Hey everyone, I had this chapter done, so I wanted to post it for you. I'm still trying to figure out where I am taking this, having two paths and all, but all being well, it will be worked out soon enough.
I also wanted to say thank you to those who read, followed, favourited and reviewed my one shot story 'I'm Here' I appreciate the support on that too, just like I do with every one of my stories. So thank you a million!
"Here you are," Joseph smiled from the jacuzzi later that night. "I was just about to come look for you, are you okay?" He asked, watching Clarisse walk across the back patio in her knee-length silk robe towards him, relaxing in the jacuzzi.
"Yes, of course," she smiled and nodded. "I was getting changed."
"Okay, well as you can hear we have a little music, not to loud of course, and champagne," he said, gesturing to the bottle and the two glasses sitting on the decking surrounding the top of the jacuzzi. "With strawberries too," he smiled.
"Oo lovely," Clarisse smiled as she glanced from him up to the lights hanging from around the top of the stone gazebo columns surrounding the jacuzzi. "It's so beautiful out here how they've set it all out. It's very romantic." She smiled and looked back at him, smiling up at her.
"Mhmm it is," Joseph smiled and watched as she slowly stepped up the two steps to the jacuzzi and moved to the side closest to her. "I knew you would like it."
"I do," Clarisse nodded as she crouched down as low as she could, put her hand down on the decking next to her and manoeuvred herself into a sitting position on the edge of the jacuzzi while lowering her legs and dipping her feet into the water.
"I have even thought about adding one to our 'to get' list when we get our own home," Joseph said, watching her toying with the ends of the sash of her robe. "What's the matter?" He asked as he sat up now.
Looking back to him, Clarisse shook her head. "Nothing," she said and watched as he rose up from the seat and moved closer to stand in front of her.
Putting a hand out onto the top of her arm, he smoothed his thumb back and forth on the front of her shoulder while gazing into her eyes. The reflection from the lights hanging around the top of the columns above them shining bright in her eyes. "You're wearing the bikini, aren't you?" He asked and watched as she looked down between them.
"I might be, yes," she said and slowly looked back up at him. The corner of his mouth turning up into a lopsided smile.
"I'm so proud of you," he smiled, reaching his free hand out between them and placing the tips of his fingers on the knot of the sash holding her robe together. "May I?" He asked, but sensing her hesitation, he removed his hand and raised it up to lovingly cup her cheek instead.
"I don't know if I can," Clarisse said with a shake of her head.
"I know you are struggling with the idea of wearing it, but you have already come this far and no ones going to see you, only me," he said, caressing her cheek with his thumb.
"I know, but this is different, I'm wearing something that I haven't worn since I was in my twenties and thirties. And I look a lot different compared to then," Clarisse said and shook her head a little. "I'm a lot older now, too. I probably shouldn't even be wearing one in the first place."
"Oh tush, you still look as beautiful as ever to me and I already know that you're going to look sexy in it," he whispered as their gaze met and she half smiled up at him. "You're sexy in anything you wear."
Laughing, Clarisse shook her head and looked down between them once again as a blush crept fast over her features. "I knew you were going to say that."
"Of course I'm going to say that," he smiled and watched as she looked back up at him, "because it's the truth," he said and put his hands up onto the sides of her neck, his thumbs resting against her jaw. "Listen, if you're not ready to take off your robe, then that's okay. You don't need to do anything you don't want to do."
"Thank you," Clarisse said softly and closed her eyes as he leant closer and kissed her. Slowly. Passionately. Before pulling back a moment later and looking into her eyes.
"You don't need to thank me," he smiled and carefully moved to sit on the edge of the jacuzzi next to her.
"What are you doing?" Clarisse asked in surprise, watching him settle beside her.
"Sitting with you, of course," he smiled and put his arm around her back, his hand slipping onto her side as he kissed her shoulder.
"You don't have to. You can get back in and enjoy the jacuzzi," she smiled, putting her hand down on his thigh as she tucked one foot behind her ankle.
"I know, but I want to sit here with you," he smiled and studied her face a moment. "Is there anything that you specifically want to do while we are here?" He asked.
"Well I don't know what there is here, having never been before," she laughed and watched as he nodded while looking down.
"You got me there," he smiled back up at her as she lifted her hand from his thigh and bent her arm up, cupping his face.
"I am rather looking forward to enjoying some sun, sea and... sex, of course, like I told you last night," Clarisse smiled playfully as their gaze locked.
"Oh, well it is our honeymoon and that's what we are here for," he said, smoothing his hand back and forth slowly across the bottom of her back as she put her hand back down on his thigh and laughed beside him. "And for relaxation, too, of course."
"Oh, of course," she laughed and leant in to kiss him a couple of times. "I'm really looking forward to relaxing in the sun with you tomorrow, and any other chance we get."
"Me too," he smiled and kissed her shoulder once again as she turned her head, to look out at the dark sky blanketing the ocean a long moment. "Can I ask you something?" He asked.
"Of course," she smiled as she turned her head back to look at him, "you can ask me anything, you don't need to ask."
"Earlier, when we were talking in the kitchen, you kept looking down at your wedding ring," he said and watched as she raised her hand from his thigh, to look at her ring, "and I just wondered why?"
"Oh, I don't really know why," Clarisse said as she watched her husband take hold of her hand and lifted it to his mouth, to kiss the back of it before lowering their hands down to rest together in his lap. "I think maybe I took comfort in it, considering the conversation that we were having at the time. I took comfort that you are my husband now and that you would never stray or cheat on me. Even though I thought you had when you said Gisele's name."
"I know, but you should know that I would never do that to you," he said, absentmindedly brushing his thumb back and forth over the top of her ring. "I love you," he said softly, his gaze catching hers, "and only you."
"I love you too," she replied with a smile and looked over at the bottle of champagne and the two glasses set on the opposite side to them. "How about we have a drink?" She asked and looked back at him as he turned his head to look across at the bottle.
"Sure," he smiled and let go of her hand while getting to his feet, "I'll be right back."
Watching him move carefully across the jacuzzi and busying himself with pouring them both a glass of champagne each, Clarisse took a deep breath behind him and looked down a moment. Her stomach was in knots as she slowly removed her robe and tossing it to one side, as she looked back at her husband and took her bottom lip between her teeth in anticipation. She knew that he would love seeing her in what she was wearing, and she should feel happy that he loved her just the way she was, but it didn't help with her nerves. Her insecurities. Especially since all this was still new to her. All the attention he was giving her now that they were married.
"You know what I was thinking, reflecting on those memories earlier made me realise something," he said, putting the bottle back in the ice bucket and picking up the two glasses before turning to her still sitting on the edge of the jacuzzi with her hands resting down either side of her knees. "Wow!" He exclaimed at the sight of her wearing the square neckline bikini top and high-waisted briefs that her granddaughter had got for her. "You look so very gorgeous," he grinned mischievously.
"Are you sure?" Clarisse questioned as he stepped closer and handed her her glass of champagne. "It's not too much, or rather, too little. Is it?"
"Hell no, it's just right, and I am one million per cent sure that you look so very gorgeous," Joseph smiled as she laughed a moment before taking a sip of her champagne. "You are the most gorgeous woman in the world, and I am so glad that you decided to wear it tonight."
"Thank you," Clarisse blushed as she lowered her glass down and rested it on the top of her thigh.
"You are most welcome," he smiled and took a sip of his champagne before sitting back in the seat he was sat in a short while ago and reached his hand across the water for her hand. "Now come here, you."
Biting her lip, Clarisse took his hand in hers and carefully stepped down into the water. "What were you saying just now? What was it you realised?" She asked and watched as he set his glass back down next to the ice bucket before turning his attention back to her.
"I realised that," he began while reaching his hands out onto her hips and gently guided her to straddle his lap in the water, placing a knee on the seat either side of his thighs before slowly lowering herself down to sit comfortably in his lap as she laughed, "I miss your long hair."
"You do?" Clarisse asked in surprise as she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and placed her hand on the back of his neck.
"I do, I loved letting it down that day when we nearly gave into temptation on your desk," he said, snaking his arms around her waist, holding her body to his.
"I thought you did," Clarisse smiled and turned her head to the side, to take a sip of her champagne, as Joseph moved his head closer to kiss her neck, her jaw and finally a lingering kiss to her lips as she turned her head back to him. "I'm sorry that I got it cut not long after that." She said, pulling back just a little to look into his eyes.
"I am too, I would have loved the chance to run my fingers through it," Joseph said, watching her take another drink of her champagne before setting her glass down next to his and looking back at him while snaking her arm around his other shoulder. Her hand grasping the back of his head.
"Maybe I should grow it again," she said, studying his face with a flirty smile, "not as long as it was before, but maybe just a little longer. Just enough for you to run your hands through it properly."
"As we make love?" Joseph smiled, smoothing his hands slowly up her back to rest on the back of her shoulders as she arched her back and moved her face closer to his.
"Mm yes, I would love for you to run your hands through my hair as we make love," she said softly against his lips before kissing him. Slowly at first. Followed by several quick kisses as he smoothed his hands back down her back. Pulling back a moment later, she smiled and looked into his eyes. "I had a realisation too while I was getting changed."
"And what was that?" Joseph asked, smiling.
"That going from at least two of the people from your past, and no I don't want to know about anymore, but from just those two I realised that I am in the wrong age group for you," she said and watched as he raised his eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" He asked, studying her face as she smirked and sat up a bit more on his lap, her hands going to rest on his shoulders as his hands smoothed from her back to her sides.
"Well Esmée and Gisele are both around twenty years younger than you," she smiled, "and I'm a year and a bit older than you. So I'm in the wrong age group to what you normally go for."
"Oh, I understand," Joseph nodded with a laugh as she lowered her hands down from his shoulders onto his arms.
"So, again, like I said, the day after we married, you could have had any woman you wanted. You could have had a nice young bride a long time ago. You could have had a family of your own. But you didn't," Clarisse said as she looked into his eyes. "You chose me, someone who couldn't give you all that. Couldn't give you a family. A child of your own."
Thinking about his answer carefully a moment as he moved his hands to rest on her thighs. "They may be younger than me, but I didn't want all that. I wanted you, I always have."
"I know, but in wanting that, in wanting me, it stopped you from having a family of your own," Clarisse said somewhat sadly over the fact that he never had the chance to become a father because of his deep love for her.
"And I was okay with that, honestly," he said and nodded. "I had one of the best jobs in the world, getting to be head of security for the Genovian Royal family and personal bodyguard to the Queen herself, so even if I wasn't madly in love with you it would have been a challenge having a family. The number of hours I worked every week. It wouldn't have been fair if I'd had a family as I would never have seen them."
"Didn't you long for a family, though? I saw you with the boys when they were young, how you always made time for them, cared, and took them under your wing," Clarisse said, studying her husband. "You would have made an amazing father."
"I did for a while, yes, but as time went on, I realised that it wasn't for me. Then over time, my sister's had their children, and I got to spoil them whenever I came back here to visit," Joseph said and smiled. "Now though, now I have you, my gorgeous wife, at long last, and I have two wonderful stepsons in Pierre, and not forgetting Philippe, and an amazing step granddaughter in Mia too. You're all I need, and I'm happy with that."
"Okay," Clarisse nodded, but she still wasn't so sure she believed him as she contemplated what he said and studied his face. "I love you. So so much."
"I love you too," he smiled and leant forward, kissing her a couple of times as she snaked her arms back around his shoulders. One hand resting back on the back of his neck, her other hand going to the back of his head once again. "Always have, and I always will."
"Always forever," she smiled, the tips of her fingers brushing through the hair on the back of his head a moment before smoothing her hand to rest against the side of his neck. Her thumb resting against his jaw.
"Always forever," he said, flashing her his gorgeous smile before leaning in to kiss her. Passionately. Their tongues dancing together a moment as his hands smoothed up from her thighs and around to cup her bottom. Eliciting a moan from deep within her as he held her close to him. "Besides," he whispered against her lips a moment later before pulling back just enough to look into her eyes. "I actually prefer a more mature woman. A woman a bit closer to my age. A woman with a bit more experience."
"Ahh I see," Clarisse laughed, "well unfortunately, I'm lacking in that department when it comes to more experience I'm afraid."
"Nonsense, you are doing just amazing. You certainly know how to satisfy me, just as much as I know how to satisfy you," Joseph said with a mischievous smirk and leant closer to kiss her deeply on the lips before trailing kisses down into the crook of her neck, his hands squeezing her bottom as he did.
"Joseph," Clarisse laughed upon feeling his arousal pressing hard against her center and pulled back a little as he lifted his head to look back up into her eyes, "we are not doing it in here," she exclaimed and he laughed before pressing his lips to hers once again.