number-one priority at all times, well above her personal life.
The success of gIRL-gEAR meant more to her than her partners would ever know. More than was probably smart for her to let it mean. The company offered her the acceptance she'd never found as the Ice Queen, the respect she'd never earned from her free-spirited mother Vegas Ford—a mother who'd called her only daughter a gloomy Eeyore .
But most of all, gIRL-gEAR was Sydney 's baby. A baby that fed off the creative types with which she'd surrounded herself, but a baby nurtured from day one by her business acumen. The success of the company rested solely on her shoulders. And had nothing to do with her world-famous artist mother or her venture-capitalist father.
Sydney shook off the thoughts as Anton, having poured himself a cup of coffee, took up his place beside her and stared after the exiting duo of Kinsey and Doug. Giving Anton a small shrug, Sydney lifted her mug. Interesting, finding out that Doug and Kinsey hadn't yet kissed.
That left only Jess and Poe as the possible first-floor veranda culprits from the other night.
Unless it had been Doug and Poe.
Or Kinsey and Jess.
Damn. Sydney was no closer to solving the mystery than she'd been yesterday. She slid a glance toward Anton. "Where's Lauren?"
Blowing across the surface of the steaming brew, Anton shrugged. "Still sleeping, I guess. I'm bunking with Doug, remember? You should've asked Kinsey before she went chasing after him."
"Chasing after Doug? If you think Kinsey was the one doing the chasing, no wonder you and Lauren can't get it together," Sydney said, treading where she had no business treading but doing so, anyway, wanting to see how Anton would react, wanting to see if he shared any of Lauren's confusion or if he had his mind made up.
"What're you talking about?" He frowned down into his coffee mug, then down at Sydney . "Doug might've been the one on his feet, but that doesn't mean he wasn't the one being pursued. You heard what Kinsey said. About wanting him to kiss her. That's chasing in my book."
No wonder relationships were in so much trouble, Sydney mused, what with the way men and women saw things through such hormonally tinted lenses. She sipped at her coffee, swallowed, then opened her mouth to answer.
Anton cut her off. "Besides, I'd like to think that whatever is going on between me and Lauren is between me and Lauren. Though I have to admit I wasn't sure at first how it was going to work out having both her and Poe on this trip." Anton hesitated. "They seem to be getting along."
Sydney nodded. Men were so cute when they were dealing with women. "I think they are. I know they've talked."
"About me?"
She glanced up and over and smiled. Anton's expression was the epitome of a nervous little boy waiting to find out if he'd been picked for the team. She couldn't help feel a touch of pity, though her first loyalties had to lie with Lauren.
"You probably need to take that up with Lauren. Or with Poe."
"Take what up with Poe?" Poe asked, walking into the room, scrunching her head of black hair with her fingers as if she'd abandoned conventional grooming while on vacation.
The swimsuit she wore was one Sydney recognized from Kinsey's gO glRL sportswear collection, a two-piece set of low-cut shorts and a matching halter top. The color was a rich jade-green, a perfect complement to Poe's complexion.
"Wow." Eyes wide, Sydney shook her head. "Has Kinsey seen you in that suit?"
"What suit? Where? Oh, Poe! You look fantastic," Kinsey said, returning through the same door from which she'd exited earlier. Doug followed, looking glassy-eyed and more than a little bit frustrated.
Poe turned to model the suit, stopping and raising both brows as she caught sight of the duo. Her hands went to her hips. "Okay. What have you two been up to? What am I missing? And why do I feel so left out?"
"I seem to recall you getting yours a couple of nights ago," Jess said from where he stood in the
The success of gIRL-gEAR meant more to her than her partners would ever know. More than was probably smart for her to let it mean. The company offered her the acceptance she'd never found as the Ice Queen, the respect she'd never earned from her free-spirited mother Vegas Ford—a mother who'd called her only daughter a gloomy Eeyore .
But most of all, gIRL-gEAR was Sydney 's baby. A baby that fed off the creative types with which she'd surrounded herself, but a baby nurtured from day one by her business acumen. The success of the company rested solely on her shoulders. And had nothing to do with her world-famous artist mother or her venture-capitalist father.
Sydney shook off the thoughts as Anton, having poured himself a cup of coffee, took up his place beside her and stared after the exiting duo of Kinsey and Doug. Giving Anton a small shrug, Sydney lifted her mug. Interesting, finding out that Doug and Kinsey hadn't yet kissed.
That left only Jess and Poe as the possible first-floor veranda culprits from the other night.
Unless it had been Doug and Poe.
Or Kinsey and Jess.
Damn. Sydney was no closer to solving the mystery than she'd been yesterday. She slid a glance toward Anton. "Where's Lauren?"
Blowing across the surface of the steaming brew, Anton shrugged. "Still sleeping, I guess. I'm bunking with Doug, remember? You should've asked Kinsey before she went chasing after him."
"Chasing after Doug? If you think Kinsey was the one doing the chasing, no wonder you and Lauren can't get it together," Sydney said, treading where she had no business treading but doing so, anyway, wanting to see how Anton would react, wanting to see if he shared any of Lauren's confusion or if he had his mind made up.
"What're you talking about?" He frowned down into his coffee mug, then down at Sydney . "Doug might've been the one on his feet, but that doesn't mean he wasn't the one being pursued. You heard what Kinsey said. About wanting him to kiss her. That's chasing in my book."
No wonder relationships were in so much trouble, Sydney mused, what with the way men and women saw things through such hormonally tinted lenses. She sipped at her coffee, swallowed, then opened her mouth to answer.
Anton cut her off. "Besides, I'd like to think that whatever is going on between me and Lauren is between me and Lauren. Though I have to admit I wasn't sure at first how it was going to work out having both her and Poe on this trip." Anton hesitated. "They seem to be getting along."
Sydney nodded. Men were so cute when they were dealing with women. "I think they are. I know they've talked."
"About me?"
She glanced up and over and smiled. Anton's expression was the epitome of a nervous little boy waiting to find out if he'd been picked for the team. She couldn't help feel a touch of pity, though her first loyalties had to lie with Lauren.
"You probably need to take that up with Lauren. Or with Poe."
"Take what up with Poe?" Poe asked, walking into the room, scrunching her head of black hair with her fingers as if she'd abandoned conventional grooming while on vacation.
The swimsuit she wore was one Sydney recognized from Kinsey's gO glRL sportswear collection, a two-piece set of low-cut shorts and a matching halter top. The color was a rich jade-green, a perfect complement to Poe's complexion.
"Wow." Eyes wide, Sydney shook her head. "Has Kinsey seen you in that suit?"
"What suit? Where? Oh, Poe! You look fantastic," Kinsey said, returning through the same door from which she'd exited earlier. Doug followed, looking glassy-eyed and more than a little bit frustrated.
Poe turned to model the suit, stopping and raising both brows as she caught sight of the duo. Her hands went to her hips. "Okay. What have you two been up to? What am I missing? And why do I feel so left out?"
"I seem to recall you getting yours a couple of nights ago," Jess said from where he stood in the
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