Until Arsen (Daniels Family 1)

“Today is not my day,” I hiss, beyond frustrated with myself.

“It sure is mine.” He spins me around, lacing one hand in my hair, and the other—still holding my bra—cupping my neck as he brings his lips down upon mine. Unprepared and off my game, I melt into him.

My walls are down, the barriers gone, and Arsen takes complete control of me. Stealing my moans, grasping my last shred of sanity as I feel us falling onto the couch. He softens the landing by rolling us to the side. His tongue licks tenderly at the seam of my lips for entry. I try to hold off, I really do, but when he tugs my hair in his strong grip, I break. Gasping into his mouth, he sweeps in like he owns me.

And maybe…

Just maybe he does.

Maybe Arsen is exactly who I’ve been looking for. Maybe I shouldn’t be fighting him. Maybe I should be accepting everything he does to me with open arms. No other man has made me feel the way he does. No other man has broken past my defenses with a few well-spoken words and a deep rumble of laughter that makes my heart flutter like butterfly wings.

Until Arsen, I never gave a second thought to a life of love and passion.

Until Arsen, I thought I’d die alone.

“Let go, Marina,” he groans against my lips.

We want you happy again. My mother’s words play through my mind, and I do it. I let go. I give Arsen everything he’s looking for because I think he could be my happy.

Gripping his shirt, I pull him closer to me, loving the feel of his masculinity beneath my fingers. Feeling his muscles ripple with his need, a need for me, has me purring int

o his mouth.

“Good girl,” he says, and I preen. Hearing those two words melt me and tempt me to give into all his desires. I can feel myself getting ready for him, my womb tightening, my breath increasing with anticipation.

My chest fighting off the panic of not being good enough.

My mind screaming I’m broken.

My heart clenching with the fear of rejection.

“Breathe, Marina,” he mumbles in my ear, sensing my panic. “Relax.” He instructs like he knows what’s wrong. “I’ve got you.” His reassurance doesn’t have the desired effect because I know once he finds out, he’ll be gone. “Good girl,” Arsen whispers when I relax, and just like that, those two words have me melting into him. Again.

I don’t understand. Myself. My body. Him. None of this makes sense. I want Arsen. I want him as much as my next breath. Unfortunately, this damn fear holds me back. I must tell him before anything happens, but I don’t know how.

How to say the words.

How to accept his inevitable dismissal of me.

How to move on.

Some days, I really hate being a woman. Today is the worst day yet.

Arsen

I can feel the shift in her. Cold to hot to cold again. I’ve got frostbite and whiplash from her conflicting emotions. If I were any other man, I’d likely be annoyed, but I’m not. I’m a man who knows what he wants, and what I want is Marina Parks in my arms. Tied to me.

“I promised you lunch,” I remind her through gritted teeth, trying my damnedest to keep my lust for her in line. After hearing her describe me briefly to who I learned was her mother on the phone, I knew she wasn’t as aloof as she tried to portray last night.

Marina has walls built so high that I’m going to need a wrecking ball to break through. Only, first, I have to find out what erected those walls to start with.

I’ve always enjoyed a good challenge with an exceptional award at the end.

Marina will be a life’s goal I can only hope to treasure.

Clearing her throat, she doesn’t look at me as she pushes to sit up, which tells me all I need to know. She knows I know she went haywire on me. “Lunch.” She vocalizes the reminder like we both need it.

“Sure. Anything in particular you’d like to have?” I know what I want. Her. Laid out bare for days in my bed.