatever brown liquid was in his tumbler. “Your business seems to have come quite a long way in such a short period of time. One who has his hand into exports cannot seem to have a business conversation without Manuel Shipping mentioned. Have you ever thought about expanding?”
Casually resting one hand on the inside of Penny’s thigh, Rafe stroked his fingertips over the sensitive back of her knee. An arousing combination of innocent touch and gentle caress, the contact would’ve awoken every flammable cell in her body if it weren’t for the fact that they sat with the monster who had Rachel and God only knew how many others.
This was the exact direction they’d hoped to go in, yet Rafe looked as if he hadn’t a care in the world. He lifted a shoulder in a barely noticeable shrug. “I already own one of the largest shipping companies this side of the hemisphere. Why would I need to expand?”
“A shrewd businessman is always looking for new ventures. What would you say if I informed you that I have the perfect arrangement already planned for the two of us?”
The corner of Rafe’s mouth lifted. “I’d think it would be a little presumptuous, but I’d hear you out. I should warn you, Se?or Fuentes. I maintain high expectations in my business relationships. Both my name and my company’s hold quite a bit of weight in the import and export business. When involving both in arrangements, I make absolutely certain the payoff is worth the risk of ruining my reputation.”
“That is understandable. And smart.” Diego nodded.
“So you understand why I’m going to have to demand a show-and-tell—everything from the manufacturing process to your testing facilities. And it goes without saying that I’ll be critiquing the distribution means you already have in place. In order to make this worth the risk, I need to know for certain you possess a top-of-the-line product from start to finish.”
“I assure you my product is pure—and unlike so many out on the market.” Though he was smiling, an underlying edge crept into Diego’s voice.
“I didn’t get to where I am today by relying on unproven assurances.”
“I’m afraid I cannot do as you ask, my friend.” Diego kept his posture relaxed as he sipped his drink. “If it is a sampling of the product you request, of course. I will have some to you within the day. But your other wishes I am afraid I cannot grant.”
This was it.