The Beauty and the CEO

“That was my sister Dana on the phone,” Will replied softly. “If I gave my family any information about my love life, they’d plan a wedding before we return to Miami.”

Strong hands brushed against the backs of her arms. Will’s thumbs drew circles on her skin. She shivered and leaned against him.

“You’re what’s stopping what’s happening between us, Zoe, because of one specific thing,” Will said against her neck. “But you’re overlooking the thousands of things we have in common with each other. You don’t find that too often in two people.”

Zoe bit her bottom lip and tried to fight her desires. At what point did she let go of her dream of being a part of Ravens Cosmetics? And at what point did she need to realize and give in to the temptations of the man who made her remember she was still a woman with desires? Everything about Will screamed he was the perfect man for her. She’d put all of her dating options on hold. None of the men she’d dated matched her need for success. After listening to Will’s concerns with RC, she knew without a doubt they were perfect together.

Giving in, Zoe turned and found herself in Will’s embrace. He cocked his head to the side and brought his lips close to hers. They’d almost kissed yesterday. The desire for a taste of him still lingered on her lips. Will finally put her out of any misery, satisfying her with a brush of his mouth against hers. A soft kiss greeted her at first, and then another one. In unison their mouths parted and their tongues danced together.

If heaven had a taste or feeling, this would be it. Will wrapped his arms around Zoe’s waist and held her close as he deepened his kiss. Lost for a moment, Zoe gave in to every urge racing through her body. Her hands followed the deep muscles of his chest and wound around his neck. The tips of her fingers played with the curly hair at the nape of his neck. Will’s hands roamed up and down her back, one bracing her shoulders, the other caressing her backside. Long fingers played with the hem of her shorts. The mere touch liquefied her.

A mew escaped Zoe’s throat. Any common sense went out the window. The two of them found her bed and the old cushions absorbed their weight. Zoe lay beneath him, the palms of her hands embracing his face.

Will pulled his face away for a moment. His lips pressed against the curve of her collarbone and trailed along the edge of her collar. Her breasts swelled and ached for his mouth, not just the warmth of his breath.

“Will,” Zoe moaned.

“Zoe,” Will replied, trailing kisses back to her neck, jaw and lips.

“Zoe?” Another voice penetrated the barrier of the door.

Using all the strength she had, Zoe sat up straight. Will sat on the edge of her bed with a bewildered look on his handsome face. “Dad?” Zoe called out, and Will mouthed the same but with more questions on his face.

The brass oval door handle turned and creaked. The whole entrance took a mere few seconds, but in Zoe’s mind it took forever for the door to reveal her father standing in the doorway while she struggled to sit up in the bed.

Because of the nontraditional way Zoe’s parents had lived, with her having no stereotypical mom and dad to come home to every night, her maternal grandparents had been ashamed of their marriage. Zoe never wanted to do anything to cause her father embarrassment. All her life, she’d been the doting daughter. She never got in trouble in school. She went on with college and got her degrees, all without incident.

“What are you doing in here?” Frank Baldwin asked, his eyes narrowing at the sliver of space between herself and Will. “With a boy, no less?”

Zoe stood up. A cool breeze brushed against the exposed skin of her stomach. Quickly she tugged the material down. “Daddy, what are you doing here?”

“I thought I lived here.” Frank folded his arms across his chest. “What are you doing here? Besides the obvious.”

“Sir,” Will said, bravely stepping forward with an extended hand. “My apologies for what you walked in on. I have nothing but the utmost respect for your daughter.”

How embarrassing it was to be caught making out with a male by your father. But her father’s inspection of Will’s extended hand took the cake. Zoe grabbed her father’s hand and pushed it at Will. “Daddy, this is Will Ravens.”