Chapter 0203

What a way to start the morning.

First, I dreamt of Sebastian between my thighs, his skilled fingers bringing me to the edge. Then I woke to my very first climax—real, not imagined. And just when I thought it couldn't get more intense, there he was, the living, breathing version of him, finishing what my dream started.

The man’s tongue should be registered as a lethal weapon.

He takes my hand, helping me off the bed, his low chuckle vibrating through me when my knees nearly buckle.

"Easy," he murmurs, steadying me.

The bathroom tiles are cool under my feet as he turns on the shower, testing the water with his hand before glancing at the bottles lined up on the ledge. His nose wrinkles slightly.

"We’ll get you proper shower things today," he says, plucking up the floral-scented body wash with a frown. "This doesn’t suit you."

His gaze flicks to me. "Unless you like it?"

I shake my head. "I prefer berry scents. My mother and I used to forage for wild berries and make our own soaps."

He steps aside, letting me enter the shower first. As I pass, he leans in, inhaling deeply near my hair.

"Berries," he murmurs, satisfied. "Exactly what I thought."

I turn as he joins me under the spray, his hands already working through my hair, rinsing it thoroughly.

"I smell like berries to you?"

His fingers massage my scalp, sending tingles down my spine. "Raspberries and cream," he confirms, voice rough. Then, lower: "But you taste even sweeter."

Heat floods my cheeks.

He grins, pressing a kiss to the tip of my nose before reaching for the shampoo.

"You smell like the forest," I tell him.

A slight frown creases his brow. "All wolves do."

I shake my head as he lathers the shampoo into my hair, his fingers working magic against my scalp. My eyes drift shut without realizing it, only opening when I feel him watching me.

"Like that?" he asks, voice husky.

"Mm. Perfect." I tilt my head back into his touch. "But your scent is different. Not just trees and earth. You smell like sunlight through the leaves after rain. Like morning dew on grass."

He stills for a heartbeat before gathering my hair in his hands, rinsing the suds away.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes." The word comes out breathless. "It reminds me of hiking with my mother at dawn, when the world felt new. But there’s more—something just… you. Alpha. Male."

The conditioner comes next, his fingers combing through the lengths with reverence. A soft sound escapes me, something between a sigh and a purr.

"Wrap your arms around me," he orders softly, and I obey, anchoring myself against him as his hands continue their work.

"Your hair," he murmurs, almost to himself. "Like silk. Even this long, it barely tangles."

There’s something in his voice that makes me look up. He’s staring at my hair like it’s something precious.

"Still want to cut it?"

"Just a trim," I say. "The ends are split."

His smile is instant, relieved.

As he tips my head back to rinse, I reach up, threading my fingers through his own damp hair. He leans into the touch with a rough exhale.

"I’m overdue for a cut too," he admits. "Gets unruly when it’s this long."

The water runs clear between us, carrying away the last of the suds—and any remaining barriers.