Chapter 23: Chapter 23

"The best gifts come from the heart, not the store."

-Sarah Dessen-

***

Clara curled up in her bed with the blanket going all the way to her head, she constantly squirmed around and shifted her body to find a comfortable position, that was when her feet accidentally kicked the edge and she felt something round and cushiony on bed end sofa. Still half asleep, she pushed away her blanket and found a round white box with blue ribbon and a bouquet of white lilies above the cushion. Is it another gift?

She rubbed her eyes and opened it up to find a gown. Pulling it out from the box, she stood up and laid it on the bed to get a better look at it. It was a cerulean blue open back gown with marshmallow white ombre at the bottom with white flowers embroidery vertically on top. It was a rather simple yet stunning design. Clara had never said it out loud but blue was actually one of her favorite color, as an artist, she was not supposed to have a single favorite color but if she had to choose, she would go with blue over and over again.

She dragged the dress to her closet and stood in front of the full length mirror which was installed to the wall. She moved her fingers and positioned the dress below her neck line, layering it outside the clothes she was wearing to get a good idea of how she would look like wearing it.

When she was busy looking at it, Raphael had entered her room, he was so quiet when walking that she did not notice him until she saw his reflection in the mirror. It startled her, she turned around and took a step away from him. Her expression changed in an instant, it was clear she had not completely forgiven him at the point and he was pretty disappointed, but he tried to not show it.

"Do you like it?" Putting down the dress on the round sofa near her, she hesitantly looked at him, slowly nodding her head. She found it really elegant, not overbearing, not too much complication for her liking, and Raphael was glad Clara approved it. He had ordered it before their little incident and he wanted to give it to her on that very same day, but when they fought he decided to use it as a gift of apology instead and the timing was perfect because they needed to go out to a wedding party that day.

"I would like to apologize for what happened. I was just being emotional. Please don't be mad at me again, I cannot stand you disliking me like this, I want to be in peace with you, I love you." He sounded sincere. He gently reached out to her and took her hand in his.

"Please, mon Amour," He begged. he was not the kind of man who would apologize so easily and so desperately, but he needed Clara beyond his pride, and it had been a week of hell for him.

Clara found herself unable to dislike him for a long period of time. What Raphael did was wrong, kissing her suddenly like that without her consent, but then again he had been really kind toward her, he treated her in ways Marcel never did. How could she possibly avoid him any longer than that, it was his house after all, he would find her anywhere as long as she was still inside.

"Fine." she spoke lowly, almost muttered, but it was enough to lighten up his mood. He leaned in closer to her and planted a small kiss on her forehead.

"I would like to bring you out tonight on my friend's wedding. I had bought another set of jewelry for you to wear tonight, It's in the drawer. I am sure you will shine brighter than any of the women there"

He took her hand and kissed it. Clara found herself blushing. What a courtship he possessed. It was terrifying how he could make her heart skip a beat, while her wound was still fresh.

Although deep within his heart, Raphael wanted to spend more time with her, but when he looked down on his watch, it was nearly 8A.M which forced him to leave if he did not want to be late for work.

"I still have work to do, I hope you can get yourself ready before 6 P.M. If you need any help with the hair and makeup I have hired a professional, she should be here at three, I'll be home at four" Although Raphael was kind, he still had a high expectation for Clara, He could see the hidden gem within her, waiting to be polished. He wanted everyone to see her beauty, but he would let them know that she only belonged to him, and him alone.

That evening Raphael had come back from his work, he instantly come upstairs and got ready for the wedding party. he took a shower, styled his hair, wore his favorite Tom Ford suit and sprayed an amber based perfume. It took him around an hour to get ready and since he was home he had yet to see Clara.

Curiosity enveloped him as he was waiting patiently for Clara in the living room, it was the first formal event he would take her to. He planned to introduce her to his inner circle, some of his closest friends and family would surely like her, after all it was not that hard to love someone like Clara.

He leaned back on his sofa and stretched his arms on the upper part of the couch. He closed his eyes for a minute before a delicious elegant floral scent entered his nose. opening his eyes, he turned his body around when he heard heels clicking from the stairs It was Clara, she was wearing the gown, as he expected, it fitted her really well. When he hugged her for the first time, he made a mental note of her measurement, and his calculation was correct.

The makeup artist did a little bit of enhancement on her feature, it was nothing over the top, French women in general love to keep their natural beauty on even with makeup, but it made a recognizable change on her, she looked glowing and radiant. Her hair was styled in waterfall braid, she finished her look with the jewelry set he bought for her, they were matching pearl drop earing and dainty pearl necklace with gold chain. As they said, pearl are the safest choice as they are elegant and timeless. Nothing over the top, but something to leave an impression.

"You look beautiful" he complimented her. Taking her hands on his own, he pulled her close to him and stared down at her eyes. Her face looked so soft and innocent, the way those emerald eyes stared at him with delight, they painted her lips a soft pink nude with darker inner part, and her lips was looking juicy from the clear gloss. He just wanted to taste her right there. He wondered what did he do to deserve someone like her, being able to even meet her in the first place was such a blessing.

Clara was frozen when he leaned himself to give her a soft kiss on her lips, the slightly sticky gloss made the kiss felt a little bit weird for both of them, but he did not care, honestly, it tasted a little bit like vanilla cookie dough. This time, Clara did not refuse him, and moved her lips to welcome his. After a while, their lips parted. She stared up at him with a hopeful gaze. He stroked her cheek gently and take a strand of her hair on his hand, wrapping with around his fingers.

"I would love to continue it, Mon Amour, but we need to leave now. Let's save it for later" he said teasingly, and both of them ended up giggling in amusement before entering the car.