Hey all, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for reading the latest chapter and to bee-327 and Chelsietx for taking time to leave wonderful reviews. I really appreciate it and can't thank you enough.
Here's the next chapter for you all. Please enjoy….
"I can't believe that you went out yesterday afternoon and got drunk," Rupert said from where he stood next to the sofa in his hotel suite.
"I was bored, Rupert, and I had a free afternoon so I got Joseph to take Alizée and I out for a few hours," Clarisse said as she folded her arms and looked over at him from where she was standing by the window.
"There was plenty to do here, we could have gone over a few things to prepare for the meeting today," Rupert said as she let out a laugh while turning her head back to look out the window.
"I wanted to spend the afternoon with my sister, Rupert, we don't get to see each other often so I wanted us to go somewhere and just have some fun together," Clarisse said, continuing to stare out the window. "You know, let our hair down."
"Well you certainly did that," Rupert exclaimed. "Going against all protocol, too, I might add!"
"Oh relax, no harm was done," Clarisse sighed and shook her head. "Joseph made sure that we were safe and that we didn't come to any harm."
"That's beside the point. You needed more protection when going to a place like that, especially coming back drunk," Rupert said as Clarisse looked back over at him.
"I wasn't drunk, Rupert, just tipsy. And Joseph's protection was enough. It always is," Clarisse said and looked back out of the window.
"You were drunk, Clarisse, and I can't even begin to imagine what the people of our country would say if this had got out? If they had seen how you were last night?" Rupert said as he watched her staring out of the window a brief moment. "What if paparazzi were about and you ended up all over the front of our paper this morning?"
"Oh, will you just relax. No one saw us. No one took photos," Clarisse snapped. "And last time I checked, I am still allowed to go out and have fun, you know, as long as I am careful, which I was. Even if you don't like going out and having fun, it doesn't mean that everyone else has to be the same."
"Was what happened between you and Joseph in the hallway all part of the fun too?" He asked as she looked back over at him.
"Oh no, that wasn't just some fun. Although being with him is always fun. What happened last night between us in the hallway was genuine," Clarisse replied and looked back out the window before continuing. "He knows how to treat a woman. How to love a woman. Make her feel loved. Wanted. Needed. Unlike some people." She sighed at the thought of potentially having all that from him and not her husband. The man she should be getting it all from.
"I have given you everything you could ever want from being married to me,"Rupert exclaimed as he looked across the room at his wife staring out of the window.
"Except you haven't," Clarisse replied and unfolded her arms while turning to him. "Have you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rupert asked while putting his hands on his hips.
"You know damn well what that means!" Clarisse snapped after years of built-up frustration and hurt over the way he had treated her finally came spilling out. "If you were to show me some love and affection, and treat me the way a husband is meant to treat his wife, after all I have done for you, then perhaps I wouldn't have to seek it from someone else."
"Have you.. slept with him?" Rupert asked at her revelation.
"No, I haven't," Clarisse replied and shook her head. She thought about telling him that they nearly slept together a couple years ago, and very nearly did last night too, had she felt braver, but knowing that he had seen them last night and how they were together, she decided not too. He had seen enough and didn't need to know that as well.
"I always suspected that you had feelings for him, that there might be something between you both, and this just proved me right," Rupert said and watched as she looked down at the floor. "Do you love him?" He asked after a moment's silence.
Looking back up at her husband, Clarisse found herself nodding. "Yes... yes, I do love him."
"And I know he loves you. That's obvious to see from how he looks at you," Rupert said and nodded while looking away. "How he is around you."
"I wanted to love you, Rupert, I really did, and I tired to, many times over the years," Clarisse said and watched as he looked back up at her before making his way over to stand in front of her, "and I suppose, in someway, I do. But merely as a friend. Father to our sons. Not as a wife should love her husband."
"I know I haven't been the best husband, but what if..."
"Rupert, no," Clarisse said, interrupting him and shaking her head. "We have been married forty-one years, and if you haven't been able to love me the way that you're meant to by now, then you're not going to suddenly start now."
"I can try," Rupert said softly.
"Just because you have seen someone else showing me affection, love, all what you should have shown me from the start?" Clarisse asked and shook her head. "It doesn't work like that, Rupert. You can't just switch on your feelings whenever you want."
"But I can change," Rupert said as he, for the first time ever, put his hand up to cup her cheek as they stared into each others eyes, "just please give me a chance."
"Rupert, I can't. It's too late," Clarisse said with a shake of her head. "I'm sorry."
"Clarisse please," Rupert exclaimed and studied her face while putting his other hand up to frame her face in both of his hands. "We can do this. We can make what time we have left together work."
"I gave up my life, my dreams, everything, for you, and you don't even love me. You never have," Clarisse exclaimed tearfully as she searched his eyes, "and I have accepted that you never will."
"I'm sorry, Clarisse," Rupert said in defeat. Watched as tears pooled in her eyes. "I really am."
"It's too little, too late," Clarisse replied and closed her eyes as he leant closer, putting one hand down onto her shoulder as he kissed her cheek. The corner of her mouth. Until finally his lips were on hers. Pulling back, she looked up into his eyes and shook her head. "Rupert, no. Not this time."
"Only that he had some idea of my feelings towards you, and that what happened between us in the hallway proved to him that his suspicions were correct," Clarisse said, remembering their conversation in his hotel suite the next day and how she had put her foot down when he expected her to sleep with him. "But he wouldn't dare say anything about the affection that we shared. It's not like he ever paid me any to begin with."
"Well it was his loss," Joseph said matter of factly. "But how anyone could not love you and treat you the way you so deserve is beyond me. You are truly the most amazing person that I have ever met, and you deserve the world."
"Thank you, my love," Clarisse replied and nodded thoughtfully a moment. "I do think that was the turning point for him in our marriage, though. He started to change towards me after that."
"I remember, didn't he buy you flowers when we got back to Genovia?" Joseph asked and watched as Clarisse nodded.
"He did, yes. But unfortunately, you can't salvage what we didn't have to begin with," Clarisse said. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about that. About him. It's in the past. It's gone."
"You're right," Joseph agreed and looked back at the book, resting open on his chest.
"I often wondered though if my sister hadn't been sharing my suite with me if we would have ended up in bed together that night," Clarisse said, thinking a moment as Joseph looked back up at her.
"Honestly?" Joseph asked and watched as she focused back on him and nodded. "I think you would have fallen asleep before we would have got that far."
"Hey, I wasn't that drunk," Clarisse gasped and playfully slapped his chest as he laughed. "I was only tipsy."
"You and Alizée were both quite a bit drunk, my love," he smiled as she laughed and shook her head before smiling back down at him. "And, honestly, I wouldn't have felt comfortable taking that step with you when you were like that. I would never have done anything to make you feel that I was taking advantage of you because you were drunk."
"Aww, such the gentleman," Clarisse smiled as she studied his face. "I would never have thought for one minute that you were taking advantage of me. Not when I knew how much you wanted us to be together. Remember, I wanted you just as much as you wanted me."
"Ain't that the truth," he laughed and studied her face as her free hand moved to rest against the top of his head resting on her leg, "and now we can have each other as much as we so please."
"Yes we can," she smiled and bit her bottom lip at the thought of them now being able to be together and make love without any restrictions before leaning forward to kiss him on the lips.
"So," Joseph smiled and looked back at the book as she sat back against the backrest, "shall I add wine tasting to the maybe list then?"
"Okay, is that in the hope that I'll get drunk again?" She smirked as he glanced up at her before looking back to the book once again.
"No, I would never," he smirked, scanning over the list as she gasped, "okay maybe a little," he said, and they both laughed.
"I knew it," she laughed, smoothing her thumb back and forth over the top of his head as they both fell into blissful silence a moment.
"What about zip lining?" Joseph smirked while turning his head to look back up at her. Wanting to see her reaction.
"Oh," she exclaimed and started laughing. The proper deep, belly laugh that he loved so very much and was oh so contiguous that he couldn't help but join in with her.
"Take that as a no then," he laughed, watching as she shook her head.
"Yes, that's definitely a no," Clarisse said, pressing a hand to her stomach as she tried to stop herself from laughing. "You are most welcome to do that, but honestly, can you see me doing it?"
"Well yes actually I can," he smiled up at her.
"Oh my love, no," Clarisse said, studying his face with a smile. "I may be a little bit brave, but I'm not that brave."
"Oh you are my love, you are braver than you think you are, but alright," Joseph smiled up at her then back at the book, continuing to look through the list. "Let's see what else there is."
"I was just thinking, I know that we are going to spend a day going to lunch and doing a bit of shopping, but is there anything in there that you might like to maybe do?" Clarisse asked after another moments silence. "Golf perhaps?"
"Yes, there is a golf range not too far from here," Joseph said, looking back up at her. "I wouldn't mind that."
"Well maybe we can do that together one day," Clarisse smiled down at him. "If you want to do that with me, that is?"
"Of course I do, I would love to play golf with you one of the days," he smiled. "I'm just surprised to hear you say that you want to do it too."
"Of course I do, I don't mind golf and it's only fair that we spend a day doing something that you want to do after agreeing to spend a day doing something that I want to do when we go for lunch and shopping," she smiled and reached her hand out for the book. Taking it from him as he watched and lifting it closer to her, to have a look through the list.
"I honestly don't mind spending the day shopping with you, but thank you for thinking of me too," Joseph smiled as he turned his head to look up at her.
"You're welcome," she smiled down at him.
"I actually enjoy taking you shopping, and this trip here will be our first as husband and wife," he smirked, "and I can't wait to spoil you."
"Uh no, you ain't buying what I want to get," Clarisse said with a frown. "I told you that last week."
"Uh yes I am, especially when it comes to your favourites. Shoes. And you can't stop me," he laughed as she shook her head.
"We'll see," she smirked and looked back up at the book to continue looking through the list while stretching her other leg out in front of her as he laughed. "Okay, what about a scenic horseback riding tour?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Yes, that sounds good," Joseph smiled as he rested his hands together on his chest and closed his eyes in the heat of the midday sun. "I can definitely look into that for us."
"Great," Clarisse smiled as she continued to study the book a moment longer before tucking her finger inside between the pages once again and closing it while lowering her hand holding the book down onto the lounger next to them. "Looking at this list makes me think of bucket lists." She said while looking down at him.
"Yes, I suppose it is a little like a bucket list," Joseph said, his eyes remaining closed. "A holiday bucket list."
"Do you have a bucket list?" Clarisse asked and watched as he now opened his eyes to look up at her. "Not a holiday bucket list, but a proper life bucket list?"
"Yes I do, marrying you was top of it," Joseph smirked. "What about you?"
Smiling, Clarisse placed her free hand back against the top of his head. "I do, well, at least I used to years ago. I kind of forgot about all the things that I wanted to do over time. Thinking that I would never get the chance to do them."
"Do you not remember what some of them were?" Joseph asked while sitting up and turning to face her, his leg bent up on the lounger in front of him.
"Oh, um…" she said, contemplating a moment while looking across at the ocean, before looking back at him. "I do remember that one of them was to fall in love," she smiled. "And I have certainly done that."
"Yes, you have," Joseph smiled while leaning to the side, so he was leaning over her a little, and slipped his arm across her legs, his hand resting down on the lounger next to her thigh. "What else?"
"Does going to a bar count?" She smiled mischievously.
"Definitely it does, yes," Joseph chuckled and briefly looked down at her hand as she lifted it from the book and placed it down on his thigh before he looked back up at her. "So does making love outside."
"Oh well that's another one ticked off my list then," Clarisse smiled, her eyes twinkling mischievously, as she sat up in front of him, so they were closer to one another, and put her hand out onto his arm across her legs. "What about some of yours?"
"Well, I have already done the top one," he smiled and studied her face a moment as she took her bottom lip between her teeth before he continued, "but I suppose I would've liked to travel the world. Yes, I already have, being your head of security and all, but I didn't get the opportunity to explore and enjoy each place that we visited. So, I would like to visit some of those countries again, see it all properly as a tourist maybe."
As Joseph spoke Clarisse sat listening intently to everything that he said, remembering how he had told her of his plans to travel once his duty at the Palace had come to an end when he gave her his retirement letter the morning of the their wedding day. They had spoke about it briefly too that same evening. And she remembered the passion she saw in his eyes when he spoke about some of the places that he wanted to visit again.
"You still can. There isn't anything stopping you," she smiled, not wanting to be the one to hold him back from his dream, "but maybe we could do it together?"
"Really? You want to go travelling with me?" Joseph asked in surprise, his thumb brushing against the side of her thigh as she smoothed her hand slowly down his arm.
"Yes of course I would love to, but not just yet. Let's find a place to call home first. Once Mia is settled, then we can look into it." Clarisse smiled contentedly as she studied her husbands face. "Because like you, I never got to explore these countries either, and there are some places that I found incredibly beautiful that I would love to revisit again one day, too."
"That's absolutely fine, I can live with that," Joseph nodded with a smile and put his free hand up onto the side of her neck, his thumb resting against her jaw. "You're amazing, you know that?"
"So you tell me," she smiled and glanced down to his lips as he leant in slowly to kiss her. Letting his lips linger briefly against hers before pulling back and looking into her gorgeous, sparkling blue eyes.
"You are, you're truly amazing, and I love you so very much," he said, kissing her a couple of times as she smoothed her hand back up his arm, around his shoulder and coming to rest on the back of his neck.
"I love you too," Clarisse whispered against his lips before closing her eyes and kissing him deeply. Eliciting a moan from her husband as she so brazenly slipped her tongue into his mouth first.
Pulling back a moment later with the most seductive smile Clarisse had ever seen, Joseph slipped his thumb from where it was resting against her jaw to under her chin and glanced down at her red, swollen lips, before looking back up into her eyes. The desire they both felt for one another burning deep inside of them. "Shall we go back inside?" He asked as a breath hitched in her throat.
"Yes, I think we definitely should," Clarisse whispered and leant closer to him, pressing her lips to his once again while snaking her other arm up around his shoulder and locking them both around his neck as he kissed her back against the backrest of the sun lounger they were on. The movement causing her swimming costume to slip down a little. Much to Joseph's delight.