Waterlocked: An Elemental World Novella Read Online Free PDF Page A

cleared her throat. “Deeply. But I don’t love Terry, so that’s a relief.”
    “Gem—”
    “Young.” She turned and placed a hand on his cheek. “You are so young. Do you know how old I am, Daniel?”
    “No. Younger than Ioan was.”
    “And older than Deirdre. We’ll leave it at that. I do not fear solitude or the shifting tides of power. I take care of myself and those I am responsible for. My family, most of all. Marrying Terry is a good decision for me and our family.”
    “You should not marry for that reason.” Poor Daniel looked as if he had tears in his eyes.
    Gemma tried to comfort him. “I thought once there was someone I could love again, but he was not for me. I tried, Daniel. Terrance Ramsay is a wise choice.”
    “Wise?” he scoffed. “What of love? Passion? Romance? A mate to spend eternity—”
    “Marriage and mating are two very different things. You should know that by now.”
    As often and as intense as their lovemaking was, Gemma had never offered her blood to Terry and he had never offered his to her. To offer and accept would bind them far more permanently than any trifling legal terms the humans set.
    He sighed. “I just want you to be happy.”
    “And I am.” She smiled. “I’m very pleased with Terry, even though he’s irritating me at the moment. And if, in a hundred years I feel differently, then we’ll go our separate ways. That’s the benefit of marrying someone for practical reasons, Daniel.”
    “Isn’t marriage supposed to be for the rest of your life?”
    Gemma almost snorted. “We’re not marrying in the church. This is a civil arrangement, that’s all.” Still, the thought of speaking vows—even civil ones—caused her stomach to clench. Then she pictured Terry saying them back and took a longer drink, ignoring the rush of blood that suddenly churned her veins.

    She straightened the lace along the collar, stubbornly refusing to look into her reflection in the full-length mirror behind her.
    “You look stunning, Gemma.” Deirdre stood behind her, smiling wistfully. “I’m happy for you.”
    “Don’t, Deirdre. It’s not the same.”
    “You care for him, I can tell.”
    “Of course I do. He’s an excellent companion. Trustworthy. Smart—”
    “Yes, trustworthy and smart were exactly what your eyes were saying last night at dinner. You looked like you wanted to tear him to pieces or have him on the Chippendale buffet. I couldn’t decide which.”
    “Neither could I.” Did she say that out loud? She was distracted. She usually indulged in Terry’s very ardent attentions every other night or so, but since he’d wrangled the marriage promise out of her as he had, she’d been avoiding him. Idiotic, infuriating, stubborn, attractive, mouth-watering… why was she mad at him?
    Gemma caught a glimpse of cream satin in the mirror. Wedding. Right.
    Deirdre and Wilhelmina fussed with her simple dress. She hadn’t wanted a veil or bustle. She’d lived when both were necessities of society and she found the fashions irritating and borderline insulting. No one would walk her down the aisle. In fact, she and Terry were walking in together. Equals in every way. Partners.
    It was a marriage of practicality. An alliance of shared interests. Nothing more. She had no reason to feel nerves.
    His mouth at her breast, worshiping her body as she writhed in pleasure.
    She batted back the stylist who was hovering over her hair.
    His arms braced over her, moving in that hard, steady rhythm.
    At the last minute, she decided she didn’t want to carry a bouquet. She left it dangling in Deirdre’s hands.
    His eyes as they focused on her, darkening as the tension built. Closer. Closer…
    Rising, Gemma went to the door and opened it. At the end of the hall, she saw him. Dashing and deadly at the same time, Terry was clad in a elegantly tailored jacket that encased his muscular frame, but did not hide it. He locked eyes on her with the focus of a predator. She would have