The Beauty and the CEO

by Carolyn Hector

  Zoe hated herself for melting. There were plenty of jobs she had gotten in the past and she didn’t need anyone to comfort her like this. But being here with him was different. If what he said was true, then there was no moment of conspiring against her or favoritism. Zoe’s eyes stung from the overwhelming sensation of feeling foolish. “Look, I get not getting the job. I can handle it. It just stings that it’s to someone like Titus. I’m bitter.”

  “You’re not mad at me?” Warm breath brushed against her nose when Will chuckled. “But bitter over Titus?”

  Not appreciating his laughter, Zoe pushed his chest away. “You’re laughing at my pain?”

  “No. Just your honesty.”

  Zoe moved toward the living room, all too aware of Will hot on her tail. She tried to focus on the bookshelves across the room on the wall, but only thought strangely of future photographs of the two of them, like at Lexi’s from her and Stephen’s wedding. “Something I figured you would appreciate.”

  Will wrapped his arms around her from behind. The bitterness slowly thawed. His forearms were cradled beneath her breasts and lifted the stress of their weight and her emotions. Zoe leaned into him, willingly allowing him to lead her to the sleet-gray couch. Chills ran down her spine from the feathery touch of his fingertips. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

  Zoe turned in to him. “Hire anyone else but Titus.”

  “What is the deal with you and Titus?”

  “Nothing other than the man not having an original thought in his brain.” Zoe wrapped her arm around Will’s shoulders. Her fingers splayed against the curly hairs at the nape of his neck. She pushed out an irritated sigh. “You say a lot of the contestants had the same winged eyeliner and the glitter lips, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Titus has been stealing every design I do. That’s why my designs on certain celebrities are so elaborate. I make them impossible for Titus to copy without getting caught, but as you know, no everyday woman walks around with a couture face.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?” Will stroked Zoe’s thigh.

  “And sound like I’m a complainer?” Zoe shook her head, letting it rest on his shoulder. The beat of his heart comforted her pain. “I respect your decision. I’m resilient. I’ll make other plans.”

  Will pulled his head back, and wrinkles marred his perfect face. “Other plans?”

  “The reason I went after the Creative Design Director position is because I wanted something permanent in Miami.”

  Will stroked Zoe’s left arm and trailed it down to her hand where they locked fingers. “You’re not thinking about leaving here, are you?”

  “I don’t know,” Zoe said with a shrug. “I have a few weeks to think about it.”

  “Good,” Will said, maneuvering Zoe so her back rested against his chest. “I have a few weeks to convince you to stay in Miami.”

  Large hands stroked the swell of her breast and moved down toward her belly. Zoe moaned. The material of her dress crept up her legs as Will pulled it up. “I have a few jobs out of town,” Zoe moaned in between sharp breaths. “But if I want to do anything in beauty, I’ve got to go somewhere else. Ravens Cosmetics holds the monopoly on practically everything in South Florida.”

  “You’re leaving me?”

  “Well, not right now.” Zoe turned to tilt her face to his.

  Something about their mouths meeting, something felt right. Something felt like home. Zoe purred. His hands stirred at the apex of her legs. The panties she wore were instantly wet. Slightly embarrassed, Zoe—as much as she hated to—pushed Will’s hand away. “Will,” she moaned. “I just got off the plane. I haven’t showered.”

  Instead of listening to her, Will’s index finger circled her nub. The length of his middle finger slipped deep inside. Zoe bucked her hips forward and, obliging, Will pressed his palm against her, grinding against her flesh. The other hand slipped the through the V of her dress and freed her breast.

  Ecstasy consumed her. Heated blood boiled her bones. Zoe tried to get her thoughts together but it was hard, as hard as the erection pressing against her back. Will rubbed deeper, harder. His mouth skillfully worked hers and branded him on her. Their tongues reunited with a spark. Will used his legs to keep her legs spread wide. Moisture dripped from her body. She heaved, bounced and eventually rested her feet against the coffee table for leverage. Will hit the right spot over and over. Zoe broke the kiss. Her hands gripped the fabric of her couch and steadied herself with the right rhythm. Will pressed his lips against her earlobes and began to suck, and Zoe’s body went crazy. She cried out for him over and over with each orgasmic wave.

  “And now we shower,” Will whispered into her ear before sweeping her up into his arms.

  Chapter 12

  In the few weeks after Zoe and Will returned to Miami, they tried to have a normal relationship, but it was damn near impossible for Will to have Zoe to himself for more than a couple of days at a time. She’d flown out to LA for a celebrity wedding right after they returned from Southwood. Then they had two full days together, which they spent in her apartment without ever leaving the facilities. Right after that she drove up to Orlando for the annual MET Awards, where she was surrounded by celebrities, all of whom gave Zoe a shout-out when they won an award or gave her name when interviewed on the red carpet. Will hoped her excessive traveling while they developed their relationship would make her want to stay. According to Zoe, her parents maintained a long-distance relationship. Zoe swore she never wanted that for herself.

  “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever,” Zoe wailed on her side of the FaceTime connection.

  Will glanced down at his blotter calendar. After this Labor Day weekend, Zoe would be in New York for Fashion Week. If she felt like they hadn’t seen each other much since they returned from Southwood, it was going to be even busier in the next few months.

  “Me, too.” Will tried to sound excited, when deep down inside he was equally frustrated. She’d warned him that her life was hectic. He understood now why she wanted something more permanent and he hated himself for not being the one to give it to her. “You don’t have my face as the screen saver on your phone?” The moment he said that, the five-minute timer on his computer screen expired and the selfie Zoe had taken of the two of them together out on her balcony filled the screen. Will pressed the space bar and brought up the projected figures in spreadsheets for Ravens Cosmetics.

  “You’re cute,” Zoe said drily.

  “And even cuter in person,” Will added. “Speaking of which, when do I get to see you?”

  “You’re seeing me now.” Zoe laughed and blew him a kiss.

  “I meant naked in my bed.”

  A pretty shade of red brushed across her cheeks. Someone near her laughed. A flutter shook his heart with the idea of her on the Fisher Island Ferry, heading toward his home on the barrier island neighborhood. She was close. “Where are you?” he asked, looking at the images behind her. She must have been sitting with her back against a wall.

  “I’m not alone but I was heading toward your place.”

  Knowing she was this close, he felt excitement flush him. The hands on the grandfather clock in his office slowly ticked away toward five, but since it was Friday, why the hell not kick the weekend off early? Half the support staff had left already, including Will’s secretary. So keeping up with everyone else, Will pulled his briefcase out from under his desk. This weekend they were going to have time together. Will had made arrangements to have everything they needed at the tips of their fingers in his home. He toyed with the idea of having a personal masseuse but broke the pencil in his hand in half at the idea of someone else touching her body.

  “Give me forty-five minutes and be naked when I get there.”

  “Will—” Zoe pleaded.

 
Not wanting to hear a protest, Will slid his finger to the red icon and disconnected the line just in time. The door to his office pushed open without a knock. Donovan and Marcus entered.

  “Hey, little brother,” Marcus said, taking a seat. “Zoe must be in town.”

  Since the pageant, there had been no way to keep his relationship with Zoe quiet. Eva and Dana were already hounding him about when to have a wedding and whether he and Zoe wanted it in spring or summer. In his last email from Dana, she’d wanted permission to contact Jamerica Baldwin, Zoe’s mother. It wasn’t quite permission but more of a reminder that Dana still had modeling contacts she could use to get in touch with her. Right now, Will found the way his sisters teased him amusing. Nothing was set in stone. Will hadn’t even broached the idea of marriage with Zoe. Hell, compared with the intimate time at Magnolia Palace, the two of them barely spent any time together.

  “What makes you think Zoe’s in town?” Will asked.

  Donovan snorted and elbowed Marcus in the ribs. He leaned back in his seat and propped his feet on Will’s desk. “You’re about to pack up and leave for the day.”

  “It’s so cute,” Marcus mocked. He lifted his fingers in the air and pretended to pinch Will’s cheeks from across the room. “Don, you remember a few months ago when Will burned the midnight oil every night?”

  “Is there something the two of you wanted?” Will asked. He kicked his briefcase back under his desk.

  “We don’t want to alarm you,” said Donovan, “but the board just called an emergency meeting.”

  Will swore under his breath. “What now?”

  “I couldn’t get anything out of Charles or Brandon,” Marcus began, “but Dixon’s secretary has been pulling the data for the online work from Titus.”

  The online magazine was Titus’s field. The new CDD of Ravens Cosmetics had sunk a lot of money into technology for people to order their cosmetics and products via their website. Because Titus held a tech degree, Will trusted him to sweeten the site.

  “And you know this how?” Will asked with a slow drawl. What ran through his mind was a potential lawsuit. They were beginning to run out of single women working at Ravens.

  As usual, Marcus smiled smugly and leaned back in his chair. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head over that. Your big brother is handling things.”

  Will decided to ignore the mental list of corporate crimes sounding off in his head with the illegal implications of what Marcus said. The last thing they needed was a lawsuit. “I’ll buy you a drink for taking one for the team.”

  “No worries. It was actually my pleasure.” Marcus shrugged his shoulders. “She was pretty hot and flexible. I think she only missed the Olympics in Brazil due to a hurt back. But her back is fine now,” Marcus concluded with a sheepish wink.

  Rather than listening to his brother’s escapades, Will preferred hearing the news. He cleared his throat and gained his brothers’ attention. “What did you find out about the data she’d been collecting?”

  “It was data on the Creative Design Director, the one you handpicked,” said Marcus, reminding Will of a choice he would never live down. “What were you thinking?”

  “Me?” Will gasped. “You were at the impromptu board meeting where they said whoever styled the winner of the pageant I voted for would get the CDD position.”

  “Which you still got wrong,” Marcus reminded him—something he reminded Will of every time they got together. This included the moment before Titus had attended his very first meeting. “Zoe was perfect for the job.”

  “And now she’s perfect for Will.” Donovan chuckled.

  “Can we get back to this meeting?” Will asked, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose to ward off an oncoming headache.

  “Let’s try more like, go to the meeting.”

  Tonight’s plans were inevitably going to be put off. Will sent Zoe a text, pushed himself away from his desk and decided to dial Zoe’s cell to let her know he would be running late.

  Zoe’s voice filled the screen before her face. “Are you trying to find out if I’m naked or not?”

  Donovan and Marcus playfully leaped over the table. Will stood back against the window behind his desk. He held on to the phone while warding off his brothers with one hand. “Sorry, Zoe, I’m not alone now.”

  “Zoe,” Marcus yelled out.

  “When are you saving Ravens Cosmetics?” Donovan asked.

  “Who needs saving?” Zoe bantered back. “I’m the one running around here from coast to coast. Need I remind you that one or both of you told me that Creative Design Director position was mine?”

  “Sorry,” both men sang.

  “But it was Will’s fault,” Donovan blurted out.

  Zoe’s easy smile proved why Will loved her so much. She didn’t hold a grudge and had wished Titus well on his first day. Zoe made it clear she didn’t want to hear too much about how great Titus was or wasn’t doing, but she supported the company because she genuinely wanted what was best.

  “I was calling,” Will said, shrugging away from his brothers’ grasps, “to let you know I am going to be late. The board has called some emergency meeting.”

  “Everyone’s here,” Marcus called out.

  “Including the young ones,” Donovan finished.

  “Sounds ominous,” Zoe said, breaking eye contact with Will. He wondered for a moment if this was something she wished, but pushed the thought away. “Well, try to stay positive. I’ll see you in a little bit.”

  The three brothers headed off toward the corner office of Ravens Cosmetics. This reminded Will of walking through a stadium ready to hit the field for a match. In soccer he’d prepared himself by working out and doing a lot of strength training and conditioning. Will readied himself for a match by studying his opponents. This meeting was far worse. His opponents were family members out for blood.

  The glass walls of the conference room gave a clear view of the board: the Ravens. His blood. Will straightened his red tie with tiny magnolia flowers sprinkled on it. The tie was a gift from Zoe so he wouldn’t forget about her. Not a chance. Will resisted smirking. He didn’t want the anti-cousins, all facing him when he walked in, to get any sense of his emotions.

  Instead of the stoic faces Will expected to see, most of the anti-cousins sat with knowing smirks. Katie, Dixon, Charles, Oscar, Mari, Thea and Brandon looked like the cats who’d devoured the canaries. This didn’t worry Will. What bothered him, as he, Donovan and Marcus took their seats, was seeing Cora and J.J., Uncle Charles’s wayward son. School should have already started and they needed to be in their dorms. Cora avoided eye contact with Will, and J.J. drummed his fingers on the glass cover of the black oak table. The beat stopped once the three brothers sat down on the same side as both sets of twins. Seven against seven.

  “So, what brings all of us here today?” Will asked.

  Dixon spoke first. Well, rather shoved a thick, legal-sized binder toward the center of the table. “This has been the data for the last twelve weeks of our e-commerce with your Creative Design Director in place.”

  A twitch threatened at the back of Will’s jawline. “Alright?”

  “Your golden choice failed to bring in tweaks, changes,” said Dixon, referring to Titus once again. Nothing had improved after bringing Titus on board. The fans Will thought would follow Titus failed to support the hire. “As a matter of fact, our online sales have been cut in half and we’ve been steadily losing our subsidiaries left and right.”

  “What is this supposed to mean?” Marcus asked. “If these smaller companies are buying back their titles, we’re still making money.”

  “For the love of God, you guys,” Thea hissed, “we’re getting off this sinking ship. It’s time you all faced the truth.”

  “What truth?” Dana scoffed “That y
ou guys are a bunch of lazy, entitled brats who don’t know a thing about hard work?”

  Thea’s purple sculpted nails scraped against the glass and she rolled her eyes and fluttered what Will had come to know were wispy, catlike false lashes. “Said the prima donna model who used the company plane to get lobster from Maine.” Thea paused for a moment, long enough for everyone to hear the audible sound of Dana closing her mouth. “Yeah, I saw the books. You’re not modeling anymore, so there’s no reason for the flight other than your sister’s Key West lobsters not being good enough for you.”

  “Hey,” Eva drawled with a scowl.

  “You don’t have the votes to shut Ravens down,” Donovan declared with his intimidating, booming voice.

  Cora squeaked, her face turning bright red. She turned to look away but a tear fell down her face. Will knew at that moment it was over for Ravens Cosmetics. His heart fell. His shoulders slumped and a knot formed in his throat. He’d failed.

  “Why are we bothering with conversation?” Charles asked. His gloating smirk was enough to make Will want to leap over the table and punch it off his face. “We’re demanding a vote right now.”

  “How can you do this to Grandma?” Naomi asked. Her voice cracked with a hint of crying. Her twin reached over and patted her back. Will and his brothers clenched their fists.

  Joyce spoke up. “It’s plain and simple,” she began. “Tell us how much it would take to buy you guys out.”

  With a quick calculation in his head, Will already knew they couldn’t come up with the funds to buy them out at what he expected to be their inflated going rate. But Brandon surprised him the most with his response.

  “We’re done having our name attached to the sinking ship,” said Brandon. “You think we want to stay if for some strange reason you guys pull a rabbit out of your hats and turn this around?”

  “And if we even thought about selling the company to you guys,” said Mari, another anti-cousin, “how do you think you’ll look in the eyes of Grandma Naomi? We want to present it to her as if we made a group decision.”