“Hey, you’re my only brother, and I just want you to enjoy your birthday and be happy.”
Happy... That was a word he hadn’t used to describe himself in a long time. And the way things were going, he doubted he ever would be again.
CHAPTER THREE
MONICA GLANCED AROUND HER cabin. Impressive. She’d been told that it was one of the six largest suites on the ship, and this was where she would reside for twenty-one days, compliments of the owner of the cruise line. No doubt he wanted a good review.
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.