Ivorie's Surprise [Golden Dolphin] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Skye Michaels

  “You dog you. See, I told you, life as you knew it pre-Eugenia is not gone forever. You just had to get back on the horse and regain your emotional balance. How did the office in the twin cabin work out? I’ll have to remember to offer that solution to other passengers in the future.”

  “Well, I definitely got back on that horse. Enough said about that subject. It was definitely a convenience. I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy myself and get all this work done as well, and I didn’t have to feel guilty about it.” He laughed again. “I don’t know how I feel about the whole thing. I’m still really doubting my judgment. That I got so close to marrying Eugenia is a kick in the head. I have to wonder if I can trust my judgment not to let my emotions—or God forbid my johnson—get in the way of a smart decision.”

  He filled Jamie in on what had transpired with Eugenia, the kidnapping of Ivorie in the Santarém market, and the final disposition of the matter in Manaus. “Your crew handled the situation like pros. Greg Dempsey and his special crew were totally on top of it. The blue bracelets were a stroke of genius. Con Cortelis handled the aftermath like a diplomat. He dealt with Eugenia’s father firmly but politely when I know his feelings were anything but. I think a couple of the ABs attempted to teach that thug, Frank Conklin, a lesson before they kicked him to the curb, or to the dock, so to speak. I didn’t ask and didn’t care to know.” He laughed as he remembered Conklin limping off to grab a taxi.

  “I’m glad it all worked out. I knew we had to have superior security with a small, very visible ship full of wealthy passengers. So Eugenia was taken off the ship under sedation by her father and a male nurse? That’s troubling. It sounds like she’s completely lost it. I always thought she was a little too high maintenance for comfort. How is your assistant? What’s her name?”

  “She is a maniac. Delusional doesn’t cover it. Her name is Ivorie. I can’t tell you how scared I was that something would happen to her before we could get her back. After all, she is my responsibility while she’s aboard. I brought her along, and she was just doing her job.” Drew paused a moment as the dread of what could have happened rushed through his mind again. “I don’t know what I would have done if Ivorie had been hurt, or God forbid, killed. I haven’t sorted out what my feeling for her are, Jamie, but I definitely have strong feelings.” Drew was pretty sure his feelings had tipped over from mad attraction to love, but he needed to process that fact before he said the words out loud. Drew wrapped up his conversation with Jamie and got back to the contracts.

  * * * *

  Ivorie’s face lost all its color. She turned around and left the Master Suite, closing the door softly. She leaned back against the wall of the corridor outside the Master Suite to get her breath. She was horrified. She was a convenience, a delusional maniac, a responsibility just doing her job. She felt like a paid companion, or worse, a prostitute. Tears were hovering just behind her eyes, but she was determined not to shed them now. A total breakdown would have to wait. She returned to the office, the revised contract pages in her hand forgotten.

  She had to get through the remainder of this day without letting Drew know she had overheard his conversation with whomever he was talking to. It sounded like it might be his friend, Jamie Devereau, the ship’s owner. She couldn’t imagine he would be talking so openly with anyone at the office, or at least she hoped not. She was determined not to spend any more time alone with Drew or in the Master Suite than she had to before he left the ship. She wasn’t going to give him another opportunity to “think with his johnson.”

  She had to think clearly and rationally. She had already confronted the probability that her shipboard romance with Drew was not destined to continue once they were back in New York. The pressures of work and office politics would prohibit that, and he had not indicated that he was invested in their relationship or wanted to see her after the trip was over. She had already been thinking it might be a good time for a career change. She had money saved, and her small Manhattan one-bedroom co-op apartment just off Madison Avenue had been a graduation gift from her grandmother, and she didn’t have a mortgage to worry about. She could take time to decide what she wanted to do from here.

  * * * *

  Ivorie and Drew joined Jenni and Chris on the top deck for a late lunch before they disembarked for their return to Chicago. She knew that Jenni was anxious to get home to her kids and that Chris needed to get back to work. At this point, Ivorie just wanted off this ship. She wanted to get home where she could lick her wounds in private. And cry my eyes out.

  Jenni leaned in to Ivorie and said quietly, “What’s wrong? I know that face.”

  “Nothing. Just stressed breaking down the office, and I guess end-of-trip blues.”

  “Bullshit. This is me—mom of three you’re talking to.”

  “How could I forget? Really, I’m fine. We’ll talk next week, or e-mail or something. I hope we can stay in touch, Jen. You’ve been a big help to me, and I appreciate your friendship.”

  “It was my pleasure, hon. We’ll definitely stay in touch.”

  * * * *

  Drew was packed and ready to depart. He was looking around the Master Suite to be sure he hadn’t left anything important. The Riva was waiting to ferry him to the dock where the limo would pick him up and take him to the airport for the trip back to New York.

  “I wish you were coming back with me, babe.” He really did not like leaving her to make her way home by herself.

  “I’ll be okay. I still have a few things to take care of in the office.” There was something in her voice and the expression on her face that he didn’t like, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He was afraid she was looking like the old Ivorie.

  He pulled her into his arms for a bone-crushing hug and a stunning kiss. He invaded her mouth while he ran his hands down her back and over her butt. He felt the tension in her body and was puzzled. She had not reacted this way to him since the beginning of the trip. It was troubling. “I’m sorry we didn’t have any time to spend together today. I’ll make it up to you when we get home.”

  “Not a problem. Have a safe trip, and I’ll see you at the office on Thursday.”

  “Okay, you, too. Try to relax tonight and enjoy your last night of luxury. Why don’t you stay in the Master Suite? And think about me.” He smiled at her and hoped she would. He knew he was already missing her, and he wasn’t gone yet.

  * * * *

  Ivorie kept a brave smile on her face as he boarded the Riva and turned to wave to her. She wouldn’t be staying in the Master Suite, and she wouldn’t be seeing him in the office. She probably wouldn’t be seeing him again at all. Her heart was breaking, but she was Ms. Ivorie McKenzie James, not someone’s convenience or responsibility. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as she watched the Riva recede in the distance.

  She returned to the office and completed the packing. When she looked at the desk Drew had used, her face turned a bright red as she remembered what they had done there. She didn’t know if she would ever be able to forget or get over this. She hadn’t known what pain was until she had stood in the suite and listened to Drew describe her as a convenience. The breath had refused to leave her lungs.

  She spent the night in her own cabin, packed her clothes, and prepared to leave. Casey had invited her to dine in the crew’s dining room, but she knew she would be poor company and decided to eat in her cabin. She barely touched her food. When Saltydawg paid her a visit, she was so glad to see him she almost squeezed the stuffing out of the sturdy little dog before she fed him pieces of her steak and cuddled with him on the chaise in her sitting area. It was a good thing he was a salty dog because she definitely spilled some salty tears on his mud-gray coat. She went to bed early in an attempt to get through the last few hours aboard the Dolphin and cried herself to sleep. She hoped that someday she would remember this trip for the wonderful things she had experienced and without the bitterness that now clouded her feelings.

  Chapter Forty-Three />
  Park Avenue Apartment of Barbara McKenzie, New York City, October 30, 2013—Wednesday Night

  Ivorie went from the airport directly to her grandmother’s apartment on Park Avenue to pick up her dog before she returned to her own apartment, hopefully to do some laundry and pack for another trip.

  “Thanks for keeping Annie for me, Grammy. I hope she wasn’t too much trouble.”

  “No trouble at all, dear. I had a dog walker to help out. I enjoyed having Annie. She’s great company. Now, are you going to tell me about the trip and what’s bothering you?”

  “Nothing, Gram. Everything is fine.”

  “That’s a load of you-know-what, missy. Who do you think you’re talking to? Some senile old woman? Now what happened on that boat?”

  “Why is everyone asking me that? I’m fine.”

  Barbara just looked at her expectantly and said, “Maybe it’s because your face is an open book to anyone who knows and loves you? Now spill.”

  Over a cup of coffee with a splash of brandy, Ivorie told her grandmother about everything that had happened, sparing only the most intimate details. Ivorie and her Grammy Barb, her maternal grandmother, were very close. Grammy Barb was horrified when she heard about Ivorie’s kidnapping on the Amazon. “Oh, baby. We could have lost you. Thank God you had that bracelet.”

  “It could have been a whole other story without the bracelet.” She turned her wrist so her grandmother could see the navy-blue rubber bracelet she had not had the heart to take off. Somehow, it made her feel still connected to Drew, although why she wanted to still be connected to him, she did not know. Well, yes, she did. She knew she still loved him regardless of the cruel things he had said. “Gram, I’m not going back to work. I can’t face Drew, Mr. Blessingame, after everything that happened and what he said. Would you mind if I went out to the beach house for a while?”

  “Of course not, Ivorie, but it’s going to be rather bleak out there at this time of year.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll light the fireplace, walk the beach. I need to think.”

  “Honey, maybe you misunderstood. After all, you only heard one side of the conversation. Maybe you should talk to him and make sure…”

  “Grammy, there wasn’t much to misunderstand. I have to decide what I want to do about a job and all that.”

  “Well, don’t worry about money. You know you can take the income from your trust any time you need to. I know you want to be independent, but don’t be foolish about it. Your grandfather and I wanted to be sure you would always be provided for, and he would not be happy to know you didn’t take advantage of the trust.”

  “I won’t be stubborn. I think this is probably the right time to use that money. You don’t know how much I appreciate that you and Grampy made sure I’d always be okay and not dependent on any employer or any man for that matter.”

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Madison Avenue Offices of Blessingame Holdings, New York City, October 31, 2013—Thursday Morning

  Drew got to the office early, had a cup of black coffee, and dove into the piles on his desk. He didn’t expect to see Ivorie until at least nine o’clock, but he was already anxiously watching for her to come in and sit at her desk in his outer reception area. Ms. Winthrop actually seemed happy to see him and was thrilled with the gold bracelet he had picked up for her. At least someone here liked him. But of course, Ms. Winthrop remembered him as a young boy and later a young man before his disposition had soured. She was one of the few people in the firm who also understood all he had been through after 9/11 and after his parents’ deaths. He had not forgotten the lessons learned from Ivorie and was determined to make some changes.

  By ten thirty Drew was starting to worry. Where the hell is she? He guessed she’d had a lot to do after being away from home for over three weeks, but he was anxious to see her. Drew walked out to his inner reception area. “Ms. Winthrop, has Ivorie called in?”

  “No, sir. I haven’t heard from her yet today. Do you want me to call her?”

  “No, wait until noon. If she hasn’t come in by then, I’ll reconsider.”

  By noon, he was really getting worried. It was not like Ivorie to be late and not to at least call in. Drew decided to go by her apartment and see if she was all right. When he realized he would have to pull her personnel file because he had no idea where she lived, he was appalled. He really had been disconnected. His father would have known not only where she lived, but who she lived with, and the names of her spouse and children if she had any. He would probably also know their ages and birthdays and ask about them regularly.

  “Ms. Winthrop, please call me a car. I’m going to go and check on Ivorie.” He did not see the astonished look on her face as she turned away to do as he asked.

  When Drew’s car pulled up outside of Ivorie’s building, he was surprised to see she lived in a fashionable high-rise building with a doorman. The doorman advised Drew that Ms. James was not at home. After some cash changed hands, he told Drew that she had left with her dog and two bags that morning. He did not know where she had gone. Drew was at a loss for what to do next. He returned to the office and carefully read Ivorie’s personnel file, looking for clues. He researched the title to her co-op apartment and discovered that while it was a small unit, she owned it free and clear. The tax records told him that it was probably worth in excess of three-quarters of a million dollars, on the conservative side. He never would have thought that Ms. James had assets in that neighborhood. She certainly didn’t flaunt it, but when he thought about it, he could tell she came from a very comfortable, if not wealthy, background.

  Drew sat back in his chair and thought. He would give her a few days and see what developed. Apparently, she felt she needed some space. If he hadn’t heard from her by the end of the week, he would get aggressive in his search. He was not going to let her walk out of his life without even an explanation. He did not know what had turned the affectionate, sexy, and funny Ivorie back into the uptight Ms. James, and he didn’t like it. He had finally found a woman, the right woman for him, and he was damned if he’d let her walk away without a fight—and fight they would. He was starting to get pissed.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Southampton, Long Island, New York, November 1, 2013—Friday Morning

  Ivorie had opened Grammy’s Southampton beach cottage yesterday, stocked a few groceries and dog food, and settled in. She had awakened that morning in her girlhood bedroom under her old pink-and-yellow Dresden-plate quilt with a feeling of misgiving that she didn’t quite understand. This place always settled her right down. Something…was not right, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was at the moment. She was sure it would come to her. Besides the obvious, of course—she missed Drew desperately, to the point that it was a physical pain in her chest.

  The cottage was a two-story, weathered, gray, shingled house with pristine white trim right on the beach. The dunes were covered in sea grass and protected the cottage from the worst of the winds. It wasn’t large or fancy, but Ivorie loved it. She had spent all of her girlhood summers there with her older sister and Grammy while Grampy had traveled back and forth on weekends from the city and his job on Wall Street. It represented one of the most treasured parts of her childhood. Her parents had been free spirits who needed to travel the world, and Grammy and Grampy had provided the stability in her life. They had seen to it that she went to private school and then to Columbia University and made sure she was ready for life.

  When she turned over in bed the next morning, she felt slightly queasy. She hoped she wasn’t coming down with something. The wind had cut right through her denim jacket when she had walked the beach yesterday with Annie tucked securely in a quilted baby carrier she wore around her neck. The tiny dog was no match for the stiff breeze, never mind the seagulls that flew overhead and “dive-bombed” them. They were aggressive creatures, and Annie would have been a tasty morsel if they could get her.

  Ivorie let Annie out the back do
or, watched her while she did her business, and then went back to bed. She decided to try to go back to sleep for a while longer. She had plans to have lunch with a friend from her teen years who lived in the Village. Donnie—Donnette to her parents only—was always good for a laugh and would lift her spirits. When she woke, she felt better, had some coffee and toast, and took a bath in the old, claw-foot tub in the one and only bathroom. She smiled when she remembered Grampy trying to evict her and Donnie from that one bathroom. They had spent hours primping and doing each other’s hair and makeup when they were teenagers. He had always threatened to add another bathroom just for himself and Grammy, but he had never gotten around to it. She got ready for her trip into town. She pumped air into her flat bicycle tires. She planned to ride her bike since she had come out to the island on the train and didn’t have a car.

  Ivorie’s mind wandered as she rode her bike to Donnie’s house. Then it hit her. She knew what was wrong. She hadn’t gotten her period. She had been so wrapped up in Drew and the trip and then so upset since she had left the boat that it had just slipped her mind. Oh, God. She couldn’t, she just couldn’t be pregnant. Maybe it was just the stress. She only remembered one time that Drew had not used a condom. If she was correct and she had conceived that one time, it was the morning after they left Scarborough, Trinidad. She consulted her mental calendar and realized that was twenty-one days ago. She could already be twenty-one days pregnant. She began to sweat, and her hands began to shake. She would pick up a pregnancy test kit at the pharmacy in town, and then she’d know. In fact, she’d buy two of them and do the test at Donnie’s house immediately and then again in a few days. She was glad her old friend would be there when she did the test. This was not something she wanted to confront alone.