THE BENNETTS' CHRISTMAS (The Bennett Family and the Masters Family #6) - Brenda Jackson Page 0,23
he answered. “With her,” he said, nodding to Monica.
“Do you think you could save a dance for me?” the pushy woman asked. When he didn’t answer right away, she threw back her shoulders, which made the front of her dress dip, showing a generous cleavage. Her girls almost jumped out and said hello. Evidently, she figured Landon would take the bait.
Monica inwardly smiled. Though she’d only known him a short time, she knew him well enough to be certain he wouldn’t be impressed. Neither was she. Especially when those babies weren’t likely even real anyway.
“Sorry, but all my dances tonight are hers,” he told the woman.
Disappointment clearly showed in the woman’s eyes. She glanced over at Monica, and then as if dismissing her, she switched her gaze back to Landon. “What about tomorrow when we get to Brisbane.”
“What about it?”
“Can we spend some time together?”
Landon cleared his throat. “Let me make something clear. If the beautiful woman sitting across from me agrees, I’ll be with her for the remainder of the cruise. Her, and only her.”
The woman frowned. “What a pity.”
“What a pleasure,” Landon countered.
The woman lifted her chin, stared hard at Landon and then walked off. He glanced over at Monica. “So, what do you think?”
She smiled over at him. “I think that for the duration of this cruise, we’re officially a couple, Landon Chestnut.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE NIGHTCLUB WAS IN full swing. Holding tight to Monica’s hand, Landon made his way to a vacant table he saw in the back. The moment they were seated, a waitress came to take their drink order.
There was a live band that had most people on the dance floor. “So, what do you think?” he asked Monica over the loud music.
She smiled over at him, and he couldn’t recall the last time a woman’s smile had rendered him temporarily speechless. It was a good thing he was waiting for her to answer him and not the other way around. The sexual chemistry was almost overwhelming. Because there were so many tables in the club, their chairs were close and they were practically sitting thigh-to-thigh. They weren’t touching, but it wouldn’t take much for him to ease his thigh closer to hers.
He thought about what he’d proposed during dinner—about the two of them pretending to be a couple. Bottom line was that he wanted to spend as much time with her on this cruise as he could, and his idea would only make that easier. He really didn’t want to be bothered by other women, and she’d admitted she was tired of being pestered by other guys. This way, they could enjoy all the cruise had to offer together, and they’d get a chance to know each other better while doing it. For a reason he’d rather not explore at the moment, it was important to him that they had time to explore this thing between them.
“I want to dance,” she said, tossing her hair back from her face. If only she knew how tempted he was at that moment to reach out and caress the smoothness of her face, she would have been more careful. “Landon?”
He suddenly realized he’d been staring at her. “Yes?”
“I want to dance. What about you?”
Forcing his attention off her face and to the dance floor he said, “Looks like the band has decided to move on to line-dancing.”
“Seems like it,” she said, when another song was played. “Lucky for me, my cousins made sure I know how to dance to anything.”
He chuckled. “And I have parents who did the same thing.”
Her eyes widened and he thought the surprised expression was rather cute. “Your parents?”
“Yes. My parents love to dance, and since retirement, they’ve given dance classes—for line-dancing too—at one of the senior citizens facilities twice a week.” Now and then, when I have time, I’d join in.”
“Well, then, Mr. Chestnut,” Monica said, standing. “Why don’t you show me what you can do.”
He stood. “I’d love to.”
They joined others on the dance floor. He could tell she was impressed by how light he was on his feet.
“Having fun?” he asked a few minutes later, when they returned to their table.
“Yes, even though your friend tried to cut in.”
He shook his head, a little annoyed. The same woman who had approached him at dinner had been determined to have a dance, if not with him, then by him. Somehow, she had eased in between him and Monica. Landon had had no problem easing her right back out.