"While José has gone, can we chat?" Vee asked as she shuffled closer to Clarisse a little more on the seat. "Woman to woman?"
"Of course," Clarisse nodded.
"Okay, I love you and think that you are a great person, always have done, but I gotta admit something," Vee began as Clarisse studied her. Curious to know what she was going to say. "When we first found out that you and José had gotten married so suddenly, I had my doubts."
"That's understandable. You don't know me that much after all," Clarisse said, nodding her head slightly. "Well not yet personally anyway."
"Exactly, yes," Vee nodded before continuing. "Obviously I'd had my suspicious for sometime about you two anyway, especially from his last visit here, I had that inkling that something might have been going on between you, but getting married is a whole new level. Especially when it was so sudden. And I'm not going to lie, I was shocked. We all were."
"Yes, I get that. It was a shock to us also," Clarisse said, thinking back to the very moment in the church when she had asked him to take her hand in marriage. It was one of the most nervous yet glorious moments of her life. One that she will never forget.
"However, knowing how much you meant to my brother, I wanted to give you a chance as his wife, for José, and I prayed that you wouldn't end up breaking his heart. I mean, you are gorgeous. You must have had lots of handsome men after you over the years," Vee said and smirked. "Not just my brother."
"I did have a fair few, yes, but none of them interested me. None of them caught my eye," Clarisse said and half smiled. "Besides my heart had already been claimed a long, long time ago. There was never any doubt to whom I wanted to spend the rest of my life with when the time came."
Smiling at her answer, Vee nodded as she studied Clarisse's face. "Well it's clear now how very stupid I was to even doubt your marriage in the first place. You two were meant to be together and are so very much in love, I actually love how crazy you are for one another."
"We are, and we have been for such a long time," Clarisse smiled. Her heart skipped a beat over the thought of them being 'crazy' for one another and picked up her drink. "I'm just glad that I found my true love and that he's someone who actually makes me feel loved and like I'm the only woman in the world. In his world. Unlike my first husband."
"That's because to him, romantically, you are the only woman in his world," Vee smiled and watched as she took a sip of her drink. "He's absolutely devoted to you. Anyone can see that."
"And I him, but all this is still new to me, Vee, I never had any of this with my first husband, he never showed me any love, or affection," Clarisse said as she placed her glass back down on the table and looked back up at her, "and sometimes I do worry that I shouldn't be behaving this way, not at my age. Especially while out in public. But I can't help it. Joseph brings it out in me."
"Not even in private?" Vee whispered in surprise.
"Not even in private," Clarisse shook her head, "he was a wham bam thank you ma'am, man. It wasn't very pleasurable at all. But it was my duty."
"Well it's not anymore, and you know what? I wouldn't worry about it either," Vee smiled and reached her hand out onto Clarisse's arm while leaning closer to her. "Honestly, Clarisse, you only live once, so you just enjoy yourself because you certainly deserve it after the life you've lived."
"It is rather exhilarating, all this attention," Clarisse smiled. "Especially when it's from the one you love."
"Yes it is, and you continue being you," Vee smiled, "because I don't think it's ever gonna stop, not on José's side anyway."
"Nor on mine," Clarisse smiled as Joseph returned and set a tray of drinks down on the table.
"Before you sit back down, I'm going to run to the ladies'," Vee smiled.
"I think I'll go with you," Clarisse said as she shuffled along to the end seat and stood to her feet next to Joseph.
"Will you be okay going through the bar?" Joseph asked as he reached his hand out onto her hip.
"Yeah, she'll be fine with me," Vee laughed, standing to her feet behind Clarisse and putting her hands out onto her sides. "Everyone here knows who I am, and they wouldn't dare mess with me being married to the boss."
"Okay," Joseph laughed while looking at her, then back at Clarisse as she raised her hands up to cup his jaw in them.
"We won't be long," she smiled and reached up to kiss him before walking away with Vee as he turned to watch them disappear back inside.
"Thank you, tío José," Isabella smiled and reached across the table for her drink from the tray as Joseph turned to her.
"You're welcome," Joseph smiled across at her and sat back in his seat while waiting for Clarisse and Vee to return.
Several moments later they returned, and while Vee moved between the table and her brother, who was now sitting on the end of the seat, to let them past, Clarisse moved to stand between his legs and wrapped her arms loosely around his shoulders as he looked up at her. "Are you okay?" He asked, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her a little closer to him.
"Yes," she nodded while slipping off her shoes, "but my head feels a little fuzzy."
"I thought it would be," he chuckled as she moved one hand to grasp the back of his head, "you have a slight slur too."
"Do I?" Clarisse asked in surprise and laughed as he smoothed his hands from her hips down to rest on the sides of her thighs. "I think that I would like to dance."
"We can dance if you'd like," he smiled up at her. "Where would you like to dance, here or over on the beach?"
"Over on the beach," she smiled down at him, "it's more private."
"Your wish, my love, is my command," he smirked and watched as she slowly stepped back from him, her hands smoothing over his shoulders and down his arms, until his hands were in hers.
Smiling, Juana watched as Clarisse led her brother over to the beach, her hips swaying as she went, before stopping and turning to him as he stepped closer to her, and whispered something before slowly kissing her shoulder. Her neck. Then finally her mouth as she slipped an arm up around his shoulder, her hand going to the back of his neck while her other hand grasped the back of his other shoulder as he wrapped one arm around her waist, his hand slipping onto her side, while his other arm wrapped around her shoulder, holding her as close to him as he possibly could and deepened the kiss between them.
And seeing that Gigi was now at their table, collecting the empty glasses, Juana turned to her sister and leant closer to her. "There is nothing sexier in this world than when a man and a woman are so madly in love with one another that they're not afraid to show it." She said and watched as Vee glanced to Gigi standing at the end of their table before looking towards the beach, to her brother and Clarisse sharing a kiss.
"You're right," Vee smiled and turned back to Juana. "She's the best thing that has ever happened to him. I'm so glad that they got married."
"Me too," Juana smiled, and Gigi walked away. "I'm sorry, Vee, I know that she's your friend, and she and José had this thing going on between them, but Clarisse is so much better for him than she ever was."
"I know she is, she's a million times better," Vee nodded and looked up towards the doorway leading into the bar, to find Gigi stood looking over at Clarisse and Joseph, watching them dance. "I think I'm going to have to go and have words with her. Tell her to get back to work."
"Do you want me to come?" Juana asked and picked up her drink as Vee shook her head.
"No, it's okay," Vee said and began shuffling along the seat. "I won't be long."
"Okay," Juana said and drank some of her drink. "I'm here if you need me."
"Thanks," Vee smiled and walked away from their table.
"I can't wait to get you back home later," Joseph whispered in Clarisse's ear as they swayed slowly to the song together with her arms now wrapped around his neck, her hand placed on the back of his neck. While his hands were now on her sides. "I may have trouble keeping my hands off you until we have made it to the bedroom."
"Is that a promise?" Clarisse laughed as she lifted her head from where it had been resting against his and gazed up into his eyes.
"I don't know, do you want it to be?" He smirked mischievously as a breath hitched in her throat.
"Yes, I think I do," Clarisse said, flashing him her gorgeous smile. "We have waited far too long tonight."
"Alright then my love, it's a promise," he smiled and snaked his hands around to her back as she took her bottom lip between her teeth, "as soon as we get inside you are mine."
"Mm, I can't wait," she replied and reached up to kiss him before they continued to sway together a little longer. Her hand still on the back of his neck, her fingertips running back and forth in his hair.
"Did you enjoy your dance?" Vee asked and picked up her drink as Joseph led Clarisse back over to the table a short time later. Both looking content and happy. His hand entwined with hers.
"Oh we did," Joseph smiled as they stopped together at the end of their table and he wrapped his hand, still entwined with Clarisse's, around her back as she stood a moment, taking a sip of her wine.
Placing her glass back down on the table, Clarisse smiled up at her husband and reached her free hand up onto the side of his neck. "Very much so," she smiled and glanced down to his lips as he lowered his head to kiss her. An intimate, simmering kiss.
"Good," Vee smirked at them and took a sip of her drink as her brother stepped back and sat on the seat before pulling Clarisse closer to him, and letting go of her hand, he slipped his hands onto her hips and guided her to sit in his lap, a move that not only surprised his sisters, but caused his and Clarisse's tummy's to flutter and their hearts to beat wildly in their chests too. Especially being like this in such a public place.
Biting her bottom lip, Clarisse wrapped her arm around his shoulder and moved her hand to rest on the back of his neck as she smiled contentedly at her husband. Watched as he leant closer to whisper in her ear. While smoothing his hand from her back and around onto her side. "Are you okay with this?"
"Of course," Clarisse nodded and studied his face before closing her eyes as he buried his face briefly in her neck.
"I am loving this," Juana smiled a moment later as everyone looked at her, "I'm sorry it's just we have never ever seen our brother behave this way before," she said and watched as Clarisse smiled back at her husband, "he's so happy, so in love. You both are. It's amazing and so wonderful to see."
"Yes we are," Joseph smiled across the table to his sister, then up at Clarisse, still smiling down at him. "She completes me like you wouldn't believe."
"Aww, love is a beautiful thing," Juana smiled and watched them a moment. "How it changes you when you find the one."
"You can say that again," Clarisse agreed while looking across the table at Juana before looking back at her husband and raising her hand to grip hold of his jaw gently in her grasp. The way that, she discovered just days ago, he loved. And glanced down to his lips. "And he completes me too," she said softly and kissed him a couple of times before burying her face in his neck and moving her hand from his jaw to the other side of his neck.
Smirking, Juana and Vee looked at one another, giving them their privacy as Joseph smoothed his hand from her side down to her thigh and watched as Clarisse lifted her head to look back up at him. Her eyes gorgeous and twinkling mischievously. Before leaning in to kiss him once again.
Smiling contentedly a moment later, Joseph picked up his scotch from the table and looked across at his sister. "Where's Isabella gone?" He asked and took a sip of his drink.
"Oh, she's over with her friends at the moment," Vee smiled as he set his glass back down on the table and put his hand down onto Clarisse's knee while looking back up at his sister. "She's filtering back and forth between us."
"Ahh okay," Joseph nodded and turned his head to look back at Clarisse. Their gaze fixated on one another a long moment before Clarisse, quite brazenly and mischievously, leant closer to trail soft, light kisses down his jaw and into the curve of his neck while moving the collar of his shirt out of the way with her hand. Smiling happily at the sensations it was causing within him, he realised just how relaxed she had become as the night wore on, until, that was, he realised what exactly she was doing. "What are you doing?" He asked and laughed when she simply shook her head in response. Her lips remaining pressed against his neck. "Clarisse?" He laughed.
"Nothing," she whispered against his neck and licked her lips before continuing what she was doing as he laughed and smoothed his hand from her thigh, up onto her side. Making her laugh and lift her head to look at him. "I wasn't doing anything," she smirked and tilted her head to check his neck before chuckling nervously and looking back up into his eyes. "Sorry, I think I got a big carried away."
"Hmm, I thought you had," he laughed and shook his head as Clarisse covered her eyes with her hand and laughed too. "But it's fine, from where it is my shirt will cover it."
"I've never done anything like that before, I don't even really like them, I suppose, but it must be the drink because I'm feeling very very relaxed right now," she whispered while lowering her hand from her eyes and onto his chest. "I didn't even think it would work. But there it is." She laughed nervously once again.
"It's fine, now stop rambling, okay?" Joseph laughed and gazed into her eyes as she nodded with a flirty smile. "Besides, if I'm honest, it actually felt nice."
"Really?" Clarisse asked in surprise and smiled at him as he moved his face closer to hers.
"Yes, it did. And I'm guessing it felt much like yours did when I gave you one last week," he whispered against her lips and kissed her while putting his hand up onto the side of her neck. "Oh, I just remembered something," he said, pulling back a moment later and lowering his hand from her neck.
"What have you remembered?" Clarisse asked and watched as he reached his hand out across the table and picked up a beautiful rose from the tray. "Oh, you brought me a russelliana."
"I did, I saw them at the bar and wanted to get one for your hair," Joseph smiled as he lifted his hand, slipping the rose carefully behind her ear. "An old Spanish rose."
"It's lovely," Clarisse smiled at him as he moved his hand to cup her cheek and smoothed his thumb lightly over her chin. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, my love," Joseph smiled and leant in to kiss her slowly a moment. The fact that she had, quite surprisingly, given him a love bite right there in the bar was soon forgotten about.