Okay - I'm spoiling you today but I don't know if I'll get a chance to post tomorrow so enjoy !

A match made in ?

Annabel and Skip stood waiting for the lift. He could see that she was still processing the information that Ryan and Marissa were actually living together. He looked over at her.

"Are you okay?" Skip asked, concern written all over his face.

Annabel looked up and nodded not wanting to open her mouth scared that she would burst in to tears. All her hopes and dreams had been dashed with 4 simple words. THIS IS OUR HOME. All she could think was that she had made an awful fool of herself. She looked down at the dress she was wearing and all of a sudden felt ashamed. The freedom she had felt earlier with wearing no underwear seemed to have magically dissolved and now she felt like a tramp. Her beautiful dress…. she knew she would never wear it again. She looked up at Skip as he waited patiently for an answer to his question but she answered it with one of her own. "Did you know they were living together?"

"No I didn't." he shook his head. "But I guess it doesn't surprise me. During the course of the evening it became obvious that we weren't dealing with a passing flirtation. I think they are in this for the long haul." He replied trying to make her realise that she really had no hope with Ryan.

Annabel looked at him and tried to smile. He really had been great all evening. And right now she knew she could use a friend. "I guess I must have looked pretty stupid in there?"

"No…. you looked pretty amazing to me…. still do. It's just you had a crush on the wrong guy. He was already taken." Skip answered,

Annabel nodded her head. "Yeah I guess you're right."

"But you know, you could always look elsewhere. Like to someone available. Like a pilot. I hear they are really nice people." He smiled waiting for her reaction.

The lift arrived and Skip guided her into the lift with his hand on her back. There was no doubt that she could feel her skin tingle where he had lightly placed his hand.

Annabel nodded to him. "Maybe I will. Do you know any?"

"Funny you should ask but as a matter of fact, I do." Skip replied innocently.

Annabel laughed. "Anyone I know."

"As a matter of a fact, yes." Skip replied. He hadn't removed his hand from her bare back when they had entered the lift and as they continued to flirt with one another he moved his hand over her back stroking it lightly with his finger tips.

"So what do you suggest?" Annabel asked. The feelings that he was invoking with the movement of his hand on her back were all good.

"How about I get you home first and then maybe you could invite me in for a coffee and we'll see where we go from there."

"Okay. But you know I'm not that sort of girl." Annabel reminded him.

"A man can always hope." Skip smiled as he led her to his car.

---

"C'mon sleepy heads. Outta here. You've got your own place to go to. Skadaddle." Ryan said as he shook Seth awake.

Summer looked up as Ryan and Marissa stood and laughed at the antics of Seth trying to ignore them. He kept burying his head in Summer's lap. It was like he was burrowing in and she didn't like it at all and pushed him to one side and stood up. "Cohen stop it. Move."

"Aw… Summ. I was comfortable." Seth replied.

"What happened to Skip and the tart?" Summer asked looking around for the missing pair.

"Gone. They needed to get to bed. Work tomorrow." Marissa explained.

"I reckon that Skip's got a chance of eating 'tart' in bed." Seth stated as he finally gave up trying to get comfortable without his 'pillow' and stood up from the lounge and stretched.

"Yuck. Can you imagine? Surely he's not that desperate?" Summer suggested.

"What do you mean? Annabel's hot. I was thinking that he was getting lucky." Seth commented.

"What with a tramp? I don't see how that is lucky?" Summer replied.

"Would you two mind taking this conversation back to your own apartment. Marissa and I want to get to bed. It's been a long day." Ryan interrupted, all the while keeping his arms firmly around Marissa.

"With an even longer night to follow, I'm thinking." Summer teased looking at her two friends entwined in one another. "But it's okay. We can take a hint. You invite us along and then just because you're feeling frisky you throw us out." She teased.

Marissa laughed. "Well, we did also feed you and since you've both been asleep for the last half hour or so, I don't think you should be complaining."

"And yeah, you're right. I do have plans and you're cramping my style. So scat." Ryan added as he pushed Seth out the door closely followed by Summer.

Summer pushed the call button on the lift and they waited while Seth turned to tease Ryan some more.

"Aw. Can't we stay and watch this famous 'style' in action?" Seth asked.

"No you can't. My style is definitely meant for an audience of 1." Ryan added.

"Well we could send Marissa home with Summer and then the numbers would be right." Seth teased.

"Yeah but the mix would be wayyyyy off. Now on your bike and go. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Ryan added almost closing the door in Seth's face.

"Okay, okay. Don't get you're knickers in a knot." Seth said as the door closed behind him.

"You're presuming they actually have knickers on. " Summer stated. "Remember Annabel didn't."

"Yeah. I guess you're right. And even if they do, I wouldn't mind betting that there won't be any knickers left on in there by the time we reach our floor." Seth grumbled as they entered the waiting lift.

---

Skip opened the car door for Annabel and then stood aside for her to enter. As she moved past him to hop in she stopped and kissed him chastely on the cheek. "Thank you for this evening. I don't know how I would have made it through without you."

Skip smiled. "I'm sure you would have been fine. You're stronger than you realise. It took a lot of guts to go in there dressed the way you were. You had something you were trying to achieve and you were prepared to fight for it. You couldn't have known that the fight was over before it had even begun. But I must say I'm glad that I was invited, otherwise we may never have met. And I'm hoping that tonight is just the first of many."

"Thank you for trying to make me feel better but you don't think you're rushing things a bit do you?" Annabel asked.

"I don't know? Am I?" Skip asked.

"Let's get me home and I'll make you that coffee and we'll talk about it." Annabel replied as she sat in the car and closed her door. She couldn't wait to see where things with Skip might lead. He was cute and fun and caring and she was already starting to wonder what she ever saw in Ryan.

---

Back in the penthouse, Ryan turned to Marissa and pulled her into his arms and said "Finally alone."

"Yeah…. But there is still some cleaning up to do in the kitchen." Marissa said.

Ryan smiled. "Are you going to wear an apron? I seem to remember liking the way they look on you." he commented, thinking about the last time Marissa had worn an apron for him and what it had led too. "I'd even be prepared to wear one again too." He added feeling the stiffening in his pants already, as the images of a naked Marissa with just a wisp of fabric tied around her, flooded his mind.

"No. I'm going to quickly finish stacking the dishwasher and then I'm planning on having my way with you." Marissa replied.

"Mmmm...I think I like the sound of that." Ryan replied as he followed Marissa back into the kitchen to help finish up. As he noticed the chocolates that Skip had brought still sitting on the counter, he wondered how his friend was going. "How do you think things will be going with Skip and Annabel?" he asked.

"This might sound like wishful thinking, but I really think they have a chance. I mean it's not like Skip went into it with his eyes closed. He knew exactly what she was like and yet he was obviously still interested. And let's face it, he's pretty cute, so I can't imagine why she wouldn't at least give it a go. It's not as if she has anyone else in her life…" Marissa said hesitating to see if Ryan was going to disagree.

"No she doesn't." he replied knowing exactly what Marissa was referring to.

"Good answer." Marissa replied smiling as she rinsed out the coffee mugs and stacked them in the dishwasher.

"But I don't exactly agree with you about Skip being cute." Ryan added. He didn't like to think that Marissa noticed anyone else but him.

"Aw…someone's jealous…." Marissa teased.

"Well…who was jealous earlier and set Skip up with his task for the evening?"

"Okay. So we're both stupid. Because there is absolutely no reason for either of us to be jealous. Deal…" Marissa stated.

"Deal." Ryan said as he placed the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and closed the door. "But come on everything is done here and I have some plans for you."

"Oh no. If I remember rightly you need to be punished. Something about not telling me about you're 'boy's night outs' with Skip. You can't expect to get away with something like that without some form of punishment." Marissa said smiling as she did.

"Punished hey? As long as it doesn't mean that I'm going to miss out all together then I guess I could go along with that. What did you have in mind?" Ryan asked.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." Marissa took his hand as she led him into the bedroom.

Ryan followed obediently behind. "I can't wait….. I think."

---

As Skip drove towards Annabel's apartment she kept looking at him and while he was busy concentrating on the road she took in everything she could. She liked what she could see. More and more as each moment went by. They stopped at a red light and Skip looked over at her realising that she had been scrutinizing him intently.

"See anything you like?" he asked.

"As a matter of a fact, yeah. I think I have." She replied. It had been a long time since she had flirted with a man like this and she had forgotten just how much fun it was.

Skip smiled to himself and reached over to put his hand gently on her thigh. The split in her dress had opened again as she had sat down in the car and so his hand felt her bare leg. Again. He was getting used to it. He waited to see if she would object but she just smiled and placed her hand on top of his; holding it firmly to her leg.

She had to admit she liked feeling it there. They drove for a while like this and Annabel realised that she had started to unconsciously stroke Skip's hand with her thumb; tracing circles on the back of it, thoughts of him filling her mind as she realised that she wanted to feel more of him. She looked over at him as he watched the road and noticed the small smile that had made its way on to his face. He was obviously enjoying the contact just as much as she was. She liked the look of it, of him and she realised that she wanted more. More of this. More of him. It had been so long since she had felt like this and she didn't want to let the opportunity go by. She consciously picked up his hand that was resting on her thigh and Skip wondered if she was goin to push him away but when he glanced over quickly he noticed the smile on her face. She pulled the fabric of her skirt to the side and separated her legs and then she guided his hand to the warmth between her legs.

Skip was amazed by her forwardness; but enchanted nonetheless. He glanced over at her in the dull light in the cabin of the car and saw a small smile. She was waiting for his reaction just as he was waiting for hers. It was touch and go just who was the more apprehensive. He decided since she had taken the lead with moving his hand there in the first place, then it would be up to him to make the next move. He slowly started to stroke her, amazed at the moistness he could already feel. He looked across and noticed her eyes had closed but from the way her body was moving, he knew it wasn't because she was going to sleep. In fact, quite the opposite. As he slipped a finger in to her moist core she moved to slide herself lower on the seat forcing his finger further into her.

She loved the feeling of having him touch her but she knew it would not be enough. She wanted more. It had been too long since she had been touched this way. She looked over at him. "Perhaps you could go a little faster?" she asked her breath shallow as she tried to cope with the sensations coursing through her body.

Skip wondered for a moment was she referring to the speed of the car or the speed of his finger. "Not far now." Skip answered slipping another finger in and using his thumb to rub her now swollen bud. Annabel marvelled at the sensations that were coursing through her body.

To try to contain herself, and put her mind on other things Annabel reached over and started to stroke Skip's thigh. Slowly moving higher and higher until she was stroking him through his pants. She could feel him stiffening beneath her hand as his fingers pushed further and further into her. She undid his belt and then his fly and released his hardness from its confines and all she could think of was bringing this union to its ultimate end. "Pull over." She panted. "Now."

Skip pulled up in the darkened street and then looked at her his erection throbbing and making it difficult for him to think straight. "Condom?" He gasped.

"Where?" she asked.

"Try the glove box." He replied as she started frantically to look for one of the small foil squares that would help to bring her release. She kept looking but nothing. "There's none here. Where else? Wallet?" she pleaded her breathing coming in short pants.

"No." Skip answered. "We'll have to find a drug store."

"No. My place. Just hurry." She replied.

Skip smiled and pulled back out, planting his foot and then moving his hand back where it had come from to try to keep her on the boil until they got to her place.

Fortunately it was only a few more blocks and they had green lights all the way. They pulled up in front of her apartment block and got out in record time. Skip hurriedly tried to make himself respectable hoping that they wouldn't run in to anyone as his erection was obvious from the tent pole in his pants. He locked the car as Annabel let herself in through the security entrance to the lift well. Skip followed hoping that the lift would be there within seconds.

As soon as the lift door closed, he took her in his arms and their lips met in a frenzied kiss. As his tongue invaded her mouth she started to undo the buttons on his shirt. His hands were all over her. The slip of fabric that she had called a dress was easily moved aside for his fingers to work their magic. The lift came to a halt and she fumbled with the key to her door. Passion had blurred her vision and she kept missing the hole.

"Let me." Skip said as he took the key from her and opened the door wanting to get inside as soon as possible. As they entered the apartment Annabel ripped his shirt from his torso and started to run her hands over his body. She undid his belt again as Skip pulled at the shoulders of her dress and it fell to her waist exposing her breasts to his view. He gasped at the picture before him and instantly began to caress her breasts one at a time while kissing down her neck and in to the sensitive hollow at its base. As he moved lower to take a nipple in his mouth he could feel her buck from the sensations she was feeling.

He kicked off his shoes as she removed his trousers. "Bathroom ... quickly." Annabel panted as she moved down the hall and turned into the room on the left. She pulled open a drawer and took out an unopened box of condoms and tried frantically to get the shrink wrap off. It seemed to have been glued in place and finally in frustration she ripped it open with her teeth. She turned to Skip smiling as she held the small foil wrapper in her hands thinking that right at this moment she wouldn't have traded it for a thousand dollars. She pushed his boxers to the floor and ripped the wrapper open, taking the small ring of latex and in her haste tried to put it on backwards.

"Here. Let me." Skip said taking it from her and sheathing himself. When he was done he looked back at her; holding her gaze for what seemed like forever but was really only a matter of moments. "Are you sure about this?"

"Oh yeah." She replied.

It was all he needed to hear. He ran his hands over her shoulders and down her sides, slowly easing the dress that was hanging around her waist over her hips so it fell to the ground. He took in the naked woman in front of him admiring the way she was put together as he watched her chest heave up and down, panting with desire.

"Please." She asked in a small voice.

It was all he needed to hear. He moved his hands to her thighs and picked her up and pushed her against the wall and thrust in to her almost in one motion. Annabel cried out in pleasure as Skip pounded into her. Over and over until he could feel her tighten around him and he let him self go and exploded inside her.

---

Ryan's punishment coming up.