Bette was staring into the remnants of what had been their own little private bonfire, her contentment glowing on her face, matching the embers in the fire. “Thank you Tina, this has been such a wonderful day.”

After sharing their “ring” stories, they had spent the rest of the day playing in the water…especially Milaine…lying in the sun, and doing their very best to eat all the food that Tina had brought. After dinner, Tina had built them a fire in the outside pit, and she had instructed Milaine in how to make a S’more. Milaine had been like a kid all day, and the extra tasty treats by the fire were the perfect way for her to end this fun-filled day, which had been full of firsts for her. She had worn herself out and had gone to bed about 15 minutes earlier. Well, at least that’s what she told them. In reality, she just wanted to give the two women some quiet time together, so she went to her room to read.

“I know Milaine had a ball today, and I…well, I can’t tell you how much it means to me to spend this kind of time together with both of you. I love you both so much…I only hope that you can learn to love each other as well.”

“Oh, I don’t think you will have a problem there, Baby. How could I not love Milaine? Not only is she your daughter, she is so much like you. She emulates you in so many ways, that I think unless you told people she was adopted, no one would ever know.”

Bette sat up a little straighter, with such a look of pride and happiness on her face. She could never get tired of, or take for granted, hearing things like that. “Really?”

“Oh yea Babe…really.” Tina smiled. “What about you? Did you enjoy the day?”

“Well, there were certainly some new experiences for me today, that’s for sure.”

Tina, whose eyes were also being hypnotized by the fire, laughed softly. “New huh…but not fun?”

Bette couldn’t help the smile from creeping onto her face. “It was new, and absolutely fun. All except for the muck part.” She finally pulled her eyes from the fire to look at Tina’s face, which was rosy from the heat. “But, you know I would do anything for you Tina…and now that I know what is in that locket, I would dig through that muck handful by handful all day long, if I had to.”

Tina looked over and smiled. “Aw Baby…that is so sweet.” She raised her eyebrows. “So, you would do anything, huh?”

Bette looked back down into the fire, hesitating for just a moment. Then she raised her eyes back to Tina, with a look of such love, that Tina’s breath caught in her throat. In a voice that was just above a whisper, Bette said, “I hope so, Baby.”

Tina had an idea of what Bette meant by that, but it wasn’t a discussion she wanted to go into tonight, so she kept on with what she had been thinking about all day. “Well…I have been looking at you, and looking at that water all day…just dying to get the three of us together.”

Bette, who had been enjoying the warmth of the fire, and had been looking forward to crawling into bed next to Tina, shivered at the thought of getting back into the water at this time of night. She turned to Tina with a look that conveyed so much discomfort, that Tina had to laugh.

“Oh T…you’re not going to make me go back into that water tonight, are you? Baby, there is a perfectly good, and comfortable bed, I might add, right up there in that house. Wouldn’t that be more…enticing than that cold, dark water?”

Tina got up and walked around behind Bette, leaned down against her back and wrapped her arms around her neck. Brushing her lips against her ear, she whispered, “Aw Baby, I thought you said you would do anything for me.” She reached down and softly cupped Bette’s right breast, slowly circling her finger around and around her most sensitive part, without actually touching it. Bette sucked in her breath, the caress taking her by surprise. “Besides, you don’t have to get in the water. I have a queen size air mattress for us to float around on…come on, we will be making love on the water, under this beautiful moon, rocking with the waves. It will be so worth it…I promise.”

Bette closed her eyes, and leaned back into Tina, letting a soft moan escape from her lips, as Tina finally allowed her fingers to pinch and then graze across Bette’s now, erect nipple. “God Tina. I can’t believe how much I want you. I was always told that when a woman reached my age, that her ***** drive slowed down…well, I am here to tell you..that is so NOT true! My ***** drive is higher now than it was twenty years ago.”

Tina giggled into Bette’s ear. “Maybe it has something to do with the fact that up until the day before yesterday, we hadn’t made love with each other for 15 years…you think? Maybe our bodies just want to make up for all that lost time.” Tina stopped, realizing what she just said. “Oh God Baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that your time with Nica was lost, I just meant…”

“Shhh Tina.” Bette reached her hand up behind her, gently laying it on Tina’s cheek. “It’s Ok, I know what you meant. I remember that no matter what was happening in the rest of our relationship, our bodies always craved each other. Now that we are together again, it’s no different. That and the fact that neither one of us had had ***** in three years. It’s no wonder we are both so…anxious around each other.”

Tina tightened her hold around Bette’s neck, breathing a sigh of relief. She truly didn’t want Bette to think that she was discounting her years with Nica…she just meant…’God, she’s right,’ she thought. Her body still craved Bette’s, just as much as it had for the seven years they were together. “Well, my ***** drive is just as strong now, as it was when we first met…so are you going to help me with that, and float around with me for a while?”

Bette sighed, still not convinced that floating around OUT THERE would be better than Tina’s comfy bedroom. “Baby, won’t it be cold out there…I mean, we will be naked, and the temperature is dropping.”

Standing up and taking Bette’s hand in her own, Tina gently pulled Bette to her feet. “Come on…I will put a blanket on the mattress in case you get cold…but honestly Bette…” Tina giggled. “I don’t think that is going to be a problem.” Without waiting for Bette’s response, Tina led them both across the yard. She stopped long the way to pull the mattress and an old sleeping bag, out of their hiding place, and carried them down to the water. Bette followed along, literally dragging her feet as she went…her mind wandering to the huge king size bed and 24 hour room service she will be enjoying tomorrow, back at the Alexis Hotel.

After laying the mattress down by the water, Tina walked to the end of the dock. There, she picked up the end of what looked to be a large coil of rope, and walked back to Bette and the mattress. Bette looked at her confused. “T, what are you doing with the rope?”

Tina bent down and looped the end of the rope through a hole that had been pre-made on the side of the mattress. “Well, I figured that when we are good and done…and our energy is all spent…” She smiled and wiggled her eyebrows at her lover, “that neither one of us in going to want to jump in the water and drag the mattress back in. This way, we are tied to the dock and only have to pull ourselves back in using the rope. See Baby, no reason to get wet at all…well, at least not from the water that is.”

“Oh God Tina…” Bette turned her head, looking longingly at the house. ‘So close, yet so far.’ She blew out a breath and checked to make sure Milaine wasn’t looking out the window and started taking her shirt off, knowing there was no way out of this. “I thought I was supposed to be the one who was always in control. Tell me exactly when did that all change, because having some of that back, sounds pretty good to me right about now!”

Tina stopped Bette from taking off her shirt, but couldn’t stop the soft laugh from escaping, thinking that Bette’s whining was adorable, and rather ***** at this particular moment. “Here, let me do that.” Bette looked at her partner…secretly loving the take charge person she had become, and willingly raised her arms so Tina could lift her shirt above her head. “I don’t know Babe, I kind of like things the way they are. See…we’re sharing the control. You’re the one who took control in your hotel room, and I totally appreciated that…and now I’m taking control here…it all evens out in the end, Babe…just wait and see.”

Tina’s fingers skimmed across Bette’s arms while she lifted her shirt off. She then got down on one knee and slowly unbuttoned, then unzipped Bette’s shorts, her finger scorching a path down her lover, just as Bette had done to her back at the hotel. Bette moaned and rocked her hips forward, her body no longer caring where they were. She was so aroused that she grabbed Tina and pulled her up and into her arms, kissing her with such passion that both their knees buckled, leaving them hanging onto each other for dear life, to keep from falling. Bette finally managed to break away, gasping for air. “Jesus Tina!”

She looked down at the mattress at their feet. “Come on, come on…let’s go…let’s go! Let’s get this thing out there!!”

tbc