Without Remorse Chapter 2 Crash Meeting
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
He unpacks the last box and decides to go to the local restaurant. Cooking can wait until the next day. He locks the door, turns and , runs straight into the most beautiful lass he has ever seen.
“Ofh,”she grunts as his huge frame collides into hers.
“Iffrin! Crips, so sorry lass.” His hands come out to catch her. They accidentally glaze her breasts. He turns red and quickly moves them to her arms. “Sorry.” He mumbles.
She is breathless at the unexpected contact with his body then his hands. She lifts her eyes slowly up to his face. If she thought he had a good body, his face is breathtaking. His ruddy eyebrows go up when she stays silent. He opens his mouth to say more and her tongue is unlocked. “It is okay. Seems you are my neighbor unless you were visiting someone, a girlfriend?” Oh subtle Claire, she fusses at herself inside her head.
“Nae, nae girlfriend. I am your neighbor.” He goes to offer his hand and realizes they are still holding her arms. Bloody hell! “Omf,” he makes a Scottish noise of embarrassment and drops them, “Jamie Fraser.” He offers her his hand.
“Claire Beauchamp.” She takes it. “Nice to meet you Jamie.
“You to Claire. I am sorry it was with such a bang.” Her musical laughter drifts through the hall and straight into his heart.
“That is one way to put it. You were heading out Jamie?”
“Aye, unpacked the last box and was going to celebrate with dinner. You?”
“The same. Just didn’t feel like cooking tonight.”
“Get that.” He starts to shift around. “Ah, would you like to join me. It is the least I can do after knocking into you.” She hesitates. “I am harmless my faux paz not with standing.” She doesn’t doubt that. Her concern is the way her blood seems to race through her blood with his touch. Damn.
“I would love to dine with you Jamie.” Love to do more then that, she adds in her head. What exactly is wrong with her? If she wouldn’t sleep with her ex after two years, why is she thinking of doing it with a guy she has known not even ten minutes.
“Brilliant. Shall we go?” He actually offers his arm. Charmed, she places her arm through it.
“So, this is a gap year for you also?” she asks as she places a chip on her mouth.
“Aye. I know what I want to do. I will be going into the family business.”
“Running Lallybroch.” His blue eyes shine as he talks about his home. “It is an old manor house, well over three hundred years old.” She whistles before taking a sip of the soda. He nods. “Aye, she is an old but grand lass. A small working farm and destination house. We host wedding receptions, weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties, all kinds of things. I will study business. How about you?”
He starts working on his burger as she answers. “I am not as sure. I have always thought about something in the healing arts but not sure if I want to be a nurse, midwife, tech, or what. Part of what this year is about, to figure that out.” She shrugs as she takes a bite of her own burger. They eat in silence for a few minutes.
“I think it is okay to not be sure. You are young.”
“I bet you are my age and you know.” He nods as he swallows.
“I was born into it. What do your parents do?”
“My dad is a salesman and my mum is well, a mum and wife. She has always been at home.”
“Laudable. No interest in sales, eh?”
She laughs again and he knows he can spend the rest of his life listening to it. His hand starts to shake and heart, pound. He places his shaking hands in his lap. “Oh no. Dad was always away. I saw the toil it took on my mum. I would never do that to someone I loved. Not,” she emphasis, “that I believe dad harmed mum and I on purpose. I just don’t want that life.”
“Understand. So it is just you three?”
“I have an older sister, Jenny. She just recently got engaged to my best mate Ian.”
“Oh, what do you think about that Jamie.” She leans closer and the urge to kiss those partly parted lips almost becomes to much.
“I was angry, at first, when they started dating but, now I see how happy he makes her and I am happy for them. Not, mind you, that I didn’t tell him that if he hurts her ever, I will tear his head clean off.”
“As your right as her brother.”
“To right. How about you Claire? Anyone making you happy?”
“You,” she almost says aloud. Thank the saints, she catches herself. He would think her crazy. “No, I am not currently dating anyone. I have an ex. We dated for a few years but, it just didn’t work. I loath a cheater.” She shrugs as she finishes the last of her crisps.
“Bloody.. err, sorry Claire. Men like that..”
“Yeah, how about you? Did you leave any broken hearts when you left?”
“There was a lass I dated for awhile. She was just not mature enough. I was ready to start my adult life and she was still stuck in teenage immaturity.”
She giggles. “And how old are you Mr. Fraser?”
He grins. “Eighteen and see your point but am trying to be more mature and she wasn’t.”
“Get it. Besides it probably better to start a gap year free. It is a bit of exploration, after all.” That sent thoughts to his head, thoughts of stuff he had yet to do but longed to with her. He blushes and is glad there in a booth where his erection wouldn’t be seen. She would think him a full on pervert if she knew what he was thinking.
“That it is.” He longs to ask how much exploring she has done but that would be totally inappropriate.
They finish up as he thinks thoughts to get his cock to go back down. He then walks her home.
“Thank you for dinner and nice company.” She says when they get to her door.
“I hope it made up for our crash meeting.”
“It did and them some. I had a wonderful time.”
“I am glad.” He wants to kiss her but is to shy or excited. He fears one kiss won’t be enough.
“Well, I will be here if you want me.”
Ah want, why did she use that word? It was all he could take. With a groan, he takes the few steps that bring her in front of him. He studies her amber eyes and sees the same war being fought in them. His eyes then drop to her lips. “Okay?” He wouldn’t if she didn’t want it. She nods before saying,
The please has his blood running hot through his veins. He licks his lips and drops his head down. He knows with the first taste that he would never want to kiss another. He also knows he was right. One would never be enough.
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