by Amber Skyze
Research Required
Amber Skyze
Ethan’s on the run from the mob. He’s in for a surprise when he knocks on the door of his sister’s neighbor. The last thing he needs is a distraction like Bailey. She’s sexy and sassy and dressed in skimpy shorts—and he wants to take her where she stands. Sex with a stranger? Bailey would never think of it. Ethan’s no stranger though, he’s her friend Jenna’s brother, so that makes him a friend too, right? Sex in the kitchen, sex in the bedroom, sex on the couch, it doesn’t matter. Bailey can’t get enough of this hotblooded stranger. Will Ethan’s past catch up to him and ruin any hopes for their future?
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Research Required
ISBN 9781419927492
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Research Required Copyright © 2010 Amber Skyze
Edited by Helen Woodall
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book publication March 2010
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
RESEARCH REQUIRED
Amber Skyze
Dedication
To Connor, who came into my life in a rush and only stayed for a brief time. In a short time you impacted a lot of lives. You brought hope and renewed families who were at odds with each other. You made me realize how short life can be and to live like there’s no tomorrow—for there may not be. I’ll treasure the memories forever.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Jell-O: Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc.
New York Times: The New York Times Company
Amber Skyze
Chapter One
“Shit!” Bailey screamed to her empty living room. “I’m never going to get this article in on time.” She stared down at the opened email about her interviewee. His publicist explained that an emergency had come up and he wasn’t going to be able to answer her questions after all. He was very sorry.
“Yeah, I bet he is,” she grumbled.
Bailey removed the pencil from her unruly blonde hair, causing it to tumble around her shoulders. She tucked a strand behind her ear to keep it from falling in front of her face.
On the pad of paper sitting on the couch next to her she jotted down some excuses she could give her editor to convince her she needed an extension on the deadline. Dog died.
In a horrible car accident.
Computer crashed.
None of the things were good enough reasons to give her editor.
“Fuck! I’m screwed.” She stuck the pencil in her mouth and bit back the string of obscenities she knew were brewing.
Focusing on the computer, she logged into her favorite database website looking for a last-minute replacement for her interview. She had to have another guy’s perspective for this article. After all it was a relationship article for women from the male’s point of view. She had two resources, but her editor insisted on three minimum. Just as she was updating what she was looking for the doorbell rang. As if on cue her stomach growled.
“Finally the pizza’s here.”
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She placed her laptop on the coffee table, grabbed the twenty lying there and padded her bare feet over to the door.
“I’m starved,” she said as she swung the front door open. She came face-to-face with a complete stranger.
“You can have me!” the ultra-sexy guy standing on her doorstep said. She stood there, her mouth hanging open.
“You’re not Kyle.” But damn he was hot. H-O-T hot. Her nipples hardened under her t-shirt. She wasn’t wearing a bra, because she wasn’t expecting company. Only Kyle and he didn’t look at her in that I-want-to-tear-off-all-your-clothes-and-fuck-you way. She felt the juices from her pussy pooling at her opening. It’d been way too long since she’d had sex. That had to be the reason her body was reacting this way.
“No, but I sure wish I was. Who is this lucky guy Kyle and how do I get rid of him so I can replace him?”
Bailey laughed, trying to ease the nervousness she felt being so close to this gorgeous creature.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m looking for Jenna King. She was expecting me over an hour ago but she’s still not home. Do you happen to know where she might be?”
“Sorry. Haven’t heard from her.” Lucky Jenna. She’d found herself a guy Bailey wouldn’t mind having a one-night stand with. A booty call to end all booty calls. His arm muscles flexed as he rested his long, strong arm against the doorframe. Bailey yearned to know what it would feel like having his body hovering over hers, making her drip with sweat as he…
“Do you have a number where I could reach her? I tried her cell but she isn’t answering.”
Bailey tried to focus on what he was saying. She had to stop this daydreaming. 7
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“Like I said before I don’t know where she is. Maybe you should come back later.”
She attempted to close the door, but he stuck his foot in, blocking her.
“I wasn’t finished.”
Bailey wondered if she should be afraid of him, but that sparkle in his baby blue eyes told her she had nothing to fear.
“What’s your name?” she demanded.
“Ethan.” He smiled, revealing dimples.
Bailey melted under his intense smile.
“I’m sorry, Ethan. I don’t know who you are or what your business with Jenna is, but I’m not going to give out any information about her to some stranger. For all I know you could be some rapist or something.” In fact hadn’t she just read somewhere there was a guy going around posing as a cable guy raping innocent woman. Fear knotted in the pit of her stomach. “I have to go.”
She kicked his foot, hoping he’d move it, but it didn’t budge.
“I’m Jenna’s brother. I’m not going to rape anyone.” He reached behind him and Bailey screamed.
“Whoa! What are you screaming for?” He pulled out his wallet.
“I thought you— I…” What could she say? She thought he might be reaching for a gun or a knife to hurt her with?
“Look,” he said, removing his driver’s license.
She read his name. Ethan King. Same last name as Jenna.
“Okay, so you aren’t a murderer, but if Jenna was expecting you why didn’t she leave you a key or something?”
“I don’t know. I’m worried because it’s not like her to be late.”
“Ha! You don’t know your sister too well.”
>
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
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“Jenna will be late to her own funeral. She can’t seem to arrive on time for anything.”
“Are we still talking about the same Jenna? Because my sister has been punctual since the day she was born. Our mother jokes about how she even came on her due date and not a minute late.”
Bailey couldn’t help but laugh. He was funny and cute and oh-so-sexy. Just then Kyle decided to make his arrival.
“Got your pizza, Bailey. Sausage and peppers on one side, pepperoni on the other.”
She could see Ethan looking at her quizzically.
“What? I couldn’t decide what I wanted, so I ordered both.”
“Options. I love options.”
That twinkle in his eye didn’t go undetected. He was flirting with her.
“Thanks, Kyle.” She handed him the twenty. “Keep the change.”
“Enjoy the pizza.” He bounced away, happy with his tip.
“I’m going to eat my pizza before it gets cold. So if you’ll excuse me.”
“Look, before you go. I’ve traveled twenty-three hours in my cramped little car to get here. I’ve been outside Jenna’s door for another hour and I could use a soft chair to sit on.” His stomach growled.
She was under a tight deadline. She didn’t have time to make small talk with this stranger or share pizza. She had to dive back into her article while she ate. Then a thought hit her.
“I’ll feed you if you’ll answer a few questions for me. I’m working on an article for women. What men find appealing and what they don’t like.”
“I’m your go-to guy. I have a lot of experience in that field.”
Bailey hesitated. “Are you a player?” Because the last thing she needed was a player’s advice for her article.
His stomach growled again.
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“Oh just come in,” she relented. She couldn’t leave Jenna’s brother on the doorstep waiting for her to come home, but if he was a player then he wouldn’t work for the article. She needed someone sincere. Someone honest.
She felt his eyes on her as she walked to the coffee table. Her skimpy shorts rode up her ass, revealing she wore no panties. He must love the view she was giving him, no matter how unintentional.
“Can I offer you a beer or soda or something?” She placed the pizza on the table and turned, practically bumping into his hard chest.
He was close. Dangerously close. If Bailey moved her head forward just a hair their lips would touch and she could find out what those sexy lips tasted like. As if reading her mind he inched closer, reaching out to graze her lips. Bailey licked the spot where his lips had met hers. She stood there mesmerized. She wanted more. She needed more. Her pussy lips swelled at the mere touch of his lips. She felt the electricity of his touch run through her down to the tip of her big toe.
“Soda,” he whispered.
She shook away the thoughts of having Ethan’s lips touching every inch of her body.
“Right,” she said and walked to the kitchen to retrieve his soda. She rested her hands on the counter and took a deep breath. She had to stop her heart from pounding so quickly. She wondered if he could hear the thumping when he stood a breath away.
“Okay,” she muttered. “He’s just a guy. Maybe a gorgeous guy, but a guy after all.”
She’d been around many men before, but none evoked the reactions her body was displaying since she opened her door and found Ethan standing there. Never had a guy caused her pussy to drip with excitement without some sort of foreplay involved.
“Are you okay?”
Bailey jumped, startled. Her hand covered her chest as she tried to catch her breath. 10
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“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
She turned on him.
“What were you thinking sneaking up on me like that?”
“I wasn’t sneaking. I was talking. You obviously weren’t paying attention. What had you in such deep concentration?” He stepped closer, closing the gap between them.
“Nothing,” she stammered as her back pressed against the counter. His finger reached out and twirled a strand of her hair.
“Were you thinking about how it felt when my lips touched yours?” He bent and placed a soft kiss on her shoulder. “Or how it would feel if I kissed you here?”
Again his lips touched her. He moved up her shoulder to her neck. Heat invaded her body. She bent her neck, allowing him access. He trailed farther up until he reached her ear.
“You are one sexy woman, Bailey. I could feast on this body all night long. Watch as you quivered under me.”
A chill passed through her body. She was already quivering from his touch. His hand slid under her shirt and found her nipple.
She moaned.
Lifting her shirt with his other hand, he bent, taking her hardened nipple in his mouth.
“Yes,” she whispered.
His tongue swirled around.
She placed both hands on the counter, trying to steady her shaky legs. God it’d been too long since a guy made her feel so good. She wanted him inside her. She wanted to feel his cock pulsing inside her pussy.
Alarm bells went off in her head. How had he known her name?
“Fuck,” she cursed. She pushed him away.
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“What’s wrong?” He looked stunned by her sudden rejection.
“How’d you know my name? I never told you it.”
“The pizza guy called you Bailey. I assumed that’s your name.”
She paced around the kitchen table. It made sense. Kyle probably had called her by her name. Ethan was a distraction she couldn’t afford right now, not if she wanted to get this article off in time.
“Seriously, he called you Bailey, when he said he had your pizza.” He moved to where she stood and reached out to touch her arm.
“I know,” she said, moving away.
“So then what’s the issue?” He was behind her again.
“I’m on deadline and you’re a distraction I don’t need.”
“That’s cool. I’ll just wait outside for Jenna.” He turned to leave.
“Wait. I can’t have you waiting outside. Especially since you’ve been driving all day long. You can stay. Have some pizza with me and answer a few questions.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
And with any luck Jenna will be home by then.
The last thing she needed was to sleep with her friend’s brother. Bailey had sworn off men after her last relationship, with diabolical Trevor. He was sleeping with her and half the apartment complex. Luckily for her Jenna wasn’t one of the women. Their friendship had stayed intact through the breakup. Jenna had warned her of her suspicions, but Bailey ignored her. She thought she was crazy. As it turned out Bailey was the crazy one. Crazy for believing Trevor could be faithful to one woman.
She should have suspected something was wrong the way the women always needed him to help them with something. Whether it was a leaking faucet or a clogged toilet. It wasn’t like he was the building’s paid maintenance man. Bailey considered herself one of the lucky ones not to have any plumbing issues. The joke was on her. The 12
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only thing clogged was her brain for believing they were having trouble with their plumbing. There were no issues. What they were having was sex, with her boyfriend. Once she found out she kicked him to the curb. He didn’t say in Bolton Landing long. She had the last laugh, though, because the women weren’t ready to take him in on a full-time basis. Having been aware of his cheating ways, they didn’t want him. He was only good for sex.
Bailey was sure he was now living with some unsuspecting fool who was being treated the same way. After that incident Bailey swore she wouldn’t get involved. That was almost nine months ago and the very last time she’d had sex. She found herse
lf second-guessing her decision to wait any longer with Ethan standing in her kitchen looking hotter than her pepperoni pizza. She wanted to have a piece of him.
And another.
And another.
Ethan watched the way she looked at him, as if she could devour him at any second. She was one sexy woman and the feeling was mutual. He wanted her. His cock rose to the occasion with the mere thought of being nestled inside that hot cunt of hers. He had to clear his head. He couldn’t take advantage of his sister’s neighbor. Not if he was going to be staying across the way for any length of time. He didn’t want this cutie getting any ideas of something permanent. Ethan didn’t do permanent. Not even his living arrangements. He couldn’t remember the last time he stayed put for longer than a few months. He had hoped Florida was his chance, but that never happened. He’d had to get out of there before something terrible happened to him. He thought about sticking around New York long enough to get what he needed and head west. His good buddy and former college roommate was living in LA and had offered him a couch to crash on if he needed one. He needed a couch all right and soon. Part of him wanted to stick around Bolton Landing. He wanted to build the relationship with his 13
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sister. He wanted to have roots, but he wasn’t sure his past wouldn’t find him. Maybe he could make an exception for Bailey.
She was perfect, right down to her pink polished toenails. He wouldn’t mind taking a nibble on those cute toes.
He groaned.
“Hungry?” she asked.
She batted those gorgeous brown eyes and he was a goner.
“Starved.”
She reached into the cabinet and her cheek poked out of her shorts again, causing his shaft to press against his zipper. He had to keep his hands off her. Jenna would be pissed if she found out he’d slept with her neighbor. That was her one and only stipulation when she invited him to stay. No sleeping with the neighbors. Fuck it. Ethan wanted Bailey and he wanted her now!
