Thanks for the reviews. Sorry I didn't get to post earlier but this one is extra long to make up for it. Enjoy !

Marissa and Annabel meet

Quite a while later after they had finished their shower they emerged into the bedroom.

Ryan pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a wife beater and turned to Marissa.

"Would you like a drink? I think I need to rehydrate. Someone seems to have been giving me quite a workout."

"I know what you mean." She smiled. "Who needs a personal trainer when I've got you?" she leant over and kissed him lightly.

"Exactly. Plus some of those personal trainers are a bit too hot for my liking. If ever you need a workout just let me know."

"Okay you're on. But about the drink. Yeah that would be good. What time are we leaving to go to Newport?"

"Um I'm not sure. I have to wait for Annabel to drop off some documents for me to sign before we go. But I'm not expecting her for quite a while yet. So maybe we will have something to eat here and drive down after dinner."

Marissa realised that she was going to get to meet Annabel. She wondered what she was like. She remembered Summer suggesting that Annabel was interested in Ryan as more than a boss so it would be a good opportunity to size up the opposition and on her home territory as well. Hopefully she would be able to make a friend out of her. She didn't need the added worry of what was going on with Ryan at work not when she had her mother in the country. "Okay then how about you open a bottle of wine and I'll just dry my hair. I'll be with you shortly and then we can make dinner together."

"Okay. Any preferences on the wine?"

"How about another one of those Australian Rieslings that we had the other night?"

"Okay. I'll have to tell Skip that he has another convert."

"Yeah. It was really good."

"I know. Why do you think I've bought so much of it? I think Skip should go into business promoting it. Although thinking about it, he would probably drink all the profits."

Marissa laughed "That sounds like him. I'll be with you soon." Marissa walked back into the bathroom and turned on the dryer.

As she was drying her hair she kept looking at the ring on her finger in the mirror. She had selected a beautiful platinum, sapphire and diamond band. The sapphires reminded her of the blue of Ryan's eyes and she had deliberately wanted them so that she could always remind herself of him. Not that he was ever very far from her thoughts. As she finished with the drier and then got to work with the straightener she couldn't help but be taken again by Ryan's thoughtfulness. He knew just how concerned she was about her mother and even though they didn't agree on how to handle things with Julie he had still managed to reassure her that what they had was real and lasting. She wished she could do something for him to let him know just how much he meant to her.

---

Ryan was just opening the wine when the buzzer from downstairs went. He looked at the clock and wondered who it could be and walked to the intercom.

"Hello. Who is it?"

"Yeah. Um...Ryan It's me. Annabel. I have your documents."

"Annabel. Sorry. Just come on up. I'll buzz you in." He hadn't been expecting her this early and realised that there were still clothes and shoes draped all around the entry and lounge from their hasty entry earlier. He stopped what he was doing and started to collect them all and made his way into the laundry to deposit the clothes in the dirty washing hamper. He had just re-entered the lounge when there was a knock at the door.

He opened it and greeted her. "Come on in. I'm sorry about the welcome. I wasn't expecting you this early and sometimes the paparazzi get a bit cheeky."

Annabel could barely speak. She had never seen Ryan in anything but work clothes and the occasional tux. Standing there in sweats and a wife-beater he was hotter than she had ever imagined. And she had imagined a lot. She finally managed to find her voice. "No. It's fine. The documents were dropped off earlier than expected so I thought I'd bring them straight over. I knew you were waiting for them."

"Thanks. Would you like a drink while you wait? I just want to read through these before I sign them to make sure they have incorporated all the changes I requested." Ryan informed her.

"Um yeah. That would be great."

"Wine okay? I was just opening a bottle." Ryan explained.

"Sure." She replied wondering if life could get any better.

Ryan got a glass from the cupboard and poured her a drink and then handed it to her. "Just take a seat. I'll be as fast as I can."

"Take your time." Annabel replied. She was in no hurry to go anywhere. Hell, she felt like she had died and gone to heaven. Here she was in Ryan's penthouse with a glass of wine, watching him pace the floor. And what was even better, he was so busy reading through the documents in his hand that he didn't even notice that she was staring at him and taking in every little piece of the vision and storing it away for when this was over. She knew her dreams would be doozies tonight and all of them would be about him. But maybe she could somehow think of a way to make them more than dreams. She would probably never get an opportunity like this again.

She watched him move. As he turned the pages the muscles in his arms and shoulders flexed and she could feel herself getting hot just looking at him, imaging those hands stroking her and removing her clothes, piece by piece. She cast her eyes lower and watched as he walked away from her. He had the most gorgeous butt imaginable and then he turned, and she was looking straight at his groin. She knew she should look away but she couldn't seem to take her eyes off him. As she watched him walk back towards her she wished for the first time in her life that she was related to Superman and had x-ray vision. She so wanted to see through those sweat pants. She would have staked her life on the fact that he had nothing on underneath them. She could see his manhood moving from side to side as he walked and she could feel herself getting flushed and moist as she watched him. She wondered what he would do if she tried to make a move on him. Just how could she make him realise that she was interested in him as much more than just a boss. She gulped the last of her wine down trying to figure out just what she should do to let him know how she felt. She started to unbutton her blouse hoping he might notice and ask her to continue or better yet he could take over.

---

Meanwhile Marissa had finished with her hair and was looking through her purchases from the day, that Summer had dropped off earlier, looking to find something new to wear. She came across the Victoria's Secret bag and smiled. Ryan had said that Annabel wouldn't be here for quite a while yet so Marissa decided to give him a little surprise. She didn't know what Annabel looked like but she figured that it couldn't hurt to give Ryan a little reminder of what he already had. She donned the new corset and g string and finished off with a spray of her favourite perfume in all the right places, and then she walked out of the bedroom to find him. As she walked down the hallway she saw him pacing back and forth in the lounge room reading something and she thought she could probably sneak up on him since he seemed so involved in what he was reading. She hadn't noticed that there was a person sitting in the lounge as Annabel's back was to her and the lounge had a high back on it.

As she entered the lounge room she did a pirouette and said "Look what I bought for you today. Summer thought you may need something to get you interested."

Ryan looked up and smiled as he took in the sight of Marissa in the lacy corset. It reminded him of something a wench would have worn years ago in olde England. It was cut very low and he could just see her nipples peeking out over the top. The g string she had on left nothing to the imagination and he could feel himself harden as he took it all in. The sight of Marissa blew him away.

"Ahem." Annabel interrupted when it became obvious that Ryan had totally forgotten she was there.

Marissa turned and looked at the redhead sitting in their lounge. It was touch and go as to who was more embarrassed. Ryan wasn't sure whether to introduce Marissa as she stood there in all her glory or wait until she had some more clothes on.

"Um. Excuse me. I..I…I'll be back in a minute." Marissa stammered and she almost flew back into their bedroom.

Ryan watched her go and then looked down at Annabel. She was holding her blouse together at her throat and he noticed it looked like the buttons on her shirt were undone? He didn't understand what was going on. She was obviously in shock as well.

"I'll be with you in just a moment." Ryan said and went to check on Marissa.

---

He got to the door of the bedroom and Marissa was hastily pulling on jeans and a shirt.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me we had company."

"Well I wasn't expecting you to come out dressed like that." He defended himself. "I think I'd better get changed as well." He looked down at the woody she had caused which, since he was going commando, was quite obvious in his track pants and was causing a tent like effect.

Marissa looked over and smiled. "Maybe I'm not the only one to be embarrassed then?" she asked feeling better that the embarrassment was shared.

"No." he replied as he pulled on a pair of jeans and tried to rearrange himself so that he could get the zip done up without causing himself an injury. "I think its touch and go. Annabel was pretty embarrassed too I gather, since her face basically matched her hair when I left." Ryan didn't think he'd mention the blouse. If Marissa hadn't noticed maybe he had just imagined it.

"Do you think if we just stay here she might leave? I'm not too keen on facing her again." Marissa asked. Thinking, so much for making friends with Annabel; that wasn't exactly the right way to start.

"No. No such luck. She's waiting for me to sign some documents that she's going to take with her. She's much too diligent an employee to leave without them…..unfortunately. I can assure you I'm not too keen on facing her just at the moment either."

"Well in that case, I guess we will just have to face her together. Are you all set there?" she laughed watching him having difficulty with doing up his jeans. We may as well get it over with."

"Uh huh. At least you know your little surprise worked." He added still trying to rearrange himself.

Marissa looked at him puzzled.

"You're outfit definitely got me interested." He smiled rubbing his groin and trying to will his erection to disappear. "I hope I can get another viewing later on."

"Maybe. But it was meant for private viewing only."

"Okay. Let's go and get rid of her and then we can try again." Ryan suggested smiling at the thought but realising that thinking about it was not helping him with the problem in his pants.

"Okay. But you first. Lead the way." Marissa suggested happy to stay behind.

"Oh no you're coming with me. I'm not going back out there on my own." He grabbed her hand and headed back into the lounge.

---

Annabel hadn't moved except to re-button her blouse. She hoped no one had noticed. She didn't know what she should do. She wanted to get out of there as fast as she could but she knew she had to wait for the documents that Ryan still hadn't signed. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She was just happy that she hadn't gone any further with removing her clothes or making a move on Ryan. It now became apparent why he was dressed the way he was. Obviously he had been…they had been…. She blushed again just thinking about it.

Ryan emerged back into the lounge dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and pulling Marissa behind him. She was now dressed as well.

"Annabel. I'd like you to meet Marissa. Marissa, this is Annabel."

"I'm very happy to meet you." Marissa stated offering her hand to Annabel.

"Same here." Annabel said momentarily stunned by Marissa's beauty. All Annabel could think was that her photos didn't do her justice. No wonder Ryan had never shown any interest in her if he had Marissa in his life.

Ryan looked at the two of them and then bent and picked up the contract from the coffee table where he had dropped it. He saw his chance to escape from an awkward situation. "I will just finish this off in the study. Back soon." And he took off leaving the 2 ladies looking at one another.

After an uneasy silence Marissa finally found her voice. "I'd just like to apologise about before. I didn't realise that we had company."

Annabel smiled. She had thought Marissa might have been all snooty and stuck up but she seemed to be anything but. "It's fine. I guessed that you didn't know that I was here." Annabel was a little concerned about Marissa's use of 'we'. Surely they'd only been together a week at most according to the newspaper. So just how together could they be? Although it sounded like they were definitely a couple. "For what it's worth, you looked amazing."

Marissa felt herself blush from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. She knew she had probably been photographed wearing less clothes but it had never been embarrassing like this was. She just wanted to change the subject. "Can I get you something to eat or drink while you're waiting for Ryan?"

"Um. I've already had a glass of wine." Annabel answered indicating the empty glass in front of her. "But I'd better not have another. I'm driving."

"Well maybe I can interest you in a coffee?" Marissa suggested.

"Sure. That would be great." Annabel smiled, she really wanted to dislike Marissa but she was making it difficult. Marissa was actually being really nice which in the circumstances surprised her.

"Would you care to wait here or you can join me in the kitchen if you like." Marissa asked not wanting to just desert Annabel in the lounge room.

"Um. I'll come and help you. If that's okay?" Annabel didn't really want to be left sitting in the lounge room by herself plus she wondered again just how together Ryan and Marissa were. Maybe she could find out.

"Sure. Just this way." Marissa led off into the kitchen and went about putting on a fresh pot of coffee. Once it was brewing Marissa looked up trying to think of something to say. "So have you worked for Ryan long?"

"A couple of years now. Ever since I finished at college actually." Annabel noticed that Marissa moved around the kitchen with ease. She obviously knew her way around. This was definitely not her first visit.

"What did you study?" Marissa asked envious of anyone that got to spend their days with Ryan.

"I did Business Administration. I'd like to end up working as a Personal Assistant to the head of some large organisation."

"What Atwood Industries not large enough for you?" Marissa asked smiling so Annabel knew she was just teasing her.

"No it's not that. But Ryan seems to use me more as a secretary. He likes to keep control. I could take responsibility for a lot more if he wanted. But he seems to like to keep a tight hand on most things and he is so great to work for I can't imagine changing jobs." Annabel's face lit up as she talked about Ryan.

"Maybe you just need to let him know what you want to do. Men can sometimes miss the most obvious things." Marissa thought to herself in more ways than one. Summer had been right. There was no doubt that Annabel had a crush on Ryan. You could see it in her eyes when she talked about him. She lit up whenever his name was mentioned.

"You may be right. I'll think about it. Thanks." Annabel wondered if she should let Ryan know what she wanted. She knew she wanted him but was he already taken? She looked back at Marissa noticing her beautiful skin.

"I hope you don't mind me staring but you really are beautiful. It's easy to see why you're such a famous model."

"Well thank you but it's not like I had any control over it. I'm really just a glorified clothes hangar you know. People look at the clothes not me. There is nothing very special about what I do."

"I'm sure that's not entirely true. I noticed in the press that you're doing some acting. Are you enjoying that?" Annabel asked trying to make conversation.

"Well. I'm a complete novice. So you know what it's like when you're panicking because you're sure that everything you do is going to be a stuff up. But I'm still there. And the rest of the cast and crew have been really helpful, so I'll wait and see when the film's finished and let you know then."

"It must be amazing working with all those stars…" Annabel added and then stopped remembering what she had read in the paper about Jake Hammond. "or maybe not. I'm sorry if you'd rather not talk about it I understand."

"No. That's fine." Marissa wanted to change the subject. The last thing she wanted to talk about was Jake. Well maybe second last... Julie, was last. "It's very nice of you to go out of your way like this for Ryan. I hope he's not keeping you from some hot date tonight?" Marissa asked wondering if maybe she was worrying unnecessarily about Annabel's interest in Ryan.

"No. I had nothing planned."

"What. No boyfriend?" Marissa asked.

"No. It appears all the good ones are taken." She answered and looked towards the study where Ryan had disappeared to.

"I'm sure LA must still have some eligible bachelors around." But not Ryan Marissa thought to herself. This girl was much too attractive to be without a partner. "I'll have to keep my eye out for you."

"Thanks. But I'm sure that anyone you know would not be interested in me." Annabel replied again thinking about Ryan.

"Nonsense. I can think of someone already. I just need to get Ryan to somehow set up an introduction." Marissa suggested thinking about Skip.

"I couldn't ask him to do that." Annabel blushed at the mere thought of Ryan finding her a date.

"You don't have to. I will. Actually I've got a better idea. Why don't you come over for dinner next Wednesday night and I'll see if I can get him to join us. Even if he can't we can still have dinner. Summer and Seth will be here too. But I'm guessing you already know them." She thought it would be much better to keep this girl onside and preferably within view. With Julie in town she didn't need the extra worry of what Annabel was up to at work.

"Yes. I do."

"Okay. So we'll make it a date." Marissa said as she placed two mugs on the counter.

Annabel just smiled and then looked down and noticed the ring on Marissa's finger. She wondered just what it meant. "I love your ring. It's quite beautiful."

Marissa realised that this was the perfect opportunity to make sure that Annabel knew that Marissa and Ryan were for keeps – he was off the market. "I just got it today. Ryan gave it to me." Marissa played with the ring catching the light in the stones and watching it sparkle.

"Oh." Annabel didn't know whether to be happy or sad. It would appear that any chance she ever had with Ryan had just vanished but at the same time Marissa was so nice she couldn't really dislike her. So maybe she'd just have to settle with having a new friend and who knows, maybe Marissa's blind date might turn out to be fun.

---

After Annabel had left Ryan and Marissa packed a few things and made there way down to Newport. Marissa bought all her purchases from the day with her, promising to model them for Ryan one by one so he could decide what he liked and what he didn't.

He in turn promised to remove them one by one, quite sure that he would prefer her without any of them. Although he had to admit the thought of her in the corset and g string certainly stirred his imagination….. and others parts of his anatomy as well. Maybe he would let her wear that. At least for a little while.

It promised to be quite a night.

---

They stopped at the diner on the way and had a burger and said hi to Carole and thanked her for her help the previous weekend. She was delighted that they had returned as promised and even gave them free shakes to go with the burgers. Ryan tried to insist that he would pay but Carole would have none of it so he just left a larger tip for her. He realised that she would just try to give them something free next time they returned and then he would leave her a large tip again but at this point he didn't know how to get out of the cycle.

They decided to take a walk along the pier and buy an ice cream. Ryan looked back along the road and saw the lights flashing on the Mermaid Inn. He knew he had to try to talk to Marissa about Julie again.

"So have you thought anymore about talking to your mum?" Ryan asked.

"No. And I have no intention of doing so. Hopefully she got back on the plane and returned to England." Marissa stated.

Ryan thought for a moment wondering if he wanted to go down this path. "She didn't. She's still here."

"What? How do you know?" Marissa asked.

"I spoke to Sandy earlier." Ryan admitted.

Marissa looked out at the water and slowly shook her head. "I can't believe they let her stay with them. Not after everything she's done to us."

"Well if it makes you feel any better she isn't." Ryan added.

"What. But I thought you just said…" Marissa was puzzled.

"Yeah. I did." He smiled thinking about it. "But apparently Kirsten took offence at something Julie said and she and your mum got into a big fight so Sandy dropped her off at the Mermaid."

Marissa laughed. "My mum…at the Mermaid? That sort of seems appropriate….Not exactly what she's used to. But you know it's not her first time? She did use it for her trysts with Luke."

"Yeah. I know. Seth and I saw them together remember. I think I'm permanently scarred for life." Ryan admitted.

Marissa went quiet remembering back. She looked over at him. "Yeah and you didn't tell me." Marissa reminded him.

"Okay I know, maybe that wasn't the best idea. But at the time, I just didn't want you to get hurt." Ryan said in his defence, looking for her to understand why he had kept it from her.

"Well at least we know now to be honest with one another. As long as we do that then nothing can hurt us….. But come on I'm a little too close to her here to be comfortable. How about we head home and I'll show you my all my purchases from today?" Marissa asked.

"I'm really only interested in one." Ryan smiled thinking about getting another look at her in her corset.

"Don't worry. I'm keeping that for dessert."

"But I thought the ice cream was dessert?" he asked teasing her.

"Well then. I guess we can keep it for some other time." Marissa said trying to look as if it didn't matter to her.

"No way. You can't tease me like that. I'm definitely up for seconds when it comes to dessert."

"Forget about dessert I think you're just up for seconds when it comes to coming?" Marissa teased.

"Look who's talking. Miss I Can't Get Enough. Thought you needed some help to get me 'interested' did you." He reached for her and started to tickle her. "I don't think you've had any problems getting me interested. In fact trying to get me uninterested could be a challenge."

"Yeah. Well I'm not ready to try that just yet." She smiled and pulled him towards the car. "Come on. You wouldn't want to keep your 'wench' waiting."

Ryan didn't need to be asked twice. He couldn't wait to get home.

----

Next chapter - Ryan confronts the enemy.