Chapter Seventeen:
The next day, Joe and his wife, Gail, stop by to get the girls, saying they're taking them on a fun adventure.
"Pedicures and walking around Target," he whispers to Claire, but the thought of the girls going out without her or Jamie flares her anxiety up.
It's still so soon after the trial, what if something happens?
Jamie massages her shoulders, leaning into her ear. "It'll be alright, Sassenach," he promises, "John said he'll send an officer in casual clothing with them."
Well, okay, then. That eases her mind somewhat.
Letting her shoulders relax, she agrees with a hesitant smile, sending the girls upstairs to get their shoes on.
"Bye, Mama, bye, Daddy!" Faith calls, Bree echoing behind her with the sentiment.
"I'll get you both something from the dollar spot!" Brianna calls in her excitement.
Laughing, Jamie says, "Big spender!" and kisses them both on the tops of their heads.
Claire closes the door after thanking Joe and Gail again, and when she turns around, Jamie is right behind her, smiling brightly. "What are you so smiley about?"
"Ye're just sae beautiful."
She rolls her eyes, stepping around him to walk toward the kitchen. She'd been cleaning up their late breakfast when Joe had arrived, so she wants to finish loading the dishes while it's on her mind.
Jamie joins her, John and Hector joining them upstairs.
Sophia is on Hector's hip, bouncing excitedly in her pinstriped bathing suit. "Pool time!" she calls, clapping her hands together.
Hector sets her down, telling her to hold still while he puts the cover-up over her head. She's bouncing on the heels of her feet, John laughing as he explains they are going to head to the neighborhood pool before nap time. "Wear her out so she sleeps longer, you know?"
Chuckling, Claire nods, "That's always my plan, hence why I bought a house in a neighborhood with a pool."
Jamie waves to the trio as they make their way to the living room and out the front door, turning to face Claire.
He takes the dish towel from her hands, placing it down on the sink. "I ken ye're worrying about the girls," he murmurs, taking her hand and pulling her to him. He wraps his arms about her waist, adding, "And I ken that's why ye're frantically washing those already clean dishes."
Snickering, she nods, biting her lip. "You're right. I can't help it, though."
"They'll be fine, mo chridhe," he assures, kissing her temple. "How about I take ye to lunch, hm?"
The offer stuns her, stops the gentle swaying they were doing. They haven't gone out in public since all of this started happening, it was too dangerous before the trial. It's a nice thought, though, being out in public with her husband again, so with a nervous smile, she accepts his offer.
"Ye know," he drawls, brows bouncing as he looks down at her, "we're all alone in this house, for the first time in months."
She smirks, nodding, "Your point, sir?"
"Aye, ye ken my meaning just fine, Sassenach," he says, grabbing her by the hips and lifting her onto the kitchen counter.
She lets out a startled laugh, snickering as he leans in, peppering kisses to her jaw, down to her throat.
"No one," he says, placing a kiss to her collarbone, "is here," his tongue laves up her neck, "to hear us," he finishes, teeth nibbling on her earlobe.
Thank God her husband is tall enough that he can still reach her ears while she's on the counter, because this is so hot, she doesn't think she could move even if he wanted her to.
"Mm," she hums, arms circling around his shoulders, "and what did you have in mind, Mr. Fraser?"
Smirking, he taps her hip, silently commanding her to lift up. His fingers work quickly with the button on her jeans, shimmying them down her hips and tossing them onto the floor.
He lowers his body to be eye level with her sex, pressing kiss after kiss to her inner thighs, already working her up.
Heat floods her, and she can feel the blush creeping up her neck as Jamie hooks his thumb in the band of her thong, pulling it off as well.
She momentarily thinks of her bare ass on the kitchen counter, and how unsanitary it probably is, but, well, she just finished meticulously cleaning it, so, "Remind me," she pants, "to clean this counter when we finish."
Jamie chortles, pulling back from her sex to look up at her. "Christ, Sassenach, even talking about yer cleaning habits is turning me on right now."
Grinning, she wriggles herself to the edge of the counter, leaning back on her hands as she offers herself up to her husband.
He licks his lips, tormenting her as he takes his time, kissing everywhere but where she needs him.
"You're a tease," she breathes, pressing herself closer to his lips. "Please, Jamie."
He huffs out a laugh, the cool air hitting her clit and making a shiver run through her.
Before she can beg again, Jamie licks up slowly, tantalizing, taking his time and driving her mad with want. "Yes, Jamie," she whimpers, one hand reaching out to grasp his curls, holding him in place as he takes her clit in his mouth, sucking hard, then lightly, then hard again, bringing her to the precipice of her release with his teasing.
He pulls back, and she has to suppress a groan of frustration as he smiles up at her wickedly, reminding, "There's no one home, Sassenach. Let me hear those squeaking noises."
Grinning, he dives back in, adding two fingers inside her, working her up closer, so close that she doesn't even think she'll have time to make those squeaking noises before she's shouting his name.
Oh god, fuck, this feels amazing. Being able to freely be loved by her husband, with no kids, no friends in the basement, is wonderful, and she's suddenly very thankful to Joe for taking the girls out today.
"Jamie, fuck," she pants, writhing beneath him.
She can feel herself growing wetter by the second, her husband sucking up every last bit of her right there on the kitchen counter. "I'm—I'm so… so cl-close," she tells him breathily, a moan escaping on the tail end of her sentence.
Gripping his hair tighter, he groans into her sex, maybe at the pain of her grip, she doesn't know, but she also doesn't care, this feels too fucking good. And the vibration of his groan sends her over the edge, coming on his tongue and fingers with one more cry of his name.
He pulls back, licking his lips. Jamie kisses up her thighs to her hip, peppering wet kisses there before standing before her parted legs.
Leaning in, he kisses her, and the taste of her on his lips just about makes her come a second time. "I taste good on you," she purrs, reaching down to rub at his erection through his jeans.
"Christ," he breathes, pulling back to smile at her.
She takes the opportunity to slip from the counter, her shirt falling back to its rightful place.
Standing there, pantless in her kitchen, she feels so sexy, so wanted, so with that feeling, she spins Jamie, pinning him to the edge of the counter she'd just vacated.
She leans in, smirking as she kisses him, then trails her mouth to his ear. "Your turn," she whispers, and she can feel his cock twitch inside his jeans against her thigh.
Chuckling seductively, she toys with his zipper, yanking his jeans and boxers down simultaneously. They pool at his feet, and he kicks them off, sending them somewhere beside them.
"Weel then," he says hotly, grabbing her arm and pulling her to him. He kisses her roughly, pulling a moan from her lips at the sheer lust she can feel in his kiss. "That only seems fair," he murmurs when they break apart.
She's breathless already just from his kiss, but she smirks, taking control again as she sinks to her knees. "Sure is," she croons, cocking an eyebrow up as she takes him in her mouth.
{***********************}
Two hours later, she finally starts getting ready for their date.
They'd planned to go earlier, but when Jamie had pointed out that they were alone in their house for the first time in, well, months, they couldn't pass up the opportunity.
Once she'd brought him to his own release, swallowing him down, he'd taken her hand, and their clothes, and chased her upstairs, having her again on their bed before they decided they needed to actually get ready for their date before everyone came home.
It's nearing five o'clock now, and she'd texted Joe to let him know their plans. He's assured her to go and enjoy their date; he'd take the girls to an early dinner and then to the park to play.
She locks her phone, sliding it into her purse as she descends the stairs, catching Jamie's eye as she does.
"Claire," he whispers, almost to himself, as he eyes her up and down. She's put on her sexiest red dress, form-fitting and sits just below her knees, but low cut enough to give him a nice view of her cleavage without being overtly raunchy. The cap sleeves make it elegant, while still making her feel sexy. She's paired it with black pumps, and as his eyes draw up from them to her face, he asks, "Are ye… mad, woman?"
Her head tilts as she reaches the last step, placing her hand in his outstretched one. "What?"
"I can see every inch of ye, right down to yer third rib."
She looks down with a playful pout, checking out her own cleavage, tugging at it a bit, before looking back up to him. "No, you can't."
He grins, and she gives him one right back, as he pulls her closer, joining him at the bottom of the steps. "Ye're like a red, red rose, mo ghraidh," he growls into her ear, her core suddenly in need of him again at the way he rolls his R's dramatically for effect.
Her breath grows thick, panting in his embrace, but she gathers herself with a calming breath, knowing they need to leave now or they never will.
With her hand in his, he kisses her one more time, then leads them to the car for their first official date in years.
{*********************}
Lunch, really a semi-early dinner at this point, is beautiful.
They're seated at a table that overlooks a lake, and she watches as the sun starts to lower in the sky, casting the world in hues of pinks and oranges.
She sighs, looking across the table at Jamie. "It's beautiful this evening."
"Mm," he hums his agreement. "'Tis." He takes a sip of his wine, smiling over the rim of it as he adds, "No' a thing in this world, though, that could compare to how ye look right now, Sassenach."
She rolls her eyes at him but can't help the smile that forms on her face. He was always such a cheesy romantic, and that hasn't changed a bit.
"Seeing you today…" he trails off, reaching across the table to take her hand, "it was as if I stepped outside on a cloudy day and suddenly the sun came out." He smiles brightly, his meal apparently forgotten as he stares into her amber eyes.
"Jamie," she whispers across the table, biting her lip. "I love you."
"I love you, too, mo chridhe," he tells her, thumb rubbing over her wedding band, "more than anything."
They finish their meal, savoring their last few moments alone before they head back to the fun house that's still filled to the brim with people.
"Murtagh said he wants to stop by tomorrow or Sunday," Jamie tells her, taking the last bite of his steak.
She nods, saying that's fine. "The girls will be thrilled," she grins.
"I love that they love him sae much."
Smiling, she agrees while she settles back into her seat, smiling at the waitress as she takes their plates and glasses.
Jamie takes her hand again, both sitting in peaceful silence for a few moments. The sun is starting to lower even further in the sky, and Claire comments on how beautiful it is against the lake.
"Do ye want to go walk around down there?" he asks.
Looking over at him, she beams, saying she does.
Jamie pays the bill, still with his card under the name Alexander Malcolm, and they leave, walking hand in hand like giggling teenagers as they make their way to the lake.
There's a rock path around the lake for patrons, and the gravel crunches under her heels. She's a bit wobbly-legged, which she'll blame on the heels and not the wine, but she loves it nonetheless.
"It's gorgeous out here," she sighs, linking her arm through Jamie's.
It's a blessedly cool night for the summer time, not causing them to sweat from the heat of the day. There's a slight breeze now that the sun has lowered, but it doesn't require any jackets. It's perfect.
When they get to the other side of the lake, Jamie points to a bench the restaurant has in place. It's perched on a small, wooden deck, a pergola above it covered in white fairy lights and greenery. It's romantic, a bit rustic, and she loves it.
They sit on the swing, Jamie's arm draped over her shoulders as they sit and watch the sun shimmering against the lake's surface.
"Claire," he says, pulling away slightly, enough to turn his body and look into her eyes. His tone is serious, and she grows nervous, fearful that something has happened that he or John hadn't told her about yet.
She turns as well, their knees touching as she nervously asks, "What's wrong?"
Taking her hands in his, he brings one of her hands up to his lips, kissing her wrist, before letting their joined hands rest against his knee. "Nothing, mo ghraidh, nothing."
Breathing out, she lets her shoulders relax, still not completely convinced.
He grins, apologizing for worrying her. "I just wanted tae bring ye here today, to let ye ken how thankful I am that we found each other again."
She smiles, softer this time, more relaxed, the tension leaving her body. "I'm thankful, too, Jamie. All of this is so crazy, but I guess the universe just wanted us to be together."
Smiling, he agrees, leaning in briefly to kiss her lips. He pulls back before she can give in to the feeling, making her giggle. He thanks her for supporting him through the trial, and she squeezes his hand, assuring him that she wouldn't have been anywhere else.
"I'm no' sure what our future holds, as far as where we will live," he says, and she nods. It was a conversation they'd had before the trial, knowing that once it was all over, he'd be released back into his life again if he so chose, and they both loved North Carolina, but she also loved her job and being so close to family. It was complicated, and they hadn't reached a decision just yet.
"I dinna care where we live, Sassenach, sae long as I'm wi' you and the girls."
She nods, knowing she feels the same way. She could always get a job at a hospital in Wilmington, but leaving Murtagh and all of their friends would be hard, especially now that they knew Jamie was actually alive. It was all so complicated, and if she thought about it too much, she'd get a headache.
"I ken this may be redundant, but," he takes a nervous breath and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small box as he sinks to one knee in front of her. Tears spring to her eyes, and she bites her lips, listening as her husband says, "I ken we're technically still married, but it's been far too long, and I want ye to ken just how much I love you." He smiles, a nervous, teary-eyes chuckle leaves him as he fumbles to open the box. "Claire Fraser, will ye marry me… again?"
Those tears finally fall, crying and laughing as she peers into Jamie's eyes. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away from you," she states, and she doesn't care what the ring looks like, hell, the box could be empty, she just loves this man with all of her heart and soul. "Yes," she breathes, taking a calming breath. "Yes, yes, yes, you idiot, of course."
She laughs, flinging her arms around his neck as he stands to his feet, bringing her with him.
Jamie pulls back, taking her right hand. "I didna want tae put it on top of yer old rings," he says, "'Cause I ken when we get marit again, I'll be sliding another band onto that finger." He reaches over, taking her left hand and kissing her wedding band and original engagement ring.
Going back to her right hand, he slips the ring on, her eyes finally glancing down at it. "Is that amber?"
He smiles, rubbing over the new ring. "Aye," he chuckles, saying the color of it reminded him of her whisky eyes. "Plus I ken how ye always loved those expeditions wi' yer uncle, and ye told me once that ye found a dragonfly in amber and kept it for years."
She nods, giggling slightly. "I still have it!" she tells him, "it's in my box of Uncle Lamb's things."
He grins at her, bringing the new ring up to kiss. It has a gold band, the amber stone centered in the middle with two smaller diamonds on either side. It's simple, not too gaudy, and she loves it, knows she'll wear it every day along with her other wedding rings.
"You've got me all blinged out now," she laughs, holding up both hands, and Jamie laughs, shaking his head.
"Is it too much?" he asks, his face falling, "Ye dinna have tae wear it if it is, I—"
"—Jamie, it's perfect," she assures, cupping his jaw. She leans in, pressing her lips to his, letting them linger there for a moment, enjoying the feel of cool metal against both ring fingers.
She can feel Jamie's tears hitting her own cheeks, and she pulls back, wiping his tears away.
"I'm just sae glad ye still love me," he admits, kissing her again. "It's always been forever for me, Sassenach, and I was sae afraid when we found each other again, and ye told me of Frank, that ye might care for him more than me now, that ye might've gotten over me after all the time."
She shakes her head vehemently, tears pooling in her own eyes. "That amount of time doesn't exist."
He swallows thickly, and she watches as his Adam's apple bobs. She can tell he's holding back a sob as more tears fall from his blue eyes. Jamie brings her to his chest again, gently swaying them in his arms. He begins to hum, and she giggles, wiping away her tears, "You're still a terrible singer."
Snickering, his chest heaves beneath her head and he agrees, but he continues to hum anyway, providing them with just enough music to dance slowly to.
After a few moments of contentedness, Claire's phone buzzes, pulling them from their bubble they'd created.
It's Joe, saying they were on their way back with the girls, fed and full of energy, and she grins, showing Jamie the text.
"Guess we better go, then," he chuckles, reaching down to take her purse and hand it to her. "Ready, Mrs. Fraser?"
"Ready, Mr. Fraser."
With that, she links her fingers with her husband, letting him lead her to their car and back to their children, and the whole way home, she stares at the amber ring on her right hand, dreaming of the day that she gets to marry her husband again.
{**********************}
There ya have it! I've posted what her red date dress and new engagement ring look like on Twitter ( sbstevenson2 on there too!) if you want to see it for a visual!
Thanks for reading... Please let me know what you thought! I will be posting the final chapter on Tuesday (*cries*) and the epilogue will be the Tuesday after Christmas. Thanks again so much for all the support you guys have given me over the last few months; it means a lot! 3