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

the same inside the dormitory recreation rooms, and assembled a few older men and women who weren’t being matched to watch them.

Katherine and Zack bade their children good night as they headed up to the children’s dormitories.

About an hour after the ceremonies had been concluded and the children sent to their rooms, a soft chime sounded. As one, all the brides rose, each handing their groom a small crystal which projected a map to their quarters. More of Drusilla’s efficiency, Katherine thought. "Give me about twenty minutes," she murmured to Zack.

She and Zack had been allotted one of the larger rooms with a small sitting room and attached bath.

"Drusilla missed her calling," Katherine remarked aloud to herself when she saw the candles and iced wine bucket and a few delicacies set out on a table on the terrace. Drusilla had also laid out a filmy negligee on the bed, which Katherine nervously fingered. She spent some time undressing and brushing out her hair before she donned the gown. She gasped when she first saw herself in the mirror. The negligee was of the finest spun dragon nest silk and had been designed to arouse desire, being cut almost to her navel in both the front and back, and even with the matching robe, it was almost transparent. Whatever had possessed her innocent baby sister to design something like this, she wondered. Zack had been frustrated enough at their lack of privacy on the journey; she could only imagine the effect this would have. Zack opened the door before she had time to panic herself into changing out of it. The pocket door slid back into the wall and he stood stock still in the doorway at his first sight of her. "Wow," was all he said.

"Whoops," echoed Vernal, hastily turning his head away. Since their rooms had all been on the same floor, Gideon, Zack and Vernal had left the party in a group and come upstairs together. Katherine hastily turned her back, not wanting to give her new brother-in-law and uncle-by-marriage any more of an eyeful than she already had. Vernal thoughtfully pushed the close button on the pocket door. Zack never even noticed the door closing. "You look beautiful," he said.

"If I’d known you were bringing company, I wouldn’t have been in front of the door—"Katherine began.

"Mmmn," Zack slipped his arms around her from behind. He lifted her hair out of the way, sliding his lips down her neck and Katherine shivered.

"I guess I should have told you before, but I’ve never—I mean I don’t know how—"

He partially turned her so he had a better purchase for his mouth and ran his tongue across her lips. His hand slid up to cup her breast through the thin fabric. She could feel the hardness of his swollen shaft against her buttocks. Heat built between her legs and she turned to press her body against him.

"Mmmn," he murmured between kisses, "You worry too much. We’ll just do what comes naturally."

He had been right, she thought afterwards, resting her head against the hard muscles of his chest. True, it had been a little painful the first time, but she had been taught that it would get easier as her body got used to accommodating him. She hadn’t worn the pretty nightgown Drusilla had provided very long either, she thought ruefully. Along with Zack’s wedding clothes, it was in a crumpled heap on the floor.

After a few minutes, she felt him stir beside her. "I bet the ice in the wine bucket isn’t cold anymore," he said. "Want to try some anyway?"

"It should still be cold," she replied, admiring his muscled wiry back as he walked toward the terrace. He didn’t seem at all embarrassed by the fact that he was naked. "I think I saw a stasis cube next to it."

While his back was turned, Katherine quickly sat up and reached for the robe that had come with the gown. Donning it, she took a quick look in the mirror and caught her breath. To her eyes, she looked a mess. Her mouth was a little swollen from being kissed and her hair, which she had brushed so carefully, was in wild disorder. She shrugged to herself as she donned the mostly transparent bedrobe and discovered that she was practically falling out of it. Zack had already seen all there was to see, and if he was comfortable enough to run around naked, why should she care about showing some skin?

"Relax, you look beautiful." Zack said smugly, obviously admiring his work. He had come up behind her with two glasses of wine. He handed her one and set the other down on the dresser, running his hands possessively over her.

At that inopportune moment, there was a knock on the door. Zack growled, stalked over to the door and yanked it open. "What?" he barked.

After a scandalized glance at his naked state, the older woman who had interrupted them looked past him to Katherine. "I beg your pardon Milady but two of your children—"

"Are having nightmares," Katherine finished, resigned. She set down her glass and started toward the door. Zack caught her arm.

"Just where do you think you’re going, dressed like that?"

Katherine fisted her hands on her hips. "At least I’m wearing a robe! You open doors bare assed naked—"

"Well you can’t parade around the place half-dressed. I’d just as soon nobody but me gets to see how tempting you look in that," he stated firmly.

Katherine made a rude noise and grabbed her trousers and shirt off the floor. "If I can’t go out like that you can’t either," she snapped. "At least put your pants on," she added, throwing his clothes at him.

By the time they reached the children’s rooms, both Rupert and Violet had progressed to full-blown screaming nightmares. Drusilla had set up separate rooms for the boys and girls. Katherine went to quiet Violet while Zack attended to Rupert.

When they returned to their room several hours later, the wine