Page 68 of The Dragon Laird’s Obsession

Ailis carried herself to Lileas chamber slowly after her walk around the keep. She had still not seen Gordon today, and even though she noticed there were more guards than usual around the castle, he was never around.

The familiar ache his absence left in her settled deep once more. She wondered if she would ever get rid of the feeling as she pushed the door open quietly.

“Lileas?”

There was no answer. Only the steady rise and fall of sleeping breaths.

Ailis stepped inside. “Oh…”

Her smile softened immediately. Lileas had disappeared almost entirely beneath a mountain of embroidered sheep blankets. One tiny hand rested around Brochan, who appeared to have accepted that becoming a pillow was now part of his daily duties.

The hedgehog’s little nose twitched once.

Ailis laughed beneath her breath. “Ye poor soul,” she muttered.

She bent carefully, tucking another blanket around the sleeping child.

“There now.”

Lileas sighed happily without waking.

Ailis brushed one dark curl from her forehead. “Sweet dreams, wee one.”

She straightened then turned; the firelight caught her eye from the open door of the adjoining chamber.

Gordon’s chamber door lay open, and there was a fire burning from the hearth tonight… a fire that was never lit.

Gordon sat before the hearth. His back rested against the chair, one ankle crossed over the other. His sleeves were rolled carelessly to his forearms, revealing strong, weathered arms, while a small block of wood rested in one broad hand.

His knife moved with patient precision as he scraped the edge. Tiny curls of wood littered the floor beside his boots, and he did not notice her at first.

Or maybe he did, but he didnae wish to acknowledge me.

Either way, Ailis found herself drawn to him and lingered in the doorway to watch him in silence.

He seemed peaceful and less burdened as he sat there, and she couldn’t help but walk closer to him, wanting to be near him… and craving that closeness she knew she shouldn’t.

Ailis reached the doorway before he finally looked up, and when their eyes met, a low, raspy gasp escaped her lips.

Heat flooded her insides and spread through her in a flush that climbed to her cheeks. She remembered to breathe as she took another step close, and this time, she entered the chamber fully.

“What are ye makin’?”

Ailis did not expect him to answer her.

But he held her gaze for a longer moment before he finally shook his head. “I daenae ken what it will be yet,” he answered.

Ailis shocked herself by walking even closer into the chamber to sit on the ground next to him, and he continued carving for a long moment without saying a word.

The silence stretched on for a longer moment as she thought of what to say to him then her gaze wandered to the chest.

The fire crackled softly between them as she watched him. “May I ask ye somethin’?”

Gordon did not immediately look up from the little sheep taking shape beneath his knife. “Ye generally do.”

A smile tugged at her lips. “The paintings in the chest.”

His hand stopped carving, and the chamber grew quieter as he looked at her.