Page 20 of Wicked Fantasies

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. 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?” 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 as easily as her clothing had last night. She trusted Ross completely and she wanted very much to continue “researching” with him. Time to 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?”

Grinning, Ross stood and walked around the table.

“Nothing that really mattered,” he answered, kneeling beside her. “Now, how about actually eating that food, rather than pushing it around the plate?” He winked at her. “I wasn’t joking about needing sustenance for later.”

Picking up her fork, he 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.”

“Just breakfast—bacon and scrambled eggs. 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.”

“No. Not that anyone could get a car up here in that blizzard if they did.” He gestured toward the window as she stood.

“Oh no.” 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.”

“But won’t you get in trouble if you aren’t back at work?” Her heart raced as his hands left her waist to loosely cup her breasts.

“I own the company. 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 hard and incredibly sensitive. Each time he brushed the tips, the moisture between her legs increased until she squirmed to catch wayward drops that started sliding down her inner thigh.

“Ross,” she whispered, half protest, half plea.

“Ross, what?” His lips grazed the sensitive area at the nape of her neck as his fingers continued their magic on her breasts. Julia quivered at the sensations he aroused, until she surprised herself by responding to his question.

“More,” she demanded.

“Lean forward.”

She remained motionless, unsure what he meant until his hands left her breasts, pushing gently at her back. Before she realized his intent, her hard nipples pressed against the ice-cold glass of the window.

Gasping, she attempted to break away from his firm but insistent grip.

“It’s freezing.”

“Think how good it will feel when I warm them up again,” he replied, not releasing her.

“Ross—”

“Beg me.”

“What?” she asked, uncertain she’d heard his terse order correctly.

“Beg me. Beg me for what you want.”

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