The morning chill woke her. Svetlana opened her eyes slowly, feeling the weight in her eyelids. For a few seconds, her mind drifted in a haze of confusion, disoriented by the dimness of the room and the faint woody scent clinging to the sheets. She looked up at the ceiling and her heart skipped a beat. She recognized it instantly. It was Dante’s room.

A shiver ran down her spine as she turned her head and saw him lying beside her, still asleep, his breathing deep and steady. His bare chest rose