Hi everyone, I just wanted to say a quick thank you to you all for reading the latest chapter and a special thanks to vfifvfr, bee-327, Chelsietx, ClarisseMarie and hpfan144 for taking that extra time to leave lovely reviews for me. I'm loving the support from you all and appreciate it as always, so thank you to you all so much.
Here's the next chapter for you…
Taking a deep breath, her heart hammering in her chest, Clarisse lowered her arm from around Isabella's shoulders and made her way over to her husband and Gisele. Though she wasn't really sure what she was going to say when she reached them. She just knew that she needed to go and be there with him. "Hi, hello," she said and clasped her hands together in front of her as they both turned their heads to look at her.
"Hello you," Joseph said, flashing her his gorgeous smile, as he turned fully to her and reached his hand out onto her side. "This is-,"
"Gisele, I know," Clarisse nodded, her attention remaining on the younger woman, and extended her hand out to her. "Hello, I'm Clarisse. It's nice to be able to put a face to a name at last."
"Hello, yes it is," Gisele said and took hold of her hand, shaking it briefly with a smile. "It's so nice to meet the woman who captured Joseph's heart," she smiled while averting her gaze to Joseph standing to Clarisse's side.
"Yes," Clarisse smiled as she turned her head to look at her husband and bent her arm up in front of him, to cup his face in her hand. "I certainly did that."
"You are lucky, Your Majesty," Gisele said and watched as Clarisse turned her head back to look at her while lowering her hand from her husband's face. "Joseph's a great man. Any woman would love the chance to be with him, if you get what I mean?" She smirked.
"Oh I know exactly what you mean," Clarisse said, smiling coyly, "and that's why I feel so, so incredibly blessed that he's now my husband and that I get to have him to myself."
"Yes, of course," Gisele smiled and averted her gaze briefly to Joseph once again, "if only I had been brave enough to settle down myself, I would have snapped him right up long ago," she smirked and looked back to Clarisse.
"Gisele," Diego said as he suddenly appeared from nowhere and watched as everyone looked up at him. "Back to work, please."
"Of course," Gisele nodded and looked back to them both. "Well it was lovely to meet you, Clarissa, and to see you again, of course, Joseph," she smiled at him before looking at Clarisse. "Catch you both later."
"Actually it's Clarisse, not Clarissa." Clarisse said before watching her turn to walk away.
Turning his head to his brother-in-law and Clarisse, Diego watched as she turned slowly to face her husband. "Are you okay?" He asked.
"Yes, Diego, thank you," Clarisse said as she turned her head to look at him. "But how did you know that we were here?"
"Well Isabella came back to the table and Vee asked her if she had seen you both, and she said that she had left you here with Gisele," Diego said and watched as Clarisse took a deep breath, "so Vee sent me to come and check that all was okay."
"Thank you," Clarisse nodded, "but can you leave us, please?"
"Of course," Diego nodded, "by the way, there's two drinks with your names on waiting for you at the table."
"Thank you, Diego," Joseph nodded as Clarisse turned to him and folded her arms.
"Go to my office if you need to talk privately, you know the code," Diego offered before walking away.
"Do you want to go to the office?" Joseph asked as he looked back to his wife and watched as she nodded. "Okay, come on," he said and grabbed her blazer and handbag from the table next to them before leading her towards the back of the bar and through a hidden doorway.
Once they were in the office and the door was closed behind them, Joseph put her blazer and handbag down on one of the chairs at Diego's desk before turning to Clarisse, who remained standing by the door with her arms folded. "At least it's quieter in here," he said and slipped his hands in his pants pockets.
"I think it was a bad idea coming here tonight," Clarisse said and slowly shook her head. "I thought that I would be okay, and I should be, of course, but seeing her in person, knowing what happened between you, I realise I'm not."
"Oh Clarisse, my love, I'm so sorry," he said and walked over to stand in front of her as she looked down between them. "We can go back home if you want to leave?"
"Why didn't you tell me that she was as beautiful as she is?" Clarisse asked, her voice shaking as she looked back up at her husband. "Her hair, it's blonde and beautiful and long, and she's got it just like how I had mine when we first met all those years ago. In a side plait. Do you remember? It's a style you repeatedly told me that you loved," she said, studying his face. "Did you tell her that, too?"
"No, Clarisse, I didn't tell her anything. How she has her hair tonight is just a coincidence," Joseph said as he shook his head. "Yes, it's true that I do love that style, but only on you, I mean come on that's the first image I have of you standing there in your office with your hair styled in a side plait, of course I'm going to love that for the rest of my life, and yes I told you the other night that I missed your long hair, which I do immensely, I also love how you have your hair now too."
"And she's younger too… just like Esmée." Clarisse said somberly. Her heart was still aching over the fact that he and her sister had slept together. Something she had managed to banish to the back of her mind, that is, until she received the letter from her the day before they left for honeymoon.
"They are, yes, but just because they are younger than me doesn't change anything, Clarisse. It doesn't change how I feel about you, and it never will," Joseph said softly and stepped even closer to her as she turned her head away. Her eyes pooling with tears. "Oh my love," he whispered softly while putting his hands up to cup her chin in them and gently turned her face back to his, to look into her eyes. "At the end of the day, I will always choose you. You are the one I love and want to be with, not them."
"But,"
"No," Joseph said, interrupting her, and shook his head. His gaze never once leaving hers. "I don't know what it was that attracted me to you as much as it did all those years ago, knowing you were spoken for, but my god you were the most sexiest, the most gorgeous woman that I had ever seen, you still are. And you know what? You always will be! And so what if I slept with them? They were just stupid one night stands and flings. They were mistakes. But this, what we have between us, is the real thing. You are my life. You are a million times better, and they will never ever compare to you. Please remember that."
Contemplating a moment, Clarisse stared up into her husband's eyes. "You..." she hesitated and closed her eyes with a small shake of her head.
"What is it?" Joseph asked softly as he studied her face and lowered his hands onto her shoulders. "Clarisse?"
Opening her eyes, she looked back up at him and searched his eyes a moment. "You won't ever cheat on me, will you?"
"Are you kidding?" Joseph exclaimed and watched a couple tears escape her eyes and roll down over her cheeks as she looked down between them. "Did Rupert ever cheat on you?"
"I don't know," Clarisse shrugged and briefly closed her eyes once again before looking back up at him. "I would like to think that he didn't, but sometimes in the early years of our marriage he would go a very long time between his nightly visits, and I always wondered if that was why. Because he was getting his kicks from somewhere else. Not that it bothered me that way, of course. But the thought was always there, especially since I was trying so, so hard to make our marriage work in those days. Before I gave up and just accepted things how they were."
"Well you won't ever have to wonder that with me because no matter what happens, there is no way I would ever do that to you," Joseph said.
"I know, I'm sorry," Clarisse said and took her bottom lip between her teeth as he smoothed his hands back up to cup her jaw in them and brushed away her tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. "I guess I just worried with the way Gisele was just now, and the fact that I nearly cheated on Rupert with you. I'm just worried that you might be tempted to do the same to me."
"No way, never," Joseph said with a shake of his head and looked into her eyes. "I would cheat with you, not on you. There's a difference."
"Okay," Clarisse nodded and studied his face as he lowered his hands down, placing them lovingly onto her sides.
"I know that you are feeling really insecure tonight, but you have no need to be, okay," he whispered softly and gazed into her eyes. "I love you so, so much, Clarisse. After all this time, I still love you. It's always been you. It was you yesterday. It was you today. It will be you tomorrow, too. And for the rest of my life, it will always be you."
"The same to you, too. Always forever," she whispered and closed her eyes as he leant in closer, to kiss her slowly a moment.
"You're the one who makes my heart race," he whispered between kisses before wrapping his arms around her and lifting her, to carry her backwards the few feet to trap her body between his and the door as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Mmm," she moaned into his mouth at the feel of his firm body pressing her deliciously against the door as his hands moved now to grip her sides. Trying his hardest to hold her body even closer to his. "You make my heart race too."
"I want you so much, Clarisse, but I know that this isn't the ideal place to make love, and because of that, I will wait until we are home. So we can take our time," Joseph said, trailing kisses down her jaw and into the crook of her neck. "But I can do other things. If you would allow?"
"What do you mean?" Clarisse asked in a haze and bit her bottom lip as she looked down at him trailing kisses down over her chest and along the v shape neckline of her dress when she suddenly realised what exactly it was he was referring to. "No, the answer to that is no," she laughed, her arms falling down around his arms, and watched as he looked back up at her.
"It'll just be a little taster of what's to come later," he smirked cheekily and went to kiss her neck once again but stopped when she put a hand on his chest to stop him.
"I don't care," Clarisse laughed and shook her head while putting her hands up onto the sides of his neck. "Yes it's true I'm trying to be a bit more adventurous and spontaneous, and yes it's true that I want to experience and explore all these things with you, most of them being the first time for me, but I really don't want here, in Diego's office, to be the place that you do that to me for the first time. So, I'm afraid it'll just have to wait until we go home later."
"Okay," he smiled and leant in to kiss her once again as she snaked her arms back around his neck. "I take it we are staying then?" He whispered against her lips before pulling back just a little.
Gazing up into her husband's eyes, Clarisse moved one hand to grasp the back of his head as she contemplated her answer a moment. "For the time being, yes."
"Alright," he nodded as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Holding her as close to him as he possibly could. "Do you still need me to go to the pharmacy?"
"Oh, yes, please," she nodded and reached up to kiss him before moving a hand from his back to cup his face and brushed her thumb over his lips. "Does my makeup look okay? Oh god, no, it wouldn't would it? I've been crying," she said and walked over to the chair where Joseph had set her handbag and blazer down earlier and grabbed her makeup bag from inside her handbag.
"I was going to say that you look absolutely fine," Joseph said as she checked herself in her pocket mirror before looking over at him.
"I don't, I need to redo my makeup," Clarisse said as she turned to sit down in the chair and started unloading her makeup bag onto the desk.
"Well you look incredible to me," he said sincerely while walking over to her and leant forward, putting one hand on the armrest of her chair and his other hand down on the back of it behind her. "And you always do."
"Even when I have been crying and my makeup has run all down my face?"Clarisse asked as she turned slightly in her chair and tipped her head back to look up at him, leaning over her.
Leaning down, Joseph pressed his lips to hers for the briefest of moments. The both of them closing their eyes as she put a hand up to gently grip hold of his jaw. "Yes, even then," he whispered softly against her lips and kissed her a couple of times before pulling his head back just slightly to look, once again, into her gorgeous sparkling blue eyes.
"Thank you, my love," Clarisse whispered as she brushed her thumb back and forth over his chin a couple of times before lowering her hand into her lap. "I won't be long."
"Take your time," Joseph smiled and walked across the office to sit on the sofa as Clarisse watched him. Her bottom lip between her teeth. "There's no rush."
Smiling, she looked down at the mirror in her hand and began to sort out her makeup as Joseph sat watching her, completely mesmerised, with one arm resting on the armrest of the sofa and his other down at his side, his hand resting on the top of his thigh.
Making their way out a short time later to join the others out by the beach, Joseph held onto Clarisse's hand tightly, keeping her close as they weaved in and out through the crowds of the bar and outside. Where it was a little quieter.
"There they are," Vee smiled and got to her feet when she spotted them heading towards their table. "Is everything okay?" She asked.
"Yes, of course," Joseph smiled, giving Clarisse's hand a small squeeze as they both stood in front of her. "Everything is good now."
"Oh that's good news," Vee exclaimed happily while picking up their drinks from the table and turning to Clarisse. "Here you go, this is for you," she smiled, passing her her drink. "One glass of wine."
"Oh lovely, thank you," Clarisse smiled as she let go of Joseph's hand and took the drink from her.
"You're welcome," Vee smiled and handed Joseph his drink. "And this is for you, one scotch."
"Thank you," Joseph smiled and took a sip of his drink before turning to Clarisse and reaching his free hand out onto her side while leaning closer to her and staying there a moment. "I'm just going to go and have a quick word with Diego."
"Okay," Clarisse smiled and briefly closed her eyes as he kissed her cheek before pulling back.
"Okay, I'll be back," he smiled and set his drink down on the table before walking away.
"Would you like to sit down?" Vee asked and gestured to the u-shaped outdoor sofa as Clarisse turned to her.
"Yes, thank you," Clarisse smiled, placing her glass down on the table and moving to sit down in the seat that Vee had been sitting in before shuffling along the seat, for her to join her. "This place is great," she said, setting her handbag and blazer down in the empty space beside her before looking back up as Vee sat down next to her.
"It is, thankfully though it isn't that busy tonight, and we have room to move," Vee smiled and turned her head to look at Clarisse as she reached across the table for her drink.
"You mean it gets busier than it is now?" Clarisse asked in surprise and took a sip of her wine.
"Yes, a lot busier," Vee nodded as she folded her arms together on the table in front of her.
"Wow," Clarisse said and set her glass back down before glancing around her surroundings. "I love that you have seating right next to the beach."
"I do too," Vee smiled as Clarisse looked back at her. "I love the beach and the sound of the ocean."
"Me too, it's very calming," Clarisse smiled as Joseph appeared back at the table and put his hands on his hips as both women looked up at him and laughed. "What's wrong?" She smiled while leaning forward slightly and folded her arms together on the table in front of her.
"This?" He said, lifting one hand and waving it about a moment, gesturing between her and his sister, while walking around to the side of the seat, to stand behind where Clarisse was sitting.
Smiling, Clarisse stood and turned around to face her husband. "What about this?" She asked while leaning forward, putting a hand on the back of her seat to steady herself before kneeling on the cushion and moving closer to him standing behind her chair as he held out his hands, slipping them onto the sides of her neck as she edged closer to him while taking her bottom lip between her teeth.
"Well I was surprised," he said, a mischievous smirk on his lips, as she slipped her hands into the opening of his jacket and onto his sides. "I didn't think you liked to slide?"
"I don't usually, but I made an exception this time," Clarisse laughed and looked up at him. "Did you talk with Diego?"
"I did, and he's going to keep an eye out while I pop to the pharmacy," Joseph said and lowered his head to kiss her. "Will you be okay while I'm gone?"
"Of course," Clarisse smiled up at him, then turned her head to the side, to look at Vee sitting beside her before looking back up at her husband. "I got Vee here to keep me company."
"Okay," he said, kissing her a couple of times, "I promise that I won't be long."
"Alright, I better let you go then, or you'll never get there," she smiled and he kissed her one more quick time before she moved back, to stand back between the table and her seat, as he moved back around to the table, to have a quick drink of his scotch.
"Everything okay?" Vee asked and sat back against the backrest of her seat as Clarisse turned and smoothed her hands down the back of the skirt of her dress to sit back at the table properly before picking up her drink.
"Yes, I'm just popping to the pharmacy," Joseph nodded before smiling across at Clarisse sat with a flirty smile on her lips. "Where's Isabella, Juana, and Pedro anyway?" He asked and took a sip of his drink.
"Oh, Isabella is at the bar chatting with Sara about something, and Juana and Pedro bumped into his brother so they are just having a catch up with him then they will join us," Vee smiled.
"Ahh, I see," Joseph smiled and took another sip of his drink before setting his glass back down on the table. "Right, I will be back."
"Where you going tío José?" Isabella asked as she returned to the table.
"Oh, I'm just popping to the pharmacy up the road," Joseph said while patting his jacket to make sure his wallet was there.
"Oh, can I come with you?" Isabella asked and watched as he looked back up at her and raised his eyebrow. "What?" She laughed. "There's something I would like to talk to you about, and I figured that'll be quieter than trying to do it here."
"That is true," Joseph nodded. "Alright, come on then. Let's go."
"Keep an eye on my drink and purse madre, I'm just going with tío José," Isabella said as she set her glass and purse down on the table.
"Of course," Vee smiled and took a sip of her drink as Clarisse and Isabella glanced at one another.
"See you soon," Clarisse said, giving her a small smile before taking a sip of her drink as Joseph and Isabella turned to make their way back inside.