The Beauty and the CEO

“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.