AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ye have been flattering me constantly,” Astrid remarked, wondering if she could really let her guard down and consider the man harmless.
“Anything to win yer heart.” He winked playfully at her, making her even more flustered.
Astrid felt awkward. She was never flirted with during ceilidhs, that was her sister. She would usually stand on the sidelines or dance with her sister. Men generally talked to her for all of two seconds before she said something awkward or tried to joke, and they left.
“Are ye about to ask me to marry ye now?” Astrid joked, wincing internally at her words.
What would this handsome man think when she talked about marriage two minutes into the conversation? She didn’t mean it that way, obviously. Astrid did not want to marry.
“If I do, will ye say yes?” His eyes held a mischievous glint, and his mouth turned up to a half-smirk that melted her insides. For some reason, he was the only person who understood her joke for what it was: a joke.
“I am sure nae one can say nae to ye either. Right, Flynn?” Astrid questioned, uttering his name softly. He sucked in a sharp breath as he heard those words from her mouth.
“Many times, I’ve been told nay. Ye can just say the word, and I’ll be gone, and nae bother ye again.” His deepening voice simply accelerated Astrid’s heartbeat. He was doing this on purpose.
“I dinnae want ye to leave,” she said, blushing deeply.
Flynn’s smile widened. “Will ye go outside into the castle courtyard with me for a walk?”
Astrid smiled at the request and knew she should deny this. She was a lady, the daughter of a very high-esteemed laird, and she had to keep up certain appearances. But she was tired of living under her father’s constant watchful eyes and his restrictions. She wanted to live a little. Also, the noise inside the hall was loud enough to give her a headache, and she certainly needed a break. She knew these were just excuses she said to herself to reason between her mind and her heart, but she ventured to simply ignore everything else and go with what she truly wanted.
She nodded her head as Flynn took her hand in his, marching towards the open doors. As they stepped outside in the cold, night air, Astrid breathed a little easier. She had failed to realize how positively humid it was inside the hall. The cold air on her sweat-dampened skin felt refreshing, and she sighed happily.
“Feelin’ better already?” Flynn asked, noticing the smile on her face.
“I had been inside too long,” she answered honestly as he nodded. His face was slightly obscured in the lack of light outside, but the moonlight was still ample enough to allow her to marvel at how handsome he was.
* * *
Flynn knew they were still within earshot of several people roaming around the courtyard and hence decided to walk in silence until they finally rounded the corner that led them into the castle gardens. It was not the first time he had seen a beautiful woman at a feast and had brought her outside with him.
Although, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he could sense something about her was different. There was a primal urge inside him to get to her, touch her lips with his own. He had never felt such a need to get close to a woman before. Hence, this had him even more intrigued.
The only thing that puzzled him was why he had never seen her before. He knew that if he had ever seen her at a ceilidh before today, he would have recognized her. No man would ever forget a face as beautiful as hers.
“How come yer silent now?” he asked as soon as he was certain that they had left most people behind and were largely alone in the gardens.
“Well, dinnae tell me that ye were nae also waiting until we were completely alone to speak.” Astrid rolled her eyes playfully, and his eyes widened.
People did not usually roll their eyes at him. Being a laird comes with certain perks, and one of those was that he commanded respect everywhere he went. But this tiny woman in front of him seemed to completely disregard his authority.
He liked that.
“It is evident now that yer more intelligent than most,” Flynn commented, a smile on his face.
“Were ye doubting me intelligence earlier?” she questioned laughingly. She skipped ahead and walked a little further as he followed after her.
“Nay, but how could I judge yer intelligence if I hadn’t talked to ye? I could only judge yer appearance, and yer the bonniest. I think I have never seen a more beautiful woman,” he casually said, once again closing the distance between them, making sure only a few inches were left.
She smelled of lilies, and the scent was slightly intoxicating for him. He noticed her color rise at his compliment, and her shy nature attracted him even more. It felt as if she did not even know how truly beautiful she was.
“Ye sound like a man in love.” She raised an eyebrow, overcoming the shyness that had overtaken her a few seconds ago.
“Nay yet, darling. Maybe I will be in love with ye when I ken what ye taste like,” he replied, his voice growing huskier with desire. He couldn’t understand why her proximity was having such an effect on him, but he knew he was attracted to her.
“So, what are ye waiting for?” Astrid asked, a sharp breath escaping from her lips as Flynn closed the distance between them after placing her back against the garden wall.
“This means ye do want me to taste ye. Is that right, Astrid?” he questioned yet again, his hands snaking their way in her hair and around her waist.
