Hey all, thank you so much for reading the latest chapter and to, of course, Bee-327 and Chelsietx, for taking time to leave reviews on it. As you know, I always appreciate and love receiving reviews, and as I've said before, admittedly, I am a sucker for lovely detailed reviews with stuff that's happening in the chapter you're writing about. To see that included in a review really does make my day a million times better. Knowing that you have read and taken the time to write about several things I've written really does help me. It gives me so much more motivation, which has been somewhat lacking of late, and I can't thank you enough for that.
And, now, I hope you all continue to enjoy the story, here's the next chapter for you all. Enjoy…
Coming back down a short time later, Clarisse slipped her shoes back on once she reached the bottom of the stairs and made her way into the kitchen to find Joseph sat at the table with Vee and Juana while Diego sat at the counter with Pedro, all chatting and laughing together. "You're all inside now?" She smiled as she paused for the briefest of moments in the doorway before walking around the dining table to her husband.
"Well we thought, what with us leaving soon, that we would come in and start getting ready," Vee smiled and watched as Clarisse stood beside her husband while putting her hand on his shoulder. "Saves rushing last minute."
"Here, you can sit here, Clarisse," Juana smiled as she got up from the chair beside Joseph and stepped out of the way. "Next to your husband."
"Oh no, honestly it's okay," Clarisse smiled and put her other hand up to her. "I don't mind sitting next to Vee."
"I insist," Juana smiled and gestured to the seat, "besides, I need to go and do my makeup anyway, so it's all yours."
"Well in that case, thank you," Clarisse smiled as she stepped between the chairs, her hand smoothing across the top of Joseph's back and over his other shoulder as she moved between her chair and the table, and smoothed her hands down the back of the skirt of her dress before taking a seat at the table next to her husband.
"Hello you," Joseph smiled happily and turned to her, getting comfortable beside him. "I brought your drink in."
"I see, thank you," Clarisse smiled and looked at him before looking up at Vee and Juana. "Your children are all so lovely," she smiled, "and were so very well behaved while I read to them."
"Gracias," both Juana and Vee said in unsion as Juana grabbed her handbag from where it hung over the corner of Joseph's chair before walking over to stand beside her husband sitting at the countertop.
"Are they asleep now?" Juana asked as she looked back over at them.
"Yes, they are all asleep," Clarisse nodded as she picked up her glass of wine. "Well at least they were when I left them with Ana."
"That's surprising. They don't usually fall asleep that quickly," Vee said as her brother leant closer to Clarisse, to give her a quick kiss while putting his hand down on her thigh.
"No, they normally mess around for a bit after their story," Juana said thoughtfully. Remembering the many, many times that they would do just that after their bedtime story. Especially when all four of them were together.
"Well it has been an exciting day for them," Joseph chuckled as Clarisse took a sip of her wine while putting her free hand down on top of his resting on her thigh.
"That's true," Vee laughed.
"Anyway, thank you for doing that, Clarisse," Juana smiled, "we heard how excited they all were when they saw you enter Luna's bedroom."
"They were, and it was my pleasure," Clarisse smiled as she set her glass back down on the table and looked up at them.
"I think I'm going to go and check on them, just to make sure that they are asleep. Because I've got a sneaky feeling they're not," Vee said as she rose to her feet and pushed her chair back under the table.
"Oh Vee, you should just leave them, I'm sure they are all sleeping like Clarisse said they are," Juana smirked as Vee made her way over to the door before stopping and turning back to them.
"I'm sure they are, but it's that mother's instinct," Vee smirked. "I'll be back in a bit."
"Right, well, while she's doing that then," Juana laughed as she made her way across the kitchen to leave too, "I'm going to go and get ready. I won't be long."
"Okay," Joseph chuckled and watched her leave before looking back to Clarisse with his gorgeous smile. "Are you okay?" He asked.
"I am," Clarisse smiled as she turned to him in her seat and leant back against the backrest of the chair while lifting her hand from where it was resting down on top of his hand on her thigh and lifted her arm, resting it along the back of his chair. "Are you?" She whispered.
"I'm okay too," Joseph smiled and leant in a little closer to her as she moved her hand to rest on the back of his neck. The tips of her fingers brushing through his hair.
"Good," Clarisse smiled and averted her gaze down to his lips while raising her other hand up, and pressing her forefinger to his lips before looking back up into his eyes a long moment before he leant in closer to whisper in her ear.
"I want to kiss you," he whispered as she lowered her hand down onto his chest.
"I know, I want to kiss you too," Clarisse whispered her reply, her gaze falling on Diego and Pedro, who were still sitting at the countertop across the room. "But need I remind you we aren't alone?"
"A quick kiss then?" He whispered while pulling back to look back into her eyes. Taking her biting her bottom lip as a sign that he could, in fact, give her a quick kiss, he smiled and slowly leant in closer to do just that.
"Just one quick kiss," she barely managed to whisper before he pressed his lips to hers for a, as he said, quick kiss. Closing her eyes, that one kiss turned into a couple of quick kisses followed by one slow kiss instead as her hand smoothed up from his chest, onto the side of his neck.
"I've just heard back from Sara, my bar manager. She's put a section of the outside seating area as off limits for us," Diego said while looking at his phone before looking over at Joseph and Clarisse, just as they pulled apart. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were.. um.. having a moment." He smirked.
"That's okay," Joseph said and put his arm across her lap, his hand down on the side of her thigh, while turning back in his seat properly to look over at him sitting at the counter with a smirk as Clarisse tipped her head forward, resting her forehead on his shoulder, to hide the blush spreading fast over her features, while wrapping her hands around his arm. "And that sounds perfect, right next to the beach."
"Yeah, dancing with the sand between your toes is the best feeling," Diego smiled and looked back at his phone as he and Joseph laughed. "It's gonna be a great night."
"Yes it will be," Joseph smiled and patted Clarisse's thigh with his hand while turning his head back to her as she lifted her head to look back up at him. "Are you okay?" He whispered with a mischievous smirk and watched as she nodded and reached one hand out to pick up her glass from the table, while leaving her other hand wrapped around his arm, before smirking at him and taking a sip of her wine.
Laughing, Joseph tipped his head forward as Clarisse set her glass back down on the table before reaching her hand across under his chin, to lift his head for his gaze to meet hers for the briefest of moments before leaning closer and giving him just one more quick kiss.
Arriving at the bar a little later that evening, everyone climbed from the car and stood a moment. To straighten themselves out after the car journey. "Why don't you all go in, and Clarisse and I will follow in a moment," Joseph said as he slipped his hand into Clarisse's.
"Sure," Diego nodded, "I'll get a round of drinks sorted for everyone."
"Okay," Joseph said and watched as everyone made their way inside before turning to Clarisse.
"Is everything okay?" Clarisse asked as he stepped closer to her, trapping her gorgeous body between the car and his body while slipping one hand onto her side, her hand grasping hold of his arm, and raising his other hand up above her shoulder, pressing it against the car behind her. "Joseph?" she said with a small laugh, her tummy fluttering at the feel of his body pressing against hers.
"Yes, everything's okay. I just needed a few moments alone with you to do this," Joseph smiled as he leant in to kiss her. Slowly. As Clarisse put her other hand up onto the side of his neck. Breaking the kiss a moment later, Clarisse looked up into his eyes. "I have missed not being able to do that this evening. Spontaneously kissing you whenever I felt like it."
"Me too," Clarisse smiled and took her bottom lip between her teeth as she moved her hand up from his neck to cup his face and brush her thumb across his lips. To remove the remnants of her lipstick from his lips. "It's been a busy evening."
"It sure has, and it's about to get even busier once we go in there," Joseph said, staring into her eyes as she nodded.
"I am glad we had this few minutes together though, not just to kiss and feel your delicious body against mine," she smiled, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes as she placed her hand back on his chest, her finger tips toying with one of the buttons on his shirt, "the body I'm craving for so much right now, and have been all evening."
"I'm craving yours too, oh so very much," he whispered, pressing his lips to hers once again and watched as her eyes fluttered closed.
"Joseph, stop," Clarisse laughed, turning her head to the side a little as he lifted his head to look at her. "Behave a moment, I need to ask you something."
"Okay," he smirked, unable to resist the urge to kiss the corner of her mouth before trailing kisses down her jaw and into the curve of her neck. Her delicious neck that he loved to run the tip of his tongue over whenever they made love. "Mm you smell delicious."
"Joseph, stop, look at me," Clarisse laughed, a breath hitching in her throat as he nuzzled and nipped at her silky, soft neck before lifting his head to look back into her eyes.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm listening," Joseph smirked and watched as she tilted her head. "My apologies, my love, but I couldn't help myself. It's been extremely hard not being able to hold you in my arms and kiss you this evening, so I'm making up for it now before we go and join everyone inside."
"It hasn't been easy for me either, you know," Clarisse laughed and shook her head while looking down at her hand resting on his chest.
"Tell me now, what did you wish to speak to me about?" Joseph asked and watched as she looked back up into his eyes.
"On the drive here, did I spot a pharmacy not too far away?" Clarisse asked and watched as he cocked his eyebrow while turning his head slightly to the side.
"Yes, why?" He asked and watched her lean in close, to whisper in his ear. "Are you sure?" He smirked as she pulled back to look back up into his eyes.
"Yes," she nodded with a smile. "The way I'm feeling right now, I think I'm going to need some tonight."
"Alright," he chuckled and nodded. "Let's get you settled inside and let Diego know to keep an eye out, then I'll go grab some."
"Thank you," Clarisse smiled and reached up to kiss him one more time. "Let's go in now, because I need the ladies' room."
"Okay," Joseph smiled and stepped back while taking her hand in his. "I'll show you where it is and will wait outside the first door for you to show you to where we will be sitting."
"Thank you," Clarisse smiled as he began to lead her inside.
Walking through the outer door moments later, entering the hallway leading to the ladies room, Clarisse's mind was a million miles away with thoughts of her husband and what she had asked him to purchase for her, when she saw a young couple kissing against the wall. Pausing a moment, she smiled and continued on towards the ladies' door when she suddenly realised who it was. "Isabella?" Clarisse gasped and watched the young lady look over the man's shoulder at her.
"Oh, hi, tía Clarisse," she laughed, and the man turned to look over at Clarisse. "This is Mateo. He works here at the bar and is also my boyfriend."
"Hola," he laughed while looking back at Isabella. "Bella, that's not your tía, that's not Juana." He whispered.
"Yes it is. Well, no, she's obviously not Juana, but she's still my tía. She's married to my tío José," Isabella whispered while looking up at him, then back over at Clarisse. "Who, by the way, you can't tell what you've just seen. You know what he's like and how protective he is. He will hit the roof if he finds out about this. That I have a boyfriend."
"I'm not going to say anything," Clarisse said quietly and shook her head while pointing back towards the door that she had just come through. "But you should know, he's right outside that door waiting for me."
"Oh," Isabella said and looked towards the door Clarisse was referring to. Realising just how close it came to him walking in on them and not Clarisse.
"I'll leave you both to think about that a moment," Clarisse said and began to make her way over towards the ladies' room as Isabella looked up at her boyfriend.
Re-emerging moments later, Clarisse found Isabella pacing the floor alone. "Oh, has Mateo gone?" She asked, brushing her hands down the front of the skirt of her dress as Isabella turned to her.
"Yes, he's gone back to work," Isabella nodded and hurried over to stand in front of her. "I was waiting for you, so that I can apologise for asking you not tell tío José. I realise that I shouldn't be asking you to do that for me and for that I am sorry."
"No you shouldn't, but I wouldn't have said anything anyway. It's not my place," Clarisse said and studied the young girls face a moment as she looked down anxiously at her hands. "May I ask what you would have done had it been your tío and not me that came through that door?"
"I don't know," Isabella said as she looked back up at Clarisse. "The thought of telling him that I have a boyfriend scares me, but the idea that he could have found out the way you did actually scares me even more. He will be so angry that I never told him beforehand."
"Exactly," Clarisse said as she reached her hands out for Isabella's and held them together between them. "I know today is the first day we have met, and we don't know each other at all, but I hope that you will take my advice when I tell you to just tell him. I promise he won't be mad if you sit him down and tell him before he finds out some other way."
"You're right," Isabella nodded and briefly looked away before looking back up at her. "Thank you, tía Clarisse."
"You're welcome," Clarisse smiled and stepped closer, embracing her in a hug before pulling back and looking back at her. "And, if he does get angry, you just send him to me. I'll sort him out for you." She smiled, and Isabella laughed.
"Thank you," Isabella smiled up at her. "I'm glad you and my tío got married. You really are perfect for him."
"Thank you, I am glad we did too," Clarisse smiled and studied her a moment before turning to stand beside her and wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "Come on, let's go back out. Before he comes looking for me, to see what the hold up is."
"Okay," Isabella smiled, and they both made their way back out to the bar to find Joseph stood talking to a woman next to the table that she had left her blazer and handbag on to go to the ladies' room. A woman who was just a little shorter than him, with long blonde hair, plaited in a side plait over the front of her shoulder. A woman who was very clearly taking an interest in him and what he had to say.
"Who's that?" Clarisse asked and looked to Isabella standing beside her. "Do you know?"
"Oh, that's Gisele," Isabella said and looked up at Clarisse as she turned her head back to look over at her husband. "She works here and is an old friend of madres."
"Oh, I know all about her," Clarisse said, her eyes narrowing as she watched her reach her hand out onto the top of Joseph's arm. "He just never told me how beautiful she was," she whispered somewhat sadly.