Hey everyone, my apologies. I completely forgot to thank those who read and reviewed on chapter 26 on the start of the last chapter. It completely slipped my mind when posting it, so here it is now for you, along with thanks to everyone who read and took time to review chapter 27. I appreciate it all so so much and honestly can't thank you enough.
Also, I really hope that you are still enjoying this story. My mood has been a bit up and down lately, so I have struggled a bit with writing. But I am still going and hoping that you are still on this journey with me. Thanks to you who are :) I appreciate it.
"Tía Clarisse," Isabella said as she returned to the table later that night and watched as she drank some of her drink.
"Mhmm yes, that's me," Clarisse smiled as she looked up at the younger woman and watched her sit in the seat beside her before setting her glass back down on the table. "What can I do for you?"
"I have just had a message from Ana," Isabella said as she looked down at her phone in her hands and opened the message before holding her phone up to show her.
"Oh, sweetheart, I can't read that. I haven't got my glasses," Clarisse said, and they both laughed. "You'll have to read it for me."
"Okay," Isabella chuckled and looked at her phone. "She said that Marie-Rose woke up and was ever so upset to find that tía Clarisse wasn't here anymore. She started crying and thought it had been a dream."
"Oh, bless her," Clarisse said, pulling a sad face while putting her hand up onto her chest. "Message her back and tell her to tell Marie-Rose, that no sweetheart, it wasn't a dream, and I will see her again soon, definitely before we leave to head back to Genovia."
"Okay, doing that now," Isabella smiled as she started typing out the message for her.
"Is everything okay?" Joseph asked as he returned to the table.
"Sí tío José," Isabella smiled and looked up at her uncle. "Just relaying a message to tía Clarisse."
"Ahh, okay," he smiled at his niece then across at his wife as she smiled up at him before turning her attention to Vee sitting beside her.
"Is now a good time for our chat?" Diego asked as he stood beside Joseph standing at the end of their table and put his arm around the top of his back, his hand resting on the top of his shoulder.
"Absolutely, yes," Joseph nodded and turned his head to look at him. "Just give me a minute."
"Of course," Diego smiled and glanced to Clarisse, sitting at the table next to his wife before looking back up at Joseph. "I'll be at the bar when you're ready. I'll get you a drink ordered."
"Okay," Joseph nodded and watched as he walked away before turning back to Clarisse talking to his sister and bent over the table a little. To get her attention. "My love?"
Turning her head to look at him, Clarisse smiled and sat forward. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes, I was just wondering if you would be alright here with Juana and Vee if I go and talk with Diego at the bar?" Joseph asked.
"Oh absolutely," Clarisse smiled and nodded. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes, there's just something he wants to talk to me about." He said, looking into her eyes. "I won't be long."
"Oh please," Clarisse smiled as she looked at the table and picked up her drink before looking back up at him, "take your time."
"Alright," he smiled and kissed her a couple of times before standing back up straight and going inside to join Diego at the bar.
"One scotch on the rocks, please, Sara," Diego smiled at his bar manager before turning on the stool to face his brother-in-law, now sitting up on the stool next to him.
"Now, what would you like to talk to me about?" Joseph asked as he looked up at him, then at Sara as she set his drink down in front of him, "thank you."
"You're welcome," Sara smiled and moved down the bar as Diego rested his elbow on the edge of the bar next to him.
"Security. As you know business is booming here and I am looking at changing my security system sometime in the coming months and I wondered if you'd be interested in coming help set it up and sort this lot out for me?" Diego asked.
"Absolutely yes, I can do that," Joseph nodded and picked up his drink from the bar and took a sip or two of it before setting it back down in front of him. "Just let me know when I need to come out, and we'll make the arrangements."
"I will do," he nodded and took a sip of his lemonade while watching Joseph turn a little on the stool, to look across the bar and out through the bifold doors at the ladies' still sitting at the table outside. "She's made you really happy, hasn't she?"
Looking back at his brother-in-law, Joseph nodded. "More than I ever thought possible," he said and looked down at his glass.
"That's good. It's about time," Diego chuckled. "You're definitely good for each other, and you can see just how much she loves and trusts you."
"Well there was a time on our first night here that I didn't think she ever would again," Joseph said and looked back across the packed room at Clarisse chatting with his sisters.
"What do you mean?" Diego asked, watching as Joseph looked back up at him and leant closer.
"She found out about Gisele and I," he said as quietly as he could. Just as she walked past them behind the bar.
"Ahh, but she seems alright now, though?" Diego said and glanced over at Clarisse, laughing with his wife and Juana a moment before looking back at his brother-in-law. "She can't get enough of you tonight, so you must have sorted it all out."
"We did, yes. We talked, alot, and sorted everything out and thank god that we did," Joseph said, his gaze drifting back across the bar to her and smiling to himself as she tipped her head back and laughed. He didn't have to hear the laugh to know that she was laughing the way he absolutely adored, and it made his tummy flutter at the mere thought of it. "I don't know what I would do if I didn't have her. If I ever lost her."
"Well bro," Diego said while leaning forward and putting his hand on his shoulder, "you stay away from Gisele, and you never will."
"Oh trust me, Diego, that ended years ago. I thought you knew that?" Joseph said and took another sip of his drink.
"Thank god for that, but no, I didn't realise," Diego said and shook his head. "I mean, I know you haven't been here a while and she hasn't long moved back here but I thought you were still, you know, hooking up occasionally, going from how Gigi has been tonight."
"What do you mean?" Joseph asked as he looked back up at him.
"Well she's been watching you all night, trying to get your attention," Diego said. "And then there was earlier, with Clarisse. When we first arrived. And when she brought the shots over, you can see that she's still interested in you. Even though you're married now. That's why I thought you and her were still, you know."
"Diego, I haven't been with Gigi in over five years. I have been with Clarisse for most of that time, and there is no way on this earth that I would ever, ever cheat on Clarisse. Ever." Joseph declared. "She means too much to me to lose over a silly mistake."
"Well I sure am pleased to hear that, Joseph," Diego said and nodded. "However, you should never have got involved with her to start with. You know that, right? We all disagreed with it."
"I know you did," Joseph nodded and looked up, his gaze following Gisele as she walked back past them behind the bar before he turned to look back at Diego. "But lesson learned."
"I tell you something though," Diego said, and they both looked back over at the women for the briefest of moments before looking back at each other. "I am proud of her for coming and staying here tonight, especially with her knowing about you and Gisele. And then facing that with her earlier."
"I am too," Joseph nodded and drank some more of his scotch before looking back over at Clarisse. "I desire her Diego, I have done for such a long, long time."
"I know you have, but she's yours now," Diego nodded as Joseph turned to look back at him.
"Yes she is, and what an amazing woman she is," Joseph smiled.
"I'm glad to see you so happy. She's a lucky woman to have you, that's for sure," Diego smirked and watched as he looked back across the room at Clarisse and the others.
Taking another sip of his scotch, Joseph watched her a moment as she sat laughing with his sisters when she suddenly lifted her head to look across at him and flashed him her gorgeous smile. Smiling in return, he watched her take a sip of her drink before setting her glass back down on the table and raising her hand up, to brush her hair back behind her ear. Clearing his throat, he turned to look back at his brother-in-law. "I think it's time we left," he said and downed the rest of his scotch.
"Alright," Diego laughed and shook his head, "I'll just let Vee and the team know. Then I'll be ready to drive you back whenever you are."
"Thanks bro," Joseph said and put his glass down on the bar before they both got to their feet and made their way back out to Clarisse and the others.
"Hello you," she smiled up at him, standing in front of her a moment later before picking up her drink. "Are you okay?"
Bending over, Joseph put his hand on the back of her seat and moved his face close to her ear as she turned her head to the side and took a sip of her drink. "I want you, Clarisse. All evening I have wanted you. My lips on your neck. My hands running through your hair. Your legs wrapped deliciously around my waist. Our heavy breaths. My gaze upon yours as we make love." He whispered seductively as a breath hitched in her throat. "I want to take you home and make love to you. All. Night. Long."
Biting her lip, Clarisse looked at her glass as she slowly set it back down on the table. Contemplating everything he had just whispered to her as the desire that she had felt for her husband all evening grew stronger and stronger with each passing second. Closing her eyes, she listened as he whispered once again. "Do you want to go back? Diego is waiting to take us if you do."
"Uh huh, I do, yes," she whispered, now looking up at him. "But what are we going to say to your sisters."
"Leave it to me," he said and looked up at his sisters laughing together. "Hey Vee, Juana," Joseph said as he leant across Clarisse a little, getting his sisters attention. "We are leaving now, Diego is gonna drop us back home."
"Aww no," both Vee and Juana both exclaimed in unison as Joseph stepped to the side, to let Clarisse out from the seats.
"Diego just told me, but we were having such a great time," Vee said as Clarisse got to her feet and turned back to her seat.
"I know, but it's getting late," Joseph said and slipped his hand noticeably around Clarisse's back and onto her hip as she rested a knee on her seat and leant forward in front of him to grab her handbag from the next seat along. A move that not only made his pulse race that little bit more, but his manhood to twitch too. "We will definitely arrange another night here with you all before we go home."
"You better," Juana said as she shuffled along the seat opposite them and got to her feet as Clarisse stood back up straight and grabbed her blazer from the back of her chair.
"We will," Joseph chuckled and looked to Clarisse as she draped her blazer over her arm. His hand smoothing from her hip to her back. "Won't we?"
"Oh most definitely," Clarisse nodded and stepped closer to Juana, wrapping her free arm up around her shoulder as they kissed each others cheeks and embraced each other in a hug. "Thank you for a lovely night. I have had a great time and can't wait to do it again."
"I'm glad to hear that because we have to," Juana smiled and stepped back as Vee got to her feet and embraced Clarisse in a hug, too. "Thanks for coming."
"We will see you on Sunday," Clarisse smiled as she and Vee pulled apart, and she put both her hands up to briefly cup Clarisse's face in them.
"You will, of course," Vee smiled and stepped back while lowering her hands as Joseph kissed Juana's cheek.
"Bye," Juana smiled and waved to Clarisse as Joseph stepped closer to Vee, giving her a quick kiss on her cheek, too.
"Can you let Isabella know we said goodbye?" Joseph said as he pulled back and looked at his sister.
"Of course, yes," Vee smiled and waved to Clarisse.
"Thanks, we will see you later," Joseph said and while one hand went to rest against Clarisse's back, he put his other hand up to them as they began making their way back inside. To get to the exit.
"Did you see the look on Joseph's face?" Juana giggled as they both sat back down at their table. "They couldn't leave quick enough, could they?"
"Uh huh," Vee smirked and took a sip of her drink before setting her glass back down on the table. "We all know what they'll be doing when they get back."
"Well it's a good job that Diego is a fast driver then isn't it? Because the quicker he gets them back home, the better," Juana said, and they both laughed.