The Beauty and the CEO

by Carolyn Hector

  “Will!” Zoe screeched and came running back. She slid into him like he was home plate. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Will hooted. In truth, his pride hurt, but as long as Zoe’s hands roamed his body he wasn’t going to admit anything. The damn clothes were in the way.

  In a caring manner, Zoe sat and cradled Will’s head in her lap. “Seriously, what were you thinking?”

  “I wasn’t,” Will groaned. “I was just trying to make things interesting.”

  “Ouch.” Zoe’s eyes and mouth became pinched. Suddenly Will’s head hit the ground as Zoe rolled onto her back. Puffs of dirt and blades of grass flew into the air when Will scrambled to her side. “Cramp. Cramp.”

  “Relax,” Will ordered. The way Zoe grabbed the back of her right thigh, Will knew exactly what hurt and what to do. He moved her body to lie flat and wedged himself between her legs. With his right hand he lifted her right leg, his thumb grazing down her calf, roaming behind her knee; with his body, he pressed her thigh toward her. “How does this feel?”

  “It hurts,” Zoe whined. “I think I broke something.”

  “You didn’t break anything. Breathe through it.” His face hovered over hers and her sweet breath blew across his face. “You got this.”

  The way her eyes squinted at the corners did something to the blood in his head. It fueled his body. Will blinked and focused on Zoe’s face. For a makeup artist, she wore very little. And yet she still radiated beauty. Zoe winced once more. Will encouraged her, stroking the hard muscle against her femur. He nearly buckled when her body melted in his arms and a moan of satisfaction oozed from her parted lips.

  Zoe inhaled into the stretch. The more limber she became, the closer Will’s face came to hers. He leaned his body forward and somewhere in the move Zoe’s leg slipped from his hand and wrapped around his waist. Will placed his hands in the grass on either side of her head. Once more Zoe’s lips parted; this time, she arched her back toward his frame. Her eyes focused on his mouth, and with the closeness of their bodies, the pitter-patter of her heart slammed against his chest. This was it. This was going to be the moment they put their business aside. He felt it. She felt it. They both wanted it.

  A pair of hummingbirds buzzed in the air in front of them. At the sound of a high-pitched whistle the birds flew off. A black-and-white soccer ball sped by them and chasing it was a group of teenage boys. Will sprang to his feet, bringing Zoe with him. He nudged Zoe behind him so the boys did not catch sight of her disheveled clothes but kept hold of her hand.

  “Boys, boys,” began a man with a whistle dangling from his neck and a clipboard in his hands. He wore a pair of red coach’s shorts and a white T-shirt with the initials SHS across the front. A red visor shielded his freckled face from the blistering sun. “Watch where you’re going. You almost knocked these people down.” The man jogged to them and apologized, then backed up. “Holy crap! You’re Will Ravens.”

  “Guilty as charged.” Will extended his free hand for the coach.

  “Jesus, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” said the man. “My name is Barney, Barney Chatman. I’m such a fan of yours.”

  Behind him, Zoe made some noise and stepped forward. “A fan, you say?”

  Barney nodded his head eagerly and pumped Will’s hand. “Am I ever. I followed your career at Stanford.”

  “Stanford,” Zoe said, her interest piqued, and the corners of her mouth turned down.

  This tidbit of information didn’t need to be shared right now. Not when he was trying so hard to prove he was a regular guy. Regular guys attended regular colleges, not universities competing with Ivy League schools. Will didn’t consider himself as privileged as his cousins. He’d worked hard to earn everything he had.

  “And, of course, in Germany when you were with the Teufels. I was in Germany your second year with them and got the chance to watch a match.”

  “Thanks,” Will said. “It’s great meeting people who know the sport.”

  “Well, not like you.” Barney stepped back and held up his hands in surrender. “I can’t believe I’ve got you standing here. I can’t believe my boys just ran right by you without recognizing you and paying their respects.”

  Will waved off the honor. “When I was young, the only thing I saw in front of me was a ball.”

  Barney’s thick brows rose. “You don’t think...could I interest you in checking out the boys? I mean, they’d really get a kick out of meeting you.”

  A gentle nudge from Zoe dug into his back when he looked to her for permission. “Go on and do, like, a scrimmage thing with them,” Zoe encouraged him.

  “You’re better?” Barney asked, inclining his head toward Will’s ankle.

  Not wanting to appear weak in front of Zoe, Will straightened to his full height and nodded with confidence. He was. He’d recuperated. Of course, his days of playing professionally were over, but where was the harm in running around on the field with a few high school students?

  “I’m not sure,” said Will. “My friend and I were just getting started working out.”

  Another elbow, this time in the ribs, and Zoe wiggled her brows. “I’m injured, remember?” To emphasize her pain, Zoe limped in a circle. “Besides, you’ve seen my work. Let me see yours.”

  “Ravens Cosmetics is my work,” Will reminded her, tipping the edge of his index finger across the slope of her nose. He offered a smile when she rolled her eyes toward the single puffy cloud in the blue sky. “But I’ll go just so you can see how I give everything one hundred percent.”

  “Oh, man, this is the best,” Barney exclaimed. He patted Will on the back of the arm. “Let me go tell the boys.”

  Zoe laughed as they headed for the field. Some of the boys were stretching, while others were bouncing a ball on their knees back and forth to each other. Will hated to admit he was excited to kick the ball around. He’d been far younger than these kids when a coach spotted his potential. High school was nothing but academics and sports. Judging from some teenage girls gathering on the sidelines, Will predicted a healthy balance for these high school stars.

  Blood pounded in Will’s ears as he came closer to the field. His heart raced with deep beats. A ref’s whistle blew, signaling the start of a match. The sound evoked the auditory memory of his rapid breath when he used to run full speed toward the soccer ball. He also recalled the deafening sound at the Raiders Stadium when his opponent’s cleat had sliced into his flesh. The joy he felt overshadowed the pain. This was his element. He knew everything about the game. No one questioned him on the field. No one made him lose focus. Until now.

  Since it was his fault that Zoe had to sit in the silver bleachers, the least he could do was try to make it comfortable for her. He ripped off his shirt, folded it and created a comfy spot for her to sit. Will had to admit her little curtsy in thanks was cute.

  “Don’t hurt yourself out there,” Zoe called as he trotted off to join the crowd of boys.

  On a soccer field, even a makeshift one, Will always gave a hundred percent, just as he’d promised to Zoe. Every now and then, though, he did glance up to where Zoe sat and smiled. Back in the day, Will had liked to think of himself as a sports-focused man. Of course, pretty women hung on the rails and even the sidelines to catch his attention, but Will had always been focused. He’d prided himself on that. Now, distracted by Zoe, one of the kids was able to steal the ball from him.

  The players were fun and energetic. He was surprised at how many kids enjoyed soccer these days. A crowd of spectators began to fill the bleachers. At one point, Will shaded his eyes to make sure Zoe was okay. He spotted her becoming the center of attention of a group of girls more intent on whatever she was saying than the actual practice. The back of his hand dripped with sweat. He hadn’t realized he’d been playing that hard. He didn’t even have his cleats.

  The
sun was high in the sky, shining brightly over the entire park, by the time practice ended. Folks from Magnolia Palace gathered around the edge of the field. His newfound friends, Ramon and Stephen, clapped. All the boys hung around, begging for an autograph. Will signed soccer balls, T-shirts and even a pair of shoes.

  But the only thing Will wanted to do was run over and swing Zoe in the air. This was the first time since the accident that he’d felt a complete fit on the field. He realized he owed it to Zoe. It had been his fear of looking bad in front of her that inspired him to keep up with the younger crowd.

  The bleachers were filled with a young crowd of students, all of them holding their cell phone devices. So he held off from swinging Zoe around. Knowing how quickly things spread on the internet, Will wondered what Eva or Dana or the twins would think—or even the board for that matter. With her as a candidate for Creative Design Director, physical contact was not a good idea. It was clear Zoe wanted the position and he didn’t want to jeopardize everyone else’s opinion of her. Knowing where they both stood. She wanted the job Will did not want to give her. Yes, she showed signs of potential but she lacked the back-to-basics approach he needed. Will risked a sexual harrassment lawsuit with potential witnesses for Zoe.

  Zoe stepped down to the bottom bleacher. Will held his hand to help her transition to the ground. Her arms stretched in the air to wrap around his neck but Will took a step back and instead raised his hand for a high five. Her brows rose in question, and Will nodded at the teenagers.

  “We have an audience,” he whispered into her ear, and she half turned to see where he motioned to.

  Understanding, Zoe nodded her head and cleared her throat. Their hands met in a midair high five. “I’ll make sure to tell the board their CEO is a true team player.”

  The idea of Zoe being on his team was intriguing. But Will had to stick to his guns and make a thorough examination of all the candidates. It wasn’t fair to the others that he got to spend this time with her. If he did decide to hire Zoe, there’d be rumbles from other people. The only thing he hoped was that Zoe would still want to see him after the final decision was made. If Zoe cared about the company, she would understand, right? Dare he risk sticking by his guts? Turning her down now either opened or closed the door for them to potentially date. She might try to brush it off, but there was something between them neither one of them could deny.

  * * *

  “Thanks for talking to us, Miss Zoe.”

  Thank God for the perfect timing of Lexi’s niece. Kimber Reyes tapped Zoe on the shoulder, innocently interrupting a series of naughty thoughts going off in Zoe’s head. Zoe took a giant step backward and away from Will’s hot, sweaty body. She fanned herself with one hand and tossed him the shirt he’d allowed her to sit on with the other.

  “Oh, Kimber, it was nothing,” Zoe said, ignoring Will’s penetrating curious glance.

  “I’m going to go home and try it.”

  “Try what?” Will asked.

  As hard as Zoe tried to will Kimber to stay strong and not fall for the dazzling smile Will flashed, it didn’t work. With the game over, Zoe appreciated the modest attempt Will took to cover up his muscles. He tugged his shirt over his head. “Zoe was just teaching us a few techniques for our makeup by mixing glitter in with our gloss.”

  “You’re stunningly beautiful,” Will said to Kimber, which only made the child giggle hysterically. “Good job, Zoe.”

  Kimber shook her head. “No, not right now. For our pre-prom pictures we’re going to take tomorrow.”

  “I’m so excited for you.” Kenzie came over and hugged Kimber’s shoulders. “You’re a shoo-in to win.” She tugged the side ponytail Kimber sported. “This head was made to wear the Southwood High Prom Queen crown.”

  Forgetting she was in the company of Will, Zoe participated in the pre-celebration, holding Kenzie and Kimber’s hands to jump around and squeal. Their commotion brought over the other men from the Magnolia Palace. Everyone sobered when Stephen cleared his throat like the overprotective guardian he was. Zoe admired him and his brother Nate. They’d moved to Southwood soon after their other brother, Kimber’s father, passed away in a car accident along with her mother. Immediately, they’d acclimated to the small town and both men found longtime residents to fall in love with. Zoe craned her neck to see if she could spot Nate Reyes around here somewhere. No such luck.

  “Whoever heard of prom pictures the day before prom?” Stephen scowled. “When I was growing up, we took pictures the day of.”

  “And risk getting your dress messed up?” Kimber cringed and rolled her eyes. “No, thank you.”

  The uncle and niece duo could go on for hours about their views of the world without intervention. “Where’s Lexi?” Zoe asked Stephen.

  Stephen groaned and shook his head. “She’s on bed rest.”

  “Bed rest?” Zoe gasped.

  Kimber huffed. “She’s fine. It’s Tío Stephen who is forcing Lexi to stay home in bed.”

  Relieved, Zoe sighed. “Did something happen to worry you?”

  Patting his niece on the shoulder, Stephen shook his head. “She’s been so involved with this pageant she forgot to take her prenatal vitamin yesterday.”

  “According to Lexi,” Kenzie offered, whispering not so softly behind her hand, “she got as far as the door before he freaked out.”

  It was easy to imagine Stephen being so careful where Lexi was concerned. He loved her deeply and, of course, Lexi was madly in love with him. They made Zoe long for a relationship where she could settle down. For some reason, Zoe glanced over and found Will staring at her. Her heart fluttered.

  Clearing her throat, Zoe tore her gaze from Will’s back to Stephen. “You promise she’s okay? I know she is nearing the end of her pregnancy.”

  “She’s fine.” Stephen nodded. “Feel free to stop by this evening.”

  “We have dinner planned for everyone tonight, don’t we, Ramon?” Kenzie leaned forward to include Stephen’s quiet cousin in on the conversation.

  In an uncomfortable fashion, Ramon scratched at the back of his head. “I think I forgot to take it out of the freezer.”

  “Are you serious?”

  Before they had a chance to get involved in the wrath, Zoe grabbed Will’s arm and waved goodbye to Kimber and Stephen.

  “I did tell you she scared me,” Will said, once they were out of earshot.

  “I’m scared for Ramon,” Zoe laughed. “Maybe we shouldn’t have left him.”

  Will stopped in his tracks. For a moment, Zoe wondered if he wanted to go back and rescue his new friend. He paused and looked over the hill. “Nah, I think he’ll be okay.”

  They began to walk together in silence. Zoe wasn’t sure where they were going; she just knew she didn’t want to share Will with anyone right away.

  “How was playing soccer again for you?” she asked when they reached the other end of the shallow lake. Their knuckles brushed against each other as she walked on the higher part of the leaf-strewn path beside the water. “Want to go back to it?”

  “Not a chance.” Will sighed. “I know I may not be as experienced in the makeup world as you, but there’s something about doing this job for my grandmother that makes me feel honorable.”

  “Your grandmother, huh?”

  “Yes. I promise you, I am my grandmother’s favorite grandchild.”

  Zoe felt her lips stretch across her face as she tried to hide her smile. What would he say if he found out she did a school project on the family and never came across him? Of course, she’d done it a long time ago. “You don’t say.”

  “Why do you sound surprised?”

  “Surprised that you were spoiled by your grandmother?” Zoe made a grand gesture toward her heart. “My bad. How could I ever think such a thing?”

  “You sound l
ike my cousins.”

  Water rushed by an open drainage. A few birds scattered to the top of the skyscraper-tall pine trees at the sound of their footsteps. It was the perfect afternoon for a romantic stroll. If there was a romance between us.

  “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

  “Have you met all of my cousins?”

  Zoe ticked off the cousins she knew. She was closest to the twins. “Isn’t that enough?”

  “There are more, and all of them are leery of me as the CEO.”

  “Didn’t you say they nominated you for the job?”

  Will nodded and hung his head. She hadn’t realized he’d picked up a blade of grass until he started picking it apart. “They did. It was more an attempt to see me fail. Christmas is great in our family.” He half chuckled as she mewed out a pity aw. “Don’t feel sorry for me. At least the other group of my cousins, the loyal ones, want me to succeed, which I plan to do half out of spite.”

  “If you fail,” Zoe breathed, “Ravens Cosmetics fails.”

  “Exactly.” Will stopped walking and offered Zoe a half smile. “Which is why it is imperative that I choose right for the next position. I don’t want to let my grandmother down.”

  “You won’t fail if you choose me.”

  Chapter 6

  After a family-style dinner at the table, the men cleared the table and did the dishes. Their reward was another bottle of rum. Will needed it. Though his body was tired from the exercise, his mind raced after his afternoon with Zoe and their near kiss. Lips had never been so soft. Every dream he’d had last night was of the promise of how good he and Zoe would be together. But Zoe had made herself clear she wanted to be a part of Ravens Cosmetics. The more time he spent around her, the clearer it became to Will that he wanted to be a part of Zoe.