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

  Well, so far so good. Everyone had been welcoming and professional, and the service was great. Already her luggage was in her room, along with a bottle of champagne, a couple bottles of wine and a platter of chocolate and strawberries.

  Her cabin steward, a young woman from Belgium name Hagia, spent almost half an hour telling Monica about all the things there were to do onboard, promising her a wonderful time. Hagia’s energy was infectious, and Monica couldn’t help feeling the same excitement. Regardless of the work she had to do, Monica planned to have a grand time. She needed it.

  There were two hours before the ship left Sydney, so she decided to unpack. She’d chosen her wardrobe for this cruise carefully. In order to give an honest review about the ship, the amenities, and the people onboard—both staff and guests—she had to blend in and not attract too much attention. Although she doubted that would be a problem…

  Before boarding, she’d taken a look around at the other passengers. Just as she’d thought, there were more women than men. While in line, she had overheard a few conversations—unbelievably some women had already picked out the men they intended to pursue. Monica was nowhere near that brazen.

  After unpacking, she decided to go up to the top deck and grab some lunch. According to her itinerary, they would be at sea for the next three days before reaching Brisbane. They’d spend two days exploring the city, before setting sail for five tropical islands. Then there’d be another day at-sea.

  Her phone rang and she checked the caller ID. It was her brother Hansen. She quickly clicked on. “What’s up, Handsome?” She smiled, knowing he detested it when she messed with his name...although he was too handsome for his own good. Both he and Pratt had inherited Lorenzo Perkins’s striking good looks.

  “The name is Hansen, brat.”

  She chuckled. “At least I didn’t ask you where Gretel was.”

  “Ha-ha. And what’s this I hear about you going on a singles’ cruise?”

  She figured either Pratt or Kelly had told him. “You would have known if you hadn’t missed the last few weekly zoom meetings.”

  “It couldn’t be helped. The case I was working on was kicking my butt. However, I got my guy.”

  “That’s great, Hansen. Congratulations!”

  “Thanks. Now what about this cruise?”

  “It’s a working cruise. I’m doing a review for the newspaper.”

  “I should have come with you.”

  “Uhmmm…no. The women on board would have taken one look at you, and I wouldn’t see you again for the rest of the cruise.”

  Hansen chuckled. “I could handle the women, brat.”

  Yes, he could have. Her no-nonsense FBI agent brother was used to giving women a run for their money. He was not the philandering ass their father had been—and still was, for that matter—but Hansen did have a very active social life when he wasn’t working a case that took a lot of his time and concentration.

  After ending her call with Hansen, not surprisingly, Pratt and Kelly had phoned. Kelly, her fun-loving sister, told her to let her hair down and go a little crazy if she felt like it. But she wanted details. Kelly was working on her PhD, and the only chance she’d get of having any fun was to live vicariously through her half-sister.

  Pratt, like Hansen, had given her a lot of big brother advice and warnings about singles’ cruises. He’d been on a couple of them and had seen the same pattern—men would target whatever woman they planned to hook up with on the first day.

  Newsflash! The women did the same thing. Just like she’d told Hansen, she told Pratt that this was a working cruise for her. Although there would be time for her to enjoy herself, she wasn’t looking for a hook-up.

  Monica suddenly heard laughter and cheering, which meant the boat was moving away from dock and heading out to sea. The adventure had begun. She knew a lot of the passengers were hoping it would be a romantic one.

  She didn’t envy them, she thought, as she went back down to her cabin. Not once had she felt the clicking of her biological clock. Maybe she was odd, but she refused to buy into the notion that a woman had to have a baby before thirty. Her mother hadn’t had Monica’s baby brother until her mid-thirties.

  Once back in her room, Monica went to the closet and studied the dresses she’d hung up there. The last time her cousin Victoria had come to town, they’d all gone shopping. Monica’s sister and cousins had been all too happy to hit the malls and help her select outfits for the cruise. She hadn’t minded—she’d always liked their taste in clothing.

  However, some of the clothes were a little more revealing than she was used to. She had a feeling Victoria had slipped them into the pile of purchases when Monica hadn’t been looking. And they were pretty enough, but…they would make her look like a woman on the hunt. A man-hunt.

  And that just wasn’t Monica. Unlike the others on board, she wasn’t looking for love. In fact, she doubted there was a single man on this ship who’d interest her.

  Not a single one.

  A singles’ cruise…

  Landon was going to wring his sister’s neck. No wonder Zoe hadn’t shown him an itinerary beforehand. There was no way he would have come on board a ship where the men were outnumbered two to one, and the majority of the women were looking for a man to put a ring on their finger.

  Two weeks shy of thirty-six, he was way too old for these games. He couldn’t believe the boldness of the women he’d encountered on the way to his cabin, some who’d offered him a lot more than just conversation.

  He had told Hagia, his cabin steward, that he planned to stay in his suite for the next two days and sleep. He would call for room service when necessary, and those times when housekeeping needed to come straighten up the room, he would go out on the balcony. Although he didn’t intend to be a prisoner in his cabin, he refused to put himself on display for a bunch of women, either.

  He would rest up until they reached Brisbane, then he would disembark and tour the city. He liked the fact that since they would be there for two days, he would not have to rush to do any sightseeing. If he encountered any aggressive women, he’d handle them the same way he’d done for the past six years. He would let them know that he wasn’t interested in affairs—long-term or short.

  Landon glanced around the cabin. One of the first things he’d noticed was how spacious it was. What he liked the most was that the bedroom was separate from the sitting area. Hagia had told him that he was in one of the few suites onboard, and that all of them led out to a private deck. Due to the extra amenities and special privileges that came with the suites, only those individuals belonging on this deck had access to it from the elevators.

  He was impressed. That meant Zoe had had some help in paying for this cabin. Landon doubted she could afford such a pricy birthday gift on her teacher’s salary. His folks had probably chipped in. And hell, he wouldn’t be surprised if the guys at Peachtree hadn’t pitched in as well, considering how happy they’d been to see him off. He must have needed this more than he thought.

  His last assignment had been a doozy. He’d been in Seattle for six weeks, tracking down a man believed to have staged his own death. The Florida man, married and a father of three, had almost gotten away with it. Landon had located him living in an apartment complex with a new identity and a new wife.

  Grabbing the menu off the coffee table, Landon decided to order room service for dinner. He had brought a number of books with him and looked forward to finally getting a chance to read them. He glanced outside—the balcony was roomy and seemed to be calling his name. Maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad trip after all. He couldn’t wait to stretch out in one of the loungers and settle down with a good book.

  Satisfied with that plan, he went into the bedroom to unpack.

  Monica saw several pairs of masculine eyes turn her way the moment she walked into the food court. She hoped it would not be another one of those days. She’d been hit on more in the past two days than she had been in the past five years. W
hat was wrong with these men? Did they assume every woman on this cruise was looking for a hook-up?

  She shook her head. Yeah, they probably did. After all, this was a singles’ cruise. Although this was the first time that she’d taken this kind of cruise, she had spent a week at Dunwoody Cove, the exclusive five-star singles’ resort that was located on a private island off the Bahamas. That had been a few years ago, when she, Sebrina and her cousins had split the cost and rented one of the huge suites. The experience had been interesting, to say the least.

  But even then, the men at the resort had turned her off. They had been so aggressive. It was as if they’d seen themselves as a valuable commodity, something any woman would want to get her hands on. She had come close to telling a few of them that there was a reason they were single—their pick-up lines left a lot to be desired.

  That was one of the advantages of having lived with three older relatives—all of them with good heads on their shoulders. She had watched how her sister and cousins had handled their love lives, and knew never to let a man get the upper hand. She’d learned that it was wise to stay away from guys who felt you owed them something. The rule was to never lead a man on if you weren’t interested. Tell them they’re dreaming, right up front, and then keep it moving.

  While standing in line for a hamburger and fries, she overhead a group of women standing behind her discussing their prospects. She was glad to hear that she wasn’t the only one who thought some guys were too aggressive. However, there was one man who’d caught the interest of several of them—only he hadn’t been seen anywhere since the first day. Words like ‘eye candy of the most delicious kind’ and ‘walking Adonis’ were being thrown around.

  Monica barely resisted snorting with laughter. Really! It was as if these women had never seen a man before. In her opinion, no man was that fine, however, she’d keep her opinion to herself. Besides, it wasn’t nice to eavesdrop. But then, they had been talking loud enough for anyone in the vicinity to hear.

  Eye candy of the most delicious kind?

  Umm, really? Well, maybe there were men out there who were just that fine. All she had to do was to remember her encounter with Landon Chestnut at that nightclub eight months ago. When she’d first seen him, she had definitely been thinking some of those same thoughts. And he had certainly occupied her dreams for months afterward. Heck, he still managed to creep into her fantasies once in a while, even now.

  He had been one of a kind—mature and honorable. Her knight in shining armor. She thought back to how easily he’d taken care of Dusty. So maybe chivalry wasn’t truly dead, and a man could be both hot and honorable…though the chances of finding someone like that on this cruise were slim to none.

  A few minutes later, she took her lunch and sat down at a table, looking out at the ocean as she ate. It was a beautiful December day, and the waters were calm and relaxing. She’d ordered room service for breakfast, and had to admit, it was a great way to start the day. She’d stayed up late writing the first draft of her review—it hadn’t taken her long to type it on her laptop. Then she’d watched a movie on television and at some point, she had fallen asleep with the remote in her hand.

  “Hello beautiful. I’m Jack. What’s your name?”

  She looked up, sliding her sunglasses down her nose a bit to look at the man standing in front of her. He was probably around her age or maybe a year older and was quite good-looking. But what immediately turned her off was the smirk on his lips and the glint of lust she saw in his eyes.

  “Hi, Jack, I’m Jill.” She knew a smart man would make the connection right away. A guy who only had sex on his mind would not. A woman’s name wasn’t important to that kind of man. All he wanted to do was reel her in.

  “Hello, Jill. Where are you from?”

  “Planet Earth.”

  He laughed, evidently finding her answer amusing. “Where on Planet Earth? What city and state?”

  “Tabasco, Florida,” she said, eying the bottle in her hand that she’d been shaking on her French fries.

  “Is that near Orlando? I think I might have passed through it once.”

  She started to tell him the place didn’t exist, and wondered how long would it take for him to figure out she’d been playing with him?

  Before she could answer his question, he asked another one. “May I join you?”

  She glanced up at him. “Sorry, but I’d prefer to be alone while I eat and read this magazine.” A girl couldn’t get any plainer than that.

  “Any interesting articles?”

  “Yes.”

  “I can be far more interesting than any article.”

  She doubted it. The article she was reading was about Prince Harry, Meghan and little Archie. She loved anything that had to do with the royals.

  “I’m not sure that you can.”

  “Let me prove it.”

  “I’d rather you didn’t.” Now she was getting annoyed. Why couldn’t he just move on and irritate some other woman?

  “I saw you watching me.”

  She looked around, and then glanced over her shoulder, fairly certain he wasn’t talking to her since she definitely hadn’t been watching him. The same women who’d been standing behind her in the food line were sitting at the table directly behind her. Maybe they’d been the ones looking at him. They sure weren’t trying to hide the fact they were listening to her and Jack’s conversation.

  She looked back at Jack. Granted he was handsome, but this boat wasn’t big enough for his ego. “I’m afraid you are mistaken, Jack. I was just sitting here, reading my magazine. I didn’t even notice you until you came over to my table. You must have me mixed up with someone else.”

  “Are you saying you don’t think I’m worth your time?”

  He actually sounded shocked. That made her smile. “Yes, that’s pretty much what I’m saying.” The look on his face told her he wasn’t used to being rejected.

  “You know this is a singles’ cruise, right?” He evidently felt he needed to remind her.

  “And?”

  “And I think you need to get with the program.”

  Get with the program? “The only program I’m interested in is the one I’ve created for myself.”

  His shoulders stiffened. “So…you’re not interested then?”

  Monica rolled her eyes. Hadn’t she just said that?

  Years ago, Hansen had sat her and Kelly down and explained the system that some men—though not all—used to categorize single women.

  There were the HS’s—the husband seekers. They would target a man for matrimony, then do anything and everything to lure him to the altar. Then there were the CH’s—or casual hookups. These were the women who didn’t mind being a guy’s, or whatever day of the week he needed a booty call. Those women aimed to please, no matter the day or the hour, and enjoyed sex just as much as men did. They were in it solely for the pleasure.

  Hansen had continued their education by warning them about the OD’s and BJ’s. The OD’s were the one and done. They got a man excited, and put out in the bedroom, but one night was all a guy needed to get them out of his system. They never made it to the CH category, because there was something about them that could wiggle its way under a man’s skin if he let it. But he never let it.

  The BJ’s—or blow jobbers—were women trained with their mouths to please a man in every way and loved doing it. If they were really good, some of those women might eventually get placed in his CH category.

  And last, but not least, were the AK’s—A Keeper. Every once in a while, a man found someone he considered a precious gem. When he met a keeper, a man’s intentions were honorable because he had marriage on his mind.

  Monica still couldn’t believe she’d managed to sit through that lesson without laughing. Still, it was worth knowing, even though she’d never fall into any of those categories. Even when she’d been young, she knew she was in a class all her own.

  “Are you listening to me, Jill?”

 
; It took her a minute to realize the man was still standing there. She looked up at him. “No, not really.”

  She heard the women at the table behind her giggle and knew he’d heard them, too. Obviously embarrassed, Jack suddenly snatched the magazine out of her hand. “Now I have your undivided attention.”

  Monica was furious. She couldn’t believe the audacity of the man. “Give me my magazine back.”

  He smirked. “Be nice to me and maybe I will.”

  “I think she’s made it quite clear she’s not interested, so give her back the magazine and move on.”

  Monica’s heart suddenly jumped. She recognized that voice. It couldn’t be him... It just couldn’t be. She lifted her gaze to the man standing by her chair. It was him. Landon Chestnut. Where had he come from?

  “Landon?” She had to nearly catch her breath in surprise before saying his name. She then heard the women at the table behind her whisper to each other, “That’s him. Mr. Eye Candy.”

  He removed his sunglasses, slid them in the pocket of his shirt and gave her a heart-stopping smile. “Yes. But honestly, we need to stop meeting like this.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  LANDON STARED AT THE woman who had been a constant presence in his dreams for the past eight months. The woman whose business card he had worn out from looking at it so often. And the woman who, though it seemed through no fault of her own, was a magnet for assholes.

  He turned and glared at the man who had yet to return Monica’s magazine to her. “I said, give it back.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  It was obvious the man was sizing Landon up. He probably assumed that though they were of the same height, weight and stature, that he could take Landon on with no problem, just because Landon had a good five or six years on the asshole. But that’s where he was wrong. Not only did Landon have a black belt in karate, but he was also well-trained in a number of other martial arts.

  “Then I’ll throw your ass overboard,” Landon warned.