Blood of the Maple (20 page)

Brian yawned, nearly cracking his head open. “Mm-hmm.”

“They’re too pretty to be men. There has to be a trick somewhere. Oh!” Amara bounced up and down, almost spilling the popcorn in Brian’s lap. “I love this song!”

Brian yawned again. “Are you sure you aren’t tired?”

“Nope, I’m good. That nap helped a lot.” Amara pouted as the judges declared the winner. The pretty one with the sparkly eye shadow was sent home, but damn if the Asian girl hadn’t rocked. At least the funny blonde had gotten to stay. “This is fascinating.”

“Somehow I don’t see Parker in sequins.” Brian lay down, his head not quite on the arm of the couch, his feet tucked under her thigh. It looked like his head was floating, so Greg had to be there, holding his lover close. “Did you ever dress in drag?”

“Nope.”

“Not even that time with Mary Jane and the six pack?”

“You are not going to let that go, are you?”

Brian snuggled closer to Greg. “Nope. Who the hell was Mary Jane, anyway?”

“Mary Jane is another term for grass, weed, aka marijuana.”
Greg sighed.
“Fine. One night I was high off my ass and had a serious case of the munchies. I’d drunk a six pack with my bud, but we were starving. We headed out of our dorm and went searching for munchies, but we didn’t want any ordinary old crap. We wanted, for some bizarre reason, peanut butter mallow bars.”

“Let me guess. You went to buy some and ran into a hippie vampire?”

“Nope. The hippie vampire ran into us. Literally. He was doing that freaky-ass fast-as-shit thing you see vampires doing in the movies. He must have hit our van doing thirty miles an hour. Dented the front end in but good. My friend was knocked out, but I managed to climb out.”
Greg chuckled.
“First thing I did was ask him for peanut butter mallow bars.”

Amara was intrigued. She hadn’t heard this story from Parker yet. “What did he do?”

“Before or after he picked himself out of the tree he’d flown into?”

Brian laughed. “Oh Goddess. I can see it now. There you are, love beads dangling, asking for peanut butter while Parker picks leaves out of his teeth.”

“Nah, he hadn’t met Terri yet. Leaves didn’t do it for him until a couple of years later.”

“How’d you find out he was a vampire?” Brian rubbed his eyes. Amara didn’t think he’d be awake for much longer.

“The usual way. He was hungry, I was convenient and he bit me. Hell, he even gave me mallow bars after. It was the best date I’d been on in years, which is fucking pathetic now that I think back on it. We’ve been friends ever since.”

“You two are insane.” Brian yawned, his eyes drifting shut.

“Yeah, but he’s my best friend, you know? I worry about him.”

“I do know.” Brian stroked Greg’s leg. “Let me know when he gets home, ’kay?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Greg? You mind if I keep watching this?” Another episode was about to come on, and Amara
had
to know who won and who went home.

“Not at all. I’m lovin’ that Asian girl. She is smokin’!”

Brian pinched thin air.

“Of course, I prefer blonds.”

“You’d better,” Brian muttered. “Night.”

“Night, baby.”

Brian’s hair moved on an invisible breeze. He smiled and snuggled in. His eyes drifted shut, and soon he was snoring softly. Amara turned the sound low enough to keep from disturbing Brian. “You sure you don’t want to take him to bed? I’m okay waiting up for Parker by myself.”

“I’m good. First off, I don’t sleep much, in case you hadn’t noticed. Second, if Terri
is
alive, she might come here. Least I can do is protect Brian or fetch Parker if she does.”

“Our personal guard ghost?”

“Something like that.”
The remote lifted off the coffee table, and the sound inched upward.
“Shh. I want to hear what that bitch has to say about my girl.”

Amara was so engrossed in what she was watching that she jumped when cool arms wrapped around her from behind. “Good evening,” Parker drawled in a bad Bela Lugosi.

She laughed. “That is so cliché.”

“Do you know how long I’ve waited to use that line?”

“Since 1931?” Glinda had been a horror-movie buff, but she’d loved the vampire movies the most, so Amara was aware the first Bela Lugosi film came out that year.

Glinda would have loved Parker.

“Ha-ha, funny girl. How about, honey, I’m home.” Parker stole a soft kiss, moving quietly in the face of Brian’s snores.

“How was your day, dear?”

Parker moved around the couch, picked her up and settled with her in his lap. “Absolute rubbish. Yours?”

“Ditto.” She rested her head against his shoulder with a sigh. Her lover was safely home; she could relax.

“Sequin alert.”

Amara spun around in time to see her favorite drag queen sashay onto the runway.

“That’s a very beautiful woman.”

“Yes, she is.”

Parker stared over Brian’s head. “Greg? Since when do you like the ladies?”

“I don’t.”

Amara dug out the last of the cold popcorn and popped it in her mouth.

Parker eyed the television with suspicion. “What in blazes are we watching by the way?”

“A
RuPaul’s Drag Race
marathon. And I have to say thank you for introducing me to this show. Who knew men in dresses were so hot?” She bit back a laugh as Parker choked.

“Gotta love men in sequins, baby.”

“Good Goddess.” Parker lifted Amara and deposited her back on the couch. “I think I need to go do something manly, like grow chest hair.”

“Homophobe.”

“Perv. If I see Brian dancing around in dresses, I’m bleaching my eyeballs.”

“If you see Brian in dresses, then he’s obviously out of my bedroom, and why would he do that? Let me tell you, the boy’s got legs up to here.”

“Lalalalalalalala…” Parker stuck his fingers in his ears and left the room, headed for the kitchen and a midnight snack.

Amara picked up the popcorn bowl and followed him. “How was The Greenhouse? What did Selena say? Did you find Terri’s corpse and burn it to a crisp and scatter the ashes to the four winds?”

“Damn near destroyed, agreed Terri probably is alive, didn’t go looking because I was busy trying to save the lives of my astrids and no.” He pulled out the blender and gathered the ingredients for his nightly meal.

“I’ve got blood.”

He grinned over his shoulder at her. “I know, sweet. I have to space my feedings so I don’t hurt you. But I would appreciate a few drops if you don’t mind.” He poured maple syrup into the blender and began beheading carnations. “I contacted Dragos while I was at The Greenhouse. He went looking for Terri’s body but didn’t find it. Damn it.”

“I was afraid of that. Weeds are really hard to kill. I’m surprised the dryads didn’t sense her.” A few had called afterward to offer their apologies, but Amara knew it would be difficult to find Terri if she was hiding on the mountain. Amara stuck out her finger. “Tooth please.” She barely winced when Parker pricked her finger. She added some drops of her blood to his meal, then let him lick the wound closed. “I almost forgot. Brian asked us to wake him when you got home.”

Parker put the lid back on the blender. “I’ll give you a few minutes before turning this thing on.”

“Thanks.” She brushed a kiss across his cheek before heading back into the family room.

She needn’t have bothered. Brian was awake and semiaware. “Greg told me he’s home.”

“Yes. He’s about to make some dinner. Why don’t you head on up? I’m sure Greg would love to tell you all about Jujubee.”

Brian glared at Greg, his arms crossed over his chest, tapping his toe on the antique carpet.

“What? Remember the movie
300?
Tell me you’d kick Gerard Butler out of bed, and I’ll call you a liar.”

“So I need to keep you away from drag queens?”

“Just like I need to keep you away from Spartans.”

Brian’s glare turned to something much hotter. “I bet you’d look hot in a leather kilt.”

“Thank you, but I fear they chafe dreadfully.” Parker sat, his gooey concoction in a beer stein with a pink bendy straw. He’d perched a jaunty purple paper umbrella on the side. He’d even added one of those plastic cocktail swords with fruit through it. She hadn’t even known she
had
maraschino cherries in the house. And where had he gotten pineapple? “Now I think I’m ready for this show, don’t you?” He looked back and forth between the stunned faces of Amara and Brian. “What?”

Amara rolled her eyes and curled up against him, certain life would never be dull again.

Amara followed Parker to bed in the early-morning hours. Thanks to Rock’s forced vacation, she could sleep for as long as she wanted without missing anything truly important. Greg and Brian were already at the top of the landing. Brian laughed at Parker, barely able to keep to his feet.

“Duct tape? Seriously? Down there?” Parker shuddered. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Nope. You’ve got to hide the candy, remember?”
Greg’s voice was full of mirth. Amara suspected the only reason Brian was standing was the ghost holding him up.

Parker cupped his “candy.” “How do they get it back off?”

“Riiiip!”

Parker whimpered.

“Oh Goddess. I’m going to bed. You people are nuts.” Brian used the wall as a crutch, laughing his way down the hallway.

“Wait for me, Bri. Good night, guys.”

Parker continued to cup his manhood protectively. “That’s wrong on so many levels.”

Amara pushed past Parker. “I’m going to get some sleep. Are you coming?”

“I’m debating whether it’s safe.”

“I doubt a roving band of penis tapers is going to show up in the middle of the afternoon and hide your candy for you. Can we go please?” She was so tired that the walls looked like they were weaving.

“And won’t that image give me nightmares for weeks?” Parker followed her into the bedroom. He closed and locked the door behind them. “There. That should keep out the rogue penis tapers and sneaky peeping dryads.”

Amara crawled into bed, too worn-out to even remove her shoes. “Uh-huh.” She yawned, hoping Parker would shut the hell up and let her sleep.

“My poor sweet. Had a rough night, have you?” Parker tugged her shoes off one at a time. “Let me help you.”

It was her turn to whimper. “No sex. Sleep.”

“And surprisingly enough, I’m not into necrophilia. I like my women moving, thank you.” He slid her jeans off, chuckling when she glared at him out of one eye. “Sorry. My woman. Singular.” Her panties were removed next and tossed to the floor. She’d yell at him later for making a mess.

Her shirt slid up her body and over her head, followed by her bra. She bet it was somewhere next to her panties. The warm comforter was pulled over her, and a kiss brushed her forehead. “Sleep, my love. I’ll be here when you wake.”

Amara couldn’t answer. She was too busy following orders.

Parker didn’t think Amara had caught his slip of the tongue. She was so exhausted she’d barely noticed him tucking her in or his slide between the sheets. He’d joined her soon after, slipping easily into sleep.

Too bad nightmares followed him. Terri chased him through his daytime slumber, sometimes trying to cajole him into making love to her, sometimes doing horrible things to Amara while forcing him to watch. It was a mishmashed jumble of images and words that left him with no doubt her brain was as moldy as the rest of her.

Parker scented the air. If Ash was in the room again eyeing Parker’s naked
sotiei,
he’d make toothpicks out of him. But no strange scents assailed him, so he opened his eyes.

Amara, wide-awake and alarmingly innocent, stared down at him, her green eyes bright, her red curls tousled. “You snore.”

His lips twitched. “I do not.”

“Do too.”

“Do—I’m a vampire, love. I do
not
snore.” He hid his wince. He’d called her
love
again, damn it.

“Aha!” She reared back and pointed. “You
did
call me love. I knew it.” She flopped back against the headboard and crossed her arms over her chest, a satisfied smirk on her kissable lips.

Parker tried to cover his ass. He didn’t know exactly how Amara felt and had no desire to frighten her off.
How do you tell the woman of your dreams that, yes, you were willing to stalk her to the ends of the earth and back?
Because Parker would follow wherever Amara chose to lead him, no matter what that entailed. “I’m English. We call everyone love.”

“Liar, liar, plants for hire.”

Parker bit his lip. Goddess, his woman was crazy in a good way. “That’s pants on fire.”

“So you say, but you haven’t proved it to me this morning,” she muttered, blushing furiously. “Did I say that out loud?”

The grin Parker had been trying to hold back burst through. She was his personal ray of sunshine, and he’d gladly burn for her. “Yes, you did.” He used his telepathy to grab hold of her ankle, light enough that she wouldn’t feel it until she tried to move. He’d strengthen his hold only if she struggled. Somehow he doubted she would.

“Crap.” She tried to slide out of bed “Parker.”

“Hmm?” Parker had no intention of letting her out of that bed anytime soon, not until they’d both satisfied their early-evening itch. “Is there a problem?”

“Let me go, Parker.”

He rolled over and settled between her legs. “I’m hungry.”

“Are you?” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Did you know the diner makes a mean Belgian waffle?”

“I’m not really in the mood to up my carbs.” Parker nibbled at her chin. “I have something much tastier in mind.”

“And
then
I get my waffles?”

Parker licked her neck, right where he’d left his mark. “I could live with that.”

Amara set her feet flat on the bed, her knees bent around his waist. “What are you waiting for, then? Get a move on. I’m hungry too.”

Parker pretended to glare, but he was barely holding back a laugh. “Did you just tell me to come so you can go?”

“Maybe.” She arched her hips, brushing the soft curls at the juncture of her thighs against his cock. “Are you complaining?”

“Hell yes.” He took one of her nipples into his mouth and teased it until it was hard, her breath coming in short pants. “I like to take my time, savor my meal.”

“Savoring is good.” Amara shifted slightly and lifted her other breast to his mouth. “Savor this.”

Parker bit down gently, careful not to break the skin. She’d be too sore for round two if he did that. “Mmm.”

Amara had amazingly sensitive nipples. He toyed with them until she was squirming beneath him, begging him to take her. But he wasn’t ready yet. She needed to be closer to the edge before he’d sink inside her in more ways than one. “Did I ever tell you I wanted to lick every inch of your body?”

Amara shook her head. “Fuck me, Parker.”

He smiled. Her eyes were wide, the bright green darkened with passion. “Soon, sweet. Soon.” He sat up and helped her roll onto her stomach. “First things first.” He scooted down her body until he was even with her feet. He lifted one delicate foot and sucked her toes slowly into his mouth. They curled as he loved them with his tongue, tasting the unique flavor that was his
sotiei.
She jerked when he ran his tongue up the arch, and he filed that ticklish spot away to exploit later. Right now he didn’t want anything distracting her from what he was doing to her body.

She’d scream when he finally sank into her.

He did the same thing to the opposite foot, loving on it until her hips jerked against the sheets. He ran his tongue up the backs of her calves and toyed with the backs of her knees, finding places that made her squirm and that made her squeal.

He moved up her thighs and bit into her ass, drawing blood with his fangs. He sipped at the sweet nectar, careful to move with her when she threw her head back with a moan and came, making the flavor that much richer. When he lifted his mouth, he smiled. “How do you feel about matching marks?”

Matching marks?
He had to be kidding, right?

Nope. He wasn’t. His fangs sank into her other cheek, drawing her essence inside him. The orgasm his bite had drawn forth roared back stronger than before. She shuddered, the orgasm rolling through her with the force of a tsunami. Amara didn’t want to hold it back, didn’t want these incredible sensations to end. He could feed off her forever, and she wouldn’t complain.

“Parker. Please.” She needed him inside her, needed to feel that hot, hard length sliding and fucking and making her scream.

“Not yet. I need more.”

More?
More might kill her.

But what a way to go!

His tongue was so hot, so wet as it slid up her back. She hid her shivers as best she could, but knew it was no use. He felt every move, every twitch. His hands, those strong, clawed hands, scraped up her sides, and she couldn’t help herself. She arched into his touch, eager for more of his skin against hers. When he reached the back of her neck, she could feel his cock pressing into the crease of her ass, and she wanted him there, wanted him inside her. “Fuck my ass.”

He froze.

Amara hid her smile and pressed her ass up against his rock-hard erection. “Please. I need it.”

With a savage snarl he moved off her and reached into the bedside drawer to pull out a brand-new bottle of lube. “I love a woman who thinks ahead.”

“C’mon. Give it to me.” She wiggled her ass and drew her knees up, exposing her wet pussy to his gaze.

“Shit.” The lube hit the comforter. Before Amara could complain, Parker’s tongue was inside her, fucking her pussy with long, smooth strokes.

Amara gasped and went to her hands and knees, spreading her legs wide so Parker could reach whatever he wanted. “Oh Goddess. Don’t stop.”

In answer Parker reached between her legs and stroked her clit in time with his thrusts. Amara bucked back into him, the sensations building and building in her core. Soon she was quivering with need. “Parker,
please.
”

His tongue left her body only long enough to make room for his cock. He slammed into her pussy and fucked her with all his strength, driving her forward. Her head and shoulders mashed into the pillow beneath her. Her pussy clenched around him as the orgasm roared through her, robbing her of breath, of movement, of anything but the feel of him.

When she could catch her breath again, she realized Parker hadn’t come yet. He was still inside her, hot and hard. His movements slowed as she came down from her high. “I’m not done with you yet.”

She couldn’t even find the will to protest. She was enjoying the hell out of this. She’d never had a lover like Parker, and she never would again. “You going to fuck my ass now?”

He slapped her ass, right on one of the bite marks he’d left behind. Incredibly her pussy said,
Yes, more please,
to the love tap, heating under his palm in eager anticipation.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

She nodded. Before he could react, she had him on his back. From the look on his face, she’d surprised him. “Yup. I do. Know what else I’d like?”

“What?” He tweaked her nipples, sending more ripples of pleasure down her spine.

“I’d like to ride you until you go blind.”

Parker blinked, his expression turning feral. His eyes burned into hers, bright bloodred. His cock twitched beneath her. “Oh
hell.
”

She giggled and reached for the lube. “First things first.” She slicked him up, taking her time. She loved the way he moved under her palm, eager and oh so ready for her.

“Let me slick you up.” He reached for the lube, but she backed away.

“Uh-uh.” She shook her finger. “Wouldn’t you rather watch?”

He swallowed hard. “Sure,” he croaked. He buried his fingers in the comforter.

Amara winked at him and turned around, straddling his thighs. She slicked up her fingers and reached behind her, bending forward slightly. She slipped a finger into her ass and moved it around, spreading the lube and preparing the way for Parker’s cock.

When she was ready, she added a second finger and fucked herself with it. It was starting to feel really good. She scissored her fingers, stretching herself farther.

Parker moaned. “So pretty. Make yourself ready for me, love.”

She added a third finger, gasping at the slight sting, her hips hunching forward. “Feels so good, Parker.”

He touched the area where her fingers entered her ass. “Bet I know something that would feel even better, love.”

She stroked into her ass faster, the dark pleasure beginning to build inside her. “What could be better than this?”

Parker was up on his knees so quickly she didn’t have time to blink. He curled his hand around the back of her neck, drew her fingers free of her ass and slowly pulled her back. His cock was at the small of her back, and a vision of what he wanted danced inside her head.

“Try this.” Parker grabbed her hips and lifted her, placing her slick ass right over his cock. She took him in one inch at a time, the burn warring with the pleasure; soon, only the pleasure was left. Far too soon her ass rested on his thighs, and his cock was so deep it throbbed in her belly. “Now. Fuck me, Amara. Take me. Make me yours.”

Amara rose on her knees until only the head was inside her, then lowered herself. She loved the slow, wet slide of him, so thick, so hard.

He tilted her head until her neck was bared. “Play with yourself, love. Come on my cock. I want to feel you coming around me.”

Amara reached between her legs and stroked her clit. The sensation as she rode him was so intense, so very
good.
“Like this?”

“Mmm. Pretty. Now dance for me.” It took Amara a moment to figure out what he wanted, but when she swiveled her hips and danced on his cock, he almost lost it. “Yes. Just like that. Take me, sweet.”

He licked her neck, prepping her for his bite. He tugged on her nipples, bringing them to stinging life. The added pleasure-pain caused her to move faster. She abandoned the dance and rode his cock hard, eager to bring them both to climax.

He stroked his fangs across her skin, and she knew he was close, knew he’d bite into her before they came. She clenched her muscles, needing the feel of his fangs within her, the knowledge she was feeding her mate. “Going to fuck you under my tree, Parker. Make you a part of her, a part of
us.
Make you mine once and for all, so no one will ever take you from me.”

His thrusts became erratic. She felt a sharp sting as one of his teeth accidentally drew blood.

“You’d like that, Parker? Like to hold me up against that rough bark, the wind caressing our bodies? My hands pressing into my tree while you fuck me from behind and take my blood?”

She was baiting the beast, but she was close, so damn close. He had to take her, had to bite her.

“Do it, Parker. Bite me. Make me yours.”

Sharp pain and then pleasure, so much pleasure she drowned in it. She screamed soundlessly as she came; her body arched into his, her ass throbbing around his cock.

She was bent forward onto her hands and knees, his body thrusting inside hers, his fangs embedded in her neck. He fucked her like a wild thing, taking what he wanted from her. He ignored her gasps as the orgasm rolled into another one, this one almost as intense, almost as good as the last.

When he finally came, she was wrung out, sweaty and tired and oh so thoroughly fucked she couldn’t do much more than purr her pleasure. She felt the gentle swipe of his tongue as he closed the wounds.

“I gather you liked that idea.”

His entire body wrapped around hers. “You think?”

She snuggled in and allowed him to warm her cooling flesh. “We’ll have to see when we can arrange that.”

“Soon,” he mumbled against her shoulder.

“Soon,” she agreed. Sooner than soon if she had her way.

She stifled her grin.
I wonder when he’ll be up for round two?

Parker picked up the broken shards of the ornate pot he’d used to plant some of the hardier orchids and sighed. It was going to take forever to get The Greenhouse back up and running.

Luckily he had an in with the owners. “Greer?”

“Yeah?” The blond poked his head out from behind some ferns he was manhandling onto a table. The ferns were beat up, but with loving care, they’d survive what had happened. “It’s going to take a lot longer than we thought to get this place back open.”

Greer shrugged and hefted the second pot. It had to weigh almost as much as he did. “I know. Ash knows. Mina is ticked, but she knows too. It is what it is, man.” The dryad leaned over and whispered to the ferns. Parker swore the plants quivered in green ecstasy.

“Terri is alive.” Parker’s jaw clenched. It had been three days since the attack on the town, and he’d neither seen nor scented his nemesis. He’d hunted for her high and low, in and out of the forest, but he’d found no sign other than a blackened patch of ground where Dragos had ripped off her head. Mina had been livid.