Hey all, thank you so so much for reading the latest chapter and to, as always, bee-327 and Chelsietx for taking the time to leave a review. I appreciate it.
Now, a while back, hpfan144 left 2 requests for me, I have no idea if you are still reading this story, but I have managed to write one of those requests for you in this chapter. I am still working on the other one that will hopefully, all being well, will be included in a future chapter. I hope it was what you were looking for :) Please do let me know?
I would also like to say that there's a small M-rated scene in this chapter.
Stirring the following morning, her head throbbing from the amount of alcohol she had consumed last night, Clarisse slowly turned over onto her side and reached her hand out to snuggle close to her husband. But he wasn't there. The space beside her was empty. Bleary opening her eyes, she lie looking at his side of the bed a moment, wondering where he could be, when she realised that she could hear the shower running and singing coming from the bathroom.
Smiling contentedly at the sound, she rolled back onto her back and simply listened to him and his beautiful voice for a moment or two singing a song that over the last couple of weeks, since they were married, had become their song before sitting up and pushing the sheet back, to climb from the bed. Grabbing her robe from where she had placed it at the bottom of the bed, she slipped it on and wrapped it around her front, tying the sash to keep it closed as she made her way into the bathroom.
Hearing the bathroom door opening, Joseph stepped out from under the running water of the shower and popped his head around the glass shower door. "Good morning, beautiful," he smiled as she closed the door behind herself and slowly walked over to him. "Did I wake you?"
"Good morning," she smiled, her voice raspy and hoarse, and watched him smile as she reached up to give him a quick kiss. "Oh no, well, not entirely. I stirred and reached out to snuggle with you, but you were missing from the bed. I woke up properly then, wondering where you had got to, then I heard the shower and you singing," she smiled and folded her arms loosely around herself.
"Oh no, I'm sorry, my love. I was awake super early again. I tried my best to get back to sleep, but it was no use, so I decided to get up and start getting ready for the day instead. To let you get your rest after last night. Which obviously failed, and for that, I am very sorry," he said and reached his hand out onto her side, feeling guilty that he had woken her.
"There's no need to apologise, I have quite enjoyed waking to the sound of you singing in the shower over the last couple weeks," she smiled coyly as she briefly averted her gaze down. To the water drops rolling down over his beautifully bronzed skin. Before looking back up into his eyes. "It's my favourite sound to wake up to now. Well, that and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, of course."
"Oh, I will have to remember that," he smiled cheekily. "Anyway, are you here to join me? There's plenty of room in here for two."
"I know there is, but no. Not this time I'm afraid," she said with a little laugh and shook her head. "I'm not quite ready for that yet."
"Oh, is your head sore?" He asked.
"Yes, it's throbbing like crazy after last night," she said and raised one hand up onto the side of her forehead. Rubbing it gently as Joseph laughed and leant closer to her. "How is your head not hurting after all we drank at the bar, then the bottle of champagne we shared when we got back?"
"I'm used to drinking more than you are, remember?" He said with a chuckle and watched as she nodded before he placed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Why don't you take some paracetamol and get yourself back to bed? I won't be long then I'll come and keep you company."
"There's no rush, honestly," she smiled and closed her eyes as he leant close, pressing his lips to hers for the briefest of moments before pulling back to gaze back into her eyes.
After watching him step back under the shower, Clarisse moved to stand in front of the sink and reached her hand out in front of her to rub the condensation from the mirror before staring at herself and turning her head slightly to the side. Her hand now going to her neck. The tips of her fingers brushing over the side of her neck. Over the love bite that her husband had given her last night. Smiling, she took her bottom lip between her teeth, remembering the delicious moment he gave it to her.
Gently resting his body down on hers, pressing her oh so deliciously into the mattress as they made love, Joseph kissed her before burying his face in the crook of her neck and smiled as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. One hand gripped the back of his shoulder, her other hand grasping the back of his head. "Are you okay?" He asked while turning his head to the side to look at her as he continued to rock his hips back and forth. Edging them both closer and closer to the edge.
"Mhmm, yes, ooh yes… I'm fine," she replied with a small nod, and they both laughed a little.
"I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't hurting you," he smirked, kissing her jaw and burying his face back in the crook of her neck.
"Oh no, you're not hurting me," she whimpered, followed by a gasp as she suddenly felt his lips on her neck. Nipping and sucking on her silky soft skin right before they came together. "Oh Joseph… Ooh."
Sighing contentedly at the memory, she averted her gaze in the mirror when she saw movement behind her to find Joseph now stood, dabbing his face and chest dry with the towel before wrapping it around his waist. She had been so deep in thought that she hadn't even realised he had gotten out of the shower. "What was that sigh for?" He asked, stepping close behind her while putting his hands out onto her hips and kissing the back of her neck as she shook her head ever so slightly.
"It was a happy sigh, of course," she said and smiled at him in the mirror while putting her hands on his arms snaking around her waist. His body now pressed oh so deliciously against hers. "I'm just really, really happy. And, I don't even care that you, Mr., gave me a love bite."
"Oh really?" He said in surprise while resting his chin on her shoulder. Looking at her in the mirror with his sexy smile. "I half expected for you to tell me off this morning."
"Oh no, not anymore," she smiled and bent her arm up, putting a hand up to cup his face as they continued to look at one another in the mirror. "Talking of which, was you giving me one payback for the one that I gave you at the bar last night?" She smirked cheekily.
"No it wasn't payback at all, I just got caught up in the heat of the moment," he laughed with a shake of his head. "But really, you're not mad?"
"No, of course not," Clarisse smiled with a shake of her head and watched as he kissed her cheek. "Why would I be mad?"
"Well I gotta say then that I'm quite surprised, you being the way you are this morning, so calm and relaxed over it, and after giving me one last night while we were out in public after all this time thinking that you hated them," he chuckled.
"I did, yes, I found them ghastly. That was until after what Mia said to me last week, I look at them differently now," Clarisse said with a shake of her head.
"What do you mean, what Mia said to you last week?" He asked and raised his eyebrow. "Did she see the other one?"
"Yes she did, she saw it when we were dancing at the party and spoke to me about it the next day," she smirked, remembering the awkward conversation that she'd had with her granddaughter.
"Oh she did, did she?" He smirked, unable to hide his amusement as Clarisse lowered her hand from his cheek, putting it back down on his arm wrapped around her waist and bit her bottom lip, "and what did she have to say about it? About her, oh so prim and proper grandmother having a love bite?"
"Morning grandma," Mia smiled from where she was sitting at the kitchen table and watched as her grandmother slowly entered the kitchen.
"Good morning, sweetheart," Clarisse smiled over at her as she now made her way across the kitchen and poured herself a fresh cup of tea. "It's a beautiful day isn't it?"
"Yes it is," Mia smiled and took a sip of her coffee as her grandmother set the teapot back down on the counter. "Where's grandpa?"
"Oh, he's off helping Scott with something or other," Clarisse smiled as she turned and began making her way over to join her granddaughter at the kitchen table. "Some security matter, I believe."
"Ahh okay," Mia smiled as she set her coffee cup down on the table in front of her and looked back up at her grandmother. "That's a lovely scarf, grandma. It's very you."
"Thank you, your uncle Pierre got it for me last birthday," she smiled, setting her teacup and saucer down on the table and taking a seat opposite her granddaughter.
"He has perfect taste," Mia smiled, watching her grandmother put a spoonful of sugar in her tea and stirring it before putting the spoon on the side of her saucer and lifting her cup up to her face.
"Yes he does. He's got me some lovely scarves over the years," Clarisse smiled and took a sip, or two, of her tea as her granddaughter smiled at her.
"It's a shame that it isn't colder weather, though, isn't it? You would've been able to wear one of your lovely polo necks jumpers instead, especially that beautiful red one that you wore at Christmas, you know, to hide that love bite you got there on your neck," she said with a smirk and watched as her grandmother choked on her tea while carefully setting her cup back down on the saucer. "Oh, I'm sorry, grandma, I didn't mean for that to happen. Are you okay?"
"Yes yes, I'm fine," Clarisse said as she pulled a tissue from her jacket pocket and covered her mouth with it for the briefest of moments before lowering her hand and looking across the table at her granddaughter. "You know about…that?"
"Yes, of course I know. I saw it when you were dancing with grandpa last night," Mia smirked and watched as her grandmother looked down at her teacup while putting her elbow on the table and raised her hand up to cover her eyes. "And now you're going red. Why are you going red?"
"Because, sweetheart, this is rather embarrassing," Clarisse replied, her hand remaining over her eyes.
"Oh grandma, you have no reason to be embarrassed," Mia said softly as her grandmother lowered her hand back down onto the table and looked back up at her. "We are both women here, are we not?"
"Yes we are, but, well, I have never really talked to anyone about this sort of stuff before, other than Joseph, of course," Clarisse replied sheepishly. Realising that she'd never really had a confidant, someone that she could talk freely to about relationships and what happens. She used to be able to confide in her younger sister until they fell out of course. But other than that, she'd not had anyone. Not that she needed anyone while Rupert was alive anyway.
"That's sad, grandma," Mia said while reaching her hand out across the table and placed it down on top of her grandmothers. "But now you do, and yes I know that it must feel odd, being grandmother and granddaughter, but I feel that we have become close, more so recently, we have a special bond and I would like to be there for you. Be that someone you can talk to if you need someone."
"I would like that," Clarisse smiled, and Mia gave her hand a little squeeze.
"So would I," Mia smiled and nodded. "Now, I know because of who you are that you have to hide it, hence why you are wearing the scarf today, and yesterday too of course, but you have absolutely no need to be embarrassed over it." Mia said with a shake of her head. "It's natural, especially between two people who love each other very much. And going from our conversation at the party last night, you never got to experience having one during your marriage to my grandfather?"
"No, no, I didn't," Clarisse said with a shake of her head. "Your grandfather was not that kind of man. He wasn't a very loving, attentive man. Especially when it came to us and our marriage. It was purely duty."
"That's such a shame, especially since you gave him his sons. He should have been more loving towards you," Mia said sadly as her grandmother nodded. "I can completely understand how nerve wracking it must be then now for you having one, but look at it like this, grandma, it was given to you by a man who is very obviously in love with you, and vice versa," she said and watched the smile spread across her grandmothers face at the mere thought of how much they love one another. Smiling, she continued. "Did you like how it felt when he gave it you?"
"Well yes, I," Clarisse stumbled and briefly closed her eyes as she remembered how it felt. How wonderful and intense it felt, and how his goatee tickled her when he nuzzled and sucked on her neck, and Mia laughed. "Yes actually I did," she said, looking back at her granddaughter. "Very much so."
"Well that's good," Mia smirked, "because I see it as a lovely souvenir of the romantic bond that you both share, a romantic bond that you finally get to have with grandpa. Something you have missed out on for so long. So please don't be embarrassed over it. I know if it were me, I'd wear it proud. Showing the world that you are finally in a loving relationship with someone you genuinely love. No matter how old you are. Or what people may say."
"Well when you put it like that, you're right," Clarisse smiled and picked up her cup of tea before looking back across the table at her granddaughter. "Thank you, sweetheart."
"You're welcome, grandma," Mia smiled. "So, does that mean that you are going to lose the scarf now?"
"Oh no," Clarisse laughed before coming over all serious and shook her head. "The scarf stays."
"Okay," Mia said, and they both laughed as Pierre entered the kitchen.
"What's so amusing?" Pierre asked with a smirk as he made his way over to the counter to pour himself a cup of tea before turning to them sitting at the table.
"Oh nothing that'll interest you, uncle Pierre," Mia smiled as she looked across at him then back at her grandmother, who was now sat sipping her tea.
"Mm, okay," he smirked mischievously and nodded, "so does this mean that I get to give you more?" He asked before tipping his head forward and nuzzling her neck. Making her laugh as she raised her shoulders while still in his embrace.
"Maybe," she laughed and watched as he lifted his head to look back up at her in the mirror. "But it doesn't mean that you can go mad. You just need to be careful where you leave them in the future. I'm still a respectable woman, you know."
"Oh I know," he whispered huskily and tipped his head forward once again to kiss the spot just below her ear. "And I'll do my best to be more discreet where I leave them in future." He whispered against her neck.
"Be sure that you do," she said, and they both laughed as she finally turned to face him and snaked her arms up around his neck as they shared a slow, heated kiss.
Pulling back a moment later, Joseph gazed into her eyes for the briefest of moments. "I just remembered that we are joining the family on the yacht the day after tomorrow."
"I know we are, I haven't forgotten," Clarisse smiled as she moved a hand to grasp the back of his head. "And I know the perfect outfit that I can wear to cover it up."
"Oh that's good," Joseph said, and they both laughed as he buried his face in the crook of her neck and held her tight against him. "Not that they would mind, of course."
"They probably wouldn't, but I'm not that brave," Clarisse laughed and watched as he lifted his head to look back into her eyes a moment before she reached up to kiss him.
A/N: I know that the topic of this chapter isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it's just a story, and it does happen in RL ;).