Dawn Awakening

Robbie shrugged, grunting in response through a bite of her sandwich. Tasted fine to her. She took a deep gulp of iced tea and discreetly wiped her mouth. Self-consciously, she covered the uneaten portion of her sandwich with her napkin. She cocked her head in curiosity, studying John Mark's carefully gauged reaction to her meal. " John Mark, you would never try to turn me would you?"

John Mark gathered up her plate and glass taking it into the kitchen to get it out of his sight. His head was reeling from the thoughts that were ricocheting around inside like a ping-pong ball in a box. He felt Robbie's wonder, confusion, fear, worry, and love. All of the emotions she was experiencing wound up into one melding with his, amplifying them, mimicking them, and sometimes, mocking them.

Pausing to rinse her glass in the sink, his lips curled up in a grin. He was winning; she was surrendering her heart to him little by little. Hurriedly, he rinsed and stacked the plate in the strainer, eager to return to her side.

He returned from the kitchen and switched on a lamp, by now the night had fallen and the room was bathed in darkness. Robbie sighed, watching him as he gracefully sank down onto the floor, resting his head on the edge of the couch to stare up at her. Absently, she began to stroke his head, running her fingers through waves of long, silky, black hair. She had a new respect for him, he was so different, a man now. In so many ways she felt like she was meeting him for the first time. But, sometimes, the shy boy she knew would pop up out of nowhere. His brows suddenly furrowed in such seriousness. Considering how to best answer her question.

"No, I would never turn you unless you asked me to or your life was at risk and there were no other option." John Mark closed his eyes relishing the feel of her fingers smoothing through his hair. Hearing her thoughts and her emotions, sharing her most private inner self with him had stirred his feelings for her, intensifying them exponentially. With a contented sigh, he rested his cheek on her knee, feeling the tickle of baby fine, blonde hairs against his skin.

"What happens if I drink from you?" Robbie asked. Quid pro quo, right? The sensation of his fingers trailing up and down the curve of her left calf was distracting her from all of the questions. "Quit it, I didn't shave my legs today," she barked. He lifted her leg, stilling it by holding her ankle firmly in one hand while his other hand tickled and trailed across the bottom of her foot.

John Mark played with Robbie's toes. Such tiny, delicate toes polished in a strange shade somewhere between bubble gum pink and hooker red. He took a deep breath. All he wanted to do was to play with her toes, her shapely calves, nibble up the inside of her thighs with his teeth. She would not be distracted by his attempts to get her to drop the subject. " Well, if you are close enough to death and you drink from me, you will go through the change. If you were to," he paused. "If you were to drink from me now, while you're healthy and whole, you'd see the world as I do. But, the effect is only temporary. I'm not strong enough to give you more than a peek, a few minutes, maybe an hour. If you were hurt, my blood would help you heal faster."

Robbie's giggled to herself. John Mark had everything she needed all right. His fingers continued working their magic. Sometimes braving a path north of the kneecap, sometimes south. Part of the fun was not knowing where he'd tickle her next. And damn her if she weren't scooting slowly to the edge of the couch to encourage him a little bit further up her thigh with each pass. The searing look he shot her was enough to let her know that he knew exactly where her thoughts were headed. And they were definitely north of the kneecap, so far north they needed their own zip code. Chagrined by his amused snort, she scooted back in her seat. "So you're like a first aid kit?"

John Mark liked keeping Robbie guessing what he was going to do next. She hovered on the edge of the couch cushion, sliding the length of her thigh along his fingers in encouragement. Then made a hasty, chaste retreat that had him practically choking on his fangs at her primness. "Yeah, that's one way to look at it."

Robbie's fingers stilled in his hair, her mind focused on anything but the feel of his fingers gingerly working the sensitive flesh behind her kneecap. "I would like to see the world as you do. Experience it through your eyes." She sat upright on the couch her jaw set with firm determination. "But, I want you to promise me that you would never try to turn me into," she hesitated, "make me like you without my permission."

John Mark stared into the depths of her green eyes and answered. "I promise you, never, as long as there is any other way." He chose his words carefully with great consideration. If he had to choose between trying to turn her and her death, he knew deep in his hearts of hearts, what his decision would be. It wouldn't matter what she said.

Robbie smiled and shook her head. "Agreed." She was reassured by his answer, knowing that he would never break his word to her. "Ok, tell me what I need to do." She swallowed hard at the lump in her throat. Was she really going to do this? Drink blood? Nervously, she ran her tongue over her bottom lip. Her mouth was suddenly so dry and the chicken sandwich she'd eaten earlier, rolled like a bowling ball in her gut. "Are there any," she blushed at the memory of passion they'd shared earlier, "side effects."

John Mark tried to hide his grin at her blush. Hell, he hadn't minded one bit. She could climb him like a jungle gym anytime she wanted to. Though, her doing it fully alert and functional had its merits too. "Uh, yeah." He had to come clean and tell her. "We will be bonded, in a sense. You will be able to tell when I'm nearby. You'll know where I am. What I'm feeling. You'll borrow my abilities for a short while. Over time the tie between us will weaken. There are no long-term dangers. It's just that I'm not sure if I want you snooping around in my head."

"There's no danger?" Robbie said confirming the statement. There was a danger in creating the bond, even a temporary one. She was falling for him, to her, which was classified as danger. The hairs on the back of her neck stood at full attention as she felt his breath caress the outer part of her ear creating a wake of sensations deep within her body. "I think you owe me a peek inside your head. Quid pro quo, John Mark."

"Ok." John Mark knelt on the floor, looming over her. Nestled, quite comfortably between her legs. He was ready to offer himself to her blood and body, heart and soul. "Do you really want to do this?" he asked. Her green eyes glinted with curiosity and eagerness. He shifted trying to find a comfortable position on his knees. He grew hard as a fence post at the thought of her mouth on his wrist, taking his essence deep into herself and swallowing it down. He clamped his mouth down tightly, attempting to hide the descent of his fangs.

Robbie rose up accepting his arm in support as he wrapped it around her shoulders. "Yes," she replied. Her body trembled at the narrowing distance between them. She was very aware of his position, nestled between her thighs. Wasn't it tempting to wrap her legs around the leanness of his hips and drive her heels into his butt to put him exactly where she wanted him. Frozen by the intensity of his stare, the thoughts popped like soap bubbles floating on a summer breeze.

His fangs were out. She closed her eyes, determined that she didn't want to watch him bite his own wrist. She was terrified and excited by the prospect of taking an unescorted walk in his mind. If she expected to drink, she should watch him. It was only fair. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes and focused on his.

He took his wrist into his mouth, biting down. Wincing beneath the pressure and sharp jab of pain, he sucked in a breath and extended the wound to her. A tiny rivulet of thick, dark crimson rolled out of the twin puncture wounds, delicate and tiny as pin pricks against the pallor of his skin. Gently, he wrapped his fingers around the base of her neck and guided her mouth to his wrist. "Be gentle with me, Robbie. I'm a virgin," he gritted between clenched teeth. "I've never done this before."

The first few drops passed between her lips. His blood was not at all what she had expected. She thought it would be salty and coppery tasting like her own. Instead it was sweet and rich. Decadent and sinful. Eagerly, she drew against his wrist wanting more, lapping eagerly at the wounds with the tip of her tongue.

John Mark shuddered, taken aback by the pull of her mouth on his skin. Feeling the incredible sensation of the suction from her lips straight to his groin. Holy shit! Felt good. He panted against the thrill of his blood leaving his wrist and coursing through her body. His fingers dove into the thick, crimson curls of her hair, forcing her mouth tighter around his wrist. If she stopped he'd die. If she kept going he'd let her take it all, every last drop, just to feel this good. "Robbie." The word was more of a moan, a prayer, a cry to heaven uttered in ecstasy from the lips of the newly converted. She was his all. His everything. He was the brave warrior brought low, humbled by this tiny woman. Kneeling on his knees at her feet. Grappling, panting, dazed and helpless at her tender mercies. The whole world could go to hell and he wouldn't care. As long as he had her, as long as he had this, nothing absolutely nothing mattered.

Robbie gasped, dropping John Mark's wrist. The hot, sweet torrent invaded the innermost corners of her body. Her heart raced, pounding wildly in her chest and her breaths came out in labored pants. She moaned yielding to the assault of sensations watching through wide, gleaming, emerald eyes as he licked the taste of her from his wrist. Her head spun and reeled. Her body, held prisoner by his blood, shuddered and trembled. Surrendering everything she was to the force of the biting cold of his infusion.

It hurt. It was exhilarating. It was hell. It was heaven. It was him, inside of her. His mind slamming into her mind with the force of two bodies locked in passion. "John Mark!" His name was a promise whispered in a lover's urgent voice. His name was a curse and a desperate plea for shelter from the storm. He was part of her. Driven into every cell and every fiber of her being. He said the effects were temporary. That he'd only be with her like this for a short while. It wouldn't be long enough. Forever, wouldn't be long enough.

John Mark pulled Robbie close, wrapping his arms around her to still her shivering limbs. "It will pass," he whispered. He knew her pain. Hell, he'd never forget that night out on the bluffs when he drank of the blood and said goodbye to everything he knew for the last time.

Robbie cried out, squeezing her eyes tightly shut against the piercing light from

the living room lamp. The soft tick of the mantle clock ticked deafeningly loud in her ears. Her skin goose pimpled at the soft night breeze filtering in from the open windows.

"Wow," Robbie mouthed, her eyes darting about the room wildly in amazement. She saw everything in so much detail, every line highlighted, every dark shadow illuminated. Her fingers gently traced the curves of John Mark's prominent cheekbones. She marveled as she ran her palm down his chest. Amused by his trembling response. His voice a shout in her mind, both pleased and pained. She slid away from him, placing her feet on the wood floor, amazed at the tapping sound of her bare soles against it.

"Everything is so different." Robbie winced and covered her ears as her voice sounded like a cannon shot in her ears. She walked around the room on her tiptoes stopping to feel the fabric of the curtains with fascination, rolling it between her fingers. It seemed as if a veil had been lifted and she was seeing the world for the first time. She took a deep breath inhaling deeply of the room's fragrance. Her nostrils widened as she caught John Marks scent.

She crossed the room in a flash, moving so fast she made herself woozy. Standing on the balls of her feet, she rested her nose on his collarbone taking deep whiffs. "Ooh, you smell good." His scent was masculine and woodsy. He stiffened beneath her, grappling to keep her at arm's length. She wasn't having any of that. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer, trailing up to his neck with her lips. She took him in a deep kiss, her tongue probing in to the dark crevices tasting the remnants of her blood in his mouth. The nearness of him, his taste, his scent, the knowledge of her power over him, and his desire for her, drove her almost to the point of madness.

He pried Robbie's hands off his shoulders, clutching her wrists tightly in his grip. He could sense the longing that raged within her. Her need was creating quite a stir within him also. He wanted her so badly, enamored by her, entranced by the heat of the moment, but he wouldn't take her like this. He knew the extent of her feelings for him courtesy of the link. But, he feared her urgency was just a side effect of the blood exchange. He would wait until she was more of herself again.

Robbie wrenched her wrists free with little effort. She marveled at her newfound strength. They were now on an even playing field, only if temporarily. She took full use of her new advantage, pushing him onto the floor. John Mark landed on the wooden boards with a crash. "Hey now!" he gasped in astonishment, trying to free himself from the tangle of her limbs.

She was on him in a flash, landing square on top. He was delectable; she could hear his thoughts as they raced through her mind. He wanted her like no man had before. She sensed his doubts, his hesitation, and his heady want for her. She stretched her body across his, pinning his arms over his head to still them. She lowered her lips to his for a greedy kiss. His body stiffened beneath her, fighting like a pro to the very end. She felt his desire grow, pressing into the thin fabric of her shorts. Ooohhhh, she liked that, the feel of him hard and full of wanting for her. She flicked her tongue in and out of his mouth. Reveling in the power she held over him, she rose up, resting the weight of her body against the urgent press of his erection. "You want this, badly. So do I," she breathed against his lips.

John Mark moaned in response. His fingers kneaded the flesh of her hips, working them against the tightness in his groin. If they kept this up, he wasn't going to have to worry about sealing the deal with her. It'd be over with before it ever began. His hands worked their way up, skimming under her shirt to the bare skin at the small of her back. He'd wanted this with her for as long as he could remember. Keeping her locked tightly against his groin, he sat up, cupping her butt, squeezing her thighs, guiding them to wrap around his waist. Their mouths found one another in this new position and it was an out and out onslaught of teeth, tongue, and lips, wildly tasting, eagerly probing, and longingly sampling the decadence of the kiss. He'd be a dead man if Lucien found out what he'd done. And Lucien would. But, damn, what a way to go.

Robbie cried out in ecstasy, the feel of his touch on her bare skin was electrifying. Tiny bolts shot up and down her spine, resting in the secret places of her desire with the searing heat of a branding iron. She wanted to feel his hands all over her body, quelling her need. Gently, he pressed her hips down against the rough fabric of his jeans. Her lips engaged with his once more. He ran his hand down along her ribcage wrapping his fingers through the belt loops of her shorts, rocking her pelvis squarely against his manhood.

He groaned as he lifted his hips pressing himself against her. The dark musky scent of her arousal sent his head spinning. Robbie moaned in response verbalizing her need. He slid in fingers out of her belt loops and down caressing her hips as he crushed her against him. Deftly, he rolled her onto her back, taking possession of her body, trailing kisses along her neck and down to her breasts, nipping hungrily at the peaks through her tank top and bra. He was drunk with passion. The sound of her voice rang heavily in his ears. "John Mark, please."

Despite his need, he felt responsible for her. He gathered his resolve as he rolled off of her body. She lay on her back, ruby hair fanned out like soft flames of fire around her head. Her lips were slightly parted and her eyes closed. Her chest rose and fell with panting breaths. One tiny hand caressed the soft skin at the back of his neck; the other one wrapped around his waist, urging him to finish what he started. He pecked the tip of her nose with his lips. "Robbie, I want this. I want you, but not like this. Once my blood is out of your system, if you still want to, I'm all yours."

Robbie took a deep breath and exhaled with a sigh. She blushed, shamed and embarrassed, scrabbling for control of her errant emotions. "I could pull all the stops and use every power of seduction I possess," she said. Popping one eye open to look up at him. Gradually, her senses were returning to normal. A small breath of pure relief passed between her lips.

John Mark chuckled in response. "Oh trust me Robbie, I don't think I could withstand any more. You've got me wrapped around your little finger as it is." He rolled his weight off of her and offered a hand to pull her into a sitting position. Resting her head against his chest, he leaned against the base of the couch.

Robbie giggled. It was so like John Mark to know exactly what to say to make her feel better. "Do you feel like this all the time? The strength, the super hearing, the endless energy, is it always like this for you? I went from reveling over the fabric in the drapes, to almost raping you in less than two seconds." She blushed furiously. "Everything is so different. How do you focus?"

John Mark could feel the blood influence leaving Robbie. Finally a sane woman he could reason with. Little by little, she became more herself. "That's the first thing a new vampire has to learn. Control. After a while, and it takes time, lots and lots of time, you learn to control your impulses and all the new input. I guess you just get used to it." He shrugged, pushing his body up off the floor to stand.

"I guess so." She held out her hand to him and he pulled her up off the floor to stand beside him. "I'm kind of embarrassed," Robbie confessed, her cheeks flushing. "I can't hear your thoughts in my head anymore. I can't imagine what you must be thinking now. Do you want to take me to the cops and book me for sexual assault?"

John Mark pulled Robbie close, wrapping his arms around her. "Not a chance. I'm hoping I get assaulted again, real soon." He nuzzled her neck, landing a kiss at its base. He pressed his hips against her allowing her to feel the fullness of that hope.

Robbie flopped on the couch. She buried her face deep against a pillow, hiding the hot flush of her cheeks. "Thanks for you know..." she flinched as she continued, "Not taking advantage of the situation."

John Mark eased down next to Robbie. Content with resting her feet in his lap. "I want you, all of you. I want you to give yourself freely and wholly, not while you are under any influence." He slid her feet off his lap and pulled her to cuddle, nuzzled in the crook of his arm.

"Love you," she whispered shyly. John Mark was a cuddler and that was fine by her. It made her feel cherished and so safe, wrapped in his arms. Unsure of what to do or say, Robbie flipped on the TV for a diversion.

The Late Show rattled on and on. Sleepily Robbie stifled a yawn. The emotional and physical displays that had passed between John Mark and she had left her drained. Her eyelids were getting heavier by the minute. She sighed as John Mark stroked her hair running his fingers through the soft strands. "It will be morning soon. Why don't you get