"And now, this one's for you, Joseph," Pierre smiled as he picked the bag back up and removed the gift from inside before moving around the coffee table, to give it to him. "It's wrapped in the brown paper because of what it is. You would have known straight away if it wasn't."
"Thank you, Pierre," Joseph said as he placed the wrapped box in his lap and began to unwrap it.
Seeing what was inside, Clarisse gasped again and looked up at her son as Joseph sat staring at his gift in shock. "You really shouldn't have, Pierre."
"Of course I should have, it's what one does when someone gets married," Pierre chuckled as he slipped his hand back into his pants pocket, "we get a gift for the bride and groom."
"But these must have both cost you a fortune," Joseph said as he finally looked up at him.
"It doesn't matter, it's only money," Pierre laughed, "and besides, you're both worth it."
"What is it?" Mia asked as Joseph looked back down at the box in his lap.
"A box of finest cigars," Joseph said as he lifted the wooden box to show her.
"Wow," Mia and Lilly gasped in surprise.
"Thank you Pierre," Joseph said sincerely and held his hand out to him.
"You are most welcome," Pierre smiled, pulling his hand from his pocket and taking his offered hand, giving it a shake before looking down at the bag in his other hand. "Um.." he said while looking back up at Joseph and holding the bag up a bit before placing it down next to the coffee table. "There's a lighter and ashtray in there too."
"That's perfect, thank you," Joseph said and nodded while looking back down at the box in his lap. He was still in complete shock. When Pierre had said that he had got them both a gift, cigars never even crossed his mind. But here he was with a whole box of them sitting in his lap.
"I hope you didn't mind me getting you them, Joseph," Pierre said as he pointed to the box in Joseph's lap before moving back over to the armchair he had been sitting in earlier on and sat down while looking up at his stepfather. "I vaguely remember you having one or two out in the garden over the years."
"Oh yes Pierre, I love an occasional cigar," Joseph nodded as Clarisse looked at him and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. With the whirlwind of the last couple days, she had completely forgotten about that fact, and now she remembered how incredibly sexy he looked whenever he'd had one in her presence.
"Me too, and these ones are one of the best around," Pierre smiled.
"They absolutely are," Joseph nodded and momentarily looked down at the open box in his lap before looking back up at Pierre. "Shall we go out onto the balcony for one now?"
"I thought you'd never ask," Pierre nodded and they both, without hesitation, got to their feet.
"Can I join you," Nicholas asked and watched as they both turned to look at him.
"Absolutely," Joseph replied and turned to Clarisse as she remained sitting on the sofa next to him. "You don't mind my going out for one, do you?" He asked as she looked up at him and shook her head.
"Of course not," Clarisse smiled, the truth was she couldn't be happier that he and her son were getting along and were going to be spending time together, getting to know one another a bit more over their love of a good cigar.
Joseph had been part of all their lives for so long she had been worried how Pierre would take the news that they were together. She'd had every intention on telling him and her granddaughter once Mia had taken over, only their life's took a different path and he had found out about them when they were actually getting married instead. Which she could only imagine would have been a massive shock to him, but, them spending this time together this evening she realised she need not have worried after all.
"We won't be long," Joseph smiled, putting his free hand up onto the side of her neck, his thumb resting against her jaw, as she put her hand up onto his wrist and closed her eyes as he bent forward to kiss her. Letting his lips briefly linger against hers before kissing her two more quick times and standing back up straight.
"There's no rush," Clarisse smiled and sighed contentedly as she watched the man she had just fallen more in love with disappear out onto their balcony with her son and Nicholas.
"Grandma," Mia smiled as she moved to sit next to her on the sofa and watched as she turned her head to look at her. "You okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Clarisse smiled and took a sip of her champagne before shuffling back in her seat, her body turned slightly to her granddaughter and resting against the cushions as she once again crossed her legs. Joseph wasn't far from her mind though. And even though she couldn't see him, she could just imagine him lighting his cigar and savouring every moment as he dragged on it slowly.
"Good," Mia smiled as she watched her a moment before looking to her foot bouncing up and down a little to the song playing. "Ooo I love your heels, grandma. What are they?" She asked while looking back up at her. "Lace overlays?"
"Yes they are," Clarisse nodded while looking at her foot as she lifted it up and twisted it to the side so she could see her shoe. "I love lace overlays."
"They are nice," Lilly commented. "Very you."
"Thank you," Clarisse smiled as she looked over at her, then back at her foot. Admiring her shoe a moment. "I think these kind of shoes are my favourites."
"I can understand why," Mia smiled and nodded as her grandmother lowered her foot back down and continued bouncing it up and down with a smile.
"What shoe size are you again?" Clarisse asked as she looked at her granddaughter.
"The same size as you," Mia giggled nervously and watched as her grandmother nodded slowly.
"Well young lady, you can just keep your hands of my shoes," Clarisse smirked and uncrossed her legs, putting her foot back on the floor.
"I will grandma," Mia laughed as she shuffled closer and rested her head on her grandmother's shoulder. "However, with the amount of shoes you do have in your closet, how will you even know if, I don't know, I happened to borrow a pair."
"Trust me," Clarisse said and turned her head slightly to her granddaughter as Lilly snapped a photo of them both together, "I will know."
"Okay," Mia laughed as Clarisse gently rested her head against hers. "Good job I don't plan on borrowing a pair then, isn't it."
"I'm only teasing, you can borrow them anytime of course," Clarisse said and turned her head to kiss the top of Mia's head. "All I ask is that you let me know before hand to make sure I'm not going to need them myself."
"Thanks grandma," Mia smiled and lifted her head to look at her grandmother. "Oh yeah, I just remembered. Are you wearing that thing I gave you earlier, or did you decide not to in the end?" She asked quietly.
"Well that'll be telling," Clarisse replied and took a long sip of her champagne.
"That would be a yes then," Mia laughed, watching her grandmother lower her glass and resting it down on her leg.
"No, I'm wearing it," Clarisse nodded as she glanced across the suite to the balcony doors before looking back at her granddaughter now sitting up beside her. "It's so comfortable that I actually forgot I was wearing it until just now."
"Oh," Mia laughed. "I take it you haven't told grandpa yet then."
"No, not yet," Clarisse said with a shake of her head and they both smiled.
Looking down at her glass she wondered how on earth she was going to tell him. Should she even tell him she was wearing a garter, she pondered, or should she just show him once everyone had left them alone instead. She already anticipated what his reaction would be, if his behaviour this evening was anything to go by, so she knew she had to wait until everyone had left at least before telling, or showing, him.
A little later, whilst her granddaughter and her friend danced, Clarisse grabbed a shawl from her closet and made her way out onto the balcony, to see what the men were up too.
"Oh, here she is," Pierre smiled as his mother closed the balcony door behind herself before pulling the shawl tight around her shoulders and slowly making her way over to them all sitting around the garden table at the other end of her balcony. "Were your ears burning?"
"No, why?" Clarisse asked with a smile as Joseph turned in his seat to look at her.
"Because we were just talking about you," Pierre smirked as he averted his gaze to Joseph then back to his mother as she stood beside her husband and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"Were you now?" Clarisse said as she looked down at her husband looking up at her and bent a little to give him a quick kiss. "Hello you," she whispered and stood back up straight.
"Hello," Joseph smiled up at her and wrapped an arm around the back of her legs, his hand resting on her hip. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," she nodded and glanced across at her son, before looking back down at her husband, "are you all having fun?"
"We are, we have all had a great chat," Pierre smiled as Clarisse looked back up at him.
"That's good," Clarisse nodded with a smile, "I'm pleased."
"What about you and the others?" Joseph asked as he smoothed his hand from her hip slowly down the side of her thigh when a small bump under the skirt of her dress caught his attention. And being the curious man he is, began pressing the tips of his fingers against it, trying to work out what it could be.
"They are okay, Mia and Lilly are dancing," Clarisse said and, realising he had discovered her garter, moved to stand in the corner of her balcony a few feet away from her husband and put her hands out onto the top of the balustrade either side of her as Joseph flashed her a flirty smile. Causing her tummy to flutter as she looked back up at her son, trying her best not to get distracted. "And, um… Charlotte, she's called it a day and has gone to bed, but she told me to tell you all Goodnight."
"Aww that's a shame, but she was up before all of us this morning," Pierre nodded, watching his mothers gaze shift to her husband, who was sat smirking at her, as she put one leg across her other, to stand with her legs crossed. "Maybe we should go back in, Nick," Pierre said and turned his head to Nicholas sitting next to him, "leave these two love birds alone," he chuckled and stood to his feet as his mother looked down at the floor and bit her lip in anticipation.
"I think you're right," Nicholas chuckled and got to his feet as both Clarisse and Joseph looked up at him and Pierre. "We will see you both back inside."
"And I'll take these back in with me," Pierre smirked, grabbing the box of cigars from the table as Joseph stood to his feet, his attention fully on Clarisse. Shaking his head with a laugh, he and Nicholas made their way over to the balcony door, and as Nicholas stepped inside first, Pierre glanced back over at his mother and Joseph, who was now moving to stand in front of his mother, before stepping inside and closing the door behind them.
"So, how come you were talking about me?" Clarisse asked and looked up at her husband slowly stepping closer as she folded her arms.
"Oh, Pierre was just asking me how I thought you would feel if he called me padrastro, which is stepfather in Spanish, instead of father, because obviously he called Rupert father," Joseph said as he stepped in front of her and put his hands out onto the balustrade either side of her, trapping her in the corner of her balcony.
"Really?" Clarisse asked as she tipped her head to the side slightly and looked up into his eyes. "How would you feel if he called you padrastro?"
"I would love it, of course, but it's up to him and what he's comfortable with," Joseph said as he stepped a little bit closer, "like I told Mia when she asked if she could call me grandpa, it's what they feel comfortable with."
"You're right," Clarisse nodded and took her bottom lip between her teeth once again as she looked down between them. Knowing what was coming any minute now.
"Clarisse, my love," Joseph said softly and watched as she nodded with a somewhat nervous laugh.
"Yes," she replied and looked back up at him, studying his face a moment. She knew it was time to show him the garter, however, the thought of doing so not only excited her but it made her nervous too. Especially since she knew how he was going to react.
"What was that on your leg under your dress?" He asked with a mischievous smirk as she placed her hand on his chest and took a deep breath before pushing him back a step or two. Confused, he raised his eyebrow until he saw her slowly hitching up the skirt of her dress to show him the garter. Causing a breath to hitch in his throat at the sight before him.
"I was trying to wait until everyone had left before showing you, but you found it," Clarisse said as she looked down at the garter on her thigh a moment before finally looking back up at her husband. And seeing the desire for her in his eyes, her heart began to pound in her chest and her legs grew weak. No one but him had ever made her feel that way from just a look before. Not even her first husband.