Read Ivorie's Surprise [Golden Dolphin] (Siren Publishing Classic) for Free Online Page B

plenty of time to get there, and this time, she would get on board or else.

Chapter Eight
     
    Gregory Dempsey, attired in his crisp white uniform, led the safety and lifeboat drill with Natasha’s assistance. All passengers were directed to wear the dark-blue waterproof rubber bracelets, which they would find in their suites, at all times. They were absolutely not to leave the ship without them. Greg explained that the bracelets contained the personal identification of each passenger and would allow them to embark and debark from the ship. The bracelets also contained GPS chips that would locate them wherever they were. In the event of an accidental fall overboard they could be located in the water. In the event of another emergency, either aboard ship or on shore, their locations could be tracked. Greg advised that some of the areas they would be sailing through had unsavory elements, and their personal safety might depend on wearing the bracelets.
     
    * * * *
     
    After the lifeboat drill, Ivorie returned to her cabin and put on her blue bracelet right next to the red one she already wore. Hmmm, colorful but not unattractive. She had no plans to fall overboard, but she surely wanted to be found, and quickly, if she did. She then went to the office and checked the e-mail before dinner. Finding nothing that needed her attention and nothing that needed to be forwarded to Drew’s iPhone, she locked the office and passed through the connecting door to her cabin to dress for dinner.
    This was the first night that all the passengers would be aboard, and she wanted to look especially nice. She chose a short, dark-blue silk cami dress and spiky high heels with ankle straps. The matching dark blue silk teddy she wore under it made her feel particularly sexy. The dress showed her figure to advantage with a nice length of leg. She had to admit she was enjoying dressing for dinner tonight a lot more than she had last night. Her new and improved attitude toward Drew Blessingame had to be the reason. She found herself looking forward to spending the evening with him, and she especially looked forward to another one of those really superior kisses.
    With all the passengers now on board, the lounge, dining area, pool deck, and other public areas were teeming with activity. It was certainly a good-looking crowd. Excited couples as well as some singles milled around the bar on the deck and mingled over cocktails as the crew prepared to get the ship under way. Ivorie could feel the slight vibration as the huge diesel engines began to gather power and head out to sea. She felt a ripple of excitement run through her body as the adventure actually began. She had never been on a cruise before, although she had traveled to Cancun with some girlfriends once and she had been to Europe with her grandparents when she was younger. Those had been her biggest adventures so far. She usually stayed at her grandmother’s house at the beach for long weekends and spent a couple of weeks with friends in Southampton during the summer.
    Drew ordered a scotch on the rocks for himself and a frozen strawberry margarita for Ivorie. She could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t get the sweet drink thing. She had to admit he looked like he had just stepped off the cover of GQ in his black slacks and a white silk shirt open at the neck. His sleeves were rolled up, showing off his tan, corded forearms, and the light coating of golden hair catching the rays of the setting sun completed the picture. She saw the eyes of most of the women and some of the men drifting toward him as they stood on deck sipping their drinks and engaging in conversation with the other passengers. They were probably wondering who the heck she was. Ha! Just the unlucky second admin who got drafted to take his fiancée’s place. Or maybe she should revisit that thought. Maybe she was the lucky second admin . “Thanks for taking me ashore today, Drew. I had a wonderful time.”
    He