Lyra's POV
Consciousness returned slowly, accompanied by the unmistakable sensation of being watched. My eyelids felt like lead weights, but I managed to pry them open. Kaelen's face filled my vision, his body angled toward me on one elbow. His gaze held something I couldn't immediately decipher - gentle yet fierce, affectionate yet starving.
"Enjoying the view?" I mumbled, my voice still thick with drowsiness.
His mouth tilted upward in a lazy grin. "You tell me. The bond shows you exactly what I'm experiencing."
Curious, I reached through that mystical connection binding us together. The surge of longing that crashed over me nearly stole my breath - intense and consuming and utterly voracious. My chest tightened.
I laughed softly and scooted nearer to him. My palm found the solid wall of his chest, fingertips drawing aimless designs across his skin. "My, my. Someone's particularly greedy this afternoon."
His pupils dilated. "Am I wrong to be?"
