he has found the one woman who can fulfill him."
She kissed Tressa on the cheek, her full lips soft. "You will serve him well, Tressa of the Drowned Country."
Tressa held her hands at her side, her fingers curled into fists. "May I have a few moments to myself before the ceremony?"
The woman nodded and took her leave. It was only then Tressa realized she hadn't asked the woman her name. She shook her head and sank into a nearby settee. Her hair fell around her face, tickling her cheeks. She still wasn't used to the extensions they'd woven into her hair.
"What have I gotten myself into?" Tressa asked out loud. All this to protect the lives of people she couldn't wait to be away from mere months ago.
Everything had spiraled out of control. Her feelings for Bastian were still there, but slowly Jarrett was creeping in on them. She cared for him, and she hoped it wouldn't turn into anything more than strong feelings of friendship. A slight attraction and nothing more.
A knock interrupted her thoughts. "Come in," Tressa said. She crossed her arms across her chest.
Jarrett stepped in and quickly closed the door behind him. He avoided looking at her. Instead his eyes settled above her shoulders. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but I had to come."
"That's nice of you to check in on me." She felt exposed and wished she had a cloak to wrap around her body. All of her other promised garments were in Jarrett's quarters, waiting for her after the wedding.
Jarrett smiled. "Did Karina tell you what happens before the wedding?"
Tressa shook her head. "Just that I needed to get dressed." She laughed. "If you call this getting dressed. I feel a tad overexposed."
"That type of gown is traditional. I know things are bit more conservative in the Drowned Country than they are here." Jarrett sat down on the settee, still managing to avoid looking at Tressa.
She sat down next to him, her legs crossed and her arms still folded over her chest. "And in Hutton's Bridge, even more so. When your village relies on sex for procreation and not love, then sex becomes a chore."
"It's not like that here. Not at all." Jarrett's voice washed over her like a warm rain.
He had far more experience than she did. Other than her last time with Bastian, she hadn't known what it was like to be with a man for the sake of lust.
Jarrett rested a hand on her knee. Tingles traveled up to Tressa's chest.
"In the Sands, a man and a woman make love just before their marriage ceremony. That's why I'm here."
Tressa turned to look at Jarrett. His eyes were still trained on the window across the room. She wanted to answer him but wasn't sure how. She'd promised to go through with the ceremony in hopes of gaining the queen's help and favor. She'd made it clear to Jarrett that she couldn't promise anything more than friendship. Why did he continue to torture her so?
Her heart beat erratically. A throbbing between her legs screamed at her. Tressa pushed it all aside.
"If I didn't come to you before the ceremony, there would be talk. Jacinda would demand more answers. We must keep up the ruse," he said.
Tressa closed her eyes. All she could see was Jarrett naked near the pond back in the Drowned Country. She forced her eyes opened and stared at the wall.
"We'll sit here and wait until it's time to leave for the ceremony." Jarrett's hand tightened on her knee, the pressure gentle, but insistent. "But before we go out, I would like to kiss you one more time. But only if you want me to." He focused his eyes on hers.
"That would be a good idea," Tressa heard herself say without thinking it through first. "If they're expecting us to make love before coming out, we should at least look like we've done something. Flushed cheeks. Swollen lips. It wouldn't be convincing without them."
Jarrett leaned in slowly until Tressa could feel his breath on her face. "Are you sure?"
Tressa laced her fingers in his hair, pulling his face to hers. She held back at first, but the chaste kiss quickly gave way to opened lips and exploring tongues. Jarrett's hand crept up her leg, coming to rest at her hip, his thumb in the curve where her abdomen met her leg. Tressa leaned in closer, her chest pressing against Jarrett's shirt.
Jarrett's other hand rested just under her breast.