The Wrong Gentleman(57)

“I am. Here.” I pressed my palm against his chest, enjoying the reassuring firmness of his muscles. “What about you? Are you—”

“I’m meeting my brother.”

“May I help you?” the hostess asked.

“Yes.” I didn’t want to be rude, but I wasn’t ready to leave the circle of Landon’s arms. “I’m joining some friends. The table will be under the name of Wolf.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Wolf have already arrived. Let me show you both to your seats.”

“Oh no,” I said. “We’re not together.” I glanced up at Landon, who was frowning.

“Actually, I think we are,” Landon replied.

Before I could answer, I spotted Avery waving from across the restaurant, and Landon gestured for me to follow the hostess. I glanced over my shoulder, and Landon was following me.

“Skylar, Landon!” Avery bounced out of her seat and pulled me into a hug. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Landon getting a hug from Hayden. Were Hayden and Landon brothers?

“Hi,” I said, trying to put all the pieces together. “Nice to see you.” Hayden kissed me on the cheek and pulled out the chair across from Avery.

“So, did you just bump into Landon at the door?” Avery asked.

“You’re brothers? But your last name is James.”

Hayden snorted. “You and your aliases. Do you ever wonder how the rest of us cope with just one name?”

“So how do you know my brother?” Landon asked, his brow furrowed.

“Aliases?” I asked.

“You two are on the same boat together?” Avery said. “This is so great. Skylar was my second stew when I met Hayden.”

“Why did you say your name was James?” I asked, searching through reasons why two brothers would have different surnames. “I would have put two and two together if you’d have said Wolf.”

“Ahhh, that’s the point,” Hayden said. “My little brother doesn’t like anyone putting two and two together when it comes to him.”

I turned to Landon, and the way his eyes didn’t meet mine sent a shiver up my spine. He wasn’t Landon James?

“It’s not like people are using my surname on board a lot. I’d pretty much forgotten I was James on board,” he replied.

“But why would you use a different name in the first place?”

He took a deep breath. “Habit. I’m not good at being open about stuff.”

“Let’s get you some drinks.” Hayden called over the waiter while all I could do was stare at Landon and wait for some kind of explanation.

“I need a whiskey,” Landon said.

“What does Hayden mean about aliases?” I asked, not wanting to let this go. “Are you hiding something?”

Avery nudged Hayden in the ribs.

“What?” Hayden asked.

“You’re not being very helpful.” Avery turned to us. “Am I being dense—are you two . . . Is Landon the guy you’ve been . . . He’s the guy at the beach, right?”

I was beginning to think the man beside me was anybody but the man I’d been at the beach with.

Landon shook his head. “It’s nothing. You know that I do private security and military consultancy. It’s just a habit. A safeguard.”

What the hell was military consultancy? That didn’t sound like the kind of job bodyguards did.

“Landon’s underselling himself,” Hayden said. “He’s the best in the business, who just sold his very successful company. Which is why I’m expecting you to pay tonight, little brother. And I’m going to order some very nice wine.”

“The best at what? Being a security guard?” What was Hayden talking about? “And what company did you just sell?” It was as if Hayden was introducing me to a stranger. I didn’t seem to know anything about Landon.

“Private security is more than just being a security guard,” Landon said.

“Which means what, exactly?” I felt as if I kept asking questions I wasn’t getting answers to, and that made my stomach churn. I knew Landon, didn’t I? I trusted him, and I didn’t trust anyone.

“I had a business doing private-security work.”

“Your own company?”

“My brother doesn’t like to brag, but he had a very successful business,” Hayden said.

I kept my gaze fixed on Landon, but his face was blank of any kind of expression.

“So you decided to retrain as a deckhand?”

“Sort of,” he replied. “Can we talk about this later? And, Hayden, please can you shut the fuck up?”

“Landon,” Avery said. “I don’t know much, but I know Skylar, and whatever you are to each other, I know she deserves you to be transparent.”

“The job I do doesn’t always allow me that luxury,” he said.

His words hit me, each one stealing my breath. He was admitting that he had been, and was being, less than truthful.

Our waitress arrived with our drinks, but the last thing I wanted was alcohol. My vision had been fuzzy for long enough.

“You’re not on board to be a deckhand? I don’t get it. Be straight with me, Landon.”

Landon shot Hayden a look across the table.