A Love to Discover (Loving in the Highlands 2)

He frowns. 'I would be so happy if you lived in a place that you could call home,' he says suddenly. I blush, but I have no idea what to reply. I simply nod. There is a long silence. I suddenly realize that even the long silences between us are not awkward or boring. They can be pleasant, calm, satisfying. I feel so good with this man, I cannot believe it.

We walk with our horses for a while, breathe in the fresh air that is saturated with nature scents, and then we dismount the horses and let them relax.

'Let's sit in the grass,' Calem suggests. Despite his scary and menacing appearance, he is so gentle and friendly, that I immediately agree and sit down close to him. We do not touch, though even if we did, I would not mind it. The green grass is so soft, that it is like a plush carpet. I would love to lie down right now, like I love to do when I am alone, but I will not do it now, because I am with him.

'The place where I live is surrounded by beautiful nature like this,' he says. 'The castle Gherland is breathtaking. The colorful flowers, cloudless skies and buzzing insects make that place look like a fairies' world. Only that there is no fairy there, yet,' he adds and looks at me meaningfully.

I have a feeling that he thinks that I could make a pretty fairy in that world. I give him a smile and prefer to nod, without saying anything.

'You look like a fairy, lady Elsie,' he says. 'I like the way you look, and I like your character. You are strong and have a spirit of a warrior.'

'Thank you,' I mumble.

'I like you a lot,' he adds.

'Thank you very much,' I say, not knowing what else to answer. I have no idea what to answer when a man tell you he likes you. He is the first man to tell me that. I am sure that I have blushed. Probably my red face is in contrast with my blond hair, and he can see it clearly.

'Calem, please tell me more about you and the place that you live,' I say, partly because I do not know what else to talk about, but mostly because I am really interested in who he is or what he does.

'The castle that I live in is magnificent,' he says in his pleasant deep voice. 'Gherland castle. Almost like this one,' he adds. 'There are beautiful towers…'

'Ah, there is a tower in this castle, too,' I say, eager to show him the beautiful place that I like so much. 'When we return to the castle, I will show you.'

'Really? I am eager to see it,' he says, glad that there are places that I am willing to show him.

'You know, Calem, it is really pleasant for me to talk to you,' I say, taking a deep breath. 'I feel calm when I am with you.'

'Lady Elsie, you can always feel safe when I am with you,' he says, becoming serious. 'I want you to know, always know, that I will be there for you whenever you need me. I want you to have the feeling of being protected, do you understand me?'

I look at him. He is really serious. I look at his strong arm muscles that can be seen from under his clothes, his wide chest, his square jaw, and his fierce eyes. Surely, I will be safer than anyone with him. And the words that he says make me feel safe and secure. I smile and nod.

'Thank you, Calem, I really appreciate it,' I say, as I look into his eyes. We keep the gaze, as neither of us wants to look away. It is so pleasant to be with him and to look at him. I think he feels the same.

Chapter 4

Calem

I cannot sleep at night. All that I can think about is Elsie. Her beautiful face, her gentle smile, her fascinating hair, and her surprising character of a warrior keep me attracted to her. While she is with me, she is gentle and girlish, as she probably needs to feel girly beside such a strong warrior as me, but I have learned about her fierce character from Sloan, who has told me how brave and fearless she can be. I smile proudly, as I try to imagine Elsie in such situations where she needs to show her courage. She must be so pretty in those situations, I can imagine.

The more I think about her, the more I realize that I want her to become my wife and to leave the castle of Domnhall with me. I like her so much, that I think I love her. I am not in love yet, but I am sure that day is very close that I will fall in love with Elsie.