A/N: I'm loving all the great responses I'm getting to the story! Thanks so much guys – I appreciate the support. To reward you lovelies, things in this chapter are going to get a little heated up. *grabs popcorn and waits*

Disclaimer: Never was mine, never will be.

Rated: T

Chapter 4 - Temptations

After Gabriel had finished getting ready, he stepped up to the living room window to get a glimpse of the sunrise through a big clearing in the trees. An orange and pink haze was settling over the mountains, which was really quite magnificent. He'd not been able to see anything in the dark last night, but was glad to be able to enjoy this breathtaking scenery while sipping his cup of coffee. He looked across the yard to see that Riley was feeding a flame in a little campfire area.

Setting down his empty mug, he grabbed a coat and walked out to meet her. The ground was still a little wet from the recent rainfall and he yanked his shoe up out of a mud-puddle. "How are you starting a fire? I thought everything was wet?"

She continued to blow on the kindling and watched as the sparks danced onto the woodpile. It soon caught fire and she stood up, smiling triumphantly as she answered. "Easy; this wood was already sitting here with a cover over it. It kept out the rain, thus giving us the chance to cook some breakfast." Gabriel looked under the woodpile to see that it was resting on top of a metal plate, which was why the ground wasn't making the wood damp.

"You do know we have a kitchen, right? Why not use that?" He asked as he pulled a sitting log over to the fire anyways, trying to keep warm in the cool morning air. Gabriel still thought it was ridiculous that they were even out of bed before sunrise.

She looked at him with raised eyebrows. "C'mon. Have you ever eaten fire-roasted bagels for breakfast? They're delicious." She quipped as she sat on a log next to him and grabbed some bagels out of the bag resting nearby. "I also found these old-fashioned hot dog roasters hanging inside the pantry doors. All you have to do is open them and clamp the bagel inside," she said, handing him one of the objects.

"This is probably the strangest way I've ever eaten my breakfast. Where'd you learn this stuff anyway?" Gabriel asked. He did as she said and held his bagel over the flames.

"My grandparents used to own a hunting cabin in the middle of the woods, and they'd invite me to join them for a couple days every summer." Riley responded as she stopped to watch the sun peeking over the trees near the yard, feeling nostalgic. "The First Kids used to love cooking food this way. Besides, everything tastes better when it's grilled over a campfire." She finished as she looked over at him, sharing a smile.

When the food had started to get brown around the edges, they placed the bagels on the plates Riley had brought out. Surprisingly, they were actually really good this way and Gabriel let her know as much when he moaned quietly after the first bite. "Not bad at all, Camp Counselor."

She rolled her eyes at the nickname and bit into her own bagel. They sat in a comfortable silence and finished their breakfast, watching the sun rise higher into the light morning sky. Wiping her mouth, Riley looked across the yard to see a little hiking trail through the woods. Turning to Gabriel, she said, "I was reading a campground map earlier that said the hiking trails are really good around here. Apparently, most of them lead to a nearby lake."

He nodded his head, mouth still full, so she continued.

"Do you want to try that one out?" She pointed in the direction of the woods. "It's not like we're going to have much fun stuck inside the cabin today."

He swallowed. "But there's a game on today." Riley rolled her eyes and gave him a look that told him she was not impressed.

"There are plenty of games on. All the time. There will never not be a game on, so you'll always have the chance to watch one later. I'm sure you can just pull up a game-rewind in your head later." He grunted. "C'mon. How often do you get to spend time in the great outdoors? We have to enjoy ourselves while we're here, do new things!"

Gabriel stood up and just to get her to be quiet, he consented. Much to her delight, he said he'd go change into more comfortable hiking gear as soon as it warmed up a little.

As she went to her room to do the same, Riley knew that a little nature hike would get him feeling better in no time. She felt more at ease here, much less on edge. For now, she felt confident that the guardsmen they'd been on the run from wouldn't be showing up anytime soon. As she finished changing, she picked up her phone to call Lillian for an update.

Gabriel knocked on her door ten minutes later, listening to the end of the phone conversation. "Did Lillian have any good news for us?" He asked as stepped into her room.

"The warehouse we infiltrated yesterday has been wiped clean at the hands of CCU's top agents. Second to us of course," she added with a wink. "Unfortunately, the only man they still need to get into custody is missing, and it looks to be the same man you pointed out."

"How do they know he's a definite suspect?" Gabriel questioned.

"Some of the goons gave him away. You know, bad guys are never as scary as they look after they're arrested." They both chuckled.

The temperature had risen to a nice sixty-eight degrees, so Riley had shed the jacket she had on earlier, which now smelled of smoke. "Hopefully we'll warm up as we go, right?" she asked, gesturing to her T-shirt and shorts.

He nodded and followed her out the door. "How long is this going to take?"

"I'm going to ignore you if you keep complaining." She stated as she stepped into the woods, feet following the dusty trail. At least the sun was drying up the mud. She really did miss her camping trips, running around the roots of trees and seeing how fast she could climb the maples. All around her was a green canopy, and she could hear the songs of the blue jays and cedar waxwings.

Gabriel was starting to notice how serene and calming the woods could be. He didn't have the option to get away often, seeing as he was an extremely valuable asset to the country and wasn't allowed to go off the grid. Unless, of course, he was purposefully avoiding anyone. But this was different. He wasn't running from anyone, only hiding in case a supposedly dangerous man just happened to find them.

He picked up his pace to trail behind Riley, keeping just behind her as the path narrowed. From here, he watched the muscles in her legs work to propel her forward, moving her hips in a strangely enticing way. Rather than watch the foliage go by around him, he'd decided to focus on a much more pleasant view. She spoke up, "The scenery is great out here, huh?"

"Oh, definitely," He replied. He wasn't lying, at least. However, he was caught when she glanced over her shoulder at him. He didn't realize it immediately and knocked into her when she stopped short, causing the two of them to tumble toward the ground. She smartly flipped them over so that Gabriel broke her fall and they both grunted.

"Ah," he said weakly. "At least I didn't land on a root. Wouldn't want to break the chip," he ground out.

She tried to move off him, but ended up crashing right onto him again as her foot slid in a patch of slick mud. Their shins were both grimy now, and she muttered her apologies, accidentally kneeing him when she tried to move again.

"Just- just hold on there a minute," he said, holding her in place. "I want to at least have the option of having children someday."

She blew at the hair that landed in her face during the fall. "Maybe if you weren't so busy staring at my ass, you'd have a better chance."

Despite the fact that his groin was competing with his head to see which hurt worse, he found himself smiling at her saucy comeback. "Was that advice or an offer?"

"Ugh, in your dreams, Vaughn."

"All the time." Gripping her hips, he set her on her feet. "Alright, let's both be a little more careful this time."

She dusted herself off, frowning at the mud caking her legs. "Too tired for an exciting excursion I see. Are you turning into an old man?" she taunted.

"Old - old man?" he repeated, glaring at her. "That's not what I'm saying!" Riley heard his drawl when he emphasized his last sentence.

"Sure, old-timer. If you're not too tired, then try to keep up." Her eyes were dancing, and she laughed as she suddenly took off sprinting down the trail. Gabriel shook his head at her antics, but he wasn't about to let her beat him. He bolted after, gaining on her quickly.

Like kids on the playground, they ran faster uphill, each getting their turn at the front of the race. Finally, both stopped at a peak in the trail, laughing and gasping for air. "I totally had you beat," Gabriel said, and received a push from Riley.

"Are you kidding? I got to this spot first." She straightened her posture and looked down ahead of them. "Hey – looks like we made it to the lake!" She was surprised when he pushed past her, taking off his shirt to reveal his tan back, covered in sweat. She followed him in amusement. "There's a rope swing over there if you're planning on cooling off."

He looked in the direction she was gesturing to and headed over, removing his shoes to sport some bare feet. The muscles in his back rippled as he grabbed the rope swing, walked backwards, and swung forwards with a great splash in the water. Riley fanned herself off, overcome by a strange and sudden wave of heat.

While he floated on his back, Gabriel shouted, "Come on in, Riley. Water's warm." He hadn't expected her to actually follow suit, but glanced up at the shore towards her anyway. What he saw next nearly made his jaw drop.

Riley reached up, lifting her shirt over her head. His eyes fell upon a black bikini top she'd worn underneath her T-shirt, giving him a perfect view of her bare curves. Next, she shimmied out of her shorts. When she turned around to set her clothes down, the waistband of the bikini shorts dipped lower. No tan lines, he thought and gulped. This morning was turning out to be far better than he'd imagined.

She used the rope swing to create a big splash in the water near him. When she surfaced, she pushed her hair out of her face. "You're right, this is really nice." All he could do was swallow the lump that had formed in his throat.

After a minute or so of turning his head, so as not to gawk at her stunning form, he told himself to get a grip and swam over to her. "Nice suit by the way. I see we both packed accordingly for a swim."

"Well I did think it would get warmer. Besides, hiking always makes me hot."

"Does it now?" he chuckled, swimming closer. She glared over at him through squinted eyes.

"You know what I mean," she said. Her eyes turned less menacing as he came nearer to her, unsure of what he was about to do. Suddenly her eyes widened, and she shouted, "No, wait!"

But it was too late; he'd grabbed her shoulders and dunked her under the water. After only two seconds, he released his grip, laughing as she sputtered and coughed. "How – how dare – you – you jerk!" was all she could make out between breaths. She seemed to be having trouble staying upright.

He grabbed her waist and let her ankles wrap around his calves for support, laughter dying away as he started to feel bad. "Sorry, partner. Just breathe." He tried to give her his most winning smile to cheer her out of her fit.

"That was mean," she croaked. Her hands were gripping his arms, trying to stay above the waterline. She held herself there, taking easy breaths before she realized the position they'd found themselves in. "Drowning a girl is not the most conventional way to get her into your arms, Gabriel."

He choked on a surprised laugh. "No ulterior motives here, just trying to help you breathe."

"Yeah, after depriving me of oxygen for your own entertainment."

"It was a little funny." Gabriel swore under his breath when she gave a sharp pinch to ribs. "Hey! It was for barely two seconds."

"Warn a girl first, eh?" They'd slipped back into their regular teasing banter more easily than she'd thought possible. "And buy me dinner first."

His arms tightened around her waist further and Gabriel felt the sweet pressure of her hips colliding with his. "As you'll remember, I made you dinner myself last night. And it was damn good."

She felt heat on her cheeks. "Still. I'd prefer to keep this muddy water out of my lungs, thank you very much." She looked down at their conjoined bodies, willing herself to think of an excuse to separate herself from his tantalizing hips.

"You know, I am medically certified. I'd always be happy to give you CPR," he teased, glancing at her slightly parted lips. He leaned down so that their foreheads were almost resting upon one another. "Still need air?"

Her throat went dry. Riley's warning bells were ringing inside her head, telling her this was heating up too fast. Why did they always end up like this? It seemed that whenever she turned around, there he was, invading her personal space and fogging up her mind. He slid one of his hands from her waist to her lower spine, tracing a circular pattern. She shivered, and his fingers started climbing towards the tie on the back of her suit, resting in place as he watched her pupils widen. Some air would be nice right about now.

She was saved from answering him, however, when a speedboat came cruising towards them, slowing to a stop about a hundred feet away. She simultaneously thanked and cursed the powers that be.

Gabriel let out a growl. He extracted his body from her, save one hand that was resting on her bare back. The woman steering the boat introduced herself as a park ranger. "Hey folks! I was just cruising around to tell all our guests that there's going to be a big party down at the main lodge. All campers are welcome, so come on down and visit. I expect you already heard about our campsite's twenty-fifth anniversary party? We've been planning for a long time. Oh, that's probably why you came for the week anyway, so I won't tell you what you don't already know. You folks have a nice afternoon!" She started up the boat without waiting for an answer, not letting them get a word in edgewise.

"Didn't know 'Ms. Bates' was stopping by for a visit," Gabriel remarked.

Riley turned to him in astonishment. "You read Jane Austen?" She wouldn't have thought he was the type to read a classic romance novel, especially not Emma.

He just tapped the side of his head. "Online reading." Riley laughed at that. She guessed he might have been able to consume book material faster when they were available to be automatically downloaded in his head.

They made their way back to shore, drying themselves off in the sun before putting their clothing back on. "Let's take it easy back to the cabin this time," Riley said, glancing at the trail that led steeply up into the woods.

"Agreed." He wasn't happy about yet another intrusion of a perfect moment, but decided to satisfy himself with letting her precede him again.

"Let's just enjoy the view," she murmured, walking at a slower pace.

Enjoy the view he would.

Both of the agents were starving when they got back. Riley fixed them up a couple of chicken sandwiches on the stove, putting the pre-sautéed pieces in between bread and cooking it like grilled cheese. "Where do you come up with these meals?" They seemed so simple, but he'd never tried them before.

"Oh just eat it, it's delicious." She took a bite into her own buttery sandwich, closing her eyes at the flavor. The sun beating down on them only intensified when they'd left the shade of the woods, leaving Riley's stomach hot and hungry. She was so glad she knew how to be able to fix a quick meal when she needed to.

When they'd finished their sandwiches, each took a quick rinse in the shower to get off the grime from the lake. Gabriel was putting a clean shirt over his head when he heard her shriek. He ran across the hall and busted open the door.

Riley was standing near the door in a defensive position, clad in only her bra and underwear. He tried hard to look away, but it was sort of hot when he kept getting the chance to see her like this. He cleared his throat and asked, "Where's the danger?"

She obviously hadn't heard him enter the room and jumped. "Geez, turn around!" He didn't move.

"I just saw you in your bathing suit, how is this any different?"

She tugged her arms around her stomach self-consciously anyway. "Ugh. Will you just look at my suitcase?" He gave her a perturbed look and followed orders. Not a split-second later, he jumped back.

"Guess your roommate decided to bring his whole family," he said with a grimace. He really didn't like mice, especially not when they'd made a nest in his partner's suitcase. Riley told him that she'd found them when she was digging for new clothes, clothes that now had "disgusting mouse-germs" all over them, as she so delicately put.

"Can I borrow a long shirt or something?" she asked. At the break in her voice, he knew he couldn't tease her. She was probably pretty embarrassed by now, so he went to go get a pair of shorts and a shirt from his own bag. Just in case, he made sure there was no extra house guests in his pile either.

When he came back and handed her the clothes, he noticed a slight redness to her eyes. Maybe she'd been putting on an act earlier when she'd said mice didn't bother her. Or, maybe she was having an issue deeper than that. So, he put on a smile, going less for charming, more for cheering her up. "How about I take your clothes down to the laundry mat by the main lodge and let you change?" She barely nodded. "You alright?"

"Never better," she quipped, frown replaced with a small smile. She'd seen actual concern in his eyes, earlier. For some reason, it was shaking her and making her realize that he might actually care about her, but she didn't know why it was making tears spring to her eyes. She was a tough agent, one who'd worked with the Secret Service for years. Maybe it was that he was being sincere for once, and not a total jackass. She wasn't going to pass this up though, and looked into his blue depths. "Thanks, Gabriel. That's sweet of you."

He seemed to accept this and soon left. It gave her a chance to think about things, and just how quickly they were moving. He was unintentionally breaking down her carefully erected barriers, and she wasn't so sure how she felt about that. She vowed still never to let her professionalism waver, however, and left it at that. Finally calming down after gathering some dryer wood outside and placing it in the cabin's interior fireplace for later, she laid down on the couch to await Gabriel's return.

An hour and a half later, she heard the screen door swing open and she opened her eyes. A quick flicker of worry passed her features when she realized that she should have went with him to make sure no guardsmen had snuck up on him. A rush of panic caused her to sit up and look over the edge of the couch, seeing that he had come back all in one piece. She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

Riley then heard footsteps come over to the couch and a quick intake of breath escape her partner's mouth. "Comfy?" he asked, voice a little rough. When she glanced up at him through sleepy, lidded eyes, he swallowed, "Do the clothes fit all right?" He didn't think seeing Riley in his clothes would have such an effect on him.

She rose from the couch then, showing him how baggy the clothes were on her. "They might need a little tailoring, that's for sure. I considered wearing the shirt like a dress," she paused, riding up the article of clothing in question to show him how the shorts were hiding underneath, "but I figured that it might be a little unprofessional to go hanging around the house pant-less."

And with that, his mouth went dry. His fingers twitched where his arms hung resolutely at his sides. "You? Unprofessional? Never." He joined her side as she stood in front of the dark fireplace. She was leaning down and setting a match to the woodpile. It had started to cloud over outside, making the inside of the Cabin darker and cooler.

"I don't know. I don't feel as though we've been acting very mature lately," she remarked. He was gazing at her intensely again, watching her face as she stood back up in front of him. A spark of awareness once again jolted in the air between them. As of late, the air always seem to be charged whenever they got within five feet of each other. "Especially when you stare at me like that. Do you really have to give me that look?"

"What look?"

She gestured to his eyes impatiently and he finally looked away. "You've been acting like this for two days now. What's the problem?" She decided to bring up the topic they'd been avoiding. "Didn't think I could kiss you so convincingly, is that it?"

She was just teasing him now. The corners of his mouth kicked up. "I'll have you know that the kiss was completely platonic. I was perfectly fine afterwards." Against his better judgment, he carried on. "Was I too good of a kisser? Was it much too distracting for you?"

She scowled. "Not at all. I didn't feel a thing. Even if we had to go undercover like that again, I wouldn't be bothered in the least." She stressed the last three words, ending with a poke to his chest.

Caught up in their fight, they'd turned to face each other fully. Their chests were both heaving, worked up over the other's reluctance to say how they truly felt and the slight disappointment about the others' lie.

"Good. I agree. Kissing you again wouldn't do anything for me," Gabriel fumed. "I know I'd be able to keep a professional demeanor," he challenged.

"So would I. It wouldn't make me act any differently towards you after," she said softly. Riley was now aware they were breathing each other's air again. Daringly, she decided to take another step closer to Gabriel, watching his reaction. However, she was unprepared for when he did the same thing.

She gasped as he grabbed her waist, his body suddenly coming right up along hers. He leaned in and put his hot mouth on hers, and she sighed at the almost unbearable sweetness of the anticipated moment of contact. He'd secretly been dying for another chance to feel her lips under his again, as was she. It was an urgent, almost desperate kiss, and Riley immediately opened her mouth against his to allow him to take the kiss deeper.

Her pulse leapt when he reached down to cup her backside, pulling her impossibly closer to where she wanted him most. His wandering hand came back up to her waist, dipping under her shirt to graze her bare skin delicately. Gabriel started tracing circles on her lower spine with his fingertips, making her shiver at his tender touch. She arched into him and released her grip on his upper arms to circle around his neck.

Riley felt the rise and fall of his chest as their breathing grew more ragged. It felt pretty damn unprofessional at the moment. She knew she should probably move away by now. She could have blamed it on the fact that he wouldn't have let her go anyway, but that was one lie too many.

Gabriel's head was swimming in ecstasy. He bit her lip and soothed it with his tongue, coming back up to take her mouth again fully when she moaned. He would've done anything to hear that intimate sound come from her again. To his delight, he was able to elicit another from her when he ran a hand up to her bare ribs, just below the fabric of her bra, and slowly, agonizingly, back down to her front to hook his thumb on the low waistline of her borrowed shorts. Her tongue glided across the roof of his mouth, making his knees weak. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to erase from his mind the things she was doing to him. He released her for a moment, catching his breath, but couldn't seem to leave her completely. He came back for one lingering, open-mouthed kiss, and finally, reluctantly, tore his lips away. His forehead was resting against hers, his breathing labored.

"See?" Riley started breathlessly, "Still nothing." Her freshly kissed mouth made it hard for him to take her too seriously. He peppered one last kiss onto the corner of her mouth, releasing his tight grip on her. She leaned into his cheek as he did, and was amazed to realize how cold she was once the heat of his body moved away.

"Exactly. Glad we got that sorted out," he said, his voice still thick with arousal. He stepped backwards to regain some perspective. "Let me know if you ever need reminding." He looked back over to her, swollen mouth and flushed cheeks, and ordered himself not to reach for her again.

"Yeah," she said distractedly, still dazed. She was trying hard to concentrate, but couldn't find her normal gumption. Maybe it had something to do with the way his lips had claimed hers in so heady a passion. God, she missed his touch already. What was wrong with her?

She caught her lip between her teeth, tearing her eyes away from his unshaven chin, and held his stare for what seemed like an eternity. Just the fact that they'd gotten a taste of each other left them hungrily craving more. Before anyone could take a step towards the other, however, the ring of the phone broke their concentration.

Gabriel hesitatingly went over to pick up the phone and answer to the park ranger. After a minute, he hung up and turned towards his partner, telling her, "Apparently the lodge party is taking place tonight. Oh, and your clothes are ready from the dryer down the road." The corners of his mouth rose, and he added, "Interestingly enough, the ranger's name is actually Sally Bates."

Despite the heavy atmosphere between them, she chuckled. "Does that make you Mr. Knightly then?"

"Only if you're Emma." At her scoff, he smiled.

"I'd like to think I'm not that judgmental, thanks." While Riley loved the character, Emma still had her flaws. "What time does this shindig start, anyway?"

"Dinner is served at six o'clock sharp. She asked me to dress nicely, 'cause apparently there's dancing," he drawled with a roll of the eyes. "Same goes for you. At least I have an excuse to see you wear that dress now." His grin turned downright wicked.

She tried to ignore the way she felt her cheeks heat up and took in a shaky breath. Riley decided to focus on something other than his fiery gaze, so she glanced at the clock, seeing that it was now four thirty. "We'd best get ready soon then." He watched her walk down the hall, her tantalizing hips swaying, and gulped when he saw her hands appear out of her doorway, tossing his clothes back into his room. There she was, nearly naked again, just a room away.

He really needed to cool down. Their latest entanglement was about to blow the top of his head clean off. He shut the door to the master bedroom behind him and rummaged around for the suit he knew he must have packed. Alone with his thoughts, he started wondering how well he'd be able to keep his distance from her tonight. Gabriel knew their relationship was strictly work-related.

The problem was that he didn't know if wanted to keep it that way.

A/N: So the weekend is coming to a close, and I'm most likely going to wait a few days before I update. I'll write in my spare time, but I still have to chug away at my studies. Let me know what you thought about this intense chapter. Reviews are always appreciated: D

Once again, special thanks to diana-of-wales for all the ideas and help! I owe you my thanks.