Kicking the door closed behind them, Joseph carefully set Clarisse back on her feet and watched as she turned to face him. "See, I told you that I would be fine," he chuckled and raised one of his hands, to brush a bit of her hair back behind her ear before lowering his hand and grasping her sides.
"You did," Clarisse nodded and put her hands up to frame his face in them a brief moment before wrapping her arms around his neck while tilting her head ever so slightly and reaching up to kiss him. Another slow, sensual kiss. One of many that they would share that night.
Smoothing his hands round to, and up, her back Joseph reluctantly broke the kiss a moment later and pulled his head back to study her face a brief moment. "Are you ready for your next surprise?"
"You mean there's even more?" She asked in surprise while loosening her arms from around his neck and smoothing her hands down onto his biceps.
"Yes, there are, I think, three, maybe four more surprises," he chuckled and smoothed his hands back to rest on her sides before taking hold of one of her hands in his while taking a step back. "Come on, let me show you the next one," he said and began leading her into the living room.
Walking through the door close behind Joseph, Clarisse slowly glanced around the room and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was lit up by led light candles too. Just like in the entrance hall, only there were more of them. Giving it more of a romantic, warm feeling to it. There were some on the mantlepiece, some on the coffee table and some were on the table behind the settee, next to a vase of beautiful red roses, Clarisse's favourite, and a bucket of champagne on ice, two champagne flutes and a silver plated tray with a lid covering its contents. With some of Clarisse's favourite music playing low in the background.
"Oh Joseph," Clarisse exclaimed in delight and put her free hand up onto her chest as Joseph looked back over his shoulder at her. "This is really incredible, I can't believe you have done all this for me," she said, while looking back at him when a thought suddenly crossed her mind. "Wait a minute, how did you manage to do all this when you haven't left my side, well except for a brief ten minutes, since we returned from the church?"
"Well," he began as they came to a stop next to the table behind the settee and he turned to face her, "all this is my idea, but I may have had a little help to achieve it," he smirked mischievously while keeping hold of her hand in his and put his free hand up onto the side of her neck, his thumb resting against her jaw as he looked into her gorgeous blue eyes.
"Oh let me guess, Shades?" She smirked. "It would make sense with him standing outside with your car when we came out of the back entrance."
"Yes, and Charlotte too," Joseph chuckled while glancing down between them a brief moment.
"Charlotte too," Clarisse exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, she was quite happy to oblige. They both were," he nodded and watched her as she looked around the living room. "Would you like a glass of champagne?" He asked as she pressed her free hand to her stomach and turned her head to look back at him.
"I would, yes please," Clarisse nodded and briefly closed her eyes as he leant closer to her, to give her a quick kiss on the lips before letting go of her hand and turning to the table. Letting out a sigh of contentment, Clarisse stepped closer to the table and leant forward to smell her gorgeous red roses.
Removing the foil and popping open the bottle of champagne, Joseph picked up one of the glasses from the table and watched his new bride slowly walk around to the front of the settee while removing her jacket. "Are you alright?" He asked.
"Oh yes," she smiled while turning to him and nodded before draping her jacket, and her Hermès scarf, over the armrest of the settee. "I'm absolutely wonderful."
Smiling, Joseph bowed his head and began to pour champagne into the glass he had in his hand before placing it down on the table and doing the same with the other glass as Clarisse turned her back to him, smoothed her hands down the back of the skirt of her dress and sat down on the settee. "Would you like a strawberry in your glass?" He asked while placing the bottle back in the ice bucket sitting on the table and turned his head to look at her.
"Oh, is that what's on the tray?" Clarisse asked while leaning back and twisting her body slightly to look back at him standing behind her as she put her hand out onto the back of the settee.
"Yes, it is," he smiled and lifted the lid to reveal a tray of delicious strawberries.
"Then yes please, I would love one in my glass," she smiled, her eyes sparkling as she watched him drop a strawberry in both glasses before picking them up and walking around to her sitting on the settee.
"Here you go, one glass of champagne," he smiled and handed her one of the glasses before sitting down beside her on the settee and taking a sip of the creamy, soft liquid.
"Mm, this is delicious," Clarisse said softly as she raised the glass up in front of her face to look at the bubbles a moment before lowering her hand and looking at her husband. "Thank you."
"Only the best for you, my love," he said softly and watched as she looked down at her glass, a breath hitching in her throat. "What's wrong?" He asked and quickly placed his glass down on the coffee table before looking back at her.
"Nothing, honestly I'm fine," she replied while reaching her arm out in front of her and placing her glass of champagne down on the coffee table beside his, "it's just no one has ever called me 'my love', or any other nickname for that matter before. Not even Rupert," she replied while looking up into his eyes, "and it felt nice. Gave me a warm fuzzy feeling."
Smiling, Joseph nodded and slipped his arm behind her, his hand on her lower back. "Good, I'm glad it did," he smiled and watched as she nodded while looking around the living room once again.
"I still can't believe you have done all this for me," she said while looking back to her husband. The man she had loved, in secret just like him with her, for as long as she could remember. "Rupert never surprised me like this in all those years we were married, not once," she said sadly and shook her head, "not even for any of my birthdays. And here we are, married half a day and you have already given me three."
"Yes, and there are still another three yet to come tonight," Joseph smiled as she turned her head to look back at him. Her husband, who she had so so much love and appreciation for. "Speaking of which, would you like your next one now, or would you like to wait a little while first?"
"We could do it now," Clarisse smiled while reaching out her hand, to pick up her glass of champagne and took a couple sips.
"Alright," Joseph smiled and leant forward, lifting the lid of the wooden trinket box sitting in the middle of the coffee table with one hand and grabbing a small box from inside it with his other hand before sitting back and turning to Clarisse. "Surprise number four."
Looking down at his hand, Clarisse was surprised to find a small red velvet ring box sitting in the palm of his hand. "What's this?" She asked and looked at her glass as she placed it back down on the coffee table before looking back to her husband.
"A gift for you," he smiled while leaning closer and put his free hand out onto the settee cushion behind Clarisse.
"You are really spoiling me tonight, aren't you?" She teased while taking the box from the palm of his hand.
"I am, but you are worth it," he said and leant closer to kiss her slowly a couple times as she closed her eyes and put her hand up to cup his face. "Open the box," he said huskily as he pulled back a moment later with a twinkle in his eye.
"Ok," Clarisse smiled and looked down at the box in her hands. Clearing her throat, she slowly opened it and gasped at what she found inside.
