Monica wished Landon wouldn’t put ideas into her head. What would he think if he knew he’d just made her decide to go after him? After all, she had to do something. Whenever he looked at her with that dark penetrating gaze of his, she could feel her heart race, her body temperature ramp up, and her breathing become raspy. She’d never experienced anything like this before.
Maybe her cousins and Sebrina were right—she’d been shortchanged in the bedroom those two freaking times. Instinctively, she knew that Landon could bring more than enough passion to the bedroom. This was her chance to find out what all the fuss was about. And she couldn’t wait.
“You’ve gotten quiet on me, Monica. I’m curious as to what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours.”
Monica smiled. “What makes you think anything is going on?” she asked, although his question unnerved her. It had hit too close to home for comfort.
He shrugged those shoulders she couldn’t wait to get her hands on. “I have a background in law enforcement. Before becoming a private investigator, I was a street cop and a detective. A big part of my job was learning to read people.”
She nodded, though she wasn’t sure that was a good thing...especially given his dominant role in her daydreams. There was no way she could tell him where her mind had gone, so she decided to say something else. “I was thinking how nice it is to sit with you alone and not be bothered by others.” At least that was true. Although she hadn’t been thinking it at that particular time, she had thought about it more than once over the course of the evening.
“I agree,” he said, holding her gaze.
She felt her stomach clench when he picked up his wine glass and took another sip. Just seeing his mouth on that glass had her wondering how that mouth would feel on certain parts of her. Just the thought had her picking up her own glass of wine and taking a large sip.
He glanced at his watch. “Would you like to go dancing tonight?”
“Dancing?”
“Yes. I heard that nightclub has a pretty good band. At least, that what Hagia says.”
Monica smiled, realizing they had the same ship steward. “She told me the same thing.” She nodded. “It sounds like fun.”
“Good. But first I have a favor to ask of you. It’s something that just might serve both of our purposes while on this cruise,” he said.
“Oh? And what might that be?”
“I was thinking that we should pretend to be a couple for the remainder of the cruise.”
She lifted a brow. “Why would you want to do something like that?”
“I told you this trip wasn’t my idea. I’d be the last person you’d find on a singles’ cruise. Most people have a purpose in mind when they book this kind of trip—finding Mr. or Miss Right. But I’m not looking for a relationship. I don’t want any woman to think her company is vital to my existence.”
Monica chuckled. “And you assume that I wouldn’t think that way.”
“Yes. You’ve admitted the only reason you’re on this cruise is for professional reasons, not personal ones.”
“True.” She tossed his suggestion around in her head. Though he had presented this arrangement as a favor, bottom line was that she owed him for rescuing her from Dusty and Jack. But still… “How much time do you anticipate we’ll spend together?”
“I promise not to get underfoot. I enjoy hanging out in my room, sitting out on the balcony reading most of the time anyway. But having you as a lunch or a dinner companion would be rather nice. And when we dock at the various ports, I’d prefer to hang out with someone I actually enjoy spending time with.”
She smiled. “You do know there are some women on this ship who are so brazen, it won’t matter to them that we’re together. After all, you came on a singles’ cruise. You must be up for grabs.”
“I have no problem letting brazen women know I’m not available. However, it’s much easier to do if I have a beautiful woman by my side.”
A beautiful woman by his side. Usually, she didn’t let a man’s compliments go to her head, but she couldn’t help wanting to believe him. Suddenly, she felt a presence at their table. A woman stood there smiling at Landon. Only at Landon.
“May I help you?” he asked.
The woman’s smile got even wider. “You certainly can,” the woman said. “Do you plan to go dancing later?”
Landon glanced over at Monica and gave her a look that all but said, See what I mean?
She arched her brow, returning a look that said, And see what I meant about brazen women?
Landon turned his attention back the stranger. “Yes, I’m going dancing later,” 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.