Chapter 32

"Okay," nodded Clarisse and sat a bit farther to make room for Joseph. "Come and sit down..." her voice was calm and kind, what made him more confused than before. He expected... actually he didn't know what he expected. Crying? Arguing? Shouting? But she was just... sweet as always. "Well," she pointed at the TV's direction, "It seems I… I disappeared."

"Yeah, it quite seems so." sighed Joseph with a nervous smile, trying to collect his thoughts to start his long postponed explanation. "When we left from... you know, I was so angry about what your husband did to you, I barely could control myself… you fainted, you cried and above all you thought it was all your fault." he still looked down, battled with the memories. "I was so tremendously angry that I could have beat him right there… but I also knew if I had done it, we wouldn't have been able to get out of there, so I held myself back, but actually… not hundred percent, because I also could not resist to leave him a message."

"A message… what message?"

"It said... 'You will never see her again.'"

"Oh..." she sighed, looking down for a moment. "Then compared to that… there's really no big fuss at all." she added and started to smile.

"What?..." murmured Joseph. "You're not mad at me?" he asked and she just smiled for a few moments, before she hugged him tightly.

"No... of course not." she whispered, then pulled away a little. "All I want to say is, thank you." She could see a wonderful mixture of relief and love in his eyes, "Thank you for... for trying to do everything for me, for us... Maybe you think you've done something wrong, but... all I can see is the man I love, who puts everything at a risk to create a future for us." she smiled and he just pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

"I love you Clarisse…" he whispered in her neck, closing his eyes for a moment to inhaling her scent, her warmness, her whole being "… more than anything in the world."

"I know." she answered with a smile. "I perfectly know."

"Do you..."

"..."

"Do you know about the police too? That we were actually hiding from them?" he had to ask her, wanted to start with a clean slate.

"Yeah, I figured it out."

"Okay." nodded Joseph softly. "And... I contacted with on of my friends who is a journalist, maybe he can help us somehow."

"…" he could see the worry on her face.

"You think it was a bad idea?"

"No, just… I don't really like press you know. I mean a journalist can be also very helpful or very harmful… it depends on whose side he is."

"He is a good friend of mine, I trust him hundred percent."

"Then… that's enough for me," she nodded slowly and changed the subject. "So with that message… I guess you wanted to provoke my husband, right?"

"Yes, absolutely... I had to hit back somehow, but there was also another thing on my mind. Namely who is angry makes mistakes more often… and we all know he has a few sticky business."

"Actually, all of them is sticky." she added sarcastically.

"That's even better. So if the spotlight is on him, maybe he'll make a mistake or something'll come to light, I don't know... but I feel this is the only way we can be free."

"I really hope it will work," sighed Clarisse. "But I would like to ask something from you…something important."

"Of course, anything."

"Please… please don't hide anything from me ever again," she looked up at him seriously. "It doesn't matter it's scary or not, I just want to be right beside you in this whole thing. I mean it's our fight after all and maybe I can't help, but… I know it's not much… but at least I can encourage you."

"That's more than enough, believe me." he smiled, kissing her hand lovingly.

"So you're going to tell me everything from now on?"

"Yes, of course… I promise."

"Okay." she sighed. "Then… I think it's time to go and rest a bit. Too many things happened today also."

"Sure," he smiled and stood up, taking her hand to go. "Come on."

"Oh and Joseph..." she added what made him stop.

"…"

"I would really love to live here…"

"…Are you sure?" he was thinking he could not be happier. "I mean it's quite a big decision, you know."

"Uh-huh," she nodded with a smile. "I couldn't have decided this so quickly in the past, but I've been so sure of everything since I met you," she whispered the last bit, and he just picked her up lovingly to take her upstairs in his arms…

Their room was dim and cosy… and although they barely could see each other, their touches were more sure than before…They were tired and exhausted from the last few days' events, but they could not resist to cuddle in each other's arms as they remained alone. Standing in the middle of the room and hugging each other was the most natural thing in the whole world and Joseph's loving kisses on her neck were something she wanted to feel more, so she just tried to draw herself closer, but it was physically impossible. Soon she totally let herself losing in the enjoyment and with every single kiss of his, her moans became more and more instinctive and the feeling of his hungry touches made almost unbearable the desire to finally feel him inside…

OOOOOOOOOOO

Next morning…

"You're dressing from your suitcase?" asked Joseph surprised, looking her morning routine from bed.

"Uhm…yes. What's wrong with that?" she turned around absentmindedly.

"Nothing, just I don't want you to be afraid of packing out fully."

"Gosh," she could not help but smiled. "It's not fear… it's just precaution."

"So you're not afraid?"

"No." she answered with self confidence. "Hey, I'm not as weak as you may think."

"Of course not. I just…"

"Joseph," she stepped to the bed cupping his face. "I'm fine… and I perfectly know what I'm doing, okay?"

"Yes, of course." he nodded softly, watching her moving back to her suitcase while he was thinking… thinking on how could he help her to forget this precaution thing and enjoy their holiday. Somehow he felt this whole situation was all his fault, he would have had to hold himself back from that message, and because of that she cold not fully enjoy her time with him. He was thinking on that when his phone beeped and a new message flashed up on the screen from his journalist friend…

'I've found what we were looking for'

To be continued…