The night was still, so silent, as if nothing existed but he.
Taking the last few steps down the open wooden staircase Joseph let go of the handrail and glanced into the lounge, the moonlight streamed in through the bay windows, casting discreet shadows along the polished wooden floor.
The air almost seemed magical; he could see the dust particles swaying in the light, yet he knew if he reached out to touch them they would be gone.
Instead he dug his hands into his dressing-gown pockets and headed around the bottom of the stairs and along the short hall into the farmhouse style kitchen.
The clock on the wall said 3:15, certainly no time to be up and about, and certainly no time for eating. Yet he couldn�t sleep, and the honest truth was he was peckish.
Smirking to himself he swung open the fridge door, Clarisse always planned everything down to the final dot on the final i. The refrigerator was stacked with everything they could possibly need. He considered snacking on the deep purple grapes that looked so fresh and ripe, but his sweet tooth took over. Taking out a selection of cheeses he placed them on the table and searched in one of the cupboards until he found what he was looking for, Dundee cake. Mrs. Webber always made the best and he just knew she would have included his favourite afternoon treat in the food hamper.
Slicing himself a piece of the cake he sat down and mulled over which cheese to open first. Settling on a particularly ripe looking Brie he peeled back the paper and cut himself a chunk off. A glass of ice cold Beer would do just the trick as an accompaniment but he couldn�t find any in the fridge so he made do with a simple glass of water.
The clock behind him struck 3:30 and he settled back in his chair, the sweetness of the fruitcake splintered in his mouth by the cheese. A delicious gooey mess, a rare delicacy that he�d discovered was just gorgeous as a child. His grandmother�s version of Dundee cake and the cheese the local farmer produced. It was one of those matches he found and instantly loved, cheese on toast with mustard, prunes and bitter chocolate, oranges in the morning with coffee.
Clarisse always screwed her nose up at his �rare delicacies�; well he figured at least he didn�t have to share.
Satisfied Joseph pushed his plate away and closed his eyes. He couldn�t sleep. It was insane. There he was lying in bed with the most beautiful woman he�d ever met wrapped in his arms. The sound of the ocean waves lapping against the shore, nobody there but the two of them, nothing there to take the moment from him.
It had been an unbelievable day; he still couldn�t quite get his mind around it. The fact she�d gone to so much trouble to organise it all without him knowing, the fact she�d said those words� those amazing, heart stopping words there in front of all those people. In front of all her friends and family as well as his. That she�d made that pledge. Her vows were now complete.
Still he couldn�t sleep, his mind was a whirl with all those emotions, all those memories. Watching her walk down the aisle, dancing with her, that extravagant dinner with his entire family there, sharing in the moment. They�d danced until the early evening, until the light started to fade and the sprinklers were turned on the lawn. Politely they�d made their goodbyes and gone to change, for over an hour they�d lay together on their bed kissing and holding each other and whispering of their love.
Until finally she�d revealed they were heading to the cottage, a second honeymoon! His things had been packed as she requested, the car was waiting for them and they were driven out here.
After carrying her over the threshold, again, and more kissing. They�d taken a bottle of champagne down to the private beach and drank it together as the ocean crept in. Until they�d taken their shoes off and walked through the surf and finally back up to the cottage.
Clarisse watched him from the door, leant back in the chair with his eyes half closed, the moonlight reflecting off the water and casting strange shadows across the room.
She shivered in the early morning air; the warmth of the bed she had just lain in was fast disappearing. Grasping her upper arms in her hands she advanced towards him.
He looked up startled by her presence, smiling at her with his eyes from beneath his half open eyelids.
�What are you doing out of bed?�
�I might ask you the same thing?� She moved between him and the table and perched herself on the edge of it. �It�s dark and cold down here.�
He placed a hand on her knee. �Not terribly so.�
She grinned and leant forward slightly. �Perhaps not for you but I�m not wearing underwear.�
His eyebrows rose instinctively. �Mrs. Romerro! Really!� He shook his head in mock disapproval.
�Well there seemed little call for it, this is our honeymoon� kind of.� She toyed with his fingers, playing with them in her hands.
�You are, as always, entirely correct.�
He rested back in the chair again watching her watch him, enjoying the sensation of her tickling his skin.
�What are you thinking about?� She whispered lowly.
He shrugged. �What a day� what a year. Being old and sentimental.�
�Ahh, I see.� She pouted. �Not sad thoughts though?�
�Oh no, blissful ones. Lucky ones.� His other hand rested on her knee. �I�m not sure what I did to ever end up this way, you know there was so much more I wanted to say to you, more to my vows.�
�I know, some words are better left for times like this. Besides,� she leant forward again, �I like hearing you say those words when we�re alone.�
He lifted his hands up to her waist and guided her down onto his lap.
�Have you been eating cake?� She brushed the crumbs from his dressing gown.
�Just a little.�
�And cheese as well no doubt, you shouldn�t eat that so late you know.�
�Shh, sometimes you talk too much.�
�You might be right about this, but I have come to realize that for most of the time I talk too little. I share too little. I have resolved to change that. Especially with you.� She leaned forward and brushed a not so innocent kiss over his lips, accentuating it with a swift sweep of her tongue over his goatee.
Joseph groaned in the back of his throat. That she could do that to him. So enticing, so passionate and so his.
�So,� he managed to grunt out, �what do you want to talk about then?�
Clarisse�s smiled was teasing and very self-assured. �Nothing at the moment. Right now, I have much less vocal things in mind.�
The press of her pelvis against his was unmistakable, making her intentions quite known to him. Leaning forward she kissed him again. Aggressively, demanding this time. Her tongue swept against his mouth commanding him to open for her. Joseph felt delightfully helpless against her insistence and gladly welcomed her tongue in his mouth.
Sweeping, chasing, teasing, entangling. Their tongues met to duel out a game that got out of control before they could even register it.
Groaning again, Joseph placed his hands on Clarisse�s shoulders and pressed her closer to his body. Her resistance surprised him and he drew back in consternation.
Clarisse smiled. How shocked he looked, how�almost hurt. But this was her game. Her time. His shock would wear off. She would make sure of it.
Placing a finger over his lips to stop him from speaking, her hands went to the belt of his dressing gown. Even with a light tug the belt came undone and the silk robe fell open.
The lascivious grin could have been tattooed onto her face as she bared his body to her gaze. Gods, this man was so handsome, so sexy and he was hers. She just needed to extend her hand a little and she would touch his bare chest, she just needed to lean forward a bit and she could kiss his skin.
The possibilities were endless and Clarisse had to close her eyes to bath in the delight the thought brought. She could see Joseph�s seductive smile even with her eyes closed, could hear it in his breath, could feel it and suddenly there was no question what she would have to do, what she needed to do.
Anticipation rose in him, as he saw her face coming closer to his. Joseph half-expected her to kiss him again, but Clarisse seemed to have other things in mind.
Leaning forward, Clarisse bypassed his face completely and instead began to place breathy, open-mouthed kisses against Joseph�s neck. Trailing a hot path up and down his throat and nibbling along his collarbone, it was something that drove him wild, she knew that and it was exactly what she wanted.
His hands tightened on her hips, holding her to him as she used her tongue to draw patterns over his skin. Joseph didn�t know what was happening. Never had this gone so quickly. Never had it been so electrifying.
She could hear the slightly inarticulate noises coming from the back of his throat, the grunt, the low murmured words as she moved lower. Her hand was already massaging him, slowly, teasing, drawing patterns with her fingertips. He couldn�t help the jerk of his hips as his body fought to be closer to hers.
Then she leaned backwards, straightening her upper body. She slowly moved forward, never ceasing the erotic play her fingers did on him, not even as her pelvis met his trapping his member between them.
Joseph groaned again at the sensation.
�Clarisse��
He was breathless with sensation, breathless with desire. He wanted to be inside her, thrusting wildly, and yet he didn�t want her to stop stroking him. He wanted to bury his face in her bosom, nuzzle her, feast on her, he wanted to kiss her mouth, her eyes, her shoulders � everything. He wanted� He wanted�
Clarisse allowed herself a triumphant smile. Oh, this was so good.
Her breath hitched as he gave another uncontrolled jerk of his hips, thrusting against her. She felt him swell in her hands, harden.
It was all it took.
Her free arm snaked around his shoulders and roughly pulled him to her. Her head fell down against his shoulder, her mouth rushing over his skin. Brushing, kissing, licking.
She could not get enough, not kiss enough, not stroke enough, and definitely not tease him quite enough.
The feelings inside her grew, swirling in her stomach, firing through her veins, storming through her mind. Blood was pounding in her ears, its screams becoming louder and louder. The outside world was long gone from her recognition. All that was left were his moans mingling with hers, the pounding in her ear and the feel of his skin against hers.
She was almost helpless now against the feelings whirling through her, could feel his arousal. It grew and grew, reflected back on her, drew her under its spell.
�Joseph.� She gasped against the skin of his neck. A cry followed when she felt his breath wandering along her throat. The heat of his breath moved from her throat over her face to her ear and she shivered at the sensation.
�Clarisse,� it was barely audible, but to her he could have shouted it, � I want you. Feel you around me. Let me be inside you. Now. Let me fill you. Let me make you scream.�
He wasn�t aware of what the words were he said, didn�t know if they made sense. He stumbled them out. The fever was raising and rising. His hands moved over her back and hips without aim, only eager to touch as much as possible. His hips jerked against her again and again. The heat of her core made him mindless. He didn�t know what to do, could only focus on what he needed. Needed now.
�Let me make you scream.� He muttered again.
The scream tore from her throat, accompanied with a violent jerking. She shuddered against him, holding onto him for dear life, while her teeth sank into shoulders, leaving a deep red mark.
Clarisse went limp as wave after wave of sensation washed over her. Sagging against him, she felt the heat of his skin warm her, his hands brushing over her rising goose bumps in their wake.
The scent of his skin under her was intoxicating. The subtle mix of him and her hung heavily in the air. It was like a drug that affected her violently. Not even recovered from the climax his skilled fingers had brought her too she wanted him again. The burning had not left, she needed more, needed him to make it stop, needed him to never let it end.
Raising her head, their mouths met in an almost savage kiss, tongues tangling madly, straining impossibly closer.
Joseph�s hands moved lower, cupped her bottom, kneading her flesh and then moved inward. She jerked against him as his fingers came in contact with her most intimate parts.
The sudden scrape of the chair on the tiled floor barely registered for both of them. Joseph�s hands moved over her hips again, pushing her slightly upwards.
�Look at me,� he whispered, �look at me.�
Only with great effort, Clarisse managed to open her eyes.
The look in his eyes was overwhelming. It was burning, hot and wild, burning for her. Desire had made his dark eyes almost black. They were boring into hers now, demanding and irresistible. The hint of insanity she saw as well, but it didn�t bother her. It was in her eyes as well.
Then he lowered her back onto his lap, joining their bodies and it was like an explosion of sensations. Their cries of pleasure mingled, echoing through the still house.
For a moment they collapsed against each other, overwhelmed by the sheer power of their joining, overwhelmed by the need they felt, the love that burned underneath it.
Raising herself again, it was Clarisse who set the rhythm of their thrusts. It was slow, almost teasing at first. Their eyes locked, he could see the triumph in hers, then delight rushed through her.
He gripped her hips harder, increasing their strokes. The time for teasing was over. Faster, faster they moved, always connected through their eyes. They stared into each other�s souls as they climbed higher and higher to oblivion. And then her nails scraped over his chest and his fingers teased her core and with one final thrust, they tipped over the edge.
*
Clarisse banged her head back on the wooden table, mouth open as another loud groan of utter pleasure tore from her throat, her throat that was already so sore from screams.
She felt Joseph�s mouth moving over her stomach, tracing hot lines of moisture over her skin. Eyes open she watched as he stood and leant over her, the shadow of his broad chest falling over her body.
His hand moved to the right and a second later a cold drop of liquid fell from the bottle in his hand to land on her chest, lifting herself up slightly she watched the Champagne disappear down between her breasts, more followed before his mouth finally took her nipple and sucked the expensive liquid off.
As his mouth enclosed her flesh, she groaned again deep in her throat, followed by another gasp, as his tongue brushed against her nipple. Arching off the table she desperately tried to push more of her breast into his mouth.
�More.�
Her voice sounded so different to him, swelling with desire, just as his own desire swelled between his legs. She tasted so good, he licked and sucked on her nipple, hard in his mouth, fondled it between his teeth.
She lifted her lower body up to him, one leg lifted high as she tried to wrap it around him.
Her need was out of control, all she could think of was him filling her, touching all those places that were twitching with want, the sound of flesh slapping against each other. Her heel rubbed over his backside, delighting in the twitching muscles underneath his skin.
Pressing him closer to her, his hardness met her centre and a bolt of lightning shot through her body. The sensations tingled all over her skin again, one hand held onto the tabletop, the other clenched into the bunched up material of her dressing gown underneath her.
Another gasp tore from her throat. �More!�
Part of him wanted to laugh; who would have thought the Queen from only a year ago was this same woman now? This frantic hot-blooded woman writhing beneath him.
He licked his way up from her breast to her neck, then under her chin, pressing against her entrance just enough to tease and tempt. His hand cupped the underneath of her breast, delighting in the sweet heavy weight of it, the smoothness of her skin.
She was rocking against him; he could feel her foot massaging his backside, her hot thigh burning against his skin. God she felt good, hot and slick with moisture, he wanted to slide deep inside her and never stop. If he could just hold back for a second, just long enough�
Clarisse felt his mouth move over hers, kissing her hard and forcefully. She moaned loudly into his mouth, helplessly one hand digging into the back of his neck.
Finally he filled her again, she felt the quake of satisfaction begin deep down inside her and spread in a thin line up her body, and they�d only just joined. A smile crept over her face and she felt Joseph�s eyes on her, she half opened her own, enough to see his face as he rocked inside her.
�God I love my wife.�
There was triumphant smile on her face, before she closed her eyes again, sliding one hand into her hair; she arched her neck, stretching her entire body against his.
The movement pressed Joseph deeper inside her. His groan was close by her ear, but almost drowned out by her sob
�More!�
He rocked against her, sending her body into a frenzied shudder. Her voice was hoarse as she demanded from him, her hands holding him close to her, pressing him deeper and deeper into her.
She lifted her other leg, altering their angle, wrapped it over his waist. They were so close now; again, she didn�t want this to ever stop. To go on and on forever, remain in a state of ecstasy with him forever.
She felt his weight lift from her a little as he moved back, giving himself more leverage, pulling out, driving in harder, if she had ever dared dream about a sex-life like this when she was married to Rupert� no she couldn�t have dreamt this, could never have imagined it could exist on this level. Her body loved his, belonged to his, they were joined to each other as naturally as the day is joined to the night.
�Joseph, Joseph�� his name fell repeatedly from her lips, her volume increasing as the tightness in her belly grew. It was no longer a series of delightful shocks of pleasure but one great joy that swelled inside her.
His thrusts were shorter now, buried deeper inside her as he neared his peak. She found herself oblivious to it all, only the burning bliss pulsating in her body; she was on the edge of something� her legs loosened on him, holding herself up higher.
With a strength, which she was unsure of where it came from, Clarisse pulled herself upright, flung her arms around Joseph�s shoulders, holding him to her own body. His heat was burning her skin on the outside and the inside, she could feel every thrust like a surge of fire, heating up the tightness and swirling it faster and faster.
Pressing him to her, she brought his mouth to hers, attacking his lips wildly. Her tongue rushed over his lips and then swept the inside of his mouth, tangling madly with his tongue.
Back and fro, their tongues chased each other, in time with the frantic meeting of their bodies.
The legs of the table scraped over the tiled floor, but they didn�t hear it.
He felt her lock her legs over his ass again, her hand pulling his neck towards her, her tongue tangling with his. He felt her hips pumping against his, meeting every deep stroke with one of her own.
Desperation rose in him. Faster and faster he drove into her, grunting with the effort, her name coming in staccato syllables.
She was screaming now, he�d never heard her so abandoned, for a brief second pride tore through him, god he must be good tonight! She was, certainly, amazingly, this had been going on for hours. Three times in one day, more to come no doubt, she was insatiable.
Clarisse bit into his shoulder, heard his stifled cry, heard her own voice moaning incomprehensible words like some crazed woman. Her head fell back, eyes squeezed shut, god she doubted she�d be able to walk tomorrow. What the hell� blame it on the horses� riding. Indeed.
�Ahhh� god Joseph, don�t stop,�
His mouth swept over her hair, her forehead. Her skin slid against his, sticky and wet with sweat. Her breasts rubbing into his chest.
�Oh honey, please� please� I need�� She was almost begging, a slight moan to her voice, a whine almost.
�I need it too�� he breathed. �I need you all the time.�
Her hands ran feverishly over his back, craving for release. �I need you too,� she gasped. �Now. Joseph��
His name was a drawn out keen, close to the edge. He knew she was on the edge, hanging there by a thread. But so was he. Again and again he drove himself into her, again and again the wave built. He needed to fill her so very much, the tightness was almost unbearable.
He leant her down, again changing the angle of their joining and another shudder, accentuated with another scream, rushed through her.
His knees grew weak from exhaustion, yet the insane need to be with her and have them soar together overpowered everything else.
Clarisse�s head thrashed from side to side, she was sobbing with pleasure, her cries resounding in his ears.
She needed to come; she needed him to make her, just as much as he needed to find release in the madness of their love. Stilling her head with his hand, he cupped her cheek and looked deeply into her passion-hazed eyes. His other hand smoothed over her chest and stomach and then disappeared where they were joined.
The second his fingers touched her centre, Clarisse�s body tensed, only to shake out of control under his. The scream tore from her mouth, ear-shattering and blinding.
Her body had his in a vicelike grip. Her arms were convulsively pressed around his back, her legs kept him locked in a tight embrace, and the way her muscles clenched around his painfully hard erection, drove his excitement out of control.
His mind spun, his blood pounded in his ears and suddenly, the blinding light was there, filling his vision with white and tearing the shout of triumph from his lips and he collapsed onto her, shuddering as much as she did, gasping as much as she did, the whiteness becoming tinged with blackness.
Clarisse couldn�t control her breathing; she tried, fought against it desperately. Her chest shuddered, she could still feel him throbbing inside her, could feel her own body throbbing around him. His trembling mouth was drawing patterns on her chest and neck; their bodies were still rocking together, shaking in the aftermath of their orgasms.
�Joseph�� she finally managed to mutter. �Oh goodness Joseph that was so good.�
Chuckling he lifted his face to hers. �Good?� He whispered rubbing her nose with his. �Good.�
�Yes good�� She swung her arms around his neck holding him close to her. �Incredibly good.�
He kissed her forehead, her nose, her eyes. �I think I should take you to bed Mrs. Romerro. As much fun as this table has been.�
�Hmm don�t leave me just yet.� She pressed her pelvis into his indicating their joining. �I like the feel of you.�
�Mmm,� he kissed her mouth again, her lips were sticky and hot against his. �I like the feel of you too.�
After holding her trembling body for a few minutes more he slowly and gently slid out of her again, smiling at her sigh of annoyance.
�Madam, you are demanding.� He said leaning over her.
�You�� she groaned scraping her nails down his chest. �Are far too sexy� what did I do to deserve you, so many young beautiful women wanting to take you to bed.�
He kissed her gently, carefully pulling her to the table's edge, and then helping her stand on the floor. "I'm not sure I believe that, but I'm not interested in all those young women. They are lacking something."
"Oh..." she held onto his shoulders again, as he lifted her dressing gown around her. "And what might that be?"
Tenderly he pulled the dressing gown onto her shoulders, adjusted the sides and tied the silk ribbon around it. "They aren't you."
She smiled warmly, "take me to bed Joseph. I want to lie all night in your arms talking."
He cupped her cheek and smiled at her, before brushing his lips warmly against hers. Putting an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her to his side "A wonderful idea. Spending all night holding you to me, seeing the light in your eyes and hearing your voice; I can't think of anything better."
* * *
Underneath the sheets it was cool, the satin cooled by the wind drifting in through the open window. Smooth and soft, they moulded over their heated bodies, warming and cooling at the same time.
They were almost one being, locked in their embrace, their legs tangling, their arms embracing. His chest against her back was like a solid wall of warmth and comfort and Clarisse revelled in it.
With Joseph�s arms locked around her, their bodies still trembling from their intense lovemaking on the kitchen table � God, they had made love on a kitchen table � Clarisse felt the safest she had ever felt. Even with Joseph.
Playing idly with his hand, twisting his wedding band around his finger, she sighed happily. �This is even better than my teenage dreams.�
�Teenage dreams?� Joseph grinned. He wiggled closer to her and tightened his hold on her. �And what, pray tell, was included in your teenage dreams?�
�Oh you know, things I wasn�t supposed to dream about, things a girl in my position should never dwell on.� She craned her neck to look over her shoulder at him. �I�d forgotten how that felt, how those dreams felt, until we started this year together.�
Tenderly, he stroked her cheek, turning her face a bit to his. He kissed her cheek, traced from her cheek to her ear with a breathy brush of his lips. Grinning slightly he asked: �Did you dream of a mysterious, bald stranger ravishing you on your kitchen table?�
She chuckled lightly, though it had to be said there was a hint of the naughty girl about it. �Certainly not, in some princess like way I dreamt that sex was all magical and spiritual. And it is, sometimes. I never counted on the heat and sweatiness of it all�� she tapped his chin with her index finger, �and I�ll let you in on a secret, that�s the bit I like the best.�
He caught her finger with his hand and kissed the tip of it. �My darling, sex with you is magical. Magically perfect. And I�d say, quite often it is also a very spiritual experience. I never thought I could connect with anybody the way we connect.� He released her finger to brush his hand over her side, down to her thigh and back. Kissing the side of her neck, he breathed, �Though I certainly don�t mind when you are hot and your skin is moist underneath mine. It�s very arousing.�
She giggled again twisting around to press herself up against him, her arms around the back of his neck. "I should think so."
Now he laughed openly. �I�ll take that as a compliment, Madame. But in all actuality, I�d love to dance with you now. I love how you move against me, when we dance, how I can hold you close and feel as if we are floating somewhere high above.� Gently, he kissed her forehead. �Dancing with you is like making love to you, my darling, magical.�
She stroked his cheek, lifted her leg up over his. �When I think back to dancing with you in America, that dance.� She pressed herself against him. �Our dance, how nervous I was back then, how absolutely clueless about this. How it could be. How I could be.� She kissed him very gently, very tenderly. �Yes, let�s dance in the moonlight.�
Smiling broadly, Joseph leaned down to press another quick kiss to her temple, then pushed himself up. Half kneeling on the bed, half standing already, he extended his hand and pulled Clarisse upright as well. He led her over the window, left of the fireplace. Looking around, Joseph searched for the small stereo, but Clarisse�s hand on his arm stopped him. She shook her head gently and took him in her arms. They didn�t need any music. The exotic strains of their dance, when Joseph had destroyed her wall of grief, was in their hearts. They didn�t need to hear it.
Joseph held her close to his, one hand drew gentle patterns on her naked back, the other firmly enclosed her fingers. Brushing a kiss against her temple, he slowly swayed them to the sensual rhythm only they could hear.
"Do you think," she whispered, "there's the slightest possibility that somebody is on that beach down there catching a glimpse of their monarch's naked behind?"
�I certainly couldn�t blame them.� He put on his best �cocky, but adorable� grin, then kissed her again �Don�t worry, my darling. Nobody can see, not your lovely naked behind and not, how far down your freckles go. That�s reserved for me only.� For emphasis, his hands wandered down to squeeze her butt.
Clarisse blushed and lowered her head bashfully. When she looked up again, he saw something in her eyes that surprised him. Tears. �What is it, my darling?�
�Happiness,� she smiled tearfully. �Of course happiness. Always with you.� She lifted her mouth to him and kissed his soft warm mouth, rubbing her chin against his beard. �I never dreamt I�d ever be this intimate with somebody, never even hoped.� With her arms looped around his neck she gazed into his eyes. �You make me think�� she drifted off momentarily then re-started a little more certain of her words. �You make me think of things I wanted to do, things I wanted to experience. Things, teenage girls dream of, when they hope that the world is theirs for the taking.�
Joseph could feel that this wasn�t exactly what Clarisse had intended on talking about. Her body was tense in his arms, more stiff than she had been for weeks. Tenderly, he stroked her cheek, turning her face a little to his. He kissed her cheek, traced from her cheek to her ear with a breathy brush of his lips. �And tell me, did you dream of a mysterious, bald stranger ravishing you on your kitchen table?�
Clarisse bit her lip as he breathed against her skin; a lovely tingling was spreading again over her body. At his words, she sucked in a breath, shocked for a second and then�she laughed. �You already asked me that, my darling. You want we to bolster your ego?�
�One can but try.� Joseph grinned and pressed her closer. In a swift move he twirled them around. �So, did you?�
Again, Clarisse laughed. �I�m afraid not.� Cupping his cheek, she smiled tenderly. �I could not have dreamt of this. Never imagined how happy I could be. Some things are too good. You can not envision them.�
Joseph stopped their swaying. His eyes were serious, despite his smile. �I know. I never believed, we could happen. And yet, here we are. After one year of marriage, we are here and I seem to love you even more than I did a year ago.�
Without volition, he raised his hand, just as Clarisse did the same. Simultaneously they folded their fingers together.
�I do love you.� He whispered.
The smile on her face was tremulous, tears hanging heavily in her lashes. Looking into his eyes, she could see that he was fighting just as valiantly.
�Oh Joseph��
His thumb gently traced the contours of her eyes, catching the tears that threatened to fall.
�I don�t know sweetheart, look what you do to me, turn me into a gibbering mushy wreck�� he shook his head trying to shake off the heaviness of the moment.
�I�m sorry,� she smiled nobly, �I�m sorry, I won�t do it again.� Trembling she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his mouth. �Let�s go back to bed, oh my dear, sweet, perfect husband.�
�You think I�ll ever get used to hearing you say that to me?�
�Perhaps, in another twenty years.� She stroked down his bare arms delighting in the feel of his muscles underneath her palm.
�You think we�ll still be doing this?�
Cocking her head curiously to one side she blinked up at him. �Dancing?�
�No�� with a sudden movement he scooped her up and carried her back to their bed, lying her down gently on the still warm sheets. �This.�
As he rested next to her, half leaning over her body she delicately rested her arms over his shoulders. �I think if you�re still doing that you�re back will be as bad as your knees.�
�Ha, very funny madam!�
�Aren�t I, I hardly ever get to show it.� She giggled and he laughed with her bending his head to rub his chin against hers. Her arms tightened over his shoulders and she held him closely to her. �You know I once caught Mia eating ice cream in the kitchen in the dark, middle of the night.�
�And what were you doing awake may I ask?�
�Ohh difficult times, but that�s not the point. I chastised the girl for it.�
�And?�
�And right now I can think of nothing better.�
�Than eating ice-cream in the kitchen?�
�No,� she playfully tapped the back of his neck. �In bed, sharing ice-cream in bed. Do you think its possible��
�I think it�s highly possible there is some very expensive ice cream down there in that freezer, are you asking me to go get it?�
�No.� she shook her head fiercely. �I can go, I�m not incompetent.�
�Who ever would dare suggest such a thing?�
Rolling onto his back she moved with him and lay across his chest staring at him, a pout upon her face.
�You are incredibly regal even when naked on kitchen tables.�
�Ohh don�t tease me.�
�I thought you liked it.�
At this she smirked and rested her head down on his chest. �Ohh I�m sleepy, suddenly.�
He reached to stroke down her spine. �A moment ago you wanted ice cream.�
�I want everything, all of it right now, to share everything with you that I�ve always wanted and never got or done or been brave enough��
�We have the time my darling, as much time as we want. It doesn�t have to be part of an itinerary, things will just happen. Our life will just happen.�
�I know. I�m just so very afraid that somehow I�ll miss something.�
�No you won�t, I won�t let you. And if ever we get to a point where we�re feeling distant or frustrated or giving each other these crossed wires and mixed signals we come out here and spend some quality time together. Agreed?�
She slowly lifted her head up and smiled tenderly at him. �Agreed.�
�Quality time on kitchen tables.�
Again she giggled. �With cake and cheese?�
�And ice cream.�
�Hmm, good.� Happily she moved and kissed him, deeply, slowly. A kiss full of warmth and hope and commitment, it reminded him so much of their first kiss in that church, at their impromptu wedding.
�Goodnight my darling Clarisse.�
�Goodnight Joseph.� Again she rested on top of him, feeling him pull the sheets up over their bodies. �Thank you.�
�For what?�
�Waiting, being patient. Oh just your love.� She sighed. �Just love.�
�Thank you for returning it.�
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