Once I had thumbs, I sorted my bags into the dresser drawers. When I finished, I took the small bag of toiletries to the suite's bathroom and laid them out on the counter next to the sink. Then, I sneaked a pair of boxers and a t-shirt from my side of the dresser. "Do you mind if I shower first?"
"Go ahead." His gaze followed me as I ducked back into the bathroom and shut the door.
It had a working lock, but I didn't click it. I kept telling myself I didn't want Sebastian to open it, but a sinking sense of disappointment in my gut intensified the longer he waited to join me.
He wasn't coming. I sluiced the last of the suds from my body and turned off the water while it was still hot.
The room had a stack of thick towels, and I snagged one from the bottom shelf. Satisfied my clothes wouldn't stick to me, I pulled them on and returned to the bedroom.
We switched places without a word. Sebastian had already claimed the bed closest to the shower, so I took the one by the windows. I pulled the drapes shut and curled on my side, facing the warm fire between our beds.
While he showered, I tried to stay awake. I wantedto talk about his plans, but my eyes grew too heavy. Whether from the warmth of the fire or outright exhaustion, I couldn't keep my eyes open around Sebastian. The past few days had been nerve-wracking.
Nerves, that was all. It couldn't have been because I trusted him more than I'd trusted anyone else in my life.
CHAPTER 11
SEBASTIAN
I took twice as longto shower. The water ran cold before I landed on any solid answers to the questions spinning in my head.
It all seemed so clear in wolf form. My wolf wanted to mark and claim Gunnar as my mate. He couldn't think about anything else.
As a human, I had far more pressing concerns. Gunnar didn't outright hate me anymore, but we weren't exactly friends yet. How would he feel if my wolf pounced on him from behind, held him down, and —
I couldn't think like that. If I imagined myself fucking him, in wolf or human form, our talk would have to wait until I found an ice maker and poured a bucket down my pants.
The discussion couldn't wait. After I dressed for bed and brushed my teeth, I steeled myself before the bathroom mirror. I could do this.
Finally, I opened the door. Instead of finding mymate awake, I heard his soft snores drifting from the far bed. Thinking like a gentleman, I'd taken a room I knew had two queen beds. Now, I wished I'd been selfish and picked one with a single king.
We needed the separate beds, tonight especially. In the morning, I would explain how my wolf felt about Gunnar.
I climbed into my cold bed and buried my head under a pillow, trying to block out the truth along with the light from the fireplace. My wolf wasn't the only one falling for Gunnar. I liked him. A lot. Yes, we came from completely different backgrounds, and yes, we clashed on a few topics, but he was competent and kind, a far cry from most of my father's employees.
Was it really that easy with me? After a lifetime of lies and unnecessary cruelty from my father and his cronies, I was extremely loyal to anyone who helped me. It wasn't the first time. My nanny, Ms. Rhonda, had been competent and kind, too, and I owned her retirement home in Boca Raton.
She would be waiting a while for my next call. Thankfully, Amber knew the routine. This wasn't the first time I'd hidden from my father for a few months. She would pass a message to Ms. Rhonda's nurses, and they would let her know I was all right. Then she would utter a few choice curse words directed toward my father and say a prayer for me.
I needed all the divine guidance I could get. I still didn't know how to broach the subject of our mating with Gunnar.
I was almost asleep when I felt the bed dip. "Sebastian? Are you awake?"
A pillow still rested on my face. I flipped it under my head and stared up at Gunnar in the waning firelight.
He bit his bottom lip. "This is going to sound strange, but can I sleep with you? It's cold by the window."
Certain this was a dream, I pulled back the covers and scooted over to give him room. Instead of taking it, he curled against my side. I slung my arm over his shoulder and tugged him closer.
"Thank you."
"Mm-hmm." I had Gunnar in bed with me, but my brain was done for the night. I fell asleep with my mate nestled against my side.
I woke in another world,one where a very sexy Gunnar with the most adorable bedhead stared up at me from between my legs. The fire had long gone out, but the door to the bathroom was cracked open, and the single stripe of light was enough to set the entire room aglow, thanks to my wolf vision.
Gunnar had been nuzzling my balls. Now that I was awake, he turned his attention to my cock.
"Wait! We need to talk!"
