Harlequin Kimani Romance June 2017 Box Set

by Arthur, A. C.

  “Why do I have a feeling I’m going to have to quiz you on cosmetics?” Zoe asked.

  “What do I get when I get one hundred percent?”

  With a roll of her eyes, Zoe laughed and shook her head. “Do we need to revisit our conversation in the car?”

  “No, ma’am,” Will said, holding his hands up in surrender.

  Zoe moved over to the oversize swing. She patted the spot beside her. “Come sit. You can see my work in motion.”

  For the next half hour Zoe kept her tablet rested on Will’s firm thigh while they watched the movie. Their breathing became synchronized and they laughed at all the right parts. A few “that’s awesome work”s and “great job”s slipped out from the CEO. Zoe beamed. And then the part came where Zoe appeared on camera. She was just an extra painted in blue. The camera zoomed in on her and Will swiped his finger against the pause button.

  “That’s you.”

  “How did you know?” Zoe asked. In the film she wore a pair of yellow cat eyes.

  Will’s fingers pressed against her image on the screen. “I’d recognize those cheekbones anywhere.”

  “Nice eye,” said Zoe, lips pressed together as she fought a smile.

  “So, you’re an actress, too?”

  “Oh, no,” Zoe said scooting away. “In truth, I knew this film was low-budget. It was a job for a friend, and in return I got to live out my dream to be a superhero.” She covered her mouth, not believing she’d divulged her big secret.

  Will turned in the bench to get a better look at her. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “No, I’m not.” Zoe stood up and covered her heart with her right hand and raised her left hand in the air. “I confess I am a superhero geek.”

  In surprise, Will stood up and took her left hand in his. He bowed his head and brought the back of her hand to his lips. Zoe’s right hand moved from her heart to the back of her neck where she was beginning to sweat in this sweltering heat. “You’re not going to laugh at me?”

  “Laugh?” Will shook his head. “Hell, I might just ask you to marry me right here and now.”

  CHAPTER 4

  The credits at the end of the film raced as fast as Will’s heart had during the movie. Arms folded across his chest, Will spent the entire time trying not to make physical contact with Zoe in fear of her taking his failed attempt of a joke of a proposal too seriously. Zoe’s stare, intent on her monitor, gave no indication. Will had battled himself internally. A marriage never survived on a mutual love for superheroes. His doubts of Zoe’s ability to work at the company subsided, knowing about her penchant for good and evil—the epic battle in most comics. Spotting the evilness of his anti-cousins was a necessity. Will never played around with marriage. He’d managed to never lead on any soccer groupie with words implying a future with him. He planned to marry one day, just not today. Will’s mild panic attack subsided with the arrival of the rest of the guests.

  Lexi had made sure there were enough judges for her pageant. Will, the head of a major cosmetic company. There were two beauty queens, one former and one current. The guest celebrity judge was none other than infamous model Sasha Foxx, once a child actress, now a woman who’d grown up in front of the camera—and was someone all the men at Magnolia Palace seemed to have had a crush on at one time or another. Will was glad he wasn’t the only male at this event. Kahlil Kane, heir to the Kane Diamonds empire, was serving as a judge, as well. Kahlil’s family owned several high-end jewelry stores in Miami, New York City and LA.

  The men bonded quickly with the new owner of Magnolia Palace, Ramon Torres, a cousin of Stephen’s, over a few bottles of Torres Rum. It was nice to hang out with cousins who got along rather than fighting all the time and weren’t in competition with each other. Will spent the evening in the study with the cousins instead of in the room right next door to Zoe. She was too much of a distraction and she’d made her intentions for their relationship—or lack of one—known.

  Respecting what Zoe wanted was hard as hell, especially knowing she was perfect for him. How many other women who loved superheroes and knew more about the cosmetic business than him was Will going to come across who were as beautiful as Zoe? None.

  So the price he had to pay for avoiding Zoe all evening long was a splitting hangover.

  According to Lexi’s itinerary, the judges were scheduled for a tour of the historic downtown area. With the pageant being held at the theater on the property of Magnolia Palace, the contestants needed to rehearse without the judges around or spotting them on their way to the theater next door. Since the contestants were all local ladies from Southwood, housing was not an issue. Lexi insisted her staff enjoy the Magnolia Palace. The tour got the officials out of the place so they couldn’t be accessed by the contestants or develop a bias toward anyone in particular.

  As he got ready for the day, Will tried to talk himself into being excited over the tour, but he could feel the skepticism as he showered. Dressed in a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a red-and-blue-striped polo, Will thought of his family and headed out of his room.

  Call him biased, but Will was partial to Overtown. His great-great-grandparents had moved down south to work on the railroads with industrialist Henry Flagler. Back then, African Americans lived separately from their white coworkers. Fanny Ravens, Will’s great-grandmother, had had the great insight to bottle her mother-in-law’s products and travel to Miami to sell them.

  Where his grandparents were raised was a historic city. Before the big highway boom, their successful business had stood on West Second Avenue. Back in its heyday, Will’s great-grandparents opened their homes to the women and men in their neighborhood. They offered a shave or beard trim for husbands and pin-curled hairstyles paired with the perfect shade of red lipstick for wives when they needed to get ready for picnics, outings or even for events held at the Lyric Theater. After World War II ended, many celebrities stayed at the Mary Elizabeth Hotel. Knowing guests at the hotel were going to need beauty supplies, Joe Ravens made a deal to have their products in every room. A round of applause brought Will out of his stroll down memory lane.

  Zoe stood in the center of a group, pressing the pad of her thumb against one woman’s lips. “There you go,” Zoe cooed. “Now you can go all day and drink whatever. I promise that lipstick won’t smear.”

  “And my lashes won’t smear against my eyelids.” The woman pressed what looked like a spoon into Zoe’s hand. “You’re a genius, Zoe. Thanks for this beatdown,” the woman said.

  The terms women used for their makeup and outfits were violent. Beatdown? There was that word again. Will shook his head and tried to recall the woman’s name. Mack, or Makenzie, or Kenty. She’d come in with Ramon and helped out with dinner and was friendly. Will remembered her mentioning that Lexi put her in charge.

  “No problem, Kenzie.” Zoe stepped back to admire the work she’d done. From the back, it appeared she wore a blue flowered sundress and a pair of blue flats.

  “There you are, Will,” Kenzie said, eyes wide and long lashes fluttering. “Would you like some coffee or breakfast before we leave for the tour?”

  All eyes turned to Will. The women and men—members of the talent search, directors, the emcee, and various coordinators—waited for him to answer, as they clearly had been waiting for him to come downstairs all morning long. Shoulder bags were hiked up on the ladies’ shoulders. The men not watching Kenzie were pacing.

  “I’m fine,” Will said, clearing his throat. “I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

  “You’re good.” Kenzie ambled over to him and grabbed him by the elbow. “We already paired off—except for Zoe, she was a little late, as well.”

  The rest of the group began to move out the doors while Zoe lingered behind. This morning Will had made sure to listen for noise in their joint bathroom so he wouldn’t walk in on her. Wh
at had kept her lagging this morning? Will watched Zoe as he made his way to her, taking in the perfectly round bun at the top of her head. “So, you were late also? Hmm, did you oversleep?”

  Zoe shrugged her shoulders and unapologetically said, “Never question a woman with perfect winged eyeliner about being late.”

  “I have no idea what you just said,” Will admitted, smitten with her confident voice, “but it sounds nice.” He kept his voice on an even keel and made a mental note of her vast experience, which reminded him to keep his mind and hands off Zoe.

  Like she often did, Zoe gawked at him, leaving him feeling either the butt of an inside joke or worse, inferior. “And you’re the CEO of Ravens Cosmetics?”

  At headquarters, Eva and Dana bailed him out when it came to terminology. Naomi and Joyce prepped him with flash cards before big meetings. In Southwood he was on his own. A nervous chuckle escaped his throat. “I see I’m not going to get away with much with you. What was this beatdown you gave?”

  “You’re representing the company as one of the judges?”

  Inadequacies washed over him. The pressure reminded him of his first penalty kick. Will had eventually gotten over it and he’d get over not knowing terms. He could learn. “I am.”

  “Well, you’ll see my beatdown there.” Zoe winked. Then she let him off the hook with a shake of her head. “Okay, fine, a beatdown is when a woman’s makeup is flawless, which is what my work is. Your company’s products and my skills…” She shook her head again, but this time let out a low whistle.

  “Ravens Cosmetics has been sponsoring this pageant for a while now.”

  The corners of Zoe’s lips tugged upward. “You guys donate a lot of materials.”

  “We do.”

  Zoe lifted a lavender tube with RC printed in gold. “Yes. And do you know what this is?”

  Confident after remembering what Kenzie said, Will nodded. “Well, it’s our famous lipstick line, Much Needed. You’re holding Much Needed Nude, of course.”

  “I…” Zoe said as she pressed the tube against her chest. The dramatic effect was to possibly show her confidence, but all Will saw was the swell of her breasts underneath the dress. “I am what makes this lipstick famous. When I blend this nude with a shade from RC’s Get line, Get Him Back, the deep, winey red mixed with nude gives it a blackberry color that makes for a sensual lip.”

  “Interesting use of our products.” Will grinned when she nodded in approval. He admired her. “And that’s a good reason to keep you around, isn’t it.”

  “That, and you need my insight on what products and colors to keep. You guys discontinued this merlot color last year, so I make a mental note to check out all the beauty supply stores and drug stores in every town I’m working in to buy every tube I come across.”

  Another reason RC needed a Creative Design Director. He needed a better idea of what needed to stay and go. “Duly noted. Low sales of Get Him Back forced us to cut back on the product. But I like your concoction.”

  “You need to keep that in mind when you’re going over your list of interviewees. What was I? Number six?” Zoe winked.

  “Actually you’re a ten,” Will said as he wiggled his brows at her.

  A horn sounded outside and her gold hoops jingled as she bobbed her head back and forth and said, “We need to get going before Kenzie has a fit.”

  “She scares me,” said Will. He ambled down the steps and extended his elbow for Zoe to take.

  Zoe accepted his gesture, wrapping her blue-polish-tipped fingers against his skin. An image popped into Will’s mind, one of Zoe touching him this same way, only with her wearing a white dress and him a tuxedo.

  “You should be scared of her. Kenzie used to be the head cheerleader for Southwood High. She is used to commanding large crowds of people to having spirit.”

  “Ah, Southwood High,” Will joked. “Will we be visiting the school today on our tour?”

  “Probably.”

  The bright sun accosted his eyes. Will blinked several times, and while he waited for his eyes to adjust, the sweet scent of blooming magnolias filled the air. When his eyes cleared, all the faces of the guests peered out the van’s window at the two of them. He felt the flex of excitement when Zoe’s hand twitched.

  Ramon Torres stepped out of the driver’s side and lifted his aviator glasses. “You folks are welcome to ride with us, but Will, man, I think with your height you might be a little uncomfortable in the back.”

  The last thing he wanted to do was make someone else switch seats. Will turned his head toward the spot where the Maserati sat parked under a magnolia tree. He turned back to Zoe. “You’re familiar with the area in case we get lost while following them, right?”

  There was a slight rise and fall of her breasts as Zoe gulped. “What?”

  “How ’bout we follow you all?” Will asked Ramon, who sent a head nod as an answer.

  So much for trying to keep his distance from Zoe, Will thought. “I hope your heart wasn’t set on driving in the van.”

  Zoe chewed on her bottom lip before rolling her eyes. “Fine, but don’t try that old trick of running out of gas on a country road.”

  The warm air filled his lungs when he took in a deep breath at the sight of her long legs in her dress as she wiggled away. “Yeah, well, so far every road around here is a country road.”

  “Cute,” Zoe called over her shoulder.

  Will took a few long strides and caught up with her before she reached the passenger’s side of the car. “Let me get that for you,” he said, leaning down. The motion brought him closer to her ear. He was sure the sweet magnolia smell came from Zoe.

  “Thanks,” she said, glancing up.

  And he was supposed to stay away from her? Even if Zoe earned the title of CDD, Will wasn’t sure he would be able to. She was intoxicating. He inhaled once more before closing the car door after she was secured inside. Will walked around the car to get to his spot. The engine purred to life and he maneuvered down the drive to catch up with the van.

  While Zoe pointed out various historic sites, Will enjoyed listening to her speak. During the interview she’d been so poised and proper. Right now, the country air relaxed her. She smiled and his world lit up. At one point while they were driving, Will almost ran off the road watching Zoe pull her thick black hair loose from the bun at the top of her head.

  She asked for the top to be put down so they could enjoy the morning sun. The women he usually dated did not appreciate the top being down. And the women he’d dated in the past did not sing along with the songs on the radio. Zoe sang absentmindedly and made no apology when she got half the lyrics wrong.

  Entertained, he followed the van closely and they stopped for lunch at a local restaurant. During the tour, they passed the First Bank of Southwood, which Lexi’s parents owned. Like many businesses in Overtown, businesses in Southwood had begun due to the lack of support from other places. Will and Zoe passed Lexi’s shop, Grits and Glam Gowns, in front of which a crowd of girls lined the sidewalk. Strange, considering it was a school day.

  A lush park across the street from the shop was filled with kids kicking around a large red ball. Plastic lined a baseball diamond so the kids could slide into the bases for a large game of kickball–Slip ’N Slide. They drove by the courthouse and the town square where, according to legend, Confederate and Union soldiers decided to stop fighting and live peacefully together. The town had its history, Will thought. The best part of the tour was Zoe. She was a natural spokesperson, something to consider for the job.

  After putting the car in Park under a shady weeping willow, Will strolled over to his personal tour guide’s side of the car to let her out.

  “Thank you,” Zoe said breathlessly.

  “You okay?”

  “I just realized I missed breakfast this mo
rning and got a little lightheaded.” Zoe swooned and Will wrapped his arms around her waist. The move was innocent enough, but touching her evoked so much temptation. She was ill, and here he was thinking about pinning her against the car and kissing her.

  They stood, eyes locked. Zoe lightly pressed her hands against his chest. She wasn’t pushing him away, though, and the urge to take her hand in his to kiss the palm or her fingertips overcame him. Will closed his fingers around her left hand and started to bring it to his lips.

  Some of the guests from the van were spilling out, glancing in their direction. His brain switched to business mode. If Zoe got the job, this embrace might be misconstrued. If she didn’t get the job, she could sue for sexual harassment. Will finally understood her dilemma.

  “Are you okay now?” Will asked her, reluctantly letting her go.

  With pink cheeks, Zoe nodded. “Thanks for not letting me fall,” she said.

  “Never. Now let’s get us something to eat before you faint.”

  * * *

  Seated across the table from the world’s most handsome man, Zoe tried to concentrate on what the other guests at the table were talking about. Most of the people invited were a part of the team Lexi had put together to help design, build and judge the upcoming Miss Southwood Glitz Pageant. Miss South Georgia opted to stay behind with her mother.

  A few people included Zoe and Will in their here-and-there conversations, but Zoe was intrigued with Will’s story, especially when he told the table about his former soccer career last year. Lexi was right. She stood corrected on her thoughts of him being a workaholic. It sounded like his travels were equally balanced with work and fun. Why was he still single?

  “Can you sue for someone ruining your career?” Zoe asked him after a waitress came and set down a bowl of fudge brownies smothered in homemade vanilla ice cream from The Scoop. She’d originally declined dessert after having the shrimp po’ boy sandwich, but seeing it on Will’s plate drew her in. Using his forearms, Will pushed the bowl toward her and caused a thin wrinkle in the linen tablecloth. Picking up an unused spoon, Zoe dug in.