Walking out the bedroom door after getting ready for the special evening that Joseph had planned for them, Clarisse wondered where her husband had got to, but closing the door behind herself and making her way through into her suite she found him sitting on the chaise longue, fiddling with his phone.
"There you are," Clarisse said, watching him look up at her as she made her way across the room, lifting her jacket from over her arm as she went and draping it over the back of the sofa along with her silk scarf before turning to him. "I was wondering where you had got to," she said before giving him a twirl. "Do I look okay?"
"Oh good god," Joseph exclaimed as he slowly rose to his feet and lowered his hand holding the phone down to his side.
"What is it?" Clarisse asked as she nervously pressed a hand to her stomach and glanced down at herself. At the lace overlay knee-length dress that she had chosen to wear for dinner this evening. Before looking back up at him and smiling cheekily. "Is it too much? Am I overdressed?"
"Never, and you're definitely not overdressed," he said with a shake of his head and made his way over to her while slipping his phone into his jacket pocket. "You look gorgeous and very, very irresistible."
"Well thank you, just the reaction I was hoping for," Clarisse said with a smile as she raised her hands, cupping his face and reaching up to kiss him as he stepped in front of her.
"Actually I think the plans for tonight have just changed," he said, putting his hands on her sides, as she pulled back and looked up at him with a raised brow, "yep, I'm going to take you to bed instead, because I don't think I will last the evening with you wearing this dress," he added as she moved her hands from his face to his shoulders.
"Oh no you don't," Clarisse laughed and briefly closed her eyes when she felt his arms wrapping around her waist. His mouth on her neck. Her perfume intoxicating his senses. "You will have to last because we are still doing whatever it is you planned for us. We are not cancelling." She said, her heart pounding in her chest, and looked back up at him as he raised his head. Kissing her a couple of times before looking into her gorgeous blue eyes.
"You're right," Joseph replied as Clarisse put a hand back up to cup his cheek once more and smoothed her thumb over his soft lips, removing the remnants of her lipstick from his lips. "One more time, are you sure I can't tempt you?" He asked with a flirty wiggle of his eyebrows.
"Nooo," Clarisse laughed and shook her head, realising she may have overdone it with her outfit choice. It was a special evening he had planned for them after all and she wanted to look nice for the occasion. "Alright, I will admit that it is tempting, yes, but you made dinner plans, so I'm afraid you'll have to behave until we get back later on."
"Oh, I suppose you're right," he said, admitting defeat and nodded. "But you will have to behave too, not just me."
"Me?" Clarisse laughed in surprise. "What did I do?"
"You came out here looking all gorgeous," he said teasingly and gestured to her dress. "How do you expect me to keep my hands to myself when you're looking like that."
"I see, okay," Clarisse smirked playfully and folded her arms, "would it help if I went and got changed into something different then?"
"Oh no you don't," Joseph replied while reaching out for her hands and pulling her closer to him as she tipped her head back and laughed. A proper belly laugh. "You can't be doing that to me either."
"So, are you going to behave?" Clarisse smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her hands on the back of his head.
"If I have to," Joseph smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist and tipping his head forward, kissing her shoulder before whispering seductively in her ear. "But only until we get back here tonight."
"Oh my," Clarisse replied, licking her lips in anticipation as he raised his head to look into her eyes. "Until tonight then," she nodded slowly.
"Until tonight," he smiled, his handsome blue eyes sparkling as he kissed her one more time before letting her go.
Stepping back, Clarisse cleared her throat and smoothed her hands down over her hips, straightening out the skirt of her dress before turning to walk around to the front of the sofa. "What time do we have to leave?" She asked, her voice husky. Full of desire. And she knew it. They both did!
"Shortly," Joseph smiled, watched as she slowly took a seat on the sofa and picked up her watch from the coffee table. "Are you okay?" He asked, knowing full well what he had done to her. Because he had done the same to himself.
"Uh-huh," she replied, slipping her watch around her wrist and fastening it before looking up at him still standing at the end of the sofa. Oh, how she wanted him. Wanted him to take her to bed and make love to her just like he did last night. But they were going out to dinner, and she knew if they were to make it through this evening, she had to get them out of their suite and quick. Or they wouldn't be going anywhere if she didn't.
"We better make our way down to the car then," she smiled, putting her hands on her thighs and stood to her feet. "We don't want to be late."
"Yes, we don't want to be late," Joseph laughed, watching as she walked back around to stand behind the sofa, to where she had draped her jacket and scarf over the back of earlier.
"Are you going to tell me where we are going?" She asked while picking up her scarf and tipping her head forward, to slip it around the back of her neck before looking back up at him.
"No," he said with a shake of his head and smiled. "It's a surprise."
"Okay," Clarisse said, nodding slightly as she picked up her jacket from over the back of the sofa and slipped it on.
"But I know you're going to love it," Joseph smiled, slipping his hands into his pants pockets as he watched her.
"Oh I know I will, I knew you wouldn't just take me to someplace that I wouldn't like," Clarisse smiled and looked down, buttoning the two buttons the jacket had to do it up, before asking the next question. "But have I been there before?"
"Yes, you have," he smiled as she looked back up at him, "once or twice over the years."
"Hmm, okay. I'm ready to go," Clarisse nodded and thought a moment as she adjusted and straightened out her jacket. "How far away is it?"
"Not very far, not very far at all," he teased and made his way over to the suite door, opening it for her, "after you."
Smiling, Clarisse watched as he extended his arm out, gesturing for her to lead the way. "Thank you," she said and made her way out into the hallway before turning back to him. "So, it's somewhere that I have been before and it's not too far away."
"Yes," Joseph replied as he followed her out the door and closed it up behind them before they began making their way slowly down the hallway towards the stairs. "But that is all I am saying, you will have to wait now until we get there and see it for yourself."
"Hmm, spoilsport," Clarisse smiled, still thinking in her mind where it could possibly be that they are going, as Joseph took hold of her hand and brought it up to his mouth.
"I promise that you will love it," he smiled and kissed the back of her hand.
"Oh, I don't doubt it," Clarisse replied as they continued towards the stairs.
Making their way down the stairs together a moment later, they were surprised to find Mia waiting for them at the bottom with a cup of tea in her hands. "Hey," she smiled and watched as her grandmother pulled her hand free from Joseph's. "You know you can hold hands now right? You are married," she smirked.
"I know," Clarisse replied and nodded as she and Joseph reached the bottom of the stairs, "after having to keep us a secret for so long, it still hasn't sunk in that I can do that freely now. But hello, darling," she smiled and stepped closer to her granddaughter.
"Hello grandma," Mia smiled as they kissed each other's cheek before stepping apart. "You will soon get used to it, just don't be worried about what we, or anyone else, might be thinking. You can kiss, or hold hands, whenever you like. We won't mind. Honestly."
"Thank you, Mia," Joseph smiled as he put his arm around Clarisse's back, his hand resting on the back of her hip. "Hopefully that'll reassure your grandmother a little more now."
"It does a bit, yes," Clarisse nodded as she turned her head to look at her husband standing beside her and gave him a quick kiss.
"See, there you go," Mia smiled and took a sip of her tea when she suddenly realised something. "Hey, I just had a thought," she said as her grandmother and Joseph both looked back at her. "Does this mean, now that you're married to my grandma, I get to call you grandpa?"
"If you feel comfortable enough to, then yes by all means do. But if not then continue calling me Joe," Joseph smiled.
"What about... Joey," Mia teased and turned her head to the side, giving him a side smile as Joseph laughed.
"No," Joseph said, suddenly becoming serious as Clarisse smirked and momentarily looked down. Trying her best to stifle a laugh. "Joe, or grandpa."
"Aww okay," Mia smiled and stepped closer to him, kissing his cheek as he smiled. "Grandpa it is then."
"I think it suits you," Clarisse smiled as Mia stepped back and looked at her. "Grandpa Joe."
"I do too," Mia smiled, watching them smile at one another a moment when Joseph's phone beeped with a message.
"That'll probably be Shades," Joseph said as he slipped his hand into his jacket pocket for his phone.
"By the way, you're looking very nice this evening grandma, and I am loving this jacket," Mia smiled as she looked down at her grandmother's floor-length jacket.
"And you haven't even seen the dress yet," Joseph smirked while looking up at them both looking at him.
"No I haven't, what's it like?" Mia asked and took another sip of her tea while looking back to her grandmother.
"I'll show you it later," Clarisse said as she nudged her husband's arm playfully with her shoulder, making him laugh. "Because after the response I got from him earlier, I'm keeping my jacket safely done up for the time being."
"Yes, it's best too," Joseph smirked cheekily and looked back down at his phone.
"Why?" Mia smirked, "does it make you look-,"
"Sexy?" Joseph said, interrupting her, and nodded while looking back up at them and slipping his phone back into his pocket. "Yes! Very, very sexy!"
"Joseph," Clarisse blushed, her voice low, and gestured to her granddaughter, "Mia is right there."
"And?" Mia laughed as she watched Joseph lean closer to her grandmother and kiss her cheek. "We are all adults, are we not?" She smiled.
"Mia's right," Joseph smirked cheekily before putting his hands up, "but if you want me to stop, I will."
"Aww I think it's cute, grandma," Mia said as she reached her hand out, placing it on her grandmother's arm. "I know this must be hard for you, having not had a proper relationship with my grandfather and what with following all those Royal rules for years, but those days are over now grandma, you can be as open as you like," she smiled, "honestly I don't mind. And neither will anyone else."
"Thank you, Mia," Clarisse said and gave her granddaughter a quick hug.
"Anyway, I better let you get on now, I don't wanna make you late," Mia said as they stepped apart, "hope you both have a great night."
"Thank you," Joseph smiled as Mia kissed her grandmother's cheek. "We will see you later when we get back."
"Uh, no you won't," Mia said nervously and shook her head as she stepped in front of him, kissing his cheek. "I'll be asleep silly. I will see you in the morning."
"Oh of course we will, we will see you in the morning," Joseph nodded as Clarisse stood watching the exchange between her husband and granddaughter a moment. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, grandpa," Mia smiled and looked from him to her grandmother, who was still stood looking at Joseph, "goodnight grandma."
"Yes," Clarisse nodded and turned her head to look at her granddaughter, "goodnight darling, see you in the morning."
"You most certainly will," Mia said and laughed a little before turning and hurrying up the stairs.
"And what was that all about?" Clarisse asked quietly as she turned her attention back to her husband and clasped her hands together in front of her.
"I don't know what you mean," Joseph said with a small shrug before extending one arm towards the main doors and wrapping his other arm around her waist. "Shall we?" He smiled.
"Hmm," Clarisse replied suspiciously as she slowly took a step forward, starting to lead the way as Joseph laughed. "Was that Shades, who messaged you earlier?"
"Yes, it was. It was to let me know that he's running a little late but will be with us as quickly as he can," Joseph said as he followed her and opened the doors for them. "So I was thinking, we could take a walk through the gardens, see a bit of the sunset together while we wait for him."
"I would love to," Clarisse smiled.
Thoughts? Please please please do let me know what you think :) it's much appreciated. Thank you!