Free Erotic Research by Mari Carr

She felt out of her element with Ross, a man clearly used to being in charge. Quite frankly, she was surprised by how much she enjoyed his controlling presence. She’d always considered herself a modern, independent woman who had no use for a man in her life. Who could have guessed she’d actually enjoy being ordered around in the bedroom?

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    The only problem she could see was facing what would happen when they left this cabin. The fact was she was an independent woman, one who refused to let herself be swept away in an ill-fated romance, especially to a man like Ross who was clearly a bad bet. The last ten years as his best friend had proven to her he was unable to commit to any woman—and if she was being completely honest with herself, she was an even worse bet. She didn’t want a relationship. Her heart couldn’t take losing someone she loved again. It had taken her years to recover from the loss of her parents. Hell, even the mere thought of Duke’s death still tore her apart and he had been only a cat. What would happen if she gave her heart to Ross and if, in his typical fashion, he broke it?
    “Oh no,” he said lightly, as he finished the last piece of toast on his plate.
    “Is something wrong?” She noticed her own plate was still full of food.
    “You’re thinking again. Jules, what do I have to say to make you understand this is okay? You and I—together like this. Hell, woman, it’s more than okay. It’s about damn time! Enough of this second-guessing and worrying. Trust me. Please.”
    His voice was so earnest and his eyes so consoling, Julia felt her fears slipping away from her as easily as her clothing had last night. She did trust Ross and she wanted very much to continue “researching” with him. She would put her fears and worries aside and live for the moment. Taking a deep breath, she smiled for the first time since waking up, relinquishing the reins to Ross. Truth be told, she couldn’t wait to see what he had planned next.
    “Okay, Mr. Phillips,” she teased. “You win. Big surprise there. Have you ever lost at anything?”
    Grinning, Ross stood and walked around the table to where she sat.
    “Nothing that really mattered,” he answered, kneeling beside her. “Now, Brown Eyes, how about actually eating that food, rather than pushing it around the plate?” He winked at her. “You’re going to need your strength later on.”
    Picking up her fork, he slowly fed her nearly everything on the plate until she finally pushed the dish away. “Enough or I won’t be able to get up from the table. Hey,” she said, sudden realization dawning, “I didn’t know you could cook.”
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    Erotic Research
    “Just breakfast—bacon and scrambled eggs, Jules. And, sadly, I didn’t bring enough of that for every meal. Looks like we’re going to have to stumble our way through the rest of the meals.”
    “I don’t suppose anyone delivers pizza all the way up here,” she added.
    “No. Not that anyone could get a car up here in that blizzard if they did.” He gestured as they walked toward the window.
    “Oh no,” she cried as she squinted against the brightness of the thick blanket of snow covering the ground. “We’re going to be stuck up here for days.” Glancing up at the cloud-covered sky, she groaned. The snow was still falling in fat flakes, burying the porch of the cabin in deep drifts. “Maybe even weeks.”
    Strong arms engulfed her as Ross’s lips grazed her ear. “I can think of worse things,”
    he whispered.
    “But won’t you get in trouble if you aren’t back at work?” Her heart raced as his hands left her waist, climbing up to loosely cup her breasts.
    “I own the company, Jules. I can come and go as I please. I told Max where I was going and that I might be gone for a while. He can hold down the fort until I return.” As he spoke, his fingers toyed with her nipples until they were both pebbled