Flashback: Past, Present and Future

Disclaimer and rating - see first part.

Chapter 4: Night Dancing

He entered the bedroom suite. He had changed into black silk boxers and a black silk robe. It had seemed silly that he had no idea what to wear or what not to wear. He had always thought that was the biggest issue for women to deal with. It had taken him almost a half an hour to freshen up and decide what to wear. He only hoped Clarisse had not had the same dilemma he had.

The lights were turned down and there was a faint glow in the room from the moonlight streaming in the window. Music was softly playing in the background. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust and to find her lying, rather stiffly, in the bed. Once he could see more clearly, he noticed a tear running down her cheek. “This certainly isn’t the scene I expected…” he thought to himself.

“Are you alright my love?” He asked as he moved towards the bed.

His voice seemed to startle her. She looked up at him and smiled.

“Are you alright – you seemed a million miles away?” He asked again.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine. I was just taking a not so pleasant trip down memory lane. But I’m back now and I’m sure you can make things much more pleasant, can’t you?” She had been smiling but he noticed that she still seemed slightly distressed.

“Are you tired? I noticed you are already lying down.”

She sat up some against the pillows. “I’m afraid I had absolutely no idea what I should be doing or how to proceed, so I fell back into old habits. I’m sorry.” Her head was hanging low and she seemed very unsure of herself.

He too remembered and knew what she was talking about. He knew the King would come to visit her at certain times – though only through the secret passageway in her room. Joseph had stood guard outside her room many nights and, because his hearing was so astute, he could always hear the door opening which would signal the King’s entrance. Normally after that, it would be very quiet until he heard the door again. Joseph had always wondered, inappropriately so, if the Queen was just a quiet lover or if things were just really that bad between them. Occasionally, he heard some slight crying after the King had left. The exception to the quiet being that one night – he knew they had been arguing earlier in the day and no one was more surprised than Joe when he heard the door open from within the Queen’s bedchamber. Then there was yelling. An eerie quiet had followed and then crying and tears ‘before’ the King left. Joseph wanted to go to her that night to see that she was alright, but he felt at the time it would be inappropriate. He knew she would tell him in good time, which she had. As he started to feel angry remembering the night she told him…no, he wouldn’t go there right now. Right now was a time for happiness and love.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he turned to her and reached his hand out to her, pulling her out of the bed and towards him to a standing position. He held her chin in his hand and tilted her face towards him. The tears that stained her cheek reflected in the moonlight and he saw all of her fear, doubts and vulnerability exposed. “Dance with me” was all he had to say. She nodded her assent and they joined hands and began to sway in time to the music.

At first she thought it might feel odd to be dancing with him in the moonlight with him dressed only in his robe (she had no idea if he had anything on underneath it) and her in her little nightie. As they began the dance, it seemed as natural as breathing. In his arms was where she belonged. With each measure of music, she grew more confident and bold – allowing her hips to sway seductively in close proximity to him. As she would turn, she would ensure that she would brush up against him. Joseph was trying to keep his calm and to keep things moving slowly, but damn this woman was driving him crazy. He wasn’t sure if she was doing this on purpose or if it was just a subconscious reaction to dancing in their night clothes, but he was going to have to kiss her and touch more than her hands very soon or he felt he might go mad with desire.

As the song ended, their lips met in a kiss again. Not as tentative as before, they started where they had left off in the hallway earlier in the evening. He teased her mouth until she allowed his tongue to find its way into her warmth. He enjoyed the way their tongues danced together just as their bodies had just done. She finally came up for air needing a moment to gain control of her senses.

“By the way," he said breathlessly, “you look absolutely amazing.” He let his finger trail down her jaw line, collarbone and over the swell of her breasts concealed beneath the lace. He could feel her heartbeat increase exponentially as his finger continued it’s explorations over the lace and satin causing her nipples to strain against the delicate material.

She tried to respond; but, for once in her life, could not form a coherent thought. So she decided to see if there was anything under his robe after all. With a boldness she still wasn’t sure where it came from – she pulled at the tie of his robe and pushed the fabric off of his shoulders. She allowed her hands to caress his chest causing a sharp intake of his breath as her nails scraped over his now very alert and attentive nipples. He continued to allow her exploration for a few minutes letting her learn his body as he had every intention of returning the favor very soon. She then stepped even closer so that her satin and lace covered breasts were now pressed up against his bare skin. Her arms encircled him and repeated the same exercise over his back and finally down to his thighs and backside. The music had stopped and nothing could be heard in the room except their breathing which had continued to increase at a rapid pace. She looked up at him and smiled as she felt evidence of his arousal pressing against her abdomen demonstrating that her attention to learning his body and her closeness was having the desired affect.

Seeing that smile, Joseph decided that two could play at her game. He gave her a quick kiss and then put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. At first she felt saddened by the loss of contact, but that was only momentary as she felt him close behind her as his hands began massaging and caressing her shoulders. She found it to be a strange contrast – his hands at one moment relaxing tension with the massage and then in another creating a different kind of tension with his caresses. His hands moved from her shoulders and arms to encircle her waist. He began to caress the soft material surrounding her waist while placing gentle kisses where his hands had been on her shoulders only moments before. She began to sway against him to music that only they could hear. They continued for a few minutes this way until Joseph’s hands moved higher grazing the undersides of her breasts as his thumbs circled her nipples. She froze as sensations she had never felt before in her life were now radiating through her body creating a sensation of electricity and heat. She arched her back to push herself even more into his marvelous hands. Reeling in the sensations he was creating, she reveled in them for a few moments longer before turning around and stepping back.

Now it was his turn to feel saddened by the loss of contact, but before he could say anything or react, she gently lowered the spaghetti straps that held her gown in place and let the garment fall to the floor in a pool of satin. Time stood still for Joseph as he saw the love of his life giving him such a precious gift. She was bathed in moonlight and her body was flushed almost the same color that the gown she had just divested herself of.

He closed the space between them and once again murmured in her ear how absolutely - magnificently beautiful she was before he kissed her with all of the passion and desire he had pent up for so many years. They moved to the bed and Clarisse helped Joseph quickly lose the rest of his garments as well. They continued to explore each other’s body and as Joseph’s mouth closed around her now sensitive nipples for the first time, he heard her moan and then chuckle. It took a moment for the chuckle to register as he was consumed by desire, but he listened intently as he continued to lavish attention to her breasts and he was certain she was giggling. Finally he could take it no more.

“Am I tickling you or is there something you find rather humorous about this?” He was trying not to sound hurt, but not sure that he was succeeding.

The giggling stopped as she realized what she had done. She pulled him up beside of her, “Oh dear Joseph, you are not tickling me; I was just remembering the look on your face the night Pierre was born as you watched me nurse him for the first time. You looked positively jealous.”

Joseph turned unusually red as he knew exactly what she was talking about. He then laughed back, “Well, that’s because, my dear…I was! I didn’t think it was fair that he was getting to touch and taste something that I could never have. It’s crazy and wrong, I know – but it is what I was feeling. I just apologize that I was so obvious – that was very improper of me.”

She turned serious as she adjusted her body so his head was now lying comfortably on the fullness of her breasts. “My love, you have always had my heart, my mind and my spirit and tonight we will complete the circle and you shall have my body as well. All that it is and will be is forever yours.”

With that, the talking and trips down memory lane was over. They continued to learn and explore each other’s body – touching, tasting and pleasing. Joseph discovered that night that the Queen was definitely not a quiet lover as her gasps and moans were very evident as he discovered her favorite places to be touched – perhaps because she was learning for the first time that night as well.

Joseph had taken a long time for foreplay as he wanted to make sure she was ready and didn’t want to hurt her. She had confided in him once that Rupert and she had not had sex again after the night Phillipe was conceived – although he felt certain he knew exactly what night she was referring to, he had not pressed her to talk about it and knew that it was a long time ago.

His hand found the way to the center of her core causing another gasp. He stilled his hand giving her a moment to become accustomed to the sensations. Once he sensed she was ready, he began again – gently arousing her to new heights and testing her readiness. The sensations continued to build in her – her whole world ceased to exist except for Joseph’s hands on her. She felt the first stirrings and felt her body start to twitch. It concerned her a bit, but since Joseph didn’t seem alarmed, she decided this must be a natural part of lovemaking that she had just not experienced before. His fingers worked magic on her bringing her higher and higher until she thought her world would explode. Somewhere in her haze, she heard Joseph’s sultry voice, “Are you ready?”

“Oh God yes…if you don’t do something soon to bring this to a climax I fear you shall kill the Queen of Genovia with your bare hands!”

Now it was his turn to slightly chuckle at her choice of words and the thought of how Elsie Kentworthy would report that? Queen dies of an orgasm her first night of marriage – former body guard’s hands arrested!”

Fortunately she didn’t hear the chuckle or his momentary pause as she was far gone down the path of desire. She faintly heard him through her haze, “First my heart, my mind, my spirit and now my body. I love you with everything that I am and ever will be.” He lovingly moved into position over her and she opened herself to accept the gift of his love. The moved together in a dance as old as time that ended with her crying out his name and him collapsing on to her as they both achieved their final release. Neither moved for several minutes until Clarisse finally said, “Since you weren’t able to kill me with your ministrations, are you trying to suffocate me?”

Laughter rang from both of them as he realized that she was bearing the full brunt of his weight. He moved to her side and pulled her head down to lie on his chest as he put his arm protectively around her. It took only moments for her to be asleep. Joseph took a little longer though as he knew there was still much to talk about and resolve before they could go on to live “happily ever after.”

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