Christmas at the Vanderbilts was tolerable, even if Mother did have to spend a few hours soothing me after I had a straining day and wanted nothing but Will's company. It wasn't the fault of the Vanderbilts, they were wonderful hosts and did everything they could to provide us with a merry Christmas. Liz and I decorated their massive parlor with greenery and ribbons, Oscar came to me and begged for my help with wrapping all of his gifts and even the Fields showed up Christmas Eve and released the girls to run around the house and drive everyone crazy.
Their cook made us a veritable feast, so that by the time the flaming pudding and a number of pies had been brought out, I could only manage a few forkfuls of each before collapsing into a settee. Ezekiel and Oscar quickly joined me, and Ezekiel amused himself by poking me every time I started to doze off. After I swatted his hand for the third time, he laughed. "Annie, no sleeping until we've finished A Christmas Carol, you know that."
"I know." I sighed, leaning back into the settee. "I brought it, it's in my trunk. But I don't think I can manage the stairs."
Oscar snorted, raising a hand to bring a footman over. "That's what a staff is for. Please bring down the book in Mrs. Murdoch's trunk." The footman bowed, and returned swiftly with Father's old book. Oscar lifted it, "I can read, if you like."
Ezekiel reached across me and snatched it from his hands. "I'm afraid you haven't earned the right to read it by yourself yet."
"And you have?" Oscar rolled his eyes, "What, pray tell, gives one those privileges?"
"Well, you have to have been locked in a room with this one," Ezekiel shoved my shoulder, jarring me out of my doze again. "For an entire day, at the least. I think out of all of us, your sister, Ruth, my mother, my father, and myself have those privileges."
"I can understand Liz and her mother, and even your parents, but how in the world have you been locked up with her for a day?"
I groaned, eyeing the eggnog that was being brought around. "Chicken pox, he gave them to me. Our mothers thought it best to keep us in the same room, even though we almost killed each other."
"You said I snored!" Ezekiel snorted, "I had to defend my honor."
"You do snore!" I stood, moving for the eggnog. "Go ahead, read, and I'll have Abe carry me up to bed after I fall asleep halfway through." Ezekiel did his best to be entertaining, although when I sat by Mother and listened, I had to sigh. Ezekiel was a wonderful friend, the closest thing I had to a brother, but he wasn't Will.
He didn't throw a Scottish burr into his voice, or stop reading to tease me about something. Mother must have noticed my focus slipping, for she took my hand a gave it a squeeze. "When he's home, he'll have to read it multiple times to make up for it."
"We'll have to have the Lightollers there for it." I muttered, my eyes heavy. "That was a very merry Christmas with all of them." I must have dozed off, the rum in the eggnog not helping, for when Mother stirred underneath me Scrooge had already begun travelling with the Ghost of Christmas Present.
Ezekiel cast a look my way as he read, "Again the Ghost sped on, above the black and heaving sea—on, on—until, being far away, as he told Scrooge, from any shore, they lighted on a ship. They stood beside the helmsman at the wheel, the look-out in the bow, the officers who had the watch; dark, ghostly figures in their several stations; but every man among them hummed a Christmas tune, or had a Christmas thought, or spoke below his breath to his companion of some bygone Christmas Day, with homeward hopes belonging to it. And every man on board, waking or sleeping, good or bad, had had a kinder word for another on that day than on any day in the year; and had shared to some extent in its festivities; and had remembered those he cared for at a distance, and had known that they delighted to remember him."
At that I couldn't help the tears that sprang to my eyes, bending over to place my face in my hands to hide them. Mother gently rubbed my back, making soothing noises while gesturing for Ezekiel to continue. She leaned over, "Anastasia, you know he's thinking about you. He wouldn't want to see you crying like this."
"I want him here." I sniffled, trying to not sob. "I want him back."
"I know, my dear, I know. But think about how wonderful it will be to see him again."
"When, though?" I shook my head, "When will I see him? Nothing has changed since the war started, not one thing. How many men have died and nothing has changed?"
A handkerchief entered my field of vision, Oscar kneeling in front of me. "It can't last forever, you know."
"Thank you," I took the handkerchief, mopping at my face. "But why does it feel like it will?"
"Because you're here and he's there." Oscar shrugged, "I can't imagine the distance helps." He looked back to Ezekiel, reading on. "But crying about it won't help, so let's listen to the end and then we can all head to bed. After all, Christmas morning is sure to be a fun one."
I tried to follow his advice, and Mother followed me up to bed to ensure that I didn't burst into tears as soon as my head hit my pillow. The tears I had shed seemed to be all the ones that I had, for I simply felt exhausted and slept deeply until the maid woke me the next morning.
Presents were duly exchanged before a roaring fire, and I at least felt a bit better when Mother covered my shoulders in the coat she had bought me, only for me to clasp a silver bracelet studded with topazes around her wrist. Oscar had purchased a new, soft gray scarf for me, and proclaimed himself delighted by the watch I had given him in return.
Liz received a pair of soft white gloves, although I had another present for her later. The only question was when I could give it to her. Christmas at the Vanderbilts was far more involved than what I had expected, and after breakfast we had all trundled down to church for a brief sermon before returning back for an actual party. It was only a small affair, but guests still came and stayed long into the night.
All of us were exhausted, or hungover, the next day and it took me until the afternoon where I felt like I could get out of bed and wander over to Liz's rooms. She was sat in front of a fire, and had clearly been napping until I had knocked, but she still smiled. "Anastasia! I half expected you to still be asleep."
"Part of me wants to be." I yawned, moving closer to the fire, tossing the small package I had brought with me onto a table. "But I need to talk to you."
"About what?"
"The wedding, it's only a few days from now you know."
She giggled, "Oh, don't worry, Oscar has volunteered to walk you down the aisle to your seat." She came over to join me by the fire, "And your mother as well. You know I would have wanted you as a bridesmaid if I had married first, but this way you're still a part of the wedding party."
I shook my head, "That's very kind of you, Liz, but it's not about that. Has your mother told you what to expect on the wedding night?"
She blushed slightly. "Well, I mean, she told me James will know what to do."
"Christ." I pointed to a chair. "Sit down, and don't leave. I need to get something."
Liz arranged herself prettily on the chair, clearly staring after me as I left. Fortunately, the rooms I had been given weren't far from hers, and the maid had left my hatboxes untouched so there was no need to even open the one I selected. I knew what it contained, and set it down next to the wrapped package. Liz stared curiously at it, "Is this related to my wedding night?"
"Yes."
"I could always ask Oscar, I mean, he can at least tell me the basics."
"Liz, I don't have brothers, but I think the last thing they'd like to talk to their sisters about would be that." I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Now, Will has talked to James about it, and I'm to talk to you. So really, what do you know?"
She fidgeted, "Well, I know it takes place in bed, and that I'll be," She turned a bright pink, "That I'll be naked, and so will he."
"Anything else?" I had to keep myself from laughing as she shook her head. It was funny, in a way, and I opened the hatbox as I sat down. "Well, this should help somewhat." I lifted out a copy of the book Morgan had given me before my own wedding, it had barely taken a word to her before she had shown up at my door with it.
Liz took it, flipped it open, read a few words, then turned bright red and threw it back at me. "Anastasia, my God!"
I patiently collected it from the floor, "Alright, so it is a bit extreme, but really Liz, you need to know something beyond getting naked."
"So I should let him hit me on my, my, behind?" She spluttered, rising to pace. "I highly doubt that's involved!"
I shrugged, "Sometimes it is, although Will's only used his hand." I stood, taking her hand and drawing her down to the chairs again. "Liz, it's really a wonderful act, and outside of it some of the things involved can seem ridiculous, but in it they're wonderful." I held up my hand, "Now, will you let me at least lay out the basics?"
She nodded, and I took a deep breath. "You have part of it right, you will be naked, as will James. He should kiss you, and not just on your lips. He may even want to kiss you," I gestured towards my breasts, "Here and you should let him. Touch him, and let him touch you."
She pursed her lips, "But what if I don't know what to do?"
"That's why we're talking." I teased, "Really, after a while of kissing what comes next will seem natural. He'll lay you down and spread your legs." I flushed myself at how direct I was being. "He'll enter you, and it may be painful to start. Make him wait until the pain has faded until he moved again."
Her voice was very small, "Does it always hurt?"
"Only the first time, and if he attends to you before it shouldn't hurt at all." I picked up the book, flipping to a passage where a man brought his lover to climax with his fingers. "See, he should do something like this and it will feel very nice, just with his fingers. And once you're ready, if he's done it right, it shouldn't hurt."
"Did it hurt with Will?"
I looked away, "No, not at all. He was very attentive, and it was a wonderful night." I pressed the book into her hands. "Read this, it's very helpful. Some of the acts may seem a bit much, and perhaps after you've been married for some time you might like to try them, but the basic act is described plenty."
She curled her fingers around it, her eyes flicking to the table. "And that?"
"Ah, something you shouldn't let your mother see." I teased, handing it over. "Along with that book, she'll kick me out for corrupting you if she sees either."
She quickly had the packing string untied, revealing a scanty pink silk nightgown. It was a lovely blush, with ivory lace that teasingly hid the parts James would most like to see, and I wistfully thought of my blue silk nightgown that I hadn't worn in months. I gave her a smile, "James will love you even more if he sees you in that."
Liz immediately shoved it back into its packaging. "I can't wear that!"
"Oh, you can. You just have to get used to it."
Liz was still reluctant to ask me any further questions, although I at least got her to promise to read the book. Over the next few days she managed to find me for a brief moment, whisper something she had read to me, and then ask me if I had ever done it. I thought she looked a bit calmer when I explained that I had done quite a few acts in the book, and was none the worse for it.
Midnight came, and with it a new year. 1915, and I had to celebrate it without a kiss for good luck. James and Liz had each other, as did Richard and Moira, but Oscar, Mother and I had to make do with a simple champagne toast.
The next day was a flurry of activity, for the servants at least. Moira was exacting in her standards for the wedding reception, and tried to enlist Mother to help her. Mother lasted all of an hour before bursting into my rooms to complain, "Honestly Anastasia, she is sitting there folding napkins herself because she wants them so exact!"
I rolled my eyes, still tired from the night before. "Thank God you weren't this bad for my wedding."
"Oh Mr. Rigby was," Mother sat in a huff. "I can't count how many times he changed the look of the flowers by a few inches."
"Well, everything turned out fine then, I'm sure Moira will sit there and fold napkins until she finds something else to obsess over." I sighed, setting my book aside. "I'm looking forward to the reception."
"It should be rather fun."
"And then back home, and the company. Has Mr. Keller spoken to you about the new Navy contracts?"
She cocked her head, "Briefly, something about the Brooklyn Navy Yard needing additional shipments soon."
"He said they're refitting quite a few ships." I shifted upright from where I had been sprawled on a settee. "I'm thinking it may be worth it to take a trip across the river and speak to the commandant about exactly what they need and when they need it."
"That would be Rear Admiral Usher." Mother pursed her lips. "I'm sure he'd be glad to meet with you, although don't let him talk you into a discount."
"But what if they increase their orders? Surely a small discount isn't too much to tempt them."
"Honestly, you'd let any navy officer get a discount."
"Will doesn't get a discount."
"William gets a salary, and he doesn't even have to pay for anything." She chuckled, "The other sailors would faint if they saw his bank account."
"They would." I mused, smiling briefly. "I'll write up a wire for Admiral Usher and have it sent, the sooner I can meet with him the better."
Everyone dressed rather conservatively for the wedding itself, and I quite liked the high-necked silver gown I wore, with its lace collar and flashing beading. Of course, I had something set aside for the reception I would change into, but everyone had to at least be somewhat respectful in church.
The procession down the aisle was a bit awkward, given that the groom's family wasn't attending, but Moira was exacting in her timing to minimize the gaps. I leaned over to Oscar as he escorted Mother and I, "Did your mother really call in extra cousins to fill out spots?"
"Of course she did." He muttered out of the side of his mouth, "From father's side, of course, but if they couldn't make it she would have hauled in people off the street, I have no doubt about that."
Mother gave a slight titter at that, and I used the excuse of reaching our pew to cast an eye over the décor. It was definitely in Liz's taste, in that it featured quite modern arrangements of pure pink roses and alabaster ribbon. Even James, doing his best not to fidget at the altar in his tailored morning suit, looked rather modern with his pomaded hair and new cufflinks. Turning over my shoulder to examine the rest of the guests, I caught a glimpse of Sophie looking well turned out in a light blue gown.
I gave her a small wave, which she returned despite Zachary's glower. I wrinkled my nose at him, rolling my eyes as I turned back around to whisper to Oscar. "Did your father really have to invite Zachary?"
"Well, we couldn't exactly write invitations that said 'Mrs. Reichster only'." He snorted, "You know they would run right to the papers with that."
I was about to retort that his father should stop focusing on the papers when the organist thundered her way into the bridal march, and I stood with the rest of the guests. Liz was a beautiful bride, with her draped chiffon skirts and trailing veil, and I cast a glance to James and saw him have finally stop fidgeting, too stunned to do anything but stare.
I remembered the look on Will's face as I sat down and the priest began. I had half expected Lights to have to push his jaw back up, and I wondered how many in our audience had noticed how dark his eyes had gotten as he had gazed at me. It had been a wonderful feeling to be regarded in such a way, and I was glad that typically everyone cried at weddings for I could feel a tear leaking out.
I dabbed it away, instead focusing on the ceremony as James and Liz swore their eternal love for each other. It was easier that way, to throw rice and celebrate as they exited the church and chatter with Oscar about the reception on the ride back. Mother joined me in my rooms to change, patting my hand after I had emerged in my navy gown, draped in silver chiffon. "Are you alright? You were rather emotional during the ceremony."
I glanced away, "Yes, yes. It was just very beautiful."
"As was your wedding." She gently pulled on my chin so I looked at her, "Will you be alright on your own after this? I can stay for a few days, if you need me to."
I blinked, hoping that there weren't any tears in my eyes. "I think I'll be alright, I can focus on the Navy Yard contracts. Getting out of the house should do me some good." I smiled, although I wasn't smiling about the contracts. I was smiling because I was going to ferret out Sophie's lover and distract myself by planning their next meeting.
Mother didn't try and pry further, although I was conscious of her keeping a close eye on me as we entered the ballroom and took in the view. Some guests had rushed home to change, while others had remained in their church clothes, but everyone was quite clearly milling around waiting for the guests of honor to arrive.
Polite applause broke out as James and Liz entered, trailed by Liz's parents and a flood of footmen who began to circulate with trays of champagne. Oscar brought two for Mother and I, keeping one for himself. He sipped it while he looked at Liz, "She looks happy."
"She is." I shrugged, enjoying the champagne. "Aren't you?"
He offered me his arm, and Mother his other as we began to move through the guests. "I am, although it will be odd to not have her at home."
Mother snorted, "She's only a few blocks away, and if you need someone to commiserate with, I have much experience with an empty home."
I glared at her across him, "Your home is hardly empty, I swear Morgan spends more time there than in her own home!"
"With her boys, it's no wonder." Oscar snorted, although he looked over quickly. "Ah, the dinner is starting. Ladies?"
It appeared that we were to be his partners for the dinner, and he spoke softly throughout the courses as he kept us up on all the gossip. Dalliances, engagements, lovers and hushed weddings, there was nothing that Oscar didn't seem to know. It certainly made me view some of the other guests in a new light, although I did notice that he didn't speak of Sophie.
Toasts were made, including a begrudging one from Oscar about how James was going to be a good husband, and then the happy couple opened the dancing. Oscar was quite clearly not trying to glare at James as he whirled his sister around, and after other guests began to trickle onto the dance floor, I gently poked him in the ribs. "Are you going to stab your brother-in-law or ask me to dance?"
He straightened, then gave me a bow. "Of course, my apologies. Shall we?"
As ever, Oscar was a perfect dancer even if he did cast the occasional look at James. He really was taking his role as the overprotective older brother too far. I gave his hand a squeeze, "I thought you liked James."
"I do," He looked back to me, his brown eyes bright. "But I just worry about her when I'm not around her."
"I know the feeling." I looked away, "So I think we are in need of some distraction."
"And what did you have in mind?"
"Well, we could always discuss the foibles of marriage. Do you know what I had to explain to your sister a few days ago?"
"What?"
"How to bed her husband."
Oscar stumbled, his face growing red. "Anastasia, Jesus Christ. I mean," He stammered for a second, "I mean I know you know about it, but really, did you have to say that?"
"I wanted to distract you."
"And now you've made me think about that!" Oscar stopped with the music, dropping my hands. "And now I need a drink."
I was about to go after him when a flurry of white chiffon attacked me. "Oh, Anastasia, isn't it so wonderful!"
I caught Liz's hands, twirling her around. "It was a lovely ceremony, Mrs. Moody."
"I have no idea if I will ever get used to that."
"You will, in time." I smiled, "How is James handling it?"
She looked over her shoulder at her husband, speaking to a guest. "I think we're both a bit overwhelmed, to be honest. We're heading off to the new house in a minute."
"I will require a tour, you know." I leaned in, hugging her and whispering into her ear. "Don't forget what I told you."
"I won't." She stepped back, her face flushed. "Thank you for that, by the way."
"Are you scared?"
"A little, more nervous than anything." Her chestnut curls bobbed, her blue eyes dancing. "I need to go collect James."
"And I need to go apologize to your brother." I chuckled, and Liz snorted.
"He'll forgive you for anything, you know that."
"Still," I shrugged, watching as she made her way back to James. The guests applauded the couple as they left, Moira wiping her eyes and Richard looking grimly proud. But the party wasn't over, and I collected a couple glasses of whiskey before making my way over to a glowering Vanderbilt. "Oscar, you can't sit there and act like a frump all night." She sat down and handed him his drink, "Not when I have such delicious gossip, although you cannot spread it around."
He sipped the whiskey, "You can't tempt me with that."
"And if I said I was sorry for earlier?"
"Well," He let out a great sigh, "I suppose you could." He leaned forward, a slight smile on his face. "Now, what gossip can't get spread?"
I smirked, "One that could harm a good friend of ours."
"Then why do you want to tell me?"
"Because she's so happy and she may need our assistance in order to stay happy."
"She? Well, you've got me now."
"Promise?"
"Yes, yes. I won't tell. Now, who is it?"
"I'm sure you saw something about Sophie taking a trip down to Florida for her health?"
Liz did her best not to fidget as the car made its way to their new house. It was a new car, yet another gift from Father, and James had mentioned how he was itching to get his hands on the wheel. But now his hand was clasped around hers, his thumb rubbing across the back of her left hand, reaching down to touch her wedding ring every now and then.
Every time he did it almost made her jump.
She was far too nervous, and even though Anastasia had told her that there was nothing to be nervous about, she couldn't help it. Her maids giggled as they helped her undress, and after they left she slipped on the chemise Anastasia had given her. It was only a few shades darker than her skin, a perfect light rose and dripping in ivory lace.
When she stepped into her new bedroom, muted gold silk on the walls and dark wood furniture, she couldn't even bring herself to look James in the eye. Instead, she focused on what she could see, namely his shoes. They were new, freshly polished and still tied. It took James gently lifting her chin for her to look at him. The way he was so focused on her made her want to squirm, her mouth dry as she spoke. "I, I can go change, if you like."
"No," He rubbed his thumb across her chin. "No, I like what you're wearing, very much in fact."
"You don't think I'm indecent?"
"I think you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. Liz twined her fingers around the back of his head, hoping that he couldn't tell how nervous she was. She'd always been the one to pull him into the next thing, he had been content with kisses when Anastasia had lent them a room, she had been the one to unbutton her shirtwaist and offer herself to his touch. But now, feeling his hands on the skin of her back gave her goose pimples and she tried to stop herself from shivering.
James noticed, pulling away. "Are you cold? I could build up the fire."
"Yes," She lied, pasting on a smile. "Just a tad chilly, thank you."
James shed his jacket and waistcoat to tend to the fire, he even took off his cuffs and rolled his shirtsleeves up. Liz rubbed her arms, glad for the warmth that was shortly suffusing the room. She almost jumped though, when James came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. It took her a second to compose herself, leaning back into him. "It's much better."
"Indeed." James pulled her even closer to him. "Almost as warm as I've been told to expect on our honeymoon, everyone seems to say California is a paradise in winter."
Liz focused on the warmth of him, the way his hand had moved to brush over her shoulder. "I've never been, I'm excited for it."
"It will be a far sight from an English winter." He pressed a kiss to her cheek, "Although you're a veritable English rose, you know." He sighed, "My wife, my beautiful wife."
His hands slipped down her shoulders, down to her waist. "My husband." Those hands moved slowly up and down, and Liz slowly stopped jumping when they got close to her breasts. They were gentle, and soft, and she let her head loll back against her husband's shoulder when he began kissing at the side of her neck.
Anastasia was right, it did feel nice. Even when he reached the skirt of the chemise and pulled it up, his hands finding her thighs, it felt nice. She turned her head to his, capturing his lips and tongue as she did so. Now, this she was familiar with, the movement of his tongue against hers, the way he turned her so that they were pressed together. It was pleasant, it was enjoyable, and then he lifted her up and set her down on the bed.
Suddenly her chemise was pulled up around her waist, and James hands were moving up her thighs. He gently pressed his hands to them, stroking up and down. Part of her wanted to close them, and part of her thought that closing her legs would be torture. Everything that she had read in that book from Anastasia came rushing back to her, the way a man could use a woman.
His hands stopped, "Liz, look at me."
She realized she had closed her eyes, and she opened them. "James?"
"I won't hurt you." He moved back, "And if I do, tell me and I'll stop. We don't have to do this tonight."
Liz took a minute to find her voice, "I want to."
"You weren't even looking at me." He chuckled, "Liz, it's alright. We have an entire honeymoon before us, we can get there slowly."
She pressed her hands against his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin. "I want to do it tonight."
"Then you need to relax." James pressed a kiss to her lips, "And remember, all it takes for me to stop is a word."
"Can you take this off?" Liz shifted under his hands, plucking at her chemise. "I think I might relax if I'm out of it." It seemed silly to feel relieved when she was naked, but it felt right. The skimpy chemise felt wrong, but feeling James's hands on her breasts felt nice.
He was rolling them in his hand, squeezing and teasing and Liz let out a gasp when he delicately pinched her nipple. He stopped immediately though, "I'm sorry."
"It felt nice." Liz stroked his cheek, "Please don't stop."
"Alright," He resumed his attention, and Liz laid back and reveled in his touch. She was slowly growing warmer, and when he lowered his lips to her nipple she gave a hum of approval. Suddenly it all felt right, him pausing to remove his shirt and trousers before returning to touch her. One hand strayed from her breast though, down to between her legs, and Liz opened her eyes at the touch.
It didn't hurt, but it was strange. He seemed to be searching for something, and being extremely gentle as he did it. But then he touched a certain part of her, gently rubbing and circling it and she gasped at the touch. He kissed her when she did, moving his finger faster. Liz could feel herself getting even warmer, and he switched to rubbing her with his thumb while his finger moved to her entrance.
He tried to move slowly, and Liz appreciated that, but then his finger was inside and stroking her and she squirmed. Again, it didn't hurt but it felt odd and made her want to pull away. But his lips were on hers, one hand on her breast, and she let her hand wander over him. After all, if he could touch her, she could touch him.
James was firm underneath her touch, although he jumped slightly when she ran her hands over his back. He pulled away briefly, "Sorry, I'm a little ticklish. Is everything alright?"
"Yes." Liz glanced down, looking at him. He hadn't been pressed to her, but she could see his manhood rearing up and swollen. She tried to keep her surprise off her face, for how could something so big fit inside her? She glanced back up. "Are you, are you ready?"
"Yes," He flushed slightly, "Are you? I don't-"
"Yes." Liz nodded, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I want you." It took a bit of positioning, her legs spread wider than she had ever thought they could go and him holding himself over her. He moved slowly into her, and Liz forced herself to breathe as he entered her. It didn't hurt, at least not in the searing, ripping way she had been dreading. Instead it felt like she was being stretched, almost to her limit, and then James was kissing her again, his breath ragged.
He was moving, gently, and she was unsure of what she should do. Would he slip out of her if she shifted? Perhaps it would be best to lie still. But then he was grabbing at her, encouraging her to move with him. She thought he might think her silly when she started panting, but he was moaning and panting with her. A fire was slowly growing in her, that warmth building up even more than before. James was moving faster now, he had pulled away and his face was strained as he thrust into her again and again.
And then he stopped, groaning and gasping.
He remained a moment, before rolling off of her and laying his head down on the pillow. He looked over, his blue eyes bright and his cheeks flushed. "I love you Liz, I love you so much."
Liz laid there, trying to get her breath back. "I love you, James."
"Did you finish?" James rolled onto his side, reaching over to touch her. "I tried."
She blinked, "I, I don't think so."
"I'm sorry." He glanced down, clearly ashamed. "I wanted you to, and I wanted to last longer, but you-"
"James," She brought her hand up to his cheek, "I think I was too nervous. But it was nice."
"I want it to be more than nice."
"And we have an entire honeymoon to work on it." She chuckled, realizing how bizarre it sounded to be discussing improving their lovemaking.
James chuckled too, "That we do. I think tonight was a good first effort, though."
"I think so too, and James?"
"Yes?"
"I don't think I'll be nervous later tonight."