Waking to the sound of the birds whistling and a cool breeze fluttering around the room, Clarisse slowly opened her eyes to find herself lying on the floor in front of the fireplace in her suite alone. She knew her husband wouldn't be far away, though, and would soon return to her. Because after years of getting up early as her bodyguard and head of security, he wasn't yet used to lying in an extra hour or two and so had gotten up early every morning over the last week, kept himself busy a while and then would return to lie with her in bed for a short while. Until it was time for her to get up and ready for her day.
But this morning was different, they had spent the night on the floor in front of the fireplace after fulfilling Joseph's dream of making love in front of a raging fire last night. And she found, with the heat from the fire on their bodies and the crackle of the flames mixed with their moans of pleasure, quite an exhilarating and erotic experience, one she never knew she wanted to experience until last night.
Smiling contentedly at the memory, Clarisse stretched her arms out either side of her and tipped her head back. It was then, at that moment, she discovered Joseph standing in his robe looking out of the open balcony doors. His arm was bent up resting against the door frame above his head and he had a mug of coffee in his other hand, taking an occasional sip of it as he continued to stare outside.
Pressing a hand to her chest, to hold the blanket that they had used to keep themselves warm during the night in place, she turned over onto her front, pulling the blanket tight around her as she did, and pushed herself up, to lean on her elbows, as she watched him a moment. He looked so incredibly handsome standing there with his robe hanging open, simply staring outside. "Good morning," she finally said and smiled as he turned his head to look over at her.
"Well good morning my sleeping beauty," he smiled and turned to face her as her gaze lowered downwards. A smirk playing on her lips as she took in his sexy, naked body hiding under his robe. "Like what you see?" He chuckled.
"Oh I do," she smiled and turned her head to the side, her gaze following him as he slowly walked over to stand on the rug next to her, setting his coffee cup down on the table at the end of the sofa as he passed by. "Very much so."
"Good," he smiled as he lowered himself into a kneeling position beside her, "because I like what I see too."
"Oh good," Clarisse smiled coyly and took her bottom lip between her teeth as he leant over her, placing a hand down on the rug either side of her body and began placing soft kisses to the back of her shoulder and the nape of her neck. "How was last night for you?"
"Mmm," he murmured against the back of her shoulder before watching her turn back over between his arms to lie on her back and looked up at him. "It was everything I imagined it would be, and more."
"Good," she smiled and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck as he lowered himself to kiss her. Once. Twice. Three times. Before gazing down into her gorgeous bright starry blue eyes as she moved one hand to the back of his head. "But I have just realised something."
"What's that?" He asked, studying her face intently.
"Well on our wedding day you told me that you had always wanted to make love in front of a raging fire," she said and watched as he nodded.
"That's right I did," he said and smiled. "It was a dream of mine, until last night of course."
"But you have had past girlfriends, have you never experienced that with any of them?" Clarisse asked before smirking. "Or, is it one of those dreams that you tell all the ladies?"
Laughing, Joseph shook his head. "No, I have only ever shared dream that with you."
"But why none of the others?" She questioned and watched as he turned his head away for the briefest of moments before looking back down into her eyes.
"Honestly?" He asked and watched as she nodded.
"Honestly," she said, searching his eyes.
"Because none of them was as special as you. You were the one I wanted to experience that dream with, no one else," he replied honestly.
"Really?" She asked in surprise and watched as he nodded. "But what if we had never got together, or had continued to part ways last week, you would never have got the chance to experience it."
"Then that's how it would have been," Joseph said matter of factly. "It would have stayed a dream."
"Oh, Joseph," Clarisse said softly while smoothing her hands around from his back to frame his face in them and lifting her head to kiss him a moment before resting her head back down on the cushion and looking up into his eyes. "I'm so glad that we got to experience it together. It was so beautiful."
"I am too," Joseph smiled as she brushed her thumb over his lips. "Would you like me to pour you a cup of tea?"
"We have tea?" Clarisse asked with a smile as she let her arms fall onto the rug next to her, her hands going to his shoulders as he nodded.
"Yes, of course," he said and they turned their heads to look at the tray sitting on the coffee table a few feet away from them before he looked back down at her. "I got a pot of tea sent up with my coffee," he smiled as her gaze remained on the coffee table a few seconds longer as she licked her lips in anticipation.
"But," she said and finally turned her head to look back up at him. "When they brought it to the door, they would have seen me here."
"No, they didn't. I made them leave the tray outside the door and made sure the coast was clear before bringing it inside," Joseph chuckled as he gazed longingly into her eyes. "Do you really think that I would allow them to see you, my gorgeous wife, this way? With just a blanket covering her body?"
"No, I suppose you wouldn't," she smiled and wrapped her arms back around his neck as he lowered his head and kissed her. Slowly. She knew full well he wouldn't allow anyone to see her this way, she wasn't even sure why she had asked him for in the first place. "What time is it?" She asked a moment later as Joseph trailed kisses down her jaw and into the crook of her neck.
"It is," Joseph said as he lifted his head and moved his arm up to check the time on his watch, "a quarter to nine."
"A quarter to nine?" Clarisse exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes," Joseph chuckled.
"Gosh, I haven't slept in this late since, well.. since never," she said as she placed her hands together on her chest. "Why didn't you wake me?"
"Because it was a late night last night, like it has been every night this week, and you needed your sleep," Joseph said as she put her hand back up to briefly cup his face before putting her hand back down on her chest.
"But we have to leave soon to catch our flight," she said and reached up to kiss him once more before sitting up next to him. "I need to jump in the shower and start getting ready."
"Me too, but we have plenty of time. First, though, let me pour you a nice cup of tea to start you off," Joseph said as Clarisse got to her feet while holding the blanket, still wrapped around her, in place.
"Okay, you do that while I nip to the bathroom," she smiled down at him. "I'll be right back."
"Alright," he smiled, watching her walk across the suite with the blanket wrapped around her gorgeous body.
Moments later she returned, now dressed in her robe, to find him lying across the rug on the floor, resting on his elbow, with his back to the fireplace. "I have poured you a cup of tea," he said, gesturing to the teacup and saucer on the floor next to the rug while looking up at her.
"Mmm thank you," Clarisse smiled while putting her hand on his hip as she lowered herself and carefully sat down sideways on the rug in front of him. "I think we might have overdone it last night."
"Why?" Joseph exclaimed as he quickly sat up, his hand instinctively going to the back of her shoulder. "What's wrong, are you okay?"
"I'm okay, nothing to worry about. Just my hips and back are hurting, and I feel a little sore," she said while leaning forward, picking up her teacup before sitting back. "Nothing a couple of painkillers won't fix."
"Have you taken some already?" Joseph asked as he smoothed his hand lovingly up and down the back of her shoulder.
"Yes, while I was in the bathroom," she nodded and took a sip, or two, of her tea.
"I'm sorry you know, maybe we did go a little too far last night," he said, full of remorse, as he leant closer and kissed her shoulder, letting his lips linger there a moment or two, "hurting you wasn't my intention."
"I know it wasn't and it's nobody's fault, Joseph," she said and turned her face to him, watching as he lifted his head to look up into her eyes.
"Next time though, when you tell me that you won't break, I'm not going to listen," he said, staring into her eyes while smoothing his hand down her back.
"Oh Joseph, no, don't you dare," Clarisse laughed and shook her head as she put the teacup back down before putting her hands up to frame his face in them. "You need to remember we have made love a lot this last week, something I'm not used to. And yes, we did it a little differently last night, but it was nice, delicious in fact, but I don't want you to ever stop listening when I tell you that I won't break. Because I won't. We just need to be careful in future. That's all."
"Oh, we will most definitely be careful in the future, because I don't want to hurt you ever again," he said and leant closer to kiss her.
"I know, and you won't," she said and kissed him back, "I promise. Okay?"
"Okay," he nodded and buried his face in the crook of her neck as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders a long moment. "You should drink your tea before it gets too cold."
"Oh yes, my tea," Clarisse smiled as they pulled apart and she leant forward once again to pick up her teacup. "I hope this never ends."
"You hope what never ends?" Joseph asked as he laid back down how he was before, resting on his elbow beside her with his back to the fireplace.
"This honeymoon phase that we are in," she smiled as she looked down into his eyes. "I never want there to be a time when we stop having enough of each other. Because right now, you are all I want and I certainly don't want that to end anytime soon."
"Me neither, and it won't, believe me," Joseph chuckled and wrapped his arm around her waist as she smiled down at him before taking another sip of her tea.
"I'm just going to help Shades and Lionel take our cases down to the car okay," Joseph said a little later that morning as he stood in the closet doorway and looked over at her sitting at her dressing table doing her makeup.
"Okay," Clarisse smiled as she looked at him in the mirror, and watched as he walked over to stand behind her.
"You look gorgeous, as always," he smiled in the mirror at her while placing his hands down on her shoulders.
"Mm, thank you. You don't look too bad yourself," Clarisse smiled and tipped her head back, to look up at him standing behind her. "I forgot to ask earlier, but did you remember to pack a couple of books to take with you?"
"Oh no, I didn't," he said as he looked down at her, "I better do that once the cases are in the car."
"Okay," she chuckled as he lowered his head and kissed her a couple of times. "Make sure you pick good ones," she smiled as he stood back up straight behind her and they looked back at one another in the mirror.
"Oh I will," he smiled and kissed the top of her head before turning and making his way back over to the door, "I'll meet you in the foyer."
"You will," Clarisse smiled as she watched him walk out of their closet before looking back at herself in the mirror and sighing contentedly.
Once the cases and their overnight bags were in the car, Joseph made a quick dash to the palace library. Picking out a couple of good reads before heading back to the foyer to wait for Clarisse. However, passing Charlotte's office on his way back, his suspicions from the night before popped into his head and curiosity getting the better of him, he wanted to see if he was correct. But he needed to tread carefully if he was going to find out anything. So going back to Charlotte's door, he knocked twice and watched as she looked up at him from where she was sitting at her desk.
"Hello Joe, I thought you had left already," Charlotte smiled and got to her feet.
"Not quite, but we will be leaving soon," Joseph smiled, holding both the books he had picked out to take away with him in his arms grasp against his stomach, and watched her fumble with some papers on her desk. "May I come in?"
"Of course," Charlotte nodded and looked back up at him as he slowly entered her office. She had known him long enough to know from the sneaky look on his face that he was up to something. And knowing that he could read her like a book, given the chance, she had to busy herself. "What may I do for you?" She asked while picking up the papers from her desk and walking over to the filing cabinet. So her back was to him and he couldn't see her face.
"Well I was just wondering something, and I am hoping that you might be able to help?" He asked.
"I'll try my best," Charlotte said as she pretended to look for something among the papers in the filing cabinet drawer.
"Okay, so I know that we heard from Alizée and her husband Laurent, congratulating us on our wedding, which I knew we would and was lovely to hear from them," he said and watched as she froze for the briefest of moments at the mere mention of their names before continuing what she was doing. "But did we hear anything from Esmée?"
Opening her mouth to speak, Charlotte didn't know what to say. The truth was, however, they had heard from Esmée, well at least Clarisse had. But she couldn't tell Joseph that. She had been sworn to secrecy. Why oh why had Clarisse trusted her with this? Or more to the point, why did she even show her the letter yesterday in the first place? Why didn't she just leave it until they had returned from their honeymoon. It would have been so much easier. Oh, so many questions swirling around her mind, making her even more nervous than she already was.
"No," Charlotte finally said, knowing she couldn't stay silent for too long, and shook her head. "I don't think so. I mean why would you hear from her if they aren't even talking?" She added while turning her head to the side ever so slightly.
"That's right, of course," Joseph said and raised his eyebrow suspiciously. "Why would we hear from her if they aren't even talking? I should have realised that shouldn't I?"
"Yes," Charlotte said and laughed nervously as she closed the cabinet drawer before finally turning to him.
"Well thanks anyway Charlotte," Joseph said and half smiled as she started wringing her hands nervously in front of her. "I better go, wouldn't want to be late for our flight."
"Oh, of course," Charlotte nodded as Joseph turned to leave her office. "I hope you both have a great time."
"We will, thank you Charlotte," Joseph smiled back at her and began making his way to meet Clarisse in the foyer so that they could finally leave for the airport.
"Oo grandma, now that grandpa's here your honeymoon can officially start," Mia smiled as Joseph made his way over to them and stood next to Clarisse while putting his free hand lovingly on her lower back.
"Yep, I'm here," Joseph smiled at Mia then at Clarisse, "hello my love."
"Hello you," Clarisse smiled at him then at her granddaughter. "What are you talking about sweetheart? Our honeymoon officially started last night," she laughed and put her hand up onto Joseph's chest as he growled a little while leaning in to kiss her neck.
"Okay, ew," Mia said quietly, suddenly remembering the early morning gossip among the maids, as she looked away briefly and shook her head before chancing a look back at them, just as her grandmother pulled back a little with a smile and put her hand up, pressing her forefinger to her husband's lips while telling him to behave. Smiling at the scene before her, Mia still couldn't get her head around how much she had changed over the last week but absolutely loved how happy her grandmother was now. And all because of Joseph. Who was just as equally happy. "So, Shades is waiting outside to take you to the airport and you guys really should be leaving now if you're to make the booked flight slot."
"Oh yes we do," Clarisse said as she checked the time on her watch before looking up at her granddaughter. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"
"Yes of course," Mia smiled as her grandmother stepped closer and hugged her. "Go have a wonderful time and make sure you call me when you arrive, so I know that you got there safely," she said while wrapping her arms around her grandmother and holding her tight for a moment.
"We will, of course, but in the morning because of the time difference and everything, it will be really late by the time we get there," Clarisse said as they pulled apart and looked at one another.
"I don't care, still call me no matter what time it is because I need to know that you got there safe," Mia said as she moved closer to Joseph, to hug him too. "So make sure you call me, please. I'll be waiting."
"We will Princess," Joseph smiled and kissed her cheek while pulling back.
"And make sure you look after her," Mia said, looking up at him.
"Always," Joseph bowed his head respectfully while putting his hand on his heart.
"Thank you," Mia smiled and grasped her hands together in front of her while turning back to her grandmother as she looped her handbag strap over her shoulder and picked up her sunhat from the table next to them. "Enjoy and take plenty of pictures, oh and tell everyone that I said hi."
"We will," Clarisse smiled as she and Joseph made their way over to the main entrance. "Bye, sweetheart."
"Bye," Mia waved as Joseph opened the door for them, "love you both."
"We love you too," Joseph said and smiled over at her from the doorway.
Thoughts? Please do let me know, it's much appreciated :) thank you.