Disclaimer: I would take the hobbits to Isengard if I could have rights to these characters.
Rated: T
Chapter 20: Caught Unaware
Riley should never be allowed to be awake in the early hours of the morning. Those hours should be reserved for sleeping and sleeping alone, not getting caught up in the head games Gabriel presented. When she was overtired, her guard was let down substantially and Riley always seemed to do things that made no sense whatsoever.
The stare-down she was currently having with her partner was certainly falling under that category of stupid things she was doing instead of sleeping.
It had started out so simple, she thought.
Upon first waking up, she noticed it was hard to breathe. Not because anyone had stolen her breath, no, but because her lungs were burning and begging her to wake up as they were so deprived of oxygen. It felt like an elephant had decided that her chest would be a nice place to stand. Not that she could do too much about it.
It was no elephant (though it sure snored like one). Riley had opened her eyes to see nothing but pitch-black darkness, and panicked for about half a second before she realized where she was. She blinked her eyes enough times and finally saw the dim light of the fire through the tent she was in. The sun certainly hadn't risen yet and she had no idea what time it was.
All she knew was that something heavy was laying on her, and that something was her partner.
"Gabriel," she groaned. Her voice was so hoarse the first time, she had to repeat herself until she felt him stir atop of her. He had to move soon; her back was very sore on the hard ground even without his weight pressing her down.
"Yeah," he mumbled. Gabriel didn't seem to wake up right away, so she called his name loudly until he did. "What?" he asked, sounding more lucid.
"I can't breathe," she wheezed. Thankfully, he shifted his weight more comfortably as soon as she said it. Riley sucked a breath of fresh air into her aching lungs. "Thank god," she whispered dramatically.
"Sorry," he said, sounding more awake by the minute. His arms were large and warm and wrapped around her as if sheltering her from the cold breeze that threatened to flow through the tent. It was still freezing, so she wondered how Gabriel was even keeping her this warm. "Didn't mean to crush you," he added, his voice like gravel.
The words reverberated through his chest and onto hers. It was such a strange sensation, but in her sleepy state, a small part of Riley couldn't help wanting to feel it again. She wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that he was essentially laying on top of her, completely covering Riley with his body. She could breathe better now, of course, but she wasn't sure all of her circulation was back.
Shouldn't she put some sort of distance between them?
That idea was soon put on hold when she realized that if he were to move off of her, the big heated blanket effect he'd created would disappear immediately, and she could be in danger of freezing to death in her sleep.
Maybe.
Probably.
Either way, it didn't seem like a good idea to chance it. Besides, at the moment she wasn't worrying that he could get away with too much. The space between them, though small, was so warm it felt as if Riley were standing nearby a heated furnace. The man lying on her was softer around the edges, though. Much easier to warm up with.
His knee had landed between hers and kept close to her body, not letting any warmth escape them. Gabriel's breathing was so soft that she wondered if he'd fallen back asleep. He was curled tightly around her still and his slow heartbeat could be heard as he exhaled near her shoulder, his face adjacent to hers but nose buried in her hair.
"No," his gruff voice came again when she squirmed slightly. "Don't get out of bed yet."
"There's no possible way for me to do that, if you haven't noticed." So he was awake. Just not thinking as clearly as he should. Did he think they were still at the cabin? "Gabriel, we're not in bed, either."
"What?" he lifted his head a bit then, scratching her cheek with his stubbly one. It was as if he were noticing the tent for the first time. Moonlight caught in his eyes from the entrance of the fort when he blinked and gazed down at her. "Oh."
Riley just raised her eyebrows, waiting for his disorientation to fade.
"Hi there," he said rather pleasantly. He must have also just realized that she was underneath him. She saw him swallow as he looked at what little space there was between them. Their chins were parallel to one another, much like the rest of their bodies, and Gabriel flicked his tongue out across his lips. He cleared his throat and asked, "Did you want me to move?"
Before she knew what she was doing, she'd started shaking her head no with just a little more enthusiasm than she would have liked to display. "No, no."
Gabriel opened his mouth like he was going to say something, eyes flickering down to her chin again.
"I mean, you don't have to move if you don't want to," she tried explaining. Riley took on a calmer tone of voice. "It'll be too cold if you move away, though."
"Alright, I'll stay right here," he paused, a devilish grin accompanying a full-body stretch that let her know just exactly how snug they were, and finished, "I won't move an inch."
She tried to give him an intimidating look, but was flustered when he brought his knee up just a little bit higher than it was, pressing into her. Riley pretended not to notice, but knew that the unsteady breath she'd just taken had probably given her away.
And that's when their staring contest had begun. Riley was still regretting the fact that she'd allowed herself to get caught in this position, with Gabriel essentially in control, and her cornered and not allowed to do anything about it. She absolutely hated the fact that her self-control went out the window on occasions like this – occasions where she needed it by her side, standing strong.
"So, why are we up at this ungodly hour?" he asked, still hovering above her face. Gabriel reached his wrist up to eye-level, checking the watch still wrapped around it. "Riley, it's three o'clock in the morning." His voice wasn't angry, only inquisitive.
"I'm up because you tried to suffocate me," she said indignantly. It was hard to keep a serious tone when his arm laid back down by the side of her head, lightly toying with a few strands of her hair. It was distracting as hell, especially when he'd also leaned forward ever so slightly. Hs hips were still pressing onto her as well, so she fought to keep on topic. "You don't remember the conversation we had seconds ago?"
It almost looked like he was falling asleep again, the way his head kept drooping. Sure it was kept a good ways above her, but Riley wasn't positive how much longer he could support his own head. Either that or he was just moving his face in closer to her in without trying to be stealthy. Now that she'd had that idea, the possible thought that he desired to touch her lips again, she struggled to control a shiver that passed down her spine.
"Oh yeah. Sorry again about that," he whispered. It didn't look like he was focusing very hard on what she was saying though, as his head dropped nearer to her still. Their noses were nearly touching when he added, "I don't know why I had to go and to wake you up so early, though. You can breathe well now, right?"
"Yeah," she lied. Having to bear his full weight was one thing, but having his body come in with contact in such a way as it was now? Breathing normally would probably be hard for the next few days. Not to mention in her dreams forever more.
"Really, I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked more sincerely. Gabriel's fingers had released the strand he was playing with and nestled more fully into her hair in the space between her neck and the ground. They gently massaged the skin at the base of her neck, fingertips skimming her scalp to create a delightful sensation there.
She let out a pleased hum that almost sounded like a quiet moan when he relaxed her muscles and released the tension where his fingers moved. When she made the sound, however, his hand stopped and Riley felt his forehead rest against hers.
Her eyes popped open – she was unaware of even having shut them. She saw Gabriel's eyes directly across from her own. When he spoke, his voice was lower than she expected.
"Please don't make sounds like that when I'm lying on top of you like this," he chuckled, though it sounded almost like a plea. His fingers started working her neck muscles again, though his tired head did not move from its place.
Riley was helpless when yet another moan escaped her mouth. It was out of her control when he kept hitting the certain spot that had been especially sore earlier that day. Her shoulder muscles relaxed completely and her eyes threatened to close again.
Before they could, Riley caught sight of her partner as his hand dropped. Gabriel's eyes had shut of their own accord as soon as the moan had graced his ears, and his nose was suddenly cold against hers. Gabriel rose his forehead off of her a bit, but again he nudged her own nose with his and repeated himself. "Riley, seriously. I can't actually take it when you make noises like that," he said quietly.
It felt like her breath had really been stolen this time. All air seemed to escape her lungs at his nearness and earnest pleas. If she was arousing him as much as Gabriel was her, this could only spell trouble. The way he'd gruffly whispered her name next to her lips did nothing to help the situation. She wondered if he could feel her pulse skyrocketing, or the tense way in which her abdomen contracted against his. There still was only the thin pieces of clothing between them, and Riley silently thanked God that she didn't put another layer on before going to sleep.
Gabriel was only a breath away, but Riley couldn't bring herself to pull him down all the way, though she was sure there was nothing more she wanted at that moment. What little self-control she had left was focused on making sure her partner wouldn't have his way with her when she should be focusing her job.
And sometimes she really hated how much she needed to follow the rules. "Sorry," she offered, making a futile attempt to diffuse the situation. "That's incredibly relaxing, though."
Gabriel couldn't help but wonder what it'd be like when she was fully relaxed. After all, it seemed like she needed a new outlet for all of that pent-up stress. "I know of a few ways you can release your tension, Riley. If you ever wanted to know, I could show you."
"Do any of the ways involve more neck massages? Because I'd gladly take you up on that offer," said Riley, hoping she sounded cheeky. She was avoiding what Gabriel was implying, but wasn't kidding - it was hard to concentrate on what he was saying once his fingers had started kneaded her neck.
Well, that and the fact that her soft curves were pressed up against his hard ones, some growing harder by the second.
"I could definitely stand to give you more massages in the future if this is your reaction," he promised, devilish smirk never fading. Gabriel reached up and gently wove his fingers back into her hair, easing the taut muscles where his warm touch melted her skin.
Riley could feel the noise rising in her throat again and fought to hold on to it. Her eyes did shut completely this time. Though it was so relaxing, she was still hyper-aware of everywhere their bodies touched. His breath was on her lips, sweet and inviting. She had reached her breaking point when he shifted his weight again, bringing the lower halves of their bodies impossibly closer. The moan that freed itself from her mouth was completely involuntary and would not be restrained any longer, but Gabriel was already covering her mouth with his own.
This, of course, did nothing to lower her volume - but it did everything to encourage him.
The hand previously in her hair came up to cup her cheek and angle her mouth to a better position. Their lips wrestled with a fervent purpose after holding out on each other for so long. Gabriel sighed into the kiss, passionately searching her mouth and releasing a low sound of his own.
Riley's hands had found their way around his torso, dragging downwards until they stopped at the waistband of his pants. Her fingertips spread flames all throughout his abdomen, never daring to reach past that point, only ever teasing. It was enough to drive him insane.
In return, his wandering hands found her ribs overtop of her clothing, seeking inwards. Their chests were pressed together much too tightly for his hands to reach higher up where she craved his touch, but it was enough.
He always made sure they were even, Riley thought.
He decided that her neck needed attending to, and dropped a few kisses along her jawline, testing the sensitive spot Gabriel knew was behind her ear. He paused momentarily from his actions to swallow the sigh that escaped her, but went right back down to the area where her shoulders met her neck.
Riley took the opportunity to ask him the obvious. "What are you thinking?" she asked, but try as she might to keep her voice steady, it came out all breathless and needy anyway.
"I was thinking," said Gabriel, raising his head back up, "That neither of us has been able to concentrate at all the past few days. I seem to recall one of us saying something about you and I not being able to resist each other once we're within five feet of one another."
She swallowed at the sight of his trademark dimples. "What do you propose?"
He tilted his head, gleaming down at her. "Well see, I realized we finally have a little time to ourselves. No hidden cameras, no Lillian..."
"Yeah?" She egged him on, unable to control the upward tug at the corners of her mouth.
"Would it be so wrong if we took advantage of the situation?" He asked. Gabriel placed a kiss on the underside of her chin. "Why not get a little of each other out our systems so we can go back to work?"
When he put it that way, Riley knew it was going to be a hard offer to reject. It did make sense; Wasn't half of their problem the curiosity and craving, the need for each other? Once they did away with that, surely it would make concentrating on their work much easier.
At that moment, the woods were silent, save for the snapping of a twig in the distance. It was easy to forget where they were when Gabriel preoccupied her as he did. She took the peaceful moment to think over what he'd said.
"It's hard to argue with those terms," she began, trying to make him squirm. Gabriel never seemed to doubt her though, and kissed the same spot under her chin until she decided quickly with an affected voice, "Sounds good enough to me."
Almost in celebration, his careful lips dragged themselves ever downward, body sliding down tortuously across Riley's to accommodate his new position. He'd kissed the spot over her heart, sending her pulse skittering out of control again.
Gabriel's kisses were simultaneously drugging and explosive at the same time. His every touch sent sparks through her veins and melted her core, causing her body to crave the feeling of his even more. It was a sensation that Riley thought could only be improved if they weren't wearing so much clothing.
Gabriel's thoughts seemed to go along the same train of thought, as his cold hands dipped under the hem of her shirt. Raising his head again, he whispered, "You know, it's freezing as hell out here. I've heard skin-to-skin contact creates a good amount of body heat."
Riley hummed. "Does it now?"
"Indeed. We should take steps to prevent hypothermia, don't you think?" He was staring at her with an intense, heated look that was only downplayed by the smirk at the corner of his lips.
She dragged his mouth back to hers in answer. It was probably a good thing she was as tired as she was. Riley was self aware, though, and at least recognized the fact that she would most likely regret this when she awoke in the morning. However, she silently thanked God she could shut off the warning bells in her head for the moment, hoping she could allow herself to relax and enjoy herself for at least one night.
And it was only one night, too. Gabriel wanted her just as much as she wanted him, but neither needed the promise of later. Riley was undeniably glad to have sorted out that she was able to please her idiotic and ill-thought-out desires for this man (who was so wrong for her, but was attractive as hell and apparently wanted her naked), and still be able to maintain some semblance of professionalism after a brief slip-up.
But was she really calling it a slip-up? Right now, it definitely seemed like a good idea to jump him. A really good idea. Great, even.
It was what she needed right now.
Riley just didn't want their possible night of love-making inside the makeshift tent to dictate the rest of their careers together.
She really was thinking too much, though. She needn't worry until later.
Professionalism be damned, right? She knew how to do her job. Besides, she'd taken care of him alright so far, so nothing much could go wrong. The universe would've sent her a sign by now had their night not be meant to be.
But of course, just as Gabriel had lifted up and way from her mouth to reach under her shirt, just as he was sitting up to give her yet another charming grin, that was the exact moment that the light from the fire had disappeared and they heard a voice in the darkness speak in ruddy English with hints of a foreign accent.
"Looks like we've finally found you," said the voice, and someone kicked down their shelter.
A/N: I tried posting this earlier but I really wanted to make it better, so I hope it was mostly okay. I'm posting this on my birthday as a present to you all, so maybe you could give me the gift of some sweet reviews? Thank you my lovelies. XO
AND thank you to you beautiful reviewers who were awesome about the last chapter. I was so busy this week, but I worked hard to make sure this got in by the weekend. Thanks especially to: Kateanneshepard, Chymom, Angel Blue, kwisteria, byLunaA, sunshineforever13, Guest 1 and 2, Midguardian Avenger, irishcaribou, Kathleen Murphy, CapNCrunch, evincis, and Tears In The Dust.