Clare sat with Gretchen and the twins, reading Treasure Island, complete with pirate voices. Tim and Raylan watched them before Raylan smiled at Tim and walked back to where Brian was helping Izzie with her homework.
Clare saw Tim watching and tried to gesture him to come in. He shook his head, leaning against the door. When they were done, and Gretchen was tucking the boys in, Clare kissed the boys and Evan asked, "You're not going on a date again tomorrow are you?"
"Nope. We're doing blanket forts, 'member?"
"I got my own plans tomorrow, kiddo," Tim said, slipping his hands around Clare's waist. "She's all yours."
"Uh huh."
"Good night, babies," Gretchen kissed her boys as Tim and Clare waved their goodnights.
"I thought you'd be out of here by now."
"Nobody's kicked me out yet."
"I thought we discussed the whole not being alone thing before," she said to his lips.
"And that was before the AUSA caught you making out earlier," Raylan cut in.
Tim smirked, "You really enjoy not being the one in trouble, huh?"
"I do."
"We'll be good," Clare said, holding Tim's eyes, "Won't we?"
"Fine," he muttered like a teenager.
"Raylan, you're not going to kick him out, are you?" Clare pouted, leaning her head against Tim's chest.
Raylan shook his head at her, "No. He can stay, for now."
Tim narrowed his eyes. "Thank you, Raylan. Gracious of you."
"I know," Raylan nodded.
"Boys, separate corners," Gretchen quipped, coming out of the boy's room.
Clare pinched her lips together, pulling Tim towards the living room, "It's not funny."
"I know, honey," Clare said, still pulling, "Not at all."
Izzie caught them in the living room, "I better not get a lousy dress for the wedding," she snarked, plopping down next to them on the couch.
"Presumptuous," Clare said.
"Haven't even picked out the diamond yet," Tim added to gaping stares.
After the Sullivans had gone to bed and Raylan had resumed snoring in the easy chair, Clare whispered to Tim, "Do you really think Graham could have done this?"
He looked at her, not wanting to answer.
"You can answer honestly."
"Yeah, I do."
"Oh. A little more honest than I was expecting. Ok," she said. "Ok. Why? Because he... Wants to sell out. Because he can't with Brian there? It makes no sense. What does Graham get out of it? He could sell out at anytime... Oh."
"Oh?"
"Gramps and Gran. Graham would never sell out and risk disappointing them. Everything he does is for them. Shit." Clare got up and paced, "When I was six, they gave me a pony. Mom had a fit. Dad thought it was hilarious, but Mom was all over it. And she blamed Graham, said he knew what she thought of it and she knew what he was up to. Trying to worm their way into the house."
"What was he up to? Just trying to get into the house? The corrupting influence of money?"
"More a 'spoiling the child to manipulate or punish the parents' thing."
"Ok, if Graham is motivated by doing right by the family business-"
"And controlling everyone around him."
"Then why frame you? His sister's kid, stepping up to the family business. Or kill Brian, who'd been running the business with him."
"Except Brian didn't run it with him. Graham always used to complain that Brian would take time off the business for his kids. Never in front of him or their parents but he'd make snide comments behind his back."
"So, Brian didn't deserve his third, and you don't desrve yours because-"
"My mother rejected it when I was young," Clare finished. "My uncle's trying to kill me."
"Could still be working with Moss, too," Tim nodded.
"So, what do we do now? Try to get him to call off the contracts? Beat him with a shovel? Prosecute?"
"Sleep."
"I just found out my mother's brother framed me and put a price on my head," Clare said. "I'm a little wired."
He pulled her close, "Just, don't do anything until tomorrow when Raylan and I get back. Ok?"
"I promise. Blanket forts, remember? It's very serious."
"Yeah. I was never one for the blanket forts."
"You were never told by your mother that you had to pick inside or outide while you were playing to save the air conditioning," she slipped her arms around his shoulders, straddling him.
"True. She never said that. Lots of things. Not about the ac," he kissed Clare, sliding his hands up her skirt. "You know you're too loud to anything."
"I know that bothers you terribly," Clare started kissing his throat.
"Raylan is right there."
"You can teach him something," she murmured, unbuttoning his shirt.
"That's not really how our relationship works, baby," he croaked out as Clare found his collarbone with her tongue. She smiled against his neck, moving her hands down his chest. "Raylan is right there," he whispered, pulling her hands away.
Clare took to sucking along his other collarbone.
"Jeez, babe," he rolled her onto her back, her wrists above her head.
She buried her head in his shoulder, trying not to giggle. And then Tim was trying not to laugh.
"If you two are done with the horseplay, I was trying to sleep," Raylan said, with his eyes closed.
Clare smiled up at Tim, "Are we done?"
"No," he shook his head, kissing her, "Never." He pulled her up with him, "We'll be in the kitchen. Go back to sleep, Raylan."
"Y'know, if you'd just let me..." Clare whispered, slipping her hands around his waist and nibbling his ear.
He set her up on the table, pulling her legs so he could stand between them, and said to her lips, "You are a terrible influence." His hands resumed their way under her skirt and she peeled his shirt back, pushing up his beater until he had to take his hands off her to pull them both off. Tim pulled and pushed her dress until she unzipped it and pulled it over her head. "I really don't think this is a good idea," he pointed out, unstrapping her bra with a deft hand.
She started working his belt, "It's a terrible idea." He moved back, and she shifted her weight to her hands so he could tug her panties off. "Condom?"
"Pocket."
She had it open in her hand when he returned between her knees and she dipped, pulling his erection free and wrapping her mouth around him.
He bucked before he could help himself, then grasped a handful of her hair. "Clare!"
His scandalized tone made her chortle, and whispered, "Like sitting on a kitchen table naked is so much better?"
He grabbed the condom from her, "That's not it." He wasn't sure what it was that was scandalizing him but Raylan being in the next room and Nelson being in a car outside probably contributed to it, to say nothing of her family upstairs.
"What is it then?" Clare kicked her naked legs like a child. "I've never really been one for blow-jobs either, but I do want you... in every way possible."
Tim kissed her, fucking her mouth with his tongue. She pulled him to her, hands on his butt. He pulled her hands away, pinning them on either side of her. When he was sure she was breathless, he pulled back, "I love you. I want to make love to you. I do not want head with my partner in the next room."
Clare was breathless. And aching to have him in her. And amazed that he would say ANY of that. She freed her hands to lace them in his hair. "You said, 'You love me'," she whispered with a silly grin.
"I do love you."
"I have been in love with you since the first time you tried to arrest me, Tim Gutterson," Clare said. "No one in the next room is gonna change how much I want you. I belong to you. I know it in my bones. I don't care where we are. I just need you."
She watched him swallow, scared she'd said too much. "Whatever you want." She touched his face, memorizing every line and curve. "Make love to me, baby. Make love to me. Tim," she pressed soft kisses on his mouth and face, "make love to me."
He lay her back on the table, his hands ghosting over her. His head dropped and he tasted her nipple, tongue swirling, as his eyes went to her face.
She whimpered softly, smile playing at her lips as she watched him watching her. She moved her mouth back to his neck, tasting his sweat and muscle as her fingertips traced the dips and rises of his abdomen. "I love you," she whispered as his fingers trailed down to her mound, "Know that I love you." He palmed the condom and she stopped him, "I want every part of you in me, Tim. Every part."
He pulled back to look in her eyes, "What happens to your residency if we have a baby from unprotected sex?"
"Then I have your baby."
He blinked. "I lied when I said I didn't know what diamond to get you."
Clare smiled, "And I'll say yes. Now, make love to me, Tim." She slid closer, wrapping her legs around his waist, pivoting her pelvis so her wet clit brushed over his swollen head. "Be inside me, babe. Make love to me."
He watched her move against him before sinking into her...slowly. Her back arched to take his length as she ground into him, keeping her eyes on his and her arms around his shoulders. Pulling out, he felt her muscles, both inside and out, holding him to her. Thrusting into her again, he pulled her legs apart to allow him deeper and felt her nails dig into his back.
Going crazy moving this slow, Tim changed momentum, owning her with each stroke until he came, condom still on the table, inside her. She bucked against him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders whispering, "I love you," over and over again, before she had to bite her lip to keep quiet as she climaxed.
"You're mine. Every part of you," he murmured to her, keeping eye contact when they broke.
"Long as you know that's mutual, bebe," she said with no real volume. "I do love you."
"I love you, too, Clare."
They dressed each other with deep glances and feather light touches, keeping their kisses soft. Tenderly zipping her dress, Tim ran the tip of his tongue up her scar. "Promise me you'll be careful tomorrow."
His eyes flicked upwards, "Tomorrow?"
"Whatever you and Raylan are planning... Promise me," she responded, her hands smoothing his undershirt.
"I promise I will be careful. And I will come back to you," Tim narrowed his eyes, "Another bad feeling?"
"No, just want you to be aware that I can kill people as well as you can with completely different paperwork and if you don't want me to meet your criminals, you better not let them hurt you," Clare responded in all seriousness.
"You have no idea how insanely in love I am at this moment, so I'll just say, 'Yes, I'll be careful,' ok?"
She shook her head at him, "I'm tired, Gutterson. Find me a bed."
"How about we share the couch?"
"With Raylan in the easy chair? I guess. It'd be real awkward if you woke up with Izzie and me."
"She's a bit young for me anyways."
Raylan opened one eye after he thought Tim and Clare had been on the couch under one of her blankets long enough to be asleep. Tim wasn't.
"Tell me you didn't just fuck her in the kitchen."
"I didn't just fuck her in the kitchen," Tim responded dutifully, drawing circles on Clare's back with his fingers.