Harlequin Kimani Romance June 2017 Box Set

by Arthur, A. C.

  “Accidents happen,” Will explained. “I skated by for years with no injuries to my knees. Soccer is not dangerous as, let’s say, football, but we all go into the sport understanding what injuries we might incur. And getting hurt is part of the job.”

  The fudge from the brownie coated Zoe’s tongue. She closed her eyes and slowly rolled them to the back of her head. The satisfying taste threatened to steal her senses. When she opened her eyes, Will sat across from her, amused. A grin spread across his face.

  “Is it good?”

  “You ought to dig in.” Zoe nodded. “The Scoop makes the freshest ice cream ever, and because there are no additives, it melts quickly.”

  “I’m trying,” Will said, scooping up a combination of ice cream, brownie, fudge and a cherry.

  Their spoons played hockey for a minute over the last cherry and Zoe realized she’d been greedy. “I’m sorry. You can have my cherry.”

  At that, Will sat back in his seat and gave a throaty laugh. Heat warmed her face when she realized what she’d said. “Oh, my God, grow up,” she ordered while trying not to laugh at her choice of words.

  “Alright, I’ll try.”

  “So tell me more about you and soccer,” Zoe asked, taking another bite. “You said you played in Germany. Do you miss it?”

  “I did when I first came back, but I missed my family more.”

  The family. Zoe knew all about them. If she told him she’d done a school project on them, would it freak him out? “Are you and your siblings close? I’ve hung out with Donovan and Marcus before. I never knew they had another brother.”

  With a scoop of brownie on his spoon, Will nodded. “We are. Not as close growing up as I would have liked.”

  “No?” Zoe forgot about the dessert between them. She leaned forward to listen.

  “No, my folks didn’t want me to fall into the RC trap of being seduced by the money, and when a coach saw the soccer potential in me, my parents pounced on the opportunity to have me trained.”

  “What did that mean?”

  “I went to a boarding school that concentrated on sports for athletes. You know, the kind with no distractions.” Will lowered his eyes to Zoe’s cleavage.

  Zoe sat upward. “So, no girls?”

  “None.”

  He probably became some wild child in college, Zoe thought. “What did you do for prom?”

  “What’s a prom?” Will asked, and before Zoe could complete her gasp, he winked. “I’m kidding. My brothers and sisters went. I saw the pictures.”

  “You never went to prom?”

  “What’d he say?” Kenzie asked from her end of the table.

  Zoe leaned forward again and craned her neck to look at Kenzie. “He said he never went to the prom.”

  One of the men, a photographer named Gianluca, or Luke, as everyone called him, shook his head with an audible tsk. “What?”

  The other staff all began to tell their stories. Prom had been a rite of passage for a lot of the men at the table. Considering the direction of the conversation, Zoe wondered about Will even further.

  “It’s no big deal.” Even though he shook his head, the red tint creeping across Will’s high cheekbones said something different.

  The conversation began to turn to everyone’s attire for prom. Zoe mouthed an apology and Will winked as an acceptance.

  “How was your prom?” Will asked.

  “Oh. I didn’t go to prom.” Zoe beamed. “Comic-Con was going on that weekend in California.”

  “I commend your priorities.” Will nodded his head. She figured he would understand. Part of what she loved about her job was that pairing the right shade of lipstick with the right woman could really have that woman feeling like she had superpowers.

  “My mother was not happy. She forced me to attend this party in Diego Martin called a gradz. It’s a Trinidadian version of a prom.”

  Will scooped up some of the ice cream. “What happened? Didn’t win prom queen?”

  “That would require a tiara and a gown. The school had neither. But we celebrated the end of the year together and that counts, right?”

  “This is the saddest story I’ve ever heard,” Kenzie added.

  Kathleen Royal, judge and the former Ms. Wheelchair South Georgia, nodded. “I had the best time at my prom. The best date, too.”

  The two ladies clinked their glasses together and Zoe shook her head. She caught Will’s eye again and her heart raced.

  “Do you recall your date?”

  Zoe felt the coy smile spread before she could stop it. Will caught it as well, and began to grin.

  “Clearly you remember him all too well.”

  “Now, now,” Zoe said, shaking her head. Was that a bit of jealousy in his voice? “It was so long ago.”

  “Not that long, I’m sure,” said Will. “Go ahead and tell me about you and Mr. Gradz. Let me guess, you were crowned the gradz queen.”

  In order to not answer, Zoe ate another bit of brownie with the cream. Before she could take another bite, Will pressed his spoon down on hers and pinned the utensil against the white plate. “What?” Zoe asked, batting her lashes.

  “No more dessert until you tell me about Mr. Gradz.”

  “Mr. Gradz,” Zoe drawled out, “is doing just fine. I had lunch with him just the other day in LA.”

  “You flew out to see him?”

  Zoe snickered at the frown across Will’s face. “I flew out for a client’s movie opening.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I am a makeup artist, remember?”

  Will shook his head as if he didn’t believe her. “But you had our interview the other day.”

  Out of pride, Zoe inhaled deeply. “Believe it or not, I am in high demand. My job has me flying across the country on a weekly basis.”

  “And I thought the life of an athlete kept me on the road,” said Will.

  “Which is why I am looking for a permanent job.” Zoe bit her bottom lip. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make that sound pitiful.”

  “No worries.” Will’s wink warmed her soul just as it had outside the restaurant. She still couldn’t get over the fact she’d almost kissed him. Thank God he came to his senses. “It must be nice for your job to give you the ability to drop in on your exes.”

  Although she had no reason to explain further, Zoe felt she needed to. “He and his wife are lovely company.”

  “Wife, you say?” Will straightened up, then exhaled a deep breath and his shoulders slumped. “That makes me feel better.”

  “About?”

  “Never mind,” Will mumbled and went back to the dessert. “Tell me how you got started in cosmetology.”

  Zoe licked some fudge off her bottom lip. “You have sisters, right?”

  “I do, a set of twins.”

  “Did they ever use doll heads to practice fake makeup and hair?”

  Will nodded. “I believe they each got dolls for Christmas.”

  “Well, I got one for Christmas as well, and by the following year I’d gone through at least twenty-five of them.”

  “I understand the doll’s face is washable,” said Will. He set his spoon down on the edge of the plate.

  “They are, but after I got in trouble for using all of my mom’s, I created my own makeup with food and crayons and used it on a few of them, and didn’t know how to make it washable.”

  “Wait.” Will pressed his hand on the table. “You made your own makeup as a kid?”

  Didn’t he read anything on her résumé? “I did get a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and an MS in Cosmetic Chemistry.” Zoe rolled her eyes. “I’d like to think my childhood products inspired the first vegan products.”

  “You believe in vegan products over animal-tested?
” Will asked.

  Didn’t he know anything about cosmetology?

  “I’m sure your mother was impressed and mortified. I’m imagining the ants and the smells from your food-based makeup.”

  A memory of her grandmother came to mind. She rarely shared personal stories, but something about being in her hometown was nostalgic. “My grandmother came to my rescue. She was so impressed with the way I perfected the 1940s eye that she brought me more doll heads and encouraged me to do everything under the sun in cosmetology, how a product is made, applied and sold.”

  Will shifted uncomfortably in his seat and Zoe chalked it up to their meals. They had eaten a lot this morning from a food truck. Zoe figured he would burn the meal off with the walking tour of the history of downtown Southwood later after lunch.

  “Okay, so you’ve always loved makeup.”

  “I love pretty things,” Zoe responded.

  In his response to her, Will wiggled his brows. “What do you know? We’re very similar.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to remind Will she wanted him to be her boss, and that this flirting, no matter how exciting, was inappropriate. But, truthfully, she enjoyed it. She loved the thrill he gave her with each cocky grin.

  “Alright, y’all—” Kenzie clapped her hands together “—it’s time we get moving.”

  Saved by the Southern belle.

  * * *

  The tour ended just before dusk. Will parked the sports car in the same spot and, like earlier, came to Zoe’s side of the vehicle to help her out. His Southern manners were in rare form, Zoe thought, as she watched him move in front of the hood of the car. Despite setting her own ground rules, she couldn’t ignore the wave of excitement each time she got the chance to be alone with him. She’d be lying if she said she was looking forward to the barbecue this evening. It meant she’d have to share his company with the other guests and right now jealousy tingled her senses.

  She’d noticed a hairstylist batting her lashes at Will after dinner. A jealous bug did bite her, but she ignored it. Zoe had an agenda. And, so far, she thought she was winning Will’s favor. They stopped by Grits and Glam Gowns, and Zoe was able to point out the jobs she’d done in the photographs hanging from Lexi’s walls. Will didn’t say anything about her work, but he did nod his head in approval.

  Zoe didn’t care for Rebecca Smith, who was half trotting and half limping in her four-inch heels toward the car. Who wore heels like that on a walking tour?

  A few years ago, Zoe and Titus had been at the same show. In most fashion shows, makeup was done first and then the model went over to the hairstylist. The designer collaborated with her crew to create the looks she wanted for each model. One of Zoe’s models needed more attention. Titus, irritated at not getting more of the intricate work, spent his time backstage gossiping with Rebecca, who held the models in line for hair. With Zoe’s models backed up and Titus’s models ready, Titus had received the high praise for being professional. Rebecca never mentioned the true reason for the holdup.

  “There you are, Will,” Rebecca exclaimed breathlessly. Rebecca’s attempt at wing-tip eyeliner was shaky at best, and in the sweltering heat, the liquid had also leaked onto her upper lid. Poor thing was oblivious. Zoe was almost tempted to pull her aside and let her know. “I was hoping to find you before we ate dinner.”

  Will extended his hand to help Zoe out of the car and kept a possessive hold on her hand as he spoke to Rebecca. “You found us,” he said, with an emphasis on the us.

  Rebecca gave Zoe a tight-lipped smile. Zoe dipped her head to hide her sarcastic grin. “I wanted to talk business with you.”

  Zoe disentangled herself from Will’s grasp. “You two go on ahead. I’m going to change for the cookout.” She excused herself and walked through the yard, through the hickory-scented air. What business did Rebecca have with Ravens Cosmetics? Zoe didn’t realize she was stomping up the steps until Lexi, cuddled up on the hanging swing with her husband, glanced up and paused her conversation. Zoe waved an apology and headed upstairs. She had no business feeling any way over Rebecca. More than likely the hairstylist just wanted to be a part of RC, much like Zoe did. Who could knock her for trying?

  Inside her room, Zoe debated whether or not to shower and erred on the side of caution. Being sweaty and standing near the lake water was a good way to get bitten by a mosquito. She slipped out of her sundress, padded barefoot into the bathroom and locked the door to Will’s side of the room, just in case Will decided to do the same. Once in the shower, scrubbing her body with a loofah, Zoe thought more about what Rebecca and Will were talking about. She was in a sudsy lather and her mild rage grew as her mind wandered. What if Rebecca wanted the CDD position? What if Rebecca was willing to compromise her integrity? There was no what-if, Zoe thought bitterly.

  Zoe got out of the shower, dressed in a pair of denim shorts and red crop top, and stomped down the stairs in her red flip-flops, already in a tizzy. Will stood by the grill, nursing a bottled beer, talking and watching Ramon maneuver a grilled chicken leg over to its other side. When he finished, Stephen stepped in with a basting brush and brushed a thick, deep-red sauce over the meat. Will nodded his head in approval.

  “That’s what I’m talking about,” Will cheered the barbecuers.

  “Oh, brother,” Zoe groaned, walking over to them.

  Kenzie came out of nowhere and linked her arm with Zoe’s. “Men will bond over anything, from a sports show to meat.”

  “Not just meat, woman,” Ramon said, puffing his chest and lifting his hands out to the sides. “We made fire.” To celebrate Ramon’s feat, Will and Stephen gave him high fives.

  Zoe liked this side of Will. He wasn’t as stuffy as he was with his brothers at Ravens Cosmetics, where he had to be the boss. He was himself…or, at least, she thought so. “What’s on the grill?”

  “I have some chicken now,” said Ramon, “and there are burgers and hot dogs keeping warm in the oven.”

  “So, we’re ready to eat?” asked Kenzie.

  Ramon looked at the grill and nodded. “Yeah, let’s start calling the guests down.”

  “Is there anything I can help with?” Zoe asked. “I learned from my grandmother that if I didn’t bring anything to the party, the least I can do is help out.”

  “Yours, too, huh?” Will chuckled. “We may end up washing dishes together tonight.”

  Great, Zoe groaned inwardly, a night of getting wet with Will.

  CHAPTER 5

  The following morning, a wave of nerves washed over Zoe when she brushed her knuckles against the door to Will’s room. She’d dressed in a pair of comfortable red workout shorts, a plain white T-shirt and some running shoes, and stepped out of her room into the hall to go right next door. She heard no movement but in a second Will opened the door.

  Before leaving her room, Zoe had prepared a speech to coerce him into going off Lexi’s daily schedule. Then he answered the door in a pair of black basketball shorts with the waistband hanging low on his hips, exposing those V-shaped muscles. Zoe’s mouth went dry. She’d figured he was fine, but damn.

  And the last thing she’d expected to find on his defined chest were the initials TOP over his heart. A woman? Zoe stamped down the surge of jealousy coursing through her veins.

  “Hey,” Will said, cocking his head to the side to catch her attention.

  Zoe hadn’t realized she was staring until her neck ached as she straightened it to meet his gaze. “Oh,” Zoe began, “I, uh, I wanted to see if you wanted to go off course again today.”

  “You have something in mind?” Will asked and reached up for the top of the door frame. A natural bulge formed in his biceps. A natural moan threatened in the back of Zoe’s throat.

  “I thought you’d like to visit the Four Points Park today for a workout.”

  “A park?
” A spark of excitement was in his voice.

  “Well, yesterday you almost killed us while driving because you seemed so distracted by the view,” Zoe teased.

  Will began to rock back and forth, his arms still holding the top of the door frame. Now all Zoe could see was the way the muscles in his legs flexed. She gulped once more. Was he doing this on purpose?

  “What was I doing yesterday?” Will asked.

  Zoe blinked back up to make eye contact with her potential boss. If she kept saying that in her head, she’d eventually believe it. “I should have asked how your forehead was doing, considering how many times you hit your head against the window every time you saw a green pasture.”

  “Whatever.” Will chuckled and pushed himself away from the door. “Well, all I need to do is put on my shoes and we can head out.”

  “And a shirt,” Zoe reminded him.

  From the middle of the room, Will turned around and winked. “Too much for you to handle?”

  Playfully Zoe rolled her eyes and scoffed. Without stepping into his private sanctuary, she stood in the doorway and leaned against the jamb. “Whatever, I’d hate for your virginal skin to be attacked by the Southern mosquitoes—they’re unlike any bug you’ve ever come across.”

  Will sat on the edge of his bed and slipped on a pair of black tennis shoes. The crumpled blankets on his king-size bed created images in Zoe’s mind that she needn’t think about. When he finished with his shoes, Will stood to his full six-four height. He reached for something in the covers, then stood and slipped a black T-shirt over his beautiful body. Zoe swallowed her disappointment.

  “I can promise you one thing, babe,” Will said. “Nothing about me has been virginal in a long time.”

  The only thing Zoe could do after a comment like that was choke on her words. “I wasn’t talking about that.”

  “I know.” Will crossed the hardwood floor, grabbed something off the dresser against the wall and then stood so close to her in the door frame that Zoe felt his heartbeat thump against his chest. “But I was.”