Before either of them could calm down enough to reply, the car door was suddenly thrust open to reveal a very stern looking Pierre shaking his head. A short distance away, Mia was running quickly down the steps with Charlotte and Shades at her heels.

Clarisse and Joseph sprang apart as if shot, their faces flushed, their breathing still ragged. When Clarisse spied her son as the intruder, her face reddened even further. "Pie…Pierre," she stammered, trying desperately to quell her clamoring heart. Joseph, on the other hand, was experiencing a different form of embarrassment and clung to Clarisse, holding her close.

"Mother?" Pierre looked between his mother and Joseph as if they were kids who had been caught doing something wrong. "What is the meaning of this? Would you care to explain yourselves?" He fought to hold onto his stern look, suppressing the grin that threatened to betray itself as his niece caught up to them.

Normally, Joseph would have spied the prince's mischievous look right away as he always had, but today all his thoughts rested on the woman he held close and her heightened color and his own rapidly beating heart.

"Uncle Pierre!" Mia squealed very un-queen like, throwing her arms around her uncle's neck and momentarily averting his serious gaze from the two occupants who remained speechless and in the car. "I am so glad you finally made it here!"

Joseph took that moment to usher himself and Clarisse out of the car. Firmly keeping hold of his wife's hand, he couldn't help but notice how it trembled slightly in his.

"Pierre," Clarisse finally found her voice as she stared at her son, wondering how she should explain her marriage to Joseph. This was not how he was supposed to find out. She had wanted to tell him face to face but he had been out of the country doing work for the church for the past five months. He wasn't due to return for another month and the area in South Africa where he had been helping was so remote that phones were nonexistent and letters took an ungodly amount of time to reach him. She hoped that her son would be happy for Joseph and herself. After all, Joseph had almost been like a second father to her boys, guiding and protecting them as they grew up. Not once, in the time since her marriage to Joseph, had she imagined that Pierre might not be happy for them. The thought had just never entered her mind; she had assumed that once she told her son, he would accept her marriage and Joseph as a member of their family with open arms. Was she wrong?

As Joseph studied the man before them more closely and then the amused expression of the young woman standing next to Pierre, he let out a huge sigh of relief. After all these years, the prince had finally managed to pull one over on him. Certain that Clarisse was yet none the wiser; he silently wondered how she would react when she found out the truth. Joseph caught Pierre's gaze and noticed the smug look that came over his face.

"I can't believe you managed to finally get these two out of the car, Uncle Pierre!" Mia laughed, breaking the moment.

Joseph carefully cleared his throat while Clarisse, on the other hand, turned a sharp glance towards her grand daughter, but said nothing.

"Surprise Grandma!" Mia rambled on, never noticing the tension in her grandmother's face. Turning towards her uncle once more, she laughed happily. "See I told you they couldn't keep their hands off of each other!"

Joseph immediately tensed as the heat seemed to radiate from his wife's face. "Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi!" She spoke her grand daughter's full name, anger and embarrassment emphasizing each part.

"What, Grandma? I was only kidding. I think it's sweet how you two are with each other. It's how a couple in love are supposed to be." She watched her grandmother open and close her mouth as if she was going to speak but instead Clarisse looked around incredulously at them all.

Joseph knew his wife was extremely upset and intervened. "Perhaps you all would excuse us for a few moments. We'll be in shortly." With that, he took his wife's hand in his and began to lead her a safe distance away. When he was certain that they were completely alone, he pulled Clarisse into his arms and just held her there, tucking her head under his chin as he gently began to sway with her in his arms.

"Oh Joseph!" she whispered hoarsely as the tears began to fall. She couldn't think straight any more and she wasn't sure she really even wanted to as long as she was in Joseph's arms. Oh, how she wished that she might just lose herself in his embrace and his wonderful kisses, and yet, there was this nagging feeling that refused to go away that told her that all of this was wrong. A woman her age shouldn't act like some love-sick school girl. She was a mature woman who had always been in control of her emotions. Not even when her husband died, nor when she received word that she had lost her beloved son, had she given into the need to fall apart. She had held her head up high and acted as a true Queen would; taking control and showing her people that they had nothing to fear or worry about, their beloved country was in the best of hands and would remain so if she had anything to say about it. Only when she was alone in the privacy of her own suite and only then, had she completely lost control and succumbed to the devastating emotions that whirled within her threatening to overtake her. Somehow she had known that he would be there waiting for her in the dark shadows ready to catch her if she should fall and that was exactly what he had done. He had picked up her broken heart and found a way to piece it back together in such a way that made it beat stronger than it ever had before. It was then that she had realized that she loved Joseph and needed him in her life just like she needed air to breathe. He was her breath of life and without him she would never be whole again.

She choked back another sob as she felt Joseph's lips brush her ear and whisper soothing words of comfort to her. He always knew what she needed and she loved him even more for it. He wasn't going to ask what was wrong but rather would wait until she was ready to tell him. "Oh Joseph, I love you so!!!" she breathed, turning her head to look up directly into his eyes.

Before he could reply, it started to rain again. Heavy drops came down fast in huge torrents; causing Joseph to suddenly grab her hand as they made a run back for the limo. He knew they needed to talk. He couldn't stand seeing her so upset and the empty limo seemed to be the obvious choice to ensure some privacy, and privacy they would have this time because he intended to lock that damned door! Upon reaching the car, Joseph opened the door allowing Clarisse to go inside first as he quickly followed.

She was shivering, that much he could tell right away, but as his eyes caught hers he suddenly felt a huge shiver go through his own body which had nothing to do with the rain or the fact they were both a little wet. It was the same way in which she had so openly stared at him when they had had the flat tire earlier. Her eyes searched his and then seemed to move as if in a trance as they raked down his body, taking him in and then darkening with a frenzied desire. He felt his body responding to her and suddenly his clothes felt very uncomfortable against his heated skin.

He was doing it again. She could see the fire building in his eyes. He was drawing her in, making her forget everyone and everything except for her need to be thoroughly loved by him. To feel his lips upon her skin, tasting and teasing her in all the right places until she was mindless with passion, begging him to take her and make her his once again. This was all that mattered to her at this moment. He had the ability with just one look to make all coherent thought flee from her mind, country and propriety long forgotten. The rain continued to pour outside as it beat down heavily onto the car.

Without warning, Joseph took her face into both of his hands and began kissing her with an intensity that neither had ever experienced before. When she felt his tongue demanding entrance into her mouth, she couldn't help but respond and opened her mouth to his hot probing kisses.

It was as if someone had turned on a switch inside of Joseph and he couldn't turn it off again, not that he wanted to. His entire body was filled with a burning need to make love to this woman. To taste and tease her, to feel her wrapped around him as he thrust himself inside her deeper and deeper, to hear her scream his name as her pleasure consumed her with the sheer force of its intensity. His hands left her face to trail down to her shoulders and then to the buttons of her blouse. Within moments, the blouse was discarded along with Joseph's shirt. He pulled her body to his, savoring the feeling of her warm breasts crushed against his hard chest. He pulled back from their kiss to allow his lady some air, only then to start a trail of wet kisses across her jawbone and down her neck.

Clarisse couldn't think straight, all she could do was feel. She realized he was saying something but couldn't tell what it was. The haze that engulfed her was causing her to moan way back in her throat as unarticulated sounds escaped her lips. Joseph pulled apart slightly and ran his fingers along the sides of her lace covered breasts. He could feel her heart pounding against his own. Taking the berried tip into his mouth, he began to suckle, causing a shudder to rock through her body and then go straight to her core. "Oh God!" She gasped, unable to help herself.

As the pleasure became too intense, her hands moved to his chest, pushing him back just a little. She needed to catch her breath. Staring into her husband's eyes, she recognized the dazed look, hooded with desire which she was certain were mirrored in her own eyes. Before he could continue his assault on her senses again, she grabbed his hands to still them and then hold them behind his head as she moved to straddle his hips. She could feel his erection beneath her skirt and panties, causing a rush of moisture to flow to her centre. There was just something about lovemaking with Joseph that far surpassed anything she had ever experienced in her marriage with Rupert. This wasn't just sex or a way to produce an heir, this was so much more. They were connected on an emotional level that tied their souls together, making them two halves of the same whole. Only with Joseph could she ever really be a complete person. When they came together like this, it was as if he were able to reach the deepest, most secret parts of her, a place where no one had ever gone before. "I love you, Joseph!" she whispered near his ear.

He tried to free his hands to touch her but she wasn't finished just yet. It was her turn to tease him just a bit and return the immense pleasure he had bestowed upon her moments earlier. She wanted to show her husband the same sweet torture he had so readily given her. Taking his mouth with hers again, she kissed him passionately, licking his lips lightly with her tongue. She kissed his neck, his ear, his shoulders, his chest all while she held his wrists near his head. She licked his lips again and nibbled his neck. Joseph struggled to free his hands, this time easily breaking her grasp and pulling her closer. As she moved down and kissed his shoulder, she slowly and sensually moved her hands up and down his back, raising goose bumps along his flesh. He shuddered as her hands began to move lower and her body pressed tightly against his own. He could feel the heat of their bodies together and his own body reacted to her touch. Clarisse rocked her hips slightly and then a little more, causing Joseph to throw his head back and moan softly. "Oh God, Clarisse!"

She was panting heavily as she reached down to unfasten Joseph's pants. "Please, Joseph! I think it's time we got you out of these."

Sliding her over for just a moment, he quickly divested himself of his slacks, boxers, and everything else before returning her to his lap. She moved to get off of him again, suddenly feeling a little unsure of herself in this particular position. "No please, Clarisse. Stay!"

"But Joseph…we have…I…..I've...never done it like this before." She felt the heat rush to her face at her confession. She wasn't sure what she had been thinking when she had slid onto him and started loving him like this.

"For me, Clarisse? Will you do it for me?" He held her eyes with his, looking deeply into her blue orbs.

"For you…for you, I'd do anything!" She avowed lovingly, never taking her eyes from his.

He smiled into her eyes to thank her and then gently guided her mouth back to his. Within moments, without Clarisse really even noticing and without breaking their heated kiss, Joseph had unhooked her bra and tossed it aside and was now working on the clasp of her skirt. She whimpered in protest as Joseph's lips suddenly left hers. She was becoming lost in his intoxicating kisses again and had no desire to part with him, not even for only a moment. "Lift your arms." He gently commanded in her ear. She did as he asked.

Lifting the skirt above her head and tossing it aside, Joseph couldn't help the sharp intake of breath that left his lungs when he noticed the kind of panties she was wearing. They were lacey and white, barely covering her crotch at all. The sides were held together only by tiny little ribbons which tied together. Joseph growled way back in his throat and couldn't resist the impulse to run his hands along her thighs, massaging them before untying the ribbons and running his hands again up and down her body as he felt her tremble with need. "Joseph…ummmm…..I…oh…please!"

"Shhhhhh!" He whispered. "Lift up a moment, please."

As she rose up on her knees, he quickly pulled her panties away and held them to his face, inhaling her intoxicating scent that was uniquely hers. He could smell her arousal on them and feel the dampness. He felt himself growing even more hard at the thought that it was all for him. Unable to hold back any longer, he gave into the urge to touch her. He slipped first one finger and then a second into her moist heat before circling her clit with his thumb. "God, Clarisse! You are so wet!"

She shuddered in his arm and moaned as he repeated his actions again and again. She couldn't take it any more. "Joseph….ummmmm….Joseph?" She groaned. Unable to wait a second later, she reached behind her for his manhood and gasped as she slowly lowered herself onto him.

Joseph pressed his shoulders back into the seat and let out a loud moan, digging his hands into her thighs as he felt her push him deep inside of her. "Oh god, Clarisse!" She smiled, licked her lips which were dry from breathing too hard. It had taken every ounce of his self control on his part not to enter her swiftly a long time ago. He had been waiting for her, making sure she was comfortable like this before taking things further. He had wanted her to make the first move to join them as one together.

As she rocked her hips, moving back and forth, he urged her on with whispers of pleasure and urgent caresses. He moved his hands up to cup and caress first one breast and then the other, lingering on her nipples, encircling them with his tongue, until they were hard aching points. Clarisse arched her back as the rivers of electricity started coursing through her veins. He lost himself in sucking and caressing her berried tips as he wrapped his arms around her. She was emitting small groans and moans as the pleasure became intense, between his mouth on her breast and his thrusts inside of her, she was quickly being overpowered. "Oh god, Joseph…ummmmm….I….can't…oh god!" She dug her fingers into his back and shuddered violently in his arms as her orgasm washed over her, blinding her with its intensity. With one final powerful thrust, he too found his release as his hips jerked fiercely.

Afterwards, they sat there, their bodies still connected, Clarisse continued to quiver, her release had been so intense. Joseph soothingly rubbed her back as their breathing began to calm. Resting his forehead on hers, he whispered teasingly, "You'll be the death of me yet."

"Are you complaining?" questioned Clarisse, a glint in her eye. "Because if you are..."

"No, no, definitely not complaining," laughed Joseph. "Just making an observation, that's all. And I can't think of a more pleasant way to go," he added jokingly, before placing another kiss on her lips, quieting her next remark.

Inside the house………

"I'm thinking that they've been back in that limo long enough. Maybe I should call Joseph's cell and just check on Grandma and see……………." Mia started to say but was quickly cut off.

"No!" Three voices replied in unison, causing the young queen to suddenly jump nervously.

"Geez! All right! I won't call them, but I hate waiting like this." She stalked away a little and threw her hands up into the air as if to emphasize her point.

"Mia?" Pierre reached out to his niece.

"Yes?" she responded eagerly to her uncle.

"I really think there is no need to worry. If anything, they probably just need some time alone to sort things out." He reasoned, biting his bottom lip. "I don't think our little gag on Joseph worked very well either." He suddenly thought out loud.

"Well, it sure worked on Grandma! I could tell! And maybe Joseph too for a few minutes, don't you think?" Mia responded, grinning at her uncle.

"Hmmmmm…yes." Pierre replied distracted. "It's been a long time since she was angry enough to use anyone's full name, why she hasn't done that since Philippe….." He suddenly stopped, realizing what he was about to say.

To Be Continued………………………………………………………