by Alexa Silver
“Uh-huh.”
Cam grinned. He loved the way Fraser did that little sound. As if he was agreeing with his boss or one of the clients, when actually he meant exactly the opposite.
“What about the heather then? Aren’t you interested in seeing the heather in bloom? South Loch Ness is supposed to be the best place in all Scotland to see the heather in bloom in July and August.”
“July and August? I think we just got through agreeing this is spring. Last time I checked the calendar July and August were summer. In fact, according to my cell phone it’s still May. Yes. May.”
“Bell heather flowers earlier than ling heather though, so we might get lucky and see some.”
Fraser laughed. Cam loved his laugh. It was so light and happy. Carefree almost. The red-head’s bright blue eyes crinkled at the corners and sparkled with fun as he guffawed and then sniggered.
“Okay, I give up. Even though it’s spring, not summer or winter, we’re about to see heather and the Loch Ness monster. But if we don’t, it’s good to be alone with you on this holiday, Cam. You know how much I enjoy your company and how much more of you I’d like to explore. Here we’re alone in the middle of nowhere and despite the fact that you persist in talking nonsense it’s still good to be with you.”
Cam needed to get him off the dangerous topic of their personal relationship. “The conference has been very useful. That professor, the one from Norway, what he said was very helpful. I took a lot of notes.”
“You took a lot of notes about everything. Your report is going to be much more thorough than mine. I’ve kept the conference handbook and the business cards of people I think might be useful, but not much in the way of notes.”
They began to talk about the conference and Cam breathed a sigh of relief. The tricky area of his desire for Fraser and Fraser’s obvious interest in him had been avoided for now.
Chapter 2
Fraser wished he’d been brave enough to suggest he and Cam share a room at the hotel, but since he hadn’t so much as kissed Cam yet, all he could do was smile and take any available space. Their rooms weren’t even on the same floor of the hotel, fuck it. Fraser showered, and then they met downstairs, deciding to walk around the neighborhood a little before choosing where to eat.
They settled on a genuine pub meal. Apparently Scotland was the home of deep-fried food so they had fresh-caught, deep-fried battered fish, served with french fries, which were called “chips”. There was no sign of a salad anywhere on the menu, but he didn’t really mind. The food was delicious. Unlike the beer which everyone over here insisted on drinking warm. As well as being warm, it was too bitter. He couldn’t like it or understand their reasoning about not chilling it. But the whisky was extremely good so he decided to stick with that.
The first of their three days together was almost over already and Fraser was getting itchy. How the fuck was he to woo and win Cameron when they were only ever together in public? He wanted them to be horizontal and naked in bed, not sitting in a pub surrounded by a million people talking in a thick brogue that he couldn’t even understand half the time.
Determined not to let any more days slip away from him he said, “So what’s your plan for tomorrow? What time does Nessie usually appear? Is there a special section of the lake that she prefers?”
Cam grinned at him. “I was planning to ask the locals.”
Fraser just groaned. The local people would be in the business of telling as many lies as possible to encourage the tourist trade. He had no confidence in anything they might say. He sighed and said, “All right. Let’s do it.”
He followed Cam across to the bar, sat on a stool, and ordered a whisky. He planned to make it last a long time. He wasn’t used to drinking whisky. He was more a beer kind of person, but one glass of British beer had made him swear never to have a second one.
“When is the best time to look for Nessie?” Cam asked the bartender.
“And where is the best place to wait for her?” added Fraser.
“Och, mon. This is nae the movies. She doesnae come out when ye press a button.”
“I understand that. I was hoping you could advise me,” said Cam.
Fraser sat still on his stool as a lively conversation broke out all around him about the Loch Ness monster, the ruins of a castle beside the lake, and a whole lot of things he couldn’t even understand. The main message he got was that they’d just have to wait by the lake and hope they saw it. Which proved to him it was a myth, just as he’d known all along.
When they finally left the pub, Cam turned to him, his dark brown eyes glowing in his smiling face. He rubbed a hand through his short black curls. “I’m going to head out before dawn. That old man, Mac, he was sure dawn was the best time to see Nessie, and he showed me on the map where there’s a hill with a great view over the loch. I want to be there as the sun rises and I’m sure I’ll see her.”
Fraser was certain it would simply be a complete waste of time. However, there surely wouldn’t be anyone else around at dawn. Finally he’d be all alone with Cam. He was determined to kiss and cuddle him. If Cam had decided to be out beside the loch at dawn, Fraser would be there too. Although he hated the thought of being up and dressed so early. Still… “I’ll come with you. What time do you want to leave?”
“Sunrise is five fifteen, so let’s say four thirty.”
Fraser gulped. “Four thirty?”
“Be grateful it’s not a month later or sunrise would be an hour earlier.”
Fraser swallowed hard. “Four thirty. Right. Okay. I’ll be waiting in the parking lot for you. With coffee. Black coffee.”
Cam laughed at him.
*****
Cam staggered out of bed and into the shower when his alarm went off. He spent the first five minutes wondering whether or not he was crazy to be up so early in the hopes of seeing Nessie, but then he remembered he only had two opportunities to do this, today and tomorrow.
“Come on, man up, wuss. How likely is it that Zeke’s will ever send you to Europe again? It’s now or never.”
He dressed and raced out to the parking lot, wondering if Fraser really would be there. He’d truly enjoyed Fraser’s companionship. There were so many other people Zeke’s could have sent with him who wouldn’t have been nearly as easy-going and pleasant travel companions as Fraser. The problem was that he’d like to kiss and hug Fraser, to hold him close and maybe go to bed with him. Which would be a disaster because of his family’s response to him associating with a Campbell.
Cameron sighed. He’d never forgotten the look on his grandmother’s face all those years ago when his older sister had innocently announced the name of the little girl who’d invited her to a birthday party.
“Fiona Campbell? SarahBeth MacDonald, you’ll not be attending any such thing. Only over my dead body will a MacDonald ever be in the same room as a Campbell.”
“But it’s a birthday party, Grandma.”
“Who’s to say the food they give you won’t be poisoned. Never trust a Campbell, girl.”
The thought that the food might be poisoned had silenced his sister, and himself. He and SarahBeth had been teenagers before he realized most people no longer even knew about the Glencoe massacre, nor cared about family feuds. But forming a sexual relationship with Fraser wasn’t possible and he’d never mentioned the man’s name to his family.
Fraser was leaning against their rented powder blue Honda, holding two steaming take-out cups. At first he’d thought the car was rather small, but having negotiated so many narrow roads, he’d quickly been glad it wasn’t any bigger.
Cam couldn’t help the smile that broke out over his face as he saw Fraser’s bright red hair and cheeky grin.
“Thanks for the coffee.”
“What makes you think one of these is for you? I’ll likely need both of them just to wake up so early.”
Cam laughed. Dammit, every time Fraser opened his mouth he fell a little deeper into love with him.
&
nbsp; *****
Fraser was surprised at how wide awake he felt as they drove along the side of the loch. The brochures in their hotel had told him the loch—which his mind kept calling a lake—was twenty-three miles long and varied from half a mile to a mile wide. They drove for several miles and then parked in a narrow pull-off space beside the road and hiked up the hill.
“It looks like your friend Mac sends people here all the time. This is almost a walking trail,” he said.
Fraser didn’t want to upset Cam. He was too happy to be spending time with him alone. But this area with the small space for a couple of cars to park, then the trail to walk up the hill, was obviously well used, although not a real tourist site.
“Of course. Everyone wants to see Nessie. But we’re going to meet her today. I can feel it in my bones.”
“No. That’s the cold mist from the loch making your bones ache.” Fraser kept his voice light, but it was colder than he’d expected for spring. Even though the sun wasn’t up yet, he hadn’t thought it would be quite this cold.
He dug his hands into his pockets as he followed Cam up the hill. “Hey, this is spectacular.”
“I told you so,” Cam said smugly.
Fraser turned slowly, looking out over the loch for miles and miles in both directions. The loch was quite wide here, and, in the gray early morning light, with mist rising from the loch, the muted greens, blues, and purples of the surrounding hills were softly beautiful. Very different from the scenery at home.
“Seriously, it’s lovely. I’m glad you dragged me here.”
Cam just grunted and spread out a blanket he must have borrowed from the hotel.
Fraser sat as close as he dared to Cam. Not as close as he’d have liked to, and not touching him although he longed to wrap his arms around Cam. But their thighs were only an inch from each other and they were alone together in the early morning.
As the sky lightened they could make out the ruins of Urquhart Castle in the distance. “Let’s go there later today,” Fraser suggested.
“Not until I’ve seen Nessie. I came here to see her.”
“But what if she doesn’t come out this morning? You don’t plan to sit here all day do you?”
“Why not? I want to see her.”
Fraser was about to tell Cam he was crazy, but then reminded himself that wasn’t nice. Cam apparently really believed in myths and legends. He loved Cam and had to be supportive of his beliefs even if he didn’t share them.
“Did you bring breakfast for us?”
“No. Why would I?” Cam just shrugged. Fraser decided he’d drive back to the village of Drumnadrochit when he got hungry and buy them breakfast. And lunch. He didn’t plan on starving to death any time soon. Not even for Cam.
They wrapped the sides of the blanket around themselves for extra warmth and sat staring out over the loch as the sky lightened more and more, and finally a pale, weak sun rose over the horizon. Cam’s gaze constantly scanned the water, but Fraser watched Cam as much as he looked for Nessie. This man meant so much to him. Cam had to know how he longed for a look, a touch.
If he did know, Cam wasn’t saying anything. Fraser watched the mist, hoping the stupid hoax would rear its head and make Cam happy. But eventually the mist cleared, the sun became brighter, and there was still no sign of Nessie.
The nagging hunger in Fraser’s stomach grew more annoying and he sighed and stood up. “I’ll go back to the village and get us some food, okay?”
“Thanks, Fraser. I am hungry. But I feel that if I leave, I’ll miss seeing her.”
“If she comes while I’m gone, be sure to take a picture, okay.”
“Of course.”
Fraser didn’t hurry. He hadn’t driven the car much. Cam had done almost all the driving and was much more familiar with the whole driving on the wrong side of the road system. At least he didn’t embarrass himself by trying to get in the passenger side to drive the car.
He parked the car in the village and walked around deciding what to buy. He collected plenty of food, enough for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, as well as coffee, and water for them to drink, loaded it into the trunk of the car, and made his way back to Cam.
Cam was sitting as if he hadn’t even moved, still staring out over Loch Ness.
*****
Dusk was starting to fall. Cam couldn’t decide whether he was relieved or disappointed. He supposed it was ludicrous to hope that the one day he spent at Loch Ness was the day Nessie would decide to appear. There’d been many sightings of her, but considering the first recorded one was in the sixth century, that didn’t mean it was very likely she’d be visible today.
He stared hard at the graying waters of the loch, hoping against hope that he’d see her small head, her long neck, or her huge body.
Beside him Fraser gasped and gripped his arm. “Look. Over there. Do you think… It can’t be.”
Cam sighted along Fraser’s pointing finger, subconsciously moving closer to him to ensure he was looking exactly where Fraser pointed.
Meanwhile Fraser pulled out his cell phone and tried to take a picture. “It’s so far away. It’s very hard to tell so late in the day.”
Cam jumped to his feet, and took picture after picture sighting away from the tiny oval shape that might be Nessie’s head, and then coming closer to it, zooming in on it as far as his cell phone would go.
Dusk fell faster until the last color leached out of the day, leaving the loch a slightly lighter gray than the surrounding hills. Fraser pulled Cam into his arms. “What do you think? Was that her? It looked the right shape to be her head to me.”
Cam tried to be honest. “I want it to be her. I want our trip to be vindicated, but honestly? I’m not sure.”
“But that’s the whole point isn’t it? No one’s sure. That’s what makes it a tourist attraction. Everyone has to decide for themselves.” Fraser pressed his body against Cam’s, holding him tightly. Then he leaned in hard, gripped the back of Cam’s head, and kissed him.
It was a hell of a kiss. Passionate, demanding, requiring he give everything he had back to Fraser.
All Cam’s need for Fraser raced to his groin. He ground his cock over Fraser’s pelvis, delighting in the long, thick ridge of the redhead’s huge cock pressing against the fabric of his jeans. Fraser let go of his head, and gripped his ass, holding their bodies so tightly together they might as well not have been wearing clothing at all. His dick was hot and hard and he could feel the matching heat of Fraser’s dick against his.
Before Cam could think about what they were doing, Fraser had hooked a leg around his, dropping them both back onto the blanket with a thump, then unzipped his jeans. Cam groaned as Fraser freed his dick and sucked the head into his mouth. Images of them being arrested, of someone seeing them, of his naked cock featuring on Instagram, flowed through Cam’s mind, but he couldn’t make his mouth form the words to stop what Fraser was doing to him. It felt much too good.
He had to admit it was something he’d wanted for a long time and never been brave enough to consider doing. Hell. He still wasn’t brave enough to do it. Fraser was doing it to him.
Cam gripped Fraser’s head and moved his mouth for maximum satisfaction, groaning as he did so. He knew he should say something but animal sounds were all his brain could accomplish right now. He pushed his hips up to Fraser’s mouth, loving the way Fraser sucked him deep and hard, all the time rolling his balls and squeezing his nuts by turns.
“Fuck, yes. That’s so good.”
As if his words had energized Fraser, the redhead licked, nibbled, and sucked at his cock faster and harder, driving him insane with need. Fraser stroked the sensitive flesh of his inner thighs, teased along the join between his thighs and his torso, and then returned to rolling his balls. Meanwhile Fraser’s mouth on his cock was never still, licking up and down the sides of his shaft, scraping his teeth over his cockhead, tonguing the ridge where the erection and head joined, and sucking him hard and deep.
> All too soon his dick erupted into Fraser’s mouth, streams of cum pumping up through him until Fraser had sucked him dry.
Cam pulled on Fraser’s arms, and he wiggled up over Cam’s body, kissing him again, this time with his lips still coated with Cam’s own seed.
Cam licked Fraser’s lips, and then tongue fucked him, finding it strangely erotic to taste his own cum in the other man’s mouth.
“Now I get to do you,” he whispered, pushing Fraser off him and onto the blanket.
With his jeans still undone and his cock hanging out, Cam unzipped Fraser and pulled out a huge and ready dick. The man was well hung, his cockhead slightly flat and reddish purple with need. Cam licked over the head, tasting Fraser’s seed. His own had been salty. Fraser was salty as well, but with an earthy hint to it.
Smiling at the redhead’s taste, Cam opened the back of his throat and sucked Fraser deep and hard, all the way down in one long, slow move.
Now Fraser was the one moaning with delight and Cam enjoyed holding him down his throat as long as he could before pulling him out until just the head was in his mouth. He scraped his teeth over Fraser’s cock, giving him a taste of pleasure-pain, and then swallowed him down again.
Next he focused on Fraser’s balls, rolling them, palming them, and finally sucking them, loving the wiry red curls that surrounded his cock. Cam really didn’t want to think about making love to a renegade Campbell on an open hillside, but the sweet scent of grasses and bushes around them were as carnal in their own way as the knowledge that what they were doing was liable to get them arrested and thrown in jail. Never mind that all the MacDonalds and all the Campbells in the world were likely to unite in persecuting them both. Thankfully his grandmother was long since dead or likely she’d come for him with a sword all by herself.
