After over 30 years together - Jamie and Claire still love each other, lust for each other, need each other, and laugh at each other - and genuinely just enjoy the precious gift of being together.
“Ye’re smiling to yourself,” Jamie said in my ear. “Nice, was it?”
I turned my head and opened my eyes, finding them on a level with his mouth—which was smiling, too.
“Nice,” I said thoughtfully, tracing the line of his wide lower lip with the tip of one finger. “Are you being deliberately modest, or are you hoping to inspire me to raptures of praise by means of classic understatement?”
The mouth widened further, and his teeth closed gently on my questing finger for a moment before releasing it.
“Oh, modesty, to be sure,” he said. “If I’d hopes of inspiring ye to raptures, it wouldna be with my words, now, would it?”
One hand ran lightly down my back in illustration.
“Well, the words help, ” I said.
“They do?”
“Yes. Just now, I was actually trying to rank ‘I love you, I like you, I worship you, I have to have my cock inside you,’ in terms of their relative sincerity.”
“Did I say that?” he said, sounding slightly startled.
“Yes. Weren’t you listening?”
“No,” he admitted. “I meant every word of it, though.” His hand cupped one buttock, weighing it appreciatively. “Still do, come to that.”
“What, even the last one?” I laughed and rubbed my forehead gently against his chest, feeling his jaw rest snugly on top of my head.
“Oh, aye,” he said, gathering me firmly against him with a sigh. “I will say the flesh requires a bit of supper and a wee rest before I think of doin’ it again, but the spirit is always willing. God, ye have the sweetest fat wee bum. Only seeing it makes me want to give it ye again directly. It’s lucky ye’re wed to a decrepit auld man, Sassenach, or ye’d be on your knees with your arse in the air this minute.”