The soft light of morning leaked through the sheer velvet drapes, casting a honeyed glow over the grand bedchamber. Avelyn stirred slowly, her breath catching as she felt the press of warmth at her neck—the barest touch of lips, slow and reverent.
Kaelen.
Her eyes fluttered open as his mouth trailed along her collarbone, his hands already roaming down the curve of her waist, possessive yet worshipful.
"You’re awake," he murmured, voice husky with sleep and want.
She hummed, arching gently as his tongue traced the hollow between her breasts. "I am now."
He grinned against her skin. "Good. I missed you."
Avelyn opened her mouth to tease, but it vanished into a gasp as Kaelen slid lower—kissing the dip of her navel, parting her thighs with a slow, confident ease that made her pulse race
