#AND HIM VERY TENDERLY TAKING THE LAMP FROM WILL HENRY BEFORE PUSHING HIM INTO THE FUCKING HOLE??? PROBLEMATIC KING <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[professionallydeadinside]

Forever thinking about how Kearns is the actual funniest character like what do you mean he just killed that guy with his bare hands at the end after lulling him into a false sense of security sdfghjhgfd

[angryschnauzer]

Bubbles

Summary: After a long hot day at work and a nightmare journey home, you find your husband has a very welcome and refreshing surprise for you in the form of a full size jacuzzi in your back garden.

Pairing: Captain Syverston x Female Reader Wife (no race or size mentioned)

Fandoms: Sand Castle (Movie), Henry Cavill.

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, Established Relationship, Semi Public Sex, Fingering, Oral (Female Receiving), Unprotected Vaginal Sex, Creampie, Alcohol consumption.

I do not run a tag list, but please follow @angryschnauzerwrites​ and put that blog onto notifications for future stories. All past works can be found on there or on my AO3.

Bubbles

It had been a long day. Work had been hot and sweaty, customers were grouchy and some even tried to pull the 'speak to the manager' bullshit, even though you were the manager. Traffic had been a nightmare, your car deciding that the middle of a heatwave would be the perfect time for the air conditioning to stop working, simultaneously with a truck of maple syrup hitting the central concrete barrier and spilling its sticky load. 

Snerk. You snorted a laugh through the sweat. Sticky load… your husband would have made a whole bunch of dirty comments and jokes about being covered in sticky loads. You couldn't wait to get home to see him, it was the fact that he had now retired from the Army and would be happily waiting for you at home every night that made each day worthwhile. 

When Sy had finally retired you'd wept tears of joy, every day was a blessing. You'd discussed what you were both going to do with jobs, your contract was up in 3 months time, Sy was drawing a military pension and had saved a considerable nest egg. He'd also taken to industrial upcycling; making lamps and coffee tables out of engines and car parts, which had been massively popular. You had to admit when you saw him in his workshop with his acetylene torch and welding mask on, cutting enormous chunks of metal in half and creating brutal beauty from the elements you were immediately turned on by the raw virility of the sight.

When you eventually pulled onto the driveway, a quick glance towards his workshop told you he'd finished for the day, and as you let yourself into your house you called out to him;

"Sy?"

"Out here" came his slightly muffled reply, and you realised he was probably sitting on the patio out back, nursing a beer.

"I'm gonna run upstairs and take a shower, the aircon in my car has stopped working"

"Darlin, come out here first… i got something that'll refresh you"

Rolling your eyes you started to unbutton your blouse;

"Really Sy, i'm all sweaty and stinky…"

"Woman…" he growled;  "I said get out here…"

If any other man had called you 'woman' you'd knocked them out, but you knew Sy and for him it was a term of endearment. Quietly walking through the kitchen you reached the back door and patio;

"Sy…" you started to speak, but was cut short when you saw what he'd been referring to.

Sat on the corner of your patio, shielded from view by the trellis covered in Clematis blooms was an inflatable hot tub, bubbling away with your mountain of a man sat in it, arms spread out on each side as he held a beer and grinned at you;

"Told ya' i had something that'd cool you down"

Pressing your hand to the side of it you tested the water, smiling when you found it the perfect temperature;

"You bought a hot tub?"

"Rented. Wanted to see if we liked it before we made the investment. Why don't you get in and give it a go?"

"Sure, i'll just go get changed into my bathing costume"

Sy's glinted with mischief;

"Why? I ain't wearing one…"

You weren't sure;

"Its rented? Is it clean?"

"Spent all afternoon flushing the system and giving it a full wipe down, even though the rental company says they do it after each use… i know how you are with hygiene" he moved in the massive tub, moving to the side where you stood;

 "Now are ya gonna get naked or am i gonna have to rip those clothes off of ya?"

A minute later you were climbing in, work clothes hastily discarded in a pile on the patio, Sy holding your hand as he guided you into the bubbly water and you immediately let out a long low moan as the jets of water soothed and massaged your weary body;

"Oh Sy… this feels amazing…"

"C'mere…"

His massive hands cradled your torso, pulling you through the water until you were able to straddle his lap, his mouth meeting yours for a fierce kiss. As your tongues danced together he smoothed his hands over your back, massaging the day's stresses away to the point where let your head tilt back. Resting in his strong arms you let your back touch the water, smiling as the warm summer breeze danced over your breasts, before that skilled mouth was on your breasts, sucking on one nipple then the other, before he shifted and you were floating on the water, his mouth on your pussy. 

You weren’t the tiniest of girls, but you had utter trust in Sy that he could hold you up whilst eating you out. The man would easily heave around 10 foot iron beam railroad tracks to make into coffee tables, he’d pushed his truck home when the engine had died and that is no mean feat when it comes to a Ford F350. So with that knowledge safe in your mind you could thoroughly relax and let his tongue work magic on your clit as his beard tickled your folds. You came with a cry and he swallowed down your essence, before lowering you into the water and onto his lap.

As he lowered you you felt his hardness seek you out, sliding through your folds before you reached down and positioned him at your entrance, wrapping your arms around his shoulders as you let yourself be slowly impaled on his shaft. With the worries and stresses of the day easing away with each blissful bubble that popped on your skin you sought out his lips for another kiss as you started to ride him, the friction palatable as the noise of the motor covered the sighs and moans the two of you were making. Sy’s hands firmly gripped your ass, pulling you up and down on his gnarled shaft;

“Fuck… You look so fucking good riding me Darlin’. Definitely gonna get a permanent one of these installed… might get you a coupla’ white bikini’s as i’d love to see these titties through the soaked fabric, would be such a treat…” he grinned at you; “A titty treat…”

Grinning at him you squeezed your pelvic muscles, finally shutting him up so you could concentrate as you chased your orgasm;

“Sure Sy, i’ll get a white bikini… you want me to do the gardening in it too? Watching me on my hands and knees as i plant the petunia’s?”

“Woman, i’ll fucking take you from behind right on the lawn if you do that” he growled, thrusting his hips up sharply and finding your g-spot. One of his hands crept around your hip and between your bodies, seeking out your clit as he ran his calloused thumb over the sensitive nub. From the way he was bouncing you on his lap you could tell he was getting close, his teeth gritted as he tried to hold off from cumming, but with no luck. His hands gripped your hips to stop you from moving in the hope it’d delay his orgasm. You watched as his eyes rolled back in his head and his head fell back against the side of the spa, thrusting his hips up as he swore out a litany of curses as his body reached its peak before he’d have wanted to;

“Fuck fuck fuck… ah god… i’m sorry… fuck…”

Cradling the back of his head in your fingers you stroked at the short hair as you dipped your head down and pressed open mouthed kisses to his neck and shoulders. With his eyes still shut he pulled a hand out of the water and raked it down his face before looking up at you, his blue eyes sparkling;

“Ah fuck i’m sorry Darlin’... lemme see about getting you sorted…don’t get off just yet…”

He slid his hand back between your bodies, his thumb back on your clit. His other hand moved to your breasts, using his mouth on one nipple as he pinched the other between his thumb and forefinger. Writhing on his lap you could feel your orgasm rapidly approaching, Sy knowing exactly how to play your body like a guitar as you sang out your siren song that was a blessing to his ears. 

As your orgasm washed over you Sy held you in his arms, letting you ride out your pleasure as he relished the feel of your body surrounding him. Slumped in his arms you nuzzled at his neck, happily riding the waves of pleasure that echoed around your body. 

“You ok there Darlin’?” Sy purred, smoothing his massive palm over your back like a giant bear paw.

“Hmmn” you hummed, stopping mid response when you felt him shift and realised he was hard again; “Sy?”

He looked at you, a smirk on his face as he cocked an eyebrow;

“Darlin… you know when i blow my load real fast i’m ready for another round… your sweet little pussy massaged me back to full health” he pressed a kiss to your nose; “Now turn around and bend over, hand on the side… i’m gonna rail that juicy pussy from behind, see how many times i can make you cum before i shoot load number two”

Manhandling you in the water you let out a shriek as he thrust into you from behind, your walls still tight from your previous orgasm and he did exactly as promised, splitting you open from behind as his powerful thighs railed you harder than the transcontinental express. With his heavy ballsack slapping against your clit you were soon cumming again, Sy fucking you straight through it before he brought you to another orgasm soon after as he filled you with another sticky load.

As you both tried to recover from the energetic synchronised aquatics he pulled you flush with his chest as he sank down into the water, letting you lay back against his chest as your bodies were still joined. His hands skimmed over your torso beneath your breasts, cupping them tenderly;

“We’re getting one of these, right Darlin’?”

“Hmmm, absolutely”

You sat there for a good half hour, cradled in Sy’s arms as you told each other about your day, before your skin wrinkled and it was time to get out.

-

Later that evening Sy had driven the pair of you to the main hardware store in town that he’d rented the Spa from, and you’d ordered the parts and equipment for your very own one. As Sy had started getting deep into conversation with the sales guy who turned out had also recently retired from the Army you tugged on Sy’s sleeve;

“Honey, i’m gonna pop to Walmart next door”

“Sure thing Darlin, i’ll catch up with you in fifteen minutes”

Just as promised Sy found you fifteen minutes later as you browsed through the clothing section, and you spotted that he was swinging a small clothes hangar from his finger;

“What you got there?” you asked

Sy held it up and your eyes practically bulged out of your head; He had found the tiniest white bikini, that although was your size, was little more than three small triangles of fabric connected with the thinnest of strings;

“Exactly what we discussed… now i see ya got a bottle of tequila and some snacks, how about we head home and we can test this out?”

Grinned you nodded;

“Just one thing…”

“Yeah Darlin?”

“We need to grab a few more of those… there’s no way that is gonna survive one wear with you around”

Nodding in agreement Sy grinned, taking the basket from your hand as he wrapped his free arm around your shoulders;

“See, that’s why i married ya’, thinking ahead…”

He pressed a kiss to your hair as he led you back to the display of swimwear, grinning as you pulled out numerous other cheap pieces of swimwear, knowing full well Sy would destroy them as thoroughly as he destroys your pussy.

[thebrochtuarachs]

All That Was Good - Chapter 3

A/N: This story has just been a delight to write. Thank you to everyone who loves and comments about this story. It absolutely warms the heart. <3 As always, comments and suggestions are always welcome. :) Stay safe!

This story is also on AO3

xxxxxx

Faith.

It was as natural as breathing when Claire knelt and caught her daughter in a tight hug. 

“Ma!” Faith chimed and it swelled Claire’s heart. She couldn’t stop the tears that feel even if she tried. Seeing her photo in the wallet and now, in the flesh in the span of 5 seconds was more than enough to break Claire down. 

But it was definitely more for Jamie, who by now, has completely lost it. He was openly crying in awe and disbelief for the daughter he’s never seen or met but prayed with all regret that he could’ve. After everything that happened in Paris and even though they have settled it between them, deep inside his mind and heart, Jamie blamed himself for her loss. 

Hearing Jamie sniffle and wipe his nose and face, Faith turned to him and quickly reached out her arms, requesting him to carry her. Without hesitation, he picked her up and held her close to his heart. 

Pushing herself up from his shoulder, Faith turned to Jamie with a question. “Da, sad?” 

“No, no, not sad. Da is verra verra happy right now.” he quickly assured his daughter with the biggest smile on his face. “We’ve just missed you so much” 

Faith mirrored his smile as Jamie continued to take her in. “She has your eyes.” he remarked to Claire. 

“And your everything else!” Claire jokingly scoffed back at him. She then, squinted and too, shook her head in wonder. “Jamie, I - “

“I know. I can’t believe it either.” Jamie finished the sentence. He opened his free side to her and she quickly slided in, wrapping Jamie and their daughter together in her arms as close as she could. 

The next five minutes have been the most blissful time yet.

-

If the Beauchamps or the Frasers noticed Claire and Jamie’s puffy eyes and tear-streaked faces when they came to the dining hall, they (thankfully) didn’t mention it. 

To Claire and Jamie, everything was new - but to the foursome in front of them and the baby between them, it was practically routine and regular. 

Brian, Ellen, Henry, and Julia were talking about the latest in business and social events they were planning to attend. Claire and Jamie tried to keep an ear out to get some clues on what their families may be doing at this time but it was proving to be hard when there’s a two-year old, red-headed Fraser calling your attention every minute whether it was giving her food, her giving them food, wiping her clean, and listening to her stories in the past week she was with grandparents. Between the two, Jamie and Claire focused on Faith, savoring everything about her. Everything else can wait. 

They were taken out of their focus when Ellen asked Claire a question. “So, Claire, darling, what was the news ye had to tell us?” 

Claire swallowed the food she was chewing and looked at Jamie, a silent conversation ensuing between them. Jamie looked at her belly and maybe got her answer. It was the only thing of significance they could think of at the moment. 

“Oh, our news” She put her utensils down and everyone followed suit waiting to hear what’s next. “Well, Jamie and I are very happy to share that little Miss Faith here…” she tickled Faith’s belly resulting in a short giggle. “...is going to be a big sister.” 

They waited with baited breath for any reaction and hope that it was information they haven't told before. A few seconds later, all four grandparents erupted in celebration with the news, standing and looping Jamie and Claire into taps and hugs. 

“How far along are you?” Julia asked. 

“About two to three months. We just found ourselves.” Claire replied. 

“Have ye told anyone else?” It was Ellen’s turn to ask. 

“No, you guys are the first to know” 

“Can we tell the rest of the family, then, give them a quick call?” Brian chimed. Jamie and Claire nodded even thought they weren’t sure the extent of it. However, Brian offered the list immediately after. “We’ll call Willie, Jenny and Rabbie. And of course, we’ll reach out to your Uncle Lamb.” 

Jamie quickly clutched Claire’s hand and she did the same. Their entire family and more. 

It wouldn’t be far fetched that Claire and Jamie might think that they may have died and gone to heaven because this was everything. But until that reality falls down upon them, they will take this experience and make the most of it. 

“We should plan to get everybody here together and celebrate, maybe in another month’s time?”

“I agree, plan for a proper celebration. Plus, I think Lamb would also like to be out of the house once in a while.”

“It’s a date then!” 

The parents made all the arrangements and Claire and Jamie were just left to happily agree. 

-

The four grandparents continued their catch up to the library and Claire and Jamie decided to explore the estate. They brought Faith with them, not wanting to part with her just yet, even though the little girl was napping on Jamie’s shoulder. 

“Uncle Lamb must be in his 80s now but from what I gathered from my mom, he’s still strong but prefers to stay at home these days.” Claire shared, pulling out a cloth and wiping a drool from Faith.

They’ve checked the family photos and deducted what they could. In this time, William Fraser was married to Mary McNab, Jenny and Ian are together and already have wee Jamie and Maggie, and Rabbie is still in uni finishing his studies. 

Further reviewing the contents on both their wallets, what they’ve found so far are: Lallybroch is a whiskey distillery, Jamie and Claire are based in Glasgow, where Claire’s a nurse, and Jamie heads the Glasgow branch of the business - thankfully, jobs that are not necessarily out of their range. 

As for how they met, their past, and other information to their present, nothing much on that end yet. Maybe once they head to their own home, they’ll find more answers. But for now, they believe they have enough information to process but more importantly, let go a bit to focus more on Faith. 

The day passed rather quickly, with Jamie and Claire coming back to the house to cool off. They made their way to the living room, laying Faith down in one of the solo sofa chairs while they settled on the other. 

Jamie pulled Claire beside him and kissed her temple in reverence. She, in turn, cuddled closer to him, crossing her legs on top of his. Soon, sleep took over both of them once again, a much deserved nap as they adjust to today’s time. 

-

Jamie and Claire were woken up when they felt something trying to grab or climb at them.

“Oh, hi, darling. Did you have a good nap?” Claire asked Faith, she herself sitting straight and waking. 

“Yes. Are we going home now?” Faith asked as she bear hugged her mother. 

“Not yet. We’ll stay one more night and go tomorrow.” 

It was nearly dinnertime and one of their parents might’ve opened the lamp to give the space some light. Claire turned to Jamie and found him tenderly looking at the both of them. 

“I dinna have the words, Claire.” Jamie sighed and began. “I ken meeting our parents is one thing but meeting her, seeing her, feeling her, talking to her…” he reached to brush Faith’s hair. “Seeing what it is of her or me that is in her, watching ye become a mother…” Jamie shook his head. “I could talk about it all day, Sassenach. But after ye, this has been the best blessing in my life. And I promise ye, I wilna take it for granted.” 

“We won’t take it for granted, Jamie.” Claire reiterated their commitment. She, then, turned to their daughter to ask “Do you want to cuddle with Da next?” 

Sure enough, the little lass pulled out of Claire’s embrace and proceeded to go to Jamie’s. He put his nose in her head and breathed her in. “Mo nighean ruadh, tha gaol agam ort”. He grabbed Claire’s hand and placed a kiss on her knuckle. “Mo nighean donn, tha gaol agam ort” 

“I love you, too, Jamie.” she replied, squeezing his hand in agreement.

“Love too, Da” Faith said so simply and Claire and Jamie could just not stop the tears from flowing. 

Unbeknownst to them, outside the door, Ellen accidentally overheard their unusual conversation when she was coming to get them for supper. Throughout the day, she’d observed some things are rather different but nothing to be alarmed of. However, the chat did leave her a bit confused.

Letting the thoughts pass her mind, she knocked on the door loudly and got the family for dinner.

[smartgirlsaremean]

My Heart’s in the Highlands - Chapter 10

Fandom: OUAT, Hamish Macbeth

Pairing: Bellish

Rating: T

Summary: With Rumplestiltskin gone, Belle can't face going back to the Enchanted Forest without him. She leaves Storybrooke forever, travels the world, and ends up in a small village in Scotland, where she meets a constable with a very familiar face.

For ghostwriter107, who said "I really want to see Neal and Emma visit Belle. I would love to see Neal's reaction to Hamish and his uncanny resemblance to his father. How would he react? Would he think his father is alive and pulling some trick on Belle? Would he get emotional, because Hamish is more like the Spinner Rumpel that Neal idealized and adored as a boy? How would Henry and Emma react?"

This chapter doesn't answer all those questions, but it does answer some of them.

AO3

Chapter 10 - When the Vision Dies

“Mornin’, Belle.”

“Morning, Hamish. What can I interest you in? Is today the day you finally give in and read Austen?”

“That day may come, but not yet.” He handed her his book. “Just droppin’ off, today.”

Belle took the book from his hand, her fingers brushing his lightly as they always did. Her touch sent a little shiver up his arm and down his spine.

He never used the bookdrop.

“Any great plans for the weekend?”

“Oh, aye,” she grinned. “I have another date with Will tonight.”

He smiled. “Oh? An’ which ay his tales will he be regalin’ you with this time?”

Her teeth caught her lower lip. “Macbeth. ”

“...Oh.”

Belle’s lips twisted in a smirk. “Mmhmm. Just me, a glass of wine, and a mad Scotsman.”

Shite. Was that a line? It sounded like a line.

He so wanted it to be a line.

“That's your idea of a good time, is it?” he asked, leaning towards her a bit across the desk.

She smiled impishly and mimicked him so that their faces were only half a foot apart. “Definitely.”

Her lips were so close and surely, surely he wasn’t imagining that hitch in her breath. Hamish leaned a little closer, catching a whiff of her flowery perfume, watching as her eyelids fluttered and her eyes dipped to his mouth.

The library door swung open and Belle practically flew backwards, her cheeks flaming. Hamish bit back a growl and kept his back to the newcomer, hoping whoever it was would bugger off.

“Excuse me, has anyone seen a lost little koala in these parts?” The American accent sounded grossly out of place to Hamish’s ears. He looked up just in time to see Belle light up like a Christmas tree.

“Neal!” she squealed. “Oh my God!” She raced around the desk and Hamish turned to watch as she launched herself into the arms of a darkly handsome man. They hugged and laughed, and Hamish felt his gut cool and harden as he took stock of the intruder. A couple of inches taller than him, dark wavy hair, twinkling dark eyes with just the smallest hint of crow’s feet at the corners, and a million-watt smile that he imagined would weaken the knees of any female in a ten-mile radius.

Hamish hated him.

Belle had drawn away from “Neal” and was gazing up into his face. “You look amazing,” she said. “New York agrees with you.”

“You look pretty great, too,” Neal said, squeezing her shoulders.

“How’s the family?” she asked.

“Good. Missing the others, y’know, but mostly we do okay.”

“Right.” Belle seemed to get lost for a moment staring into the man’s face, and Hamish wanted to hit something. He settled for clearing his throat. Both of them turned to look at him and the man froze, his face flashing the same disbelieving expression he’d seen on Belle the first time they met before she fainted dead away.

“Oh, God, sorry, where are my manners? Hamish, this is Neal Cassidy. Neal, Hamish Macbeth. He’s the constable here.”

“So you’re, uh...you're Hamish, huh?” Neal shook his head slightly, stepped forward, and held out his hand. His voice was oddly hoarse and his eyes were fixed on Hamish's face as if he were trying to see through his skull. “It’s, uh...it’s good to put a face to the name. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Och, really?” Hamish gripped the man’s hand tightly before immediately dropping it. “Wish I could say the same.” Neal’s eyebrows rose, the strange expression fading slowly to be replaced by faint amusement. “What brings you here, Mr. Cassidy?”

“Just checking up on Belle,” he answered, slinging an arm around her shoulders and squeezing. He still hadn't looked away from Hamish's face. “I know she’s smarter than pretty much anyone around and can take care of herself, but she said this place was home, so I thought I’d see what all the fuss was about.”

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Belle prodded.

“Oh, yeah. Reminds me a bit of my hometown.”

“Where is that, exactly?” Hamish asked.

“A little place you’ve never heard of.”

“Try me.”

Neal finally looked away and rolled his eyes. “Longbourn.”

Oh. He really had never heard of it. Damn.

“Well, I suppose I’ll leave you two tae...catch up,” Hamish said quietly, hoping the man had a car parked outside. He shoved his hands in his pockets and strode out the door, tension in every muscle. There was a car, and Hamish stood in front of it for some time, debating his options. There was what he could do, what he wanted to do, and what he should do, and the could and wanted were winning the fight in a big way.

But he’d been trying, since losing both Alex and Isobel, to control his less...refined...instincts. He couldn’t help wanting to punch Cassidy in his handsome swarthy face, and he couldn’t help wanting to break every lamp on the bloody car, but he could walk away instead. So he did.

“Holy crap, you weren’t kidding.”

Belle, who had watched Hamish leave with a slight frown on her face, turned to Neal and saw that he looked shaken.

“You said he looked like my father, but...I mean, that is just really weird.” His eyes looked misty and Belle put a hand on his arm.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just…” He took a deep breath. “I haven’t seen him in...how old is he, anyway?”

“Late thirties, at a guess.”

“Papa was thirty-six when I was born.” Neal’s voice was strained. “I never got to see him when he was...I mean he was never rich but there were better days when he was happy...when I knew him he was always poor and sad and…”

“He’s not your father.” Neal blinked and shook his head, and Belle took his hands and squeezed hard until he met her eyes. “Neal, he isn’t. He was born in this land, in this town. His name is Hamish Macbeth and he has never stirred from this corner of the world his whole life. Glasgow and Lochdubh, that’s all he knows.”

“But he looks...and he sounds… I kept waiting for him to call me 'Bae.' I swear, Belle, he..."

“I know. Believe me, I know. But they’re not the same man.”

At last Neal nodded, breathing deeply. “Sorry. I didn’t think he'd be so…or that I'd...”

“It’s okay.”

“You said it would be a shock. I feel a little dizzy.”

“I fainted, if that makes you feel any better.”

Laughing, Neal pulled her into a tight hug. “God, you’re the best. Show me around this town of yours.”

The town was abuzz with the news of the visitor. Belle had closed the library at midday in honor of escorting her guest around town, hanging on his arm and laughing at his jokes. Try as he might, Hamish couldn’t escape them. If he didn’t seem them personally, he heard of them from the townsfolk. Speculation was rampant. She’d never mentioned a boyfriend, but perhaps she hadn’t expected to see him again. It was all anyone talked about.

Later that night, Belle and Neal treated the entire village to a demonstration of the fact that handsome blokes from the city had the upper hand over short constables from the backcountry. They weren’t at all physically affectionate - even sat on opposite sides of the table - but they talked and laughed and smiled all through dinner, and Hamish was fairly sure he was going to be sick.

He’d been at the bar for nearly two hours before Belle apparently noticed him, and then all of a sudden she was at his side, all breathless smiles and glowing eyes, and begging him to join them.

“You really should,” she pressed. “I think you’d like Neal a lot. You have so much in common.”

“I’ll bit we dae,” he muttered, draining his glass of whiskey. “Nae thenk ye, I’m braw whaur I am.”

“What?” she leaned closer to him. “I can’t understand you when your brogue gets that thick.”

“I said,” he enunciated carefully, “leave. me. alone.”

Belle drew back as if he’d slapped her, and he felt a little bad about that, but then he was a little scared because her face hardened and she gripped his shoulder and pulled him off the stool. “Get outside,” she snapped. “Right now.”

Shite, she was terrifying like this. He squirmed away from the painful pressure of her long fingernails as she half-pushed, half-pulled him out the door and onto the sidewalk. “Jesus, hen, yer hans ur loch claws!” he hissed.

“Oh.” Her anger dissipated to be replaced by concern, and she released him and rubbed his shoulder tenderly. “I’m sorry, I...I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Well, I’m out now. Whit dae ye want?” He tried to be unaffected by the gentle pressure of her hands soothing away his hurt.

“I want to know why you were short with Neal this morning and downright mean to me just now.”

Oh, hell. He wasn’t even close to ready to have this conversation. He shrugged. “Bad day. Sorry.”

Her eyebrows lowered. “You were perfectly pleasant until he showed up.”

Well, yeah, when he thought he was finally going to get to kiss her, he’d been practically jolly. Hamish shrugged and looked at the ground, feeling like a child receiving a scolding for bad behavior.

“Hamish, you’re not...you’re not jealous of Neal.”

Of course he was. He was so jealous he could hardly see straight. But he couldn’t tell her that.

“No, ay course no',” he muttered, digging the toe of one shoe into the pavement.

“You are.” Belle sounded awed and remorseful all at once.

“Shouldnae be,” he said a little more clearly. “It’s no' as if we...we…”

Belle took a deep breath and tugged on his arm, leading him across the street to sit on the low wall there. She dropped her hand from his sleeve and folded her hands in her lap. “Neal isn’t my boyfriend or lover or anything like that,” she said calmly, looking past his shoulder and out at the sea. “He’s my...well, I guess you could call him my stepson.”

“Eh?” Hamish twisted his head until he could look into her eyes. “How’s that? He’s your bloody age!”

Shrugging, Belle began to fidget with the hem of her shirt. “I know I’ve mentioned a man in my past. He was...well, he was a bit older than me. We didn’t have the chance to get married, but I got used to thinking of Neal as my stepson.” She smiled shyly at him. “He’s married with a kid, so I guess I’m a step-grandmother, too.”

“Hell,” Hamish breathed. “I’m sorry, Belle.” He felt like an ass, spoiling her reunion with someone so important to her.

“Me too. I should’ve told you about him. Of course,” she added wryly, “it’s hard to find a casual way to work your grown sort-of-stepson into the conversation.” He snorted a laugh and silence stretched between them for a few minutes.

“You ne’er talk about him, y’know,” Hamish said at last.

“Neal?”

“Nah, his dad.” Hamish racked his brains for the man’s name and came up empty. “I dinnae think ye’ve even told me his name.”

Belle dropped her gaze to her hands and was quiet for so long Hamish worried she was angry. “Gold,” she finally whispered. “His name was Roderick Gold.” He didn’t press her, and it was another minute or so before she spoke again. “He didn’t have the best reputation. He was wily and manipulative and cunning and ambitious. Everyone said so. But with me...with me he wasn’t like that. I mean, he was , but he was also sweet and gentle and generous and loving. God, he had so much love to give, but he was convinced no one wanted it. It took him ages to realize I really loved him.”

“You said he died?”

“Yes. Two and a half years ago.” Belle’s eyes glazed over as she stared out to sea. “Protecting us. Neal and me.”

“From what?”

He didn’t know what he was expecting - muggers, fire, killer bees - but her words knocked him breathless. “His father.”

Anger bubbled up in him. “Mean bugger, was he?”

“He was a foul, evil man,” Belle whispered, pulling her arms around her body. “He hated Roderick, really, actually hated him. His own son. How does someone do that?” Hamish shook his head and draped a tentative arm across her shoulders. “They hadn’t seen each other in years, but Malcolm showed up one day and...and wanted something from him. Roderick wouldn’t give in, so Malcolm went after me and Neal. Roderick stopped him but only just, and the effort killed him.”

“Christ, mo ghraidh,” he muttered pulling her closer. “I’m sorry.”

“At first I couldn’t fall asleep without reliving it all,” Belle sighed, “and it was terrible, but...I think the first day I woke up and realized that I hadn’t thought about him once the whole day before was worse. I know I’m supposed to heal, to move on, but it still feels wrong, y’know? To go days or even a week without thinking about the day my life changed forever, or imagining his response to some remark, or thinking I just heard him come in from work. I loved him so much.”

Hamish took a deep breath and squeezed her in his arms. “Thank you for tellin’ me,” he murmured.

Belle pulled away from him and studied him seriously, her eyes growing sadder and more thoughtful by the second.

“What is it?”

“There’s something else I should tell you, because Neal might slip up and say something eventually, and if he brings his family out here, Emma and Henry definitely will. Not much of a filter with those two.”

“Okay.”

“I’m just afraid of how you’ll take it.”

“I’ll try no' tae overreact.”

“Not sure that’s possible,” Belle muttered, and then cleared her throat. “Do you...do you remember the night we met?”

“When you fainted on me? Aye. Difficult tae forget, that.”

“Well, I wasn’t sick or dizzy or suffering from jet lag or highway hypnosis or anything like that,” Belle sighed. “It really was you. You surprised me...scared me.”

“What?” He was flabbergasted. “What did I dae to scare you?”

“Nothing.” Belle fidgeted. “It’s just that - apart from the fact that you’re at least twenty years younger, you look enough like Rum to be his twin.” He turned to stare at her. “And I don’t just mean the same coloring and height. I mean you’re identical in every way except for the length of your hair...and that his had some gray.”

“So when you saw me on the road…”

“It was like he’d come back from the dead.”

Hamish was silent, absorbing this information, and he felt the overreaction she feared growing inside him. Was this why she appeared to like him? Because he resembled her former lover? When he flirted with her did she imagine Gold before her using his face and words? When he touched her hand did she think of him? Had she meant to replace Gold with a newer model? He glanced up and met her eyes, which were huge and dark with worry, her teeth scoring her lower lip painfully, and he took a deep breath. He knew the answers to all those questions, of course. Belle was too smart to delude herself, at least not for long. She knew he wasn’t Gold, and she either wanted him or not. Same as always, right? Either a woman wanted you or she didn’t. Of course, in his experience mostly she didn’t, not for any significant length of time.

“Small wonder he looked like I’d slapped him,” he said at last.

“Yeah, it...it was a shock.”

They both stared at the moonlight on the water for a few silent moments, and then Hamish turned to her. “You should go back in. I’m sorry for being an idiot.”

“You weren’t, it was a perfectly natural assumption to make.” Her eyes flitted over his face for a moment. When she kissed his cheek, he finally had the nerve to reciprocate and tried not to grin too broadly when she blushed. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked.

“Always.”