Loved her. She was so strong, so beautiful yet so vulnerable. How could he not? She was everything he’d ever wished for and more, and Parker would spend the rest of his life making sure she never felt alone again.
Parker used his feet to force her legs closed. He wanted her as tight as he could get her, for both their sakes. He began ruthlessly stroking her clit. He needed her to come, needed to shoot inside her. He needed to taste her pleasure in her blood. He needed to mark her for the third time, so no one could ever mistake that she belonged to him.
Amara’s whole body shook. Her mouth opened in a soundless scream, her blood bubbling with the taste of joy, her ass clenching around him so tightly he couldn’t move.
The feel of her milking his cock with her ass was so intense he saw stars. He came with a muffled groan, and it was more than he’d ever imagined, better than anything he’d ever had.
Parker pulled his fangs from Amara’s neck and licked the wounds closed. He was grateful he was mostly dead. Amara’s orgasm had damn near killed him again. He pressed a soft kiss to the spot he’d come to think of his, where the marks of his teeth were already fading away.
“We are so doing that again,” Amara panted.
Parker smiled and shifted. A gasp escaped Amara’s lips as he moved his cock inside her tight ass. “It would be my pleasure.”
Again and again and again. Hell, if he had his say, he’d stay right where he was for the rest of his unlife, buried to the hilt in his sotiei. He couldn’t think of a better way to spend eternity.
“Parker?”
“Hmm?” He nibbled another set of kisses down her neck.
“I can’t feel my fingers.”
Her hands were pressed so hard against the inside of the trunk that her fingers had turned white. “Damn. And I was so comfortable too.” She giggled as he slid from her body and helped her stand on wobbly legs. His weren’t any stronger, but there was no way he would let her see that. “Come on, sweet. Let’s go home.”
Amara allowed him to help her into the jeep. Parker took off, content with the world, smiling wickedly as he thought of the tattered shirt they’d left behind.
Amara woke to a cool, strong arm draped across her stomach. Her ass was pressed up to Parker’s crotch, but unlike most men, her lover didn’t have morning wood. She glanced at the window. Make that early-afternoon wood. Parker was still, the light taking its toll on his vampiric body. Well. At least I bagged a man who doesn’t snore. Amara slipped out from under him and headed for the bathroom. He might not need to use the facilities, but she sure as hell did. She began her morning routine, yawning her way through until she started brushing her teeth.
Amara frowned. She leaned in closer, jumping slightly when the edge of the toothbrush in her mouth hit the mirror. What the fuck?
The three bite marks weren’t what bothered her. No, she’d known Parker was going to mark her, especially after declaring she was his blood wife. Vampires were extremely territorial and protective. She would have been surprised if Parker hadn’t marked her in some way.
No, what bothered her was the pale patch of yellowish-green below the marks. Something felt off about it. It wasn’t a bruise. The area wasn’t tender, but it was warm to the touch. Come to think of it, she felt more tired than normal. She’d put that down to the incredible, rocking sex, but maybe she was coming down with something.
What kinds of diseases did dryads get anyway? Amara had been immune to most of the things that plagued the mostly human youths she’d grown up with. Colds didn’t affect her. Measles, mumps and chicken pox were something to watch, not catch. And the flu couldn’t get a foothold in her lungs.
Could she get Dutch elm disease? She fingered the oddly colored spots. Oh hell. It couldn’t be maple wilt, could it? The fungus had been known to fell mature trees.
She shook her head. She couldn’t get a tree disease. That would be silly.
The greenish-yellow mark mocked her.
Could she?
Perhaps she should talk to Ash, Mina or Greer. They might know what it was. She’d never had the opportunity to discuss things like this with her kind before. She wondered if now that the rest of the town knew what she truly was, their attitude would change. And if it did, would it be for better or worse?
She finished brushing her teeth and hopped in the shower, washing the dirt and dust of the day before off her. Amara washed out her curls, grimacing at the gray, dingy water that flowed down the drain. She should have asked Parker to help her wash off. The man would probably have jumped at the chance to play with her while she was sleepy, naked and wet. Now, instead of wet, horny vampire, there was a load of skanky laundry in her future. She couldn’t imagine sleeping on those dirty sheets again. Damn it.
Amara paused, the loofah dripping soap bubbles down her stomach. Come to think of it, why hadn’t she asked Parker to take a shower with her? Making slow, easy love with Parker while he was naked and wet and covered in bubbles? She shivered. Note to self: add that to my to-do list!
She finished her shower quickly. Her stomach was growling. She could almost taste the muesli she had every morning. Perhaps she’d add some berries to it this morning to sweeten it. She stepped out of the shower and reached for her towel.
“Amara.”
Amara shrieked. Ash stood there, his gaze intent on her neck. “We need to talk.”
“You couldn’t wait until I drove out to the forest?” Amara wrapped the towel around herself, her eyes darting to the motionless vampire on the bed behind Ash. He hadn’t moved, but the faintest hint of red could be seen as his eyelids lifted a fraction. If she didn’t calm herself, Ash would find himself facing her mate’s beast without Parker there to control it. She took a deep breath and did her best to save all their lives. “Ash? Could you wait for me in the living room?” Her voice was calm, but her gaze remained on Parker. She hoped Ash would take the hint and skedaddle before Parker decided on dryad for breakfast.
She gulped, a sudden bout of nausea rushing through her, there and gone again so fast it barely registered.
Ash flinched. “Damn. I forgot about that.” He gestured toward Parker. “I’ll be waiting.” Ash sauntered out of the bathroom on silent feet, hopefully unaware of the gleaming red eyes that tracked his every movement. Only when Ash was out of the bedroom did the vampire settle back down. Amara waited to make sure the beast had gone back to sleep before she dressed and left the room.
Ash was waiting. He was poking through her kitchen. He had her teapot in his hand, smiling at the dancing mice painted on the side.
“What’s up?”
He put the teapot back on the stove, any hint of a smile disappearing. “You’ve been infected with something.”
Amara touched her neck. “How?”
“How did you get infected, or how do I know?”
“Both, I think.”
Ash grinned, and Amara was afraid again; he looked every inch like Oak’s defender. “The entire forest senses you, Amara.” Ash stepped forward and circled her, predator to her prey. The only thing preventing her from reacting was the knowledge Parker would wake up and rip Ash’s arms off if she so much as flinched. “The forest knows when its hamadryad is ill. And you are definitely not well.”
Amara swayed, her vision blurring. He was right. Something was seriously wrong.