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

by Brenda Jackson

  If she’d had more nerve, she would have strutted across the hall after her shower, wearing almost nothing under her housecoat, and asked if she could come inside his cabin for a minute. Then she would not only kiss him but invite him to sample something else.

  Of course, there was no way she could do something like that. It was only wishful thinking on her part.

  Even after her bath, she was too restless to do anything other than sit out on her balcony with a glass of wine, reliving that kiss. It has been closed to eight before she felt hunger pangs and ordered room service. She wondered if Landon had done the same, or if he’d decided to go to the dining room.

  Now it was a new day, and she was ready for another adventure. She glanced at her watch and saw it was close to ten in the morning. She was well rested, since she had gone to bed after dinner and had enjoyed the best sleep ever, dreaming of Landon. The man could kiss her good-bye anytime.

  She heard the cabin phone ring and left the balcony to answer it. “Hello?”

  “Good morning.”

  Monica’s stomach spiked at the sound of the sexy voice. “Good morning, Landon.”

  “I came down to the food court to grab a breakfast sandwich and saw they had just put out those banana nut bagels you like. I wasn’t sure if you’d eaten yet and wanted to know if you’d like me to grab you a couple.”

  She licked her lips, thinking not only about the bagels, but him. If she said yes, she would see him again and she definitely wanted that. But in her present state of mind, she would probably jump his bones the minute she opened the door to him. “Thanks, Landon, but I had room service earlier. But thanks for thinking about me.”

  “I’m always thinking of you, Monica.”

  She felt a pull in her lower extremities. “That’s a nice thing to say, Landon.”

  “I meant it. If you don’t want anything, I’ll head back up to my room to finish reading. It’s a good book and I plan to be through with it by dinner time,” he said.

  “Then you can tell me all about it over dinner.”

  “Okay. See you then.”

  She hung up the phone and sighed deeply. She couldn’t contain the smile that broke out on her face at the sound of his voice. Her cell phone rang, and she recognized the ringtone—it was Sebrina. “I have my time zones figured out now, Bree. If I’m not mistaken, it’s nighttime there.”

  “You’re right, but I’m at work. I thought I’d use my break to let you know we have a housemate. He arrived yesterday.”

  They both knew Parker Stanhope was supposed to arrive this week, so it wasn’t a surprise. Was there another reason her sister was calling? “And?”

  “And he’s gorgeous, Monica. A Chris Hemsworth look-alike.”

  “Umm...but does he have Chris Harmsworth’s body?” Monica asked.

  “Maybe even better,” Sebrina gushed.

  Monica couldn’t help but laugh. Bree had never been this excited about a guy. “Get a hold of yourself. We don’t want him to move out before I get home.”

  “Why would he move out?”

  Was that real panic she heard in her sister’s voice? “He might not appreciate living with a hot-and-bothered woman.”

  “I am not hot-and-bothered, Monica.”

  “Then horny, perhaps?”

  “I am not horny either.”

  “So you say.”

  “So I know. Goodbye.”

  Monica laughed again when her sister ended the call. Then she heard a text message come through—it was from Bree.

  Just so you know, Parker helped me decorate the Christmas tree. We did a great job. It’s beautiful and I am NOT horny.

  Monica chuckled and was about to head back out on the balcony when she heard a sound outside her cabin door. Crossing the room, she walked over to the door and peered out the peephole. Her breath caught when she saw Landon walking away from her door.

  Had he been about to knock, but changed his mind? She felt a deep stirring followed by a gush of heat when she saw what he was wearing—a pair of jogging pants and a muscle shirt. OMG! Had he gone to the dining area dressed like that? How had he managed to return in one piece?

  Should she open the door and make him aware that she knew of his presence? The more she peered out of the peephole, the more she knew that wouldn’t be a good idea. Once he entered her cabin, she probably wouldn’t let him leave.

  She shook her head. Hadn’t she just teased Sebrina about being horny? Then again, she’d never really been horny before. She’d been almost oblivious to sexual attraction. But Landon definitely had her mind racing…and her motor running.

  Monica watched him hesitate before opening his door and going inside. Was he having second thoughts? Should she make it easy on him? Could she be that bold? Should she? She pulled her face from the door and drew in a deep breath. When she peered back, he was gone.

  She suddenly felt hot, like she needed a cold shower or better yet, a dive into a swimming pool. Umm...that might not be such a bad idea. Going for a swim. Given the number of people who’d disembarked, the pool area would be fairly empty. There wouldn’t likely be a better time to take a swim. She had purchased several swimsuits for this cruise, and she might as well start using them.

  Before she could think about it, she’d changed into her two-piece canary yellow bikini. This was one of the outfits Victoria had picked out for her during their shopping trip. Of course, it was Victoria’s favorite color. That was why Kennedy and Victoria’s wedding colors had been blue and yellow—blue for Kennedy and yellow for Victoria.

  Monica glanced at herself in the full-length mirror and had to admit the bikini looked good on her. It wasn’t any more revealing than a normal bikini, and her girls didn’t look as if they were ready to jump out of her top. It was a perfect fit.

  She’d thought about calling Landon’s room to see if he wanted to spend time by the pool but remembered him saying that he wanted to finish his book. Besides, he was the reason she was overheated in the first place. Why torture herself?

  Slipping into her cover-up, then placing her pool bag on her shoulder and sliding her sunglasses over her eyes, she left her cabin and headed toward the elevator. All was quiet, which meant most of the people on her floor wouldn’t be back until much later.

  When she got to the pool, she was relieved to realize it was as she’d thought—empty. Placing her bag beside the lounge chair, she pulled out one of the books she’d brought with her to read a little of, before taking a swim.

  Before long, she was so totally engrossed in the story she was reading, she didn’t notice someone had come to stand beside her lounge chair until he spoke. “I see we both had the same idea, Monica.”

  She didn’t have to look up to see who was there. She was getting used to the deep, husky timbre of his voice. Yet she lifted her head anyway and brought him into focus through the lenses of her sunglasses.

  Landon stood there, a book in his hand. He was bare chested and wearing swimming trunks. At that moment, her book was forgotten, and his presence claimed all Monica’s attention…and senses.

  “Looks like it.”

  “May I join you?” he asked.

  “Sure. I thought about calling you before I came down, but I didn’t want to disturb you.”

  He smiled over at her as he slid into the chair beside hers. Her eyes followed the movement, appreciating the view. “You can interrupt me anytime. I needed to get out my room so housekeeping could do their thing. When I went out on balcony, I saw a number of people getting off the ship and figured this would be the best time to check out the pool.”

  She nodded, forcing herself not to lick her lips. “Great minds think alike. I’d figured the same thing.”

  Monica’s mind started to whirl with other things they might think similarly about—erogenous zones, positions… She took a deep breath, trying to calm her suddenly racing heartbeat. She really needed to get a hold of herself.

  Through her sunglasses, she watched him stretch out beside
her. This was the first time she had seen him shirtless, and her libido ramped up again. He had such a beautiful chest. It looked muscled, hairy, powerful and sculpted. The man was so well-built, she had to forcibly keep herself from drooling. He had massive shoulders, a muscled chest, and powerful thighs. His stomach was as flat as a washboard and so well defined, she could feel her own stomach muscles clenching in feminine appreciation. When he suddenly stood up, her gaze drifted to his black swimming trunks. Final verdict—Landon Chestnut’s body was a work of art—pure male perfection.

  “I’m thinking about taking a swim. Want to join me, Monica?”

  Her gaze moved to his face. He was staring at her with an intensity that made another crackle of sexual energy flow between them. She had no doubt that he’d noticed her checking him out, but she couldn’t help herself. Besides, what had he expected? She was a woman who appreciated a fine masculine body when she saw one.

  Knowing he was waiting for her answer, she said, “Sure.” She had come to the pool to cool off anyway. Now because of him, she really, really needed to.

  Easing off the lounger, she slid the cover-up off her shoulders. Did she hear his sharp intake of breath when she’d revealed her bathing suit? She wanted to look over at him but forced herself not to. Instead, she kicked off her sandals, raced to the pool and dived in.

  Landon felt a deep, sexual hunger stir to life the moment Monica removed her cover-up to reveal that sexy yellow bikini. He was shaken to the core. Women with nice figures had caught his attention before, but Monica, in that bikini, held him spellbound. All he could do was stand there and stare at her. Total awareness of her flared up in every pore of his body.

  He had thought the dress she’d worn two nights ago was an attention-grabber, but her bathing suit had his heart racing in his chest. Now, as he watched her move gracefully through the water, he couldn’t help but stand there and stare, entranced. It was obvious that she was an experienced swimmer. When she’d done a few laps, she swam to the middle of the pool and treaded water. Pushing wet hair from her face, she said, “The water feels good, Landon. Are you going to be a participant or spectator?”

  He chuckled, then stepped out of his sandals and moved toward the pool to dive in. The water did feel good—it was the perfect temperature. He swam toward her. “I needed a moment. I like your swimsuit, by the way.”

  “Thanks, and I like yours. Come on, let’s do a few more laps.”

  Together, they did several and he couldn’t help but admire how easily her body glided through the water. She had the agility of a mermaid and the gracefulness of a swan. Time flew by, and he wasn’t sure how many laps they’d done before she switched directions and started toward the side of the pool.

  “That was some workout for me. I haven’t been swimming in a while,” she said, pushing dripping water out of her face.

  “You’re good,” he said.

  “So are you,” she said, smiling at him. They both turned when they heard a huge splash and saw a few other people had found the pool. “Appears our privacy has ended.”

  He nodded. “It was nice while it lasted.”

  “Yeah, it was.”

  “Are you thinking about having lunch out here?” he asked.

  “No. I had a big breakfast. It should hold me for a while. I don’t want to ruin my dinner, after all.” She smiled, then added, “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “So am I. And dancing afterward should be great. Hagia recommended a nightclub in downtown Brisbane that has a live band that plays all kinds of music.”

  “Then by all means, let’s go there. You probably figured out from the other night that I enjoy dancing.”

  Yes, he had. “Are you going back to your cabin now?”

  “No, I think I’ll hang out here a while and try to get back into my book. If housekeeping kicked you out of your room, chances are mine is next.”

  “Is it okay if I hang out here with you?”

  “Of course.” They walked side by side back to the lounging chairs. He’d seen a group of guys—or more apt, a pack of wolves—standing near the bar. Their predatory eyes were watching every step Monica took. It was only when he stared hard at them that they stopped their ogling. It had been years since he’d felt territorial about a woman, but Monica was different. He would enjoy keeping her company…and keeping those hungry wolves at bay.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  MONICA LOVED TO DRESS up, and her date with Landon was the perfect opportunity. One of the advantages of sharing a house with three other females was being on the receiving end of their beauty and dating tips.

  She knew which lip color was perfect for her complexion, how to wash and blow dry her hair to get that salon look, even after a swim, and what outfit she should wear that was most likely to grab her date’s attention. Always one to pay it forward, she’d been sure to pass those tips on to Kelly. She’d need them, once she finally finished school.

  Monica did a triple twirl in front of the full-length mirror. Landon had seemed to like the outfit she’d worn to dinner the other night, and she intended for the dress she’d chosen to wear tonight to have the same effect. There was nothing wrong with reminding herself that she was a woman—one who liked to be noticed and admired.

  For tonight, she had selected a red dress she’d seen in a store window a couple of months ago. It had stopped her in her tracks—she’d had to go in and try it on. She hoped it had the same effect on Landon.

  It was made of a mesh material that hugged her backside and curvy hips. And it was short, with a slit up the side that revealed a little thigh. The dress exuded elegance, romance and class. The sexy neckline was an eye-grabber, and the cold shoulder layered-ruffled sleeves gave it a stunning effect. She had paired it with dangling crystal earrings and her favorite pair of strappy black stilettos. Although she’d never worn this dress before tonight, she had modeled it a few weeks ago for her cousins and Sebrina. Everyone had raved about it.

  Earlier today at the pool, it had been obvious that Landon had liked the way she looked in her bikini. Not only had he told her straight out, but she’d noticed him watching her when he didn’t think she was looking. Yeah, he’d like this dress.

  She had just finished applying her lipstick when she heard the knock.

  When she opened the door, her breath was all but sucked from her lungs. Standing before her in a pair of dress slacks and dinner jacket, Landon Chestnut looked too good for words—a mixture of handsome, dashing and debonair all rolled into one. And his scent was both masculine and sexy.

  “You look absolutely stunning, Monica.”

  His words snapped her out of her daze. “Thank you. And you look very nice yourself.”

  He smiled and offered her his arm. “Thanks. And now, let our night begin.”

  She took his arm, then closed the door behind her and they walked toward the bank of elevators. “Did you get much reading done after we left the pool?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I finished the book I was reading. Now on to the next one in the series. What about you? Did you get pulled back into the story you were reading?” They reached the elevator, and he pushed the button to call it to their deck.

  “No. I washed and styled my hair, then did a few other things to prepare for dinner.”

  “Whatever you did, the results are astounding.”

  She blushed. “Thank you.”

  When the elevator door opened, they stepped on with a few other couples. The compartment wasn’t as crowded as it had been last night—people must still be in town. But at the next deck, a group of women got on and it was obvious they noticed Landon right away. They tried engaging him in private conversation, but he quickly shut them down.

  Just before they disembarked, invisible ink was stamped on the back of their hands for access back on the ship later. Then, they walked down the plank and onto the dock, both very ready for their date to start.

  “Do we need to catch a taxi?” she asked.

  He glanced down
at her and smiled. “No. I ordered us a limo for tonight.”

  A limo? No sooner had her mind echoed his words, than a sleek black executive style sedan pulled up, and a uniformed chauffeur got out. “Here’s our ride,” Landon said. “We have the car for the rest of the night.”

  Monica was truly impressed. As he led her over to the car, she smiled and said, “You’ve thought of everything, Landon.”

  No, Landon thought, sitting beside Monica as their driver whisked them through the streets of Brisbane, he had not thought of everything. Until she had opened her cabin door, and he’d seen how breathtaking she looked in that red dress, he hadn’t given any thought as to the best way to get her out of that dress once they returned to the ship tonight. But he was definitely thinking about it now.

  Sitting beside her, with privacy glass between them and the driver, Landon’s mind came up with a number of tantalizing ideas, most of which he had to shoot down. He knew he had to get his mind in check, but he was finding it hard to focus when her scent filled the car. She was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman.

  She was beautiful, simply stunning. Everything about her was perfect—her hair, her makeup, her dress. She was the whole package. And she was still smiling. “I love it when you smile.”

  She glanced over at him, her face half-illuminated by the lights shining off the buildings they passed. “Thank you. It’s been a while since a date has made me smile.”

  That comment stirred his interest. “Why?”

  “Let’s just say that in my experience, dates don’t usually begin or end well.”

  He wanted to ask for specifics but decided to wait. Because now, he had a challenge—to make sure this evening not only started and ended well, but would also be one she’d never forget. “I want to make you smile every day. And I want to get to uncover the real Monica Bennett.”