Amara moaned and pushed back, taking the entire finger. The knowledge that she was no stranger to ass play ripped through him. Part of him was glad. He was less likely to hurt her, but the part of him that knew Amara was his was both enraged and devastated.

He inserted a second finger, scissoring them, stretching her for his cock, fucking her with them until her knees trembled once more. He wouldn’t bite her again until he was fully seated between those tempting, lush globes.

“Now, Parker.”

“I won’t hurt you.” He started to slide a third finger into her.

She looked at him through the fall of her hair. “You won’t. Now fuck me.”

He was stunned his eyes didn’t cross. He took his fingers from her and grabbed her hips. “Ready for me?”

“Mm-hmm.”

He put the wet tip of his cock against her ass and pressed inside. He might not be her first, but he would damn well be her last. He was determined to be her best.

He entered her slowly, let her adjust to his presence. When she growled again, he moved, careful to keep his movements easy and slow. Before long, she was bucking back against him, forcing him to increase his speed. “Parker. Fuck me. Fuck me hard.” She looked at him with hot, desperate eyes. “Make me forget.”

He was lost. He would give her almost anything she wished. His eyes flamed as he wrapped his hand in her hair, tugged her head to the side. He sank his fangs into her neck and fucked her ass the way she’d begged him to, the way he’d fucked her pussy, in long, hard strokes that filled the jeep with the sound of flesh meeting flesh. She screamed her approval, turned wild in his embrace. He drank from his sotiei and loved on her.

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.