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Marissa's little white lie

As soon as the lift doors closed Marissa moved in and began to kiss Ryan, letting her tongue tell him just how much she had missed him while they had been apart.

Ryan eagerly accepted her unspoken message as he returned the greeting. When they came up for air he smiled and said. "Now that's more the greeting that I was hoping for."

"Yeah. Sorry about that. It's just that you came in at an awkward moment." She explained.

Ryan just frowned and raised his eyebrows wanting her to continue with her explanation.

Marissa wasn't sure just what to say but she knew that she didn't want to keep anything from him so she had to try. "It's just …" she began and then stopped. She was unsure about just how to put it.

"Just?" Ryan asked wanting her to continue. He was sure that this was something to do with the guy that was looking daggers at him.

"Just Karl. The photographer." She explained. "Just before you arrived, he asked to talk to me and I'm not really sure exactly what it was all about because thankfully you walked in and interrupted … but I think he was asking me out?" she informed Ryan.

"What?" Ryan asked, surprised.

Marissa shrugged. "I don't really know for sure. He said he'd overheard me say that I wasn't going out with the others tonight because I was too tired and still jet lagged and then he asked could he come over and then when I said no, he started on about something but thankfully you appeared so I didn't have to stay and listen."

"You should have just told him that he has no chance. That we're together." Ryan insisted … not liking the idea of any other guy having ideas about his wife.

"I know. And I will. I guess I just thought I should do it without an audience. You know … let him down gently. He has been a good friend to me over the last couple of years and I don't want to hurt him anymore than I have to." She explained, hoping that Ryan would understand.

"Exactly how good a friend?" Ryan asked with a smile. "Should I be jealous?" He asked partly kidding but partly not. He knew that he shouldn't be jealous. Anything that Marissa did while they were apart was her own business, it's not as if he had been a saint, but he still couldn't help but dislike the idea of anyone else being with her. He didn't want to come across as some sort of possessive prick so he tried to lighten his words by adding. "You introduced me as your 'friend'. I hope that you don't think of us both in the same way?"

Marissa wondered if she should tell Ryan about the couple of nights with Karl? But she could already sense that Ryan was trying to hold his jealousy in check and she knew that if she told him about her slip ups … when she had let Karl sleepover then Ryan would never give Karl a chance. She had hoped that Ryan would get along with all her friends and she knew that when they went out later in the week that Karl would be there. If she told Ryan about the fact that she'd slept with Karl then she knew that not only would tonight be ruined but also any chance they had of having a good night when they went out with her friends. So she made a hasty decision. "No. I definitely don't think of you both in the same way. But I couldn't just come out and say 'this is my husband Ryan' could I?"

"I guess not." Ryan agreed reluctantly. "So … again … exactly how good a friend?"

Marissa thought for a moment and then replied truthfully. "Well we've never dated, if that's what you're asking." Marissa said and noticed Ryan let out the breath he'd been holding since he'd asked the question. She was glad that she hadn't told him exactly what had gone on but she knew that that probably wasn't enough of an answer for him so she decided to add a little more and hopefully it would stop Ryan from asking any more questions. "But he's always been around if I need him." She explained.

"Well I'm around now, if you need anybody. You need to let him know that." Ryan suggested … letting his possessiveness show just a little.

Marissa smiled. She couldn't help but love it when he behaved like this. "I will. I just need to find the right time to explain. Nobody here even knows anything about you. So it's going to be a bit of a surprise. Seth and Summer knew all about our history and yet they were still surprised at just how quickly we got together. Just imagine how it must seem to these people who didn't even know that you existed."

Ryan nodded. He understood what she was saying … but a part of him was surprised that she had never told anyone about their history. He knew that even when they were apart, she had never been far from his thoughts. So much so, that on more than a few occasions over the last few years when he'd been having a few drinks with Skip, he'd confided in him and told him all about her. He guessed that he imagined that she may have done the same but apparently not. He was a little disappointed to think that she had found it so easy to keep it all bottled up. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe it wasn't because she didn't think about him as often as he thought about her?

"I will tell them." She assured him watching the doubts and insecurities flash across his face. She hated that she was doing this to him.

"Okay. But that guy is just going to have to find someone else. You're taken." Ryan said kissing her again.

"Where am I being taken?" Marissa asked.

"If I had my way it would be straight home to bed. Or anywhere else you wanted to try out. I'm feeling adventurous." Ryan suggested. "Afterall … it is my honeymoon."

"Yes…. It… Is…" Marissa replied her words punctuated by kisses. "Mine too. And much as that does hold more than a little appeal, we need to buy some food … purely for sustenance of course. Otherwise we will have to go out to eat again tonight and you know that means we get to spend less time in bed." She teased. "Of course if you'd rather … we could go out sight seeing now?" Marissa suggested.

"I'm sure that Paris is a beautiful city but the only sight I want to see right now … is my wife… preferably naked … in bed beside me." Ryan said returning the kisses and punctuating his words with more. "And underneath me … and on top of me …"

The lift doors opened and they jumped apart startled by the elderly couple that were staring at them and smiling. They both blushed and then returned the smiles and stepped out.

"So grocery store first?" Marissa asked.

"I guess so. And then home." Ryan replied leering at her and leaving her in no doubt about what they would be doing once they got there.

Marissa laughed at him "I'm starting to think that you've got a one track mind, Atwood."

Ryan smiled but replied. "I'll have you know that I can think of a lot more than one thing that I want to do with you."

"I suspect it's the same thing but in different positions." Marissa replied quizzically waiting for him to deny it.

"Maybe." Ryan shrugged with a smile plastered across his face. He looked like a randy teenager not the successful businessman he now was.

Marissa laughed and grabbed his hand and pulled him after her. She knew that she couldn't get there fast enough.

---

A naked Ryan and Marissa were laying in her bed entwined in one another basking in the rosy glow of the aftermath of their love making.

"You know I think I'm addicted to you?" Marissa asked trailing small spirals over his chest with her finger.

"Good. It's all part of my devious plan to make you stay with me." Ryan replied his body starting to respond as her fingers started to tickle.

"Devious plan hey? Do I need to hear more about this?" Marissa asked.

"No. Otherwise you might find a way to circumvent it. And we can't have that." Ryan replied catching her hand with his own and bringing it to his lips to kiss her fingers.

Marissa laughed. "There's no way that your getting rid of me now buster. I got that ring on your finger and it's staying there."

Ryan held his hand up and twisted the ring around. "I'm actually getting used to it being there. I wasn't sure whether I would because I've never worn a ring before. But if it means that you're tied to me then I'll happily leave it on forever. Looks like you're stuck with me."

"Good. I like being stuck with you and to you." Marissa commented. "But tell me, what exactly did you get up to today while I was hard at work? Did you find something to amuse yourself with?" she asked and then laughed. "You were naked when I left here. I couldn't help but wonder if you …"

Ryan laughed. "No. I didn't amuse myself THAT way. I thought that I'd wait for you. Mind you, I was disappointed that you found it so easy to walk out the door and leave me like that."

"I assure you that there was nothing easy about it. I almost turned around and came back again. You're very bad for my work ethic." She laughed. "So what did you get up to?" she asked again.

"Well nothing as good as this unfortunately" he said running his hand over her naked body. "But I do have some news."

"Which is?" Marisa asked.

"Hmmm "Ryan thought for a moment. "… do you want the good news or the not quite as good news or the bad news?"

Marissa thought about it for a moment and then decided "Definitely the good first … maybe we can ignore the rest."

"Okay. So I spoke to Skip. His Dad is improving." Ryan stated.

"That's good."

"And hopefully so is his love life." Ryan added.

"What? What has she done now?" Marissa asked hating even the thought of Annabel intruding while she was entwined with her husband.

Ryan laughed. "If you mean Annabel then nothing. It seems that Skip has a new interest that he was having trouble denying the charms of. An old friend back in Sydney." He explained. "I decided to tell him about Annabel's cheating so that he could make a move on the new girl without feeling guilty."

"How did he take it?" Marissa asked.

Ryan laughed. "Surprisingly well. He couldn't get off the phone fast enough because he wanted to call the new girl and ask her out. So I'm thinking that the Annabel attraction is definitely all over and done with."

"Thank goodness. I was feeling a little bit guilty that it was my insecurities that had led to them hooking up in the first place. I would have never forgiven myself if he had ended up broken hearted."

"I can assure you that definitely was not the impression he gave me, once I'd brought him up to date and shared my knowledge."

"What did he say about Keith. You did explain that Keith had no idea …" Marissa started to ask only to be cut off.

Ryan shook his head. "I didn't tell him. I just said that she'd cheated on him. Not with whom. I guess he will have to know sometime or other but that can be after we all get back to LA and we can explain exactly what went on. He didn't even care enough to ask … so I can't see it being a problem between them once he knows."

"So who's the new girl?" Marissa asked. "How did he meet her? What does she do?" She just hoped that Skip could find someone decent this time around.

Ryan laughed.

"What?" Marissa asked.

"You. You sound like an old mother hen. Are you scared that he doesn't know how to pick them?" Ryan teased.

"Well he did hook up with Annabel. So I think that his track record speaks for itself. Let's hope that this one is a bit better. Otherwise I might have to get Emma to fly over for a visit and we can introduce them. She'd be just his type."

"Matchmaking are we?" Ryan asked.

"I'd just like him to be as happy as we are." Marissa answered and then knew she had to ask "Okay. And the not so good? Is that about Annabel too?" Marissa asked wanting to get all discussion about the slutty redhead out of the way once and for all.

"No. She's actually got everything under control back at work. So I do have to thank her for that." Ryan said and then waited to continue. Part of him wanted to say nothing but he knew that he had to ask her sometime and now while they were so close was as good as any. "The other thing … was … that I talked to Dan today." He felt her tense up just at the mention of his name.

Marissa said nothing. Just waited for what was to come next.

Ryan waited for some kind of comment from her but when she said nothing he added. "He invited us to come and spend the weekend with them at his home in the Cotswolds?"

"No." Marissa replied firmly.

"But I thought that you'd decided that you would speak to your mother? That you wanted to show her how happy we were?" Ryan asked surprised by her reaction. "Have you changed your mind?"

"I'm prepared to see her. But there is no way that I'm spending a weekend in her company. That would be way too much. An hour at most … preferably less, is all I'm prepared to do. I just want to shove our happiness in her face and then get out of there." Marissa explained. "Before she can poison us and everything around us."

"Don't you think that you are over reacting?" Ryan asked.

"No. I don't."

Ryan knew that Dan would be disappointed but he didn't want to push Marissa. He knew that she could just as easily change her mind all together.

"So when?" he asked.

Marissa shook her head. Part of her wondered why she'd ever agreed to it in the first place but she knew that she was doing it mostly for Ryan. "I don't know ... Let me get my work out of the way and I'll think about it then. Maybe on our way back to LA. I'll see."

Ryan quietly accepted what she said. He knew that he couldn't afford to ask any more of her.

Marissa contemplated asking the next question but knew that she had to know "Am I even game to ask what the bad news was?"

Ryan laughed. "Well I guess you could say that it is good news for us because we're here and not in LA." He said cryptically. "It would be much worse if we were there. At least for you anyhow."

Marissa frowned. She wondered if it was something to do with the paparazzi … who surprisingly had not tracked them down in Paris just yet. "I don't understand."

"I spoke to Seth." Ryan explained. "I gather that Bridezilla has everyone working on the wedding. Apparently she has Kirsten in such a state she is ready to pull her hair out."

"Is that Summer's hair or Kirsten's own?" Marissa asked thinking about the possibilities.

"Probably both." Ryan laughed. "Seth sounds like he is ready to call the whole thing off. Summer doesn't want to make any decisions but she doesn't want anyone else to either. She keeps asking him for his thoughts and then doing the exact opposite. He really was sounding frazzled. I was tempted to tell him about Las Vegas and recommend he nick off and elope with her to avoid all the stress."

"And of course you do have a contact in the court house." Marissa added smugly. She still had trouble believing just how much trouble Ryan had gone to, to make their wedding possible. It may not have been a traditional wedding but they were married and that's all that really mattered as far as she was concerned.

"Yes I do. But speaking of contact. Do you think that you'd be up for a little more?" he asked one hand starting to stroke up and down her arm as he rolled his body on top of hers.

Marissa wriggled under him as he held himself above her propped up on his elbows. She could feel his arousal nudging at her and smiled. "As long as it's with you … I think that I would." She explained and used her hand behind his head to pull him in and close the gap between them. Their lips met in a sweet and sensuous kiss as all thought of talking was replaced with their mutual need for one another.