JACE 

The white air balloon is just as magical as the first time. We spend an entire day in the sky. I enjoy teaching Madi how to steer the craft. She doesn't catch on right away; the lever and release process confuses her. She does better the third time around. I enjoy how her perfect hands pull on the strings. I lean to whisper into her ear. "Tug it, dominatrix."   

My wife titters. "I will later." She frees her left hand, her wedding hand, and guide mine with it. Placing our engagement rings in front of the fire. The view is cinematic. The shining city, the orange fire, the sparkle of the diamonds. "The perfect picture...although I want to get the original shot too." Madi eyes the wood banister."We can do both."   

I out my phone to snap the movie worthy frame. I help Madi switch the balloon to hover mode before retreating to the railing where I proposed. I cuddle her from behind and entangle our ring hands together. The rustic city and sunny sky adds the perfect vibe. I capture this shot.  

"Yay!" She smooches my cheek. "We recreated it."

"What about the next part? When you pinned me down?" I trifle.

"Okay, I'll share it and let your fans know I wear the pants." She pokes.

"I dare you to drop it."I know it's a bluff, she's too shy to expose herself to the world in that way. Same as on our wedding night. The garter removal had my bunny hiding her face in humiliation. 

"I will...one day." Madison pins me to the floor and saddles me.

"Is that blackmail?" My hands rub up her back. 

"Maybe." Her lush lips clash onto mine in a heavy makeout. We spend the rest of the day hovering in a starburst sky. Nighttime is even better. We stargaze under the light of the flames at a dot filled sky.  

The next day we ride the carriage all along the stark countryside. Wheel barrels. Farms. Barnes full of livestock. Fishermen reeling in prizes from ponds. Windmills cover a field of yellow poppies. Rabbits bounce alongside the carriage in a charming race. Madi dies from their adorable hopping.Little Venice, a village inspired by Beauty and the Beast, hypes my wife up. "It looks like a painting!!  

The pastel town homes are similar to gingerbread houses. Even the trees are luscious and bright. The river reflects every color of each building. The carriage wheels across a stone bridge. The fantasy town is better once inside. The pebbled streets, and cheerful residents who wave our way, trap us into a fairytale land. We halt the horses and carriage at the end of the village to enjoy the enchanted sunset. 

The next day we ride bikes through Dourdan Forest. The brown dirt road and hyper green trees give an ancient vibe. A place that would fit perfectly in the Lord of the Rings universe. The sunlight cast pillars of light through the branches creating abstract designs along the dirt path. An ethereal beauty. 

On the 4th day I pay an artist, who boast a black chapeau hat, white turtleneck and red scarf. The man's hair is French braided into two pigtails. His accent is beyond thick, he's from a deeper region. I have to focus closely to understand what he's saying. Madi and I pose on a wooden bridge before a cherry blossom tree.   

The 5th day, I row a boat along the La Grotte du Champ de Mars. A lake hidden behind the Eiffel Tower. The water is completely coated by pink flamingos. Who rest atop the water in a gorgeous cluster. I stop rowing when close enough. My baby pats the vibrant birds one by one. "I never seen these before! They're so soft!" 

"Want to see something cool?" 

She cheeses at me. "Yes!" I place my thumb and index finger into my mouth and whistle. The blush-colored birds flap their wings in sync as they fly off. Their fluttering wings sound of thunder clapping. Madi gasps and stands up in the boat. The flamingos soar in uniform lines above our heads, creating a flawless formation. "WOW!" 

MADISON

Thepastelsky touched by dark pink, is unbelievable! I have never seen such inexplicable beauty! I don't know what to say! This is the most amazing thing I've ever witnessed!The swarm of birds break from the line formation to a swirling one. My mouth hangs at the incredible way the birds contort their bodies. 

A tornado funnel of flamingos circle around us. I get a little worried about them attacking, so I grab Jace's hand and squeeze hard. My hubby stands to wrap me in his arms. "They're harmless, we're okay." We gaze up at the sky show, taking in all the splendor.  

On the 6th day, I discover what Jace meant. Aspirin fails to help with the soreness. All three of my holes are tender. I compare it to a swollen jaw. I check myself out in the shower.

I'm red and puffy. I have to be very gentle scrubbing my privates to not aggravate them. My libia must be irritated. There's pain too!I lay in the hotel bed using a long ice pack to ease the discomfort.I feel like I've been punched in the pussy! 

"Ahh, your first bangover." Jace eyes the ice pack between my legs. 

"My first what?"

"It's a hangover but for sex. It took longer than I thought it would."

"How long does it last?"

"A few days."

I groan dramatically. "I hope I'm better for the rest of the honeymoon."

"Is the icing helping?"

I stare down to investigate.The tenderness is going away some. I feel numb."Yeah...the ice is numbing it. But I have to do this all day!" I whine.

My husband lays in bed to snuggle me. "Look at it this way, you've been wanting to spend a day in bed for a while."

"True." I rest my head on his chest.

"Today can be a lazy day."

I guffaw. "I bet you never had a lazy day in your life."

"I have...just not since school. Summer break. Holiday break."

"Hmmm...what did you do?"

"Play darts in bed. I had the board posted to the ceiling. I worked on trick shots with my brothers too. Surfed the web. Called my girlfriend."

"Charge your battery?"

"Yep, I plugged myself up the computer and charged my wired veins."

"I have a feeling that has a double meaning."

"It does...I was a horny teen."

I grin at him. "You still are."

"Compared to back then, I'm a saint."

"What made you change?"

"At one point, men want to settle down. We get tired of hookups."

"Did you ever think about that before me?"

"No...although my parents tried to force that with my first girlfriend."

"Force??? How?"

"My mom planned my future wife, the same as an arranged marriages. She involved Cindy's parents. They all agree to unite our family line and weed out destitute women. To protect a pure reputation."

"Wow...please tell me you're joking??" I peer up at him, his neon green eyes shift to the side.

"I wish I was. My mom called after your recovery...when you left the beach house. She played a mind game, telling me Cindy was single and unmarried. As if that would lure me away. I haven't felt anything for her since high school...yet mom was orchestrating a master plan. I received a friend request from Cindy out of the blue. I'm not sure what she was told."

"That's...insane!"

"That's just my mother...my father has had me tracked by private investigators since my involvement with you."

I wag my head side to side. "I've only seen that in drama shows."

"Try melodramatic."

"I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing to say, all families aren't good."

"I always thought different...but I guess I was wrong."

"No, you're right, that's how it's supposed to be, but...everyone isn't fortunate. I wish I grew up with your family."

I grimace. "You have them now, better late than never."

Jace's irises perform the bouncing motion again. I witness it up close this time. His pupils hover up and down as if controlled by a magnet.I'm not sure he knows about this. I glide my fingers under his eyelids and watch the black expand past the green.I love how they dilate for me! I stare deeply into his wrecked eyes, knowing he feels invincible right now.

The icy fire sensation submerges my entire skeleton. My body overheats. My stomach shreds into a million pieces of bliss. My eyes are drunk...under the influence of his fragile gaze.Our eyes cage as one. For the rest of the day, we snuggle in bed sharing our souls through vulnerable looks.

I'm less sore on day 7, enough to attend a paint and sip event underneath the Eiffel Tower. Many residents take the class. Kids. Teens. Couples. My tiny canvas is splattered, much like a watercolor painting.Jace is better, he must have taken classes before.

He creates abstract art belonging to Picasso. I'm his inspiration. Jace sketches me from our wedding day. My strawberry hair. Tiara. Lace top dress and peach wedding ring.He's sure to make my fingers look better than they actually do. 

I give up on my disastrous project to revel in his masterpiece. The cubism artwork is bizarre and alluring. The different sized shapes which make up my face, hair, and dress are unique puzzle pieces. I rest my head on his shoulder and watch him paint on. I adore how zoned in my hubby is.

It's so sexy when he concentrates. I found another thing I love about him. The crease between his brows. The delicacy of his strokes. The close attention to detail that has him zeroed in.Jace strokes the paint brush across the canvas, forging asymmetric squares. I'm so jealous that I turn my portrait around to hide it. "Don't, it's good."

"It's bad...yours put it to shame."

He shifts me onto his lap and place the paint brush into my hand. "It's easy, watch." My baby guides my hand to draw cube figures. "It's all boxes...the shape doesn't have to be perfect. That's the beauty of Picasso. Imperfection." Jace swipes my hand in a square.

I realize what he means about flaws. The closer I look; I see that his art isn't as neat as I assumed. My hubby just has confidence which makes whatever he touch appear breathtaking.I smugly nod my head like a badass after drawing one pink cube on my own. "Okay, I see what you mean."

Jace sips on wine, then passes the glass to me. Aww, we're sharing a drink. This marks the first time.I grin while drinking after him.

Day 8 is when we depart the city of love. The black and white jet awaits us on a private strip. My yellow dress ripple in the wind as I scroll through the photos I've taken. There are loads of shots of the horses, I love them! The air balloon. The carriage. The pastel village. Bike riding...and sleep selfies I took of Jace. I clasp his hand and swing back and forth. "Where to now?"

"If I tell you, you won't do it."

"Huh?" I cock my head to the side. "Why?"

"It's best I don't answer."

I pinch my mouth sideways. "How scary is it?"

"It's exhilarating...not scary."

"Says a cliff diver." I roll my eyes.

"You can work yourself up to that once you face your fears."

"I'll have a heart attack!"

"I'll be with you, trust me, I'm a pro." Jace helps me into the jet. I strap in while he goes to the cockpit. I spot him whispering something to the AI pilot. 

I can't hear him from here. I wonder where we're going. I think it has to do with jumping from the sky. Which is nerve wrecking. Although, I did ride the air balloon twice and went thousands of feet up. I think I can do whatever it is. 

My lovebug is right, I have to face my fears and have fun. I've been living in a comfort zone all my life.I never traveled or did anything reckless. Never been a dare devil...or lived on the edge. The most I've wild thing I did was ride a motorcycle as a teen. At one point, I have to challenge myself again and stop acting like an old grouch. 

My hubby sits beside me. "Scared?"

"No...I'm considering doing whatever it is without overthinking. Do you have any advice?"

"Just go for it, live a little, everyone has an adrenaline junky in them. Letting that side out is the best high you'll ever feel without drugs."

"Have you ever done drugs?"

"Yeah...snow, speed, lace, LSD. DMT. I was wild in college."

"I only heard of speed...what are the rest?"

"I'd rather keep you oblivious."

"So, I don't do it?"

"Mostly, yeah. It cause the worst panic attacks. I thought I was dying. That's why I stopped. The buzz isn't worth it. Plus, drinking is better."

"I still don't like it that much...despite all the drinks I whipped up."

"That's good, some people get addicted and ruin their lives. I prefer keeping you pure."

"I don't think I'm pure anymore." I deride.

"You are, miss rookie."

I squint at him. "Not for long." I continue swiping through photos. The lake of flamingos. Our paintings. The sunset during the picnic. The gorgeous hotel room, the same one from the first time. A view of the underbelly of the Eiffel Tower. Bakery shops. Florist shops. I think I've taken hundreds of pictures.  

"How would you like a vacation home here?"

I glance over at him. "Is that safe? I thought the island was the best place for us?"

"We're protected. You should let Jess know she can return to work in the US. Any threat will be neutralized from the sky and by my men. They'll patrol from afar to be less conspicuous." 

"And my parents? My mom misses home. The night I told her, she was broken. It's my childhood home...there's sentimental value."

"They can come and go as they please, same as Lil and Jess."

"I'll let them know." I smile. "As for Paris, yes! It's my favorite place ever!"

"For now...wait until you see the rest."

"I'll decide if they're better, which I doubt." I hype up Paris as my little paradise, special to my heart. It's where I was proposed at...nowhere will ever beat it. A few hours into the flight, I realize that we're heading back to America. Hmm. Interesting. This is the first time I've been back since the homeless shelter. My fingers fidget, some just thinking of it. "I'm nervous about going back...after the knife ordeal." I wrap my arm around his chest and hug him tightly.    

My husband notes my anxiety through my jumpy hands, he holds them to steady the jitteriness. "You're safe."

"Say the full thing...you have no idea how much it helps." 

"Because it's true..." He lifts my chin to x ray my eyes. There's complete devotion and protectiveness within his gemstone irises. "I love you...you're safe here because I love you."