Thank y'all so much for the response on the last chapter! I know there were a few people who were not too happy but overall, everyone seemed to like it lol… I hope those that didn't agree with my plot choices still stick around to see how this story plays out! There are only about 5 or 6 more chapters left :( I can't believe it lol… but this chapter and the next were originally written as one long one. My betas thought it might be a good one to split lol so I hope you enjoy this first part!
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Chapter Ten:
The night passed quickly, and Claire awoke in Jamie's arms, one of his hands amusingly cupped around her left breast. Her leg is tangled with his, her t-shirt twisted haphazardly around her body.
She smiles, knowing Jamie always makes fun of how she tosses and turns, and the state of her clothing proves it.
Kissing his chest gently, Claire glances up. His lips are curled into a little smile, still dead to the world, and she finds herself wondering what his dreams are like to plaster that little smile on his lips each and every night.
"Mmm des fraises," he mumbles sleepily, flopping his head to the other side.
"Strawberries?" Sleep talking in French, she snorts out a little laugh and shakes her head. "Typical polyglot," she murmurs, rolling off of him.
She slips into the master bath to enjoy a nice, warm shower.
When she comes out of the bathroom, wrapped in a fuzzy towel, she sees Jamie is awake and looking at his phone. "Good morning," she greets sheepishly, suddenly feeling shy, worried that things might still be awkward between them despite all their making up last night. She tightens the towel around her, giving him a little shrug.
"Mornin', Sassenach," he says gruffly, voice still weighed down by sleep.
He gives her a warm little smile, though, one that makes her feel like everything will be alright.
Hopping up, Jamie pecks a kiss to her lips and slinks into the bathroom, murmuring something about needing a shower.
While he's showering, she spends time drying off and slipping on a pair of dark wash jeans and a plain black tee. She hadn't packed much, just enough for the weekend, and nothing particularly fancy. She wasn't sure how yesterday would go, so she didn't want to overpack if she was just going to have to catch a last-minute flight home.
She curls her hair in loose waves and applies a bit of makeup—concealer, powder, blush and a few coats of mascara. She's clasping a bracelet around her wrist when Jamie emerges from the bathroom.
He makes his way over to the walk-in closet, grabbing his clothes and bringing them out to lay out on the bed. He throws on a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt, and Claire has to force her eyes not to watch the way his naked muscles move as he gets dressed.
"Like what ye see?"
She smirks, lifting an eyebrow at him in the mirror, watching as he comes to stand behind her. His arms wrap around her middle, rocking her slowly. Looking over her shoulder, he reaches for her necklace that she'd pulled out.
"Let me," he whispers, pushing her hair to one side.
He clasps the chain, kissing her neck when he finishes. She straightens the pendant as Jamie wraps his arms around her once more.
"Are you hungry?" She asks, "Maybe we can go to that bakery?" innocently, like a child asking to go see Santa, and he nods.
Jamie laughs, saying, "Ye love that place, Sassenach!"
"It's good!"
Chuckling, he takes her hand and whisks her off, Claire grabbing her purse from the bed in the process.
{****************************}
It's warm today, not too hot, but enough to be comfortable in her short sleeve shirt.
The sun is warm on her face, and she smiles contentedly as she looks around. It's so much quieter here than back in Boston; people still bustle about but there's less of them around. This town Jamie lives in feels so quaint, like a little piece of the past stuck in between all the big cities.
"So my flight is Sunday at eight," she tells him, taking a bite of her muffin. "That gives us all of today and most of tomorrow. We need to head out to the airport around five."
"Aye," he says. "We can eat an early dinner so yer belly is full fer the flight home, especially cause I ken ye'll no' eat by time ye get home so late."
She grins, knowing he's right. "We can grab a little snack on the way there, I suppose."
Jamie snickers, reaching over to take her hand atop the table. His thumb rubs against her smooth skin, and she sinks into the chair, sipping her coffee.
She picks at the cranberry muffin she'd ordered, while Jamie works on his egg and cheese bagel.
Tilting her head back, she allows the sun to warm her face for a moment before looking back to Jamie.
His blue eyes are on her, the sun somehow making them look even brighter than normal.
She loves him and is sad she's only staying for the weekend, especially now that they've admitted their true feelings. But she has to get back to Julia. She graduates in a week, and Claire wants to spend as much time as possible with her daughter before she moves out for college.
"I wish ye could stay longer," he murmurs sweetly, "but I ken I need tae work and ye've got tae get back home."
She smiles. "I can't leave my child again." Jamie nods, saying he understands. "It's her senior year, and she's got a lot coming up with moving and starting college."
"I ken," he replies. "Havin' yer bairn move out is a big deal. I was verra emotional when Fergus left."
"You were?" She sighs, "The closer her graduation gets, the more anxious I get about all of it. I was afraid I was overreacting."
"Nah," Jamie breathes, squeezing her hand. "I kent Fergus was only moving three hours away, but the thought of no' havin' him down the hall like he'd been fer eight years made me heartsick."
Her heart melts at how cute he is—what a sweet and tender man she's been blessed to love.
She likes that he understands their children come first; he tells her so when he says, "I would never dream of takin' ye away from yer bairn." He smiles, taking a sip of his coffee. "Lucky fer me, mine still lives close enough that I dinna get much time tae miss him before he's back."
Laughing, Claire shakes her head. "You love that he comes home so much."
"I do, I do," he admits, his ears growing pink. "It does my heart good tae ken my lad still likes me enough tae come back so often."
"Likes you or likes Marsali?"
Jamie guffaws, swatting at her hand. "Ye wound me, Sassenach."
Their laughter settles, and they fall into a companionable silence, both observing the people bustling about around them.
Claire thinks about Julia and how she'll only be twenty minutes away at Harvard, but it's always been the two of them as long as she can remember, so even thirty minutes (longer with traffic, she grumbles) feels like hours and hours.
"I can't believe she'll be at Harvard in three months."
Jamie grins, and Claire tells him how she didn't expect Julia to go to her alma mater, but they have a great Human Studies department where she could study anthropology and archeology, so it just worked out. "It's kind of fun that she's going where my parents and I all went."
The mention of Harvard jolts her mind to the past and a young Claire finding her way around campus without Jamie by her side.
It must bring memories up for him as well based on how he squeezes her hand and his eyes go a little sad.
"Anyway," she says, trying to brush it off, "that man over there has been feeding his dog a muffin and then taking a bite for himself."
She nods her head in the direction of the man situated on a bench across the street.
Jamie's eyes widen, knocking his napkin to the floor "accidentally", giving him the chance to turn around and catch a glimpse.
"That's disgusting," he laughs, and she can't help but join him.
They spend the next half hour finishing their food and coffees, making up life stories for the people that walk by—a man with a hat which Jamie says is going to an appointment about getting a hair transplant, a young woman and her two children bumping into a man that Claire claims is going to be their meet cute and they'll be married within the year. It makes both of them laugh and she can't remember the last time she felt this relaxed and happy.
"Do you have to work any today?" she asks as she comes down from a fit of laughter. "I can go spend time with Jenny or get some work done if you do."
"Nah," he huffs, shaking his head. "It just so happened to work out that I was off this weekend, seeing as I had planned tae be in Boston." He winks, adding, "Though running the place, I guess I never really get a day off."
She grins and runs her foot along his calf under the table. Smiling playfully at him, his eyebrows raise, and he gives her a cheeky, one-sided smirk, asking if she had any particular plans for them today.
Giggling, she shakes her head, knowing exactly what he has in mind.
It feels right, sitting here, holding his hand, just being with him again and knowing they're together.
"Hey," he murmurs, pulling her from her thoughts, "I love you."
She can feel her face heat up, but she smiles. "I love you, too."
Her voice has gone up at least two octaves, of that she's sure, but she can't seem to find the will to care when he's looking at her with those cute, puppy dog eyes.
"C'mon," he mutters, picking up their trash, "let's get out o'here."
He takes her hand in his, leading them off of the bakery's outside patio.
They walk around downtown, gazing at items in store windows and talking. After a while, they end up sitting on a bench in front of the large fountain in the center of town. Their eyes soon find the strangers walking by and they resume their game from earlier, laughing all the while.
The hours pass, and the morning sun starts to heat up even more as it grows closer to lunch time. Jamie takes her to a café she'd yet to try, and they pick up sandwiches to go before heading out of town to Fraser's Ridge for a bit.
They greet Ian when they arrive, but Jamie quickly readies Donas, signalling for her to climb on.
"I… don't know about that," she dismisses nervously. "Can't we just take Skye instead?"
"Och," he grunts, "dinna fash, Sassenach. Donas will be gentle wi' me atop him, too."
He reaches out his hand again, and though she's skeptical, she takes it. He helps hoist her up onto the large beast before climbing on in front of her.
Claire wraps her arms around his stomach, cheek pressed against his shoulder as they make their way up to the orchards.
It's spring time, so there's no fruit growing just yet, but Jamie explains to her what each group of trees will be and how the buds are just starting to grow. "They'll start tae grow over the next few weeks, ken," he explains, pointing at a tree, "and then in a few months, in the fall, they'll bloom into their fruits."
She smiles, listening to him explain everything. His voice is so soothing, and she enjoys the feel of it vibrating in his chest against her own; he could be reading her the phone book and she'd listen.
Jamie stops their horse, tying him up to a large tree. He swings his leg over, hoping down and reaching a hand up to help her off. Donas is huge; she's capable of getting off any other horse, but she's thankful for Jamie's grip around her waist as he lowers her to the ground.
"Thank you," she says, smoothing over the wrinkles in her jeans.
He gives her a quick smooch before they work together to unload the satchel strapped to Donas' side.
Jamie takes out the large navy blanket while Claire pulls out the food they'd picked up in town.
She starts spreading the food out while Jamie gives Donas a carrot he'd brought with him from the barn, talking the whole time about the episodes of How I Met Your Mother that they'd each watched without the other.
"I can't believe you got that many episodes ahead of me," she laughs, straightening a corner of the blanket.
Jamie laughs and shrugs. "Ye had tae work more, long surgeries," he reasons. "And the episodes are short! Before ye ken it, ye've watched five episodes."
She chuckles, telling him he's right, before they discuss Lilly and Marshall's wedding and how chaotic it was.
Handing Jamie his boxed sandwich, she settles into her own spot and opens her container.
They'd gotten turkey and cheese sandwiches, an assortment of fruits and a slice of cheesecake to enjoy as dessert. They talk and laugh while eating, feeding each other bites of the dessert. It's so cheesy, and if it was anyone else she'd laugh at how ridiculous they looked. She normally ribs Jamie for how sappy and romantic he is, but out here, alone, she doesn't care.
"It's so beautiful out here," Claire notes, sighing happily as she leans back on her palms. Her head tilts back, the sunshine warming her skin. It's not too bright, the tree is large enough that it gives them the perfect amount of shade, especially with her fair skin, but it still feels nice.
Jamie smiles, leaning back on a bent elbow and popping a grape into his mouth. "I love bein' out here—so quiet," he tells her. "It's as if the rest of the world has disappeared."
She drops from her hands to her back, staring up at the leaves above them, the grass soft beneath the blanket.
Claire can hear the wind dancing across the grass, bugs chirping and moving around in the distance, and she could just about fall asleep right here and now.
"It's like we've been transported back in time," she sighs, almost quietly enough that only she can hear it. "No one around, no traffic sounds or anything."
Jamie grunts his agreement and shifts. She peeks an eye open, watching as he settles beside her. He bends an arm, propping his head up like it's a pillow.
They stay there, their hands finding the other's in the space between their bodies.
She links her fingers with his, and he tugs her a little closer.
Going easily, Claire curls into his chest. She closes her eyes and listens to his heart beat beneath her.
"This is nice," she whispers, patting his chest. Her fingers trail a pattern against the fabric of his shirt, and she can feel his chest rumble with a little laugh when she hits a particular spot near his ribs. "Ticklish?"
She reaches for the spot again, scratching over it, and Jamie chortles, squirming beneath her.
"Stop that!"
Highly amused, she smooths her hand out over his ticklish spot and moves it back to his chest, not wanting this peaceful moment to end. "How have I never discovered that spot before?" she giggles.
Jamie huffs happily, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He bends his head, pressing a kiss to the top of hers. "I dinna ken," he states, "but I'm glad it took ye this long. Less time fer me tae be tortured."
They laugh softly, lapsing into another silence. Jamie's hand that's been resting on her arm starts to move, grazing up and down.
Before long, though, his touches grow more intent, and that hand that was gently caressing her arm moves to cup her bum. He gives it a little pat, and she snickers, shaking her head.
"You love my arse," she notes, moving a bit to give him more access to it.
"Mm," he grunts, "sure do."
Her hands start to wander about as well, and her lips find his. And for the rest of the afternoon, they lose track of time under that apple tree, snogging away like the teenagers they once were.
{***************************}
When they finally pull themselves from the orchard, Jamie leads them back to the barn to stable Donas for the night.
They say goodbye to Ian, who only laughs and points out the grass stuck in Claire's hair.
She blushes, but can't help the giddy laughter that bubbles out of her.
An hour later, they're home and settled for the night. They've both changed into more comfortable clothes—a pair of sweatpants and a white t-shirt for him, yoga pants and one of his t-shirts for her—and are now milling around the house.
Jamie is upstairs putting a load of laundry on, so she meanders into the library on the main floor. Cuddling up on the oversized chair they'd had so much fun in the last time she was here, Claire wraps a velour blanket around her legs and leans against the collection of pillows to read Forgotten Secrets.
She started it the last time she was here, almost unable to put the thriller-yet-love-story down. Her eyes are glued to the book, excited to see if Riley solves the mystery of her sister's disappearance or not.
"Laundry's on," Jamie says, coming into the library.
She looks up from her book, smiling softly. "Good," she replies, pulling him down for a kiss. "Thanks for washing mine as well. One less thing I'll have to do when I get home."
"It's nae bother," he assures, patting her leg to silently ask her to make room for him.
He snuggles against her among the many pillows, slipping his glasses on and asking what she's reading. She shows him the title and he smiles. "Oh, that's a good one. It's a series, ye ken?"
"Really?"
"Aye, here's the sequel," he says, reaching for a book on the shelf behind them. "I jus' started it the other day, but I love the concept and how in the first one—"
"—Ah, don't tell me!" she exclaims, giggling as she covers her ears.
Chuckling, Jamie picks up his own book and they spend the next half hour silently reading beside one another, wrapped together under the blanket.
When she finishes the story arc she's on, Claire closes the book, leaning back against the pillow. She turns her head to glance at Jamie, smiling at how handsome he looks, glasses perched on his nose and brows furrowed slightly as he reads. "How's your book?"
He smiles, looking over at her. "Great," he answers, giving her a quick rundown of the mystery unfolding in his novel without giving any spoilers of the first book away.
"Sounds interesting," she says, snuggling up to him. He wraps his arm around her, and she puckers her lips. He chuckles, leaning down to press a kiss to her inviting lips. "Can we bring the first one to bed tonight and you read some of it to me?"
"Of course," he says. "Maybe we can finish it before ye leave tomorrow."
Yawning, she nods. "I'll have to take the sequel with me," she says, giggling at the way his eyes grow wide.
"And jus' what would I read in the meantime?"
She shrugs, lips turning down. "Something else?"
He laughs, and she promises to buy her own copy so that they can discuss it together. Jamie smiles and after a few more minutes of reading, he agrees wholeheartedly when she comments on how relaxing today has been.
"Are ye hungry?"
She nods again, climbing over him to get out of the chair. "Come on," she says with a smile, gesturing toward the doorway. "Let's go see what we can scrounge up for dinner."
He closes his book, tucking it beneath his arm as he stands and follows her to the kitchen to make dinner.
{***********************}
Dinner is a simple affair—spaghetti and garlic toast—and once they've cleaned the kitchen and washed the dishes together, Jamie leads them out to the backyard.
"What's all this?" she inquires, looking at him with wide eyes.
The wooden patio has white fairy lights strung up. She's seen the lights before, but never turned them on. It illuminates the backyard beautifully and she spies two chairs adorned with blankets waiting for them.
"You had all of this planned, did you?" she grins, eyeing him in mock-suspicion.
There's a fire pit in the center of his patio, which is now lit, warming her toes. She wraps up in her blanket, pulling her feet up into the seat with her.
Jamie drapes his blanket on his lap, rubbing his hands together and holding them toward the fire.
It's not too terribly cold out now that it's May, but being in the highlands, the wind still has a slight nip to it once the sun goes down.
"I wish we had marshmallows," she says with a chuckle, and Jamie gives her a curious gaze. "For s'mores!" she exclaims.
"Canna say I've e'er had one," he admits, shrugging.
"What!?" she cries, stunned that they aren't a popular treat in Scotland. She runs through a quick explanation, telling him she and Lamb used to make them every summer when they'd go camping. "Even just roasting the marshmallow is delicious," she says. "You have to get it nice and burnt, though, for it to be good."
Laughing, Jamie holds up a finger for her to wait a moment and dashes inside.
Coming out, he holds up a bag of large marshmallows, asking, "I dinna have the graham crackers or chocolate, but will these do?"
"Absolutely," she beams, sitting up in her chair.
Jamie grabs a poker from beside the pit, wiping it off before they take turns roasting their fluffy goodness.
"When I'm in Boston," he says around a mouthful of sticky marshmallow, "ye'll have to show me how tae make a real s'more." She agrees with an excited nod as he adds, "We dinna have graham crackers here, the closest I could get would mebbe be a shortbread cookie, but we can at least try."
She chuckles, holding another marshmallow over the fire and letting it turn black. "No, that's okay," she assures, "but we can definitely make them when you come visit."
After two more marshmallows, Claire closes the bag and rolls the top down, clipping it closed. She places a hand over her stomach, announcing, "I'm so full."
Snickering, Jamie agrees, saying he ate one too many. "But it was worth it."
With a smile, she leans her head back against the chair, letting the fire warm her feet while the breeze cools her face.
Before long, she gets an idea and takes the blankets from the chairs and steps off the patio, Jamie giving her an inquisitive look. "Today was so nice out at the orchard," she shrugs, "Figured we could recreate it here in the backyard."
Claire fluffs out her blanket, smoothing her hands over it before settling onto it and patting the spot next to her.
"Bring your blanket, too."
Smiling, Jamie joins her on the ground and pulls her into his embrace.
They gaze up at the stars for a few moments, the crickets the only accompanying sound surrounding them.
Claire's hand that isn't wedged between them moves up, feeling his heart beneath her palm. She props herself up on her elbow, looking down at Jamie. The starlight and the fairy lights on the patio give him an ethereal glow, and she can't help but lean down, crashing her lips to his.
Her hand cups his jaw and his arm wraps around her waist, pulling her close. She moans into his mouth, grinning into the kiss when his hands move down to cup both of her round cheeks in his palms.
In one swift move, Claire swings her leg over him, straddling his waist. Her hands are on his chest, and she leans in to kiss him again. He meets her halfway, one arm securely looped around her waist to hold her in place, the other splayed out on the blanket to hold himself up.
Sitting in his lap, her legs wrap around him, holding her in place. His hands grip her hips, and she presses a scattering of kisses to his lips, chin, jaw and ear before pulling back.
Claire smiles at him, arms draped over his shoulders. She brings a hand up to run her fingers through his hair, and his eyes roll back and close at the feeling.
She watches him for a moment, observing each and every tiny wrinkle and freckle on his face. She lightly rubs his back, telling him softly, "I love you."
Jamie's eyes open, eyes connecting with hers for the briefest of seconds—whisky on blue with nothing said between them. Then he gives her a beaming smile. "I dinna think I'll ever tire of hearing ye say that." He presses a firm kiss to her lips, adding, "And I love you, mo nighean donn, so verra much." He chuckles a bit and she gives him a questioning tilt of her head.
"What is it?"
"Nah," he breathes, kissing her collarbone. "'Tis just… it feels as if my heart may burst at any moment when I'm wi 'ye."
She laughs lightly, giving his lips a peck. Sliding off of his lap and pulling a piece of hair that had gotten stuck to her lip behind her ear, she jests, "Well, good thing I'm a doctor." She snickers as Jamie rolls his eyes. He lays back down, and she joins him again, snuggling into his chest. She twists so she can fold her arm on his chest and rest her chin there, giving her a better vantage point. "Although, I operate on brains, not hearts."
He snorts, shaking his head. "Ha, ha, ye think ye're sae funny."
"Well you laughed," she shrugs, grinning at him.
They start kissing again, seemingly unable to stop, and they spend the next few minutes letting their hands explore each other's clothed bodies.
Settling down into the crook of his arm, Jamie's warm hand slides beneath her shirt, resting on her lower back.
They grow silent once more, their breathing evening out to match the other's.
"Sassenach?"
"Hm?"
"Ye ken ye're my best friend, aye?"
She tilts her head to look at him, her whisky eyes misting over. She nods and smiles lovingly at him, chin dimpling a bit before she affirms, "You're my best friend, too."
He ghosts a kiss to her forehead, laughing against her skin when she mumbles something about how sappy that was but she loved it. Jamie pulls back, adding, "I'm sae glad we found each other again." She sits up a smidge more so that she can reach his lips, kissing him soundly. They break apart and the corner of Jamie's lips curl just a touch, rolling her onto her back. He climbs atop, kissing her neck, then her lips while her hands land on both sides of his jaw. He pulls back, mumbling, "Let's go inside."
Claire barks out a surprised little laugh. "That… is certainly not what I expected you to say."
He grins sheepishly, giving her a little shrug. "I'd make love to ye right here in the grass all night if ye really wanted to, but I figured ye'd wanna be in my comfy bed tae get a good night's sleep before yer flight tomorrow."
She sighs playfully, rolling her eyes as she presses on his chest to roll him off of her so she can stand. "I suppose you're right," she admits, extending her hand for him to take. She helps hoist him to his feet and they collect the blankets before putting out the fire and heading inside.
{***********************}
Upstairs, Claire steps into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth while Jamie puts the clothes from earlier into the dryer.
When he gets back, she's sitting criss-cross on the bench at the foot of the bed, reading a text from Julia.
She'd sent her daughter a message earlier to check in and let her know things were going fine.
I'll be back tomorrow. My flight gets in at 1am so Joe will come get me so you can sleep.
Julia sends back an eye roll emoji but relents. Fine. I'll see you bright and early Monday morning.
Chuckling, Claire shoots back another message telling Julia how much she loves her and that she'll wake her up when she gets there to say goodnight.
Mom, it'll be like 2am when you get back. I'm positive I'll still be awake.
Not on a school night you won't be, young lady!
Fine, fine… I'll be asleep. Love you.
I love you too, darling. Goodnight. I'll call you in the morning.
Locking her phone, she places it next to her on the bench. She looks up, smiling when she sees Jamie standing at his dresser in front of her. "I didn't even hear you come in," she chuckles.
He reaches for something in the top drawer while asking, "Were you checking in on Julia?"
"Yes," she sighs, telling him how her flight gets in so late, technically Monday morning at one so she won't see Julia until they wake up. "I have Monday off, so luckily I can catch up on some sleep, but I'll get up to see her off to school and then go back to sleep more than likely."
He nods, his hands folded behind his back suspiciously. "What are you up to, mister?"
Grinning, Jamie steps over to her. His hands come from behind his back, and a long string of pearls tumble out of his grasp, dangling from his forefinger.
"Jamie…" she breathes, uncrossing her legs to sit up more, "what's this?"
"I got these fer ye before," he looks down, clearing his throat, "weel, before everything happened." He chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with the hand not holding the necklace. "I ken ye have another conference comin' up in July and I wanted ye tae have something from me tae wear."
He drapes the necklace around her neck, one of her hands delicately reaching up to run them through her fingers. "Jamie, they're beautiful." She beckons him down to her for a kiss.
He pulls her to her feet, palms resting on her rear. Their lips connect, heating up quickly as he moans into her mouth. Claire fumbles with his elastic waistline and shirt, pushing his sweatpants down while he removes his shirt. He draws her near, a heated kiss being shared, before he makes work on her yoga pants. She steps out of them, taking her underwear with them and pulling her shirt and sports bra off. Jamie makes quick work of his boxers before she steps into his embrace once more, skin on skin, the pearls cold against her naked chest. She goes to remove them as well, but Jamie stops her movement. "No, don't," he rasps, kissing her neck. His hand covers her, drawing it away from the pearls. "Leave them on."
He spins them carefully, settling himself on the bench. Tenderly taking her hand, he summons her closer, and she takes her time climbing onto his lap and straddling his waist. Watching him so closely, Claire feels as if everything is moving in slow motion as she situates herself on top of him.
His hands reach around to hold her steady, fingers toying with the dimples on her lower back. She can feel him grow hard beneath her, and she gives him a devilish smile, watching him intently as she lifts up, taking his cock in her hand and sinking onto his length.
Her eyes close briefly, only to open again so that she can watch him. She rocks her hips slowly, eyes never leaving the other. She's mesmerized by the way he is looking at her—as if she's the only thing to exist in this world—and she feels as if they're unhurriedly moving through a fog, trying to find the other.
Jamie breaks their eye contact and leans down, mouth closing around one of her nipples as she sighs out, head falling back in pleasure. A thrill rolls up her spine at the feeling, and her arms drape over his shoulders, watching as he kisses between her breasts, pearls clinking together as his nose nudges around them to her other nipple. He swirls his tongue around her hardened peak, licking up to her neck. His lips spend some time there, sucking and nipping at her skin as she continues to roll her hips against his hardness.
He moves with her, thrusting in and out of her, his cock hitting her g-spot at the perfect angle in this position. His hands find purchase on her waist, moving with her hips as she rides him slowly, tauntingly, torturing both of them in the most pleasurable way.
It's not long before she's crying out, their tender love making almost bringing tears to her eyes. Claire watches as Jamie finds his release as well, biting his bottom lip and burying his nose into her neck.
They stay there for a few moments, both catching their breath and gaining function of their jelly-limbed bodies once again. They share a succession of little kisses, Claire's hand tangling in his red curls and holding his head in place against her chest.
She stands, reaching a hand out for him to take. He does, then walks them in a slow sort of dance to the bed, their kisses slow and lazy.
Jamie gracefully reaches up, removing the necklace and setting it on his bedside table. "Dinna want ye tae choke, no matter how sexy ye look with nothin' on but that necklace."
She giggles breathlessly, feeling drunk on the feel of him. She gives him a slow kiss, gently pushing on his chest, causing him to sink onto the mattress.
They've been building each other up all day—a whole afternoon and evening of foreplay from their roaming hands at the orchard, to their rendezvous in the backyard an hour ago. She's still worked up, and so is he.
Jamie grips her hips, flipping them so she's on her back, looking up at him. His eyes are giving her that wanton gaze they so often do, and she bites her lip, knowing he's just as ready as she is already.
Reaching between them, she takes him in her hand, massaging his balls and telling him in a rasping tone, "I want you, Jamie."
Growling, he leans in, pressing a firm kiss to her lips. He moves her hand off of his balls, pinning it beneath his palm on the mattress beside her head.
She smiles seductively, loving the feel of him holding her arm down in this vice-like grip. He's already hard from her touch and before long, she's writhing beneath his weight, mewling against his lips as his cock presses into her just right. She tightens around him, both of them crying out as they ride out their bliss, coming within seconds of each other.
As their breathing settles back into a normal rhythm, they situate themselves, snuggling together on the bed.
"I dinna want ye tae leave tomorrow, mo nighean donn," he whispers, kissing the top of her head that's tucked beneath his chin, "but I ken ye have tae get back, ye canna stay forever."
She nods, trying not to cry. She's so torn, wanting to be home with her daughter but not wanting to leave this happiness she has with Jamie. "I know," she murmurs, kissing his pec and trying to ignore the way her brain is shouting at her that she could stay forever once Julia is at college; she just has to work up the courage to actually listen to her own mind.
She pats his chest, smiling sympathetically at him. "We still have all of tomorrow, though, so let's make the most of it, alright?"
"Aye," Jamie agrees, "ye're right. And I'll be there in a week fer her graduation."
With one more kiss, they settle for a while. It's just before ten, still rather early, so Jamie turns the television on, letting the next episode of How I Met Your Mother mindlessly play until Claire tells him with a sheepish little grin that she's hungry.
Laughing, they order Chinese food—the only thing open at this hour that has a cheap delivery fee—and throw on pajamas while they wait.
Eating their lo mein in bed while the remainder of Ted and Robin's breakup plays out on the screen, Claire thinks this is exactly the type of night she wants for the rest of her life.
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I hope you enjoyed this first part! The next chapter will be up Monday or Tuesday. Please let me know what you thought in the meantime!