Claire could feel Caleb relax, the last tension lifting from him as what she was telling him seemed to sink in. She didn't care what had happened in his past. They had a future together, and that was what mattered in her eyes. Sure, they may never get married, they may never have kids, they may never fit into the ideal mould of a perfect family, but what they had together was strong, and right, and perfect, at least for the two of them. Screw anyone else's opinion.
She smiled as Caleb leaned into her touch, the very last of the nervousness fluttering away. For someone with such high levels of self confidence, Caleb could be unnerved by the smallest things. It was one of his quirks, and something that, doubtless, very few people were ever permitted to see. She felt truly privileged to be allowed this close to the man behind the facade.
"I couldn't do anything other than tell you the truth," she murmured back. She had no desire to conceal anything from Caleb, and, as such, would never even try. She had too much respect for him to lie about anything, and that was one of the reasons that she would always be honest with him.
Claire shivered as Caleb kissed her palm, an intimate, quiet gesture that was frequently shared between the two of them. It meant the world to her that they trusted one another completely, something that she had thought she would never again experience with a man. Tama had shattered her completely, and it had taken Caleb's friendship to allow her fractured heart to begin to heal.
She couldn't put her finger on when that friendship had started to develop into something more, only that the night in the gym - the joking around, the flirting, the offer to kiss his arm better - had been the catalyst to the wonderful relationship that had developed. Sure, it had been fast, but that didn't make it any less valid than a relationship between a couple who had been together for years. It had been a natural extension of their close, complex friendship, and Claire wouldn't change it for the world.
The expression on Caleb's face as Claire explained that Hone was just a shitstirrer was a dangerous one. She'd seen that look before, and, placing a finger softly on his lips, she shook her head. "Leave it, e ipo. He's not worth it. Besides, I think Hari's got it this time, don't you?" His sister would make the arsehole rue the day, that was for sure.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't you dare apologise," said Claire, her voice laced with a quiet vehemence. "You have nothing to apologise for. "Nobody finds out unless we tell them, and I'm not going to say a word, not unless you want to. People here - my family - will get to know you just as you are, not from some reputation." She watched his face for a second, before dropping a kiss onto the tip of his nose. "I know you're not using me. Nobody here would ever think you're using me. Dad bloody loves you, mum seems to agree... and I couldn't care less if they didn't. We know the truth, and that's what matters."
Claire returned the kiss that Caleb offered, passion and fire rising between them once more. There were going to be speedbumps like this all the way through, and Claire was certain that they would be able to work their way through them. As long as they kept talking to one another, kept being honest, they could get through anything.
She was still giddy at the fact that Caleb had taken the time to learn a few words of Te Reo for her, and his choice of words blew her away. It meant more to her than he would ever know. As if his declaration of love and the tag hadn't been enough, this left no ambiguity about how Caleb felt for her.
Caleb's mind was obviously running in the same direction as Claire's as he leaned forward, pressing as much of his body against hers as he could manage, and Claire's hands slipped to the back of his neck again, sighing quietly as he started to kiss her shoulder, even as his hands pushed the flared hem of her dress ever upwards. "I'm sure there are," she murmured, only vaguely aware that anyone could walk in at any moment, as she cocked her head to one side, allowing Caleb access to kiss her neck if he should so choose.
"Let's hope dad doesn't decide to see whether we're okay," she breathed, her voice a low, sultry chuckle as she trailed her hands down over Caleb's chest and stomach, running fingers underneath his t-shirt, even as she bit back a sharp breath inwards as the kissing continued.
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