Work For It (Naiad Novels Book 1)

If I thought he was big just by what I felt through his pants, there’s no comparison to seeing the outline of his cock in his black boxer briefs. I’m almost afraid of what I’ll be met with when he finally pulls those down too.

Smirking, he watches my breasts move with the effort of my breathing, clearly knowing he’s the reason for it. I want to sit up and slap the smug look off his face.

My thoughts must be written all over my face, because Daniel cages me in, hands planted on the mattress on either side of my head. “Ah, ah,” he chides. “Don’t ruin it for yourself.”

I hate being told what to do, even if the instructions are in my best interest. But I rein in my natural reaction. Instead of giving in to the urge to let my palm meet his sharp cheekbone, I push myself up and press my lips to his, tasting his surprise. He may say he’s in charge, but if he leaves me an inch of wiggle room, I’ll take it.

He doesn’t respond, leaving me to trace the seam of his lips with my tongue, trying to convince him to let me in. To my disappointment, he turns his head and pulls away. My stomach drops as he sits back on his knees again, wondering what I’ve done wrong. I made one move, and now he’s shutting me down? What the hell?

My confusion only grows when he removes himself from the bed, leaving me cold and rejected. Mortified, I bring my hands up to cover myself, unable to believe that it’s going to end like…like this.

“Daniel, I—” I begin, my voice weak.

But he shakes his head to cut me off and silently bends down. When he straightens up again, I finally get to see him—all of him.

I was right. He’s huge.

His cock rests heavy in his hand, thick and veined, and I’m suddenly very, very worried that he might be too much for me. I prop myself up on my elbows, ready to tell him that maybe we should slow down, but he’s hovering over me again before I can speak. I gasp as his weight pushes me back to the mattress, his knees positioned so that my thighs rest on them, spread wide. If he moved forward just a few inches, he’d be pressing into me, but Daniel is careful to keep his distance.

His abs flex as he leans back and caresses my calves, though soon, my gaze drifts lower and lower. His cock is all I can focus on as he works the buckle of one of my Gucci block-heel sandals, then brings my leg up and plants a kiss on the inside of my knee. He repeats the process with the other shoe, letting it clatter to the floor, but the noise barely catches my attention.

“Is something distracting you?” he asks, holding back a laugh as he curls his hands around my thighs.

I’m in no mood to laugh. Every inch of me aches for him, especially now that I know I’m not being rejected, but I have a confession to make before we go any further.

“I…” The word trails away, and I’m suddenly self-conscious. I slide my hands up to hide my breasts, as if he hasn’t already had his mouth all over them.

Daniel, however, stops my movement. He snatches my wrists and pulls, uncovering my skin again. He brings my hands to his lips and kisses the fluttering pulse point of each wrist, though his eyes stay locked on mine.

“What’s wrong?” he asks. His voice is still low, but the amusement is gone.

“Nothing,” I say quickly. “I just…”

“What is it, Selene.” It’s not a question. “Tell me.”

I blow out a breath and turn my head so I don’t have to look at him, even though I’m still locked firmly in his grasp. “It’s just…it’s been a while, okay?” I admit, fighting back embarrassment. So what if it’s been a few years since I last had sex? I can’t imagine he’d judge me for it, but I need him to understand in case I need to take it slow.

He’s silent for a few beats, and I can feel the intensity of his stare. Then he repositions my arms by my sides and leans in, his lips brushing mine in not quite a kiss.

“I’ll go easy on you,” he murmurs against the corner of my mouth. “At first.”

I lift my hand, desperate to run my fingers over his shoulder, to trace the tattoo and feel his skin, but he turns before I can. He tilts to one side of the bed and digs through his pants pocket. He rights himself a moment later, a foil packet between his fingers.

Oh God, this is really happening.

My heart races, thumping so hard I worry it may beat right out of my ribcage. If he comes any closer, he’ll undoubtedly feel it for himself, but he’s still far enough away as he tears open the condom wrapper and pulls it out.

Swallowing thickly, all I can do is watch. He gives himself a long stroke with one hand, then slowly rolls the condom on. I could watch him touch himself all night, but right now, I want him to touch me.

What feels like ages later, he grips my hips and drags me down the bed, eliminating the space between us as he covers my body with his. We’re fully skin to skin. It’s fucking glorious.

I wrap a leg around his and drag up, savoring the friction of it, but I stop when his fingers dip between my thighs. He traces my slit from top to bottom and then back up, all the while rubbing circles around my clit with his thumb.

My hips buck, chasing that shock of pleasure, before I can stop them.

Daniel dips his head and chuckles against my neck. “You’re ready for me.” He trails kisses down to my collarbone, and without glancing up, asks, “Do you still want this, Selene?”

My answer is breathy but comes with no hesitation. “Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

Bastard. “Yes, please.”

He smiles before looking down, and my gaze follows. With one hand gripping his cock, he aligns himself with my opening, leaving me to close my eyes in anticipation. It’s not long before he presses against me, hot and growing slick from my want for him.

He’s slow to sink in, both of us groaning as my walls stretch to take him. It’s endless, and I swear I’ll break before he’s fully inside.

Forcing my eyes open, I tuck my chin and watch his movement.

Jesus fuck, he’s not even halfway in.

On a long exhale, I slide my hands up his arms and over his shoulders, willing myself to relax into it, to encourage him to keep going. I’m so wet I’m dripping, but there’s only so much my body can do to help me out. I arch my back, searching for a better angle, one I hope will make this easier because I don’t want it to stop. He assists, looping an arm around my waist and adjusting my hips.

“Is this okay?” he whispers against my ear, his forehead pressed to my temple. “Or am I too much for you?”

So cocky, even when he’s filling me.

But I can’t speak yet, so all I do is shake my head, even if I want to tell him off.

“You want more?” he asks, a little breathless. “Yes or no, Selene.”

Part of me appreciates that he’s asking, that he’s giving me an out, but the other part just wants him to get on with it, to let me have all of him.

“Yes,” I manage to exhale.

“Then relax.”

I almost snap at him that I am relaxed, that he’s just bigger than anyone I’ve had, but that will go to his head. He doesn’t need the ego boost.

Still, I comply as best as I can, easing my muscles one at a time. That’s all it takes, it seems. Because with one more push, I’ve taken in every inch of him.

I’ve never felt this degree of fullness before. The sensation is new and foreign and somehow right. Our chests heave in rival beats, but he doesn’t move otherwise, which is a pure kind of torture.

Dropping my head back with a moan, I savor the sensations, the tease.

Again, he asks, “Is this okay?”

“Fuck,” I gasp, working to form coherent syllables as I nod. “Daniel, yes. Just—move.”

He rocks his hips into me. “Like that?” he taunts.

The move sends sparks of pleasure and pain shooting through me. I’m almost tempted to push him off and take control, but with him, the effort would be futile. I’m at his mercy now. “Again,” I demand, the most I can do.

He complies, my fingers gripping his shoulders harder as I breathe through it, still adjusting. But it already feels so fucking good.

“Keep going,” I urge him.

The bruising kiss I get in response is enough to distract me from any discomfort as he pulls all the way back and slides in again. He groans against my mouth as I shift to take him deeper, and the sound makes me nearly come on the spot.

But I want more—more of him, more of this growing heat.

And he gives it to me.

He slides one hand into my hair and grips hard as he thrusts, his teeth scraping down the sensitive skin of my neck. He’s not gentle, not by a long shot, but he takes me slowly. He’s controlled, far more than I am, proving that he really is the one in charge. Giving him that power is thrilling, only because he uses it well.

I nearly lose it when the hand that was wrapped up in my hair ghosts down my body and settles on the softness of my lower belly, his thumb stroking my clit in agonizing circles. My orgasm is already building, and with every snap of his hips, he pushes me closer to the edge.

Running my hands over his broad back, grounding myself to this moment, I close my eyes and focus on the storm of pleasure that’s threatening to take over. I’m close to begging for him to let me have that release. I need it. I want to shatter under his touch. And I’m about to—

Until he stops.

My eyes fly open wide for a moment, but in an instant, I narrow them on the man above me. He’s grinning, hands still on me, but our other connection is gone.

“You asshole,” I gasp, furious over my second denied orgasm. “Stop edging me.”

He rakes his gaze down my body, leaving a scorching trail, then drags his attention back to my face. “Not until you ask nicely.”

“Fuck you,” I spit, shoving against his chest, as if that will get him to move again.

Daniel bats my hands away. “Mm, not nice at all,” he murmurs, dipping lower to cover my body with his again. But he still doesn’t give me what I want. “Now you’re going to have to beg for it.”

I buck my hips to grind against him, but all he does is pin me down. His cock nudges against my thigh, torturing me with what I can’t have. One move, and he’d be inside me again, but he’s purposefully denying me.

“I hate you,” I exhale as I grip his biceps, letting my nails sink into his skin. I hope he bleeds. “I hate you so fucking much.”

His lips find mine again, and this time, I’m the one who takes his bottom lip between my teeth. I bite so hard that he lifts his chin to break free.

“You’re dangerous,” he says quietly.

The fire in his eyes has me trembling beneath him. It’s enough to make me beg, just like he wants.

“Please,” I groan, the ache of his absence nearly killing me. “Please, just fuck me.”

A shudder rolls down his spine at my words, but his voice is even as he says, “Now, was that so difficult?”

I want to rage and hiss, because nothing about giving in to him is easy. But before I can, he pushes into me. He’s rougher this time, faster, like his careful control is slipping. I want to see him break, to give him that release, but not until he gives me mine.

“Harder,” I whisper in his ear, wanting more. Wanting all that he can give me.

He doesn’t stop as he lifts his head to look me in the eye. The intensity of his gaze is enough to make me lose my breath. “You sure?” he asks.

I meet his next thrust, inhaling sharply with the impact. “I know what I like, Daniel.”

“Dangerous,” he murmurs again. “So fucking dangerous.”

But then he gives me exactly what I want. Hard. Brutal. Unforgiving.

I can’t hold back the cry that leaves me when he angles his hips and slams against the spot where I need him most. I’m already building back up, writhing beneath him, out of my mind. When he brushes his thumb over my clit again, I’m done for.

My whole body is alight as I come harder than I ever have before. With my head thrown back and words of unintelligible pleasure leaving my lips, I clench around him, my walls pulsing as I ride the high. He thrusts faster now, breathing raggedly against my neck. When he groans and his body tenses on top of mine, I swear I come again.

I don’t know how long we lie there catching our breaths, still connected, but the beating of his heart against mine makes me never want to move.

Eventually, he rolls to the side, pulling me over with him. I’m weak, and my legs are still trembling, but I have just enough wits about me to respond to his lazy kisses. I whine a little when he pulls away, though he soothes me by promising he’ll be right back once he gets cleaned up. But I’d be content to stay here in the mess we’ve made.

I close my eyes and shift onto my stomach, the ache between my thighs setting in. I’m in a haze, aware of every inch of my body, but my mind wants to fade out. I barely notice when he steps back out of the bathroom and brushes my sweat-damp hair out of my face.

He kisses my temple and murmurs, “Go to sleep, Selene.”

For him, I obey.