"I'll race ya," Amy whispered into his ear, making the hair on Ty's neck stand up. "The loser has to fix breakfast," she said, rolling him over on his back and crawling over him.
"Hey!" Ty yelled after her and got himself up. "That's cheating!"
He could already hear Amy's giggle from the bathroom and knew he'd lost. But it didn't bother him at all; he knew that he was going to enjoy a long, hot shower with the woman he loved and after that, they would share breakfast.
Steam had already filled the air as Ty entered the bathroom, stopping to stare at his wife. Amy was in the shower, her eyes closed as she let the water cascade over her head. Her long blonde hair hung down her back. She was the picture of a perfect woman in Ty's mind. He couldn't imagine his life without her.
"Earth to Ty, are you going to join me or just stand and stare?" Her voice brought him back to the present and he smiled as he joined her. His arms wrapped around her waist to pull her close. Their lips met in an innocent kiss until her hands roamed over his chest and down to his ass, squeezing his cheeks.
Her blue eyes captured his attention as she asked. "Mr. Borden, have I told you how much I love you?" She planted kisses down his neck. Ty smiled, enjoying the feel of her lips on his skin.
"No, Mrs. Borden, I don't think you have." He knew full well she had told him several times last night alone, but he never got tired of hearing her say it.
Her lips latched onto his ear as she pushed him against the shower wall, sucking and nipping until he was breathless. "I love you," she whispered as she continued her attack on his ear lobe. He let her have her way for a while until he could no longer stand idle.
His hands roamed over her body, stopping to caress her breast, her body melting into his. He turned the water off and grabbed a towel to wrap around her, carrying her to the bed.
Afterwards, he watched Amy sleeping peacefully in his arms, loving the thought that she was his wife now. Getting up, he walked to the bathroom, shutting the door so as not to wake her. He leaned on the counter, staring at his image in the mirror. How had his life taken such a turn for the better? Where would he be today if it hadn't been for Heartland and Amy? He shook the thought from his mind and finished getting ready.
The smell of bacon and eggs filled the villa as Amy stretched. She smiled, knowing that Ty was in the kitchen making breakfast for them. Walking into the bathroom, she combed the snarls out of her now dry hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. After dabbing some eye cream around her eyes to help hide the circles, she pulled her robe on and walked out to the kitchen. Coming up behind Ty, she wrapped her arms around him.
"Hey, I was making you breakfast in bed," he said as he turned to plant a kiss on her head.
"Sorry, it smelled so good. I couldn't wait." She kissed him back. Ty pulled out the chair for her and then went to get the plate he'd placed on the tray. He'd made eggs and bacon, and the croissants they'd bought at the bakery just down the street sat on the table.
Amy smiled that smile, the one she saved just for him. It always made him feel loved, and he reached to pull her in for a kiss. "I love you."
"I love you too, and thank you for this," she said as she stuffed her mouth full of eggs.
"You're welcome, but I lost the bet, remember."
"I do, and I'm really glad you did because I'm hungry."
Ty laughed, sitting down to join her. They ate in silence, each lost in thought about what this day would bring. It was their first full day in Toulon, and they had no plans other than to relax and enjoy, which was a good thing since they were both tired from the long flight.
Ty was on his side, his back up against the couch, Amy curled up next to him. He was looking at some travel brochures they'd picked up. She watched him intently, her mind going back to when she first met the supposed bad boy Ty Borden. He'd come to Heartland on probation, her mom having arranged for him to serve out his time working on the ranch. He'd come into her life when she was hurting and angry, lashing out at everyone, trying to hide how guilty she felt for her mom's death.
Ty pushed against everything he came in contact with back then, even her. They were two lost souls, complete opposites from one another, yet somehow they connected. A smile crossed her face as she remembered their first kiss. It was in the barn after she had won the Fall Finale with his help as her coach. No one understood her better than Ty. It was like he could read her thoughts.
Ty was talking to her, and when she didn't respond, he looked down to see her staring into space. He brushed her cheek, pulling her in close and planting a kiss on her lips.
"Where were you just now?" he asked.
"I was thinking about us and who we were when we first met. No one would've imagined that we would be married someday, least of all us."
He smiled at her. "I did."
She turned to look at him, questioning his words. "No, you didn't."
He nodded. "Yes, I did, Amy. I knew the minute I laid eyes on you that I was going to marry you."
She huffed. "You didn't even like me at first, so how can you say that, Ty Borden."
"Because watching you work with Spartan made me fall in love with you, and I knew I should never let that spunky horsey girl go. I won't lie to you; there were times when I doubted that it would happen, but look where we are now." His arms held her tight as his lips left sweet kisses down her jaw line. She settled into his chest, enjoying being wrapped in his arms. He made her feel so safe.
They lay around together until late afternoon, deciding to get dressed and find a place to eat dinner and take a stroll around town. The weather was cool with a stiff breeze blowing off the water. They took a cab to the harbor and found a nice restaurant to eat in. After dinner, they strolled hand in hand down the quaint little streets, stopping to gaze in the windows until Amy was shivering. Ty held her up against him as he hailed a cab. They snuggled together in the back seat as they rode back to the villa.
He made a fire and found some music on the radio as they curled up on the couch. His fingers twirled the ends of her hair as she lay beside him. The steady rhythm of Ty's heartbeat filled her ears. It felt so good to be here, finally married. They hadn't had much alone time with Ty's studying and work schedule, and this felt like heaven. It was something she'd dreamed about for a long time.
Her eyes were sparkling, her body moving into his, pulling his lips down to hers. The kiss was so soft and sensual that it took his breath away.
The glow of the fire illuminated her skin as he made slow, sweet love to her, working her body up to that final crescendo when nothing else mattered but the two of them and the love they shared. Pulling the blanket over them, Amy nuzzled her face into his neck. Ty's head rested on the pillow as he drifted off to sleep, letting her fill his dreams.
The sun was shining brightly through the windows of the villa when Ty awoke. His wife was missing from his arms. Thoughts of the night before brought a smile to his face. Hearing the water running, he knew Amy was in the shower. Opening the door, he brought his body up behind her and enveloped her in his arms.
"Ty! You scared me!" She slapped his arms, but she was grinning.
Brushing the hair off her shoulders, he placed a kiss on her neck. "Good morning, Mrs. Borden."
She smiled and leaned back against his chest. "Good morning, Mr. Borden. You know, you could've given me a little warning."
"But what fun would that be?" He nuzzled his face into her neck.
She turned in his arms and kissed him sweetly. "You know I love you."
"I do, and I love you too." He returned her kiss. The kissing continued until Amy realized it was getting late and they had plans for the afternoon. She left Ty in the shower with a warning to finish up as she went to get dressed.
They spent the afternoon walking along the beach and soaking up the sun. Being from Canada, their skin was pale and would burn easily. Luckily Amy had been warned by Lisa to pack sunscreen. She spread it over Ty's back and shoulders and then moved to his chest, having a hard time concentrating on the task at hand. Ty smiled to himself.
It was his turn to put it on Amy, and he took his time enjoying her reaction to the motion of his hands. If he wasn't mistaken, he thought he heard her moan as he massaged the lotion over her shoulders and down to her bikini top. He had never seen Amy in a bikini before, and she was breathtaking. When he was done, he leaned in to kiss her cheek. "You look stunning, Mrs. Borden." Her breath sent shivers down his spine.
"Thank you. You don't look half bad yourself, Mr. Borden." She smiled up at him.
They walked along the beach for hours, dipping their feet in the cool water every so often. Not realizing they had crossed over into the topless beach until a beautiful, voluptuous woman walked by Ty and smiled. Amy watched his reaction, relived that Ty smiled back but didn't lose his cool.
"So is that why you've been spending so much time in Lisa's villa without a shirt on?" Ty asked her with a teasing grin.
Amy snuggled closer to him and shot him a suggestive smile. "Well, you know what they say. When in France…" Looking Ty straight in the eyes, she untied the back of her top and let it fall away.
"Amy!" Ty gasped with a laugh as his eyes roamed over her.
Amy grinned and shrugged, reaching for his hand, and kept on walking. Finally, they made their way to the end of the beach and a bath house where they could change into their street clothes. They walked along the narrow streets until they stopped at one of the little cafes to grab some dinner. Enjoying the sights and sounds of the area, they made their way back to the center of town and hailed a cab for the ride back to the villa.
Tired from the fresh air and walk on the beach, they turned in early. Ty was awakened by the feel of the bed shaking. At least that's what it felt like until he realized it was Amy shaking beside him.
"Amy, are you okay?"
"No."
He put his hand to her head; she was burning up with fever. He got up and turned on the light, coming over to her side of the bed. He knelt down beside her, his eyes growing wide as he saw her upper body. The skin on her breasts was bright red and covered with blisters. "Oh, my god," he said, muffling a gasp.
He quickly went and turned on the water in the tub, making it cool to the touch. He gently placed her in the tub, letting the water cover her burned skin. He searched for a thermometer in their bag with no luck, but he did come across the Tylenol instead. He had no way of knowing how high her temperature was, but he hoped the cool water and drugs would break the fever. His concern was for the blisters covering her skin. He knew not to break them, but he was worried about the amount of skin that was affected. Keeping the blisters intact was going to be difficult, and infection was a big concern.
He wrapped her in a towel, careful not to touch the skin on her breasts, and covered her with a robe, waiting for the cab to arrive. Amy was pretty much out of it but wasn't shaking anymore, so he hoped that meant the fever had gone down. They arrived at the hospital, and he was doing his best to explain her symptoms when a nurse walked into the room.
"Hello, my name is Nurse Radcliff." Ty sighed; finally, someone who spoke English. A few hours later, Amy had an IV to help re-hydrate her, and her fever had come down with the help of some medicine. She was beginning to come around.
"Ty where am I?" she asked.
"Hey, how you feeling?" He smiled down at her.
"What happened to me? The last thing I remember is having dinner in the cafe last night."
"Well, you're in the hospital with a severe case of sun poisoning. You were running a fever and dehydrated; that's why you have an IV. So how are you feeling now?" he asked again.
"Okay, but my boobs are really sore." She leaned back on the hospital bed, her lips puckering and tears running down her cheeks. "Now what are we going to do? I can't walk around naked!"
With as straight a face as he could, he said. "I'm okay with you walking around naked."
Despite herself, Amy smiled and shook her head. "You're hopeless, Mr. Borden."
The next couple of days Ty spent trying to console her and reassuring her that it was okay they were stuck in the villa. It felt like the domestic life that they hadn't had before, and he was enjoying it. They managed a short trip to the store close to the villa, with Amy wearing one of her loose-fitting tops. But for the most part they stayed inside, allowing her skin to heal.
They had plans for the end of the week to visit a well-known tourist attraction, Telepherique du Mont Faron. Many regulars had told them that was one place they should see while there. There was a tram ride they were planning on taking to see the views, and Ty was hoping Amy felt well enough to go.
The night before their trip, she was rummaging through her luggage, fretting about what to wear when Ty walked into the bedroom. He hadn't said much because he didn't want to broach the touchy subject, but he'd had a thought.
"Amy, it's a higher elevation, so it'll probably be colder. So what if you don't wear a bra and wear one of my long-sleeved tees? That way nothing will rub directly on your skin, and you can wear your sweater or coat over it and no one will know the difference."
She gave it a thought, and then went over to his suitcase. She looked through his shirts until she found her favorite. Holding it up to her body, she turned to look at Ty.
"Do you think this will look as good on me as it does on you?" Her expression was serious.
He knew she was going to get lost in that shirt but wasn't sure how to answer her, so he took the high road. "Yes, of course, it'll look great on you, Amy."
"So you're saying it will look as good on me?" A small smile crossed her face.
Ty looked up to see that smile and knew what she was doing. "Why you…" He grabbed her waist and tickled her sides until she told him to stop between giggles. He brought her lips to his, softly kissing her while his hands ran down her back. She melted into his arms, forgetting all about the shirt or anything else for that matter.
Hours later, their bodies lay entwined together on the bed. Her fingers drew random patterns on his chest as she wondered how her life would be if Ty Borden had not come to Heartland all those years ago. He was the man of her dreams, and she was so happy to be his wife.
Ty's arms were wrapped securely around his wife. Her touch always sent shivers down his spine. She was the love of his life, and she would never understand what she did to him. He never knew what unconditional love felt like until Amy. She loved him for who he was. If their honeymoon was any indication of how married life would be, he could hardly wait to go on this journey with her.
This was total bliss.