Hello everyone, I just wanted to say thanks to you all for reading the latest chapter and a special thanks to bee-327 and Chelsietx again for taking the time to leave wonderful reviews. I really do appreciate it and can't thank you both enough.
Here's the next chapter, it's a little shorter than the other chapters are, mainly because if I had posted it together with the next chapter it would have been to long and detailing would be missed. And admittedly, I LOVE to read when you comment on things happening in the chapter :).
Again, I have worked hard on this chapter, just like I always do, so I hope you all enjoy…
"Clarisse, my love, are you ready?" Joseph called out as he climbed the stairs to see what was taking her so long. He knew sometimes it would take her longer to get ready, especially in the past, whenever she was attending a big event or ball. She liked to take her time and not rush. But when he had left her up in the suite over half an hour ago, she was near enough ready. She only had to slip into the dress she had chosen to wear for their evening at his sisters and the bar afterwards. But she still hadn't come down, and he was starting to worry.
"We should have left five minutes ago," Joseph said now as he stood in the doorway of their suite to find her stood facing the bed, that was covered in several different outfits, with her arms folded and still dressed in her robe. "Clarisse," he said softly as he walked over to stand beside her and slipped his hand on her lower back and around to her side. Making her jump in the process.
"Oh god," Clarisse jumped and put a hand up onto her chest as she turned to him and playfully slapped his arm with her other hand. "That was naughty sneaking up on me like that. You made me jump."
"I'm sorry," he laughed a little and glanced to all the outfits laid on the bed in front of them before looking back at her. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, I don't know," she exclaimed and folded her arms as his hand smoothed up and down her back. "I can't seem to decide what to wear."
"But I thought you had already picked what you were wearing tonight, that beautiful v-neck dress that you got a few weeks back and haven't had chance to wear yet," Joseph said as he studied her face, her gaze staring intently at all the outfits she had laid out on the bed in front of them. Especially on the dress he was referring to. A sleeveless knee length, ivory coloured floral print flared skirt dress. With cinching around the waist and frill cape detail around the top of the dress.
"I did, yes," she nodded and raised one arm up, slipping her fingers in the top opening of her robe to rest her hand against her chest, while her other arm stayed wrapped around her stomach, "and I had every intention in wearing that, but when I went to put it on, I don't know, it just didn't feel right," she said, looking back up at her husband. "I felt like I shouldn't be wearing that to meet your family in. I want to give a good first impression, but wearing that I wouldn't have."
"Oh Clarisse, my love," Joseph said as he took hold of her hand and led her over to the armchair by the window. Turning to her, he gestured for her to sit down before crouching down in front of her. "This is my family that you are meeting, who, need I remind you, are now your family too."
"Exactly," Clarisse nodded as she removed her hand from her chest and placed it down on top of his hand, still holding onto her other hand. "And I want them to like me."
"And they will, actually they already do. They always have," Joseph said as he took both her hands lovingly in his and held them together in her lap before gazing up into her eyes. "I know you are nervous, but you have no need to be. And you have absolutely no need to worry about what you are wearing either, you could turn up naked - okay, not naked, that's not a good example," he said and shook his head as Clarisse laughed.
"No, it's not," Clarisse smiled as her husband looked back up into her eyes. Now twinkling and bright. "My body is for your eyes only," she whispered, and he smiled.
"Alright," he nodded, trying his best not to imagine her naked, "what about pyjamas? You could turn up in your pyjamas..." he said and looked away, now envisioning her going to meet his family in a pair of her silk pyjamas. "No, that's not a good example either, um.."
"What about, say, a pair of jeans and t-shirt," Clarisse laughed as he looked, once again, back up at her.
"Yes, although you would still be sexy wearing them, especially if it was one of my t-shirts," he laughed and turned his head to look out of the window.
"Behave," Clarisse smiled and watched as he cleared his throat while looking back up at her. "We are meant to be talking about what I'm wearing to meet your family, not what I would look sexy in."
"Okay, you're right, I'm sorry," he smiled, and she nodded. "A pair of jeans and a t-shirt is certainly better than turning up naked or in a pair of pyjamas."
"It's much better, yes," Clarisse smiled and lifted a hand to briefly cup his cheek before putting it back down on top of his.
"Okay, so, my point. You can turn up in a pair of jeans and t-shirt and it wouldn't matter to them, they would still love you because it's you, not what you are wearing," Joseph said as he reached a hand up to brush her hair back behind her ear before resting his hand against the side of her neck. "And I know that you are feeling really nervous about this evening, but you're not meeting members of Parliament, the Prime Minister, or anyone else with status now. You are meeting my family. And you have no need to feel nervous about that."
"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be this nervous, especially given who I have met over the years, but I can't help it," Clarisse said as she looked down at their hands resting together in her lap. "What if they don't like me?"
"Are you kidding?" Joseph exclaimed and moved his hand from the side of her neck, where it had been resting, and gently lifted her face. To gaze lovingly into her eyes. "Please stop worrying, Vee and Diego already love you, and so will all the others. Okay?"
Studying his face a moment, Clarisse nodded. Even though she still worried about how they felt about her. Being who she is. And how quickly they were married. "Okay."
"Okay," he smiled and leant forward, pressing his lips to hers for a quick kiss, as not to ruin her makeup, and pulled back. "Now, do I remember you telling me that you brought your lace overlay shoes with us?"
"Yes I did," Clarisse nodded as he stood back up in front of her and turned to the bed while straightening out his trousers.
"Perfect," he said, turning back to her and taking her hands in his, gently pulling her to her feet while stepping closer. "So, why don't you wear them with the dress you had originally picked out. I remember you saying when we were out at the pavilion last week that when you wear them, you feel more confident." He said while letting go of her hands and placing his hands lovingly on her sides.
"That could work," she nodded as she raised her arms, snaking them around his neck as they gazed into each others eyes. "But I don't need a pair of shoes to make me feel confident, not when I have you."
"Mmm I like that," he said, kissing her a couple quick times as their bodies swayed a little from left to right, "I'm glad that I can make you feel confident."
"Me too," she smiled and took her bottom lip briefly between her teeth as he smoothed his hands from her sides around to her back and kissed her once again. This time letting his lips linger against hers a moment.
"Oh, and," Joseph smiled as he pulled his head back just enough to look into her eyes, "don't forget to bring a cardigan, jacket or blazer, which ever one you decide, just incase it's chilly later on tonight with you," Joseph smiled.
"I won't," Clarisse smiled up at him. "Thank you, I'm still feeling nervous, though."
"I know, but you'll be fine once we are there, and you have met everybody," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist. Holding her body to his. "But when I go back down to wait for you, I'll get you a shot of scotch to down before we leave. That should help."
"Okay," she laughed and lifted her hand from where it was resting against the top of his back to check the time on her watch. "Oh god, Joseph, why didn't you tell me that we were running late."
"I did when I first came up to see what was taking you so long," he smirked down at her as she moved her hand to cup the back of his head. "But I realise now that you were so caught up in what to wear that you obviously didn't hear me."
"No I didn't hear you," Clarisse smiled as she stepped back from him and made her way over to the bed. "You'll have to let them know that we are running late."
"I will, but they'll be okay about it," Joseph nodded as he turned to her, his gaze following her across the room.
"I hope so," Clarisse said as she lifted the dress she had chosen from the bed on it's hanger and turned back to him, holding it up against her. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, absolutely," Joseph smiled and watched as she lifted it back up in front of her, to look at it a moment. "Now, while you are slipping into that and finishing getting ready, I'm going to go down and get you that scotch ready."
"Okay," Clarisse smiled as she draped the dress over her arm and watched as he made his way over to her. "I won't be much longer now, I promise."
"Okay," he smiled and reached a hand out onto her side as he leant in and kissed her one more quick time before turning to stand sideways to her. "You might need to redo your lipstick," he smiled and playfully slapped her bottom as she gasped and started laughing while moving her free hand around to her bottom, giving the place he slapped a rub. "I'll see you downstairs."
Biting her lip, Clarisse watched as he made his way out of the suite and closed the door up behind himself before she held up the dress in front of her one more time and let out a small, contented sigh, as her gaze drifted over it.