Sasha shows her interest

The next day Marissa made sure that she avoided spending any time alone with Karl. She didn't want a repeat of yesterday. She knew that she needed to get the message through to him that they had no future together but she didn't know how to tell him without hurting him so she'd asked Ryan to come early and watch while they finished the shoot and that way she would be able to avoid Karl trying to speak to her alone again. Plus, she figured that this time when Ryan arrived she would make sure with her greeting, that every one knew that they were together and not 'just friends'. Surely once Karl saw her and Ryan together, he would realise that there was no chance of there ever being anything more between he and Marissa and would leave her alone. It would be easier for her than having to tell him straight out that there would never be anything between them. She didn't think that she could find the right words without hurting him. Hopefully he would just take the hint once he saw her and Ryan together..

At the same time, Marissa was having fun with the others by not revealing anything about Ryan. She had managed to fend off all their questions. They had tried to interrogate her from the moment that she'd arrived. She was surprised that they hadn't recognised him, but she realised that he was mostly featured in American Business and Design mags and none of them would think twice about looking at anything like that. They had just assumed that he was either a model or an actor. James and Emma in particular were full of questions but Sasha didn't say much at all. However, Marissa had noticed that Sasha always paid attention whenever his name was mentioned. Marissa didn't want Ryan to get anywhere near Sasha. She had quite a reputation and Marissa had to think that maybe there was some truth to the old adage, 'Where there's smoke there's fire'. She thought that the rumours about Sasha and her supposed sexual activities were probably exaggerated but she had no intention of testing them out. She intended to make sure that Sasha kept well away from Ryan - just in case.

Marissa was enjoying teasing them by not revealing much about Ryan. It seemed that the mystery of him only made him even more interesting in their eyes. She laughed as they kept up with their questions, trying to catch her out and get the low down on her gorgeous husband. She wished again that she could share the news with them but knew that they were all such gossips that they would never be able to keep it to themselves. She would just have to keep that information to her self and let them know sometime in the future.

---

After attending to his emails and making a few calls Ryan left Marisa's apartment to make his way to collect her, only to be greeted by some paparazzi as he was leaving the building. He had guessed that they wouldn't take too long to track them down but even so, he was disappointed. He knew that now that they had been found, the paparazzi would make life just that much more difficult for them. He declined their requests for an interview and ignored the questions that were being thrown at him, knowing that they would make up their own answers anyhow. They really didn't care much about the truth and as quickly as possible he made his way into a cab and to Karl's studio that Marissa was working at.

Ryan arrived while Marissa was still busy and he stood to one side watching as James helped to pose the models under Karl's direction. Ryan thought that the job was probably wasted on James. Most guys would have given their eye teeth to have been paid to push and prod scantily clad, beautiful women, but it was obvious that James had no interest in them at all except as decorative clothes hangers. That's all they were to him. Ryan couldn't help but laugh at the irony of it all. He knew that Skip would have been happy to pay for the privilege if he'd been there. But then again, James sexual preferences were probably what made the girls so relaxed with him. If a straight guy was putting his hands in some of the places that James was … then the girls would have probably reacted quite differently and not been nearly as much at ease.

Karl had given Ryan a cursory nod when he'd noticed Ryan walk in and Ryan couldn't help but wonder if Marissa had had the opportunity to talk to him and set him straight yet.

Ryan didn't like the idea of Karl having ideas about his wife but then he figured that he couldn't really blame him. What red-blooded male wouldn't? Karl just needed to be made aware that Marissa was off the market. Forever.

---

When Sasha noticed Ryan enter the studio she silently motioned to Karl and he turned to see what she was on about … only to see Ryan move to stand at the side of the room. Not wanting to appear obvious he continued for a few more shots and then said. "Sasha. That's it for you for today. Emma, Marissa I just want a couple more."

Sasha nodded and quietly made her way to the other side of the studio out of the spotlight and then went to stand beside Ryan pretending that she also was watching the rest of the shoot. She waited for a moment and then asked "So how do you like Paris?"

Ryan looked at her surprised. He hadn't realised that she had crept up quietly to stand just behind him. He'd been too busy watching his wife. "Um. I haven't actually seen very much of it yet." He replied honestly, thinking that except for Marissa's apartment, dinner the first night and the market on the way home yesterday … he hadn't seen anything at all. They'd spent most of their time in bed together. He couldn't help but smile thinking about it. He knew that he wouldn't want it any other way.

Sasha watched the expressions on his face change and could read exactly what he was thinking about and she had to admit to being surprised by the intensity of the flash of jealousy that went through her, thinking about Marissa having this man all to her self. She lent in to him and offered. "I could show you some things."

Ryan was surprised by her comment. "Um … Thanks." Ryan replied courteously "but Marissa and I are planning to go sightseeing at the weekend."

"I wasn't talking about sight seeing." Sasha said … her voice dropping to a husky tone and her eyes travelling over him and stopping at his groin to make sure that he knew exactly what she was talking about. The things she wanted to show him were definitely not in any tourist brochures.

Ryan wondered for a moment if he'd really heard right and she'd said what he thought she'd said. When he made eye contact with her there was no doubt in his mind. She was mentally undressing him and it was obvious that she liked the idea much too much. Ryan stated as clearly as he could. "I'm with Marissa."

"For now." Sasha replied and then made her way towards the changing room. "But things can change."

---

While they were getting ready to leave for the day, the discussion turned to where they were going to go out on Thursday night. Lots of suggestions were made but eventually it was decided that since they would have a tourist with them that they should start their night with dinner at the Moulin Rouge and then follow it up with a visit to a club or two in Montematre.

"You haven't been to Paris unless you've seen the Can Can." Emma assured Ryan.

"I guess I have no idea on what I've been missing out on then." Ryan agreed good naturedly. "It sounds fine as long as I just have to watch and I'm not expected to join in with the dancing. Dancing really isn't my sort of thing." He assured them.

Marissa just smiled thinking of a couple of private dances that she'd shared with him recently which had led to them making sweet love together. "I wouldn't necessarily agree with that." She commented her eyes telling him what her words couldn't.

Ryan returned her glance and every one could sense the atmosphere between Ryan and Marissa getting hot and heavy. It was fairly obvious that she was referring to R rated dancing not the sort you did in public. Marissa hadn't revealed very much about the nature of her 'friendship' with Ryan but it was obvious in those few words that the sparks between them were electric.

James looked from one to the other of them and then decided to break the tension in the room. "Well … I for one, would love to see Ryan topless and with his legs high in the air. Bottomless would be even better …"

The others all burst into fits of laughter and Ryan stood pretty much dumbfounded. He didn't know how he was supposed to respond to something like that.