As always I do not own the rights to Criminal Minds, CBS, ABC and their affiliates. This is a fictional story for entertainment purposes only. All Original Fictional Characters are of my imagination and any resemblance to living or deceased individuals is purely coincidental. Do not use any or all parts of this story without prior permission from the writer.

Buried Beneath Still Waters

Chapter 8

He took her to dinner in town and they shared a nice meal together, laughing often and she explained why she left Florida, leaving out the part about wanting a family. He felt comfortable enough to tell her about Gideon owning the cabin and how he never came here. Ryan could detect sadness in his voice. She wished she could help him. They walked in town for a while. Looking in the shop windows and then finally stopping for coffee at the café. They took it with them, sitting on the benches in the town square near the fountain. A clock tower was at one end and chimed for the last time, 9pm. He had no idea where the time went. It was getting cool and she hunched forward shivering over her steaming coffee. "You're cold." He put his arm around her shoulders and she scooted closer to him. He didn't want to go, but he knew he had to take her home. "I'll walk you home."

Ryan looked into Spencer's eyes and nodded. She felt like a school girl on her first date. She lived close enough to the restaurant that they opted to walk and she was glad because she could stroll down Main Street with him, as if they were a couple. She knew she was getting ahead of herself all they had shared was a few kisses and some extremely sexy groping. She wanted more and tonight she would convince him to stay, one way or another.

On her door step he shyly kissed her cheek. She looked amazing. Dark jeans, sky blue sweater, rust colored light weight jacket and a black scarf expertly looped around her neck. Her hair was down and he inhaled the sweet scent of it. He too was wearing jeans and a button down shit. His navy blue wool jacket suddenly felt a little to warm for the cool night. Ryan stared into his eyes. She had enough of this cat and mouse game they were playing. She took his hand and led him into her apartment. Spencer swallowed nervously. He knew going inside with her meant that he was expected to stay. He wanted to, very much so, but where would it led for the future. Casual sex was not something he did. Hell sex wasn't something he did, he wasn't a virgin but he wasn't extremely experienced either. This was getting awkward and he knew she could sense it. When he kissed her it was like his mind was not his own and his body obeyed primal needs. Now though, he questioned everything, even if he should kiss her and let this happen.

Ryan pushed Spencer against the inside of her door as soon as it was closed. She pressed against him, giving him a dose of his own medicine, a payback for last night. She ravished his mouth leaving both of the gasping for breath. Spencer looked into her eyes as he pushed her to arms length. He could take her. He could do it right now, have what his body screamed for and then just go home to Quantico. Deep down he knew he didn't have the heart for a one night stand.

Ryan was annoyed; here it was again the mixed signals. Either he wanted her completely or not at all. She looked at him trying to read his face, for clues.

"I want you. So damn bad, I want you."

Ryan tried to move closer to him but he held her back. "I'm not denying you. What is stopping you, Spencer?"

He could hear the frustration in her voice at the rejection. It hurt him to hear that pain. "You, you're stopping me. I like you a lot, more than I should. I don't want to take advantage of you. Ryan I'm not the guy who goes for a fling." Reid resisted the urge to throw statistics at her. It didn't stop them from running through his mind, how many STD's, unwanted pregnancies, stalkers, murders, and rapes resulted from casual sexual encounters. Sometimes he really wished he didn't know the things he knew.

Ryan could see the frustration on Spencer's face. She felt sorry for him, because he really looked like he was struggling. "Spencer let go please." He did dropping his arms to his side. She took a step closer to him and she could tell he was about to stop her. "It's okay; we don't need to do this. That doesn't mean I don't want to, because I do. God do I ever. I want you Spencer Reid painfully so. We can take it slow." She kissed him softly on the mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck, putting her head on his shoulder. He hugged her tightly, her breath on his neck wasn't helping but it felt so damn good to hold her like this. They stayed that way for awhile until she pulled back enough to plant one more kiss on his mouth. She put her hand on the door knob looking deep into his eyes. "I'm off tomorrow, can I see you?"

"I'd like that."

"Good you can take me out on the boat. I'll make us a picnic lunch."

He kissed her goodnight. He smiled at her when she stood on her porch waving goodbye as he drove away. 'Am I nuts? A beautiful woman wants to share her body with me and all I can think about are STD's?' He wanted to turn around, go back to her place and forget about all of his doubts. He couldn't do it though; his conscious would not allow it.

He walked the perimeter of the lake stopping to stare at the cabin. He could see the outline of a man hunched over, leaning on the railing, he had his foot on the bottom rung a coffee mug in his hand. It had sat empty for all this time, why did he decide to come here now? And worse yet, would he stay? Luckily he was careful to keep his prize at the other end of the lake beyond the curve. He could go there and no one would see him. Darkness cloaked him from the man's view. He watched for a long time as he stood there lifting the mug to his lips now and then. After a while of idleness he stood straight, turned on his heals going inside. He watched as one by one the lights inside the cabin went out all save for one in the far end of it, the bedroom.

A/N Special thanks to CSK for helping me with the forensic aspects of the case. Without you Crime Scene Kelly my case would be a bunch of fabricated foolishness. From the bottom of my heart a very big thank you for your time and effort!

Thanks to all of you who are out there proof reading, giving me suggestions and helpful hints. And to you the reader for your reviews and your continued support!