A/N: Thanks, as always, for continuing to read, review, and follow! I appreciate it and all of you. Sorry for the later post. Work has been busy, and I'm trying to wrap things up before taking some time off for the rest of the year. I only have two more days of work! Yeah, my evil side came out a little bit on last chapter's cliffhanger, but this is a nice long, fluffy chapter that I hope will make it up to all of you. This one picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
/
Bianca glanced away from the car, and saw that everything was in place. She turned back to her wife who was waiting patiently in the car for her. "Okay, Rissa, slide towards me."
Marissa did as instructed and held out a hand for Bianca to grasp.
"Watch your head."
Once Marissa was out of the limo safely and standing next to her, Bianca took a deep breath and removed the blindfold.
Marissa blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the light. Hazel eyes grew wide with first surprise and then unadulterated joy at what she saw.
"A hot air balloon! You got us a hot air balloon!"
Bianca bit her lip. "Well, it's ours for tonight. Do you like it?"
"I love it!" Marissa's smile was so bright it was almost blinding as she turned to gaze at her wife and wrapped her arms around Bianca. "This is amazing. You are amazing." Marissa rewarded her wife with a kiss. "What gave you the idea?"
"I remembered how much you liked the tethered balloon we rode at the zoo during vacation. So, I thought you might like one that actually goes somewhere other than just up and down."
Marissa laughed, and it was music to Bianca's ears. "Babe, I don't care what we ride or where we go, as long as you're there, I'll be more than happy to be right next to you." Marissa leaned in and captured her wife's lips again. When they separated, Bianca wore the goofy grin that the redhead loved.
"Excuse me, Bianca?"
The brunette glanced over and greeted the man who called her name. "Hi, Steve. How are you doing?"
"I'm good, and it seems like you are too."
Bianca laughed. "Yes, I am. I'd like you to meet my wife. Rissa, this is Steve, and he's our pilot for tonight. Steve, this is my wife Marissa."
"It's nice to meet you, Steve."
"It's nice to meet you too, and happy anniversary."
"Thank you!"
"Are the two of you ready?"
Bianca glanced at Marissa who nodded before she answered. "Yes, we are."
"Great! Before we get started, I need to go over a few things." The pilot directed them over to the hot air balloon and explained a few of the basics to them before discussing safety. "When we get ready to land if the wind speed is over eight miles per hour, I will need you to turn into the balloon, grab these handles and duck down inside the basket. It's just to keep you from jostling around too much. I had a group of kids riding with me a few months ago. They were disappointed that our landing was nice and smooth so they didn't get to do that. Personally, I like the nice and smooth landings."
"Yeah, I'm with you on that." Bianca said.
"I want you to meet someone. This is my wife Becky. She's the brains and beauty behind this whole operation. She's driving our chase car and will be tracking us on GPS. Becky, this is Bianca and Marissa."
"Oh, Bianca, we talked on the phone. It's nice to meet you. You as well, Marissa. Happy anniversary!"
"Thank you! It's nice to meet you too."
"I've been talking to Jimmy, and he knows where we are planning to land. He said he'll meet us there. I also have his cellphone number in case the wind decides to alter your course a little." Becky informed them.
"Any questions?" Steve asked.
"No, we're good."
"Let's get started!" Steve gave his wife a quick kiss and hoisted himself into the balloon's basket. Team members helped Bianca and Marissa in. When they were situated, Steve fired up the tanks, and Becky took Bianca's camera and snapped a couple of quick pictures of the couple. She handed the camera back to Bianca and stepped back as the ropes keeping the balloon tethered were released and it began its slow ascent to its cruising altitude.
Bianca stood behind Marissa with her arms around her waist and rested her chin on her wife's shoulder as she watched Pine Valley from their bird's eye view. "It's beautiful."
Marissa nodded as the two surveyed their hometown now beneath them. "It really is, and it's so peaceful too. It doesn't feel like we're moving, but I know we are.
"So, you really like it?"
"I do. This is amazing and so much better than just being tethered like we were at the zoo. Hey, there's are house!"
"You're right!" Bianca smiled and wrapped her arms tighter around Marissa who leaned further back into the loving embrace.
The couple continued to enjoy their ride as they glided through the air. Along the way, they pointed out various places they recognized to each other as well as several local landmarks, and Bianca took several pictures as they floated by.
"Are you up for trying something?" Steve asked as they approached the Pine Valley harbor.
Marissa glanced at Bianca who was smiling brightly and answered for them. "Definitely."
"Great! I like doing this when I can, and I think you'll like it."
The pilot lowered the balloon so that the bottom of the basket skimmed across the top of the water, and the couple laughed delighted with the experience.
"This is so cool. You were right."
"I love it!"
"I'm glad you like it." Steve then adjusted the burner, and the balloon began to rise again.
The sun was beginning to set, and the view they had from the balloon was breathtaking. It gave Marissa an idea. She pulled out her cellphone.
"I think we need a picture."
Bianca nodded. "I think you're right."
"While I can't help you there, let me see if I can do something." Steve said as he maneuvered the balloon deftly to give the couple the perfect angle for their picture. The pilot would've taken a picture of them, but he needed to keep an eye on what he was doing. The couple more than understood.
"Don't worry. We got it. Rissa's really good at selfies."
Bianca settled behind her wife and wrapped her arms around her. Marissa extended her arms with the cellphone in hand.
"Ready?"
"Yep!"
The couple smiled brightly, and Marissa snapped a few photos. The first one had them both looking straight at the camera with smiles firmly in place and the setting sun just off to the side. In another one of the shots, Bianca surprised her wife with a kiss on the cheek, and Marissa returned the favor in another one. They even managed to get a good shot of them kissing each other. Steve chuckled as he glanced over at the couple and caught part of their impromptu photo session before they ended it to take in the view and simply enjoy it.
"There's our landing spot."
Bianca and Marissa looked to where the pilot indicated and could see their limo as well as the chase vehicle. While they were both sad to see the ride come to an end, they were anxious to continue their evening and celebration.
As he began to lower the balloon, Steve noted that the wind speed was a little fast. "The wind is a just little too strong for a normal landing. I need you to grab the handles and duck down like we talked about earlier."
The couple nodded and did as instructed. They touched down, and the wind drug their balloon several feet. Bianca and Marissa were laughing when they finally came to a stop, the basket at an angle. The crew raced over and tipped the basket the rest of the way so it was on its side. Bianca and Marissa crawled out with huge smiles on their faces.
"Steve, that was amazing! Thank you so much!"
"Those kids don't know what they missed! It was great, Steve! Thank you!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed the ride."
"We loved it!"
"Happy anniversary."
"Thank you."
They all shook hands before Bianca and Marissa headed to their limo where Jimmy was waiting while Steve and his crew began disassembling the balloon set up.
When they were settled in the limo, Jimmy glanced back to the couple. "Did you enjoy the ride? That landing looked pretty fun."
"It was amazing and really fun, just like my wife." Marissa grinned before kissing Bianca lovingly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Are you hungry?"
"Starving."
"Next stop please, Jimmy."
"You got it."
/
Bianca had originally thought about dinner at the Yacht Club or even their room, but then, she came up with something that she thought was better, something that fit them better. When Jimmy pulled up to their favorite bistro, Marissa's beaming smile told Bianca she had chosen wisely. The couple was seated at a candlelit table in a cozy corner and started the second phase of the evening's activities with wine and appetizers before deciding on their main course. Jimmy was surprised to find Lisa there waiting for him at a table of their own. He couldn't believe that Bianca had arranged that. When he thought about it though, he wasn't really surprised. Both Bianca and Marissa were probably the most generous people he had ever known. Bianca simply told him to enjoy himself, and that they would give him ample warning for when they were ready to leave.
The couple enjoyed a leisurely dinner before being surprised with dessert by their server. Marissa and Bianca were staff favorites, and when their server told the chef that the couple was there and was celebrating their anniversary, she decided to treat them and whip up something special for them which they graciously accepted. Bianca paid the bills, and they headed to their final destination for the evening, the Yacht Club.
When they arrived there, Bianca told Jimmy he was free for the rest of the evening, and Marissa confirmed when they would need him the next day. The couple then went to check in. They didn't need to worry about their bags since Jimmy had dropped them off earlier while they were enjoying the hot air balloon ride, and then, the bags had been delivered to their suite where they were waiting for their owners.
/
As opposed to the last time Bianca and Marissa stayed overnight at the Yacht Club, there was no one else in the elevator car on the ride up to their floor. As soon as the doors closed, Marissa was instantly pressed up against the back of the car. Bianca greedily captured her wife's lips, and the redhead moaned in delight. The brunette deepened the kiss and swiped her tongue along Marissa's bottom lip, silently asking for greater access. Marissa eagerly granted it, and tongues began to explore and claim. Just as things began to escalate, the elevator bell dinged, and the doors opened. The couple reluctantly separated, and Marissa pulled Bianca out of the elevator and down the hallway towards their room.
Marissa remembered how Bianca distracted her on their honeymoon so she could carry the redhead over the threshold. It only seemed right to her that turnabout was fair play this time around. The redhead fumbled with the room's keycard that Bianca had given her and accidentally dropped it.
"Oh, sorry. Would you get that for me, B?"
"No problem."
Bianca bent down to retrieve the keycard. As she began to straighten up, that's when Marissa jumped into action. She scooped Bianca up in her arms and earned a surprised squeak from her wife.
"Rissa! Put me down! You're going to hurt yourself."
Marissa shook her head and grinned. "Nope, not gonna happen. You carried me over the threshold on our honeymoon so I'm carrying you over it tonight. Deal with it."
Bianca laughed and kissed her wife. "You win, I give."
"Smart woman." Marissa maneuvered Bianca closer to the door so she could swipe the keycard and then turn the door's handle allowing them access to their suite.
After the couple entered their room, Bianca pushed the door closed with her foot as her lips found her wife's. Marissa gently lowered Bianca without breaking the kiss. The couple slowly separated a minute or so later.
Wide smiles spread across their faces as they took in the suite and the foursome's handiwork. The room was bathed in soft candlelight, and the couple's favorite flowers were placed around the suite. On a table, they found two crystal wine glasses and a bottle of wine from their honeymoon along with a platter of chocolate covered strawberries.
"It looks almost exactly like it did on our honeymoon."
"It does. I can't believe them. I can't believe they did all of this for us." Bianca had simply made the reservation for the suite and ordered some flowers. She didn't tell the Yacht Club's owner that they would be there for their anniversary. Bianca didn't want Evelyn to go out of her way for them. The woman had been more than generous in her dealings with the Miranda Center so Bianca didn't want to take advantage. It was obvious though that Kendall and Greenlee had stepped in to recreate the atmosphere of their honeymoon night for the couple. Bianca and Marissa didn't know yet that Jo and Rafaela had lent a hand as well.
Marissa saw a note taped to the room's mini-fridge and read it. The redhead opened the refrigerator and laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"Somehow, they got the top tier of our cake here. I would've sworn there was no way they could've gotten their hands on it."
"You should know by now not to underestimate either of them." It was now Bianca's turn to laugh as she felt the platter with the strawberries. "This is still pretty cool."
"They had to have just left then. I'd say they are getting their money's worth out of the maid's uniforms and keycard."
The couple glanced at each other. "The deadbolt!"
"I'll get it." Bianca said as she immediately walked over to the door and slid the deadbolt into place.
Marissa sighed. "The last thing I want is for Greenlee to walk in on us."
"Yeah, not something I want either."
The couple gazed at each other for several moments before Marissa cleared her throat. "I'll put the strawberries in fridge for later, and then, I'm going to go change into something I think you might like."
"Okay. I'll change out here and pour us some wine. Oh, and Rissa?"
"Yeah?" The redhead turned from refrigerator.
"I'll love whatever you have."
Marissa blushed slightly before she grabbed her bag and headed to the bathroom.
/
Bianca changed and fluffed her hair as she looked in a mirror. It was then that something caught her eye in the mirror's reflection. She walked over and saw Marissa's iPod. It had been hooked up to a docking station and speakers, and there was a note that simply read 'Play Me'. Bianca shook her head. "You didn't miss a thing."
"Hey."
Bianca whipped around and inhaled sharply. "Hey yourself. Wow. Absolutely beautiful."
Marissa's eyes raked over her wife's body. "You're one to talk. You're stunning. Red looks really good on you."
"Well, red has become my favorite color." Bianca teased. She had bought the ruby red silk teddy on impulse earlier that week and hoped her wife would like it. Judging by the darkening hazel eyes, she was right. Warm chocolate eyes moved over Marissa's body in slow appreciation of the royal blue silk teddy that hugged her curves perfectly. "When did you get that?"
"Last week. Do you like it?"
Bianca held out a glass of wine for her wife. "I love it, and I love you."
"I love you too. Happy anniversary."
"Happy anniversary."
They clinked their glasses together, and Marissa took a sip and humming appreciatively as she enjoyed the wine purchased on their honeymoon for the first time.
"Oh, it seems they left us one more surprise."
"My iPod? How? You know, I'm just going to stop asking at this point."
"Good idea." Bianca laughed as she pressed play.
Martina McBride's voice started to sing 'I Just Call You Mine', the song they danced to at their wedding.
Marissa set her glass down and held out her hand. "Could I have the honor of this dance, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery?"
Bianca grinned and placed her hand in her wife's. "It would be my pleasure, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery."
They wrapped their arms around each other and swayed together as music filled the air. Marissa rested her head on her wife's shoulder as Bianca pulled her closer. A moment later, their eyes locked, and they instantly knew what the other was thinking. They each took a small step back. Bianca slowly lowered first one strap and then the other of her wife's teddy. With a slight wiggle, it pooled around Marissa's feet. Bianca's eyes darkened as her eyes raked over her wife's body. "My god, you are so beautiful. The brunette's voice was husky with desire.
Marissa then gently lowered the straps of her wife's gown, placing a kiss on each shoulder as she did. Hazel eyes dilated as she watched the silk glide down Bianca's body and pool on the floor. "You are stunning." Marissa rasped.
The couple leaned back in for a loving kiss which began to escalate. Without breaking the kiss, Bianca began to walk backwards towards the bed with Marissa following more than willingly. Since she was walking backwards, the brunette didn't see just how close she was to the edge of the bed. She bumped into it and lost her balance causing her to fall backwards and pull her wife with her. Marissa landed on top of Bianca, and once they caught their breath and realized what happened, they burst out laughing.
"That was really smooth." Bianca shook her head.
Marissa started to lift herself off of her wife.
Bianca wrapped her arms around the redhead. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I want to make sure you're okay. I did land on you kind of hard."
"I'm fine. Okay, I'm a little embarrassed, but the only things that hurt are my pride and ego."
Marissa lowered her voice an octave. "Is there anything I can do to help take the sting out of either?"
"I can think of a few things." Bianca grinned before flipping them over, their bodies melding together perfectly. The brunette captured Marissa's lips. It started off languid but picked up in fervor with their tongues again engaged in a loving duel as they were eagerly granted access to plunder and claim. Bianca slowly pulled back and smirked at Marissa's whimper at the loss of contact. The brunette's lips began to blaze a trail along her wife's jawline and neck, and her seduction began in earnest.
"Vous êtes belle. Je t'aime. Je vous adore."
Hearing Bianca speak French was like music to Marissa's ears and aroused her more than she could say every single time she did so, and her wife knew it. It was the same when the redhead spoke in Portuguese to Bianca. The combination of what her wife was both doing and saying elicited a moan from Marissa. "Oh dear god."
Bianca grinned upon receiving the response she wanted and continued down to Marissa's breasts, her tongue began to torturously tease a hardened nipple while her hands caressed and roamed freely. "Vous êtes mon monde. Vous êtes mon tout." After thoroughly ravishing the one breast, she released it and traversed the redhead's body over to the other one to show it equal attention. It was only fair after all. "Vous êtes mon Coeur. Vous êtes mon âme."
Marissa ground herself on Bianca's thigh wanting, needing more. Bianca smiled when she heard the moans and pleading from her wife as the brunette teased her.
"Dammit, B, please."
Understanding what her wife needed, Bianca gave into those pleas and began to slowly move lower towards where Marissa desperately needed her most, placing tender kisses along every inch and nipping those particularly sensitive spots that had Marissa inhaling sharply and mumbling incoherently. Reaching her final destination, Bianca slowly slid her tongue past her wife's soaked outer folds and into her aching core. Marissa arched her back as she grasped silken locks and pulled Bianca even closer. The redhead began to unravel from the ecstasy brought on by Bianca's oh so talented tongue while her wife drank in all of Marissa. Bianca moved her mouth to her wife's throbbing clit and began to suck as she slid two fingers inside Marissa, curling them and sending the redhead tumbling over the edge and crying out in rapture as each thrust hit that most sensitive spot. Bianca gazed as her wife slowly recovered. It was a sight that the brunette loved, and one she knew deep within her soul that she would never grow tired of.
When Marissa's breathing slowed down, she opened her eyes knowing Bianca would be watching her and smiled. "Hey."
"Hey. Have I told you how much I love you and how happy you make me?"
"While I don't know French all that well, I'm going to take a guess you told me that several minutes ago." Marissa grinned.
Bianca laughed and leaned in for a kiss. "Good guess, Counselor."
Marissa took advantage of Bianca's momentary distraction and flipped their positions with the brunette now pinned beneath her. "I think I need to show you just how much I love you and cherish you." The redhead crashed her lips into Bianca's for a searing kiss. As soon as the brunette attempted to deepen it, Marissa pulled back with a smirk. The redhead quickly leaned back in. This time however, she avoided Bianca's waiting lips. Marissa's lips began to roam and soon found the one spot that she knew drove Bianca crazy causing her wife to moan loudly. The redhead grinned as she felt Bianca's hands gripping her back, pulling her closer. Marissa's lips continued their travels and reached her next destination, her wife's breasts where she began to feast on one causing Bianca to arch her back, straining and urging Marissa to take more. After completely ravishing the one, Marissa eagerly paid equal attention to the other before moving downward. Bianca whimpered at the loss at first before feeling soft lips continue their loving path further along her body causing her arousal to grow by the second. The redhead was spurred on by the sounds she was eliciting from Bianca. "Eu quero que você e só você, meu amor."
"Please, Rissa. I need you. God how I need you." The throbbing between her legs had Bianca urging her wife lower where she desperately ached for her.
Marissa obliged and slid her tongue past soaked outer folds where she began her exquisite torture of Bianca in earnest. The redhead ran her tongue up the full length of Bianca's slit before taking the sensitive bundle of nerves into her mouth and sucking hard. The brunette jerked and bowed her back encouraging her wife to take more. Marissa teased more and released the now throbbing clit before she plunged her tongue into Bianca's core. Soft copper locks were pulled tighter as the brunette begged for more. Fingers replaced Marissa's bewitching tongue as she returned to claim her wife's lips. Bianca moaned as she tasted herself on Marissa's tongue. Marissa began to thrust and build a rhythm as Bianca ground down on the fingers working their magic. The redhead could feel her wife getting closer to climax as inner walls began to clench. Marissa curled her fingers and thrust again finding that spot that had Bianca scream her name. A wave of ecstasy crashed over the brunette, and Marissa helped her ride out her orgasm. Bianca went limp, and her wife gave her a loving kiss before pulling her into her arms and holding her.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
When her breathing was back under control, Bianca rolled over and was now lying on top of her wife with a wicked grin on her face. "Ready for round two?"
Marissa laughed. "Always."
/
A happy sigh escaped from Bianca as she woken up by her favorite alarm clock, her wife's soft lips.
"Morning."
"Morning. Happy anniversary!" Marissa beamed.
Bianca returned the smile. "Happy anniversary!"
The couple shared a languid kiss before resting their foreheads together.
"Want me to order some breakfast?"
Marissa grinned. "I already did. It should be here any minute."
"How long have you been up?"
"Not long. I had to make a couple of calls about today's plans."
"Do I get to know what you have planned yet?"
"Nope!"
"Hmmm, I wonder if I could get you to talk, Counselor."
"Well, I wouldn't be adverse to you trying. You know me. I'm always up for a challenge." Before Marissa could continue, she was interrupted by a knock on the door. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait. Breakfast is here." The redhead grabbed a robe and walked to the door. She waited until Bianca had put her robe on as well before opening it.
As the server set everything up, Bianca wrapped her arms around Marissa and whispered in her ear. "This will just give me more energy to make you talk."
"Bring it, Babe." Marissa grinned before signing for breakfast and tipping the server. "Oh, B, you want to grab the cake out of the fridge? We can have some for breakfast."
"Good idea. We can't tell the kids we had cake for breakfast though. Our Mom cred would go out the door." Bianca laughed.
"Yeah, you're right. It would. I won't tell them if you don't." Marissa's cellphone rang, and she glanced at the caller id. "It's home." She answered the phone with Bianca right by her side, and they were greeted by their children yelling 'Happy anniversary' into the other end of the line. The couple laughed and happily chatted with them, Jessica, and Jo for a few minutes before ending the call.
As they ate, a call came through on Bianca's cellphone from Erica and Jack wishing them a happy anniversary as well. They received one more call, and it was from Kendall which like the other calls was put on speaker so both Bianca and Marissa could talk.
"Happy anniversary!"
"Thanks, Kendall, and thank you for your additions to the room. The strawberries were wonderful."
"You're welcome, but I can't take all of the credit. I had some help. Check your cellphone, Red."
Marissa checked her cellphone and saw a text message had just been received. The redhead laughed and showed the picture she had received to her wife. It was a smiling Kendall, Greenlee, Jo, and Rafaela. "We knew something was up when we saw you talking to Jo on Friday."
"That would be Ruthie."
"And Rafaela?"
"Rosalind or Rosie for short."
"I can't believe you roped her into this too." Bianca shook her head.
"Oh, she was more than happy to help, and she was a little disappointed that she didn't have a uniform."
Marissa chuckled. "Of course she was.
"I just sent you something else, Red."
The redhead gasped as she viewed the latest photo. Bianca had the same reaction when she saw it. It was a photo of the two of them in the hot air balloon.
"How?" Bianca asked dumbfound as to how her sister had managed to catch a picture of them mid-flight.
"You told me about the balloon. So, I looked the company up online and saw the normal flight path. Jo brought one of Jessica's cameras over with a killer lens on the off chance we might see you float by while we were here. It paid off for us."
"Wow. Thanks, Kendall. Best sister-in-law, ever."
Kendall laughed. "Right back at you, Red."
"Thank you, Kendall. You are definitely the best sister, ever."
"You're welcome, and so are you, Binx. Okay, I'm going. I can hear the little diva. Have fun today."
/
With breakfast finally finished, the couple shared a shower. Marissa said it was to conserve water, and Bianca was more than happy to go along with her and decided to use the opportunity to try and get a sneak peek of what her wife had planned for them. The redhead didn't crack though, but Bianca couldn't bring herself to be disappointed by that. They finally dressed and packed, and when they were done, they received a call from Jimmy informing them that he was downstairs waiting for them. When the couple was in the limo, Jimmy drove them to Krystal's.
"What are we doing here?" Bianca asked.
"I have to pick something up." Marissa gave her wife a quick kiss. "I'll be right back."
Jimmy opened the door for the redhead and waited outside. She returned a minute later with a picnic basket which she handed to Jimmy to put in the front seat. Krystal followed Marissa out of the restaurant and poked her head into the limo when Jimmy opened the door back up for the redhead.
"Happy anniversary, Bianca."
"Thanks, Krystal. So, what does she have planned?"
"Oh, I've been sworn to secrecy. Sorry. I can tell you that I think you're going to love it though."
"If Rissa planned it, I'm sure I will."
"Have fun."
"Thanks again, Krystal. I appreciate you putting that together for me." Marissa said.
"You're welcome."
/
"Horseback riding!" Bianca lit up when she saw they were headed to Pine Valley Stables. "But you don't particularly like riding."
"I never said that. I'm just not all that great at it, like you are."
"Are you going to be okay doing this then?"
"I will be. You love riding. It makes you happy, and I love making you happy."
"You make me happy."
"You make me happy too. Besides, I may have been practicing some."
"You've been practicing? For me?"
Marissa shrugged. "Yeah. I wanted to get better so we can ride together."
Bianca grinned and pulled the redhead to her for a loving kiss. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I figured we can ride for a little, and then, there's this clearing where we can have our picnic lunch."
"Sounds perfect!"
"Good. Okay, let's saddle up."
/
"You've been holding out on me, Rissa. You're really good." Bianca said as she dismounted before helping Marissa off her horse.
"I wouldn't say that, but I will say that I've gotten better. I'm definitely more comfortable on a horse now. Are you having a good time?"
Bianca nodded happily as the couple walked with hands linked while their horses trailed behind them. The couple had been riding for close to two hours. In that time, they had explored the various trails on the property, and when they had come upon a wide open field, Marissa had encouraged Bianca to let loose and race her horse like she knew her wife was aching to do. Bianca had been hesitant at first because she didn't want to leave her wife alone, but Marissa assured her that she would be just fine hanging back and watching her. What sealed the deal for the brunette though was Marissa's admission that she found Bianca extremely hot as she rode with abandon. After a quick kiss, Bianca and her horse took off. Marissa watched in awe at the ease her wife displayed as she controlled the horse as they galloped around the field. When Bianca rode back to join her, the redhead noted her wife's beaming smile, the way her eyes shined, and the flush on her skin from the thrill of her ride. Marissa found Bianca simply breathtaking and knew she had chosen the perfect gift for the woman who had captured her heart. When the Bianca returned from her solo ride, they had decided to take a break and have some lunch.
"Oh yeah, I'm having the best time. This is amazing. I can't believe you took riding lessons without me knowing."
Marissa shrugged. "I did it during lunch. When I came up with this idea, I talked to the owner. She normally doesn't give riding lessons, but I explained why I wanted them and how important it was. She remembered us from the time I had been thrown, and felt bad about what happened. I told her I didn't blame her. I just wanted to get better so I wouldn't embarrass myself. We came to a mutually beneficial arrangement. I gave her some legal advice, and she gave me lessons."
Bianca laughed. "She didn't stand a chance saying no to you. I know I don't."
The couple came to a halt, and Bianca's eyes widened as she took in the view. The clearing was surrounded by wildflowers and trees, and a small stream ran nearby.
"Oh wow. This is beautiful, Rissa."
"So are you. Wait until you see what we have for lunch."
"That's why we stopped at Krystal's."
Marissa pulled her wife along to the secluded spot where a picnic basket and blanket were waiting for them. "Yep. I had her put something together for us. While you were checking out your horse, I gave it to one of the staff members to run out here for us, and they'll pick it up later. The horses can graze while we eat." Marissa had also arranged lunch for Jimmy while he waited for them. Both women wanted to make sure that he was taken care of while he did them the favor of driving them around.
They spread out the blanket and sat down. Marissa opened the basket and pulled out a bottle of wine, two wine glasses and a corkscrew. "If you would open the wine, I'll take care of the rest."
"It would be my pleasure." Bianca poured them each a glass of wine and then re-corked the bottle. It was then that she saw what her wife had arranged for their lunch. The club sandwiches which they both loved had been kept cool for them, and what Bianca saw next had her laughing. There had been heated containers inside the basket as well, and inside them were the ingredients for Krystal's famous chili cheese fries, Bianca's weakness. Marissa was now assembling the dish for them to enjoy. "Oh my god, this is perfect. You never cease to amaze me."
"Just wait until you see dessert."
"If it's Krystal's chocolate cake, I will love you forever."
Marissa grinned. "Lucky me then!"
Bianca laughed and rewarded her wife a loving kiss before they started to eat. The couple decided to take a break before they had dessert and simply enjoy their peaceful surroundings. Marissa reclined against a tree while Bianca laid on the blanket with her head resting in her wife's lap. The redhead played with silken brunette locks which had Bianca sighing contentedly.
"Thank you for today. This was perfect."
"You're welcome, and you deserve no less. Thank you for yesterday. It was perfect too." Marissa leaned down and kissed waiting lips.
When they separated just a hair's breadth apart, Bianca waggled her eyebrows. "You up for another round, Counselor?"
"With you, always." Marissa grinned before capturing her wife's lips again.
/
After they had made love and had dessert, the couple packed everything back up in the basket for it to be retrieved later, and then, they got back on their horses for a leisurely ride back to the stables. Once the horses were returned, Bianca and Marissa got back into the limo and headed home to spend the rest of their anniversary with their children.
/
A/N: A few years ago, I took a hot air balloon ride when I was on vacation in New Mexico. It was amazing. What happened with the landing in this chapter happened to us, except there were more of us in the basket. There were three divided sections, one for the pilot and the other two for the passengers. My section ended up on the bottom when they tipped the basket over. Every single person was cracking up as we crawled out. It was a blast. If you get the chance to ride in one, do it!
Okay, translation time! I'm hoping Google didn't steer me wrong on the French and Portuguese translations. I'll see you soon!
Je t'aime = I love you
Je vous adore = I adore you
Vous êtes mon monde = You are my world
Vous êtes mon tout = You are my everything
Vous êtes mon Coeur = You are my heart
Vous êtes mon âme = You are my soul
Vous êtes belle = You are beautiful
Eu quero que você e só você, meu amor= I want you and only you, my love