At first, Zoe assumed Will was being boorish and using his size to push her out of the way. So she turned to the side with her back against the frame. Will turned to face her, and her heart raced. He lowered his lashes and licked his lips as he stared down at her. It was barely after eight in the morning and Zoe was already working up a sweat. This wasn’t fair.
“Do you mind?” she asked him, hoping he’d catch on to her sarcastic tone.
“Hey, you’re the one who didn’t move.”
In true dramatic form, Zoe sighed and took a big step to the left and into the hallway. “Better?”
“Not really,” Will mumbled with a wink. “So, where are we going again?”
“To the Four Points Park.”
A set of keys jingled in the palm of his hand and scraped against the brass knob when Will closed the door behind him with one hand. He placed his other hand on Zoe’s lower back. She tried not to be skittish and willed herself to remain calm.
“You’re dressed like you’re going to work out,” Will observed.
“I need to.” Zoe nodded. “You keep shoving your desserts at me.”
“Yeah.” Will laughed. “I ordered one and you pulled it toward you.”
“You pushed it toward me like you wanted to share!” Zoe gasped.
“Uh, no.” Will shook his head. “I was making elbow room and getting ready to dig in when you assaulted my dessert with your spoon.”
Done with this version of the truth, Zoe folded her arms across her chest and sighed.
“Then let’s talk about last night and the triple-crust peach cobbler with the homemade vanilla ice cream.” Will patted his stomach. “Or, at least, I believe it was homemade. I barely got some.”
In jest, Zoe rubbed her belly and offered a lazy smile. “Oh, it was homemade, and it was good, too.”
“So you admit you stole my dessert?”
“I was helping you out,” Zoe argued. “Both desserts were too large for one person to eat. You really should be thanking me.”
Bowing at the waist, Will nodded. “You’re right, and thank you,” he conceded. “But you must know, I’ll share anything with you.”
They walked along the hallway together and down the stairs. A lighting director and his assistant were the only ones awake and preparing their breakfasts. Silver-domed trays were spread out along the dining room’s buffet. Fresh fruit in clear bowls stood as the centerpiece on the table. Zoe stepped in for a moment to snag two bananas before she followed Will out the door. Even though she didn’t need help down the steps, Zoe wouldn’t have minded Will’s gentle touch again. She bit the inside of her cheek to avoid showing any emotion.
Will proved to have a good memory. They drove without her having to give any directions. The banter over who’d eaten how much dessert continued until a song from a female group Zoe had once worked with came on the radio. Without thinking, she turned the volume up and began belting out the punk-rock lyrics. At a red light, Will slowed the car and the song began to fade away. Zoe remembered her surroundings and bit the nail of her index finger.
“Sorry.” She grinned.
“Don’t be sorry.” Will shrugged, a smile spreading across his face. “Is the band a favorite of yours?”
“In a way,” said Zoe. “I did their makeup for one of their album covers. You may have seen it in my portfolio.” Zoe glanced over in time to catch his fingers gripping the steering wheel.
Will cocked his head to the side. “Can we be honest here?”
“Sure.”
“I wasn’t a fan of your work.”
The light may have turned green, but Zoe ceased to notice everything else around her. Her heart slammed against her rib cage. “What?”
Will shrugged. “You said I could be honest.”
“Well, I didn’t mean rip my heart out and slam it on the ground,” Zoe shot back quickly. “We’re talking about my life’s work.”
“Your work is stuck in the eighties.”
“It’s not stuck in the eighties,” Zoe gasped. “It’s an homage to the eighties. It’s my signature.”
“Big hair, bright colors, crazy colors.” Will shook his head and frowned. “Not my cup of tea, but fortunately for you, I don’t have the final say in the hiring. We do have to put it to a vote.”
“And do you want to tell me what my odds are right now?”
Chuckling, Will reached over and patted Zoe’s shoulder. “I have no desire to be that honest with you.”
They drove along a few more miles before reaching the park. Will slipped the car into an empty spot with no cars on either side and stepped out. Zoe was still at a loss for words. He didn’t like her work and he had no problem telling her so. So why wasn’t she ready to rip his head off?
In the beauty business, there was always competition. If Zoe had a fit every time she didn’t get a job, she’d be one miserable person. The only time she hated being passed over was when it came to Titus. He stole everything from her. Zoe swallowed down the bubbling irritation. No need to worry. Zoe had Donovan, Marcus and the twins on her side. Surely that was enough, right?
“Thanks,” Zoe said, taking his hand as he offered to help her out. “I mean, for being honest.”
Will held on to her hand to press it against his heart. “Can I be honest with you some more?”
Butterflies puttered around in her belly. How much honesty was she supposed to take in one day? “How about, if you beat me around the field,” Zoe pulled herself away and took off running, “you can say whatever you want.”
“No fair!” Will shouted at her backside as she left him in the dust.
* * *
Cute. She wanted to race. Will had two choices. The competitive side of him wanted to, of course, win this instant race, but winning might cause more hurt feelings than Will wanted to provide. Even though Zoe smiled at him after he gave his honest opinion, Will knew better than to push his luck. So, clearly, the other option was to let her win.
Going with that, Will jogged behind Zoe. She had great form, knees up, feet up as she paced herself. His steps were quiet, quiet enough that when he turned around to run backward alongside of her, Zoe jumped off to the side with a little scream. Her pace became a full-on dash. The light laugh she made, as if she couldn’t catch her breath, was infectious. As Will caught her laugh, he made the mistake of closing his eyes and not watching where he was going. Thanks to his carelessness, he tripped over a log and fell down to the grass in a laughing heap.
“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 th
e 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 stretc
hed 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.”
Harlequin Kimani Romance June 2017 Box Set Page 44