The Beauty And The Ceo

“Asked, or more or less forced you?” Lexi joked, hitting the nail on the head. “I know how they can be, so I have to apologize. I’m sure you’re out of your element.”

Beside him, Zoe snickered.

“I want to learn every nook and cranny of Ravens Cosmetics. If coming to your lovely city is one of the tasks, well, it’s worth it.” Will cleared his throat. “Besides, I’m always up for a challenge.”

Lexi offered one last hug and pulled away. “Good. Let me show you guys to your rooms. Stephen’s cousin just bought and renovated the place. I’ve got everyone working on the pageant sequestered here for the week, so I’m playing hostess today.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask if that was necessary, but any words were lost as they followed Stephen and Lexi into the foyer of the Magnolia Palace. The black hardwood floors absorbed their footsteps. Adorning the walls were old pictures of a family—perhaps the people who originally owned the home. There were two large rooms, one on either side of the hallway. One appeared to be a sitting room, the other a library filled with shelves of leather-bound books. They traveled farther toward the wide-set staircase, which curled and broke off in two different directions. Light spilled in from the upstairs balcony over the crystal chandelier, creating a prism effect against the white walls.

Will’s room was upstairs near the back of the house. The ceilings were high and the walls painted a pale blue. More portraits hung from the walls in gold frames. He went inside to decompress, but got caught up in the view from the balcony. The lush green backyard was neatly trimmed. A wooden path led to the docks, which jutted into the deep blue water of a round lake surrounded by more trees. Off to the side, on land, Will spotted a hammock and visualized himself in it with his shoes off and curled up with Zoe.

Will scolded himself for his obsession with Zoe. She’d made it clear she did not want to get involved with him. And she was right. Will needed to focus on the future of the company. He willed himself not to fall for the pretty smiles. Pretty faces were a dime a dozen and usually accompanied by a motive. Zoe was no different. Still, though, the confidence she’d exuded in the car was impressive as well as a turn-on.

This was not Will at all. He expected this lustful behavior from Marcus and Donovan. Will prided himself on being in control, but with Zoe, common sense went out the window. Did he dare hurt her feelings and let her know he did not see her in the future of Raven Cosmetics? Would it make her feel better to know he at least saw her in his future?

Thinking of her made him stiffen all over. He needed to splash some water over his face. Will moved over to the door he assumed would lead to the bathroom and yanked it open; a scream came from the other side. Upon further inspection he groaned. There stood Zoe with a fluffy blue-flowered towel wrapped around her silky dark brown skin. The sun filtering through the white-lace curtains highlighted the gold undertones of every curve.

“I guess Lexi forgot to mention the shared bathroom.” Zoe recovered with an airy laugh.

Damn, this was going to be the longest week ever.

* * *

No amount of hot water could wash off the humiliation of her potential boss walking in on her almost naked body. How was she going to look him in the eyes now in a potential board meeting? After a disastrous moment before her after-travel shower, Zoe changed into black leggings and a black-and-white-checkered T-shirt long enough to cover her behind. She headed downstairs to the patio with her tablet in hand, hoping to take some amazing photographs of the setting sun. Because she and Will had gotten there early, the other guests hadn’t arrived yet. Dinner was in an hour and a half, giving Zoe much-needed time to get reacquainted with the pier. She trotted barefoot across the grass to the dock, where the afternoon sun warmed the wooden planks.

Bright shades of orange, red and yellow smeared the horizon. With her breath caught in her throat, Zoe stood at the curve of the railing, in the same spot her father had knelt to propose to her mother. With the Magnolia Palace reopened, this would be the perfect spot for her father to re-propose to her mother. Zoe smiled at the horizon with excitement. She snapped a few pictures before deciding to return to the back porch.

The oversize white swings—and the fact that a producer friend had just sent her an advance copy of a superhero movie she’d worked on—helped put pep in her step. There was nothing better than the good people winning.

Zoe turned to head back to the porch, but she careened into a hard body. As she bounced backward with a prolific apology, the wooden rails creaked. The last thing she needed to do was fall into the water with her tablet. She hadn’t even sent any of the files to her Cloud. She welcomed the strong arm around her waist and reached for the impeccably muscled arms.

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