Page 35 of Charlie

"He is." I smile. "I don't deserve him."

"I guarantee you that's not true." Jack scribbles something down on the paper. I reach for the pen, my hand brushing his. Sparks race over my skin, my pulse skyrocketing. I stare at him.

"Sassenach?" Jack's voice is soft, like I'm a horse he's trying not to spook.

"Do you feel that, too?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper. I grab his hand and turn it so his palm is facing up. I run my finger over his palm and up each finger, pressing my nail into his skin.

Jack licks his lips, his gaze on our hands. "If you feel like you're on the most terrifying rollercoaster you've ever been on, then yes."

I swallow. "Do you like rollercoasters?"

He laughs. "Aye, Charlotte, I do."

We wrap up an hour later. Jack surprises me by finding way more information than I could have ever found on my own, including two more generations of Arty's family members. I'm thrilled. The worst part of the project is finally finished.

"Thank you so much for helping," I say as we slide into a booth at a pub that looks like it's been around for fifteen hundred years.

"My pleasure, Charlotte. I enjoyed it."

"You did not," I laugh, toying with the paper ring I pulled off the utensils.

"I was spending time with you. Of course I enjoyed it."

I try to hold in my grin and fail miserably.

"There she is," Jack murmurs, his eyes going soft.

My heart flutters in my chest, and I bury my face in the beer menu to hide the smile I just can't shake.

When I can't decide on a beer, Jack orders an entire flight, finishing the ones I don't like.

"Tell me about yourself," Jack says, breaking open the crust of his meat pie to let out the steam.

"You already know most of it," I say, popping a piece of crust into my mouth.

"Not what's happened to you – I want to know you." His gaze is intense. "What are your hopes and dreams? What did you want to be when you were little? What's your favorite book? Your favorite movie? I want to know the stuff that's independent of the things you can't control."

"I'll put you to sleep," I laugh.

"You could never put me to sleep, Charlotte." He blows on a piece of meat, his eyes on me. "Trust me."

"Okay," I say, ignoring the heat pooling in my center. "I wanted to be a marine biologist when I was little."

"What about now? Is that something you still want to do?"

"No, I don't think so. I would be content to run my little business now. It checks all the boxes for me, and it used to bring in enough to live on."

"The calling of a simple life, eh, Sassenach?"

"You could say that."

"I know how you feel. I ran hard for years. I had my fingers in way too many things. It wore me down to the point that I didn't want to leave the farm. I learned my lesson."

"But what about that night in the pub?" I ask.

"My friend called in a favor. And now I'll never be able to return it because that's the night I met you. I could help him out a thousand times, and it still wouldn't be payment enough."

Fuck. I gulp down my beer. When I set my glass down, he traps my hand under his.

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