Cabin Fever

By Sheila Claydon

In Sheila Claydon's Cabin Fever, published by Books We Love, the Osprey cruise ship is in trouble. Can Ellie Masters and Andy Smith solve the problem? When they join the ship in New Zealand they soon discover that it’s going to be hard work all the way to Australia. Not that either of them intend to let long hours get in the way of their blossoming love affair...until Ellie develops feet of clay..or is it Andy who is the problem? Is he really who he says he is?

They joined the ship to help the crew, but now it’s Ellie and Andy who need help. Will they get it or is it already too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: BWL Publishing Inc.
• Release date: Nov 29, 2012
• ISBN: 9781927111833

Sheila Claydon

Born and educated on the south coast of England, Sheila Claydon has gradually moved northwards across the UK. Now living in northwest England on a stunning stretch of unspoiled coastline, she finds walking a constant source of inspiration as well as a counterweight to the sedentary life of a writer.Interspersed with her writing is a long and varied career in health, education and employment. She likes to think she is a better writer because of those experiences, and also admits to basing some of her characters on people she has worked with in the past.Although family is central to her life, she still finds the time to read, to write, and to travel. Many of the places she has visited feature in her books. Her fans say reading them is like buying a ticket to romance.Her motto is a quote by the late Ray Bradbury: 'First, find out what your hero wants. Then just follow him.' She starts with plots, chapter outlines, characterisation, each time she starts to write a new story. Then the hero takes over and she follows him instead...'She loves to hear from readers and can be contacted at http://sheilaclaydon.com where her books are listed and where she also writes an occasional blog.

Book preview

CABIN FEVER

By Sheila Claydon

Digital ISBNs

EPUB 978-1-77362-556-0

Kindle 978-1-927111-83-3

WEB 978-1-77362-557-7

Amazon Print 978-1-77362-558-4

Copyright 2012 by Sheila Claydon

Cover art by Michelle Lee

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

Dedication and Acknowledgements

For Lesley

Daughter, best friend, reading partner, supporter and fan

Thank you.

Chapter One

The telephone call came at noon. By midnight Drew Pennington-Smith was on a business class flight to New Zealand wondering what he had let himself in for.

He jabbed the recline button on his seat and stretched out his long legs as it slid backwards. He would try to sleep while he had the chance because he knew from past experience that once he joined the cruise ship Osprey he’d be lucky to grab five hours a night.

After an hour of tossing and turning he gave up, switched on the reading light and hauled his briefcase out from beneath his seat. It was full of files. He sighed as he pulled out the first one. By the time the plane touched down for refueling in Bangkok he had read everything in it. He now had a working knowledge of the crew, the mix of passengers, the entertainment program and the cruise itinerary, plus the exact layout and dimensions of the ship that was to be his home for the next few weeks.

He stood up, rubbing eyes that were gritty from lack of sleep. Maybe if he had a shower in the Club Lounge he would manage to relax on the second leg of the journey. That way he might have half a chance of pulling this off, although after six years of being deskbound he wasn’t taking bets.

As joint owner of the rapidly expanding Oceanus Cruise Line, he was always prepared to consider anything that might add to its success. The impulse that had made him agree to stand in as replacement Cruise Director on the Line’s newest ship was total madness however. Especially when, given a little more time, the agency would have found someone up-to-date and reliable.

Still brooding, he left the aircraft with only a flicker of a smile at the flight attendant who had looked after him throughout the flight. She watched him go with a sigh. Why was it that the good-looking ones were always preoccupied?

* * * * *

Ellie Masters, trying to remember the details of the in-flight cabin announcement made by the captain prior to touch down, had much the same thought as he brushed past her without so much as a glance. If he had looked even a little bit more approachable she might have asked him if he knew which Gate they had to go to for re-boarding.

Drew had, in fact, noticed her. It was difficult not to. Tall and slim, she had honey-blonde hair coiled loosely at her neck, smooth tan skin, and wide amber eyes. At any other time he would have smiled, even struck up a conversation, but today he had other things on his mind. As far as he was concerned she could have been stark naked and his stride wouldn’t have faltered.

Two hours later things were very different. Freshly showered and shaved, and with orange juice and two cups of strong coffee inside him, he approached the Boarding Gate feeling decidedly more cheerful. He had managed to make the phone calls necessary to put his social life on hold for the next few weeks, as well as to send a list of instructions to his assistant, so for the next few hours he was going to relax and try to sleep.

Ellie, following behind, noticed his fresh shirt and damp hair and, guessing he had showered in one of the Club lounges, resented it. She knew she was being unreasonable but she was tired and sticky despite her best attempts to freshen up in the public washroom. Nor had the dry muffin and cup of indifferent coffee she’d bought in a crowded café improved her temper.

With a long-suffering sigh she stalked past him and settled herself into a seat near the Gate’s entrance. Closing her eyes she waited for the boarding announcement.

Drew took the seat opposite and pulled a cruise brochure out of his briefcase, determined to do his last piece of homework. He had seen it a thousand times before but now he read it as if he were a prospective passenger, one of the people he would be looking after for the next few weeks.

When a further delay was announced Ellie opened her eyes and gazed around in despair at her fellow passengers. Everyone looked as tired and fed up as she felt, except for the man opposite. He was so intent on whatever it was he was reading that he didn’t even appear to notice there was a problem. She stared at him, knowing she had only taken against him because he looked so full of health and energy whereas she was tired and cranky. He was good looking that was for sure, with long legs, square shoulders, and the dark hair and eyes of a romantic hero. His face wouldn’t look out of place on the cover of the romantic novels she loved to read when she had the time.

Closing the brochure he glanced up and their eyes met. For a long moment they stared at one another, suddenly oblivious to the bustle and noise all around them as hidden primeval instincts began to fight their way to the surface. A rosy blush washed over Ellie’s face. When Drew’s gaze dropped to her mouth, a pulse began to beat a fast tattoo at her throat. Unconsciously she licked her lips.

He smiled.

Angry with herself for being so obvious she dragged her eyes away. Not fast enough to rebuff him though.

It could be worse, he said, and the dark velvet tones of his voice sent an unexpected shiver of desire down her spine.

I’m not sure how, her reply was cool to the point of unfriendliness. She wasn’t in the mood for a mild flirtation however attractive she found him. Besides, his smile had already told her he was far too full of himself.

The delay could have occurred after we boarded, in which case we would now be sitting it out on the tarmac getting hot and tetchy instead of enjoying the comfort of the airport’s air conditioning.

Ellie, who had experienced just such a scenario on more occasions than she liked to remember, gave a reluctant nod.

I guess so.

Is this your first trip to New Zealand?

Yes, she had to give him full marks for trying but she wasn’t about to make it easy for him. His interest was no more than the usual male appreciation, something she was used to dealing with on a daily basis, for Ellie knew she was attractive. Knew it and dismissed it as an irrelevance in a way that only the truly stunning can. She ignored the blatant admiration in his eyes as she waited for the next inevitable question.

Are you on holiday or is this a working trip?

She gave an inward sigh. He was so predictable, but as he obviously wasn’t going to give up she might as well meet him half way. At least it would pass the time.

A working trip. I’m joining a cruise ship in Auckland and travelling back to Sydney.

To her surprise he sat forward in his chair, his eyes suddenly sharp with interest. "The Osprey?"

She nodded. "I work for the Oceanus Cruise Line and The Osprey’s lead dancer has been…"

…airlifted off the ship with appendicitis, so you are flying out to replace her, he finished Ellie’s sentence for her. Then he held out his hand.

There’s been a problem with the Cruise Director too. I’m his replacement… Andrew Smith … Andy.

Ellie Masters, something best ignored stirred in the pit of her stomach as Ellie placed her hand in his. He couldn’t be. Cruise Directors didn’t look like this. Not in her experience anyway. Unaccountably flustered, she said the first thing that came into her head.

How come you got all the travel perks?

He laughed. Lucky dip, I guess. The tickets were waiting for me at the airport.

Mine too, she gave him the glimmer of a smile. It highlighted the dimples at the corner of her mouth and softened the expression in her wide tawny eyes.

He stared at her and what had been a casual handshake morphed into something far more intense as his fingers tightened on hers.

Ellie’s heart sank as she saw the appraisal in his eyes. Not now when she felt and looked her worst, and when her new job was going to take up so much of her time that she wouldn’t have the spare energy required to keep unwelcome advances at bay. Not that they would be completely unwelcome she conceded as she remembered how she had felt just a few moments earlier. As far as she was concerned, however, a shipboard romance was out, particularly with someone like Andy Smith who was obviously used to women falling into a swoon at his drop-dead gorgeous feet. She’d been there and done that in the past, and she wasn’t about to make the same mistake again.

His phone rang and broke the spell. As he answered it the Oceanus brochure slipped from his lap. Ellie leaned forward and picked it up.

By the time he concluded his call they were boarding. He switched off his phone, gathered up his luggage and gave her a murmured farewell and an apologetic shrug as he made his way to the desk where he was fast tracked through to Business Class. Lovely as Ellie Masters was, his phone call had given him too much to think about to waste time fantasizing about her. Now that his brother Mark had managed to get to the bottom of the whole sorry story it appeared that the Cruise Director he was replacing had been drunk on duty so he was going to have to undo some serious damage, which meant he had to come up with a watertight plan by the time the plane reached Auckland.

* * * * *

A resigned Ellie watched his swiftly retreating back from halfway down the shuffling queue waiting for the economy seats. With a rueful smile she reflected that while the earth might have moved for her it was quite clear he hadn’t experienced even the smallest tremor. His appraisal, the interest she had seen in his eyes, were no more than the reflex actions of someone who could no more help flirting than breathing. Far better to concentrate on her plans for the future than waste time on someone like Andy Smith.

As the queue edged towards the flight desk she pondered her options. She would be 29 in a few months time, which meant she didn’t have many dancing years left because there were a lot of ambitious girls who were a decade younger waiting in the wings. She re-visited the argument she had been having with herself for some weeks now. Should she give up cruising and open a dance academy, or should she just concentrate on her singing? On the other hand, maybe the time had come for her to give up on the whole idea of performance and fall back on the other skill she had, which was to design and make theatrical costumes.

So intent was she on her thoughts that it wasn’t until she reached the flight desk that she realized she was still holding the cruise brochure. With a sigh of irritation she thrust it into her bag and forgot about it until hours later when boredom, coupled with an inability to stay asleep in a semi-upright position for more than ten minutes at a time, made her reach into her bag. Searching for the novel she had bought at the airport, her fingers brushed against the forgotten brochure.

She pulled it out and opened it. There it was. The Osprey. She studied the glossy picture of the huge white liner, latest star of the Oceanus Cruise Line. According to the blurb it offered the ultimate in luxury and entertainment. Not that the person at Head Office had sounded impressed when he telephoned her and offered her an unheard of bonus if she would put her holiday plans on hold and help out. He had been very disparaging about it. Apparently The Osprey was falling far short of its reputation.

Ellie hadn’t admitted to him that cancelling her Christmas visit to her family was no big deal. Instead she’d said she would ring back once she’d checked her arrangements. In actual fact she’d welcomed the excuse not to have to play happy families with her parents and her sister while they pretended to understand the life she had chosen for herself. They would have a much nicer time without her.

She looked at the picture of The Osprey again. She had never regretted her decision to give up dancing in the West End six years earlier and take up cruising, but maybe it was now time to stop. She couldn’t keep running away from responsibility forever, and after six years of travelling she had been everywhere and done it all.

* * * * *

When the plane finally touched down in Auckland it was raining. So much for a sunny Christmas Ellie thought as she collected her belongings. Not that she had any intention of looking at Auckland today. That could wait until the return trip. All she wanted to do was sleep. She hoped the hotel was reasonable. At least her employers owed her that after almost twenty-four hours of sitting upright.

Waiting for her baggage she caught sight of Andy Smith as he picked up the first suitcase to arrive on the carousel and set off towards the exit. He had obviously forgotten all about her. Anticipating that her own luggage would take considerably longer to materialize, she shrugged and resumed waiting. With his expensive luggage and well cut clothes he appeared to have everything going for him. He even looked as if he’d had some sleep.

Chapter Two

Drew scanned the throng of people gathered in the Arrivals Hall as he searched for the driver who should be waiting for him. It didn’t take him long to locate the placard with Oceanus printed on it, or to make his way through the crowd towards the gray-haired man who was holding it. Two short sentences later he was back at the exit barrier waiting for Ellie.

When she came out onto the concourse with two heavy bags swinging from her shoulders and trailing a red suitcase behind her, his stomach did the same peculiar flip flop thing it had done when she first looked at him. It got worse when she saw him standing behind the barrier and opened her eyes wide in an unspoken