Landon hadn’t denied that he loved her.
That very thought gave Monica some semblance of hope, though Landon wasn’t giving her much else. She’d guessed that winning him back wouldn’t be easy, but at least now, she had a chance. She honestly hadn’t known what to expect when she arrived in town.
Now she knew she loved him so much that she’d do whatever it took to win him back, even if she had to fight for him. And she’d do it the only way she knew how—the way he’d taught her. In the same way he’d gone after her heart, she intended to recapture his. Right now, he didn’t seem all that happy to see her, and she knew he didn’t want to hear what she had to say. But she would handle him—she had to, although she wasn’t sure how. She’d never handled a man in her life.
Unable to resist temptation, she glanced over her shoulder to glance at where Landon sat. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him looking at her. Her body grew hot as she recalled other times that he’d looked at her that same way. Her gaze drifted over him and she felt a pang in her heart with each lingering visual caress across his face.
He was such a handsome man, but there was more to him than mere surface beauty. Landon Chestnut was a man any woman would want. He knew how to make a woman feel both feminine and safe. He was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of guy. How stupid she’d been to even think of letting him go and waiting for something that might never come later. He loved her and she loved him. That had to be enough.
A few moments later, she returned to the table with a full plate. He didn’t say anything when she sat back down across from him, or when the waitress came with her tea. Once the woman walked off, she realized Landon had already finished eating. He had no reason to remain at the table with her. Would he leave?
To keep him there, she decided to start a conversation. She didn’t know what else to do. “What did your family think about you not being home for Christmas?”
He had been glancing around the restaurant and her question caused him to refocus his attention on her. The moment he did so, she felt her body throb. Her reaction to him hadn’t lessened any.
He took a sip of his coffee. “I didn’t ask them what they thought.” Then he put his cup down and asked, “What do your parents think of you not showing up in Atlanta? If I remember right, those were your plans.”
She held his gaze and was glad that he was finally talking to her. “Yes, those were my plans. I told them something important had come up, something I had to take care of. I didn’t give them any details.”
When the waitress appeared and asked if he wanted a refill on his coffee, Monica held her breath. If he didn’t, that meant he’d likely leave her sitting here alone. She released a deep breath when he nodded and held out his cup.
Monica wanted to believe the reason he was still sitting here was because he still wanted her. And she needed to let him know that she needed him, too. Not just for today but for the rest of her life.
She was about to say something, when he took a sip of his coffee, then licked his lips with his tongue. She immediately recalled other things that tongue had done, to her mouth as well as other parts of her body.
“Is anything wrong, Monica?”
She snatched her gaze from his lips and met his eyes. He’d obviously caught her staring at his mouth. Drawing in a deep breath, she decided to be honest with him. “Yes, there’s something wrong. There’s a lot wrong. If you have some time, I’d like to tell you what those things are.”
For a minute she thought he’d tell her he didn’t give a damn about what was wrong with her. But thankfully, he instead, said, “I have time. So what’s bothering you?”
Monica gave him an appreciative smile, then she glanced around. “Is there someplace we can talk privately?”
Landon glanced around as well. “I doubt it.” He then looked back at her, as if that was the end of it. It was obvious he wouldn’t be suggesting they go back to two obvious places—his room or hers.
She decided to take the initiative to do so. “We can talk privately in my room, Landon. Unless you don’t trust yourself alone with me.”
“I have no problem being alone with you,” he said bluntly.
At that moment he signaled for the waitress. “Yes?”
“Charge both meals to my room,” he told her.
“That’s kind of you, Landon, but I can pay for my own breakfast.”
He looked genuinely bothered that she had even suggested such a thing. “I’m sure you can. But I’m paying for it.”
The last thing she wanted to do was ruffle any more of his feathers, so she ducked her head and said, “Thank you.”
Landon walked beside Monica, wondering if he needed his head examined. Why the hell had he agreed to go back to her hotel room? He could have easily asked the concierge if there was a small meeting room they could use. So why hadn’t he?
It was too late now, he thought, as the two of them stepped onto the elevator.
There were others inside, so he and Monica didn’t say anything until they reached her floor. He wasn’t surprised it was the same floor as his room. He wondered if she knew that. In fact, when she came to a stop in front of her room, he saw that it was right next door to his. Is that why he’d gone to bed thinking he was inhaling her scent? Could such a thing penetrate walls?
He followed her inside and immediately noticed her suite was identical to his. Landon suddenly recalled overhearing one of the hotel attendants say the hotel was booked solid this week. He glanced over at Monica. “When did you decide to come to Vegas?”
She looked at him over her shoulder as she dropped her purse on the coffee table. “Yesterday.”
He lifted a brow. “How did you get a room? The hotel is booked solid.”
She eased down on the sofa. “Duan Jeffries made all the arrangements. When I told him that I needed to talk to you, he said there was no way I’d get a room this close to the holidays, but he said he could manage it for me. I was on standby for eight hours in St. Paul and didn’t arrive here until close to midnight. I called your room a couple of times when I got here but you were out.”
Landon nodded. There was no need to tell her he’d been out walking the strip until close to three this morning, trying to get her off his mind. He eased down on the love seat across from her. Whatever she’d told Duan must have sounded pretty damn convincing for his best friend to have not only told her his whereabouts, but also to make sure she had a place to stay when she got here.
“So, what did you want to tell me?”
He tried to push the thought from his mind that he honestly hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed her until now. Being alone in this suite with her reminded him of the way it had been between them on the cruise. Sitting across from him wearing only jeans and a pullover sweater, she radiated so much sexiness that he could actually feel the air being snatched from his lungs.
“I want to apologize for how things ended between us on the cruise.”
Landon frowned. “Why? You only told me how you felt, just like I told you how I felt. Unfortunately, we weren’t on the same page. I wanted forever and you wanted a bed partner to make up for all those orgasms you’ve never had. I got it.”