THE BENNETTS' CHRISTMAS (The Bennett Family and the Masters Family Book 6)

by Brenda Jackson

  Evidently something in Landon’s tone, as well as his expression, made the guy realize he didn’t have an advantage after all. He quickly handed the magazine back to Monica. “Hey, I was just teasing her,” he said, backing up and then quickly turning to walk away.

  Landon turned his full attention to Monica, ignoring the clapping and cheers of the women who were sitting at the table behind her. Up close, she was even more beautiful than he’d remembered. She was wearing little, if any makeup, so what he was seeing was her natural beauty. Her cocoa-colored complexion looked even smoother than it had that night, and her dark eyes could still take his breath away. In the daylight, he could clearly see the shape of her sensuous looking mouth. The kind any man would want to devour.

  He wondered if that’s what that guy had been thinking earlier. Even if he had, there was no excuse for his entitled attitude. In his book, when a woman refused a man’s advances, he accepted the rejection and moved on. Not that he’d had much practice at that.

  “I meant what I said, Monica. We need to stop meeting like this.”

  “Seems like you’ve taken the job of being my guardian angel again, Landon,” she said, smiling up at him.

  “Your guardian angel?” he said, grinning. He had never been called that before. Besides, it wasn’t true. If he had been an angel, there wouldn’t be so much sexual chemistry flowing between the two of them. And a guardian angel would not have all these improper thoughts floating around in his head. “I must admit it’s beginning to look that way, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  Landon was glad that she hadn’t minded his interference. Some women got offended if you treated them as a damsel in distress.

  For him, stepping in to help someone in trouble was second nature. That’s the way his parents had raised him. He’d been brought up to believe women were to be respected and protected. Not harassed and threatened.

  “Would you like to join me, Landon?” Monica asked, breaking into his thoughts.

  He liked the sound of his name on her lips. Why did it have to be so sensual? “Are you sure I won’t be interrupting anything? After all, you are reading your magazine,” he said, letting her know he’d heard that much of her conversation with that guy.

  She chuckled. “I’m positive. I just didn’t want Jack’s company. He was acting like an entitled ass.”

  Landon totally agreed. “Yes, he was,” he said, sliding into the chair opposite hers. “Are you enjoying the cruise, Monica?”

  “It’s work.”

  He lifted a brow. “Excuse me?”

  “Sorry. I should have said, it’s a working cruise for me. I’m a reporter for the travel section of St. Paul Star Tribune. The owner of this cruise ship is a native of St. Paul and invited the Tribune to send someone to write a review for the newspaper. All the other reporters on my team are married, so I was the lucky one who got the assignment.”

  Landon nodded. For some reason, he was glad she wasn’t part of the regular singles’ crowd. “Does that mean you won’t be able to enjoy yourself?”

  “No. In fact, I plan to do most of my writing at night, so I can still enjoy the cruise.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  “What about you, Landon? Are you having a good time?”

  He leaned back in his chair. “This is my first day out of my cabin. I’ve been getting lots of much needed sleep and reading for pleasure for a change. The cruise was a birthday gift from my sister. She thinks I’ve been working too hard lately. I didn’t know what kind of cruise it was until I got on board. Had I known it was a singles’ cruise, I would not have come.”

  “Oh, I see.” She didn’t say anything for a minute and then she looked over at him. “Did you ever get a chance to return to St. Paul?”

  He knew why she was asking, so he held her gaze and said, “No. There was no way I would have returned to St. Paul without looking you up, Monica.”

  Landon’s words made Monica’s heart do a little skitter. The serendipity of them reconnecting after all this time nearly overwhelmed her. She marveled at how handsome he was in the bright light of day and caught her breath. The dimmed lighting in the nightclub that night hadn’t done him justice.

  Now, she could clearly see his chocolate-colored eyes that were perfect for his almond-brown complexion, and that his defined nose was perfect for his face. But what really caught her attention, the way it had that night, was the shape of his lips. They appeared full, inviting and so darn alluring. And, she had to admit, there was something about muscle shirts and khaki shorts on a man that got her going.

  Landon Chestnut was definitely eye candy, just like those women had said. But his appeal was more than just the physical. On two occasions, he had stepped in to protect her, and she appreciated that.

  Her mind and body were so attuned to him. Just being around him made her head swim…and was making her remember how long it had been since she’d had sex—although the sex she’d had hadn’t been worth discussing. Still, just the thought of tumbling between the sheets with Landon was filling her with sensations she’d never felt before. Kennedy and Victoria had told her that was how it had felt when they’d first met Haddison and Cortez. An indescribable feeling had swept through them, making it difficult for them to breathe, to think, to do anything. She was feeling that same way now.

  Monica couldn’t help but wonder if she was reading too much into this. He’d come to her rescue from unwanted advances twice now. Was this some sort of hero worship, or something more?

  “If I recall, we were supposed to meet for drinks. We can certainly share that drink now,” she said, deciding to play it cool.

  “I have a better idea,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Let’s share that drink over dinner. Will you join me later?”

  An invitation to dinner sounded pretty darn good to her. He would certainly be better company than the group she’d dined with the last couple of nights. “I’d like that. Do you want to meet at the restaurant?”

  He shook his head. “No. I’m an old-fashioned sort of guy. I prefer escorting you from your cabin and back. Unless you have a problem with giving me your cabin number.”

  “No problem at all. I’m on the eighth deck. Room 832.”

  “Now isn’t that a coincidence.”

  She lifted a brow. “What is?”

  “Our cabins are across the hall from each other. I’m in 831.”

  Definitely a coincidence. “That means you have a suite as well.”

  “Yes.”

  “That was some birthday gift from your sister,” she said.

  He chuckled. “I have a feeling my parents and business partners pitched in. They all claim I’ve been working too hard, too.”

  “Oh? What sort of work you do?”

  “I’m a private investigator. My assignments take me all over the country and a few abroad. So, I tend to travel a lot.”

  “How long have you been a PI?”

  “Close to eight years now.”

  She suddenly remembered what he’d said when she met him in St. Paul. He had been there on business. That meant he’d been doing PI work then. Is that why he hadn’t wanted to spend any time with her? Had he been on a stake-out? “And where is your home base?” She felt more comfortable in asking him the question now than she had that night they’d first met.

  “Atlanta.”

  “Have you lived there long?” she asked.

  “All my life. I was born and raised there.”

  “Another coincidence, Landon. So was I. And I still have a lot of family there and in Macon. I relocated to St. Paul after college.”

  Monica couldn’t believe how much they had in common. And it was so easy to talk to him. After two days onboard, it was refreshing that he wasn’t trying to hit on her. And she really liked the fact that like her, the idea of taking a singles’ cruise wasn’t something he’d normally consider.

  “Well, I’ll let you get back to reading your magazine,”
he said, standing.

  She tilted her head to look up at him, already regretting his absence. “Alright.”

  “I’ll be at your cabin at seven. See you, Monica.”

  “Okay, Landon.”

  He smiled and then walked off. Her gaze followed him until he stepped on the elevator and was gone.

  It was then the women sitting at the table behind her clapped again. Evidently, they had enjoyed checking out his adorable tush as much as she had.

  Landon entered his cabin and hoped asking Monica Bennett to join him for dinner hadn’t been a mistake. But then, hadn’t he been thinking a lot about her lately, and had even contemplated returning to St. Paul just to see her? The memory of the sway of her hips in that pencil skirt she’d worn when she had walked out the night club that night had stayed with him.

  But even before she’d made such a sensuous exit, he’d experienced full-blown attraction to her when he’d noticed her confrontation with that guy named Dusty. Even though she’d obviously been angry, she was still strikingly beautiful. That night, he’d had sizzling dreams for the first time in six years.

  And he was still very attracted to her. The fact that Monica was on this same cruise, with a cabin across the hall from him, was definitely lucky…and convenient. What were the chances?

  There had to be a reason their paths had crossed twice now. He’d never been one to believe in fate, but now, the proof of it was staring him in the face.

  But to start, he had to see where this all led. He had nineteen more days to find out if there could be something between him and Monica. Hopefully, before they docked back in Sydney, he’d know. While they were on the cruise together, he wouldn’t deliberately invade her space, but he definitely wanted to spend more time with her, if she allowed it.

  It had been years—his early days in college—since he’d been serious about a woman. But he was finally accepting that Simone wasn’t coming back, and she would want him to be happy.

  And, as he moved around the cabin, he decided that getting to know Monica Bennett might be just the way to do that.

  “Are you sure he’s not a stalker, Monica?”

  Monica smiled at Sebrina’s question. It was the complete opposite of her other sister’s reaction. Fun-loving Kelly had wanted to know how soon it would be before Monica and Landon hit the sheets. Her two sisters definitely had different attitudes when it came to men.

  “He’s not a stalker, Bree.”

  “It just seems odd, that’s all. What are the chances of the two of you running into each other again? Makes one wonder.”

  She didn’t mind Bree wondering, as long as it didn’t lead to her sister worrying about her. “It’s okay, Bree. Landon is a nice guy. I told you that about him months ago.” Monica had told Bree, Victoria and Kennedy all about Landon, and her hopes that he would return to St. Paul and invite her out.

  “So, how’s our new roomie? Have you talked to him yet?” she asked, deciding to change the subject.

  “Yes. We talked on the phone briefly yesterday. He’ll be moving in this weekend.”

  “That soon?”

  “Yes. I think he wants to get settled before the holidays. Rae’jean called yesterday to assure me that he was a good guy. I guess that means he’s not at all like his parents.”

  “His parents?”

  “Yes. Grady’s sister and her husband. Don’t you remember Rae’jean telling us about them? They, as well as the rest of the family, were against Grady marrying Rae’jean because they didn’t believe in interracial marriages.”

  “Yes, but there were members of our own family who didn’t like it either. So, there were prejudices on both sides,” Monica said, remembering the cool reception Dusty had gotten when he’d come home from college with her one weekend. Taye and Michael had been fine with it, but Monica’s grandmother, Nanna Otha Mae, had almost had a cow. And when Monica and Dusty broke up, she talked about throwing a party.

  “I know. People ought to be able to love whoever they want,” Sebrina said.

  “I agree. And more people are understanding that. In fact, Rae’jean told us that Grady’s sister had even come around. A few years ago, she’d had a “Come to Jesus Moment” after that bout with breast cancer. And coupled with Grady’s threat to cut all ties with her if she didn’t change, well, I think she realized how close-minded she was being. Now she doesn’t look down her nose on anyone.”

  “Well, I’m glad of that.” She stifled a yawn. “I think I better get some sleep,” Sebrina said. “Don’t forget, you are fifteen hours ahead of me. It might be three in the afternoon there, but it’s just turning midnight here. I’m glad I was off work tonight. Take care of yourself, Monica.”

  “I will and don’t worry about me, Bree. I don’t intend to get involved with anyone. There’s plenty of time for that. I’m not even thinking of marriage until after I hit thirty.”

  That had been her steadfast goal and her family knew it. She was happy for Kennedy and Victoria, but she was in no hurry to find a husband. Next year she intended to follow in Kelly’s footsteps by getting her PhD.

  She wanted to teach journalism on a college level and her dream was to return home and apply for professorship at Clark Atlanta University. She had her life all mapped out. There was no time for a serious involvement with any man. All that mattered to her right now was her goal.

  Sure, Kennedy and Victoria said her goals would change in a heartbeat if the right man came along. And maybe for them it had. But she didn’t see that for herself.

  She ended the call with Sebrina, deciding to take a nap before dinner. She was definitely looking forward to seeing Landon again. The sexual chemistry between them was incredible. Whenever she looked at him, she could actually feel blood rushing through her veins. And when he smiled and showed those dimples, she had trouble catching her breath.

  Could he be the one—the man who could change her thoughts about sex? Kennedy had told her that mature men were different than young, inexperienced ones. They’d been in the game long enough to know how to pleasure a woman in the bedroom. She hoped that would be the case. But what if the problem was with her? What if she was frigid? A casual hook-up with Landon Chestnut would dispel that notion once and for all.

  Monica suddenly felt warm and tingly all over. She couldn’t wait for dinner.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “HONESTLY, LAND, DOES IT matter who chipped in? We just want you to enjoy your birthday.”

  “I appreciate it, although I’m sure you know that a singles’ cruise is not my thing, Zoe,” Landon said, as he moved around getting dressed. He was looking forward to his dinner date.

  “How do you know when you’ve never been on one before? Just chill and have fun. I’m sure you’ll find someone nice to spend time with.”

  He wouldn’t dare say anything about the woman he’d already found—and intended to get to know much better. If he was to mention it, Zoe would get all kinds of crazy ideas—including running a victory lap around her apartment complex—when it might be nothing more than an attraction that led...nowhere. Of course, there might also be some mind-blowing sex involved. He couldn’t dismiss that thought.

  But then...being attracted to a woman wasn’t new to him. What he found so intriguing about Monica was the intensity of his attraction to her. That was why he wanted to find out if there was something going on between them. And why, from the first time he’d met her eight months ago, Monica Bennett had been totally unforgettable.

  “I need to finish getting dressed for dinner, Zoe.”

  “At least you’re getting out of your cabin. That’s a good sign.”

  There was no need to tell her today was the first time he’d done so. “It’s a real nice ship.”

  “It’s a new ship. This is its first voyage. Text pictures.”

  “I’m not a picture-taker.”

  “I want pictures, Land,” Zoe declared. “I’m sure one of the women on board will be glad to show you how your phone camera works.” />
  He rolled his eyes. “Bye, Zoe.”

  “Bye.”

  He could hear her laughter when he clicked off the phone. Landon checked his watch and saw he had ten minutes to spare before he crossed the hall and knocked on Monica’s door. Tonight was Captain’s Night, so he’d put on a suit. At least Zoe had made sure he had packed one.

  Not wanting to pace, he moved to the balcony, slid open the door and stepped out. He looked out over the waves, wondering how he got here. There was just too much water to suit him. He was more of a land guy. His father loved the outdoors, and Landon couldn’t help thinking about the Chestnut family camping trips. To him, there was nothing better than living off the land and sleeping beneath the stars.

  He glanced back at his watch, wondering why he was feeling nervous. Hell, it wasn’t like this was his first date. Although he hadn’t dated for two years after Simone’s death, when he’d started again, he’d been careful to be very selective—especially, when it came to bed partners. He had made sure his companions knew he wasn’t looking for a serious relationship. Luckily, he’d discovered there were many women out there with that same attitude. They weren’t looking for romance or a commitment, but just a way to work off stress with raw physical contact, the way he did. And so far, those kinds of relationships had worked for him.

  Now, for reasons he couldn’t explain, he felt different. Until he’d met Monica, he’d had no thoughts of pursuing a woman. After all, he’d never met someone he’d consider to be more than a bed partner before.

  He honestly didn’t want to put too much stock into what he was feeling or thinking but was finding it hard not to. For eight solid months, she had constantly been in his thoughts and he figured there had to be a reason for it. And seeing her again had done more than just shaken him to the core. For the first time since losing Simone, he felt he was ready to move forward.

  Landon wasn’t a person who liked change without the full understanding of why it was taking place. Granted it was about time, but still, there were questions he needed answered.