Ohhh caution to those young 'uns - - cover your eyes now! It's all sex, sex, sex these days tut tut!!!! :-)

Part 12

The dress she'd worn was inviting, too much so. It swayed as she walked, and when they'd exited the elevator and she'd moved down the corridor in front of him he felt that familiar desire rise inside him as she moved. Intoxicating, recalling the feel of her body pressed against his, the smell of her perfume and he was lost… he wanted her there and then in the corridor no matter who was passing by.

"Joseph… are you coming?" She said stopping to look at him still rooted by the elevator.

"You have no idea." He whispered in response before following her.

She waited by their door, leaning against the wall as she waited for him to catch up. Sneakily she looked further down the corridor and noting there was nobody else around she reached down and slipped her shoes off.

"New shoes are killing me." She said wearily as he swiped the card and opened the door.

He looked down at her rubbing her feet – so unqueenly, as she lifted her head she caught his eyes and he lost control. He grabbed her waist, lifted her up and swung her round carrying her into the room.

She said not one word, a slight smile on her lips the only sign of approval. In the darkness he pressed her back against the door until it clicked shut then his mouth was on hers. Heavy and probing, full of desire and need. She was moaning into his mouth almost instantaneously. It had been too long.

She dropped her shoes, wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to him, wanting this just as much as he did. His hands seemed to be everywhere, tracing a line down the side of her body then back up, circling beneath her breasts. Everything was a blur of feeling and heat. She could feel the flush rising over her chest and up her neck, and was secretly glad for the dark knowing her skin was bound to be red and blotchy.

He pulled back suddenly, breathing hard; she could feel the rise of his chest against hers. A hand on her face, touching her sticky mouth.

"Is this alright?"

"Joseph…" She admonished pressing her mouth against his, reached down and yanked his shirt free from his trousers, pushing it up eager to feel his skin.

He loosened a few buttons then threw it over his head. Her scarf and coat were abandoned and he was making short work of the buttons on her dress, pushing it down and kissing her exposed shoulders.

Her head was spinning, surely they couldn't do it here, against the door… oh but it felt so good, so right. She didn't care where it was.

His fingers were circling the top of her stockings, his mouth on her neck and she heard her own voice urging him on. Was that really her? Did she really sound like that?

Heady and so deep in the moment Joseph hardly knew where he was, only that he was with her and this love was engulfing each one of his senses and turning him inside out. He felt almost weightless and drifting as he lifted her body up and held her firm against him. No this wasn't right, not here, he wanted soft pillows and to be slow and careful in each move.

Somehow he tore his mouth from hers, detached himself from her body and trailed a hand along the wall until he found the light switch. Thank god it was a dimmer switch otherwise he would have blinded them both.

At first Clarisse looked rather embarrassed, but then she relaxed and smiled. He looked the same as her, tousled hair and half dressed. Enthralled, enraptured in the moment. Somehow the restaurant seemed a million miles away, dinner and talk and dancing and Rico and Elisa and the monarchy and Genovia – it was all part of a different world. It held no interest now. This was eternity, this was the reason for everything she'd ever felt or thought or done. Every second of life came down to this, being with him.

She stepped forward and held out her hand.

"Too old for standing up." She said flatly and it made him laugh.

"People might think that." He responded taking her hand.

"We could prove them wrong."

"I think I'd rather find out what our bedroom is like."

She nodded and led him across the lounge, through the large white doors into the dining room and then across to the master bedroom. He closed the doors behind them and watched from there as she switched on a lamp and removed her dress completely, slid her stockings down her legs and then stopped staring at him open mouthed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing…" he moved towards her. "I'm just the luckiest man alive."

"Don't forget that." She teased stepping back from him and falling down onto the bed.

Smiling he lifted the sheets from beneath her and helped her slide beneath them.

"Comfy bed, better than last night." She settled back against the pillows watching intently as he removed the rest of his clothes.

"Self-indulgence." He quipped.

"Exactly." She smiled holding a hand out to him.

With her eyes closed and her head still reeling it felt like bliss, his mouth on her neck, his hands… god what were his hands doing? Engulfed in the moment that seemed to go on and on, a flowing of emotion from one to another. Time passed, in the outside world people were living and breathing but it didn't matter. The centre was right there, in that room.

Delectable kisses adorned her chest, whispered words and promises of forever. Until his hands were in her hair, his eyes on her face and she lazily opened her own eyes to see him.

"I still can't believe…" he swallowed, his heart thumping, blood rushing. "That I'm allowed to touch you."

She smiled, drawing her arm from his back and tracing her fingers along his arm to his shoulder noting how he still shivered under her touch.

"What did I do to deserve this?" His voice was so raw with emotion she almost cried then and there.

"I ask myself the same thing." She murmured, her voice raspy.

He brought his mouth down to hers again before shifting his weight to one side and wrapping her flushed body against his.

In the silence the monotonous sound of his heartbeat thudded in her ear, she stroked his arm that lay over her. She wasn't tired, almost 3 in the morning and she wasn't tired. A thousand thoughts rushed through her brain, a million questions and pledges and declarations to be made.

She stared across the room, through the black unfamiliar layout to the light that shone beneath the door. They'd left the light on in the other room; if she had any kind of pull she would have moved and turned it off. But no, nothing would move her from that position.

"Joseph…" She whispered.

"Mmm."

"I didn't know if you were sleeping."

"I'm thinking… dreaming."

"Me too." She continued to stroke his arm mulling things over. "Talk to me."

He smiled, leant forward and kissed the back of her neck. "About what my love?"

"How you're feeling?"

"Right now – you even have to ask." He pressed her stomach with his hand. "Like I found heaven, and after everything that happened…"

He stopped at her sharp intake of breath.

"Not the conversation you wanted."

"I'm scared of what you might say."

"I'm terrified of what you remember." He added softly. "The things I said."

"That I'm cold, stoic and unfeeling."

"And I sound so cliché to say 'I didn't mean it'. But I don't, I mean, I know you aren't."

She laughed taking in their current position.

"Alright, perhaps the wrong time to discuss this particular point." Her body shook against him as she laughed.

"I'll admit to it though, I build these defences. I use this make-up to hide how I'm feeling because in the end… in the end the people don't want to see a weak Queen who can't take the pressure."

She smiled, turning onto her back and resting her arms flat against the sheets. "I guess I've created the role of being a bit of an old dragon, over the years. Any daughter-in-laws worst nightmare."

His hand reached down and folded with hers.

"How did you see through that? I mean initially. How did you know there could be more?"

"Is more, no could about it. There is more, you are more, I can't even find words…"

He was silenced by her mouth meeting his. "If it wasn't for you I would have remained that lonely woman, sleeping in a bed far too big for one. I'd lost hope that I'd find this, that there would be somebody for me, just me. So no more guilt over anything said in London."

"You threw a vase at me."

She smiled, dropping her head and shaking it. She leant over his body her fingers folding with his as she rested against him. "I rather enjoyed that, I may just do it again at some point in the future."

"Oh good, could you warn me first."

"That would ruin the affect somewhat don't you think." She'd moved above him now. "Besides I'd never done it before, it must be some kind of passion thing."

"Then in a way I should be… flattered?"

"Yes I suppose you should." She whispered dropping her mouth to his chest.

His eyes closed instinctively at the sensation, feeling her smooth legs pressing against his, her body warm and almost melodious as she touched him.

"I thought as you got older this type of thing was less likely to happen." He whispered into her hair.

He felt her smile against his skin. "I thought I'd reached an age where making love was out of the question, in any way shape or form." She lifted her face to his. "Certainly not like this."

"It's getting late you know."

"I have no plans for tomorrow." She smiled brightly; he hadn't seen her so relaxed in a long time.

"I do."

"Hmm?"

"It involves me."

"Yes."

"You."

She grinned. "Yes."

"And a hotel room."

"I think I like your plan."

"You do, think you'll stick with it."

"I think so, you've never let me down before."

"Only once, never again."

"I cried the first time we made love."

"I know."

She smiled and rubbed his hand. "Of course you do. Why didn't you ever say anything…"

"Because," he sighed. "Because I didn't want to embarrass you or ruin the moment or lose that feeling… I don't know, should I have?"

"No, it was perfect as it was."

She slipped onto her back folding her hands on top of the sheets. "I'd never felt like that before, never been loved like this before." Slightly embarrassed she turned her head.

"If it's any consolation I've never loved like this before either."

The smile on his face melted her heart and she swung over to hug him, groaning against his shoulder. "Ohh Joseph I'm hungry."

"Hungry?" he laughed incredulously. "It's almost 4:30."

She pulled her head back to look into his eyes. "But I am still royal."

Less than twenty minutes later they sat in front of the large fire in the main room drinking Hot Chocolate and Clarisse happily munching on Florentines.

"I guess there are some advantages to your role." He said happily laying back on the couch.

"Mmm, many. I thought you knew that by now." She sat on the same couch, pulled her legs up and rested them on his body wiggling her toes and smiling. He sighed and pulled himself up, taking hold of her foot and rubbing it.

"You could hire somebody to do this."

"Oh but they wouldn't have hands as skilled as yours." She said assuredly.

He accepted the compliment and settled back lazily rubbing her foot.

"It's late." She said closing her eyes.

"Morning really."

"Tell me, what do you see our future as being?"

"Wow that's a tough question for so early in the morning." He glanced over at her face, relaxed, falling to sleep probably.

"Tell me…" She whispered.

"I'm not foolish enough to say from now on it will be plain sailing."

"Oh that would be too easy." She laughed.

"I told you before I want to travel with you, I want to just enjoy your company and however long we have together just, just be us and not this… not part of all this regal lifestyle all the time. Not everyday on duty."

She shifted on the couch, lifted her foot from his hand and replaced it with her other.

"Relinquishing duty…" she sighed. "Isn't as straightforward as I thought it might be. But I guess I have to realise that, despite our activities tonight, I'm old."

He chuckled. "Don't say that, it makes me old too."

"Hmm," she shifted again, it wasn't exactly comfortable lying there. "I want that too, you must know that. It just takes me a while to get there… which I guess you know after waiting so many years to be with me."

He laughed again. "Oh but the wait was worth it. I'd do it all over again." He squeezed her foot and sat up looking down at her. "Shall we go to bed?"

She smiled slightly. "Again?"

"Can you manage the walk?" He leant forward brushing her hair.

"Mmm."

"I think not then." He untangled himself from her and stood up, sliding a hand beneath her legs. She turned towards him and reached up to grip his shoulders allowing him to carry her to bed.

"I still have questions." She whispered barely awake.

"Tomorrow…"