Hello everyone, ok so I needed a distraction from my other story From This Day Forward for a bit and came up with this short story for you all. I did post it yesterday but ended up deleting it as I wasn't entirely happy with it so here it is again, edited now with the help of a friend - who I'm very grateful too.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this first chapter :)


"I have a surprise for you," Joseph said softly by his new brides ear and she closed her eyes at the feel of the moisture on his breath touching the shell of her ear. It was intoxicating, to be so close to him, to feel the warmth of his body by hers and the smell of him – to breathe in the deep, masculine smell of him. It made her heart swoop and the tightness low in her belly increase.

"You do?" Clarisse said in surprise and pulled her head back just enough to gaze into her new husband's sexy blue eyes. Those same sexy blue eyes that gave his true feelings away long ago. Those same sexy blue eyes that she had found herself getting lost in herself oh so many times over the years. Those same sexy blue eyes that stirred something deep inside each and every time she gazed into them.

Now that were finally married, she wanted him in every other way possible.

"I do," Joseph smiled and took a step back from their embrace while raising their arms up in the air for her to twirl under before returning to their starting position, to resume swaying slowly together in time to the music playing like they had the entire evening. Something that before now had only happened in his dreams.

They had been dancing publicly together all night, not just once like in the past, they had actually danced all evening, all night, pressed together like young newlyweds embarking on a whole new adventure after finding their way to one another when they both thought all was lost.

That morning his plans were that of retiring, moving on after accepting that they would never be together. That they were just not meant to be after all. But yet, here they were now dancing together, like they had all night, at their wedding reception and he felt like the luckiest man alive that she was now his. The most beautiful woman in the world.

The same beautiful woman who he'd loved from the very first moment they met all those years ago. The same beautiful woman whose perfume intoxicated his senses more times than he could remember. The same beautiful woman whose gorgeous smile made him go weak at the knees each and every time she flashed it him.

Now they were finally married, he wanted her in every other way possible.

"Can we escape after this dance?" He whispered in her ear.

"Yes," she answered quite simply, but was surprised over how quickly she replied to his question, and nodded with a smile. "Of course we can. I will just need to get my jacket first," she said, watching him step back with a smile and raise their arms up in the air, inviting her to twirl under them once again before continuing to share the dance together.

"Come on," Joseph smiled a few moment's later when the song changed to another and put his hand on her lower back, guiding her from the dance floor and over to their table where he picked up her jacket from the back of her chair and held it up for her, to help her on with it.

"Thank you," Clarisse smiled and turned to him while straightening out her jacket.

"Grandma," Mia smiled as she walked over to them. She had been watching them together most of the night, and after seeing them leave the dance floor she seized her chance to catch a few moments with her grandmother. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Oh yes," Clarisse exclaimed as she looked at her granddaughter. But what could she tell her when she wasn't entirely sure where they were going herself.

"We are going for a walk, Mia," Joseph smiled while taking Clarisse's hand in his and watched as the two most important women in his life looked at him. "We have been dancing all night, and now we would like to have sometime alone together."

"Yes, that's right," Clarisse smiled, giving his hand a small squeeze while looking up at him. "We are going for a walk."

"Right," Mia smirked, watching as Joseph turned his gaze to her grandmother. She of course had known about them both for so long, and that her grandmother always put duty before herself. But to witness them marry earlier that day, instead of her and Andrew, made her heart swell with pride that she had finally put herself first after all these years.

"Ready?" Joseph asked.

"I am," Clarisse nodded, her stomach somersaulting in anticipation of what lay ahead as she looked back at her granddaughter. "I'll be back shortly, Mia, I'm sure you can hold the fort while I'm gone."

"Of course," Mia nodded enthusiastically, "enjoy your walk."

"We will," Joseph smiled as he glanced to the Princess before looking back to his beautiful bride and began to lead her across the ballroom towards the exit, before anyone else tried to 'steal' her away from him.

Making their way out of the private entrance at the back of the Palace moments later, Clarisse was surprised to find Shades stood holding open the passenger door to Joseph's range rover on the drive. "Are we going somewhere?" She asked curiously and looked at Joseph who was walking just a step in front of her, for a change.

"Yes we are, but not far," he smiled back at her then at Shades as they came to a stop in front of him. "Thank you Shades, go now and enjoy the rest of the night."

"Of course, boss," Shades said as he bowed his head to him, then to the Queen. "Your majesty."

"Goodnight," she smiled, watching him walk back inside before turning her head to look back at her new husband. Her heart fluttering wildly in her chest at the mere thought of him now being her husband. "Are you going to tell me where we are going?" She asked as he let go of her hand and reached his arm into the car, grabbing something from the passenger seat.

"No, I'm sorry. It's a surprise," he answered with a coy smile and a shake of his head while turning back to face her as she looked down to see what he had in his hands.

"Why do you have one of my silk scarves here in your car?" She asked and looked back up into his eyes.

"I would like to use it as a blindfold," he suggested, his voice timid and nervous as he watched her reach out her hands to take the scarf from him.

"You want me to wear this as a blindfold?" She asked while looking down at it in both of her hands a brief moment.

For reasons that she won't realise until days later, this particular silk scarf would become symbolic, precious to her. Like family heirlooms or jewellery given at key moments in her life. And yet this, just another Hermès scarf, one of the countless she owns, is surprising when it's produced from the front seat of a car, his car, and offered as a cover for her eyes.

"Yes, please," Joseph smiled and took a step closer to her while putting his hands on her sides as she looked back up into his eyes. "I want where we are going to be a surprise."

"I see," she smiled and bit her bottom lip, her stomach somersaulting at the idea of being blindfolded, before looking back down at her scarf for the briefest of moments. "Ok," she agreed and looked back up at him, "I'll wear it for you."

"Thank you," he smiled and took hold of the scarf, gently pulling it from her hands as his gaze remained on her face. "Turn round for me, please," he asked and watched as she pressed a hand to her stomach before slowly turning so her back was to him. "Please don't be nervous," he said softly while raising his arms and gently tied her scarf around her head, making sure her eyes were covered. "Are you ok, it's not to tight is it?"

"No no it's fine," she said while putting one hand up onto the scarf covering over her eyes. "I'm just feeling a little apprehensive, I have never been blindfolded before," she added.

Stepping closer to her back, Joseph put his hands up onto the tops of her arms and leant in to whisper in her ear. His chest pressing against her back. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do," she replied while turning her head to the side. "With my life, you know that."

"Then please relax," he said softly while smoothing one hand down her arm to take hold of her hand in his and slipped his other hand onto her side. "I promise you won't have to wear it for long."

Taking a couple of deep, calming breaths, Clarisse nodded, "ok," she said and smiled nervously, allowing him to guide her closer to the car and help her into the passenger seat.

Taking a step back once she was seated comfortably, Joseph smiled and shut her door before walking around the car and climbing into the drivers seat beside her. "Ok, are you ready to go find out what your surprise is?" He asked while starting the engine.

"I'm ready," she smiled excitedly and nodded.

Smiling, Joseph took hold of Clarisse's hand in his and raised it to his mouth, to kiss the back of it lovingly, before looking out of the front car window and started to drive as Clarisse once again bit her bottom lip. Wondering where on earth they could be going and what exactly her surprise was.