THE BENNETTS' CHRISTMAS (The Bennett Family and the Masters Family #6) - Brenda Jackson Page 0,11

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.

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