Page 114 of The Dragon Laird’s Obsession

She walked away before he could answer, and Gordon finally mustered the strength to walk away.

Her words followed him into his study, and even after hours had passed, they still echoed in his head.

His maps lay open before him, alongside his accounts ledger, but he saw none of them.

All he could see was Ailis.

Ailis laughing, painting, and kneeling beside Lileas.

When he could not take the torment anymore, he got up and walked to the inner chamber of his study.

He unlocked a chest tucked beneath an old table, and inside were his paints and brushes.

Gordon stared at the remnants of a life his uncle had once called useless, and his fingers itched with longing as he picked up the brush he had not held in years.

I have forgotten what it is like to paint.

But for the first time, he wanted to remember the feeling.

He wanted to remember the warmth he had forgotten until Ailis began filling his life with color.

He carried the supplies to the table and sat, then got up again, left his chamber and ordered the first guard he saw to fetch him fresh painting supplies.

At first, he did not know what to paint, but the brush moved slowly, and he began by outlining strokes and lines. Soon, there was only one image in his head as he painted.

Blue eyes and hair the lightest shade of brown.

Hours passed as he sat there, pouring out everything in his heart, and by the time dawn approached, his head ached and his eyes burned.

Gordon stared at the finished work with a swell of pride in his heart.

He had spent the entire night painting her. A small smile tucked on the corner of his lips as he wandered out of his study into the garden silvered with morning dew.

He gathered the freshest flowers he could find, choosing carefully until he had a small bundle in his hand before heading back into the keep.

His heart beat harder with every step as he approached Ailis’ chamber, and he thought of what he would say to her.

He reached, and his hand hovered near the door when he heard a small, broken sob from inside.

Gordon froze, his chest cracked open at the sound of her crying.

Is she cryin’ because of me?

His fingers tightened around the flowers. Each sob seemed to strike somewhere beneath his ribs

“What am I even doin’?” he whispered, looking down at the flowers in his hand.

He thought of Marion’s words and wanted to tell Ailis everything he felt. He thought of a life with her, one where she would remain in his keep, at his side, and brighten his life as she had since the moment she arrived.

Then he heard another sob, and his heart sank even lower.

It doesnae seem like she is happy here.

They had not even wed yet, and he already made her cry.

Gordon slowly lowered the flowers he held to the foot of her door then he took a step back. A sour taste coated his tongue as he realized his decision to keep her at arm’s length was for the best.

Ailis would have a much happier life if he did not interfere in it.