He walked briskly as he tried to remember which way the chocolate house was. A man on a mission.
“Slow down!” Thalia called after him.
He turned as she jogged up behind him.
“Are ye always in such a hurry? Or are ye just impatient to get rid of me?” she asked, with a smirk that told him she wasn’t serious about the second question.
“Sorry, lass,” he rumbled. “I was only thinkin’ of gettin’ the sweets for Daisy.”
And gettin’ back to the safety of me castle so I daenae have to see ye look at me like that again.
“Well, we arenae in that much of a hurry, are we?” she asked, looping her arm through his. “I havenae had much opportunity to get out of the castle, and now that ye’re with me, I ken I’m nice and protected.”
His chest swelled with pride at her compliment.
Spending a little more time shopping could not be so bad. He could resist her charms enough for one day. Besides, he found he was enjoying being out in this beautiful weather.
“Aye, ye’re right. Ye are safe with me,” he agreed.
She smiled, and they walked at a much slower pace down the street. Thalia pointed out a shop that he was familiar with.
“I saw those dolls, and I thought Daisy might like to have one of them,” she admitted.
“Aye, I’ve purchased all of her dolls from there. I suppose I could spoil her with another one,” he relented.
Thalia’s excitement was intoxicating. She spent several minutes looking at each doll until she was satisfied with her choice. She had settled on one with fair hair and a pretty painted face. The doll was dressed in a plaid skirt and a dark blue bodice. Finlay paid for it and then followed her out of the store to continue their shopping.
Now that there was some distance between her and the attempted kidnapping, Thalia brightened as she wandered past each shop. The villagers were also much more friendly and inclined to talk to her now that they thought she was to be their Lady. Finlay couldn’t take his eyes off her.
As they entered the chocolate house, they were greeted with a warm, sweet aroma. Thalia breathed in deeply, closing her eyes as she savored the scent. Finlay placed his hand on her lower back as he led her to the front of the store.
“Good afternoon, me Laird, me Lady,” a young man greeted them. He had a head full of bright, curly red hair and a face covered with freckles.
Thalia glanced up at Finlay. “How many do ye usually get?”
“I typically get the small box,” he replied.
She pursed her lips in thought. “What if we get two of those, since they seem to go so fast?”
“I suspect they will go just as fast nay matter how many I buy,” he drawled.
She smirked. “Really, Laird MacAinsley. Ye should learn to practice more self-restraint.”
If only ye ken how much self-restraint I have…
He pressed his hand harder into her lower back, and she must have seen something on his face because she flushed and hastily turned her attention back to the young man. He suppressed a laugh.
Today truly was turning out better than he had expected. He was enjoying spending time with her, and it was almost enough to make him wonder why he needed to stay away from her in the first place.
They exited the shop with two boxes of chocolates safely tucked into Thalia’s satchel, along with the doll for Daisy.
“Was there anythin’ else ye need or wanted to buy?” Finlay asked.
“I daenae think so,” she said, but she seemed distracted.
Her attention was drawn to something behind him, and she looked like she was working something out when he heard a voice he had not heard in quite some time.
“Me Laird,” the sultry voice greeted.
