Turning of the Stars Ch. 01

"Okay," Corie said, looking curiously at Anna.

Grant led her down a corridor and opened a black door. He flipped on the light as he pulled her inside and she could see a black leather couch and a small, sleek black table with a laptop on it. In the back stood an enormous fish tank that spanned almost the entire wall.

"This is my office," he said as he closed the door behind them. "I keep a little stash in here." He grinned and winked at her as he opened the closet door revealing a small minibar. He opened the bottle of wine, poured two glasses, and handed one to her as he joined her at the fish tank.

"They're beautiful," Anna said peering through the glass at a bright blue fish gliding past.

"I spend a lot of time staring at them. It's relaxing."

"I bet. Kind of like a campfire," Anna smiled at the idea and took another sip of her wine. "Mm, this is good."

"I'm glad you like it. It's a Chilean Pinot Grigio."

"I have no idea what that means. I don't drink wine very often. Or anything, really, other than the occasional beer."

As she spoke she realized that this was probably the most she'd had to drink in quite a while, three glasses down and working on a fourth. She set the glass down on the table next to her, making a mental note to slow down.

"So I guess you're a pretty busy guy, running-"

He cut her off as she turned, pressing his lips to hers only for a moment then pulling away to look her in the eyes. With his breath still teasing her skin she was barely able to register the thought that his lips felt just as good as they looked. She had to have more; her body was already leaning toward him. The second her lips met his, his hands came up to the sides of her face, pushing her long hair back with his fingers.

His mouth opened on hers, sucking her bottom lip in gently and tasting it with his tongue. Anna sighed and opened her mouth, leaning into him as he deepened the kiss. She ran her hands up his arms, feeling his biceps tense as his palm glided down the back of her neck, gently stroking the delicate skin with his fingers. Anna shivered at the sensation and Grant slowly pulled away.

"I've been thinking about that all day. I couldn't stop wondering how it was going to feel when I kissed you. I couldn't even concentrate on talking to you."

"How did it feel?" Anna whispered, breathless. For her part it felt like someone had knocked the breath out of her and she was having a hard time thinking clearly, struggling to maintain enough control to ask the questions that were hanging in her mind.

"Pretty damn good."

"Can you concentrate on talking now?"

"I can try," he said, staring at her slightly puffy lips. God, she was gorgeous. And her skin really was as soft as he thought it would be. He started to lean in for another kiss.

"What does L-1 mean?"

Grants eyes snapped up to hers and he smiled, waving his hand dismissively. "It's just a security thing."

"Oh." She paused for a moment, wondering whether to ask the next question, then decided to go for it. "Do you- or did you or whatever, have a thing with Corie?"

He looked surprised at that. "No. She's worked for me for a long time. She's a good friend, but nothing more than that."

"Okay. I don't mean to pry, I just...I didn't want to step into the middle of something."

"Well, there's nothing to step into the middle of. I'm not seeing anyone right now. It's been a while, actually."

"Me too."

They stared at each other for a moment, the only sounds the gentle bubbling of the tank and the distant thump of the bass. Anna broke eye contact first to reach for her wine and take a large gulp.

"Anna."

It was just her name, but something about the way it sounded coming from his lips made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She looked at him just as he brought his lips to hers in another breath-stealing kiss. Anna steadied herself with one hand on his hip and the hand holding the wine glass draped over his shoulder.

His arms wrapped firmly around her and she gave herself to the kiss, mindless of anything other than the gentle insistence of his tongue. She could feel the warmth spreading between her legs and she rubbed her legs together without thinking, pressing one thigh against him where she could feel the hardness under his jeans. Grant groaned and ran one hand down to cup her bottom, pulling her closer and spearing his tongue deep into her mouth.

A sharp rap at the door preceded the door bursting open and for the second time that day Anna and Grant jumped away from each other guiltily, only this time Anna's wine sloshed over Grant's shoulder soaking the front of his shirt.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry," she gasped as she set her glass down, looking around frantically for something to mop up the mess.

"It's alright," he said softly, touching her on the shoulder, before shooting an irritated look at Corie who stood in the doorway looking contemptuous.

"What? I knocked this time," she said, unapologetically.

"Do you need something?"

"Delivery is here. If you're done with the catch of the day, I thought you might want to talk to him."

"Watch it, Corie," he snapped angrily at her.

Corie rolled her eyes and stalked out, pulling the door shut behind her. Anna looked at Grant curiously.

"What was all that about?"

"That was about Corie not knowing when to mind her own damn business."

Grant went back to the closet and yanked opened a drawer, pulling out one of those black club t-shirts and tossing it on the couch. He pulled his wet shirt off over his head and wiped his chest dry with it. Anna's jaw dropped and knew she was staring, but couldn't tear her eyes away. The swirls and licks of the tattoo on his right arm mesmerized her and she thought she was beginning to pick out words and maybe images in the lines. There was another tattoo on his left pec, a column of words she couldn't make out, and his nipple on that side was pierced with a silver barbell.

But none of that distracted her from noticing how well defined his chest and abdomen were. He wasn't a big guy, but he looked strong, the muscles of his arms and shoulders rolling under his skin as he moved and the deep groove between his chest muscles indicating he did more than just throw Frisbee and skateboard for exercise.

When he turned to grab the dry shirt she saw yet another tattoo, this one a huge black dragonfly whose body spanned the length of his back just a few inches to the left of his spine, the intricate design of the wings wrapping around his left side up under his arm and barely reaching the edge of his back on the right.

Anna just stood silently and took him in, feeling distinctly let down as he pulled the fresh shirt on over his head.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I really need to deal with this guy. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Please, don't be sorry. Take care of your business. I'll be here," she gestured toward the tank and smiled. "With the fish."

With the fish? What the heck was she talking about? A little wine and one shirtless hottie and she'd turned into a complete idiot.

He stopped with his hand on the doorknob and walked back to her. He bent and gave her a quick kiss, darting his tongue out to tease her lower lip, before turning and walking quickly out of the room.

Anna sighed shakily and collapsed back on the couch, her mind racing. A slow smile crept across her face at the thought of his hands on her body, his lips on hers. It may have been a while, but she had messed around with her share of guys and never had kisses alone sparked such heat in her, making her instantly want more. She'd certainly never considered dropping her panties and screwing a guy the day she met him, but she had to admit the thought had crossed her mind more than once today.

"Catch of the day," she murmered to herself, her smile fading. Somehow she didn't think that had anything to do with the restaurant. She shouldn't be too surprised that Grant had a different woman every day, she'd only spent part of one day with him and she'd seen countless women throwing themselves at him. And wasn't that exactly what she was thinking about doing?

Sure, he acted like he was interested in her, but that's probably what all the girls thought. That smile, those eyes, the charming smirk...yeah she was an idiot, obviously he was a player. The smart thing to do would be to walk out right now with her dignity intact, but good lord if she did that she'd never get to run her hands over that skin, those tattoos. Just the thought of leaving made her whole body tense up in protest.

She sighed, leaned her head back on the couch and closed her eyes, images of all those fawning women at the bookstore dancing in her mind.

...

Anna was laying face down in the sand at the beach, the waves gently lapping at her cheek. From far away she could hear someone calling her name.

"Anna. Anna!"

She opened her eyes to see a blurry face in front of her. As Grant came into focus Anna sat up with a gasp, wiping the dampness from her cheek. "Oh my god, am I drooling?"

"And snoring. Don't forget snoring," he replied with irritating cheerfulness.

"Oh god!" Anna jumped up off the couch knocking Grant backwards. She swayed sickeningly and fell back on the couch. "The room is spinning."

"Are you all right?" Grant asked, suddenly concerned.

"I think I had too much to drink. How long was I asleep?"

"I was gone about fifteen minutes. Are you sure? You only had a few glasses of wine." He felt her forehead and cheeks, the slight touches making her feel even more flushed.

"I know, I'm a lightweight. I told you I don't drink much."

"Let me get you some water." He went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle. "Here, drink some of this. Do you want me to call you a cab?"

"Um-" Anna quickly calculated the cost of a taxi as she took a sip of water. "I don't live far away. I was planning on walking home."

"You can't do that."

"Oh, can't I?" Anna said, looking at him indignantly.

"No," he said firmly. "I'm not going to let you walk home drunk and alone through a shitty neighborhood."

"Not going to let me? Are you kidding?"

"No. You're having a hard time even standing up, don't pretend I'm the one being unreasonable here."

They glared at each other for a moment before Grant relented and said gently, "Let me drive you home. Please?"

Anna studied him, noting the sincerity in his eyes. Was he playing her? Did she care? Drunk or not, she knew she wanted him. Why shouldn't she bring him home? Sure, she'd never had a one night stand before, but there was a first time for everything, right? He'd be good, after those kisses she had no doubt about that. And if she was the catch of the day why shouldn't she get something out of it? She smiled at him as she made up her mind.

"Sure. I'd appreciate that."

He took her hand and helped her stand. After a moment she steadied herself and he led her out of his office and out a back door into the alley behind the club. They walked a short distance to the parking lot and stopped at a black car. Grant unlocked the door and helped her sit, then walked around and climbed in next to her, the engine roaring to life.

"Where to?"

"The corner of 16th and Forrest."

"That's not close. You weren't really going to try to walk that far were you?"

"Not until Claudia and Jessie abandoned me. I was planning on catching a ride."

They both fell silent as he drove the few miles to her street. She pointed out the old house her apartment was in and he pulled up, got out, and walked around to open the door for her. He guided her up the walk, steadying her with a hand on her lower back, and opened the front door for her. Anna pulled her keys from her purse and led the way to her apartment. She turned and looked at him as she unlocked the door.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked with a smile that looked more confident than she felt.

"I would love to," he said. "But I don't think I should."

"Oh," Anna said, shocked. She flushed with embarrassment, wondering how she had misread the situation. Maybe the drooling had turned him off. She flushed even deeper at the thought and turned to go inside as she stammered out, "Okay, well, thanks again for dinner."

"Anna."

She looked up at him, mildly surprised that he was suddenly standing very close.

"I want to kiss you again."

She stared at him, confused, as he reached up and trailed his thumb lazily down her cheek. Anna could see flecks of brown in his green eyes and wondered how she hadn't noticed them before.

"Is that ok?"

Anna nodded and once again he claimed her with his lips, his hands resting on her hips. Just as she was getting caught up in his spell again he broke away and looked her in the eyes.

"I'm gonna call you tomorrow."

"Okay," Anna breathed as she nodded and backed into her apartment.

He waited until he heard the locks click into place before he turned and walked away, cursing softly to himself.

...

Anna peeled her dress off and threw it down on the floor of her room, confused and disappointed. The combination of pent up sexual energy and frustrated annoyance had her pretty wound up despite the quickly waning wine buzz. She climbed into bed, not bothering with pajamas, and took a deep slow breath in an unsuccessful attempt to relax.

Grant was hard to get a read on, one minute she felt like the center of his attention, the next she felt like she was only one of a million balls he was juggling. And Corie's comment about being the catch of the day made her feel taken advantage of, even though he'd refused to take advantage when she offered. He'd promised to call, but once again she realized too late that he hadn't asked for her number.

She shook her head at the darkness and sighed once again. Ten minutes later she was still lying awake trying to calm her mind and relax her body. Meditation was, apparently, not going to rid her mind of thoughts of Grant kissing her and the way her body had responded so strongly to him; the way it was responding right now to the mere memory of him.

Finally the nagging itch between her legs grew to the point that she could no longer ignore it. She bit her lip and quietly slid her hand down her belly and into her panties. One finger slipped inside and wasn't surprised to find that she was wet and ready. Her mind eagerly recalled the image of Grant wiping his chest off with his shirt, the taste of his tongue stroking hers, the hot touch of his hands on her face and she was just hitting her stride when a sudden buzzing startled her. Her eyes flew open, her hand slid reluctantly away from her skin and with her other hand she reached into her purse on the side table, digging for her phone.

She snatched the phone up and flipped it open without looking, assuming it was Claudia calling to check on her. "Hello," she answered sounding slightly breathless.

"Hey there," Grant's voice sounded in her ear, sending a thrill of excitement through her body.

"Grant? What- how did you get my number?"

"I stole your phone and called myself from it while you were asleep. I even took a picture of myself and saved it with my contact info just in case you forgot my name again."

"Wow, that's...kind of creepy," she said with a smile.

"Thanks, I've been working on my stalker skills."

"It shows."

"I wanted to say goodnight and I, ah-" He fell silent for a moment. "I had a very hard time walking away from you tonight. I just wanted you to know that."

"Oh," she said, feeling strangely relieved. "So why did you? Walk away, I mean."

"We just met and you'd been drinking and I guess I just didn't want you to feel like I was taking advantage. I'm not really looking for a one night thing, Anna. I want more than that."

His words echoed her earlier thoughts almost eerily and she closed her eyes to absorb them. He wanted more. Did she want to give him more?

"Anna?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Was that creepy?"

"No, not at all. I guess I'm kind of surprised. I was under the impression I was the, um, catch of the day," she said, hesitantly.

Grant cursed softly and let out a slow breath. "I was wondering if you picked up on that."

"Yeah."

"Look, I told you it had been a while since I'd been involved with anyone and that's the truth. But I used to be...different. I used to pick up a lot of women, hell I didn't even have to pick them up they were just always there for the taking and I took them without a second thought. I'm not like that anymore, but people who've known me for a long time sometimes have a hard time remembering that."

"Like Corie?"

"Yeah, like Corie. Not that I blame her, she's protective of me. A lot of women still come to the club looking for me. I know that sounds kind of egotistical, but it's the truth. It doesn't have much to do with me really; they're just looking for a hookup, a cool story to tell their friends. So Corie kind of runs interference for me. I think she suspects that one day I'm going to give in to temptation and slide back into my old life again. All I can do is keep trying to prove that's not going to happen until she trusts me again."

"Should she?"

"It's been about two years since- well, since I stopped all the shit I was doing. I mean it, Anna. I'm not that guy anymore. Hell, I don't know if I ever really was that guy, it just seemed like that was how I was supposed to act. That's how everyone expected me to be all my life. For the last year or so I've been trying to figure out who I am aside from all that. The restaurant has been a big part of that."

"I get it, I went through something like that when I left home. Like an identity crisis. I had to learn who I was separate from them. I'm still working on it."

"Yeah, me too."

"I was lucky, I guess, I was on my own and I got to just completely reinvent myself. No expectations or obligations. No proving myself to anyone." Anna rolled onto her back and pulled the covers up, her old mattress springs creaking beneath her.

"Are you in bed? Should I let you go?"

"I am in bed, but you don't need to let me go."

"Hold on, I need a minute to imagine what you look like in your jammies."

Anna laughed. "Try again, no jammies here."

"Damn, are you trying to get me in an accident?"

"Are you driving?"

"Yeah, I'm almost back to the club. I'm not gonna make it if you keep talking like that, though. So tell me what you're wearing."

"Well, there's nothing much to tell." Anna heard him exhale on the other end and smiled at her own boldness. "I still have my panties on, but the rest of my clothes are on the floor."

"I am such a fucking idiot. Why am I in my car right now?"

"Because you're a gentleman."

"That's right. Fucking morals. I, ah...can I ask you something and if you don't want to answer you can just pretend I never asked?"

"Okay," she said hesitantly.

"What were you doing right before you answered the phone?"

Anna felt heat infuse her chest and face as she remembered exactly what she'd been doing.

"Because you didn't sound like you were just laying in bed to me."

"I- I was-" Anna stammered.

"Were you playing with yourself?"

She was quiet for a long moment and he thought she wasn't going to answer. He was about to make a joke and change the subject when he heard her whispered yes.

He exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Were you thinking about me?" he asked, hoping like hell she gave him an answer he wanted to hear.

"Yes."

"Mmm, babe, if I was there right now..." He trailed off, the promise and the threat in his words apparent.

"What? What would you do if you were here?"

He fell silent again and Anna wondered if she'd gone too far. She didn't know where that had come from, she'd just said it without thinking, wanting to play along with him but unsure exactly how.