In The Beginning by Gail Daley (top 100 books of all time checklist .TXT) 📕

She led the way to another room presided over by a large canopied bed which had been turned down. "You have a private bathing room," she said, opening another door to reveal a large room with an enormous spa like bath set in the floor. A full length window overlooked the mountains surrounding Ironlyn. There was a low divan to sit on when removing clothes, and a shelf with towels, sponges and an array of scented bath oils.

"My goodness!" Rebecca exclaimed. "I hope the Don't See spell is operating in here as well!"

"It works in all the rooms, Draconi," Jinks assured her.

"That tub is big enough for both of us," Andre said with a grin, causing his bride to blush bright red.

Jinks opened doors next to the bathing room. "These are your dressing rooms. I have assigned a maid and a manservant to assist you in caring for your clothes."

"I think we can manage by ourselves tonight," Andre said. "The pair of you go and enjoy the party. It's still going strong downstairs."

The servants glanced questionably at Jinks, who nodded.

"Thank you, Drake," they chorused, as they left. As the door shut behind Sarsee Jinks and her helpers. Andre turned to Rebecca. “Why don’t you start without me,” he suggested. “I’ve got an idea.”

A little puzzled, Rebecca went to her dressing room where she found the efficient Sarsee Jinks had laid out the gown and robe she had designed with help of the seamstress from the village. Both gown and robe were made of a filmy material made in Karbala, the farthest east of the human settlements on Rulari. Inspecting the gown in the mirror, she was startled to see just how much of her it revealed; it hadn’t looked as though it would expose this much of her body on the dressmaker's form. Well, it was too late to change it now, she thought.

She was distracted from the way she looked when she heard water running in the bathing room. Andre had been doing everything he could over the past few months to talk her into bed and now he was running bath water?

Leaving the dressing room, she moved next door, stopping in the doorway. Andre had stripped off his clothes and was kneeling by the edge oh the tub as he poured something into the water to give off a pleasant woodsy aroma. A small fission of lust jolted through her as her eyes ran over the tight muscles of his arms and shoulders as he bent over the tub. In the outdoor life she had led, it had been impossible for Angharad and Lewys to totally shield their granddaughters from catching a glimpse of a man's naked body. On those occasions, she had known mostly curiosity, not this quickening of her heart.

“Are you going to take a bath?” She asked.

He rose and turned to her. “We are going to take one,” he corrected, holding out his hand to her. “I don’t want any bad memories to spoil our first time.”

Rebecca heard him, but she was so distracted by the sight of his shaft thickening and rising as she came to him, the words failed to register. She flushed when she saw him smile and realized he knew she had been staring.

He slipped a hand into her dark tresses, tilting her mouth up to meet his. Rebecca slid her free hand up his chest, enjoying the feel of the light sprinkling of hair tickling her hand under the hard, smooth muscle of his chest. When he freed her other hand to run his own down her back to cup her buttocks, she experienced a familiar tickle between her thighs. She lifted her other hand up around his neck.

“That’ s a pretty outfit but it’s going to get wet if you don’t take it off,” he said, tugging on the ties holding it together.

“Let me do it,” she said. “You’re going to tear it, and I might want to wear this again.”

She laid the gown and robe on the divan and turned back to Andre. He had darkened the room, so it was lit only by moonlight shinning in the large windows. Rebecca had tested the spell on the windows earlier when she stood in the doorway, so she knew no one could see in to watch them. The tub was set in the floor so they walked down steps until they were waist deep in the water. The water was steaming, but not hot enough to burn. Andre gave a gentle tug on her hand and she discovered there was a shelf to sit on.

Struggling to visualize doing what she knew about lovemaking in a tub, she looked uncertainly at him. “Are you sure we won’t drown?” she asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said smiling. “We’re nowhere near there yet.”

“Oh,” she said doubtfully.

He reached for her hand and poured a small amount of soap oils into her palm, doing the same for himself. He reached out, massaging the oil into her shoulders. A little hesitantly, she copied his actions.

Andre smiled. He had discovered over the long months of their engagement that although Rebecca had been taught the mechanics of how children were created, she was almost totally ignorant of the pleasures of lovemaking. It was going to be worth a little self discipline to teach her the art of making love.

As Andre’s soothing strokes progressed, Rebecca found herself sinking into a sensual haze. When his hands drifted down over her breasts, the sensation transferred to her nether mouth. Involuntarily her thighs parted. Andre stroked down her waist and over her buttock. He lifted her leg until it rested over both of his. With a small amount of urging, she shifted until she was straddling him. He moved forward so she could slide her feet behind his buttocks, cupping her bottom so he could pull her nether mouth against his swollen shaft.

When his hands came back up to stroke her breasts, another spurt of pleasure thrummed in her