CHAPTER 21

SEX WARNING!

In a blink of an eye, another three months had passed.

The biggest event of that time had, in fact, been the wedding of Benjamin Allaway and Sarah Shaw.

The surprise of the news spread like wildfire 2 months before when Benjamin proposed. When it reached Skylar, she immediately went to him to ask about it. As much as she disliked Sarah, she didn't want her to be in a one sided marriage, like she had kept him from entering with her. He told her that it was time for him to stop acting like a boy and instead be the grown man he is. He saw everyday how much Skylar and Ian loved each other and he knew that no matter what he did, no matter how many fights he and Ian got into, she would never look at him the way she looked at Ian. He needed to accept that and begin to move on. When Skylar brought up her concern for Sarah, he explained that he did love her and care for her, just not yet to the extreme that Sarah did for him. He was hopeful that once they had married, were on their own and started a family, he would begin to reciprocate her feelings. He promised Skylar that he would give Sarah the life she deserved and she would never feel less than.

Skylar trusted Benjamin to keep his word and was able to watch their wedding in happiness while sitting next to the love of her life and their son on his lap.

During the reception, Skylar saw Ian and Benjamin go off together for a while and the anxiety bubbled in her stomach that something would go wrong. But when they came back, both unscathed, Ian told her that Benjamin wanted a truce so that they can live on the same land peacefully with no more bad blood between them. Ian agreed, as that's what he wanted as well.

And that truce had yet to be broken. They were getting along so much better than anyone had ever expected them to. They weren't "friends" yet, but that they could have a civil conversation with each other and be in the same room with no tension was a major win in Skylar's eyes. Ian was even comfortable with Ollie spending time with Benjamin again. The other man was important to his son and didn't want to keep him from anything that would make him happy. But Ian always stuck close by whenever the two were together.

"Just in case," he would say.

But he had nothing to worry about with Ollie. Since the night he had called Ian "Daddy" for the first time, the affection Ollie had for him only grew. They were spending so much time together, Ollie even choosing to be with Ian on his own without Skylar sometimes.

They would play together, or Ollie would follow his father around while he did his chores on the Ridge, helping and pretending to do the same work, and he would always give Ian the biggest hugs at bedtime and when he woke up. If he ever had a nightmare, he would ask Ian to sing Lavender's Blue along with Skylar.

Before long, it was almost as if Ollie had known Ian for his whole life instead of just the last few months. Ian couldn't hide his happiness over it, and neither could Skylar. They were, at last, the family they had always wanted for themselves.

It felt like they were at a place in their lives where everything was absolutely perfect and nothing could go wrong.

One morning, Skylar's eyes fluttered open as she felt Ian kissing her neck.

She smiled and chuckled sleepily. "Good morning to you too."

"Whenever I touch ye, I'm always surprised at how soft yer skin is." He kissed down to her shoulder as his hand worked under her nightgown and stroked back and forth on her thigh, going higher every time until it settled on her lower stomach.

Though his hands were warm, she felt goosebumps form everywhere he touched. She was definitely getting turned on and wanted to continue this further.

She rolled onto her side to face him, making his hand rest on her bum. The way he was looking at her still gave her the same butterflies as it did when they first got together.

"I swear, ye are always the most beautiful when ye first wake up."

"When the shadows under my eyes are at their worst and my hair looks like a bird's nest? Yeah, real sexy."

"Sexy? Is that a word from yer time?"

Hearing that word come out of his mouth made her cheeks heat up. "Yes. It's a word you use when you think someone is very attractive."

"Then ye are absolutely the most sexy person that has ever walked this Earth."

"Right back at'cha, Youngin'."

She moved in closer to him and kissed him slow, expecting him to pick up the pace. But she was pleasantly surprised when he kept the same rhythm.

After a minute, he squeezed her butt which prompted her to throw her leg over his and roll on top of him. They continued to makeout out at the same slow speed.

Both of his hands now gripped her ass, and she very softly started to grind against his already semi-hard member. She moved her mouth down his jaw to his neck and collarbone, making a path of deliberately featherlight kisses.

His grip on her tightened as he closed his eyes. His breathing was getting heavy but he kept it quiet. Her teasing him like this usually drove him insane and he would push things along quickly. But right now, he was actually liking how slow they were going.

Skylar was too. They so rarely had time when it was just the two of them, and since Ollie had spent the night with Germain, they had the room to themselves and decided to use the opportunity to take their time and really enjoy each other.

She could feel him growing under her, and the gentle friction she felt from rubbing against him was making her ache for him. Keeping eye contact with him, she sat up straight and peeled her nightgown off over her head and threw it to the side.

"How do ye take me breath away every time I look at ye?"

She just smiled and put her hair behind her shoulders so it wouldn't cover her breasts. She moved down him a little so she could undo his pants, then let him take them the rest of the way off. She then took hold of his cock and stroked him just enough so that he would be really ready for her.

Ian forced his eyes to stay open so he could watch her. He let out a moan from deep in his throat as he did.

"You want me, Ian?"

"If ye'll have me."

Knowing that was his yes, she lined herself up with him and lowered down onto him. Her eyes closed and her head fell back as she felt him fill her. After taking a couple breaths to compose herself, she looked back at him and his eyes were still locked on her.

She placed her hands on his chest, with his having moved back to her rear, and she started moving. She lifted herself as much as could and would sink back down, still keeping their slow pace.

They both let out small quiet moans, grunts and sighs. They didn't want to be loud and ruin the mood they had made.

Ian flipped them after a little while so that he was on top of her.

"It's easier te kiss ye like this," he told her. He pressed his lips against hers and continued to thrust into her.

Skylar wrapped her legs around him and softly drew her nails up and down his back. Ian left her mouth and attached his to her breast, nipping and sucking the delicate skin.

"Fuck, Ian. Omigod," she sighed.

He started to move just the slightest bit faster and moaned against her chest.

"Christ, Sky. I canna think straight when I'm inside ye."

Skylar moved his face back to hers to kiss him again.

Unfortunately, their perfect moment was ruined by someone knocking on the door.

"Ian! Are ye awake yet, lad?" they heard Jamie call.

Ian froze and lifted his head. Skylar dropped her legs as they looked to the door. He knocked again.

"What do we do?" Skylar whispered, laughing.

Ian put a finger to his lips. "We canna make any sound, aye?" She nodded. He picked up her leg and hooked it securely around him. He then began moving again, but this time, much faster and harder. Her nails were no longer pressed gently into his back.

They still heard Jamie's voice come through, "Ian! Ye canna sleep all day, man. Yer needed."

Ian pounded into her even faster. He locked his mouth on the part of her neck that connected to collarbone, where he knew she was most sensitive, and sucked hard on it.

Skylar bit her lip to keep silent when he hit that one spot inside of her. She was getting very close to the edge and the smallest bit more would send her over; which Ian was determined to do.

Jamie knocked again. "I can hear ye movin' around in there. I ken ye can hear me. Open the door."

Ian brought his hand down to Skylar's clit and rubbed small circles on it. Two seconds later, she hit her high and bit his shoulder to muffle what would have been a scream. Feeling her muscles clench around him, he exploded into her. He held back his cry as much as he could and buried his face into her neck.

Another knock. Ian knew that if he kept Jamie waiting or if he walked away before he could get to the door, there would be hell to pay. Not wasting any time, he took a brief beat to recover and bring his head out of the lusty fog, then pulled out of her and jumped out of bed.

"Just a moment, Uncle Jamie! I'm comin'!" he called. He put on his pants without buttoning them and just grabbed his shirt from where he had discarded it the night before as Skylar fought to catch her breath. She sat up, covering herself with the blanket and smoothed her hair, trying to appear as normal as possible.

Ian sprinted to the door and threw it open. There stood Jamie, not looking entirely pleased.

"Finally," he said, walking in the room. "I was about te break down the door. I was worried ye might-" He stopped short when he got a good look at his nephew with his pants open and struggling to put his shirt on. Already fearing the worst, he made himself turn to look at his daughter sitting in bed.

"Good morning, Dad," she greeted him with a smile, clutching the blanket to her chest for dear life.

Jamie saw both of their faces were very flushed, and he could hear Ian trying, and failing, to keep his breathing steady. It was too clear what they had been doing that made Ian not able to answer the door.

Feeling incredibly awkward, for the second time that day unbeknownst to them, Jamie cleared his throat and said to the young man, "There's a herd of buffalo nearby that's been spotted. We're leavin' te hunt in 15 minutes. Meet us downstairs when yer…decent."

"I'll just be another minute," the mortified lad promised. His uncle gave him a single nod in response. He gave one to Skylar as well, though he did not look directly at her, and he hurried out.

When he was gone, Ian closed the door behind him and leaned against it, facing Skylar. They started laughing.

"So much for going slow," she said.

"He still has the worst timin'," Ian commented as he walked back to the bed. He sat on the edge of it next to Skylar and put a hand on her lower back. He leaned into her and retook her lips with his, going back to their slow pace.

When she pulled away to speak, he attached his mouth to her neck instead and kissed down to her shoulder.

She stroked his arm that held her and said, very breathy, "Do you remember, years ago, when Dad saw the mark you put on my neck and went after you with his knife?" He chuckled against her skin, and the vibrations from it sent chills down her spine.

"Only every time I close my eyes."

She smiled. "And now, he walks in and can clearly see we actually just had sex, and he's so unbothered, more or less."

Ian brought his face back to meet hers. "Well, considerin' Ollie is a person and how he came te be alive," he dragged his hands down her back to her butt and pulled her forward, making her collapse on her back. He moved on top of her and finished, "he should ken this isna the first time I've bedded ye."

He kissed her again, forgetting all about going slow. He put his hand under the blanket and she spread her legs just enough so that his fingertips gently massaged her inner thigh.

Though her body screamed at her not to, she put her hands on his chest and pushed him up to break their connection.

"No, no, no, we can't again. You need to get downstairs before Dad comes back in here and drags you away by your cock."

He moved the blanket so he could get to her breasts again. "I dinna want te," he whined against them.

Skylar giggled. "God, you're worse than our two year old." She forced his head up and held onto it. "You go hunting, I'll dye some cloth, and then, when you get back, I promise that you will have my complete and undivided attention." She barely touched her lips to his for half a second. He chased after her to kiss her, but she pulled back, making him groan.

"I dinna care if it's a damn squirrel. I'm goin' te kill the first thing I see, then come right back here." He gave her another passionate kiss, then made himself stand up. He took his time finishing getting dressed, having a hard time focusing on buttoning his jacket instead of Skylar's exposed bare leg. He couldn't stop himself from kissing her one last time, and then he finally left the room.

When he was gone, Skylar smiled and dropped her head back into her pillow, laughing to herself out of pure happiness.

After collecting Ollie from Marsali, Skylar brought him to play with one of his friends and left him with the other boy's father to look after them. She then made her way to the front yard to join the others.

Once a month, all of the women of the Ridge would come together to dye muslin and plain white cloths and fabrics into a new color for them all to use. Skylar always participated and genuinely enjoyed it.

As she and Brianna were helping to set up clotheslines for the cloth and get the materials set up, Claire came over to them with an amused twinkle in her eye.

"Girls," she said when she neared them. They turned to face her. She looked like she was trying to hold back laughing and they didn't know why. "I had quite the conversation with your father before he left." Skylar and Bree looked to each other, not sure what she was talking about. Claire continued. "He told me that he found both of you in rather…compromising positions when he came to collect Roger and Ian this morning. So, I just wanted to tell you that he is now blind."

They both couldn't help but cackle at the image of Jamie going to Claire to explain what he had just been through.

"Oh no, poor Dad," Skylar said. She looked at her so sister. "You too?"

"In Roger and my's defense," Bree argued, "we weren't actually doing anything. We were just…in a state of undress from the night before." She was turning pink as she explained and rubbed the back of her neck. "Sky?"

Skylar felt awkward saying this in front of her adoptive mother, but she admitted, lowering her voice so the gossips around them wouldn't hear her, "We were literally in the middle of it when he knocked on our door and wouldn't leave."

Bree's mouth dropped. "Omigod! What did you do?"

"We kept going. We just…sped up the process."

"Thank God he put that lock on your door," Claire commented.

"Omigod, if we didn't have that and he had just walked in like Fergus did that time, the trauma for all three of us would be too much to handle. I swear, I love you Claire, and I love living with you and Dad, but Ian and I really need to think about starting plans for our own cabin."

The subject was dropped as everyone began to prepare the dye and get to work.

Though it didn't feel much like work. Laughter, chatter, jokes and gossip filled air. Skylar couldn't remember when she had been smiling this much. She also enjoyed talking with some of the other mothers of young children on the Ridge of the clothes they planned to make for their sons and daughters out of the newly colored fabrics.

"All of our children are going to be matching," she joked. "We won't be able to lose them but we won't be able to tell them apart."

At the moment, she was with Claire, Bree and Lizzie, washing the cloth so it would be prepared for the blue.

"Tis a good day fer dyein'," Lizzie absent mindedly commented. The other three couldn't help but chuckle at her choice of words.

"I hope you mean the cloth, Lizzie," Claire replied.

"You sounds so ominous," Bree followed.

The three Fraser women then took the now washed cloth in a basket over to a large basin of hot water with the dye mixed in.

"Did you always know you wanted to be a doctor?" Bree asked Claire.

"I never really allowed myself to dream of such a career," Claire answered. "It wasn't easily available to women when I was your age. You know, being a nurse, that was about as much as I could have hoped for."

"You seemed pretty single-minded about it later on though."

"Yeah, I mean, I can't imagine you possibly being anything else, Claire," Skylar put in. "It seems like it's the job that you were born to do."

Claire went on, "Well, I had to be determined. No one was going to open the door for me. But if you're lucky enough to know what it is that you're meant to be –"

"What if you don't know?" Bree interrupted. "Or, if you do know but you just can't do it?"

"Well, for most people, life as they find it is often the life they lead. Now, is this about Roger or you?"

"Both. We talked about maybe teaching here at the Ridge. Just made me think about how I can't apply my calling here."

"I understand how you feel, kind of," Skylar said. "When I first got here, and decided to stay, I had no idea what I was going to do with my new life. I thought maybe Dad would teach me how to be a printer. But I worried that I was going to feel empty or unaccomplished. But after meeting Ian and then having Ollie, I realized that they were my calling. If I can die with the knowledge that my child and, hopefully soon, husband loved me and I was happy with them, then I'll know I had a very accomplished life."

"And I love so much that you feel that way, Sky. I'm so happy that you're so happy as a wife and mother. But…I don't know if I can feel the same for myself. Does that make me a terrible person.

"Oh my god, of course not, Bree. No two people lead the same life."

Claire then went on, "Sometimes, it's doctor, healer, a witch. But I'm not afraid of what they call me because that's what I was born to be and will be until I die, as Skylar is as wife and mother. If I were to lose either of you, or Jamie, I would never be quite whole. But I would always have that left. You're an engineer, Bree. Whatever it is the call that here, you just have to find a way to be that."

"Yeah, you can engineer some of the 20th century into the 18th. Like maybe pads, or tampons. Please? I beg you?"

Bree laughed. "What about Da? Does he know what he is?"

"Oh, he knows," Claire answered, laughing a little.

"I also know. He's a fricking cat with 9 lives, that's what he is. He's an adrenaline junkie," Skylar teased. "Along with laird of the Ridge."

"Is he content with that? Being a laird, I mean. I'm sure he's too happy to get in danger all the time."

Claire shook her head and smiled. "You're not wrong, Skylar. But along with that, a laird. A husband. A father. Those are no small things to be. be patient, Bree. If going back to our time isn't a possibility, Roger will find his purpose. And so will you." She stroked her cheek with her thumb comfortingly.

The subject was then dropped and their attention went back to the job at hand. But Skylar could feel the uncertainty coming from Bree. She felt for her sister and hoped that she would find said purpose that Claire mentioned, and that it would be in this time.

A couple hours later, the group were on the last few pieces and large dark indigo rectangles flowed in the wind on the clotheslines. Skylar looked up from where she was hanging one when she heard a familiar bark. She saw Rollo leading the way with the men of the Ridge following, back from hunting. The other women noticed them too.

Skylar smiled when her eyes locked with Ian's and a memory from that morning washed over her, making her feel warm.

Marsali left the clothesline to meet Fergus as he got off his horse.

"How did you do?" she called to him.

"No luck," he answered.

"Nothing at all?" Claire confirmed

Josiah explained, "We followed a small herd of buffalo, but they moved off more quickly than we thought they might." He couldn't mask the disappointment he felt, especially since he had been the one to spot the herd and initiate the hunt. Skylar felt bad for him.

"That's okay," she tried to comfort him. "We can't read animals' minds or know what they'll do. You're a good hunter, Josiah, for noticing them in the first place."

The teenager just gave her a half smile, then got off of his own horse.

"Did Uncle Jamie manage te find anythin' on his way back?" Ian asked.

"No, he hasn't returned yet," Claire replied.

"Roger either," Skylar added.

"We thought they were with you."

Skylar saw the very quick look of confusion on Ian's face when he heard that and it made her a little nervous.

"How far did you go?" Bree questioned.

"Te the other side'a the Ridge, near the boundary of your land," Ian told her. "We got separated in the hunt. He said we'd meet here come dusk."

Fergus put his arm around Marsali's waist and suggested, "Maybe Milord decided to make camp."

"That must be it. He knew Roger couldn't handle the deep dark scary woods at night," Skylar joked, nudging Bree.

"Ha ha, very funny," her sister retorted. But the two and their mother still exchanged a look that they had a feeling something was off.

Ian handed his horse off to one of the other men then made his way to Skylar. He walked around next to her where she was hanging up the newly blue cloth and whispered to her, "So about that deal we made this morning?"

She smiled. "I think that's gonna have to wait until later. Your son has been asking about you."

Ian's eyes went from looking over Skylar right back up to meet hers, any lust immediately gone and joy replacing it.

"Really? Has he?"

"He has." She turned to him from the cloths line. "He's been leaving his friend and running up here again and again, asking me when you were getting back."

"Where is he now?"

"He should be around back." Ian couldn't turn on his heel fast enough to go find Ollie. "Woah, woah, woah," Skylar stopped him, grabbing onto his coat. "Can I get a proper hello first before you disappear on me?" She gave him a flirty smile and he understood. He smiled back at her and leaned down to give her a long, sweet kiss. When they pulled apart, she said to him, "You're excused now, go play." He laughed, kissed her cheek, then all but sprinted to the back of the house.

Skylar sighed watching him go. Bree came up beside her with her arms crossed and teasingly said, "My, my, Mistress Murray. But I do believe you just might be in love." She gently knocked her shoulder against hers.

Skylar just rolled her eyes, amused, and the two got back to work.

As much as Skylar was reveling in her happiness, it was interrupted with the nagging thought that something was wrong with Jamie and Roger and that's why they weren't back yet. She tried to brush it off as just her anxiety, but that anxiety kept growing during the rest of the day and into the night. Some worst case scenarios infiltrated her thoughts and she did all she could to shut them up.

They're fine, she told herself over and over. They're not in trouble. Fergus has to be right. They just made camp. Maybe they're trying to finally do some father and son-in-law bonding. I'm just being paranoid.

But convincing herself of this was too difficult to accomplish.

That night, she sat up in her bed, leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, just trying to stay calm.

Ian then walked in, saying as he took off his jacket, "Ollie all set at Bree's. I canna help but get the feelin' that that child enjoys spendin' more time wi' his cousins than wi' us."

Ollie and Jemmy had begged their parents to let them have a sleepover that night, and Brianna was more than happy to take them both. She said that she would need all the brave strong men to protect her as she could without Roger there that night. The three adults had laughed watching said "men" giggle in glee at being told yes.

Skylar chuckled lightly at Ian's comment, opening her eyes. "I would believe you if I didn't just watch Ollie be stuck to your side all day today." She then closed her eyes again to focus more on her breathing.

Ian couldn't help but stare at her for a moment, taking in how beautiful she was. He then stripped off his shirt and made his way into their bed.

"But the upside of that," he continued, "is we have the room te ourselves again and the chance to have a do over of this mornin'. We can go slow and take our time like we wanted." He put his hand on her upper thigh under her shift, and used the other to pull down the collar to kiss her shoulder.

Skylar gently took his hands off of her. "I'm sorry, Youngin'. But I can't right now."

"Are ye alright, Yank?" He moved over a bit to be able to get a better look at her. She was twisting her hair and looking down at the sheets. The discomfort she was clearly in concerned him.

"I…I'm really really worried about Dad and Roger."

"Why, love?"

"I just have a bad feeling. Why wouldn't they have come home like Dad told you they would? He's nothing if not a man of his word. It feels…off."

Ian took her hands off her hair before she twisted it so hard to would pull out. He kissed her hands and held them, rubbing his thumbs over them. "Dinna fash, Sky. I'm sure they're fine. They may have just lost their way in the dark and wanted to wait til it's light to come back."

"Dad knows every inch of this land like the back of his hand, he would never get lost. Even in pitch black."

"Maybe they continued huntin' fer a while longer and decided te make camp fer the night."

She let out a large breath. "Maybe." She didn't believe that though and Ian could tell.

He squeezed her hands, and tucked a little bit of hair behind her ear. "Try not te fret over it, Yank. Though I ken fer ye that's easier said than done." She smiled. "I can near guarantee that they'll both be back before ye wake up in the mornin'."

"I will choose to believe that." She looked up from their hands and felt ten times safer when she met his eyes. She suddenly felt a little guilty. "I'm sorry I can't do sex tonight. I know I said we would and I was looking forward to it. But right now, I would not be able to enjoy it properly or focus on making you feel good."

"There's nothin' te apologize fer. Ye can always say no when ye want te. Ye dinna have te lay with me every time I ask just because I do."

She cupped one of his cheeks and drew her hand down his face. "Why can't men like you exist in the 21st Century?"

"Well, if there were through, ye might have met one and not have come here."

"Thank God that didn't happen." She kissed him "Let's try to sleep."

"Do ye want me te give ye space tenight? I ken ye dinna like te be touched when ye feel like this."

"I would actually love it if you held me right now."

Ian smiled. "I would love that too."

They both laid down, and Ian wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him so that she nuzzled her face into his neck, feeling comforted by his scent and body heat.

I TOLD YOU I WOULD BE BACK! I'm sorry it took so much longer than anticipated. But I hope you're all ready for more adventures with Skylar because I am ready to share them!

You are all so wonderful and I can't express how much I love ye all and thank ye for being so patient with me. The fact that you're all still here astounds me and I'm forever grateful. I wish I could give each of you a big hug.

Once more, I love ye all verra much and I will be back with 22 so soon!