Graham blinked awake and inhaled the morning air drifting into the bedroom. He let the scent of rain wash over him as he stretched out beneath the silken sheets. Graham groped around the bed to where his bride had fallen asleep the night before, but stopped as the warmth of her body was nowhere to be found. He patted the empty side of the mattress, frowning.
"Vee?" he asked, voice groggy with sleep. Graham lifted his heavy head and the room slowly came into focus. The bed was empty save for him, and the groove shaped like Vee's body was cold. Graham stuck out his lower lip in a pout—now that he had a wife to share the bed with, Graham wondered how he ever lasted a night without the warmth of her body fitting in perfectly with his. They were like two impeccably crafted puzzle pieces.
Without a reason to remain in bed any longer, Graham hauled himself from the sheets and shivered as the morning air grazed against his bare torso. He slipped into his fuzzy red bathrobe, yawned, and began the search for the warm company of his bride. She was not in the expansive master bedroom with its bookshelves, multiple squashy armchairs, and disappointingly empty fireplace. It was then that he heard the distinct sounds of splashing water.
Graham quickened his pace, his cold feet slapping the wood floor as he practically pranced over and pressed his ear to the door of the washroom. He heard muffled voices—one was unmistakably his queen's; low and reverberating off the tiled walls within. The other he recognized as Ellie, Vee's lady-in-waiting. Graham listened to the sounds of bathwater splashing softly as someone entered the waters of the tub. Graham's heart pounded loudly against his ribcage at the movement—even though he could not see her, Vee still managed to have that immediate effect on him.
As quietly as he could, Graham turned the handle and let himself inside. The smoothness of the tiles sent shivers up through his feet as he finally laid eyes on the large stone washbasin in the center of the room. Vee was facing the opposite way and didn't seem to notice his presence. Good, he thought, sneaking forward. I'd rather this be a surprise.
Ellie, however, had a bucket of steaming water balanced in her hands and immediately noticed the king standing there. She opened her mouth in surprise, to which Graham quickly placed a finger over his lips. Ellie's eyes widened as she looked from the back of the queen's head to Graham, realizing what he was intending to do. She did not seem to want to be around for that. He quickly took the bucket from Ellie and she left the room at once, eyes down and face a furious shade of red.
Poor girl, Graham thought rather giddily, shutting the door securely behind.
"Ellie?" said Vee, snapping Graham's gaze to the back of her head. He watched with rapt attention as Vee scooped a pile of dark hair off her slender neck, exposing her shoulders. His heart ba-dumped and his grip on the bucket tightened when she asked, "Would you get my back for me?"
Graham swallowed hard and approached the tub, keeping his footsteps soft. He gently poured the hot water, streams trickling down the slope of Vee's back. She let out a tiny moan of pleasure and leaned forward into her knees. Graham watched with fascination as her muscles shifted and relaxed under the sheen of her skin. The water in the tub was covered in a layer of bubbles, giving only a faint outline of Vee's body under the surface. A scent of lavender and peppermint wafted up to his nose.
His lady shifted in the foggy water, sending tiny ripples splashing against the beautifully crafted stonework. She sighed with bliss. "Thank you, Ellie," she said.
Graham could not hold back the urge any longer. He reached out and tenderly brushed a strand of dark hair off her neck.
Vee shivered at his touch. "Ellie?" she said uncertainly. Vee finally craned her neck around to see who was there, and promptly screamed. Graham jumped back at her sudden outburst, and screamed too.
"Graham!" Vee scolded, eyes as wide as saucers. "What do you think you're doing?"
As if realizing exactly what he was doing, Vee swiftly wrapped her arms around her naked breasts—which didn't matter, thought Graham, since the cloudy water forbade him to get a good glimpse of them, anyway. He held up his hands, flashing her one of his most innocent grins. "Just thought I'd say good morning," he said. "So…good morning."
Vee's angry gaze flicked over to the door and back to Graham. She mouthed, "Did Ellie see you?"
He bit his lip, and that seemed to be answer enough. Vee groaned and buried her face in her hands. "The servants all talk, Graham!"
He waved his hand airily. "Please, it's not as though they don't already know what we've been doing up here."
Vee narrowed her eyes into slits. "This isn't the impression I want them to have of their queen. What are they going to say?"
Graham cautiously approached the stone tub and kneeled to her level. He knew he should be feeling contrite for causing her this embarrassment, but all he could think about was the flush of pink in Vee's cheeks. "They're going to say," he began, "that the king joined his wife in the bath this morning, and they were probably both quite naked."
"That's not funny," she said, pulling her knees more tightly into her chest. "I'm serious."
Graham could come up with a witty response in most situations: he could recall a time where he had charmed the pants off of a bridge troll, more or less. But when it came to Vee, her presence alone rendered him at a loss for words. The steam rising from the tub was already making him warm, but Vee's breath on his face proved dizzyingly distracting. Her damp hair looked like black velvet pooling over her ivory shoulders, but he held himself back from touching it this time.
"I'm sorry, love," he whispered, poking his rather large nose over the side of the tub. Her eyes sparkled, but to be fair it might have just been a reflection from the pool.
She made a hm sound, as if wondering whether to accept this apology as genuine. "No, you're not," she said decidedly. A ghost of a grin played at her mouth, and this is where Graham's gaze was drawn. Her soft, pink lips were parted slightly and as though some unseen force was driving him, he drifted towards her in the anticipation of a kiss…
…but she put a finger against his lips, stopping him in his tracks. Graham waited obediently, even though his elbows were shaking from leaning that far over the tub.
"Since you've successfully managed to scare my maid off," Vee began, tracing the tip of her finger pensively against his lower lip, "and since you're here, and since the servants will be talking anyway…" Graham leaned into her touch, nearly slipping on the slick stone, "…I think it's only fair that you help me finish my bath instead."
Graham's face broke out into an eager grin. "Your wish," he said seriously, "is my command."
With that, he pushed himself back to a standing position and shed his robe with a flourish so it piled at his feet. Naked from the waist up, Graham casually strut around the bathtub, stretching his arms above his head and flexing his burly chest right in Vee's line of vision. She snickered behind a hand. From here he could see the distinct outline of her naked form under the surface of the water: her slender legs, her round hips and the rise of her breasts.
"Like what you see, your highness?" he asked, giving his hips a pop for good measure.
Vee regained her composure with the grace of a true queen. "I suggest you finish up the theatrics before the water gets cold."
Graham stroked his chin in mock confusion. "You seemed to like the theatrics last night, my lady."
It gave Graham a tiny bit of pride to see Vee's face redden so quickly. She scowled and he laughed.
"Just for that," said Vee, "you're going to make yourself useful without the view you were hoping to have." She turned completely around so her back was facing him again, obstructing the vision of her front. Graham couldn't help the noise of disappointment that emitted from his throat. He knew that the only way to regain what he had been denied was to obey his lady's command. Puffing out his chest, Graham removed his pants in one smooth motion. He hoped that Vee would steal a peek at his credentials, but she remained stubbornly where she was, teasing him, silently laughing at him. Graham slipped into the tub, gasping at the sudden contact of near-boiling heat on his cool skin.
"Well?" Vee's voice was low, inquisitive, coy. Graham shuddered and moved in close. The tub was a large one: at least eight feet across and around like a tiny hot spring. He had never shared the royal bath with another person before, but there seemed to be more than enough room for the two of them to get clean.
Amongst other activities, Graham thought with a twinge of hope.
Graham picked up the bar of soap and began to lather his hands, all the while letting his eyes wander over the curve of Vee's back and the dip where her spine sat. He started at the base of her neck and rubbed in small circles, gliding over her shoulders, under her arms and tickling her there. She squealed—a high-pitched sound he had never heard her utter before. He chuckled into her dampened hair, inhaling lavender and her musk.
"Very funny," she hissed.
"I thought so," he replied, continuing his slow, sensuous assault over her ribcage, easing his hands up to brush teasingly against the rise of her breasts. Graham kissed the spot behind her ear, looking for an excuse to get closer to the sound of her tiny gasps. He grazed his soapy hands across her chest, taking an extra moment to flick one of her nipples. Vee inhaled sharply, arching her back against him, pressing herself deeper into his rough hands. They were finally skin-on-skin, her curved back flush against his pectorals—he was certain she could feel the pounding of his heart on her spine. Graham hummed as he painted her canvas, lips peppering her throat and shoulders with hot, branding kisses.
When Vee was well-lathered, Graham dipped his hands into the intoxicating water and rinsed her off, taking his time to worship every bone, every bump, every line of her body. When her skin shone like ivory, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his lips against her ear. "Was that sufficient, my lady?"
She giggled, and he closed his eyes against the sweet melody.
"Indeed," she said, turning her head slightly to look at him over her shoulder.
"Do you think I've earned a kiss?" he asked.
She made one of her thinking sounds, and normally Graham would be up for another game, but now he was impatiently flexing his fingers against her skin.
"Well," said Vee, and he held his breath. "I think you've more than paid back your debt, my lord."
At last she turned around, eyes sparkling with mischief, and Graham did not waste another moment to close the space between them. His hands went to either side of her face, holding her fast to him, their lips interlocked. Hers were soft as rose petals and her tongue as sweet as cake.
Vee broke apart first, leaving him kissing the air for half a second. He suppressed a whine of frustration as she opened her savory mouth to speak again. "I think it's only fair," she said, picking up the soap, "that I return the favor first."
Graham raised his eyebrows with interest. "I washed yesterday."
"Then why did you join me here?" she asked.
Graham made a show of rolling his eyes. "My dear, I thought that was rather obvious."
Vee laughed out loud and Graham's heart swelled. She'd been doing that a lot lately. He cleared his throat and spread his dripping arms wide. "Get to the ravishing, then. But I'm not turning around."
"Good," she quipped, lathering the soap in her hands. "I'd rather watch you from this angle, anyway."
I second that, thought Graham with pleasure. Now that Vee was finally facing him, he could watch her bare arms slide up and down his chest, watch the look of concentration on her pretty features as she swirled soap, and steal glimpses of her breasts swinging slightly above the water. She wrapped her arms playfully around his waist to scrub her hands along the width of his back and down to his buttocks. He let out a small squeal when she pinched his hide.
"I suppose I deserved that," he muttered.
Vee went above and beyond with the suds, lathering so much that before long, Graham looked more like he was coated in a layer of vanilla frosting rather than soap. He scooped up a handful of bubbles from his chest and smeared it over his jaw, fluffing the bubbles for a bushy-looking effect.
"Think I should grow a beard?" he asked.
Vee cocked her head to study his handiwork. "I'd love you with or without one."
He nuzzled the top of her head, covering her with beard-bubbles. "So that's a 'no'?"
Vee was at least a head shorter than him, forcing her to sit up on her knees to reach his hair, which she ruffled unceremoniously and lathered up. When Vee deemed him well-laundered, he slipped out of her grasp and submerged himself beneath the sudsy waters. He felt slight pressure against his eyelids and could hear a dull roar in his ears as he lost himself in the cloud. The bubbles melted away as he broke the surface and shook out his hair, reminiscent of a wet dog.
He set his sights on Vee, who was leaning against the side of the large tub. Her skin was flushed, her dark curls damp, and the rising steam framed her like a mirage. Graham sliced across the surface of the water, submerged save for his head, and when he reached Vee—not an illusion but tangibly real—he stared up at her, hands ghosting her waist, and something akin to gratitude crashed over him like a wave. Kneeling before her, Graham closed his eyes and kissed her sternum, right in the valley of her breasts. "You are beautiful," he muttered reverently, kissing each mound with tenderness.
Vee's expression softened into one of pure affection. She ran her fingers through his wet hair as he continued to worship her torso, a devoted kiss here, a playful nibble there. Her moans of pleasure turned into gasps of need as Graham circled her nipple with his warm tongue, his hand setting to work pawing her other breast. He loved the feeling of her grasping his hair, of her firm breast in his mouth and her scent on his tongue. He loved the way she squirmed in his grasp, the way she hissed his name.
"Graham." Vee prodded him with her knee and Graham rose at once to meet her hazy gaze. She pressed her forehead against his, intoxicating him with her scent. "Need you," she said breathlessly, "now."
Graham shuddered at her plea and leaned forward at once to claim her mouth. Her nails scraped against his scalp and held him under a spell; all lips and teeth and tongue and hands. Graham lost himself in their kiss, fingers digging into her buttocks beneath the waters as his crotch swelled against the inside of her thigh. Vee whimpered and pulled him close, trying to leave no space between them, and Graham quickly shifted to hook her knees around his hips. He positioned himself in front of her entrance and, bracing his hands on the side of the tub, entered her warmth. He stilled for a moment, reveling in the heat of her cunt. But then she clenched around his cock and he had no choice but to start moving.
There was something about making love in the water that added an extra element of intimacy. Graham guessed there must have been something infused with the bathwater that made Vee especially slick, and the buoyancy gave him more energy to devote to pleasing her. He thrust slowly, gradually picking up speed and sending droplets of water spilling over the sides of the tub. She was so tight around his cock, matching his pace, fingers tracing the muscles along his back. From here he could see her—all of her—her dripping chest and dark hair and eyes burning with pure need.
His orgasm started at the base of his cock and with a thrust he let his climax take over. "Vee…" he moaned. As pleasure coursed through his body, his thrusts became uneven, but Vee kept up a steady rhythm, milking him completely.
He rested his brow on her shoulder, taking hungry breaths. Vee was starting to whine, so he quickly found her clit and started rubbing, still coming down from the high of his orgasm.
"There," she said, fingers digging into his shoulders. "Right there."
She gasped as her orgasm began and Graham lifted his head so he could look into her eyes. She gazed back, her mouth open as she moaned loudly. "Oh—ah, Graham!"
The first time Graham watched Vee come had been a breathtaking experience. Their wedding night was, admittedly, a bit clumsy, but never devoid of the love and passion that each had for the other. They had stumbled in the dark, groping and investigating the other, fueled by the heat of the night and the brand-newness of it all. Though the sex itself was hurried and fumbling, Graham would not have traded the wonderment of that night for anything. And now, only one week later, their first time seemed like nothing compared to the intense emotions he felt for Vee now.
Graham would never tire of watching her.
Vee shuddered as her orgasm washed over, trailing her fingers lightly along his burning skin. "I love you," she whispered, a lazy smile gracing her features. Graham shivered and pressed his brow to hers. He didn't trust himself to put his feelings into words, so he simply basked in her glow.
"It's getting cold," he said at last.
Vee pulled him along as she climbed over the tub and he stumbled out behind her, laughing stupidly. Graham knew for a fact that the servants would gossip—Ellie was certain to tell the girls in the kitchen—but he honestly couldn't care less. He'd make up the embarrassment to the maid later, but he wouldn't trade his clumsy intimacy with Vee for anything in the kingdom.
There was time to practice, and they had the rest of their lives to do so.