Disclaimer: own none of the characters, make no money, etc etc...
Author's Notes: A speedy update i know but i'm back to work in a couple of days & i thought i might aswell do this now whilst i still have the time! Some people might recall that i said a while ago this story was split into sections - Section 1 was up to where Clairsse left the Palace, well this is obviously Section 2 and we are rapidly approaching the end of it. It's a long story i know, please bear with it... if for any wonderful reason you'd like to revisit earlier chapters & remind yourself of what has taken place please visit my website, not only do you get the story but CJ pics to accompany it - now who can resist looking at pictures of Joe hmm:-)
Fallen chapter 22
Sunday, and as Clarisse expected Rose rang her bright and early. In fact she was still a little drowsy even after consuming mug after mug of coffee when she accepted the telephone call.
Joseph was up bright and early before her and out in the garden happily watering her flowers, she watched him through the lounge windows as she spoke to Rose.
"Lunch? Yes, well I suppose we could. Hmm… who else is coming?"
She listened to Rose fill her in on the latest village developments and secretly wondered what the gossips would make of her relationship with Joseph.
He had moved out of her eye line now, around the side of the house to the plants that grew in pots.
"Yes Rose, I know, such scandal!" She laughed lightly. "But who will be there today?"
She never heard Joseph creep up behind, his arms wrapped around her waist and he kissed her cheek. "Good morning." He whispered.
She covered the mouthpiece and twisted her head to his mouthing "morning" before kissing him.
He swayed her body against his as she returned to the phone. "Just family, that's fine, I'm sure we will be there. Oh… yes, he's fine."
She felt Joseph smile against her neck.
"We'll be there, a couple of hours, I need to change. Okay dear, bye."
She placed the phone on the table and turned in his arms.
"Just fine?" He asked raising an eyebrow.
"Now how did you know I was referring to you, I could have been talking about any nice young man."
"I'd have him hung for even looking at you."
"Joseph!" She chided but when she caught sight of his amused expression she allowed herself a smile. "I should go take a shower and dress."
"I take it we're going out."
"Rose has invited us for lunch, something about wanting to make the most of this weather whilst we have it. A barbecue."
"Wow, haven't done that for years, Bella used to enjoy…" he shrugged. "Well I'll get dressed, just go and empty the coffee away, unless you want some more?"
"Oh please no more, I'm high on caffeine."
She watched him head into the kitchen and for the tiniest of moments it suddenly struck her how insane this entire thing was. What the hell was he doing in her kitchen cleaning her coffee pot? He could have anything he wanted, anybody he wanted; yet he was indulging her with small-scale family activities.
Her eyes clouded for a second at the thought but she quickly brushed them with the back of her hand and headed upstairs for a shower.
"I so beat you!" Clarisse exclaimed throwing her bat down to the floor.
"You hate to lose!" He laughed. "Don't you, you just hate it!"
"Especially when I didn't lose… Joseph…" she called shielding her eyes from the sun and glancing across the garden.
"Yes." He responded weakly, already aware of what was coming.
"Joseph you watched the game, did I lose?"
"You played exceptionally well… by far the best amateur Badminton match I've ever had the privilege to witness."
"Ohh you're no help, you're too political, always striking a balance."
She turned around at the sound of the younger man's laughter.
"And you can be quiet."
"Aunt Clarisse is a sore loser."
"I'll give you loser." She threw the shuttlecock at him. "You should show more respect for your elders."
"Are we going to eat?" Rose shouted. "Or are the two of you going to argue all day?"
"We'll eat Mum, I'll go rinse my hands." David said.
Clarisse wandered across to the table where Joseph sat.
"Surely you're really not a bad loser." He whispered, Rose and Martin stood a little way across the garden, Rose fussing over whether or not Martin had cooked the chicken correctly.
"No, not really, but it's fun to tease him. And besides… I won."
He laughed and reached for her body, his hands resting on her hips. She pulled herself away.
"Don't… not here."
She sat down across from him and caught the hurt in his eyes. "No… I didn't mean it, Joseph… come on, they don't know we've gone that… little bit further, I'd prefer it if they didn't."
"Why?"
"Because…" she was about to answer when she spotted Rose heading towards them. "Please, just for today."
He shrugged and adopted a smile as Rose sat next to him.
"He's burnt that chicken I'm sure… more Wine Joseph?"
"Why not, Clarisse is driving." He lifted his glass and accepted the refill.
"So…" Clarisse said quickly trying to alter the sudden dark mood. "Tell me why we only have one sibling here today?"
"Oh too last minute, you know how it is, they'd already made plans. Children honestly, are yours like that Joseph, always doing something, always too busy to talk to you?"
He swallowed his wine awkwardly. "Yes, mostly… if I'm honest I'm just as bad, I should make more time for some things. Much more time."
Clarisse held his stare then dropped her head to the side and began to help herself to salad.
"How much longer are you on vacation?" Rose suddenly asked covering the silence.
"Rose!" Clarisse snapped.
"No it's a fair question…" Joseph responded. "I have to leave soon, a couple more days at the most." He looked to Clarisse for some kind of response but she showed not one ounce of emotion.
"But I've enjoyed it, lovely part of the world." He smiled weakly at Rose. "Thank you so much for all your hospitality, you've been very welcoming."
"Oh but you're most welcome, I hope that this won't be the last I see of you." She gently nudged Clarisse's foot with hers beneath the table but her sister chose to ignore this also. "We all hope we see you again."
"So do I… very much so."
They were silent on the drive home; it was already early evening and the sun had just about set. Clarisse took another root home and pulled off of the road onto a gravely sidetrack. Stopping the car she switched the engine off and turned to face him.
"What's wrong?" he said weakly.
"You want to talk about this, fine, let's talk about it now. I can't bear another twenty-minutes drive in stony silence."
"I thought the day went well, I enjoyed it… mostly."
Clarisse remembered the look of despair on his face when she'd pushed him away, remembered the half-hearted tone of joviality when they'd played board games in the late afternoon sun.
"You want to know why I don't want them to know about us."
"Us? Is there an us Clarisse, I wonder."
"You know exactly what I mean, at the moment we are just friends to them."
"And?"
"Don't you see when you leave it will be bad enough for me, I will feel awful because of how things have turned out, because of where we're heading with this. If they knew, God if Rose knew we were lovers then she would be there, fussing over me, telling me there's a way to sort it all out."
"Perhaps there is."
"There isn't, you will go home, I will return to normal. That's the end. It isn't pleasant and it won't be easy but we both went into this with our eyes open, we have nobody else to blame. And I don't want to drag anyone else into it, it's between us, just us."
For a moment he mulled on her words, he so wanted to find the answer, to hand her everything on a plate right there and then, perfectly organised and in place. But it his heart he knew she was right.
He nodded, slowly, then reached for her hand and kissed it.
"Your general knowledge is excellent by the way." She smiled.
"Well…" he coughed lightly. "Didn't want to let our team down."
She moved closer to him. "The sun is setting." She whispered. "I said you'd see it before you left."
Finally he lifted his head and looked towards the view, she had brought him back to the ocean, the sun setting in the distance, all orange and red colliding into the depths of the sea.
"It won't be much longer, another twenty minutes." She said gently leaning against his arm.
"Thank you."
"You're very welcome… I thought I'd take a bath when we got home."
"Right."
"Would you care to rub my feet?"
The room was scented and cloudy, the air itself heavy with perfume and heat. It seemed to settle around Joseph as he laid back, the water like silk caressing his skin, his eyes wouldn't even take the time to open and gaze around. All was still, wonderfully still and wonderfully languid.
Nothing could have roused him from that moment of perfection, at ease, enraptured by pure comfort. Each sense listlessly noted how it was being touched, warmed and spoilt.
Somewhere in the midst of his reverie he was aware of Clarisse moving her head a little, from his left shoulder to his right. Lazily lifting his hand from the water he stroked the top of her head and dropped a kiss to her cheek. She murmured something endearingly sweet and he smiled slightly, his hand slipping back into the water.
His fingers moved over her stomach until he found her hand lying there and he wrapped his fingers with hers.
There was a barely audible click from the bedroom as the CD changed and loaded a new. Settling his head back and breathing slowly Joseph closed his mind off to everything but the feel of having this woman in his arms and the sound of the tender music as it strummed into the room.
"I won't spend my life waiting for an angel to descend, searching for a rainbow with an end. Now that I've found you I'll call off the search."
Clarisse was stroking his hand with hers, she lifted his hand out of the water and he opened his eyes to observe her.
She turned his hand over, tickled the lines on his palm with her index finger, stroked his wrist until he shivered at the sensation. Before bringing his palm to her lips and kissing it.
He had removed the bulky signet ring some days ago before they ventured down to the beach and now he had to admit to himself he preferred it without. She was about to replace his hand in the water but instead he held hers, and affectionately traced the outline of each finger before bringing it to his mouth and kissing her palm, her wrist and her fingertips.
She smiled and twisted her head a little to look at him.
"You have beautiful hands…" he whispered sinking deeper into the water. "But then I think you have beautiful everything."
"That's because you're an old fool."
"Excuse me madam but I do believe you are older than me."
"Ohh but I don't act it." She held his hands and directed his arms around her waist until he held her tight.
"You don't?" He kissed her nose.
"No, never." She kissed him back, just a tiny teasing touch of her lips.
He smiled warmly and moved forward kissing her again; they exchanged small quick kisses until both were laughing.
"That's how we used to kiss when we were at School. When we didn't know how to do it properly."
"And now you know how to do it properly?"
She dropped her hand to the back of his neck stroking his skin with her thumb, half twisted over in the water as she leant on top of him.
"Oh I think so."
"Show me, prove your point."
She chuckled but leant forward anyway and kissed him slowly, using her tongue to tease his mouth open and gently pour every ounce of emotion into that one kiss.
"Well…" he breathed deeply. "That certainly was good…"
"I told you, kissing properly is something that can only be taught with age and experience, children cannot master it. They don't have the depth."
"Is that a clinical observation?"
"Of course, now lay back and listen to the music and be quiet."
"Hey I was being quiet, you were the one who started fussing with my hand."
"Fussing?" She slapped the water until it splashed in his face."
"Ahh, you little menace."
"Menace?" Again she splashed him jerking forward as he caught her and attempted to cover her face with bubbles. "Joseph!"
"You started it, no backing out now." He sat forward reaching for her body and attempting to pull her back to him.
Laughing and spluttering Clarisse threw her head back as Joseph tossed another handful of bubbles across the bathtub to her, she submerged her head in the water before rising back up again and rubbing her face.
"You are quite insane." Joseph smiled. "Come here."
"I'm in insane, you are the one who has covered my bathroom floor with bubbles. I might slip later and break my neck and it will all be your fault." She slid through the water to his open arms resting against his chest.
"Oh don't say things like that my love…" He kissed her forehead, "My love."
Smiling tenderly she nuzzled his chin, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
"Do you think we're getting too old for bathing together?" He whispered as she kissed his chest.
"Not at all, why do you feel we are?"
"I certainly hope not, I have quite a wonderful view from here." He playfully slapped her backside.
"Hey, if you keep moving about we shall lose all the water."
"You mean if I rock about like this…" he moved them from side to side and she bit down on her lip as she watched the joyful expression cross over his features. "What if I rock more vigorously?"
"I'd tell you to calm down, I shan't be making love to you in the bath rub, no matter how sweet and heady the moment might be." She breathed deeply rubbing his shoulders. "In fact I think I've rather exhausted myself this week."
"Really?" His voice was oddly amused.
"Yes, I feel, well, a little… " She leant closer to him and whispered in his ear. "Sore."
Joseph couldn't help but chuckle.
"It's not funny."
"No, not that, why whisper, who else was going to hear?"
"I don't know I just felt awkward saying it to you."
"Why, it's not as if I don't understand the whys and wherefores dear."
"I know…" she stroked his chest absently. "But still, you are you…" Smiling she shook her head. "It is my own fault, you play you pay…"
Again he laughed. "Why I shall have to remember that line, it's rather good, perhaps I could work it into some speech somehow."
"Don't you dare! I will know of what you're referring to."
He held her tight against him caressing the curve of her back with his fingertips. "Of you over indulging and forcing me to conduct unspeakable acts of passion on the kitchen table."
"Forcing? I hardly think I had to twist your arm…"
Again he kissed her head. "Dear Clarisse," he chuckled then dropped his voice to a light whisper. "I'm sorry you're not feeling too good."
"Oh on the contrary, I feel very good, too good in fact." She kissed him again. "You know the problem is you're too damn sexy." She almost growled the last word, her voice adopting a deep gravely tone.
"Well, I am flattered."
"So you should be, you know I'm surprised you don't have women throwing themselves at you all the time."
"And why might that be?" He asked amused.
"Because, you're good looking, and rich, intelligent, charming, certainly never dull."
"Thanks." He quipped.
"And besides," she nipped his chest with her teeth. "I've tested the merchandise, I know what they're getting."
"Err, nobody will be getting anything thank you very much, only you."
"Then I'm lucky, but what about next week hmm… what about a month from now when I'm not around you, you won't be tempted?"
He twisted his fingers in her damp hair. "Why say things like that now, hmm… I'd rather not think about that."
"But it's a fact."
"Not tonight." He whispered imploringly.
She nodded silently reaching for the hand that rested in her hair and pulled it down to her lips.
He lifted her chin and kissed her mouth quickly and added, "Besides, there won't be anyone to replace you… ever."
She knew his words were sincere and from the heart and that she really shouldn't allow them to strike a chord, she really shouldn't allow him to say such things… yet despite this she couldn't help but smile and feel her heart swell at the look in his eyes.
"Oh I like this song!" She said excitedly trying to dispel the mood. "It's naughty."
"How so?" Joseph lay back in the water watching her through half closed eyes, a smile still resting on his lips.
"Listen to the words…" she began to sing-speak along with the words to the song. "Some people say that oysters make you come on strong, but I don't buy it, I don't believe my diet turns me on."
Joseph's eyes widened. "You're a bad influence on me you know. I never knew such things…" he said innocently.
"Oh really, you seem to know exactly what you were doing last night… and the night before that… and then…"
He silenced her with a heated kiss, she moaned into his mouth feeling herself tremble from head to foot despite her will not to let this affect her so.
"You really must stop kissing me, it isn't fair to tease."
"I apologise." He said softly. "You're the one who's too damn sexy."
She smirked. "I haven't been told that in a few years."
"It's true."
"Joseph…"
"Yes my darl… dear."
She bit down on her bottom lip to suppress her smile. "Can I ask you something serious, and I mean, deadly serious?"
"Well, yes… I suppose so."
"Do you think, I mean, honestly, do you think this water is getting a little lukewarm?"
"That's the bloody question?"
"Yes," she giggled. "Yes that's it."
"I think you are most definitely insane… either that or your drunk."
"I've had half a glass of wine!" She exclaimed.
"Obviously quite enough young lady, come on, let's get you tucked up in bed and to sleep."
"But I'm not tired." She pouted as she sat up.
"You're not?"
Shaking her head she watched as he climbed out of the bath and wrapped a large towel around himself watching as Clarisse took a towel for herself and stood in the half empty tub teasing him, peeling back the towel to reveal a little of her skin at a time.
Smiling devilishly Joseph suddenly grabbed her and hoisted her up over his shoulder. Against her better judgement Clarisse found herself squealing.
"That's it, I've just about had enough of your naughty behaviour for one night, off to bed with you." He proclaimed as he carried her into the bedroom.
"Ohhh Joseph…mmm, that feels so good." Clarisse's groans filled the bedroom. "Yes, oh yes, don't stop now… just touch me there…"
"Clarisse!" He murmured. "Stop it! You're putting me off."
"I'm encouraging you."
"No, you're distracting me."
She was silent for a while, biting down on her bottom lip but suddenly she moaned very loudly again.
"Clarisse!"
"What… don't stop." She said vigorously shaking her leg.
Joseph took hold of her foot again and resumed massaging her heel.
"You know this could very well be beyond the call of duty." He said lifting the bottle and adding a few more drops of oil to his hands.
"Most definitely not." Clarisse took another sip of her wine. "This could very well be one of deepest desires."
"Really? Well then, I shall complain no more."
"Hmm." She smiled, closed her eyes and he watched as she visibly sank back into the bed, visual relaxation spreading through her.
"You're falling to sleep…" he whispered.
She said nothing, moaned her agreement.
For a while he remained rubbing her feet until the majority of the oil had disappeared. Then he tucked her legs beneath the blanket and switched the lamp off next to her.
After rinsing his hands he returned to bed, he had only just lay back when she turned over and wrapped her arms around him, her head on his chest. He held onto her, kissed her hair, it seemed to him they fit together so perfectly, now after all the problems, the awkwardness. Now they had found their niche. The place they belonged too.
He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her; tomorrow he would make sure she knew it also. He would make her breakfast and do it then, first thing in the morning.
Please review you lovely people! x Rhonda
