Thanks for the reviews. You know that they keep me motivated. Especially Liz - I loved your comments and I Heart Kid Chino - thanks for letting me know that the story had motivated you to join in. I hope that you stick around. As for all my other lovely regulars - please know that I don't take you for granted. I appreciate all your feed back.

Now enough of my rambling - on with the story. Emjoy!

The dawn of a new day

Marissa stirred and glanced at the clock. It was very early, still dark outside but since they'd forgotten to close the curtains again, she could make out the first strains of light appearing in the sky. She thought back to the night they'd had. They had made sweet, sweet love well into the early morning and she knew that she should still be asleep but she still hadn't satiated herself of him. It seemed that the more she had, the more she wanted. She moved to kiss the naked man beside her, running her hand over him in an attempt to wake him from his slumber.

Ryan started to smile as he felt her lips upon him and her fhands moving over him. He opened his eyes slightly, taking in the still dark room and whispered to her. "Again?"

Marissa smiled. "Maybe? But first I want to watch the dawn over the ocean with you. We never get to see it on the west coast. So come and sit with me on the balcony. It'll all be over in about 10 minutes and we can come back to bed." She suggested as she pulled back the sheet to get up.

Ryan watched her shape as it moved in the still dark room. The silhouette of her perfect naked body against the outside sky made his body respond yet again, even though he knew that he should have had enough of her by now. It was as if that would never be possible. Ryan followed suit and reluctantly slid out of the bed. The air was cool on their skins and Marissa picked up his shirt from last night to slip on and then threw his wife beater at him. "Here put this on." She grabbed a cotton blanket from the shelf in the wardrobe and as Ryan bent to retrieve a pair of boxers from the floor Marissa spoke up. "Don't bother with those."

He looked up surprised by her request.

"I promise to keep you warm." Marissa said. "And it would only mean that I'd have to take them back off you." She smiled; a knowing glint in her eyes.

Fortunately it was still early and there was no one around because Ryan felt decidedly uncomfortable walking out on to the balcony in just a wife beater with no pants on, especially as the effect of her words on him was already quite obvious, but he did as he was told. Marissa laughed at his embarrassment and as she motioned for him to sit in a chair looking out over the ocean, she whispered to him. "Don't be embarrassed. I love the fact that I can still do that to you, even after the workout we've had all night. You could be excused if you couldn't get it up, but I can't tell you how happy I am that you can."

Ryan smiled and pulled her down to sit on his lap leaving her in no doubt about the strength of his erection and they watched the glow that was slowly beginning to appear on the horizon. Marissa laid the blanket over them and Ryan started to move his hands under the shirt that she was wearing. Moving them up her sides and around in front until he cupped her breasts. He started to tweak at her nipples feeling their arousal as Marissa started to move on his lap causing him arousal problems of his own. Ryan moved one hand down over her stomach and between her legs until he could slowly start to stroke her. As his fingers worked their magic on her, she started to squirm in his lap and when he finally inserted two fingers into her she gasped at the intensity of the feelings that he was evoking. He moved to turn her so that he could kiss her but she refused to turn around.

"Not right now. I need to watch the dawn, you should too." Marissa whispered huskily. He was disappointed that she was more interested in the dawn than him but he should have known better. She continued to move on his lap and then reached her hand down between his legs to softly stroke his sack and she could feel him straining beneath her. She smiled and said. "I hope your watching the dawn." As she lifted herself slightly and positioned his hardness so that when she sat back down he entered her, feeling her warmth encompass him with the cool air on their bodies. Ryan slid lower in the chair so that he could penetrate deeper and then he started to move within her as she rode him. The streaks of light in the sky getting bolder and bolder as they moved together. Over and over, the intensity of their feelings matching the rising intensity of the light in the sky…until … as the sun burst over the horizon, Marissa cried out as she felt the waves of ecstasy flow over her and then he exploded within her. She sagged against him and pulled the blanket further up their bodies and they rested again. Their passion spent. At least for the moment.

They sat in silence for quite a while watching until the soft orange ball was fully visible and then Ryan pulled out and turned Marissa slightly to kiss her.

Ryan spoke softly. "You know I've never considered myself a morning person but if that's what I've been missing out on then I think I could change. It was amazing."

"Yeah. In more ways than one. Are you referring to the dawn or …" she smiled as she left her question open ended.

"Both." He replied as he deepened the kiss between them.

Even though her body almost ached from their strenuous activities of the previous night she couldn't help but respond to him. She smiled. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

Ryan moved to stand up picking her up in his arms as he did so. "Why don't you come back to bed and show me again."

Marissa linked her arms around his neck only too happy to comply with his wishes.

---

The two exhausted bodies lay entwined in one another on the bed when the phone rang and disturbed them from their peaceful slumber. Marissa tried to get her body to move but it was so cocooned by Ryan that she couldn't do it.

"Ry. I need to move."

"No. Stay where you are. Leave it … they'll go away." He said as he tried to pull her closer to him.

She laughed as she pulled away again. "I can't. I have to get it. It might be important." Marissa slowly extricated herself and lent over and picked up the phone on the bedside table.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Marissa? It's Sandy."

"Sandy. Hi." She replied.

"I'm sorry if I woke you. I just thought I should let you know that we are going to take the Nana to brunch and I wondered if you wanted to join us?" Sandy asked.

Marissa looked over at Ryan who had proceeded to turn over and pretend that he had gone straight back to sleep again.

"Um. If it's okay with you Sandy we might give it a miss." Marissa smiled as thoughts of the night they had just shared flooded her memory and the words just came to her. "Ryan was up most of the night so we didn't get much sleep."

Upon hearing her words Ryan rolled over and smiled at her and mouthed "And I intend to be 'up' again."

Marissa smiled thinking to herself that she had done really well. She hadn't lied and yet hopefully Sandy wouldn't know just what she was referring to and hence wouldn't think too badly of them.

"I hope it wasn't something he ate at dinner? I gather that Seth must have had a similar night from what Summer was saying when I spoke to her. Perhaps some of the food was off?"

Marissa nearly burst out laughing realising that she and Summer were obviously on the same wavelength. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure that Ryan will be fine with a little more rest." Marissa assured him.

"Okay ... Um … Well I guess …" Sandy stuttered.

"Sandy, Is there something else? Or did you really want us to come with you?" Marissa asked sensing that Sandy had something else on his mind.

"No you don't need to come it's just …. well I guess …"

"Sandy what is it?" Marissa pushed, now concerned about what could possibly be causing Sandy to behave so strangely. He was usually so straight forward about everything.

"I was just wondering if you two had seen the newspaper this morning?" he asked.

"No. Why?" Marissa asked starting to get worried all of a sudden.

"Let's just say, I think you should have a look at it before you go out today. What were you planning on doing?" Sandy asked.

"We hadn't really talked about it. But I guess I wouldn't mind going to the beach for a while. We didn't get a chance yesterday with the whole proposal and everything. Why?" Marissa couldn't think why it would matter what they did.

"Well. You might want to take someone else with you if you intend leaving the hotel. That's all." Sandy added.

"I don't understand." Marissa commented.

"Have a look at the paper and you will. We'll be back in a few hours. I'll talk to you then. Hopefully Ryan will be feeling a little better and maybe we can all get together." Sandy suggested. "We need to leave for the airport at 4. So I'll talk to you before then."

"Okay Sandy I'll talk to you soon." Marissa replaced the phone wondering just what was in the paper. She decided the only way to find out was to go and collect it. Knowing that there would be one outside their door, she went to get out of the bed only to have Ryan's arm come around her and pull her back in to the bed.

"I thought you were asleep." She said.

"I want to be. But I need you beside me or I can't sleep. So come back to bed with me?" Ryan asked sounding like a little boy wanting his favourite teddy.

"I can't. I have to go and get the paper. I gather there's something important in it." Marissa replied.

"You're the only thing that's important to me and your right here where I want you." He said pulling her closer still and then rolling over to pin her to the bed under him. He lent down and kissed her thoroughly, savouring each and every taste. He pulled back and smiled. "Good morning." He said grinning from ear to ear.

Marissa returned the kiss and couldn't help but smile. "Is it?"

"How can you even ask? The sun's shining. We don't have to go to work. You're naked with a hot man between your legs. What more could you want?" Ryan asked as he lent back in for another kiss just as Marissa's stomach gave an audible gurgle.

She laughed. "Um … food?"

"So woman cannot live on love alone hey? No matter what the stories say." Ryan asked.

"Not this one anyhow. And you have to admit that we have used up quite a bit of energy in the last 12 hours." Marissa suggested.

"True. But you don't want to go out for breakfast do you? I could just order some from room service and we could stay and eat here." Ryan suggested.

"Sounds good to me. But I still want to see what's in the paper. Sandy was very intent on the fact that we needed to have a look at it." Marissa said as she got out of the bed and grabbed one of the complimentary gowns from the wardrobe to throw on while she retrieved the paper. "I'll go and get the paper while you order us some food."

While she was gone Ryan called room service and ordered some breakfast for the two of them and then wondered why Marissa hadn't returned to the bedroom. She seemed to be taking an awfully long time.

"Ris? Where are you?" he called out into the lounge room of their suite.

Marissa slowly walked back in to the room and stopped at the end of the bed, a frown on her beautiful face. "I think we may have problems."