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When Will had played in Germany with the Teufels, Dominic came to every match when he was in town. After Will returned to the States with the Texas Raiders, Dominic had come to his matches whenever he was close enough. In fact, Dominic was at the game when Will had failed to qualify for the World Cup team. The limp was faint, the scar healed, but the painful disappointment of his lifelong dream being taken away from him would remain.
Will’s thoughts turned to the passenger seated comfortably next to him in the shiny black 1963 Maserati 3500 Vignale Spyder, loaned to him by Dominic. Ever since Zoe had plopped down on his lap during the turbulence, Will couldn’t get her out from under his skin. Even while teasing him, she dazzled him with her smile. It was too early to tell if the smile she offered was from the woman he met at the elevator or the woman who wanted the position.
“And you’re telling me you don’t come from a privileged background?” Zoe was saying, apparently oblivious to the way she made him feel. Her arms were folded across her chest, making her cleavage more noticeable in her V-neck T-shirt.
Will glanced over and felt the tension in his shoulders leave at the sight of her easy smile. “Hey, membership has its privileges.”
Zoe’s lashes fluttered against her high cheekbones. The sun spilled through the windshield and highlighted the gold tones of her dark skin. A pair of gold earrings highlighted her cheekbones. “I guess I can’t complain too much. I might still be sitting on the plane in coach if it weren’t for you.”
“A compliment?” Will clutched his heart with his left hand before flicking the left turn signal to turn into the Magnolia Palace, as the voice from the GPS on his phone instructed.
“You’re funny.”
“I’m hoping you will get the chance to see I am a fun guy,” Will said.
“What does it matter?”
Will slowed the vehicle down. “I am not crazy for thinking about the moment we first met at the elevator, Zoe.”
“Well…” Zoe’s voice was slow and hesitant. She chewed her bottom lip and cut her eyes toward the passenger-side window. “Maybe not completely crazy.”
“How about I save you the trouble of trying to impress me with your work? I have major plans for Ravens Cosmetics and after our interview I believe your work is what I’m looking for. Why let our creative differences get in the way?” Will asked, and Zoe’s mouth gaped open once again. A jolt of energy streamed through him. He was not his brothers, but he sure did sound like them. He didn’t like the idea of mixing business and pleasure for a night or two. Will differed from his brothers that way. He wanted permanent, but was it possible Zoe was the one? “Okay, I’ll back off. I’m the crazy person.”
The tires crunched over the unpaved red clay driveway. Blooming magnolia trees lined the way up to the hotel.
“Please don’t take this the wrong way,” Zoe finally said. “But when I met you that morning, we probably could have made a go of things. Honestly, I thought you were a model and I was willing to give up my rule about dating clients.”
“And now?”
Zoe shook her head from left to right. “Now, no way. You’re going to be my boss.”
“You don’t have the job yet,” Will said, raising his brows. He was turned on by her confidence.
“I will.” Zoe sighed. “It was meant for me to work at Ravens Cosmetics.”
“Oh, really now?” Will drawled and shook his head. “Did you see us together in your crystal ball?”
“The comedian again,” Zoe retorted with a bored yawn. “I may tell you about it one day. Until I decide to share with you, you need to get used to the idea of us being nothing more than employer and employee.”
That idea didn’t appeal to Will. The hour and a half they’d been together already hadn’t been enough. Maybe he should have flown into Atlanta to give them more time to get to know each other on the way down to Southwood. On the other hand, if by any miracle Will changed his mind about Zoe’s work, they would end up working together. The last thing he needed was future tension between the two of them over a fling. With half the cousins tired of the business, and Donovan’s trysts, Will didn’t need the hassle. “Think you can at least settle on us being professional friends?”
