staircase.
"Neither one," she said, waiting for Jess to finish climbing up so she could climb down. She patted his shoulder as he walked past, then called back to Ray, "I'm making you a promise."
Ray watched her bobbing blond ponytail disappear, then he sank back into the cedar deck chair and, loud enough for an obviously curious Jess to hear, grumbled, "Women."
----
5
« ^ »
" S o, SYDNEY. WHAT ELSE is there to do around here?"
Standing at the kitchen counter and sipping her first cup of coffee, Sydney glanced over at Doug who was shoveling the last of Auralie's cheese-and-bean omelette into his mouth. "Are you saying you're bored already?"
"Hell, no. But I'm still waterlogged from yesterday. I was thinking of doing some sightseeing. Something that's dry. At least until my ears finish draining." He wiggled the finger he'd stock in his ear.
"Just like a kid." Sitting at Doug's side, Kinsey shook her head, her feet on her chair and her knees drawn to her chest, while she cradled and sipped from her own stoneware mug. Dozens of tiny blond braids hung down her back, the result of Poe's handiwork from the evening before. "You think you're going to miss out and you ended up overdoing."
"I am a kid. Or at least I'm a kid when I'm on vacation." Pushing away from his plate, Doug sat back and stretched.
"You're a kid all the time. Just ask any of our contractors." Anton came into the room in time to catch Doug's declaration. "Why do you think the firm is called Neville & Storey, rather than Storey & Neville?"
Arms high overhead, Doug glanced behind him at his partner's approach. "I thought we decided to put the brains second, so the brawn would get some of the glory, too."
"Yeah, that's it," Anton said, reaching out and jerking back Doug's chair, nearly sending him tumbling to the floor.
Doug caught his balance in the nick of time … and with a little help from Kinsey, who flew forward and grabbed him by one wrist just as he reached out flailing wildly. He gave Anton a one-eyed glare, then leaned forward and kissed Kinsey full on the mouth.
Pulling away and leaving her momentarily stunned, Doug smacked his lips and headed for the kitchen. " Mmm . Coffee. I think I'll have a cup."
"Coffee?" Kinsey fairly screeched, looking from her cup to Doug's departure as if weighing her need for caffeine against the pleasure of seeing the liquid splattered across his back. "I've been trying to get you to kiss me for months and, when you finally do, all you can say is 'Coffee'?"
Doug had been halfway to the kitchen and now Sydney watched as he jolted to a stop. The choice between coffee and Kinsey wasn't one that took him more than half a shake. He quickly put himself in reverse and returned to the table, grabbing Kinsey's coffee mug in one hand—prying it free from her death grip—and taking hold of her upper arm in his other.
Then he propelled her from her chair and toward the villa's front door, disappearing while Sydney looked on with a sigh and remembered last night's kiss she'd shared with Ray. A kiss that had been a long time in coming and had been cut too short too soon. She'd barely had time to savor his texture or rediscover his taste; she'd been too busy offering him what he seemed to need, what had been her pleasure to give.
Now, of course, here she was again surrounded by friends whom she wryly wished would find an island of their own. She couldn't even find private time to think about Ray, much less time to spend with him alone. Her plans to work him out of her system didn't stand a chance of coming to pass if she never found time to spend with him alone.
And if she didn't accomplish her goal while on their shared vacation, she wasn't sure when she'd have another opportunity.
Work was going to be a bear when she got back to the States. Soon it would be holiday season, and the gIRL-gEAR partners had to prepare for yet another restructuring and the launch of Chloe's mentoring program. Business had to be Sydney 's
"Neither one," she said, waiting for Jess to finish climbing up so she could climb down. She patted his shoulder as he walked past, then called back to Ray, "I'm making you a promise."
Ray watched her bobbing blond ponytail disappear, then he sank back into the cedar deck chair and, loud enough for an obviously curious Jess to hear, grumbled, "Women."
----
5
« ^ »
" S o, SYDNEY. WHAT ELSE is there to do around here?"
Standing at the kitchen counter and sipping her first cup of coffee, Sydney glanced over at Doug who was shoveling the last of Auralie's cheese-and-bean omelette into his mouth. "Are you saying you're bored already?"
"Hell, no. But I'm still waterlogged from yesterday. I was thinking of doing some sightseeing. Something that's dry. At least until my ears finish draining." He wiggled the finger he'd stock in his ear.
"Just like a kid." Sitting at Doug's side, Kinsey shook her head, her feet on her chair and her knees drawn to her chest, while she cradled and sipped from her own stoneware mug. Dozens of tiny blond braids hung down her back, the result of Poe's handiwork from the evening before. "You think you're going to miss out and you ended up overdoing."
"I am a kid. Or at least I'm a kid when I'm on vacation." Pushing away from his plate, Doug sat back and stretched.
"You're a kid all the time. Just ask any of our contractors." Anton came into the room in time to catch Doug's declaration. "Why do you think the firm is called Neville & Storey, rather than Storey & Neville?"
Arms high overhead, Doug glanced behind him at his partner's approach. "I thought we decided to put the brains second, so the brawn would get some of the glory, too."
"Yeah, that's it," Anton said, reaching out and jerking back Doug's chair, nearly sending him tumbling to the floor.
Doug caught his balance in the nick of time … and with a little help from Kinsey, who flew forward and grabbed him by one wrist just as he reached out flailing wildly. He gave Anton a one-eyed glare, then leaned forward and kissed Kinsey full on the mouth.
Pulling away and leaving her momentarily stunned, Doug smacked his lips and headed for the kitchen. " Mmm . Coffee. I think I'll have a cup."
"Coffee?" Kinsey fairly screeched, looking from her cup to Doug's departure as if weighing her need for caffeine against the pleasure of seeing the liquid splattered across his back. "I've been trying to get you to kiss me for months and, when you finally do, all you can say is 'Coffee'?"
Doug had been halfway to the kitchen and now Sydney watched as he jolted to a stop. The choice between coffee and Kinsey wasn't one that took him more than half a shake. He quickly put himself in reverse and returned to the table, grabbing Kinsey's coffee mug in one hand—prying it free from her death grip—and taking hold of her upper arm in his other.
Then he propelled her from her chair and toward the villa's front door, disappearing while Sydney looked on with a sigh and remembered last night's kiss she'd shared with Ray. A kiss that had been a long time in coming and had been cut too short too soon. She'd barely had time to savor his texture or rediscover his taste; she'd been too busy offering him what he seemed to need, what had been her pleasure to give.
Now, of course, here she was again surrounded by friends whom she wryly wished would find an island of their own. She couldn't even find private time to think about Ray, much less time to spend with him alone. Her plans to work him out of her system didn't stand a chance of coming to pass if she never found time to spend with him alone.
And if she didn't accomplish her goal while on their shared vacation, she wasn't sure when she'd have another opportunity.
Work was going to be a bear when she got back to the States. Soon it would be holiday season, and the gIRL-gEAR partners had to prepare for yet another restructuring and the launch of Chloe's mentoring program. Business had to be Sydney 's
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