Ch 23 Awakening

I awoke with James by my side in the bed. This was unusual. Most days he came to bed late and rose before I woke. It was his responsibility to provide security during the day – as the vampires slept, but I also wondered if part of the reason was that he didn't want to tempt himself. He knew my body was in a weakened state, and he didn't want anything to hinder my recovery.

I had woken in the middle of the night a couple of times and felt his arms around me. It made me feel protected and loved. I wanted to show him how much I loved him, but every time my exhaustion overtook me before I could get up the nerve to wake him.

Now he lay beside me and my body felt much stronger. All the gashes and bite marks had nearly healed. I was still covered with pink scars and scabs, but the blood transfusions had given me back most of my strength.

I rolled onto my left side to face James, letting the sheet fall to my waist, exposing the tiny tank top that barely contained my breasts. His dark brown hair was tousled but smashed to his head on one side. It was longer than I remembered, kind of shaggy. His jaw was less rounded than it had been, more angular; and I could see that the tops of his pectoral muscles were well defined.

He didn't look older than before, just different – harder. Now asleep, he was relaxed but I knew when he woke his jaw would be set, his eyes would be acutely aware of his surroundings. His life had been full of struggle and since it couldn't kill him, it had made him stronger.

"Hey, beautiful," James said, blinking awake. "How do you feel?"

"Better," I said with a wink. "Much better."

James pulled his hand up, brushing the sheet aside so that his bare chest is exposed all the way down to his hip bones. As he rolls onto his side to face me, I see that his abdominals are rock hard and I am distracted by the muscles at his hips – the ones than form the top of a V that gets buried in his boxer briefs.

I feel a sudden urge to touch him. My hand reaches toward him of its own accord and my palm presses against his belly button. His mouth forms a slow smile as my finger tips move over his skin up to his left hip and then my index finger traces the ridge of the V down to his waistband. I let my fingers play around the waistband for a few seconds as James continues to gaze at me intently, then his mouth quirks in surprise as I pull the elastic back and let my fingers trail further down.

I can feel the anticipation building in his muscles as he tries to maintain control, but he pulls his body across the bed, trapping my arm between us, and kisses me intently. His mouth is covering mine, hot and needy. His tongue presses against and caresses mine. His hands are on my shoulders, pulling me to him. Finally he eases his grip and shifts his hips back, allowing my hand to move between us again and I stroke him gently.

"Mmmmm", he groans, closing his eyes and rolling until I am on top of him. His hands are on my hips, pulling off my panties; and I follow suit pulling the waistband of his boxer briefs down to his thighs under me. Then he is guiding me, pulling on my hips up and down.

Something changes…Something is different. Something just happened.

James widens his gaze and stares at me, without stopping the rhythm. He felt it too…whatever it was.

"Love's fulfillment," he whispers between haggard breaths, his hips continuing to rise to meet mine. Several more thrusts and we are both moaning with ecstasy and my body convulses one last time.

Laying my head on James's sweat drenched chest, a thought occurs to me and I smile.

Feeling my grin, James says, "What are you smiling about?"

"They loved each other," I say. "Emilio and Fiorenza."

…unchanging until they give in to the evils of the flesh as you have done.

"They loved each other and that's why the curse couldn't be broken until I was with the one I love."

"I do love you, Alessandra. I am so glad I found you."

"And I love you, James. I don't ever want to be apart again."