Dawn's Destiny

The future Grant had planned for wasn't going to turn out exactly as he'd expected. Wasn't going to be anything remotely close to all the plotting he'd wasted so much time on. This future might be better than the one he'd planned. Claire gave him hope. For her, he wanted to pull the shattered remains of his life together. Because of her, he could embrace what and who he was beyond his wolf. With urgent kisses and panting breaths, Grant began to grasp the potential of what could be. And the future was here and now.

Claire was drowning. Had a touch ever felt so good? Had a kiss ever been so enticing? She was dizzy with excitement. When Grant kissed her, she forgot how to breathe. His lips were warm and soft. Filled with promise. Burning with urgency. She felt his fingers smooth across her breast and she arched her back encouraging him. He wasted no time taking the hint. He shifted positions, anchoring her hips to the bed with the heavy press of his pelvis. Towering over her, his muscles bulging as he balanced his weight on his palm and ripped her t-shirt over her head with his free hand. His brown eyes glittered with flecks of twenty-four karat gold, drinking her in. Feasting on her while he enjoyed the show, slowly inching the straps of her bra over her shoulders painstakingly slowly until her breasts were bare beneath his gaze.

She squashed the nagging thoughts in the back of her mind. Like a smoker caught lighting up in a forbidden place would guiltily crunch out a cigarette. She was responsible damn it! She was a good, productive, and conscientious member of society. There was nothing wrong with giving into her desires and enjoying a man. Especially this man, who knew exactly how to drive her to the brink of insanity with nothing more than a touch and a kiss. What was the harm of, for once, giving in?

The pads of Grant's fingers seared her flesh when they gently grazed over her aching, taut nipples. Claire whimpered in pure animalistic desire and squirmed beneath him, desperate for more. Didn't matter how responsible she was. Didn't matter what a good girl she'd been her entire life. She was going to be bad, very bad. Instinctively, she arched her back and threw back her head. Exposing the fullness of her breasts for him to view, to touch, and to kiss.

She liked the fact that Grant could definitely and wonderfully take a hint. His hand snaked around her arched back, fingers grasping the hooked clasp on her bra and making short work of it. The girls sprung out eager for the full measure of his tender, dizzyingly pleasurable and painstakingly attentive affections. He took his time, exploring first one breast and then the other. Laving the peaks with the wet heat and gentle, sometimes demanding, flicks of his tongue. She clenched her fingers, gripping strands of his soft, dark hair, dragging his mouth from her nipples to her lips, kissing him with wild desperation. Her thighs clenched and moisture pooled between them as he fitted his pelvis against hers. He kissed her back with everything he had, lips, tongue, teeth, panting breaths, and masculine growls of desire. And being bad had never felt so good.

Claire pushed out any thoughts of a future with Grant far from her mind. Otherwise she would take the hopeful whispers and run with them and end up suffering the inevitable heartbreak that was bound to follow. Grant wasn't the one. Not. The. One. There was no way. She wanted someone reliable. Stable. Grant was a rogue. He was a wild card not the 'Steady Eddie' content with the picket fences and the two point five tow haired children she wanted for her future.

She was already going to Hell. Why not make the trip worth her while? Claire jerked her t-shirt over her head and tossed it across the room where it landed with a whisper on the floor. Her bra quickly followed. Unabashed, unable to find a scrap of shyness or feminine decency when it came to Grant or the magic of his touch she lay back. And reveled in the heat of his eyes as they roamed over her bare skin.

Grant sucked a breath between his teeth. Claire's eyes burned holes through him. Pupils dilated, surrounded by an ocean of intense, desire filled teal-blue followed his stare. He drank her in. Tanned bare skin, golden and lovely, begged for his touch. Rosy peaks surrounded by soft flesh rose up, begging for his mouth on them. Her fingertips traced a dizzying trail over the hard rise of his chest and lower, skittering delicately across his flat abdomen to the snap on his jeans. He groaned as her fingers brushed against his erection, coaxing him to lift his hips so that she could venture further south and feel the full length of him.

He was already there and needed little encouragement. He was so hard and aching for her it brought tears to his eyes. He wanted her there with him, writhing beneath him, begging him, crying out with his name on her lips while he pleasured her in every way possible. Grabbing her wrist, he eased her hand from between the press of their bodies and up over her head. He'd been fantasizing about this day since his first wet dream. And he was not about to rush it. Lowering his head to her breasts, his tongue flicked against the sensitive flesh, teasing the points to full ripeness. Claire arched her back and slid her hand from his grasp, clutching the back of his head and holding him to her breast. Grant was more than happy to comply, suckling her nipples and lapping at them hungrily until she panted, wriggled, and moaned throatily beyond the point of desperation for more.

Grant blazed a path back to her eager, parted lips. They were soft and full, swollen and bruised from his kisses. He had to stop this. Had to slow it down and cool things off before they spun inexorably out of control. He didn't need to worry about harming her physically. There was no wolf to him. The kisses. The gentle nips were all his. Every stroke and touch, not for the purpose of mating or forging a bond, but for pleasure, all of him, all for her. But, he could harm her. Betray her trust. Hurt her.

He could dream about all the futures he wanted to. But, the reality was, that he had to leave. Leave this place. Leave her. As for how long, forever he assumed. He had to get far away enough that the wolves wouldn't bother tracking him. As for where he'd go? He didn't know? All he knew was that it would lead him away from this place and away from her. "Claire," his voice was gravely and husky as he broke the kiss. "We have to stop."

"No." Claire trailed her fingers down his back and wrapped her fingers through his belt loops, trapping the hard length of him against her. Oh hell no. He was not going to back out on her now. His butt was firm and round against her palms. His erection hard, pressed against her core. Probing her through the thin cotton yoga pants she wore to bed. Promising to deliver. She lifted a hand to his mouth and rested her fingertips against his lips as they parted to speak. "Shh, I already know what you're going to say. And there isn't any need to say it," she whispered.

"Claire," Grant rasped. His mind shut down as she locked her ankles around his waist and lifted her hips to rock against his erection. Why exactly was he not supposed to do this? What was so wrong with it? Good God, she made a very convincing argument for her case. He gripped the pillowcase with his fingers and gripped tightly. Fumbling to regain control, "You know my situation," he gritted.

"I do," Claire answered. She understood. She'd deal with the consequences, no matter what they were, later. But, for now, she wanted something she'd gone without for so long. Something she'd never known and might never have again. Opportunity was knocking at her door and damn it, she was going to answer. "You don't owe me anything."

"But," Grant croaked out the word of protest. Her fingers deftly smoothed over his chest and worked their way down, leaving a sizzling trail of desire in their wake. "I wish things could be different." His body and brain were definitely not connected. His body ran the show while his brain short-circuited at the feel of her hands on him. His hips lifted giving her hands space to work. She fumbled with the button on his jeans and worked the zipper free. He was totally commando underneath the coarse denim and his erection sprang free like a Jack in the box. The sudden rush of cold air and hot caress of her fingers along his shaft shattered the last of his resistance and ended all protests. Claiming her mouth in a wild and desperate kiss, he let the moment and her touch sweep him away. She felt so right beneath him. And the moment, awkward and tense, was still perfect.

Grant was perfect in every way. His hard cock strained and bucked beneath her fingertips. His mouth was wild, tongue darting between her lips as he kissed her and panted groaning exhales against her lips. She stopped for a moment. She wanted him to have no regrets. She sure as hell didn't plan to. And everything had to be fair on all counts. She too, wished things were different. But, they weren't. And she was ok with that. "I understand that. I really do. This moment is all we have. All that can ever be. And I don't want to waste a second of it. Time is too important to waste."

Claire nipped a trail down Grant's jaw. "This is too important." Tipping her head slightly she slid her tongue in between his lips ending all protests.

Grant hoped she was as strong as she claimed and that she wouldn't hate him. He couldn't take it if she did, if the beauty of the moment turned sour and she hated him for the rest of her life. He really did hope to return to her. Once he got his life in order. He'd come back. And somehow, win her heart as she had won his. He trailed a path of kisses across her cheeks and planted one on the tip of her nose. Smiling down at her he ran his fingers through the honey colored strands of her hair. Memorizing every detail of her face.

Claire returned his smile and traced the arch of his brow with her fingertip. His brown eyes blazed, not with passion, but with adoration and perhaps something deeper. Maybe, he really did care for her, might even love her. She couldn't soften now. This was sex and nothing more. If she believed that he loved her. Then she could open the dam that held her feelings back and admit that what she felt for him went beyond a simple case of lust.

Grant saw a spark of something in her eyes. Not lust, something deeper. Yes, she did love him. As impossible and unworthy as he was, she had developed feelings for him. The knowledge refueled his hope. He thrust his tongue between her lips with renewed vigor. Savoring the moment. Storing it up to sustain him through the months or years they might be separated. However long it took, he was going to build a life, and reserve space in it for her.

His fingers spanned her waist and tugged at the waistband of her sleep pants. He tugged and inched them down her hips. This was awkward, no way to be suave and smooth like in the movies. He sat on his haunches and slid them down her thighs and over her calves and feet. Claire's legs were firm and muscular. The skin was soft and smooth, and golden, like the rest of her.

Claire's panties were a triangle of sheer blue satin. Leaving little to the imagination. A thicket of soft, downy hair nestled between her thighs. Grant slowly trailed his fingers down her thighs and up to the backs of her knees. During his absence, she could find another. Perhaps someone who already had everything she was looking for. He had to make this good. Memorable. Create a space in her heart that he alone could fill.

Claire lifted her hips. Responding to Grant's gentle urging. He jerked the panties off with one smooth motion. She was open, bare, and exposed. Suddenly, she was very shy and self-conscious. She tried to shift her hips and close her thighs. But, strong hands held her still by her knees, spreading her wide. His eyes roamed down her body. Focusing on the very spot she was trying to hide. A blush sprung to her cheeks. Warming them.

"No. Don't hide from me, Claire" Grant licked his lips. He took in every inch of her. From the top of her blonde head, down the curve of her neck, over the swell of her breasts and their pink, rose colored peaks, along the gentle sway of her hips and stomach, and down her golden thighs, to the darker patch of soft curls between them.

"So beautiful, everywhere," he ground out. He ran his lips and tongue across the skin of her calf and thigh as his fingers slid in between her slick folds. So ready for him, he thought, gently probing the wetness. He took note of the special places he touched. The ones that made her shiver and sigh and buck against his hand for more.

Grant's voice was soothing and sexy as hell, seductive as his searching touch. He took his time. Exploring and touching, stroking every inch of her. Filling her with one finger and stroking her nub, in full bloom, with his thumb. Nothing had ever felt so good. He wasn't her first and most likely, given the fatalistic nature of their situation, not the last. But, he would be the one she'd remember, dream about, and think of, forever.

She could do nothing but lay back and enjoy his touch. His body was out of her reach, positioned between her thighs. His fingers coaxed her into a deeper passion than she'd ever known. He slid in another finger. Finding a very sensitive place that Claire hadn't known even existed, except in female myth and locker room talk. He teased the tender tissues until she shattered beneath his touch.

Grant's body was tense with the shivering and pulsating need that was pressing against the loose jeans. But, he kept on, enjoying the sighs of pleasure echoing in his ears. He wasn't ready to give into his own needs yet. Maybe, he never would be. Lapping at her thighs, alternating kisses from one to the other, he made his way to her center. Claire's scent was musky, making him heady with its lush aroma. He slowly slid his tongue over her core. Drunk with the sheer decadence of her taste, he moaned against the tender flesh. Suckling and licking he took his time, kissing her in the most intimate manner, he savored her. Spreading her wide with his fingers as he pleasured her with his kiss, enjoying every second of the act just as much as she did. When the release he'd hoped to be rewarded with rocked through her, he drank deeply of her.

Claire clawed at Grant's back. Digging her nails in deeply. Finally, he crawled along her body. Taking his time, tasting every inch of her within reach of his tongue and lips. She had no thoughts about tomorrow, about the loneliness that would hold her in its iron fist when he left. She was an idiot to think for a second that she could make love to a man without loving him. Stupid, but it was too late for regrets now. Not that she had any. She would not allow that darkness to consume her life and her spirit. Regrets were a waste of time and energy. She would love him for now, make love to him today, and let the pieces fall wherever they may.

Grant crouched on his knees between her thighs. Towering over her in the masculine glory of defined muscles and bronzed skin. He was magnificent. Beautiful. And hers, if only for a little while. She refused to think about it. Easing his jeans over his hips and guiding them down his thighs she marveled in the wonder of him. She sat up on the bed, reaching with her tongue to trace a circular path around his belly button. The muscles of his abdomen rippled beneath her lips. She scraped her nails over his hips and trailed them to the hard erection between his thighs.

A dense patch of midnight black hair, soft and luxurious as silk covered his heavy sac. She cupped him tenderly in her palm, stroking her thumb over the tender flesh, teasing and rolling the sensitive skin between her fingertips. A bead of moisture formed at the head of his erection. Shyly, she dipped her head to claim the salty drop with the tip of her tongue. Grant groaned and gripped at her hair, as she slid her mouth over his length. Bucking his hips in time to the sucking passes of her mouth up and down his shaft.

Claire alternated between gripping with her palm and stroking him with her mouth. Shuddering and almost shattering, panting from the ache of her desire as Grant rasped her name and moaned from the pleasure she gave him. Gently, he cupped her cheeks and tilted her head so that their eyes met. What she saw in the dark, bottomless depths of his stare was a man on fire, burning for her. Almost reverently he laid her back on the bed and rested his weight against her. Claiming her mouth in a kiss, their tongues mingling and twining as their bodies soon would.

Grant shimmied out of his jeans. Kicking free of them. He balanced his weight on his elbows and cupped her face in his hands. Forcing her to meet his stare. He wanted eye to eye contact. Needed to see the gleam of passion and desire reflecting in their teal depths as he entered her. The expression on her face and the spark that was love in her eyes would sustain him and strengthen him for what lay ahead. He whispered her name. Completely and utterly, hopelessly lost in her. He lifted his hips and slid the ripe head of his cock along her slick, warm flesh. He was gentle, taking his time inching his way in. Groaning from the heat and softness, the tight grip of her wrapped around him.

Claire lifted her hips and coaxed Grant deeper. He filled her. Stretched her in the most wonderful of ways. Their bodies fit as one, so perfectly together. She tilted her chin. Kissing him deeply. Her tongue searched for his, sliding in and out of his mouth in time with their bodies, colliding and rocking, joining as one. Building to a heated crescendo. His breath puffed into her mouth. Hers was sucked into his as he inhaled deeply. She'd gladly give him every breath she had. And willingly take every breath he offered.

Her release came quickly. And Grant was exercising every bit of his will to keep from joining her there. He wanted the moment to last as long as possible. Pleasure built and burned until it was painful. He sped his pace. Responding to the messages her body sent. Meeting the demands of her need. When she lost control again, he let go. His body spiraled in absolute bliss as he filled her with his orgasm. His hips bucked and another release tore through him. His length was softening. But, he wasn't ready for it to be over so quickly. He was beginning to harden again within her tight, soft and warm walls. And all too soon, ready for more.

Claire closed her eyes and languished in the overwhelming heat that was Grant. He was hard and ready. Her body sore in just the right places throbbed and ached with fresh desire. Wrapping her arms around his back and clamping her legs tightly around his hips she surrendered. Opened up for him. And let his body send her to places she'd never been before.

Grant reluctantly withdrew. Spent and exhausted, although happily so. He knew he had to leave. But, he also knew, he'd move heaven and earth to be at her side again. He traced the dark fringe of her lashes where they brushed against her cheeks. Claire. His. Forever. His brain repeated the words over and over like a primitive Neanderthal. He felt like climbing on the rooftops and shouting his love for her. But, he kept quiet. Holding a very happy and sated woman in his arms.

Claire rested her chin on Grant's chest. Eyes closed to avoid his brown stare and the golden glimmer of love that reflected in their depths. No matter how he might feel for her. No matter how she felt about him. Things couldn't work out between them and there was no use to lie to the one person she had to be honest with, herself. She wanted to tell him her feelings. But, admitting them would serve no purpose except to make their separation more painful than it had to be. She would keep quiet and enjoy what time they had together. And when he left, she would go on. Just like she knew she had to do.