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sablelab · 4 years

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Covert Operations - Chapter 140

SYNOPSIS: Jamie and Claire go sailing in the Whitsunday Islands and when they arrive at the outer reef, he drops anchor and they go snorkelling in an underwater wonderland of delight.

Chapter 139 and all other chapters can be found at … https://sablelab.tumblr.com/covertoperations

My THANKS and APPRECIATION to all those who are reading, liking, reblogging or taking the time to leave a comment. I am extremely thankful for your support of this story and for many of you I am very grateful for the longevity of your patronage.

CHAPTER 140 (S)

Jamie anchored the yacht at Hardy Reef not far from where they had set off from Airlie Beach this morning. The Reef was renowned as home to the iconic “Heart Reef” however, they couldn’t snorkel or swim there due to its protected nature. Jamie knew he would have to take his Sassenach up in a sea plane to see that romantic spectacle from the air, and she could also see the reef in its entirety of where they’d anchored. Situated in shallower waters with protection from the surrounding sea conditions this reef had its own ecosystem. He knew that Claire would be able to see magnificent coral in the water as well as a number of ledges and caves covered with fans and soft corals for her to explore. There would be spectacular marine life as well as the Giant Maori Wrasse with the hump head not found in open areas when they went snorkelling, not to mention a myriad of beautifully coloured fish.

As he dropped the anchor, Claire walked over to the side of the boat and leant over the railings. Her eyes were captivated with what she saw in the water. To her delight she noticed a school of tropical fish in the pristine blue water and she couldn’t take her eyes off the way they darted here, there and everywhere.

“Jamie,” she called out. “Come here, you need to see this.”

In next to no time James Fraser was standing beside her thoroughly enjoying the joy radiating from his Sassenach as she peered into the water at the fish swimming about.

“Amazing isn’t it?”

Claire turned around when she heard him speak with a huge smile on his face. Then noticing what he had in his hands she glanced up at him and them back at the snorkel masks and fins dangling from his fingers.

“Breathtaking. I can see right to the sea floor.”

“Well then Sassenach … Care to be adventurous and jump in?” Jamie asked dropping the snorkel gear to the deck then wrapping his arms around her waist.

“I am,” she replied happily stripping off her kaftan to revel a tiny two-piece swimsuit that had Jamie’s eyes wandering over her sexy curves in appreciation.

“Are ye trying tae kill me Sassenach? Ye look stunning in that we slip of a bikini.”

“Not any more than you are Fraser in your swimmers,” she replied cheekily admiring Jamie’s fine form in his red swimming trunks.

She saw the piercing look he’d given her when he saw what she was wearing and couldn’t help but grin knowing that it took very little to arouse James Fraser since they had been on their downtime here in paradise. His eyes were intense as they scanned her figure as if he was mentally undressing her right where she stood. Claire could feel his gaze as if his hands were caressing her body and she felt her pulse race as colour flooded her cheeks. This James Fraser was dangerous and if he wanted to take her then and there on the deck of the yacht … well she knew she wouldn’t resist him.

His Sassenach was an ethereal goddess standing there in that wisp of material that accentuated her gorgeous curves and figure and left very little to the imagination. Jamie felt a little primal; his heart rate accelerated and his body stirred in recognition of his mate. However, trying to keep his emotions in check, he reluctantly turned and sat down to put on his fins as Claire watched amused at his antics.

James Fraser seemed to be all fingers and thumbs and, if she was not mistaken, he had uttered a few terse Gaelic swear words in the process. It always amused her to see him off kilter as it was so out of character to his Section One persona. It proved he was human after all and not the robotic killing machine Madeline and Operations required of him. She loved seeing this side of him knowing that he was vulnerable around her. Claire watched amusedly as he struggled to place the fins on both feet and when he stood up and tried to walk over towards her, she couldn’t help herself and began to laugh.

“You look like a duck Jamie with those huge fins on your feet.” She placed a hand to her mouth to try and suffocate another laugh from bursting from her throat.

“Well may ye laugh Sassenach, but ye are going to look like one too once ye have these on. Come, sit down and I’ll put on yer fins Cinderella,” he teased with a huge grin on his face.

Sashaying over to him and sitting down, Claire placed her foot forward as Jamie knelt on the deck before her cupping one foot in his hands. Ever, so slowly he glanced up at her with hooded eyes as his fingers leisurely stroked up and down her calf muscle before massaging the sole of her foot. Then without warning he leisurely lifted it up to his mouth and his teeth took a wee nip at her big toe which had Claire in a spin of feelings. Her heart was racing in her chest. The fact that he always seemed to find a different way of unnerving her was what keep her on her toes to how she responded to his actions. Claire hadn’t realised how seductive taking a bite out of one’s toes could be until Jamie had just done it. His alluring exploits had a way of making her body react in visceral ways to his teasing. Leaning forward she placed a hand on his head tugging at his curls and twisting them in her fingers as she let out a mewing sigh. Although tempted to kick out at him and topple him over, she didn’t for she was helpless against this man’s seduction techniques every single time.

Her voice was breathy in response, “Jamie we’ll never get in the water if …”

“If what … Sassenach?” he replied with a slight raise of his eyebrow in his oh so sexy voice as if to say he was not quite sure just what it was she was insinuating.

“If you keep doing that.”

Jamie laughed at her slight discomfort but he knew that he needed to jump in the water to cool off or his Claire would be the recipient of more than just some toe biting if they stayed on the yacht. His thoughts were running rampant as to what type of temptation he could use this time to tease his love. Nipping at her toes could certainly be a catalyst to foreplay but instead he cooled his libido. Smiling suggestively at Claire, he quickly placed both of the full pocket fins on her feet and reluctantly stood up.

“The view will be a lot better in the water to see the fish mo ghràidh, but be careful … they might nip at your toes,” he added in jest.

“Not in these fins they won’t Fraser … I think I will be safe.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Aware of his change of tack, Claire laughed again when she got up because it felt as if she too was walking like a duck just as Jamie had before. Her giggles were infectious and he too joined in her chortles. Still laughing, he took her hand in his as they both waddled to where they could jump into the water from the back of the yacht. With the snorkel masks in his hand they stood side by side on the platform, however, Claire was a little hesitant when she looked at the distance from the yacht to the water.

“You jump in first Jamie.”

“Are ye sure ye dinna want me tae hold yer hand Sassenach? We can do this together.”

“No, I want to watch you.”

Giving her a nod, he slid calmly, flippers-first into the water with the full-face masks in his hand and Claire laughed as droplets of water splashed all over her from his jump into the sea. She looked over the edge of the yacht, watching him emerge with a wide grin on his face.

“Come on in Sassenach, the water’s great!”

His enthusiasm was just what Claire needed to calm her nerves. She stared at the crystal, clear water glittering in the sunlight like diamonds on the surface. The very thought of plunging herself into the turquoise, blue water was seducing her senses to jump in too, and the fact that Jamie was waiting for her made her shiver with excitement.

As if reading her mind, he called out again, “Ye can do it mo nighean donn.”

“Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ!” she muttered taking another look at the depth that she had to jump.

However, Claire chewed her lower lip, biting back a grin. She was excited to see the pretty tropical fish she’d been watching up close and personal over the railing and taking a deep breath, she took the plunge and jumped into the water.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Her nervousness soon dissipated as quickly as her awareness of just where she was, and what she was doing became apparent. Bopping her head above the water, Claire laughed with pure elation. She was in the middle of the ocean and all she could hear was the water gently splashing against their boat. Treading water, she looked down and could see an array of tiny fish swimming past her. She felt a fish tickle her leg as it weaved between her legs and this made her laugh even more. It was all so amazing. The water felt wonderful, it was refreshing and cool and washed over her figure like one of Jamie’s gentle caresses. She felt weightless for the water buoyed her body, then stretching out her arms she kicked out her legs breaking through the water with ease. The fins helped considerably; they were comfortable, light and the blades gave her great agility in the water when she kicked her feet. It felt so exhilarating to be swimming as if she was gliding effortlessness through the water like a mermaid. It was joyous and carefree just like her life had been with this wonderful man over the past week and the few days they’d been here in the Whitsundays.

Spotting him watching her, Claire swam over to him and with eyes bright and shining with mirth she treaded water once more.

“Enjoying that are ye Sassenach?”

“It’s wonderful Jamie. I feel so alive.”

James Fraser chuckled for he felt the same way. He was thrilled that his love had recovered from her trauma and that they were relishing these carefree days spent together. He handed Claire her full-face snorkel mask that allowed her to breathe both through her nose and mouth so that her breathing under water was as easy as it was on land. Jamie watched as she brushed away any wet hair out of the way and placed the mask over her face.

“Here let me help ye adjust the strap Sassenach.”

Positioning the mask on her face he made sure that it was tight-fitting on her cheeks and jaw by adjusting the elastic fabric headbands. However, at the same time he didn’t miss a chance to caress her face as his fingers once again felt wonderful against her skin. Once her mask was in place, he encouraged her to test it out under the water.

“Go on, take a wee look below.”

Dipping her head in the water she was pleasantly surprised when the mask didn’t fog up. It was air tight and no water could get in under the seal. The full-face mask was so comfortable on her that she didn’t realise she was even wearing one. Claire gave Jamie a thumbs up that all was okay, then he put on his own mask with his GoPro camera attached so he could capture the moments of their underwater snorkelling adventure and watched as Claire immersed her face under the water once more.

Her eyes widened at the breathtaking sight before her, for she had a crystal-clear vision and 180-degree panoramic views whilst underwater of an undersea wonderland.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A new world magically materialised before her eyes through her snorkelling mask. As she swam along the edge of a coral-covered rock shelf, she spied so many beautiful fish in every imaginable colour of the rainbow and patterns swimming beneath her. There were vivid blue, red, orange, purple and green coloured fish scurrying in and out between the coral, seaweed and anemones whilst hiding from predators camouflaged against the coral background. Many of the fish seemed particularly attracted to twin coral sculptures in shades of violet and green. She saw the pretty little Clown Fish with its bright orange scales and a glowing white band darting through the dancing tentacles of sea anemones in which these little fish made their homes in safety. There were pink, red, yellow, brown, multi-coloured and black-and-white striped fish swimming happily in the water chasing each other and playing tag amongst the coral.

Reaching out her hand, her fingers almost brushed the school of fish before they scurried away. The Reef was teeming with life and it was this snorkeler‘s paradise. Claire saw fish of all sizes as well as one with thick bulging lips and a huge hump on its forehead. Her eyes darted every which way watching the frenzy of colourful fish until she saw a fish nibbling on coral. She swam closer and watched the little, bright coloured fish with a face that looked like a parrot busily going about its day cleaning the reef by nibbling on some dead coral and spitting it out.

Between the schools of kaleidoscopic fish darting through the staghorn metropolis of coral and the gentle sea fauna playing tug-o-war with her attention, Claire was captivated by the spectacle before her eyes. Floating above the water she saw a clustering bed of different shaped and sized coral some in vivid colours, some fading while some sadly were bleached. Cream, pink, blue and green coral that looked like cauliflower, bulbs of brain coral, orangey-brown coral growing like fingers or tree branches, large dome shaped coral with wide, slit-like mouths that looked just like mushrooms and small, stony coral in a rounded hump shape were to be seen. Sadly, she he saw a deadly Crown of Thorns starfish attached to a piece of coral, as well as sea urchins, sponges, sea stars, neon-lipped clams, crustaceans and other shy organisms hiding between the rocks, while only venturing out when she had swum by. The Great Barrier Reef was home to a third of the world’s soft corals, and Claire spent an inordinate amount of time mesmerised by what she could see in the breathtaking coral garden.

As she snorkelled about, the one fish that really caught her eye was a thin bodied, striped, bright yellow, fish with an elongated nose. The fluoro yellow Butterflyfish dived for cover as she hovered over it, navigating its body through smaller passages to feed on the coral polyps and algae, but then decided that she was no threat and emerged fearlessly followed by a classroom-sized school of friends. She noticed that they often swam in pairs and wondered if like other animals they mated for life. It was fascinating to watch all the species of brightly coloured tropical fish and Claire was amazed at how funny and mesmerizing they were.

Surfacing for a while she cast a glance over at Jamie who had also surfaced and taken off his mask. She noticed that he had the biggest grin on his face.

“So, how was it Sassenach?” he asked, his eyes softening with love for this woman.

Delighted and in awe at the tropical life blossoming in the ocean, she couldn’t contain her enthusiasm for what she had seen. Claire turned around and pushed her mask onto her head. Her eyes were bright, cheeks a little flushed from excitement as she said, “It was incredible Jamie.”

“Aye ‘twas … and I have the pictures tae prove it Sassenach.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Having placed their masks back on the yacht, the two lovers enjoyed some free time as they both frolicked and swam in the distinctive, crystal clear, aqua blue waters of the reef. They laughed and splashed each other and Claire watched as Jamie dived under the water disappearing out of sight only to resurface near where she was treading water. He gathered her slick wet body against his, and wrapping his arms around her waist, held her close to him giving her a kiss on the lips. Claire’s arms went up around his neck allowing Jamie to support both of their weights as the two of them floated together in relaxed abandon like two little otters holding hands side by side. It was so liberating just floating and drifting on top of the ocean to the gentle movement of the water, that Claire felt an outer body experience.

Being here with Jamie had been the best thing they had ever done but she knew that their time was finite. They would eventually have to return to Section One to complete their mission and with that return would come the boundaries that would test them once again. They had both recovered remarkedly well and the two of them were physically fit and rested. His wound had healed and together they had conquered their demons. They were back to their optimum ability and if their sexual performance counted for anything, they certainly had an abundance of stamina. However, they only had a few days left before they would have to leave this paradise … and that made her sad but determined to enjoy every last moment of their downtime.

It was the thought of that, that made Claire suddenly begin to sink under the water, however, Jamie had seen her begin to flounder and had reached out to her.

“It’s okay mo nighean donn, I’ve got ye.”

Jamie’s voice and the feel of his strong arms around her prevented her from going further down. When she opened her eyes, Claire felt her breath catch in her throat. James Fraser’s eyes were watching her and the warmth and tenderness of his gaze made her heart do little flip flops in her chest.

Grabbing onto his arms, her lips bowed in a smile. “I know,” she softly replied never taking her eyes from his face.

His eyes tenderly canvassed her face before shaking his head causing water to splash out all over her face. Claire couldn’t help but laugh as his riotous curls fell over his cheeks and into his eyes. The temptation to brush away that hair and run her fingers through the rest of his curls in the process was irresistible for her. She had never seen this gorgeous man look so happy and relaxed. She loved seeing him like this and she loved everything about him when he was in this mood.

Jamie laughed too. “Are ye ready for yer next adventure Sassenach, ‘cause we need tae get ye back on the yacht and sail to our next destination.”

Wrapping her arms around him Claire pulled Jamie into a crushing embrace. “Aye, Aye captain … Je Suis Prest … I am ready.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The view here at the reef was stunning but none more so than his beautiful Claire. They’d enjoyed swimming and snorkelling off the yacht but now his love sat nestled between his legs as Jamie dried her wet hair with a towel after their swim in the aqua waters. Closing her eyes Claire smelt the salt of the ocean on his skin and the heady pheromones of this virile man, and despite his tempting body, she felt a tingling warmth radiate from him. It was intoxicating. He was intoxicating. Claire tilted her head forward as Jamie held her head in his hands gently rubbing her hair and lovingly drying her tresses after their swim. Positioned between his thighs she was so contented with the gentle massage of his fingers against her scalp and temples that she could have stayed there forever just having her man do what he was doing. When he took the towel away, she leaned back against his stomach as he leaned forward closer to her face. Smiling at her, he ran his fingers through her hair letting the damp strands fall through his fingers like liquid chocolate.

Brushing her hair away from her face Jamie held Claire’s jaw in his palm while nonchalantly stroking her cheek with his thumb. Leaning even closer he looked into her eyes and held her gaze as if she was the most precious thing in the world. Claire smiled and her lover reciprocated with a smile that lit up his face.

Oh god how she loved this man. His gentleness tore at her heart strings. Her eyes caressed every inch of his beautiful face taking him in from his warm, blue coloured eyes that crinkled around the edges when he smiled, to the furrows that wrinkled his forehead, to the beard stubble peppering his defined jawline. It was hard to believe how much he’d changed since being here for Jamie was a different man under the veneer that he showed at Section One. She now knew the real James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser and this man was her everything. He was the one who had her heart and for that she was thankful. Jamie was hers and she was his. She loved him with every fibre of her being.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Continuing with his gentle caresses to her face, Jamie never severed his eyes from her own as the sun naturally dried Claire’s tresses in no time. Her beautiful brown hair had always fascinated him and in the sunlight the colours of auburn and light brown had captivated his eyes.

“Mo nighean donn,” he whispered as he gathered a handful of her hair and let it slide through his fingers once more.

The way that Jamie said this Gaelic endearment was so sensual. It sounded like a caress to her ears, softly spoken with awe and reverence. She leaned into his hand and rested her head on his thigh as her love continued to touch her hair. He caressed her head and neck with his fingers before leaning down to gather tiny wisps of hair between his fingertips on the back of her neck. Claire felt every single touch ignite those happy feelings that swirled in her stomach.

Placing a kiss against the top of her head, he whispered it again, “My brown-haired lass.”

Claire was overcome with emotion. “Rather a dull colour, brown, I've always thought,” she replied not quite believing the compliment he was giving her. Kissing her neck, he inhaled the scent of his woman “No.”

“Really?”

“No, not dull at all. It's like the ...” He stumbled for the right words to say. “It's like the ... the water in a burn, the way it ruffles down the rocks.”

His fingers splayed her head and Claire closed her eyes as delicious sensations coursed through her body. Jamie was weaving another one of his spells over her and she felt all gooey inside when he spoke in his beautiful Scottish drawl. It did things to her equilibrium. The more he spoke the more she was captivated by the words he was saying.

“Dark in the wavy spots with ... wee bits of auburn when the sun touches it.”

Claire leaned back and Jamie pressed his lips tenderly to hers then withdrew them. She sighed when next his tongue licked at her lips in invitation to part, which they did on a soft gasp. Gentle, leisurely kisses continued. Reaching out her hand Claire touched his hand and closing her eyes kissed his palm bringing it to her face. Placing his other hand under her chin Jamie’s thumb caressed her there, then ran his fingertips down her ear to her jaw. Never severing their gaze, he leaned down and kissed her eyelids. She pulled back, taking him in properly for the first time. Enamoured with this man’s tenderness Claire looked at him with her emotions blazing in her eyes. James Fraser was a magnificent specimen of manhood and his caring gentleness warmed her heart to bursting.

Once Jamie had stared these kisses he couldn’t stop until he had anointed every inch of her beautiful face. His lips kissed her forehead before showering sweet kisses all over her face. He kissed her cheeks, her nose, her brow and ear before repeating his ministrations once more. Claire could not take her eyes from him as Jamie continued his enticement by running his hand back along her forehead which he’d just kissed. With his hand still holding her chin, he bent down and kissed her on the lips while her fingertips pressed against his chest where she could feel his heart beating erratically.

Claire was lost in her feelings for her man’s slow seduction and she leaned back into Jamie’s arms and rested her head on his thigh. Then capturing his other hand, she nestled into him with contentment written all over her face. She never wanted this day to end.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~to be continued Friday 21st August when Jamie and Claire continue on to their next destination.

*Just a little picture of Heart Reef which is located in Hardy Reef.

#jamieandclairecrossover #Jamieandclairefanfic #the lallybroch library #outlander fanfic #crossover outlander/lfn spies modernau #outlander lfn spies #covert operations

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