Page 66 of The Dragon Laird’s Obsession

Blessed, welcome silence.

He shut the door behind him and let out a long breath.

At last.

Without bothering to light a fire, Gordon crossed to the bed. He sat heavily upon its edge, bent forward, and tugged one boot free before doing the same with the other.

His shoulders rolled, and his neck cracked. He stretched his arms once before allowing himself to fall backward onto the mattress.

The ropes beneath it groaned softly then he closed his eyes just for a moment. But something did not feel right, and he sensed it immediately.

His chamber felt colder than it had in recent days.

His gaze traveled in the dark to the windows and across the walls then he realized the difference.

The colorful tapestries that had once hung beside the hearth… The embroidered blankets, the cushions stitched with absurdly cheerful sheep… Even the little cloth draped across the chest had vanished.

It was all gone.

A pang settled in his chest as he rose to his feet, confusion ridiculing him as he turned around.

“What in the heavens…” He rubbed a hand over his jaw as the words trailed off.

The chamber should have pleased him now. It was exactly as it had been before Ailis arrived. Exactly as he preferred it.

So why… why does it suddenly feel so cold?

Gordon rubbed a hand over his face. “It doesnae.”

He did not like the sheep. They had stared at him every morning like woolly little judges, and he could not understand why she liked them.

One of them had even seemed lopsided.

He was almost certain of it. And yet…

The chamber seemed strangely lifeless without them.

His eyes drifted toward the empty wall where the largest tapestry had hung. He could still picture the blue sky and the rolling green hills. Three absurdly content sheep grazing beneath embroidered clouds.

His mouth twitched despite himself.

“Nay.”

Absolutely nay.

He refused to miss sheep… especially embroidered sheep.

That would be madness.

The woman had invaded his chambers.

Twice.

Without permission.

She had filled his chamber with flowers, wool, and impossible colors. Then she had taken everything away again without so much as asking whether he minded.

His jaw tightened again.