The first rays of dawn stretched long fingers across the bed, turning tangled sheets into molten gold and highlighting the raw, flushed skin of two entwined bodies.

Hunter stirred first. He didn’t open his eyes. He didn’t need to. Celeste was draped across his chest, her legs tangled with his, her soft breath ghosting over his collarbone. Her skin was still dewy with sweat. Her scent, wildflowers and sex, clung to every inch of him, and her mark pulsed faintly on her neck.

He felt it in ...