Walking into their suite a little later that day, Clarisse stopped and turned to her husband as he closed the door behind them. "I am so glad that's over with," she said while bending her arms up in front of her and starting to remove her earrings as she turned her head a little to the side, "and we can now finally relax for the rest of the night."
"Mhmm me too," Joseph agreed and turned to face her, "however there is no chance of relaxing just yet, we have way to much to do. Remember?" He chuckled.
"Oh I know," Clarisse smiled, watching him walk over to stand in front of her. "First though, I am going to have a soak in the bath."
"Alright, I'll draw it for you in a moment," Joseph smiled and encircled his arms around her waist as she put her arms up around his shoulders, her earrings in her hands grasp, "I think, while you are in the bath, I'll go and pack the bits that I need from my old suite."
"Okay," Clarisse smiled and reached up to kiss him a couple of times before looking up into his eyes.
"Before I go though, are you going to tell me what was going on between you and Charlotte earlier?" He asked, studying her face. Knowing in his heart that she was keeping something from him.
"I don't know what you mean," Clarisse said with a shake of her head. "Nothing was going on."
"You're not a very good liar, you know that?" He smirked and raised his eyebrow. "Now, what aren't you telling me?"
"Joseph honestly, there isn't anything," Clarisse replied.
"Okay," he nodded, knowing not to push her and that she will tell him eventually, when she was ready to do so. "Just tell me it's nothing serious, so that I'm not worrying about it, about you, and I'll drop it, for now."
"It's nothing serious and you certainly have nothing whatsoever to worry about, I am perfectly fine," she said and tilted her head ever so slightly while moving her free hand to cup his cheek, "I promise," she whispered and reached up to kiss him slowly a moment before pulling back from his grasp. "Now are you going to draw my bath for me, or am I going to do it myself?"
"I told you on our wedding day that I will be drawing your baths for you from that day on," he smirked mischievously, starting to follow her as she walked a few steps backwards, "and that's exactly what I'm going to do."
Smiling her appreciation, Clarisse turned and lead the way over to the bedroom door. She hated not telling him the truth, especially now that he was her husband, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him about the letter Charlotte had given her earlier that day. She wanted them to enjoy their honeymoon first, then she would deal with the letter, and tell him, once they have returned home from Puerto Rico.
Coming into the bedroom once he had run her bath for her, Joseph stood by the bathroom door and watched Clarisse for a moment as she sat on the edge of their bed and removed her watch and bracelet from around her wrist, ready for her bath, before reaching her hand out and placing them together on her bedside table. "All done for you," he smiled and walked over to stand in front of her.
"Lovely, thank you," she smiled and tipped her head up to look up at him as he put his hands up onto the sides of her neck.
"You are most welcome," he said softly and lowered his head to kiss her before pulling back just enough to look into her gorgeous blue eyes. "I'll be in my old suite if you need me."
"Okay," she smiled and closed her eyes as he once again pressed his lips to hers. Letting them linger there a moment before pulling back and glancing across the bedroom as she watched him intently. An idea forming in her mind. "Remind me again, what time did you request dinner for us to be brought up?" She asked as he looked back down at her.
"For eight," he smiled and slipped his hands into his pants pockets. "Is that time okay?"
"Oh yes, that time is perfect," she smiled with a shrug and got to her feet. "Well I better get in that bath if I'm going to get any packing done before dinner," she laughed.
"Yes, you better had," he chuckled and watched as she walked past him and over to the bathroom door. "I'll grab a shower after dinner."
"Okay," she smiled and turned back to him. "See you in a bit then."
"Yes you will," he nodded and made his way across the bedroom towards the door to leave.
Smiling, Clarisse stood in the bathroom doorway for a moment as she watched her husband leave and close the door up behind him before she took a deep breath and continued into the bathroom. Pushing the door up behind her.
"That's me all packed," Joseph said later as he walked into the closet to find Clarisse standing with her back to him, wearing a pair of her many floral print long-sleeved button-down silk pyjama sets, riffling through her scarves.
"Already?" Clarisse asked in surprise as she pulled a scarf from its hook and put it over her shoulder, before carrying on looking through the others. "I've packed two cases so far, and I'm halfway through the third."
"Gosh, how many cases are you planning on taking?" He chuckled as she turned to look at him over her shoulder.
"You should know I never travel light," she smirked and turned her attention back to her scarves. "I'm bound to have forgotten something though, I'm not used to packing in a hurry, especially not for a two-week trip the evening before departure, a small trip lasting a day or two yes, but never for a two-week trip, oh," she stopped and turned back to him, "you did remember to pack something black, right? Just in case it's needed while we are away."
"Yes, I have," he nodded and watched her once again turn back to her scarves.
"And did you remember to pack the camera?" She asked as she pulled another scarf from its hook and put it over her shoulder with the others she had already placed there.
"Yes, I have, it's in my overnight bag with the booking confirmations Mia gave us, my glasses, sunglasses etc, all the little bit's that I might need," he nodded and averted his gaze to her third case lying open on the floor next to her dressing table. "Thank god we are flying private or we would definitely have trouble taking all our cases with us," he laughed.
"I know, me too," Clarisse replied. "Especially since I can never travel light."
"Have you packed your glasses, sunglasses and all the bit's that you might need?" He asked, walking slowly over to her open case, to have a sneaky peek inside, when he noticed the bag Mia had given her earlier, with a different selection of swimwear in, on the floor next to the case.
"Yes I have, they are all in my overnight bag on the bed," she nodded and turned to make her way back over to her case. "And the suncream. Oh, and a couple of books to read while I'm relaxing by the pool."
"Oh that's a good idea actually, I might have to do that too," he smiled while picking up the bag and having a look inside. "Is this the bikini set Mia got you?"
"Hmm?" She replied absentmindedly, her attention on her scarves now in her hands grasp, before coming to a stop next to him and finally looking up at him now holding the two-piece, floral print bikini set in his hands. "Yes, that's it."
"It's not that bad, I actually like it," he said, holding the top part up in front of him a moment before turning his head to look back at Clarisse now bending over her case. "Why do you do that?" He laughed while lowering his hands.
"Do what?" Clarisse asked as she folded her scarves carefully into her case.
"Bend over like that in front of me," he said with a cheeky smirk on his lips and turned fully to her. Admiring her perfect bottom for a moment. "You know how much I love your bottom and that's the second time today you have done that. It's like you're purposely teasing me."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Clarisse laughed as she stood back up straight in front of him, "I don't do it on purpose, honest," she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"Hmm, makes me wonder," he chuckled as he stepped slowly closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. The bikini still in his hands.
"I don't," she exclaimed and they both laughed as she playfully slapped the top of his arm before snaking her arms around his shoulders and smiling contentedly as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.
"I know, I was just messing," he said against her neck before lifting his head to look into her eyes. "I still do like your bottom though."
"I know you do," she smiled up at him while moving a hand to the back of his head, "I don't think that will ever change," she laughed, knowing it never will.
"Never, ever," he said matter-of-factly and kissed her a couple of times before looking into her eyes. "Now, about this bikini. I know you said you weren't going to take it, but I really think you should," he said as he studied her face.
"I'm not taking it," she said with a small shake of her head.
"Why ever not?" He asked while raising a hand up at the side of them and looking at the bikini in his hand for a brief moment before lowering his arm and wrapping it back around her waist. "It's a lovely floral print, it's modest," he smiled, "and I can definitely see you wearing this with a lovely white kimono over the top of it, and you only have to wear it by the pool, you know with your sunhat on and a glass of champagne in your hand while you dip your feet in the cool water," he smiled, reflecting on his earlier image of her.
"I don't know Joseph," she said as she turned her head to the side and looked across her closet, thinking a moment.
"Clarisse, my love, no one's going to see you in it, only me. Your husband. No one else," he said, trying his best to reassure her and watched as she averted her gaze back to him.
"Alright, I'll pack it for you," she smiled as her eyes twinkled. "Whether I wear it or not is a different matter."
"Oh you will," he chuckled and kissed her before playfully slapping her bottom, making her gasp in surprise.
"Hey," she laughed as she looked up at him.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," he smiled mischievously and buried his face back in the crook of her neck, kissing the sensitive spot below her ear a couple of times before pulling back and looking into her eyes. "Come on, let's get your packing finished so we can have dinner and relax."
"That was delicious," Joseph smiled as he put his fork down on his empty dinner plate later that night and pushed it away from him. "How was yours?" He asked while slumping back in his chair.
"Delicious too," Clarisse smiled, uncharacteristically resting her elbow down on the table in front of her while picking up her glass of champagne with her other hand. Drinking the last bit before putting her glass back down on the table. "I must say, it feels rather strange having dinner in my pyjamas."
"I bet," he chuckled while sitting up and folding his arms together on the table in front of him as she reached her hand across the table for a strawberry, a special treat she had requested to be brought up with their dinner and champagne. "Why don't you go over to relax on the sofa while I sort these dinner things out and get us a refill?" He said, watching her briefly close her eyes while taking a slow bite of the strawberry she had picked before he looked down at his arms. His desire for her growing by the second.
"Okay, that sounds good," Clarisse smiled and watched as he lifted his head to look back up at her.
"I won't be long," he said giving her a flirty smile as he leant closer to her, kissing her as he rose up from his chair.
Smiling, Clarisse got up from the table and popped the rest of her strawberry in her mouth as she made her way slowly over to take a seat on one end of the sofa and turned her body so she was sitting sideways while leaning back against the armrest with her legs stretched out in front of her, crossed at her ankle. Her mind was a million miles away, thinking about the surprise she'd planned for Joseph in her mind, and, of course, their pending honeymoon and all the wonderful things they were going to do while they were away.
"Here we go," Joseph smiled a few moments later as he made his way over to her daydreaming on the sofa. "One glass of nice cold champagne for you, strawberry included."
"Ooo lovely, thank you," Clarisse smiled as she reached her hand up to take her drink from him before lifting her legs and bending them up in front of her as he moved between the sofa and coffee table and sat down in the space next to her.
Shifting and turning in his seat, so he was facing her, Joseph smiled and extended his hand holding his own glass of champagne out towards her. Clinking his glass with hers. "Here's to us and the next two weeks of nothing but sun, sea and,"
"And sex," Clarisse smiled mischievously, interrupting him, while resting her legs slowly over his, one leg at a time, and raised her glass to her lips, taking a long sip of her champagne as her gaze remained on him.
"Well yes, that too of course," Joseph chuckled and looked down a moment as he rested his arm along the back of the sofa, his hand resting near her shoulder, "but I was going to say, sun, sea and relaxation," he smirked, looking back up at her while resting his other arm down gently across her legs, the bottom of his glass resting on his knee.
"Oh," Clarisse said as she rested the bottom of her glass down on her thigh and looked up at him, "relaxation sounds good too, of course," she smiled and watched as he tipped his head back and laughed. A proper belly laugh.
"I love it when you get straight to the point," he smiled, admiring her a long moment as he raised his free hand up and rested it against the side of his head.
"Thanks," she laughed and leant forward, needing to be closer to him. "It's a force of habit I'm afraid, having spent most of my life having to do just that. Getting straight to the point. Especially in Parliament. And it's kinda stuck."
"It's alright, I don't mind," Joseph smiled as he lowered his hand from the side of his head and moved it closer to hers, slowly brushing her hair back behind her ear before resting it lovingly against the side of her neck. "I'm really looking forward to getting away together tomorrow."
"I am too," she smiled and studied his face, "it's going to be my first proper vacation, and boy what a vacation it's going to be."
"Yes it is," he laughed, "it's going to be full of sun, sea and...sex."
"You can't ask for a better vacation than that," Clarisse laughed and leant closer to kiss him slowly. She knew she should really behave, but she couldn't help it. He brought it out in her, and they were alone in their suite after all. She knew, though, if anyone heard her talking and behaving this way they would be shocked because after years of being prim and proper, a Royal role model, she had finally been set free and she wasn't about to hold back.
"Mmm," Joseph murmured against her lips before pulling back and smiling. "I can't wait to share it with you and show you around."
"Me too," Clarisse smiled as she searched his eyes.
"I think I'm going to go and jump in the shower," he said and downed his glass of champagne before leaning forward to put his now empty glass on the coffee table and turning back to her, "then we can go to bed."
"Okay," Clarisse smiled and bit her bottom lip, contemplating his words, as he smoothed his hand up the side of her thigh and leant closer to kiss her a couple of times.
"Okay, I won't be long," he smiled and gave her one more quick kiss before she lifted her legs from his lap, for him to go.
Resting her elbow on the back of the sofa, Clarisse rested her hand against the back of her head and watched him making his way across the room and disappearing into their bedroom before letting out a content sigh and taking a sip of her champagne as she turned her head, looking now into the flames of the fire crackling in the fireplace.