A/N: Hi everyone, thank you to you all for reading and, as always, to bee-327 and Chelsietx for taking time to leave reviews on the last chapter. I appreciate you both so much. But where are the rest of you lovely people?
Now, I'm sorry it's taken a long time to get an update posted. I, to be honest, wasn't even sure I was going to return because I have struggled and felt a bit discouraged lately. I still do, actually. But here we are, here's the next chapter for you all and I would really love it if you could let me know your thoughts, what you liked etc. it is, and always will be, much appreciated. And god knows I need the motivation. The enthusiasm to keep going. So please do let me know :) Thank you.
"Clarisse, my love," Joseph called out as he looked down at his phone in his hands while standing beside the table near the balcony doors in the bedroom. "Are you nearly ready?"
"Yes I am," Clarisse replied from where she stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and raised her hands up either side of her head. Brushing her fingers through her hair. "Why?"
"Because Juana just messaged me, she and Pedro will be here in about ten minutes to pick us up on the way to meet Vee and Diego at the marina," Joseph replied as he set his phone down on the table and turned to close and lock the balcony doors.
"Ahh okay," Clarisse said as she turned her head from side to side, checking to make sure that her hair looked okay in the mirror before she averted her gaze down to her neck. To the now fading love bite that her husband had given her just a couple of nights ago during one of their many escapades of making love. To the beautiful reminder of the desire and romantic bond they so clearly have for one another and her tummy fluttered at the thought. At the memory of how wonderfully good and intense it felt as he nipped and sucked on her neck as they made love. A feeling so beautiful. So delicious. All feelings she was beginning to love quite quickly. Feelings caused by the only man she has ever loved.
Satisfied with her hair, she turned and made her way out into the bedroom with a cheeky smirk on her face. "It's a good job that I only need to put on my shoes and blouse then, isn't it?" She said, closing the bathroom door behind herself.
Buttoning his shirt, Joseph turned to look over at her dressed, currently, in a pair of white trousers and satin v neck camisole and watched as she walked over to the bed. "No makeup?" He asked and looked down at his shirt.
His heart skipped a beat, and his tummy fluttered over that fact. That she wasn't wearing any makeup. Because after years of having to wear makeup day in and day out, it was a rare sight for her to go without having any on. But he absolutely loved it when she wasn't wearing any. And had told her so on more than one occasion. Told her just how gorgeous she looked without it. And he would swear that ever since that first time he had told her, long before they had got together a little over four years ago and while Rupert was still alive, that she went without wearing any a bit more than she used too before telling her. More so on days that she wasn't relatively busy and wasn't attending any meetings. But he loved those days.
"No, I didn't see any point putting any on yet if we are going snorkelling," she smiled as she lifted her pink floral print sleeveless blouse from where she had laid it over the bed before getting in the shower and slipped it on over her satin camisole. "But I am taking it with me, in case I want to put some on afterwards."
Smiling, he nodded and made his way slowly over to stand in front of her next to the bed. "You're still going snorkelling then?"
"Yes of course I am," Clarisse smiled up at him and started to button up her blouse as she studied her husbands face. "Why wouldn't I go snorkelling?"
"Well, I just thought with that still obvious on your neck," he said, raising one hand up he gestured to her neck before lowering his hand back down to his side, "that you might have changed your mind."
"No chance," she laughed and took a step closer to him, her gaze on his, as she placed a hand on his chest. "I missed out last time, so there's no chance I'm going to miss out again just because of a love bite," she smiled and reached up to place a quick kiss, or two, to his lips before briefly smiling against his lips and turning back to the bed. "Besides, it's not as dark as it was."
"Well I never thought I'd see the day," he smirked happily and slipped his hands in his shorts pockets as she sat down on the edge of the bed and laughed while bending forward, to grab one of her mid-high wedge heeled slingback espadrille shoes from where she had set them down beside the bedside table earlier on that morning.
"Tell me honestly, okay," she said, slipping on her shoe and moving the slingback into place before grabbing the other shoe and sitting up to look at him. "Are you going to hide yours?"
"No, I'm going to show it off proudly," he said with a shake of his head as he moved to stand facing her still sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Then why should I hide mine?" She asked with a small shrug and bent forward once again to put on her other shoe as Joseph laughed with a shake of his head. "Anyway," she said a moment later and placed her hands down to rest briefly on the tops of her legs while sitting back up. "I'm ready."
"Okay, have you put everything you need in the bag with my towel, swimshorts, and the suncream?" Joseph asked and watched her grab her sunhat from her pillow beside her and popped it on top of her head before looking back up at him.
"Yes, I have," Clarisse smiled while standing to her feet and raising her arms up, she snaked them around his neck as she stepped slowly closer to him. So their bodies were pressed against each other and grasped the back of his head with one of her hands as Joseph's hands went to rest on her hips. "Swimming costume - check. Kimono - check. Towel - check. Sunglasses - check. Sunhat - check." She smiled and averted her gaze upwards to the brim of her hat before looking back at her husband as he laughed and wrapped his arms now around her waist. "What about your camera?"
"Check. I put it in the bag while you were taking a shower," Joseph smiled and kissed her a couple of times before letting his lips linger against hers.
"Good," she smiled against his lips before kissing him and pulling her head back just enough to look up into his eyes. The tips or her fingers brushing through the hair on the back of his head. Causing him to shiver at the tickling sensation it caused. "We are good to go then," she laughed.
"Yes, we are," he smiled and gave her another quick kiss before they stepped apart and turned to the bed. "Where's your makeup? Did you say you were taking it with us?"
"I did, yes, and it's in my handbag," Clarisse smiled as she picked up her handbag from the bed and put her arm through the strap to loop it over her shoulder before turning to her husband.
"Okay," he smiled, and they both moved around to the bench at the foot of the bed, where the beach bag with all their stuff in was sat. "Can I just say, you look incredible this morning, as you always do, of course," he smiled and turned back to her, "but you look even more so today without any makeup."
"Aww thank you, my love," Clarisse smiled as she stepped closer to him and put a hand up onto the side of his neck. Her thumb resting against his jaw. "I remember you love when I don't wear makeup."
"I do," he smiled and leant closer to her as she glanced down to his lips. "It really sets my heart racing, seeing you without makeup," he whispered and placed his free hand on her side as he kissed her deeply on the lips. "Always has done."
"Mmm, I remember," Clarisse smiled and studied his face as he pulled back to gaze into her eyes. "You don't look too bad yourself either, especially since you're wearing these shorts. A rare, but oh so very sexy sight. One of many that sets my heart racing."
"Why thank you," he laughed and leant in closer to kiss her once again while smoothing his hand from her side to her back. To hold her body to his.
"You're welcome," she whispered and pulled back a little while smoothing her hand from the side of his neck down to rest on his chest as they gazed briefly into each others eyes. "Now," her voice barely a whisper as he moved his head closer and began kissing along her jaw and into the crook of her neck, "ah ha my love," she laughed and turned her head to the side, "before this leads to where I think it's going to end up leading too, we should go and wait for Juana and Pedro downstairs."
"Yes, I do too," Joseph murmured against her neck and lifted his head as she turned her head to look back up at him. Nodding, he cleared his throat and took a step back before turning his head to the side, to the bag on the bench beside them and picked it up by the straps before looking back to Clarisse, who was now stood smirking in front of him with her hands clasped together in front of her. "I can't help it," he shrugged, and she laughed. "You know that I can't keep my hands to myself, not when you're so damn irresistible to me."
"I know, like you are to me," Clarisse smiled and bit her bottom lip. The thought of him not keeping his hands to himself made her tummy somersault. Oh, how she wished they didn't have to be somewhere. How they could stay right there in that bedroom.
"We should go down, they will be here soon," he said with a nod, pulling her from her thoughts, and gestured towards the door with his free hand. For her to lead the way. "After you, my love."
"Gracias," she smiled and began to lead the way out of the bedroom. Her hips swayed as she went, knowing full well that's where his gaze would now be. On her bottom, as they made their way out of the bedroom.