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

  At the top of the list was…why was Monica so special? The only way for him to find out was to take the time to get to know her. He wasn’t even bothered by the ten-year difference in their ages. And that was surprising since he tried to avoid dating anyone more than five years younger than him. Monica was messing with all the norms for him, but he didn’t care. And he definitely needed to know why that was.

  He exhaled deeply, checking his watch again. It was time. Leaving the balcony, he moved toward the door. He wished he could stop wondering why he was so attracted to Monica and just accept that he was. But he wasn’t an accepting kind of guy. He believed there was a logical explanation for everything, but for the life of him, he couldn’t see the reason for her to appear in his life, not once, but twice.

  Landon never left anything to chance. And he wasn’t about to make Monica an exception.

  Monica felt nervous tension in the pit of her stomach the moment she heard the knock at the door. She glanced at her watch and saw it was exactly seven o’clock. Grabbing her clutch and shawl, she headed for the door. Although December in Australia was the beginning of summer, she had discovered the breeze off the ocean made the evenings rather cool.

  Her breath caught the moment she opened the door and saw Landon. He was sharp, immaculate…and oh-so sexy. Although he’d been wearing a suit on the night she’d first met him, he was even more dashing tonight. He was one of those men who wore a suit well—it emphasized all of his manly attributes, like his broad shoulders and fit body.

  She was so absorbed in checking him out that she suddenly realized she hadn’t even greeted him. She glanced up to his face and thought she saw a hint of amusement in his eyes. Caught. “Hi,” she finally said, smiling up at him.

  He returned her smile, and her stomach flipped. “Hi,” he said. “You look nice.”

  “Thanks,” she said, stepping out in the hallway. “You do as well.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate you joining me tonight.”

  A man who looked like him definitely didn’t have to worry about female companionship, but she accepted his gratitude graciously. “Thanks for inviting me.”

  When she closed the door to her cabin, they walked down the hall side by side, seemingly in sync. He was tall and had long legs, but she noticed that he slowed his pace so as not to outwalk her. She appreciated that.

  They continued their stroll to the elevator in silence. She glanced over at him and thought yet again that he was definitely one fine-looking man. As if he felt her looking at him, he looked down at her.

  “Hungry?” he asked.

  Monica drew in a deep breath. Not only was he gorgeous but his deep, husky voice was a total turn-on. “Kind of. I haven’t had anything to eat since earlier today. I got so caught up in writing my article that I lost track of time.”

  “Will you be working the entire twenty-one days?” he asked. They stopped walking when they came to the bank of elevators, and he pressed the button to summon one to their floor.

  “I hope not. I’m trying to finish by the end of the week. Then I can sit back and enjoy the cruise.”

  “Are you going to get off the ship when we dock in Brisbane? Or are you going to work right through?”

  She laughed. “I’m not that dedicated. I’m definitely going to check out the city.” They would reach Brisbane in the morning and the ship would be docked in port for two days. She hadn’t signed up for any of the tours or excursions but planned to explore on her own. She’d always preferred to do her own thing instead of hanging out in a group.

  Of course, it would have been nice if she’d had one of her sisters or cousins with her. “I’m finding the hardest thing about this cruise so far is adjusting to the time difference. Back in the States, St. Paul is fifteen hours behind us. My sister is already on me about the hour I’m calling.” She laughed, then added, “I’m getting used to it, but the first two days were the hardest.”

  “It has been the same with me. The first night, I stayed up reading and then couldn’t get out of bed the next morning. But like you, I’m getting used to it.”

  He stepped aside when the elevator opened, and she was glad to see that they had it all to themselves. She tried not to ogle him when Landon leaned against the back wall, his hands shoved in his pockets. In that pose, he went from ‘hot’ to ‘sizzling’.

  Trying to distract herself, she glanced at pictures plastered on the elevator wall, showing the various islands they would be visiting. “I didn’t think this cruise would be very exciting, but it’s starting to get that way,” she said, refusing to glance over at him.

  “It’s beginning to be exciting for me as well.”

  There was something in his tone that compelled her to glance over at him. The moment their gazes connected, she felt something— sensuous chills that acutely reminded her that she was a woman. Funny, she’d never thought she needed a reminder before.

  “You didn’t see that guy again, did you?”

  Monica knew what guy he was talking about. Jack. “No. I returned to my cabin right after you left. I’m hoping I won’t be running into him again.”

  “Don’t be surprise if you do. I have a feeling he hasn’t totally given up on you.”

  “Somehow, I don’t think he’ll waste his time.” Especially since Landon had pretty much scared him off.

  The elevator stopped to let others get on, and she stepped back, putting her in front of him. Instinctively, he placed his arms around her waist and pulled her closer when even more people got on.

  Frissons of heat raced up her spine. She was tempted to glance over her shoulder to see if perhaps he’d felt it too, but decided against it, convinced the attraction was one-sided. Landon just had that kind of effect on her.

  And honestly, she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

  CHAPTER SIX

  LANDON WONDERED IF MONICA knew the effect she had on him…especially with her standing so close in the crowded elevator. She was probably 5’7”, a perfect complement to his 6’3 frame. Her hair was pinned up on top of her head, and this close, he could smell the strawberry scent of her shampoo.

  It hadn’t been easy keeping his jaw from dropping when she’d opened her door. She looked radiant in a sexy blue dress and black stilettos that showed a pair of gorgeous legs. He’d noticed those legs before, that night in St. Paul. And he’d dreamed of having those same legs wrapped around him when they’d made love.

  Landon forced the lustful thought from his mind, knowing it had no place there...at least, not right now. Over the last eight months, he’d kept his naughty dreams of her for the wee hours of the night, when he was alone in his bed.

  Of course, those weren’t the only times he thought of her. Often, when he was at work, he’d wonder where she was, what she was doing…and if she was thinking of him. He would get so worked up, he’d have to hit the gym to burn off some tension. His fitness level had improved, if nothing else.

  The elevator stopped at another floor and a couple more women stepped on, forcing Monica to press closer to him. He took a sharp intake of breath. She glanced up at him and he gazed into her eyes, almost losing his breath again.

  “Are you okay?” she whispered with concern in those eyes. “Sorry. I don’t want to squeeze into you so much.”

  You can squeeze into me as much as you want, he wanted to say but didn’t. Instead, he tightened his hand at her waist, then leaned closer and whispered, “I’m fine. You okay?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her she smelled good—whatever scent she was wearing was the same one she’d had on that night in St. Paul. The one he couldn’t seem to forget. He swallowed. It was getting hard not to give his feelings away.

  Feelings? What feelings could he have? He barely knew her.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when the elevator finally opened at one of the main floors, and people began filing out. Since they had been pushed to the back, they were the last to get out. Most of
their elevator companions rushed toward the casino, though some headed to the bar to enjoy specialty drinks and appetizers.

  Across the wide, festively decorated corridor was a huge entertainment lounge, where couples sat around talking while soft music played. A huge Christmas tree that nearly reached the ceiling had been beautifully decorated, reminding everyone that Christmas was only a few weeks away.

  “You’re quiet.”

  Monica’s words forced him to glance over at her and he saw her smile. She had the kind of smile that automatically made you want to smile back. “I didn’t want to bore you too soon.”

  “You won’t bore me. In fact, I’m hoping you’ll tell me a lot more about yourself.”

  He’d be happy to tell her anything she wanted to know. “Why? There’s nothing special about me, Monica.”

  “Right,” she laughed. “Lots of people just miraculously show up when I need some muscle power. Of course, I want to know all about you, my guardian angel.”

  He couldn’t help grinning. “I want to get to know you as well.”

  “Why?” she said, asking the same question he had.

  He shrugged his shoulders, still smiling. “The same reason, I guess. Why wouldn’t I want to know more about the woman I’ve had to rescue twice now from an unsavory man’s unwanted advances.”

  “I don’t relish the role of damsel in distress, Landon.”

  He didn’t pick up any sign of annoyance in her tone. In fact, she seemed rather amused by the thought. “I have no complaints about being there for you, Monica.”

  I have no complaints about being there for you, Monica.

  Landon’s words had made her feel giddy inside. When had that ever happened?

  “Good evening.”

  The host’s greeting grabbed her attention, and she stopped ogling Landon long enough to look around. The dining room was crowded tonight. She noticed that there were vacant seats at the table occupied by the group she had sat with the last two nights. Honestly, she’d rather not endure another evening with that bunch.

  Those dinners hadn’t been fun. The men at the table had strategically sized up the women, as if to decide who would be their flavor for the night. She had declined several offers to go to the nightclub after dinner those first two nights. Instead, she’d gone back to her cabin alone to sit out on the balcony, drink a glass of wine and enjoy the ocean.

  “Your private table is ready, Mr. Chestnut.”

  The host’s words caught her by surprise. “Private table?” she asked, looking at Landon.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I’d rather not sit with a crowd.”

  Mind? She was overjoyed. “I’d rather not sit with one either.”

  “Good.” Then he turned back to the host. “Please lead the way.”

  They followed the man to a table that was by a window, allowing them to admire the beauty of the moonlight on the ocean. Once they’d been seated, Landon said, “So I guess you’re stuck with me now. There won’t be anyone else here to save you from a boring conversation.”

  She smiled over at him. “I have no problem with that. Besides, like I told you, I want to know everything there is to know about Landon Chestnut.”

  And so, over an incredible dinner, he told her all about himself, his job and his family. “My parents are still alive, as well as both sets of grandparents. My parents had two children—me and my sister Zoe.”

  She nodded as she cut into her steak. “What’s your middle name?”

  “O’Brien. It was my mother’s maiden name.”

  “Landon O’Brien Chestnut. I like that.”

  “Thanks. What about you? Do you have a middle name, Monica?”

  “Yes, I am Monica Ethella Bennett. It’s a combination of my great-grandparents’ first names. Ethan and Idella.”

  A smile curved his lips. “An ingenious idea. I like that.”

  “Thanks. Do you have any interesting hobbies, Landon?”

  “I love camping.”

  She lifted a brow. “How did you get into that?”

  He finished chewing and then placed his fork down. The reporter in her could tell this was a subject he liked talking about. “My father is from Hamilton, North Carolina, a small town close to the Smokey Mountains. It was named after the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Have you ever heard of the actor/director, Sterling Hamilton?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Well, it’s his hometown. He’s one of Alexander Hamilton’s descendants.”

  “I didn’t know that. Does Sterling Hamilton ever visit?”

  “Sometimes. He has a huge spread in the mountains, but of course all his land is private. Trust me when I say you can’t get close to it. Some of my older cousins went to high school with Sterling. His father used to work as a lumberjack.”

  He took a sip of his wine and then continued, “My dad left Hamilton at eighteen to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta. It was always Dad’s intent to go back to Hamilton when he finished college, but he met my mother. She was a student at Clark Atlanta University. After graduation, they married and after finding jobs in Atlanta, they decided to stay and make it their home.”

  He paused a moment before continuing. “Dad’s a country boy at heart and wanted his kids to grow up loving the outdoors as much as he did. He inherited a great-uncle’s home in the mountains that sits on over a hundred acres. When we were kids, we would go there every summer. Some nights we slept inside the cabin and some nights we slept outdoors. I grew to love it. Even Zoe, who can be awfully prissy at times, enjoyed roughing it.”

  He stopped for a moment to sprinkle some steak sauce on his meat. “A few years ago, Dad gave me and Zoe twenty acres of our own. So far, she hasn’t done anything with hers, but I built a cabin on mine.” He looked at her and admitted, “I don’t go there as often as I used to.”

  Monica was tempted to ask him if his work was the reason that he rarely found time to go there but decided against it. “It must be really interesting, being a private investigator.”

  He picked up his fork again. “I love what I do. My specialty is finding missing persons, which is definitely interesting. But the job requires a lot of travel. An assignment might take me anywhere. And there’s no telling how long I’ll be gone.”

  Monica wondered if his constant traveling was the reason why he hadn’t settled down yet. There was only one way to find out. “May I ask you something, Landon?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Why are you still single?”

  The pain that suddenly flashed in his eyes was deep and poignant. He didn’t say anything for a minute, then took a sip of wine. Finally, he said, “It wasn’t supposed to be this way.”

  She lifted a brow. “It wasn’t?”

  “No. Six years ago, I was engaged to be married.”

  “What happened?” Maybe she shouldn’t have asked him that, but curiosity had gotten the best of her.

  He took a deep breath, and then, in a low voice, said, “My fiancée, along with two of her bridesmaids, were killed two days before our wedding by a drunk driver. They’d been leaving her bachelorette party.”

  Monica gasped when a sharp pain sliced through her for the three women she hadn’t known. But just knowing that one of them was a woman Landon had loved and planned to marry, made her wish she hadn’t asked. She picked up her own wine glass to take a sip. She couldn’t begin to imagine what Landon had gone through.

  On instinct, she reached out and placed her hand on his. “I’m so sorry, Landon. What a tragic thing to happen, just days before your wedding.”

  He didn’t say anything for a minute. “It was,” he finally admitted. “Those were some of the darkest days of my life. I only got through them with the help of family and friends.”

  She pulled her hand back. “I’m glad they were there for you.”

  He stared at the wine in his glass for a long moment, as if studying the dark liquid. “Yes, but sometimes family and friends weren’t e
nough. Then, at other times, they were too much. I started feeling smothered by the outpouring of sympathy from so many people that at one point, it was hard for me to deal with my grief.”

  He drew in a deep breath. “After the funeral, I took off for the cabin in Vancouver where Simone and I were supposed to spend our honeymoon. Although my family begged me not to go, I had to get away. I desperately needed time alone.”

  Monica couldn’t imagine him going on his honeymoon alone, and her heart ached, knowing what had driven him there. But she also understood what he’d been thinking. She came from a big family, herself. Sometimes, although they meant well, her family could be a little forceful in their opinions about what was best for her. But she didn’t always agree.

  “I admire the courage it took for you to go there alone after what happened, Landon,” she said softly.

  A serious slant touched his lips. “That’s just it, Monica. At the time, I didn’t feel alone. This might sound crazy but there were days when I could actually feel Simone’s presence.”

  She shook her head. “That doesn’t sound crazy at all. My great-grandmother Idella died years ago, but during the roughest times in my life, I’ve often felt her presence. And I always felt better.”

  Monica could readily recall one of those times—when her father had rejected her—when she’d been soothed by her great-grandmother’s ethereal presence. Monica had taken her father’s actions hard until she’d gotten to know her other siblings and discovered he had pretty much written them off as well. Even Kelly had no relationship with her father—and she had lived in the same house with him for the first twelve years of her life!

  Landon turned his attention back to his meal, as if needing a moment to get a hold of himself. Then he continued his story. “When I returned to Atlanta, I threw myself into my work. And that’s what I’ve done ever since. I took assignments that none of the other guys wanted. Traveling kept me away from Atlanta, but that was fine. For the first few years, the pain was too much to bear when I was home. There were so many memories. My family told me I was wallowing in my grief, not dealing with it. So it was better that I was away.”