I'm going ahead and skipping over the month they're apart lol… so now it is near the end of April.
I think some people might have, maybe, given up on this story since it was over a month between updates last time (?), but I'm glad some of you are still here and loving it! Lol… I'm really enjoying writing it. I have the next 2-3 chapters written, and will try to work on them as much as possible. I have some trips coming up in the next few weeks but between that and work, I plan to fix the chapters up and get them out to y'all!
This one is kind of long but I think (hope) you'll like it lol. Lots of The Wedding and kind of mixed together ;) All lines from the show/book are (obviously) not mine lol… Rating goes up to M with this chapter. Enjoy!
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Chapter Four:
Whoever said time flies when you're having fun must not have ever been in a long distance relationship. Or maybe it could be the fact that Claire has not, in fact, been having fun lately.
The last four weeks have felt so torturously long that Claire isn't even sure how she's survived.
She and Jamie talked on the phone every night, either FaceTime or regular phone calls, and would text one another throughout the day.
Claire thought the time difference would make their dating situation hard, but it turns out, being a doctor with an ever changing schedule has its advantages. There were days when she was up at the crack of dawn, which was just before lunch for him, and others where she was working late, able to speak with Jamie before he went to bed and also when he woke up the next morning all during her same shift.
It was hard, but it was enjoyable.
She hasn't felt this light and free since she was… well, since she was eighteen and planning on spending the rest of her life with this very same ginger.
And now, an entire month after starting up their relationship again after twenty years apart, Claire can finally be in his arms again.
She exits the plane, making her way to baggage claim, her stomach in knots the entire time. She's nervous but excited, ready to see him and get the jitters out so she can enjoy her two weeks here with him.
Two whole weeks. It's a dream, really, and she's so thankful for her friends and daughter back home who made it possible. Julia, of course, started this whole thing by booking her flight, and Joe and Gail were nice enough to let the teen stay with them. Joe had also taken one for the team, volunteering to cover the four shifts she was scheduled for this first week she was gone. The second week was already supposed to be her time off, except being on call twice, and her friend, Louise, jumped at the opportunity to take those nights because it gave her an excuse to get away from her boyfriend she was trying to dump.
Grinning at the thought of her friends, Claire finally sees the baggage claim area just a few feet away. Her eyes scan the crowd, this being the only place people were allowed to pick up their loved ones from, and before long (because he's very easy to spot), Jamie's big grin and red hair are sticking out above the rest of the fray.
"Jamie!" she beams, rushing to him.
He drops the sign he'd been holding, collecting her into his arms. "Oh, Claire," he whispers breathlessly, "I've missed ye sae much."
She won't cry, she won't, but damn it does she feel like shedding a few right now. She's so happy. She knows her body is shaking as if she's cold, her excitement and emotion taking over.
"Ye're shakin' so hard I can feel my teeth rattlin'," he jests, pressing a kiss to her hair and rubbing up and down her biceps.
Pulling back, she laughs. "I'm just excited," she tells him, and he nods, leaning in to press his lips to hers. God, what an incredible feeling. She's missed his kisses so much, and not just over the last month.
As they part, she watches Jamie sniffle, trying to cover it with a cough, and wipes at his eye as he bends down to pick up the sign he'd dropped. It reads Welcome back, Sassenach! and she giggles as she takes it from his hands, folding it up and placing it into her bag for safe keeping.
"Are you crying?" she teases, knowing her eyes are just as wet.
He laughs, taking her hand in his. "Och, I canna lie and say no, Sassenach."
Smiling, she stands on her tiptoes, pressing a handful more little pecks to his lips and tells him she feels the same way. "I can't believe it's been a whole month."
"A month too long," he says, both smiling like mad men as they walk hand in hand toward the carousel, waiting for her bag to come around.
When it finally does, Jamie scoops it up, hefting it up and out like it weighs nothing.
He leads them over to a small nook that houses some chairs, away from the bustling crowds trying to get their luggage and leave.
She gives him a questioning look, and his smile is so much like the boy she used to know that her stomach flutters. "I just needed tae do this one more time before we get in the car," he states, "'Tis only about a twenty minute drive, but I canna help it." She smiles softly up at him as he takes her in his arms one more time. His hug is warm and makes her feel safe, and if she never left this embrace she'd be just fine.
Her arms wrap around his back, his strong shoulders moving beneath her palms as he tightens his grip on her. "It's sae good to have ye back in my arms, Sassenach."
His words are warm against her ear, just barely above a whisper, and it feels so intimate that she feels her face flush, wondering if these two weeks will also hold time for them to sleep together.
Their FaceTime's have become more and more salacious as the month progressed, but never anything too raunchy. Jamie would tell her over and over how he wanted to see more, hear more, do more, but he wanted the first time he saw all of her since they were kids to be in the flesh.
He hated it, which made the situation even funnier, because he seemed mad at his own stupid decision, but she also thought it was sweet. And she couldn't lie and say the first time she saw him naked as a grown man with his stocky frame, she didn't want it to be in person. She wanted to be able to feel and touch him, to slide her hands down his chest and feel his muscles ripple beneath her hands.
So, as tame as possible they stayed for four long weeks. There were peeks over her breasts and pictures sent of his abs or videos of him working out that always made her hot and bothered at work, but they never went all the way.
Jamie's grip tightens around her ribs and she thinks they may crack, but she doesn't care, the feel of him, here, real and in person, makes her happier than anything.
"Are ye hungry?" he asks, finally releasing her with a small kiss to her neck.
"Starved."
They go to lunch and to say it was filled with tension would be an understatement. They held hands almost the entire time, his thumb grazing the back of her hand. Her fingers intertwined with his, lifting their hands up to press a kiss to his palm.
Their longing gazes across the table made her stomach twist and turn, her breath catching in her throat, unable to hardly breathe around this gorgeous man. Her boyfriend… manfriend.
"I've decided the term boyfriend just won't do," she tells him once their dessert arrives.
He's ordered them a slice of chocolate and caramel cheesecake, and based on the size of it, she'll need to be rolled out of here. If this is how he is going to feed her for the next two weeks, she's going to need some bigger pants.
"And what's yer alternative?" he inquires with a tilt of his head and smirk on his lips.
Snickering, she moves her head side to side, pretending to think. "Manfriend seems to fit better."
"Manfriend?" he repeats, one hand landing on his stomach as he laughs. "Strangest term I've e'er heard, mo nighean donn," he says, taking her hand once more, "but if that's what ye wanna call me, then that's just fine by me."
Her eyes soften at the warmth in his voice and face, and she promptly tells him, "Feel free to use womanfriend instead of girlfriend, if you'd like."
His nose scrunches as he thinks about it, finally telling her, "Nae, somethin' about that just doesna sound right tae my ears. I'll stick wi' girlfriend if it's alright with you."
She shrugs a shoulder, smiling. "Works just fine for me."
They each dig into the cheesecake, laughing when they both go for the same spot, but Jamie, ever the gentleman, lets her have it.
It's delicious and smooth, and as they devour the sweet treat, they catch up on things they haven't talked about over the last month. It's hard, they've talked almost every day, but it's the small things they're sharing now—Jamie tells her of a new product Fraser's Ridge has come up with and how Ian was off today marketing it to stores around town, and she tells him of Louise's boy-toy and how she's been trying to ditch him for weeks but he just won't take the hint.
"She was more than glad to take my on call shifts next week," she laughs, "I truly believe she'll tell him she has to actually be at the hospital the whole time so she can hide out."
Jamie laughs, his cheeks turning red. "She's a firecracker, eh?" he says, having met and talked with her a few times over the last few weeks. "She doesna seem like the type tae keep someone like that around."
"No," she laughs, "which is why I'm surprised she hasn't just dropped him already. He must be good in bed or something."
The mention of bed seems to shut both of them up for a moment, her mind going to the possibility of what this trip might hold, and she hopes by the distant look in his blue eyes that he's thinking much the same thing.
Taking another bite of dessert, Claire slowly runs her foot up his calf, hooking it behind the muscle. She lifts her eyebrows when the movement draws him back from his thoughts, and she tries to hold in her laughter as his ears grow pink.
Jamie clears his throat, sucking in a deep breath as he picks up his wine, taking the last sip.
She sits back, foot ever so slowly releasing his calf and returning back to her side of the table.
He takes her hand, asking if she's done with the cheesecake. When she says that she is, he reaches out his other hand for her.
Placing both hands in his now, they sit in silence, eyes connected. There's so much to be said, but so much that's understood. It's as if they don't even need words sometimes to communicate.
Drawing in a deep breath, Claire glances out the window their table is in front of. The sun is starting to go down, the sky a beautiful mixture of pinks and purples. "It's so beautiful here," she says softly, squeezing his hands.
"Aye," Jamie says, "It's one o'my favorite places tae come this time of day. The sun always comes in so beautifully."
He stands, moving to stand behind her chair.
"What are you doing?" she asks, looking around to see if he's drawn the attention of other patrons.
There's no one here, not really. Their table is back in a secluded corner with only two other tables which have been vacated since they arrived. She can hear waiters taking orders in the next part of the restaurant, dishes clanking together in the kitchen just to their right, but for the most part, they're alone now.
"Just admiring the way the sun catches in yer hair, mo nighean donn," he murmurs, twisting his finger into one of her curls.
She's heard the nickname over and over when they were eighteen as well as over the last month they've been together, but for some reason she never thought to ask what it meant.
"What does that mean anyway? I never thought to ask."
"Mo nighean donn?"
"Mmhmm."
She can feel his breathy chuckle hot against her neck, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. He twists that curl, his palm resting on the junction between her neck and shoulder as he finally whispers into her ear, "My brown haired lass."
Claire can hear the grin in his voice, and she knows it's because he just saw the shiver run through her at the response. Coughing lightly, she smiles, brows furrowing briefly. "Rather a dull color brown, I've always thought."
"No," he says instantly, running his finger through her curls again. "It's no' dull at all. It's like the… the water in a burn, the way it ruffles down the rocks."
His R's roll so seductively from behind her that she isn't sure if she'll make it out of this restaurant with her clothes on, damn him.
She breathes a short laugh, tugging on her light jacket she is wearing.
"Dark in the wavy spots," he continues, his finger no longer tangled in a curl, but she can feel it brushing lightly over her tresses, "with wee bits of auburn when the sun touches it, like it is now."
He moves from behind her just as the waitress makes her way into their section of the restaurant, and she gives the girl a smile.
Jamie takes his place back across the table from her, winking at her for good measure, and she could really kill him, she could. He knows exactly what he's doing.
He pays for their meal with a friendly smile to the waitress, thanking her for being a great server.
With that, Jamie stands, reaching out a hand to her. She blinks, still stuck in the feel of his hands in her hair. Claire looks up at him and he grins, looking down to his outstretched hand and back to her. "Let's get out of here."
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They leave the restaurant and instead of walking to his car, Jamie takes her hand, leading her to walk around the downtown area the restaurant was in. There's little boutiques and bakeries, and Claire is sincerely enjoying their time together, walking and talking like there's not a care in the world while looking in the windows at all the things she wants to buy (but won't, her luggage is already heavy enough).
The sun has settled even more in the sky, brushing the air with a crispness that wasn't there when she first arrived. She's in jeans and a black shirt, but she'd thrown a black and white striped pull over on while on the plane and she was thankful for it now. It wasn't thick, just t-shirt material really, but it was perfect for the light breeze in the April sunset.
"Oh, that looks delicious," she says, peering in at the bakery, watching as the chef works his magic with his piping bag. "Can we come back here in the morning?"
"Of course," he grins. He takes a step closer to the window, watching the man work, adding, "This place makes some o'the best chocolate croissants around."
"Mm," she moans, eyes growing wide, "You'll have to roll me back to the airport by time I leave here."
He laughs, taking her hand and leading her away from the tempting treats.
He holds her hand the whole time they meander by the stores, letting it go only to point at something down the street.
She's nervous, though she doesn't know why, excited for what's to come would be a better way of describing it, she thinks. All she wants to do is go back to his house and make out like teenagers.
As he's pointing something out to her, telling her the history of the fountain that sits in the town center, she tugs on Jamie's hand, giving him an unsure smile. He looks like he's having so much fun showing her more of where he's from and she feels guilty, but fibs a bit by saying, "I'm… a little tired. Perhaps you can finish showing me everything another day? If that's alright with you." She smiles sweetly, caressing the back of his hand with her thumb. "Let's go back to either my hotel or your house."
He smiles, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "It's more than okay wi' me, whatever ye want tae do, Sassenach." He takes her hand again, turning them in the opposite direction toward his car. "Though I dinna ken why ye ever got a hotel, mo nighean donn. Get on yer phone and cancel the room."
"My stuff is already there," she laughs, knowing they'd specifically made a pit stop at her hotel on the way to dinner so her belongings weren't sitting in his car the whole time. He shrugs at her reasoning, though, saying they can go get it now and take it back to his place.
She bites her lip, and his eyes widen, assuring her, "I'm no' tryin tae seem forward, Claire. I have more than one bedroom, ye ken, so ye dinna have tae feel pressured tae sleep in the bed wi' me, but…"
Claire can't help but to chuckle at how he's rambling, trying to explain away what he meant. God, he's so considerate… and adorable. And sexy.
"Alright, alright," she laughs, holding up her hands in surrender. "You win." He smiles triumphantly, so she adds, "But you're paying my cancellation fee."
Guffawing, he agrees, looping his arm over her shoulder just before they cross the street to his car.
The drive is short, just about ten minutes, and they're there. She apologizes to the concierge, explaining that she had found other accommodations for her stay. She reaches for her wallet, knowing she would never let Jamie actually pay for her cancellation, but he stops her hand, giving the young man behind the counter his credit card.
"Jamie, no," she protests, "I can pay for it."
"Aye," he smiles, taking his card and signing the receipt, "but it was my idea to have ye stay wi' me." He motions toward the lift, placing a hand on the small of her back as they walk toward it. "And I dinna mind at all. Ye've spent enough on the plane ticket to come see me."
Rolling her eyes as they step into the lift, she huffs, knowing she'll never win this argument.
They grab her suitcase and carry on before shutting off the light and leaving the hotel for good.
The drive to his house is filled with even more tension than dinner was, her heart is pounding inside her chest so hard that she's convinced he can hear it, too. She knows exactly what she wants to do when they get there… she just hopes he does, too.
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On the drive over, Jamie animatedly tells her about his home, and the smile on his face is heartwarming. He tells her that it's situated on acres upon acres of land, Jenny and Ian also residing on the property. "Their house is a few miles away, ken, but we all grew up here. Ian was always around playing wi' me and Jenny. His family lives just down the road from here."
He tells her of the history, how it was once called Lallybroch by its residents, or Broch Tuarach, which meant "lazy tower." She chuckles at the meaning, but leans her head against the headrest, listening to all he has to say. Claire loves listening to him talk, he was a born story-teller, and the history is fascinating. Jamie says the Laird always lived in what is now his house so it was the largest on the property.
"Why didn't you use all of this land for Fraser's Ridge?"
"Och," he grunts, "I didna want work and my personal life to always be sae close together."
She nods. "I can understand that."
He smiles, telling her that there's a stable out by Jenny and Ian's house where they keep their personal horses, but other than that, it's just a vast plot of land with rolling hills and fields that once held his ancestor's harvests. He always thought it was gorgeous, preserved by history with no one ever building anything on it, and he wanted to keep it that way. There were a few other houses nestled in deeper parts of the property where residents used to live, but most have been torn down over time. "There's a cabin down by the lake," he tells her, "When we want a quick getaway, we'll load up Jenny and Ian's bairns and go stay there for the weekend."
"That sounds fun," she says, reaching over the middle console to take his hand. "How many children do they have?"
Her eyes widen when he laughs and says five. "They canna seem tae stop reproducing." He laughs again, shaking his head. "They range from twenty years old down to the youngest at ten, though he's adamant about saying he's almost eleven."
Grinning, she leans her head against the headrest, enjoying the view of Lallybroch's lush green grass and expansive hills that they drive past.
When they arrive at his house, he takes her hand and kisses the back of it. He nods his head toward a charming estate, situated on a large piece of land. It's off the main road, you'd have to know it was here otherwise you'd completely miss it, and it's nice. Gorgeous, really.
There's a stone archway that they drove under, and his car is parked on a gravel driveway.
"That archway is beautiful," she comments, smiling as she looks up to see the whole house.
Jamie grunts, pulling her luggage from her backseat, but informs her, "It's been here for centuries, ken, Uncle Lamb would love it."
She smiles at the mention of her beloved uncle, making a mental note to call him when he gets back from his newest expedition next month. "You're right," she laughs, "He'd have a field day out here with all this history."
Jamie grins and leads her into the house. He tells her how the house has been in his family for generations, slowly undergoing renovations with each one. It started out as a stone house in the eighteenth century, overtime being worn down by the elements. "No one lived here for a few decades," he says, flicking on the lights, "but about fifty years ago or so, my grandfather found the deed to the house, realized he owned it, and went to work."
He tells her how his grandfather worked in construction his whole life, so renovating the house was a fun side project for him. "And o'course since then, it's been updated and what not, but yeah," he shrugs, "this is home."
She smiles, fascinated with the history this country holds. "It's gorgeous."
Her eyes roam the inside, the large living room to her left, a hallway she assumes leads to a kitchen and a grand staircase to the right. The floors are hardwood and appear to be somewhat original, probably from one of the earliest renovations, though they've been sanded and stained a hue closer to gray than brown at some point. The walls are all painted in a warm greige tone that compliments his furniture nicely and makes the house feel cozy.
"Let me show ye around."
He picks up her suitcase and she grabs her duffle bag, heading up the stairs to the right. At the top of the stairs, she can see several doors, and he gives her a quick tour.
The first room on the left is his guest room, so they set her things down on the bed, spying a bathroom just across the hall. God, she really does need a shower after flying all day. If what she hopes will happen tonight does, she doesn't want to feel gross and germ infested during it.
"Um," she starts, biting her lip and thinking maybe she shouldn't be so forward.
"What is it?"
"Well," she huffs, flicking her eyes toward the bathroom behind him. "I was actually going to see if I could shower and change into something else before we continue this tour," she says, grimacing as she tugs at her shirt for good measure. "Airports and flying all day, you know."
Jamie laughs, apologizing for not thinking of it before her. He tells her he'll be down the hall in his room and just to call out when she's ready.
It's the fastest shower of her life, she washes her body off with her shower gel and cleans her face with her facewash as quickly as possible. She runs a razor over her legs, even knowing she'd shaved, well, everything, before her flight.
Stepping out, she wraps up in a fluffy towel, dashing across the hall to her room to get changed. She dries off, scrunching her hair in the towel and praying to God that her hair doesn't turn into a frizzy mess.
She rummages through her luggage, pulling out a flowy, cotton dress she'd packed. It's black with cap sleeves, and though she knows a dress isn't really necessary—she could've just put on yoga pants since they're home for the night—she felt like she needed to look nicer. Not that Jamie would care, but still.
Tossing her airport jeans and shirt into her traveling laundry bag, she pulls out her makeup bag and quickly applies a bit of tinted lip balm and a coat of mascara. Nothing major, but enough to make her feel sexier than she was feeling ten minutes ago.
She puts some taming mousse in her hair, thankful it has a nice floral aroma to it to pair nicely with the spritz of her favorite perfume she'd just sprayed.
Sighing, she looks at herself in the full length mirror that's in the corner of the room. She runs her hands down her dress, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles that only she can see.
"Okay, Beauchamp," she tells herself, "You can do this."
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When she's ready, she opens her door, calling out to Jamie.
A bedroom door at the end of the hallway opens, and he smiles as he makes his way down the hall to her. She notices that his hair is damp and he smells clean. He's changed into jeans and a forest green t-shirt. Simple and handsome. "Feel better?" he asks, pulling her into his arms.
"Much," Claire smiles. "Thank you."
She tells him she's ready for the rest of the tour and he chuckles, walking them to the room next to hers.
This room is Fergus' old room. "Though he still stays here from time to time when he comes to visit from Edinburgh." He huffs a laugh, running his finger along a picture frame of Fergus and a blonde girl she remembers is named Marsali. "Which has been a lot more frequent lately e'er since Marsali came into his life." He leans in, a bit conspiratorially, saying, "Though he's been staying with the lass more and more with each visit."
There's the bathroom she'd used across from the guest room and an office across from Fergus' room. They get to the end of the hall, and he pushes the door open, saying, "And this is my bedroom," and turns on the light, adding with a shrug, "nothing special."
She walks in ahead of him, running her hand along his bicep as she steps in to inspect the place. It's a huge room. There's a king sized bed, a nightstand and dresser, along with a nook with two chairs, a lamp and a bookshelf. She spies his reading glasses sitting on the table between the two chairs, and she smiles at the mental image of Jamie in his glasses, late at night, reading before bed.
These rooms are far larger than anything one would find in most European homes, but she supposes because of when it was built and all the renovations it's gone through, they were able to make it nice and spacious. She'll have to ask Lamb if having large rooms in a family home was the norm back in the eighteenth century.
The room is decorated in rather neutral tones. The walls are a light gray, his furniture charcoal, and his pillows and comforter are gray, white and navy. It's masculine, but well decorated, and she wonders if he had any help picking all of these furnishings out.
"Did Jenny help decorate?" she asks with a smirk, turning to look at him. He's still leaning against his door frame, letting her inspect the place on her own for a bit.
She's standing in the middle, taking it all in.
He snorts, rolling his eyes playfully as he crosses his arms, his biceps bulging with the movement. "Aye," he confirms in a low voice, "She said Fergus and I couldna live wi' bare bones for furniture and took me shopping the first weekend we lived here."
She giggles, looking up to the large ceiling fan (another rarity in Europe, but this house seems to have all the nicest updates, along with air conditioning which pleases her little American heart), then around. There's a few picture frames on his dresser, one of him and Fergus, the other is of, who she vaguely remembers from pictures he'd shown her in the past is, Jenny along with Ian and a gaggle of children all around a Christmas tree.
His eyes are on her, she can feel them, watching her every move so carefully. She can see the way his chest heaves with nervous breaths, and she knows he feels exactly how she does.
She's been stalling, unsure of how to move them to the next phase, but finally she just sighs, and says matter-of-factly, "Take me to bed, Jamie."
He uncrosses his arms, stepping into the room finally, his pupils blown wide. He stands in front of her, so close that she has to tilt her head back to see his eyes. His voice is low and gravelly as he asks, "To bed… or to sleep?" with a wicked little grin tugging on his lips.
"Well?" she breathes, reaching up to grasp his forearms.
She raises herself up on her tiptoes, her hand snaking around his neck to pull him down to her. His lips crash against her own, each of them moaning at the contact.
Jamie's hands land on her hips, one of them traveling down to her ass. "You always loved that," she jests, raising a brow.
"What can I say, Sassenach?" he murmurs, kissing her neck, then her jaw and up to her lips. He pulls back and finishes with a, "When ye've got an ass as round and lovely as this, you canna expect me not to like it."
She giggles, shaking her head. "You are a ridiculous human being."
He laughs, but leans in for another kiss, their lips silencing his mirth. She runs her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, groaning a bit when he starts to walk them backward toward the bed.
They pull apart, and she's suddenly nervous. He's staring at her, his chest heaving just as much as hers is. "You do want this, want me, right, Jamie?"
"Oh God, yes," he says, eyes wide as the question. "O'course I do,Claire. I want ye so much I can scarcely breathe."
Her cheeks heat at his tone, and she pulls him back to her to kiss him once more.
There's a tension between them, and she understands. It's been twenty years since they last saw each other naked. They've changed a lot since then.
Jamie is standing there, observing her face like she's a Renaissance painting he's never seen before. He reaches up, cupping her jaw with his palm, and her eyes sink closed. She can feel him tuck a curl behind her ear and she smiles, opening her eyes again.
She reaches for the hem of his shirt, but he stops her hand. He looks nervous but she isn't sure why.
He bites his lip, but lifts his arms, letting her remove the garment. God, his body is immaculate and she has to remind herself to breathe.
Swallowing thickly, Claire reaches for his belt, and undoes it, tossing it to the side. It clunks to the ground as she undoes his button, sliding his zipper down. He helps her push them down, his boxers going along with them, before he kicks them off.
She steps back, mouth falling agape at the sight before her. He's beautiful. Like a Greek God carved from stone.
"Well then," Jamie says with a coquettish grin, "fair is fair." He steps closer, his eyes on her heaving cleavage. He leans down, trailing kisses down her neck to her shoulder, finally landing on the dress' neckline. It was a scoop neck, low enough to be sexy but not low enough to be inappropriate out in public. She's breathing so hard, though, that she thinks her breasts might just pop out on their own accord.
His tongue peeks out, licking along the swell of her breasts as his hands find her waist again, pulling her into his warmth.
And oh, fuck. His naked body against her clothed one just does something to her, her core growing wet at the sensation.
Jamie pulls back, reaching for the bottom of her dress. It hits just above her knees so he doesn't have far to reach. She lifts her arms, shaking her hair out once he pulls the dress over her head and tosses it into the pile of his clothes.
She reaches behind her back, unclasping her black, lacy bra. She holds the cups to her breasts, locking eyes with Jamie.
Smiling, Claire lets the garment fall to the ground. Jamie returns to where his kisses left off at the top of her breasts, moving their way down to her right nipple as his hand toys with the left. Her nipples are already stiff peaks, and she's not sure she's ever seen them this erect before.
His tongue laps at her, licking up her chest to suck a kiss to her neck. He returns the favor to the other breast before his hands find the waistline of her black thong.
Her whole body is covered in goosebumps by now, though it shouldn't be with as hot as she currently is. She's burning up for him, wanting him everywhere all at the same time.
His thumbs hook into the top of her thong, pulling it slowly down her legs. She kicks the undergarment away, standing there completely nude before him.
He steps back, inhaling sharply. He stares, his eyes roaming her body.
She knows her scar from her c-section so long ago is on display like this, but overtime she's learned not to worry about it, though it's hard sometimes. Feeling self-conscious, Claire wraps one arm around her chest and the other around her stomach. "Will you bloody well say something?"
He shakes his head as if he's pulling himself from a hazy dream. "Christ… Claire…" His eyes look glossy as he stares at her so intensely. "Ye're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
His hand reaches up, cupping her breasts. They're both breathing loudly already, and his hand leaves her breast to wrap around her neck and grip her hair, pulling her mouth to his. Her hands come up as well, landing on his chest as her toes practically lift from the ground. She can feel his erection against her thigh, and god, she cannot wait for him to be inside of her.
Pulling back, she tells him, "It's been a long time… I want to look at you."
He smirks, taking a small step back for her perusal.
Claire steps closer, one hand lifting to touch his left pec, then slowly moves it across his chest. His muscles are so hard and defined beneath her hand, and she suddenly wishes she'd been in the gym more over the last two decades.
She's so close to him that when she moves around his body, her nose and lips touch his shoulder. She gives his shoulder a little kiss before roaming her hand around to the back.
A soft gasp leaves her when she sees it. His back is covered in scars from his shoulders to the top of his rear. Her hands lightly brush against them, tilting her head to the side.
Jamie turns his head, his voice sounding ashamed when he says, "I should have warned ye about those; I'm sorry."
Shaking her head, she kisses his shoulder just above one of his scars. "You have nothing to apologize for, Jamie," she whispers, her hand brushing over the collection of lines on his back. She can tell they aren't recent, and she's so curious to know when and how he got them, but she won't ask, not yet. Claire leans up, pressing her lips to the spot in between his shoulder blades, her hand lightly grazing his ass cheek. "You don't have to tell me now," she assures, kissing his back again. "Later. Only if you want."
"Aye," he murmurs, his head moving to the opposite side, following her movements as she slinks her body around his, completing her circle. Her hands slide down his forearm, inspecting every last inch of his body.
He's so big, his one hand could cover both of her dainty ones, and the thought makes her smile.
"Are ye ready?"
Her eyes flick up to meet his, and she smiles sweetly. "Yes."
They lean in simultaneously, arms wrapping around one another as their lips meet. Jamie's calloused hands wander down, down, down to her ass, cupping it in his hands. The feel of his rough skin against her soft sends a new wave of goosebumps across her body.
He picks her up, her long legs wrapping around his torso as he walks them back the few steps to his mattress, her lips never leaving his.
Claire's hand is tangled in his red curls, and she feels as if her heart might explode from all these sensations hitting her at once.
He sits on the edge of the bed, her in his lap and legs straddling him. He stretches his arm out, reaching for his night stand. She leans with him since she's in his lap, grinning when he pulls out a condom.
"You don't have to," she mumbles against his skin, peppering kisses to his neck. Her tongue trails up the vein in his neck, going up to his jawline. "I have an IUD."
He nods, saying only if she's sure, and she smiles, assuring him that she is. With that taken care of, Jamie flips them over so her back is fully against the mattress and he's hovering above her.
She's only half way up the bed, so they move at the same time to shift her up toward the pillows. It's awkward, their limbs tangling together and causing their heads to bumps slightly together. Laughing, Claire beams up at him as they finally get settled on the bed.
Her lips make contact with his, then his jaw, making their way down his neck and to his chest, returning the favor from earlier by sucking on his nipple, giving it a little love bite.
He grunts, hands gripping her hips. "Christ, Sassenach," he breathes, kissing her again.
Jamie props himself up on one elbow, the opposite hand trailing down her body to her center. His large fingers part her slick folds, finding their way inside.
"Fuck," she rasps, the feel of just his finger alone making her want to come. She squirms beneath his ministrations as he adds a second finger, his palm rubbing against her clit as he does. "Yes."
He adds a third, and oh god, then flicks and twirls his finger around her clit, teasing the spot where she wants him most.
Jamie kisses down her body, sucking her hip bone before moving back up to her mouth again.
She's more than wet enough, she's well aware of the fact, but more than his fingers, she wants his cock. His fingers move inside her, deeper, harder this time, rutting against her g-spot with wild abandon. She could come like this, she knows she could, but she wants more, wants all of him. "Jamie, I'm ready."
He smiles down at her, biting his lip when she reaches between them and grasps his cock in her hands. He's so hard and she can't wait to feel him inside of her once again.
Spreading her legs, she nods her consent, and he smiles. "Do it now," she commands, and Jamie takes himself in his hand, guiding his cock to her entrance. Claire cries out at the sensation, hands tugging on his biceps, drawing him nearer. He's not small, she'll give him that, but he's not too big that it's painful. He fits right to the hilt, his balls slapping against her skin as he drives in and out of her over and over.
She grips his shoulders, nails digging into his skin. Her body moves beneath his, moaning and calling out for him to give her more. "Harder, yessss," she hisses into the space between them.
He listens and obeys, giving her exactly what she wants. "God, Claire," he grunts, fucking into her even deeper than before.
Reaching down, he rubs at her swollen clit, bringing her closer and closer to the edge already.
"I'm… I'm gonna come," she tells him breathlessly, her body curving up so her head can reach his neck. She bites down, sucking on the skin there and moving her lips down his neck. Her hands move all around, unsure of what or where to touch next.
She settles on his ass, grabbing his round cheeks and pulling him as close as humanly possible to her, knowing full well there will be nail marks left there for the rest of the night.
"Give me your mouth, Sassenach," he pants, leaning down as Claire moves up, their lips crashing together in a heated kiss. She cries into the kiss, pressing her lips harder against his.
With what strength she has left, she rolls them over, Jamie following without complaint.
"Fuck, yes," he says, smirking up at her as she rides his cock.
She slides against him, her juices coating his skin. Her hands are on his chest, his on her waist, gripping and squeezing as they both grow closer to release.
Leaning down, she kisses his chest and his hand tangles into her hair, pulling her face to his. Jamie kisses her lips, it's sloppy with the way she's grinding against his sex, teeth almost clashing together, but it's wonderful. Claire hasn't been fucked like this in she doesn't know how long, and she is truly convinced no one could ever come close to being this good.
"Jesus H., fuck, Jamie," she babbles when he thrusts harder into her, hitting that perfect spot. He's right where she needs him, needs more, needs him to never leave. "More, yessss, ohgodyes!" She connects with his lips once more, unable to let them go for too long. Claire moans into his mouth, then sits up straighter, rocking into him with a desperation she's never felt before with anyone, and the sensation is almost too overwhelming.
"Claire," he pants, one hand reaching up to grab her breast. He toys with her nipple, while his other hand grips her waist. "Oh shite, I'm so close," he calls.
She grins coyly, leaning down again and telling him she is, too. She rocks harder, faster against him as her muscles clench tightly around his cock, and his eyes squeeze shut. He bites his lip, his head tilting up toward the ceiling as if he's holding on for dear life not to come just yet.
It's adorable, really, but he doesn't need to hold on much longer. She's right on the edge, and when his hand moves down to touch her sex as well, she explodes, crying out in ecstasy as she finds her sweet release.
Jamie isn't far behind, giving into the aching pleasure. "Oh god, oh, Claire," he practically whimpers desperately, his lips hovering centimeters. He spills into her with two more hard thrusts as she milks his cock for every last drop. His head falls back into the pillow, rucking up into her one last time as his orgasm subsides, his body twitching in satisfaction. Her walls flutter around him, still feeling her own aftershocks of that dizzying pleasure she was just afforded.
They stay there for a while, breathing heavily while they're still joined together. Her hands rest on his chest, nails lightly scratching. She smiles down at him, leaning in to kiss his lips.
His mouth finds hers and they settle there for a little bit longer, tongues meeting and hands roaming about.
Jamie pulls back, moving his eyes down to look at where they're still joined. "I ken it's no' the sexiest thing to say right now, but I felt like my heart was going tae burst."
She giggles at how cute he is, rolling off of his body and landing on the mattress. Her hand moves to rest on her stomach while the other lays beside her, her finger tips trailing along his comforter, feeling the fabric.
That was incredible. Earth shattering. She knows she's never been fucked like that by anyone, nor does she think anyone will ever be able to live up to what James Fraser just gave her.
Jamie rolls off the bed with a grunt and pads into the bathroom. She can hear him moving about but her eyes are closed, reveling in the feelings she just experienced.
"Here," he murmurs, and she jumps, not realizing he was already back. He has a wet washcloth in his hand, and she takes it from him, cleaning herself up a bit. It's warm and she's thankful he had the good sense to not use cold water.
"Thank you," Claire tells him, smiling over at him as he climbs back onto the bed.
He tells her to put the washcloth on the night stand beside her, they'd deal with it later.
Jamie lets out a laugh that only seems to make it to his throat but doesn't actually come out before saying, "I guess we should undo the covers unless we plan tae sleep on top of it stark naked all night."
Laughing, Claire rolls onto her side. She bends her elbow and props her head against her hand, saying, "I suppose you're right." She gives him a kiss before sighing and slinking off the mattress.
He rolls the opposite way so they're on both sides of the bed and together they pull back the covers.
She climbs back in, humming as the feel of his cool sheets hits her heated body. "This feels nice," she murmurs, eyes closing.
They each roll to their sides, sharing sweet, satisfied smiles with one another. Jamie leans in, urging her to do the same and they exchange lazy kisses as their hands lightly roam the other's body, intoxicated on the feeling of one another.
They move onto their backs, each letting out a content sigh. They lay there for a while, the cool air hitting them as they catch their breath.
Glancing over, she sees his head is against his pillows, one arm bent beneath his head to prop him up a bit. His other hand is in the space between them, and she rolls over, taking up her same position from moments ago with her head propped on her hand.
Her other hand reaches out, nails gliding softly up and down his forearm.
They sit there, silent, both enjoying what they just did, before Jamie breaks the silence, asking, "I didna hurt ye, did I?"
"No," she giggles, brows furrowing, "why would you think that?"
He grunts, smirking, "Ye're just so much smaller than I remember, I didna want to harm ye."
"Smaller than when I was eighteen?" she asks incredulously, laughing at the thought.
His smirk deepens, those slight dimples he has starting to show as his head lolls to the side to look at her. He rolls onto his side to face her, propping his torso up with a bent arm on the mattress.
His smile is so cute, she could look at it every day and not grow tired of it. It makes her happy to see it, makes her stomach flutter like she has butterflies inside.
"Well, mebbe just smaller than…" He widens his eyes, stammering, "ah, nevermind."
She laughs at how embarrassed he is, comforting him by saying, "I know you've slept with other people, Jamie. I didn't expect you to be a monk all this time."
He laughs from one side of his mouth, leaning in to kiss her lips. "No' a monk, but I havena been with many others."
"Neither have I," she admits, and the comment leads them to talk about their past.
They briefly speak of their divorces and how their friends tried to set them up with people so many times once they were single. It's nice to share these missing pieces of their past, but the details can wait, maybe until tomorrow because she definitely wants to hear more about this ex-wife of his he'd mentioned, but for now, she's focused on his naked body before her.
She rolls closer, pressing her hands to his chest as she climbs on top of him, kissing her way down his torso until her mouth is at his cock. She would ask him if he's ready, but he's standing at attention already.
"Ye little minx," he says, a smirk tugging on his lips. His hand reaches down, resting on the back of her neck as she scoots further down.
With a smirk of her own, she licks her lips and takes him into her mouth. She licks up from the base to the tip, following a vein she finds there. He's thick, and god, he fills her whole mouth, but she loves it. She sucks at his tip, cheeks hollowing as they work his hardened cock.
Jamie grunts, his hips jutting up and pushing his cock deeper into her mouth. He hits the back of her throat and she moans, vibrating against his flesh which causes him to moan even louder. He's raspsing out a, "Claire," and, "fuck, oh god," which only encourages her more.
She sucks him harder until he's spilling his seed into her mouth.
Claire swallows and releases him with a wet pop, kissing her way back up his chest to lay in the crook of his arms. Placing a gentle kiss to his pec, she slides her hand up to rest there and places her cheek against it, nestled in his embrace.
They talk for a while about Fergus and Julia, swapping stories of how they were as children and young teens.
She's laughing so hard at a story of Fergus falling from a tree and giving Jamie a heart attack, which turned out to be a prank Fergus was playing on his dad, that she has to sit up to catch her breath.
God, she hasn't laughed like this in so long. It feels nice.
"Well, enough about the kids for now," she says, standing from the bed. "I'm ravenous."
Jamie's eyebrows twitch up as he reaches for her hand, "Oh, aye, I can help with that," he purrs, and she chuckles, swatting at his hand.
"I need a snack," she tells him, tugging on his arm to make him rise from the bed.
Laughing, Jamie stands as well. He walks to his dresser, grabbing a clean pair of boxers and slipping them on. He takes out a t-shirt and hands it to her, which she gratefully accepts. "I'll grab some yoga pants on the way down to the kitchen," she says, kissing his shoulder from behind.
Once in the kitchen, Jamie rummages through the cupboards, listing off the snack items he has in the house. "I'm no' a big snacker, Sassenach, so I'm no' sure what ye want."
She stands, walking around the kitchen island and opening his fridge. She spots a bowl of grapes, and her eyes light up. "Can we have these?" she asks, holding up the bowl.
Jamie grins, moving to stand behind her. "Of course," he says, kissing her neck.
He takes the bowl, setting it in the sink and letting the cold water run over them to wash them off. While the water is running, he glances up at her on the other side of the island. They stare at one another, and he reaches across the counter to take her hand. Leaning down, Jamie kisses her palm, then her wrist, before holding her hand in his. His eyes look up at her, and he says, "I dinna ken what it is between us, what it's always been, but—"
"It's still there," she finishes for him, and their smiles light up.
He comes around the counter to take her in his arms, but before long, remembers the running water. Laughing, he goes to turn it off, wiping the outside of the bowl clean before they head back upstairs.
{**********************}
They finish their snack in bed, leaving the bowl on his nightstand. Once finished, they have another few rounds of pleasuring one another—once with Claire perched upon Jamie's face, arms pressed against the headboard for support, which was thrilling. Now, as she's recovered from the aftershocks of her orgasm, they spend time slowly making love in the early hours of the morning. Bodies facing one another, eyes that glisten with tears connect as Jamie and Claire slowly rock against the other, savoring the feel of finally being together again.
They both lay there, breaths panting, as they bask in the afterglow. Jamie's hand holds hers, and she lifts their joined hands, studying how perfectly they fit together. Smiling softly over at him, Claire leans in and presses a kiss to his cheek before excusing herself to the restroom to freshen up.
When she gets back, she plops down next to Jamie. Scooting closer to him, he turns on his side to stare down at her.
"So," she says, nodding toward him. "The scars?"
She watches as Jamie's face falls and grows serious, so she tells him he doesn't have to talk about it yet if he doesn't want to.
"Nae, it's alright," he concedes, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek. "I have no secrets from ye, Sassenach. 'Tis just hard to talk about, ken?" She nods and he confesses that his scars are the reason he never wanted to go any further on their FaceTime calls and get naked, not that she would've seen his back through the phone, but he didn't want to run the risk of turning a certain way and having her see them. "I didna want it tae ruin the moment when I couldna be there to hold ye and comfort ye at the sight of them."
"I wouldn't have been scared or in need of comfort, Jamie," she tells him sincerely, sitting up in the bed. She sits criss-cross in the middle of the mattress, facing him, and he sits up as well, propping his back against the headboard. "They're scars. Everyone has them."
She leans back a touch, lifting her oversized t-shirt and pulling the hem of her yoga pants down. "See?" she asks, pointing to the scar on her abdomen from her c-section. "I have this and you don't seem to mind."
"I dinna," he assures, reaching out to caress the scar, "I couldna."
"See?" she says again, shrugging, "Just scars."
Claire leans up to kiss him, then settles back down into her criss-cross position. With a sigh, Jamie looks at her, smiling softly. "Alright, Sassenach. Ye're right."
Smiling, she raises her brow in question and he grins, taking a deep breath.
"Well, years ago, Fraser's Ridge wasn't quite as large as it is now," he says, clasping his hands over his belly. "I still had to take on quite a lot of the responsibility, especially wi' Ian still trying tae learn how tae use his new leg."
She nods, sliding down to lay on her side, torso propped up by her bent arm.
"I was twenty when it happened," he says, huffing, "Just a dumb bairn, thinkin' I could do it all." He tells her how they were just starting to pave the roads that led up to the main building, so most of it was still gravel. "They'd been doing construction that morning on th'road in front of the building, but the workers had gone for the day and I just ken I could at least get the gravel that was left moved out of the way for them in the morning." He rolls his eyes, giving her a small smile. "I took the tractor and was collecting the gravel, tossing it into a pile off tae the side. There was glass all in it and bits of concrete that had flown into it from their construction." Sighing, he tells her how Jenny had come out, fussing and hollering for him to pack it up for the night and go home. "I stood up from my seat 'cause I couldna hear her properly. I guess I was thinkin', well, I clearly wasna thinkin', but I thought that standin' and leanin' out the side would let me hear her rant." Claire closes her eyes, having a feeling she knows what he's about to tell her. "My boot's laces snagged on the pedal though, and I dinna ken, Sassenach, just an odd set of events all happening at once, I s'ppose." He shrugs, eyes closing briefly. "I tripped and fell off the tractor, caught my back on the front tire as I did and landed in the pile of gravel and glass."
He closes his eyes again, opening them to look at her. They're glassy and she tears up, too, just imagining it. "All I could hear was Jenny screamin' fer me tae get up," he says, a tear falling from his eye. "She was sae scared."
Claire reaches up, wiping his tear away before rubbing her hand along his stomach. She leans in, placing a kiss to his abdomen before laying her head on his stomach. "I'm sorry, Jamie," she whispers around a lump in her throat, "that sounds terrifying."
She can feel his belly bounce with the little huff of a laugh he gives her, saying, "The worst part was hearin' Jenny scream. She'd already witnessed Ian losing his leg, now seein' her brother… it took her almost a year tae even go back to the farm."
"I can't imagine."
Jamie sighs, finishing his tale with how he spent weeks in the hospital, his back wrapped in bandages and having to undergo skin graphs. His arms and legs were cut and bruised but his back took the brunt of the fall.
"'Tis all in the past now, mo nighean donn," he whispers, kissing the top of her head. His hand is warm on her back as it moves up and down, soothing her and pulling her closer to sleep.
She yawns, but tries to cover her mouth before he sees. But he does, and he snickers, pulling her up from his torso. "Let's get some sleep, eh? We've got the next two weeks to reminisce about all the shitty parts of our past."
Claire chuckles groggily, shaking her head, but agrees. Her jet lag is finally catching up to her no matter how badly she wants to stay awake and talk with him all night. She cuddles closer to Jamie, his arm wrapping protectively around her as his eyes close. "Goodnight, Sassenach," he murmurs, peeking his eyes open one last time to place a lingering kiss on her lips.
She smiles into the kiss, her hand coming to cup his jaw as she delivers a, "Goodnight, Jamie," once they pull apart.
He's asleep in an instant, and she grins, taking a moment to observe how he still smiles in his sleep. It warms her heart, and with that—wrapped in her manfriend's arms—Claire feels completely at peace as she falls asleep with a smile of her own on her face.
{*************************}
Hope you liked this one! Please let me know what you thought!