Addie ran her fingers across Kendrick’s chest, catching on his soft button-down shirt. “I’m not surprised. What else?”
“That, we call the Tiger.” Kendrick moved his arm to point between two other bright stars. “You call those Deneb and Altair and divide all the stars between into a couple different constellations, but Shifters grouped them together as a tiger, his head turning as he stalks his prey.” Kendrick looked at her. “Then there are the Lovers.”
Addie pretended that heat hadn’t flooded her body. She scanned the sky. “Where are they?”
“Not up there,” Kendrick rumbled. “Can’t see them until winter.”
“Then why bring them up?”
She dissolved into laughter when Kendrick rolled onto her, the weight of him a fine thing. “We’ll just have to make do with the lovers down here,” he said, his breath warming her skin.
“Mmm.” Addie laced her arms around his neck. “Maybe they’ll name constellations after us.”
“Not right now.” The hunger Addie had glimpsed that last night at the diner returned to his eyes full force. “I’m busy. Gonna be busy for a while.”
“Good,” Addie whispered, and sank into Kendrick’s kiss.
A few moments later, she was humming in pleasure as Kendrick stripped from her the light summer dress she’d donned for the ceremony. Addie returned the favor by ripping open Kendrick’s shirt, sending the buttons flying. She kissed his chest, which was whole now, only a few faint scars showing where he’d been hurt.
Kendrick growled, rolling Addie down into the blankets, his bare body on hers. He brushed her cheek with a tender touch, then parted her legs and slid inside her.
“Addison.” His voice shook, rough with need. “I love you. My mate.”
Addie wrapped herself around him, her body hot, full. Her heart tingled with what Kendrick had told her was the mate bond, the true twining of souls. She ached where they joined, an ache that dissolved to pure, ecstatic pleasure as he began to thrust.
“I love you,” she said in a clear voice. “Mate of my heart.”
Kendrick groaned and sped his thrusts.
Addie held him, her hard-bodied Shifter with white-black hair and beautiful eyes. He gazed down at her as he loved her faster and harder, his green eyes outshining the sparkling river of the night sky.