It was hot. Hotter than hot. Emma Swan groaned in disgust as she turned to the fan on the edge of her desk and turned it to the max speed. The air conditioner that cooled the station had broke down earlier that morning and she had been sitting in her warm and uncomfortable office trying to catch up on a mountain of paperwork.

Her phone chirped and she groaned as she searched under the papers for it, muttering under her breath until she found it and checked her message. A smile appeared on her face when she saw it was from Henry and that he was one his way down to the station with a pint of rocky road from Any Given Sundae.

Emma leaned back in her chair and frowned at the way her shirt stuck to her clammy skin. She unbuttoned her white shirt and glanced down at the white tank top she had on underneath. She could already hear Regina Mills' voice in her head commenting on how unprofessional she'd look as the Sheriff in just a tank top and her black skinny jeans.

"Hey Ma," Henry said as he entered the station. "One pint of rocky road!"

"Thanks, kid," she grinned and held out a hand as he entered her office. "Well? Hand it over. In case you haven't realized, we're in the middle of a heatwave here."

"Duh," Henry replied with a roll of his eyes and then they lit up as he took a seat on the other side of her desk. "Mom hates the heat more than you do I think."

"Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah," he chuckled. "So much that for the past three days she's had Leroy and a couple of the other dwarves over building her a pool in the backyard. How awesome is that? A pool, Ma!"

"Seriously? A pool?"

"A pool."

"Like one of those kiddie pools or something?"

Henry laughed. "No, Ma, an inground pool. It is huge!"

"That's great, kid. Did you bring a spoon with you?" Emma asked distractedly as she searched through the top drawer of her desk. "I can't eat it without a spoon."

"Mom wanted me to ask you if you wanted to come over to swim today."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Emma found a plastic spoon in the drawer and wiped it off on her shirt. She grinned as she opened the pint of rocky road and dug in. "Today you said?"

"Yeah, Ma. It's hot. Probably the hottest day of the summer so far."

"I have a mountain of paperwork to do."

"So?" Henry shrugged. "Take the rest of the afternoon off. Mom insisted."

"Are you for real, kid?"

"Yep."

"So, if I were to text her right now, she'd back you up on that?"

Henry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Ma. Come on, it's hot, the A/C is busted, and you need a break. Come over and swim for a little while."

Emma looked at her sixteen-year-old son skeptically. "This is your mom's idea, yeah?" She asked and Henry nodded. "Then why didn't she call or text me to ask me to come around instead of sending you?"

"I had to go to the store and get some more ice cream. Said I'd ask you while I was down this way. What's the big deal, Ma?"

Emma shook her head and took a few bites of the melting ice cream. It was too hot and she definitely could use a break for a few hours. Add to the fact that Regina now had a pool was definitely a plus and another reason for her to spend more time at the mansion with her and Henry without making it too obvious she just wanted to be around them both all the time.

Things had changed a lot in the last few years, especially in the few months since Henry had turned sixteen. She had been spending a lot of time at the Mills' mansion, having dinner regularly with Regina and Henry, hanging out with Henry when Regina had to work late and they spent hours playing video games together or pool in the basement game room. When the months started getting warmer, she ended up spending more time with just Regina whenever Henry went camping with David and some of the dwarves for the weekend, and those times included a few bottles of wine and her crashing in the guest room at the end of the night.

More so recently, things had changed considerably between them. They weren't just best friends and co-parents, they had become something more, and while they had only shared a few kisses—hot and passionate ones on the sofa in the study that Regina always put a stop to before things went too far—they hadn't done much else and they hadn't even gone on a date or talked about telling anyone about the change in their relationship.

"Ma?"

"What?"

Henry shook his head. "Are you going to come over to swim or what?"

Emma looked down at her pint of melting ice cream and took another bite before grinning. "Of course I'm going to come over and swim, kid. I'll just pop over once I go home to change into my bathing suit."

"Not that black one," Henry groaned. "Anything but the black one."

"What's wrong with the black one?"

"Well," Henry frowned as his face flushed. "You're my mom and the black one is really…you know…"

"Skimpy?"

"Yeah."

"So?"

"So?" Henry groaned again loudly. "I don't want to see my mom like that."

"It's just a bikini," Emma shrugged indifferently. "Plus it's hot as hell outside and you have a pool now."

"Don't you have anything else?"

"I don't know. I'll look. It's not like I've been able to go swimming or to the beach for years anyway. Not since that summer we were in New York and we drove down to Atlantic City for the weekend. Do you remember that?"

"Yes, and I was completely mortified because you were wearing that bikini that barely even covered all your bits. Everyone was staring, Ma!"

Emma full on laughed. She couldn't help it. Her son was at the age where he was all too aware of girls and their bodies as well as embarrassed by his own mother when she showed hers off a little too much. Emma worked hard for the body she had and at almost thirty-four years old, she looked damn good for her age and she knew it. She also knew that Regina knew it too since she'd seen the way that Regina looked at her sometimes. Like she could eat her.

"I'll see if I have anything else, and if not, I'll borrow a pair of your board shorts to keep some of my bits covered," Emma said, hoping that the blush that had formed on her cheeks wasn't too noticeable. "Deal?"

"Fine, whatever," Henry huffed as he stood up from the chair slowly. "I'll see you later, Ma."

"Later, kid."

Emma took one last bite of the rocky road before stuffing it into the small fridge she'd recently bought for her office to keep her food cold since the fridge in the break room wasn't quite cold enough since it was old and it smelled funky. She gave David a call on the way out to ask him to switch on the scanner in case of an emergency. She had her CB radio with her too, but she wasn't planning on answering any calls, emergencies or not. She had a relaxing afternoon floating in the Mills' new pool waiting for her, after all.

Emma locked up the station and walked around to the parking lot. The heat was unlike anything she had ever experienced in all her time in Storybrooke. Sometimes, she found it hard to believe it had been almost six years since she first came to the small town. She didn't dwell much on everything that had happened since, especially not since the last two years had been quiet and normal—at least as normal as things could get in a town filled with people from another realm could get, anyway.

The Bug was thankfully parked in the shade, but it still felt like an oven when she got in behind the wheel. She cranked down the windows and drove off with the radio blasting to a classic rock station based out of Portland. The drive to her house was no more than five minutes and she hurried inside, groaning in disgust at how much hotter it was inside than it was outside.

At least the A/C unit's she had installed a month ago in various windows around the house kept the place relatively bearable, but it wasn't central air, not like Regina and Henry had that kept their home practically an icebox during the hotter months of the year. Emma took the stairs two at a time up to her room and she hauled out a box of old clothes from the back of the closet.

After she dumped the contents of the box on her unmade bed, she frowned when all she found was the black string bikini that Henry was embarrassed about seeing her in. She stripped out of her clothes and tried it on and while the top was a little looser than it had been years before, it still fit. She stood in front of the mirror that hung off the closet door and twisted and turned, checking her body out and making sure everything was as covered as the material allowed.

With a shake of her head, she headed across the hall to Henry's room that he stayed in when he stayed over with her from time to time. His room was a mess, a typical teenager's room and Emma stood in the middle and shook her head as she thought of exactly what Regina would say if she saw Henry's room in that state.

She went through the dresser drawers until she found a pair of Henry's board shorts, one of many pairs he owned, and she pulled the light grey ones on and despite being a bit snug, they fit and covered her ass since the bikini's thong bottoms were a little too revealing for an afternoon in the Mills' new pool with her son and his other mother.

She would've preferred to spend the day in the pool with just Regina, but she knew that day would come one way or another and that was a day she was already having salacious fantasies of dancing around in her head.

After she slathered herself in sunscreen in the bathroom, she grabbed her keys, her phone, and the six-pack of Budweiser she had cooling in the fridge along with a bottle of merlot she'd picked up a few days ago for Regina and headed off to the Mills' mansion.

The only thought she had on her mind when she finally pulled up the Bug beside Regina's car was spending the afternoon in the pool as a means to escape the heat.

And definitely not of what Regina would be wearing. Most definitely not.

[X]

Emma wasn't sure what to expect when she unlatched the gate to the Mills' backyard, but the sight of the large pool along with an eight-foot high rock waterfall and slide was definitely surprising to say the least.

"Hey, Ma! Watch this!" Henry called out and Emma gave him a little wave before watching him cannonball off the edge of the rocks and into the pool.

Emma laughed and walked around to the patio where the door to the kitchen was surprisingly propped open and the central air off. She walked into the house and found Regina standing at the island counter and pouring out a slushy orange drink from the blender.

"Hey," Emma said as she walked over to the fridge and put her six-pack of beer in on the bottom shelf. "What's that?"

"Something cool," Regina replied. "Would you like a glass?"

"What's in it?"

"Alcohol," Regina deadpanned. "Fresh fruits as well."

Emma just stared at her as she shut the refrigerator door and took in the sight of Regina wearing a white wrap around her body that covered her own red bikini mostly. She shrugged and reached for the glass Regina had poured and took a tentative sip of the slushy drink.

"Jesus, Gina. Think you put enough alcohol in this?"

"Just enough."

Emma coughed and shook her head with a laugh. "Maybe I'll have one of these later. I brought some beer and some wine," she said as she held up the bottle of merlot. "Your favorite."

Regina grinned and she took the bottle from Emma and placed it into her newly installed wine fridge under the corner of the island counter. Regina hesitated as she cast a glance towards the back door before approaching her for a light, tentative kiss. Emma knew, especially over the last few weeks, to take those kisses from Regina whenever she could. She just smiled and grabbed a beer and a bottle of water for Henry before following Regina out into the backyard.

Emma walked over to one of the loungers and cracked open her can of beer. She took a few sips before pulling off her tank top and kicked off the flip-flops underneath the lounger. She took another sip before readjusting the borrowed board shorts and took a few long strides towards the edge of the pool. She could feel two sets of eyes on her as she dipped her toes into the water to see how cold it was before jumping in.

What she didn't expect was her son to come up behind her, pick her up and throw her into the water. She sputtered as she surfaced and glared up at a laughing Henry and a smirking Regina as she moved to lie down on the lounger next to the one Emma claimed as her own after she had taken the wrap off and draped it over the back of the lounger.

Despite the shock of being thrown into the cold water, it was too refreshing to complain at all. After having spent most of the day in a hot office doing paperwork, the relief was imminent and all Emma wanted to do was spend the rest of the afternoon right where she was.

"Mom!" Henry shrieked, his voice cracking slightly and Emma watched as Regina used magic to levitate their son precariously over the water. "Mom! Come on, that's so not fair!"

"Plenty fair, kid," Emma chuckled as she moved away, watching the smirk on Regina's lips grow as she gave a quick wave of her hand and their son went crashing down into the water. When he surfaced, Emma just laughed. "I'd like to see what she'd do to you if you threw her in the pool."

"Ugh," Henry groaned. "You two are on the same side, aren't you?"

"Yes," Regina said casually. "And if you ever think of picking me up and throwing me into the pool as you just did to Emma, the consequences will be a lot more severe."

"How severe?" Emma asked as she swam over to the edge of the pool.

"Let's hope he'll never find out."

Emma raised an eyebrow as she lifted herself out of the water and walked over to the lounger Regina was laying back on. "And what if I were to throw you into the pool, Gina? Are you going to punish me too?"

She was testing the limits. She knew it and from the glare that Regina was giving her, Regina knew it too. Emma took a few steps towards her, wiggling her eyebrows playfully. It wasn't often she got to touch Regina, especially not in front of Henry or anyone else, so she was going to take what she could get in the heat of the moment, even if Regina sent a fireball at her head as a form of punishment.

"Don't you dare."

"Have you even been in the water yet?"

"Yes."

Emma looked back at Henry and saw his subtle shake of his head. "You know, Regina, you can't have this gorgeous pool and not swim in it."

"Of course not. That is what pools are for, are they not?"

Emma grinned as she flicked a few droplets of water at her. Regina glared at her; a warning Emma would've taken seriously a few years prior, but now? Regina was purely harmless in every sense of the word now, aside from the stunt she had just pulled with their son.

Emma prided herself in being in shape and strong, especially for what she was about to do. Sure, she could use magic as Regina just had, but what fun was that? She wasted no time in scooping Regina up from the lounger and took a few steps towards the pool as Regina shrieked and wrapped her arms tightly around Emma's neck.

"Don't you dare, Emma!"

"I do dare," she grinned wickedly, but her plan failed as Regina held on too tightly and when she went to throw the brunette into the pool, she lost her footing and fell into the water with her.

Emma held on for a few seconds before she felt Regina squirming in an attempt to get away from her to get to the surface. Emma followed a split second later, laughing at the stormy look on Regina's face. Sure, it was a childish move, but the look on Regina's face and hearing Henry's uncontrollable laughter was completely worth it.

"You're an idiot," Regina muttered before she swam, albeit a little awkwardly, towards the edge of the pool. "Next time you do something like that, consider your open invitation to come here and enjoy the pool redacted."

"Sorry, Gina, but I couldn't resist."

"Obviously."

Emma frowned as she watched Regina lift herself out of the pool. She hadn't meant to piss Regina off, but clearly she had with her juvenile stunt.

"Regina, I'm sorry," Emma said as she pulled herself out of the pool. "I was just trying to have a little bit of fun. It's hot. The heat has definitely gone to my head today."

"Clearly."

Emma frowned as she stared at Regina. Henry, on the other hand, was still laughing at what he'd just witnessed since it wasn't every day—or at all really—that he saw his mothers act that way with one another. His laughter died when his cell phone that was on the table between the two loungers started to ring and he was out of the pool and grabbing it in an instant.

"Hey, Nick. Nah, I'm not busy, what's up?" Henry asked as he walked away with his phone to his ear. "The beach? Just the guys? Oh, okay. Let me ask my moms and I'll text you back."

"Ask us what?" Regina asked him when he turned to face them.

"Nick wants me to meet everyone at the beach," he said with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "Ava and her friends are going too."

"Even Violet?" Emma questioned and the blush that rose on Henry's cheeks gave her the answer. "Are you sure you're okay with that, kid?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You two broke up a few months ago," Emma said and Henry groaned at the obviously painful reminder. "Are you two talking again?"

"Kind of?" He shrugged. "It's cool, Ma. We agreed we were going to try and stay friends. So? Can I go?"

"Will you be back for dinner?"

Henry shook his head no. "Nick said we're gonna have a bonfire on the beach later, cook up some dogs and s'mores and stuff. Can I go?"

"I don't see why not," Regina said easily. "Remember that your curfew is eleven and—"

"And not a minute past," Henry said almost robotically and Emma had to bite her bottom lip from laughing. "Thanks!" He chirped before he sent a quick text to his friend before rushing off into the house.

Emma exhaled sharply as she grabbed her can of beer and took a sip before she stripped off the borrowed shorts and draped them over the foot of the lounger not currently occupied by Regina. She readjusted her bikini bottoms and put her beer back down on the table before jumping back into the pool to escape the hot summer heat.

And it wasn't just the heat from outside and from the sun she was trying to escape. It was the blinding heat of arousal as it burned through her body when she caught Regina blatantly staring at her.

Not just staring at her, but staring at her. Staring at her with a hunger that Emma had only seen a handful of times directed solely at her since they first kissed late that one night when their whole relationship had suddenly changed.

Emma exhaled sharply and swam a few laps in the pool. Each time she reached one end, she cast a quick glance over in Regina's direction and found that Regina had yet to take her eyes off of her.

Emma's mind was spinning. She wanted Regina. Badly. It wasn't just pure sexual attraction as Regina was a very, very attractive woman. It was more than that. The last thing she needed was for Regina to think that all she wanted was sex, though at one point she would've been completely okay with that, but not now. Not now that there were feelings involved, deeply rooted feelings that surfaced more often than not.

The one thing they shared when it came to their own personal matters of the heart, especially after all they'd been through in the past, they were both so very reluctant in allow anyone else to know about what went on in their private lives. It went without saying from the first kiss to the one they just shared in the kitchen not long ago, that it was nobody else's business but their own if they were together and—hopefully—falling in love.

Emma had already fallen. She had fallen hard and she had fallen a very long time ago even if it took her years to come to accept the deeply rooted feelings that she had for Regina Mills. Regina was much harder to read and while it was obvious that Regina found her attractive and tolerated her at the worst of times, there were no other indicators that she reciprocated Emma's feelings.

With a heavy sigh, Emma turned and did just a few more laps around the pool before she got out. She noticed that Regina's glass was empty and she grabbed her beer, downing the last half of it before grabbing Regina's glass and motioning to her that she'd be right back with another drink.

"Dry off before you go inside, dear," Regina said listlessly. "I'd really rather prefer not to mop puddles off the floor later."

"Right," Emma frowned. "I left my towel in the car."

Regina sighed and reached for the towel she had behind her head. "Use this," she said quietly. "And see that Henry is off before you come back out, will you?"

"Sure."

Emma toweled off, making a bit of a show of it since she could feel Regina's eyes on her even though she couldn't see them now that Regina had put on a dark pair of oversized sunglasses. It was fun to tease the older woman and seeing how she'd never had the opportunity to do just that while wearing nothing more than a skimpy bikini, she milked every second of it without making it blatantly obvious.

And Regina clearly was enjoying the show. Emma was so focused on the way that Regina licked her lips and the way she almost squirmed as she readjusted herself in the lounger that she almost forgot that she was supposed to head inside to get them some more drinks and to make sure that Henry was gone. With Henry gone, they'd be completely alone, and being alone with Regina was something that Emma had been waiting for for days.

Emma strolled into the house and after quickly checking that Henry was gone, the confirmation coming when she made it to the front door and saw him getting into Nicholas' truck, she turned on her heels with a giddy smile. After she got herself another beer and Regina another drink, she headed back outside and was greeted by the sight of Regina standing by her lounger and meticulously applying sunscreen to her legs.

Licking her suddenly dry lips, Emma watched Regina's hands smooth over her thighs, and all she could think about was what it would feel like to run her hands over Regina's impossibly smooth legs. And everywhere else.

"Would you give me a hand please?"

"Huh?" Emma blinked and licked her dry lips once more. "A hand?"

"I can't get my back and I do not want to burn," Regina replied so very casually as if she were simply asking Emma to pass the salt at the table. "Well?" Regina asked as she held out the bottle of sunscreen. "Will you get my back?"

Emma swallowed thickly. She had been able to hide her desire around Regina—for the most part, anyway—but actually touching her and more skin than she'd already gotten her hands on since they started seeing one another, it was going to be utterly impossible.

Regina turned to kneel on the lounger and pulled her hair to the left side of her neck as she laid down. Emma swallowed once more before moving closer to Regina and she flipped open the lid on the bottle of sunscreen clumsily. She recovered quickly and bent over, squirting out the sunscreen onto Regina's smooth back with a loud squelch.

"That's cold!" Regina gasped and Emma fumbled with the bottle before tossing it onto the other lounger. "Emma?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you waiting for?"

"Nothing," Emma said with a shake of her head. "Nothing."

"Are you waiting for permission to touch me?" Regina asked as she turned her head and cast a glance back at Emma. "I already asked you therefore permission has been granted. Henry is gone, isn't he?"

"Yeah, yeah he's gone."

She could already sense Regina's aggravation growing and the last thing she needed and wanted was for them to start arguing, especially since it was the first time they'd been truly alone for days. She shook out her hands and moved to spread the dollop of the white sunscreen over Regina's skin just below her shoulder blades. She exhaled sharply at how warm and smooth Regina's skin was beneath her fingertips and after a few seconds, each pass of her hands down and back up Regina's lower and middle back became bolder and swifter, more confident and less nervous.

After applying a little more sunscreen once the dollop she'd first squirted out had been spread thin, Emma moved to Regina's shoulders and the back of her neck. She could feel the muscles that were knotted and without even thinking much of it she began to knead the muscles firmly, feeling them beginning to loosen after a few hard presses of her thumbs to the middle of each knot.

"Oh, that feels good."

"Yeah?" Emma grinned. "Would you like me to work out the kinks, Gina?"

"If you wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all, but…" Emma trailed off and frowned.

Her current position bending over the side of the lounger wasn't ideal and she wasn't so sure she could handle being any closer to Regina without wanting to rip her bikini off and touch her everywhere.

"But?" Regina asked. "What is it, Emma?"

Emma shook her head in disbelief at the way she was acting. There was nothing wrong with her applying sunscreen and adding in a bonus massage since Regina clearly needed one. There was also nothing wrong with her moving to straddle Regina's backside in order to really work out the knots in the back of her neck either. Nothing wrong with it other than the fact that Emma could already feel her bikini bottoms growing damp and her arousal was becoming nearly impossible to control.

Emma took a deep breath and moved to straddle Regina's curvy ass, careful not to sit on her as she continued to massage and knead her tight, knotted muscles. When she hit a particular spot at the nape of Regina's neck, nothing could've prepared her for the way her body reacted to the deep, sensual moan that slipped past Regina's lips.

Her bikini bottoms were more than damp after that moan. They were soaked. Emma shuddered and tried to focus just on the massage, but whenever she hit that particular spot, Regina would moan and buck her hips, each one rising higher until she arched into Emma hard. Hands shot out and grasped on to Emma's calves the moment Emma was about to leap off of her.

"Don't move," Regina whispered. "Continue."

"Regina—"

"Please."

"I'm—I'm not so sure that's a good idea, Regina."

"Why the hell not?"

Emma exhaled shakily and stilled her hands. "Because I—I'm—"

"Hmm?"

"Fuck, you're not making this easy, are you?" Emma laughed in frustration and she shook her head. "I'm…my hands are starting to cramp."

Emma groaned at how lame she sounded, backing out at the last possible second in telling Regina that she was completely turned on in that moment. Not that it wasn't clear since her bikini bottoms were impossibly soaked and there was no way that Regina couldn't feel that for herself with the way Emma was practically humping her curvaceous ass.

Emma got off of Regina and the lounger, wiped her palms on her thighs before turning on her heels and took a few long strides towards the edge of the pool. She took a deep breath and didn't look back at Regina before she dove into the deep end of the pool. The water did nothing to cool her down and she needed to do something as her libido felt out of control. She surfaced when she couldn't hold her breath any longer and frowned when she looked over at the empty lounger and saw that Regina was no longer there.

With a shrug, Emma turned and started to swim laps. After two full lengths of the pool, she started to push herself a little harder, going a little faster and after a few of those, she stopped near the edge by the rock waterfall and slide and grabbed on to the edge to give herself a moment to catch her breath.

"You know," Regina drawled from behind her, startling her. "I honestly doubt that your hands were cramping up, Emma."

"Excuse me?"

Regina shook her head as she turned Emma around a little and reached out for the edge of the pool to steady herself. "Don't lie to me," Regina whispered. "You were becoming aroused, weren't you?"

"Yes," Emma said under her breath.

"You weren't the only one," Regina admitted and she moved a little closer and placed a hand on Emma's shoulder. "The moment you touched me…"

"Yeah?"

Regina shook her head and when she was about to turn away Emma lifted her left hand and cupped her cheek gently. "This is harder than I thought it would be, Emma."

"Why is it hard?"

"Keeping this," Regina said as she leaned into Emma's touch. "Keeping us a secret. I see you and all I want to do is kiss you."

"I thought that you wanted to keep it a secret?"

Regina shook her head no. "At first, perhaps, but I don't know if I can handle doing that for much longer. Henry will find out. Your parents will as well if they haven't already and—and I don't—I—"

"Hey, it's okay," Emma said with a small smile as she saw a host of emotions flutter over Regina's face and tears begin to form in her beautiful brown eyes. "Regina?"

Regina shook her head. "You were a surprise, Emma."

"I was?"

"Yes," she laughed. "The first night you kissed me—"

"Pretty sure it was you who kissed me first, Gina."

Regina glared at her and Emma had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing. With another shake of her head, she turned to kiss Emma's palm and reached up to move Emma's hand beneath the water to rest on her hip.

"The first time," Regina continued. "The first time we kissed was the first time I felt anything in a very long time. But," Regina paused and took a deep breath. "But I am terrified, Emma. I'm terrified because of the connection I feel with you and I'm terrified because I have spent years trying to avoid it. If you ask me why, I can't give you an answer because I don't know why other than I was just so scared of what this would mean. I am horrible at relationships. Everyone I've been with is dead."

"I'm still alive and kicking," Emma joked and she smiled when Regina just rolled her eyes, just as she expected her to. "Hey, in case you haven't realized it, but you're not the only one who is shit at relationships. I am too, Regina, and it doesn't mean that we can't figure this out together, right?"

"I suppose you're right."

"I'm what?"

Regina rolled her eyes again. "You're right, Emma."

Emma laughed and sputtered when Regina splashed at her. "Can I kiss you now, Regina?"

"Do you honestly feel the need to ask?"

"Yes."

Regina frowned and shook her head. "Why?"

"Because you're always the one who initiates it, Regina. I don't know when it is okay to just kiss you because I want to or when it is okay to just kiss you period."

"We are alone."

"We are."

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

"When you put it that way, who could resist?" Emma teased and she leaned in quickly to capture Regina's lips with her own in a light kiss before Regina could say another word.

Just like every time they kissed, Emma felt a small pulse of energy flow between them. She pulled Regina closer to her, moaning as Regina wrapped her legs around her waist. Emma tightened her grip on the edge of the pool as Regina deepened the kiss and threaded her fingers through Emma's wet hair to hold her right where she was.

Emma pulled back from the kiss just to catch her breath and she moaned when Regina didn't allow her to part for more than just a few minuscule seconds. Their lips collided in a heated, heavy kiss, a kiss they'd never shared before even in the times when they'd made out on Regina's sofa in the study like a pair of horny teenagers. There was something more behind the kiss, a sense of urging and desperation. Beyond that, Emma only felt her arousal heightening and her libido spinning out of control completely.

"Regina," she moaned as Regina rolled her hips and Emma could feel the heat coming from Regina's core against her lower abdomen. "Fuck."

Regina rolled her hips once more into Emma's stomach before she unwrapped her legs from around Emma's waist and swam backward slowly towards the shallow end of the pool. She beckoned for Emma to follow and she did, pushing off the edge of the pool towards Regina slowly.

The smoldering look in Regina's eyes was enough to make her want to take her right there in the pool, but Emma held back as she had been doing every time they had a moment alone, too afraid of pushing things too far too quickly.

Emma approached Regina as soon as her feet touched the bottom of the pool and she moved quickly to wrap her arms around Regina's waist and captured Regina's lips with her own. The kiss quickly became deep and wanton as neither of them seemed to be able to get enough of one another. Emma was quickly losing the fight to control her libido, more so when Regina casually slipped a thigh between her legs and swept her hands down the length of her back to grasp at her ass.

"Fuck," she gasped into Regina's open mouth as Regina's hands tightened their grip on her ass and pulled Emma hard against her thigh.

Emma moved a hand down to Regina's ass and she trailed the other up Regina's side and along the edge of her bikini top just under her left breast. Regina kissed her harder, deeper and arched slightly, a silent encouragement, a plea for Emma to touch her.

She paused in the kiss momentarily, their lips still locked together as she cupped Regina's breast lightly. She could feel the semi-erect nipple against the palm of her hand through the thin material of Regina's bikini top and she moaned as she began to kiss Regina once again. She started to walk Regina backward to the edge of the pool and stopped when Regina abruptly broke the kiss.

Regina just stared at her, her eyes dark and filled with nothing but unadulterated lust. Emma lowered her hand from Regina's breast and watched her as she took a few steps back. Emma thought she'd done something wrong, pushed things a little too far, but Regina reached out for her hand and pulled her back towards the deep end.

"Where are you going?"

"You'll see," Regina said, casting her a teasing smile before she turned and swam off towards the rock waterfall. "Are you coming, Emma?"

Emma gulped and swam after her and followed her under the waterfall, gasping as she pushed her wet hair away from her face and surprised when her feet touched the bottom. The space under the waterfall provided at least a little bit of privacy, not that they needed much since nobody in Storybrooke was stupid enough to spy on Regina in her own backyard.

"It's kind of like a grotto, isn't it?" Emma asked and Regina laughter was rich and deep and it sent waves of pleasure through her all at once. "It's nice."

"Come here," Regina purred as she reached out for Emma's hands. "Sit."

Emma did as she was told, turning to sit on the ledge with her back against the cool, smooth rocks. Regina moved fluidly to straddle her lap and she ran her fingers through Emma's wet hair gently.

"Kiss me."

Emma licked her lips before Regina pulled her in, taking the kiss she had asked for before Emma could make her move. She succumbed to the kiss, moaning as Regina instantly kissed her deeply, their tongues swirling and dancing in synchrony. Emma slid her hands up Regina's thighs, gripping at them tightly as she pulled Regina as close as she could as she sat on the ledge under the waterfall.

Emma moaned as Regina's hands slipped from her hair, down her neck, and over her breasts without hesitation. Emma tightened her grip on Regina's thighs, eliciting a moan past Regina's lips that reverberated against her own.

"Emma," Regina gasped, her fingers slipping over her hardening nipples through the thin material of her bikini top. "Touch me."

"I am touching you," Emma murmured as she stroked her thumbs up the inside of Regina's thighs.

"Emma."

She was holding back and for good reason. Any time she'd made a move before, Regina had stopped her. She gasped when Regina pinched her nipples and Emma pulled back.

"Regina—"

"I want you to touch me."

"Where?" Emma managed without stammering her words. "Where do you want me to touch you?"

"Everywhere."

Emma trembled slightly and she moved her hands further up Regina's thighs, stopping when she reached the edge of her red bikini bottoms. She stopped when Regina leaned back and reached around to pull at the string that held her red bikini top on her and teasingly pulled at the string until it fell undone. Emma could feel her heart racing at full tilt as Regina removed her bikini top and tossed it haphazardly behind her, and for a second Emma watched as the force of the waterfall pushed it away from them completely.

Emma inhaled deeply as she looked at Regina. She swore she could feel the heat in Regina's body rising as she smoothed her hands up over her hips and her sides ever so slowly.

"It never fails to amaze me how oblivious you are sometimes, Emma."

"Huh?"

Regina laughed. "See? Oblivious."

"To what?"

"If I have to answer that…"

"Fuck," Emma groaned as Regina reached for her hands, sliding them up the last bit of the way to her naked breasts.

"That is exactly what I want to do."

"Here?"

Regina shook her head, laughing as she pulled Emma in for a hot kiss. Emma traced her thumbs over Regina's hard nipples, moaning into Regina's mouth as Regina moved her hands over her shoulders and scratched her short nails over her skin lightly. Emma kissed her way down Regina's jaw and over her neck as Regina lifted up out of the water, her nails still scratching over Emma's shoulders lightly.

Emma was overcome with a surge of fiery arousal as she playfully nipped at Regina's skin just below her collarbone. Her obliviousness suddenly disappeared as all she could think about was touching Regina everywhere and after all the times she had fantasized doing just that she was finally going to get her wish.

Though fucking in a pool under a fake rock waterfall was never one of her fantasies, Emma was already embracing it fully while trying to gather her confidence so she didn't act like a fumbling, inexperienced fool. She trembled when Regina moaned quietly and she reached down to grasp at Regina's hips, pulling her up just a little more and exposing her naked breasts completely.

"Emma," Regina moaned throatily.

Emma just stared at Regina's gorgeous breasts, her eyes moving from one to the other. Her nipples were small, dark, and tight, and just begging for her to wrap her lips around one and then the other. She felt drunk with lust as she dipped her head down and wrapped her lips around Regina's left nipple, sucking lightly until Regina moved a hand to the back of her head and raked her nails roughly along her scalp. She sucked harder, loving the way that Regina arched into her and moaned.

She decided in that very moment that the most favorite thing about Regina was the way she moaned and then barely whispered her name in the seconds that followed. She could not get enough of the way Regina sounded and she wanted to do nothing more than coax those sounds out of her again and again.

Emma released her nipple with an audible pop and grinned as she lifted a hand out of the water to trail a path in the valley between Regina's gloriously naked breasts and down her abdomen. Her eyes met Regina's in a heady gaze as her fingers descended lower as an excruciatingly slow pace. She could see the lust in Regina's eyes and the frustration that was mounting.

"Emma," she growled. "Don't tease me."

"Not one for foreplay, are you, Gina?"

"Not in the pool," she replied tightly. "Touch me, Emma."

Emma complied, slipping her hand under Regina's bikini bottoms with ease as Regina settled back down on her lap. She bit her bottom lip as she trailed her fingers lower and over the closely cropped strip of hair between Regina's quivering thighs. Emma moaned as she felt how slick Regina was as she slipped her fingers over her folds. Regina pulled her in for another kiss, one that was all tongue and teeth as Emma eased a finger between her folds to tease over her clit.

Despite the fact that it had been many years since she'd been with another woman, Emma felt her confidence returning with every moan that escaped past Regina's lips and with every full body shudder that came when she touched her just right. She kept her touch teasing until Regina gripped at the back of her head harder and bit her bottom lip in a desperate plea for her to stop teasing.

They kissed wantonly as Emma deftly slipped her middle finger inside of Regina's cunt, the heat engulfing her and drawing her in deep. Emma moved her other hand to Regina's lower back, steadying her as she thrust her finger inside of her a few times before adding a second. She could feel her own clit throbbing in need as she fucked Regina with her fingers steadily and whenever Regina scratched her nails over her scalp, she found herself whimpering and wishing that Regina would touch her too.

"Regina," Emma murmured against her lips. "Does it feel good?"

"Yes."

"Do you want a third?"

"Fuck," Regina trembled. "Please."

Her voice was strained with arousal and wanton need. Hearing Regina's voice tremble like that only caused Emma's clit to throb harder and she slipped a third finger inside of Regina, thrusting slowly and she buried them as deeply as she could and reveled in the feel of Regina's inner walls clenching and quivering and pulling her in impossibly deep.

Regina pulled her in for another kiss and she began to ride Emma's fingers, timing each thrust of her hips to the deep thrusts and twists of Emma's fingers. Emma hadn't even been touched and she could feel her orgasm building steadily in her core. She did try to hold back, not wanting to tumble over the edge before Regina touched her, but the more she held back, the more she found herself squirming and rearing her hips in time to the thrust of her fingers and the buckling of Regina's pelvis.

Of all the moments she'd shared with Regina, of all the emotions she'd seen on Regina's face, nothing prepared her for the moment that Regina's orgasm hit her and she moaned Emma's name as she clung to her with all her might.

She stilled her fingers, not that she had much of a choice since Regina's cunt had them in a vice-like grip, and after she felt Regina relax a little, she slipped them out and cupped her sex with a sly smile curling over her lips. Regina ran a hand down her arm and tugged at her wrist until Emma removed her hand from inside her bikini bottoms with a small, reluctant sigh.

Emma slipped her hand over Regina's hip before pulling her in for another kiss, one that wasn't as frantic or hungry as before, but still just as deep and passionate. She whimpered when Regina suddenly reeled back and swam off and she took a second or two to compose herself before she swam off after her.

Regina turned in the middle of the pool and just stared at her, her eyes dark and filled with nothing but unadulterated lust. Emma swallowed thickly and watched her, not missing the teasing smile that Regina flashed before she turned and hoisted herself out of the pool with ease. Emma inwardly groaned and followed Regina out of the pool. She took a moment to let her eyes rake over Regina's body clad in only her red bikini bottoms and she frowned when Regina just simply tossed a towel at her.

"Regina—"

"What?" Regina asked as she casually dried off with her own towel.

"You really are the worst kind of tease, aren't you?"

"Am I?"

"Regina."

Regina just shook her head as she draped the damp towel along the back of the lounger. She licked her lips slowly as she closed the small distance between them and placed her hands on Emma's hips. Emma could feel that same spark she felt whenever they kissed the moment that Regina's hands were on her. Regina leaned in as if she were about to kiss her and Emma could just faintly feel the smile curl over Regina's lips.

"Dry off, dear. I don't want puddles in the house."

Emma opened and closed her mouth, gaping like a fish as Regina turned and headed for the back door. Emma took a moment to process what had just happened before she quickly dried herself off, tossing the towel blindly behind her as she rushed to the back door. She entered the kitchen and frowned when she didn't see Regina in there and she walked out into the foyer, puzzled.

"Regina?"

No answer. Emma checked all the rooms on the main floor then found herself at the bottom of the staircase. The only time she'd ever been upstairs had been to go to Henry's room and to use the bathroom when the powder room toilet hadn't been working a few weeks ago. Emma ran her fingers through her wet hair and began to climb the staircase with tentative steps at first until she heard the sound of a door closing just upstairs.

"Regina?" Emma called out again. "Where did you run off to, babe?"

Still no answer. Emma frowned and quickly walked up the last of the stairs, the heat in the house almost unbearable as she stepped on the second floor landing. Despite never having been in Regina's room before, Emma knew where it was and she headed down to the end of the hallway to the only door that was closed.

"Regina, are you in here?" Emma asked as she lightly knocked on the door and still she received no answer.

Shaking her head, she opened the door to Regina's bedroom and found it empty, the bed surprisingly unmade, and the closet door wide open. She turned and looked down the hallway with a frown and stepped back, not wanting to enter Regina's room uninvited. Her mind reeled back to what had happened in the pool and she shivered as she felt a wave of pleasure roll through her body.

"Emma."

Emma turned as Regina approached her from behind. "Where did you run off to?" Emma asked and Regina just smirked coyly.

"I went to turn the air back on," Regina replied. "Where did you run off to, Emma?"

"I was looking for you."

"Well, you found me," Regina chuckled. "Or rather, I found you."

"Yeah."

Emma exhaled as Regina placed her hands on Emma's hips and slowly began to back her into the bedroom. The smoldering look in Regina's eyes was enough to make her want to spontaneously combust and she licked her suddenly dry lips as the back of her legs hit the edge of the bed.

Emma looked down at Regina's breasts and felt drunk with lust. Regina truly was a goddess and how it was possible that every inch of her was perfect, Emma wasn't sure, but she sure as hell wasn't complaining. Before she could reach out for her, Regina placed a hand on her chest and forced her to sit down on the unmade bed. Regina immediately straddled Emma's legs and placed a hand on her chest once more, pushing her until Emma laid back and was feeling completely at Regina's mercy and under her control.

"Black," Regina drawled as she reached for the string that tied behind Emma's neck, "is my color."

"Yeah, but you look pretty smoking hot in red too."

Regina chuckled darkly and shook her head, pulling at the string until it came undone. Emma lifted up as Regina reached around to untie the second string and Emma didn't take her eyes off of Regina's as Regina pulled her bikini top free. She laid back and ran her hands up Regina's smooth thighs, pulling her down until their centers were nearly flush. Emma could feel the heat radiating off of Regina and she reached up to pull her down, unable to hold back from kissing her any longer.

To feel Regina's nearly naked body against hers outside of the pool was a whole different sensation. She swept her hands the length of Regina's back, holding her close as they kissed. Her heart raced in excitement knowing she could touch Regina freely without being stopped. It flipped a switch inside of her and she rolled Regina over onto her back, grinning into the kiss when Regina just moaned and wrapped her legs tightly around her hips.

"Emma."

The way Regina said her name, so deep and husky, it made her blind with lust, and she rolled her hips, grinding down against her as she deepened the kiss. She was caught by surprise when Regina flipped her back over onto her back and before Emma could protest, she moaned as Regina began a delicious descent down her neck, lavishing her skin with hot open-mouthed kisses.

"Fuck," Emma moaned as Regina teased the tip of her right nipple with her tongue. Regina grinned before wrapping her lips around the hard bud and sucked hard causing Emma to arch into her. "Regina."

Regina moved to her other nipple, laving over it languidly with her tongue as she trailed a hand down Emma's abdomen, her short nails scratching over her skin and leaving goosebumps in their wake. She teased her fingers over the edge of Emma's black bikini bottoms, tugging on them gently before she continued on her descent down Emma's body, licking and nipping at her skin. Emma ran her fingers through Regina's damp hair, her body reacting to every touch of Regina's lips against her skin.

"Regina."

"Hmm," Regina murmured, nipping at her skin just below her navel before she leaned back. "Do you want to stop?"

"Are you crazy?" Emma laughed. "Hell no!"

"Good."

"Regina?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever—I mean, this isn't your first time with another woman, is it?"

"No, dear."

"Oh."

"But it has been a very, very long time," Regina whispered softly. "Too long. Now," she paused as she tugged at the string on Emma's left hip and it slipped undone. "Where were we?"

Regina dipped her head down, playfully nipping at the skin she'd just exposed on Emma's hip and she ever so slowly pulled the material away. Emma trembled as Regina trailed her tongue down her hipbone, stopping short just where her closely cropped pubic hair started and moved to untie the other side of the bikini bottoms. Emma inhaled deeply, holding her breath as Regina moved to kneel between her legs and removed her bikini bottoms, tossing them to the floor behind her before trailing her hands up Emma's legs.

Emma leaned up on her elbows, watching Regina as she took in the sight of her. The look in Regina's eyes was intense and unlike anything she'd ever seen before. It made her wetter than she already was and she trembled again when Regina pushed at her inner thighs, spreading her open wide.

Despite the air-conditioning having been turned back on, the heat was rising in the room and between them with every second that passed. She had to force her eyes to stay open as she focused on the feel of Regina's fingers teasingly trailing up her inner thighs and then the feel of Regina's hot breath spilling over her as she leaned down to take that first taste.

"Fuck."

"My," Regina exhaled as she trailed a single fingertip over Emma's cunt and stopped when she reached her clit. "My, oh my, Emma, you are wet."

"No—not just from being in the pool."

Regina laughed huskily. "I would certainly hope not."

"Regina…oh god," Emma groaned as Regina licked the length of her sex languidly and her whole body tensed, her orgasm so near it wouldn't be long before she found the release she had been seeking since that first kiss they shared in the pool earlier.

After a few teasing licks, Regina slipped her tongue inside of her and Emma's hips bucked off the bed. She felt Regina moan and then gasped when Regina grabbed onto her hips and held her firm against the mattress, her tongue no longer teasing as she licked the length of her and circled over her clit. Emma grabbed at the soft silk sheets, balling them up in her fists as Regina sucked at her clit before sliding her tongue deep inside of her once again. For every deep thrust of Regina's tongue, Regina moaned and it reverberated through Emma's entire body and pulled at her core.

Emma's toes curled in the seconds before her orgasm hit hard and fast. She pulled at the sheets and then moved her hands to the back of Regina's head, holding her close as Regina sucked at her clenching hole as her orgasm thundered through her. Her legs twitched as her body went from rigid to slack and she felt Regina smile against her tender flesh before she began to kiss up her body, each press of her lips against her skin causing Emma to shiver in excitement and arousal.

Regina pushed off the sheets and the duvet before she kissed Emma deeply, allowing Emma to taste herself on her lips and tongue. She felt Regina smile once again in the seconds before she pulled back and lightly ran a finger along her jaw.

"You are exquisite, my darling."

Emma grinned and flipped them over despite her body feeling spent yet sated. "As are you, my queen."

Regina moaned deeply and it only caused Emma to become even more aroused and ready to go yet again. She rolled her hips down, sliding herself against Regina's still covered cunt and she bit her bottom lip when Regina bucked up against her in wanton need. She slipped a hand between them and teased her fingers over Regina's cunt through the material of her bikini bottoms, pleasantly pleased to find that Regina was soaked.

"Emma," she pleaded softly. "Don't tease me."

"Never."

Emma leaned in for one more lingering, open-mouthed kiss before she moved to settle between Regina's legs, her fingers still teasing over her cunt. She watched intensely at every way Regina's body responded to her touch and she watched as the wet spot on her bikini bottoms grew with each pass over her clit. Emma bent down and fixated her mouth over her center, sucking and biting before she hooked her fingers around the edge and began to pull them down over Regina's hips.

Regina trailed her hands over her abdomen and up over her breasts as Emma removed her bikini bottoms and tossed them haphazardly behind her. Exquisite was not the word to define how beautiful Regina was. She was a goddamn goddess in her own right. Emma licked her lips hungrily as she trailed her fingers teasingly up Regina's smooth legs. As much as she wanted to take her time and devour Regina, the burning hunger inside of her to taste her, to fuck her, to make her cum was too much to deny.

"Christ, Regina, I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you right now."

"Then have me, Emma. Take me," she murmured as she trailed her right hand down between her legs and over her nearly hairless pussy. "Taste me."

"With pleasure."

Emma did not hesitate to lean down and take her first taste of Regina. Her heady, musky taste invaded her taste buds and all her senses all at once and she was drowning in her, intoxicated and addicted just from that first swipe of her tongue over Regina's wet cunt. She was almost ravenous as she drank in Regina completely.

She slowed down, gasping as Regina grasped on to her hair tightly and gave it a little tug. She exhaled sharply and nuzzled her nose against Regina's clit before diving right back in, unable to hold back for much longer. She hooked her arms under Regina's legs and draped them over her shoulders as she licked and sucked her clit languorously.

She felt dizzy as she moved to suck over Regina's clenching hole and she could fully taste her arousal as it trickled out of her. She couldn't get enough and as she sucked a little harder, she knew she'd never get enough of the way Regina tasted nor would she ever get enough of the way Regina felt against her tongue, soft, quivering, and hot.

"Emma!" Regina cried out as she released the hold she had on her head and hair and arched into her mouth. "Fuck, Emma!"

She sucked Regina's clit harder, feeling it throb as she laved her tongue over it, and she moved a hand between Regina's legs and slicked her fingers over her hole, teasing a finger inside before thrusting it hard and deep inside of her. She added a second and then a third finger with ease as she continued to suck and lick over Regina's throbbing clit until she felt her inner walls clamp hard against her fingers as her orgasm washed over her.

Regina's whole body tensed as she came undone and Emma didn't let up, though she slipped her fingers out from inside of her to replace them with her tongue to drink in Regina's cum.

"Emma."

Emma didn't budge, languidly stroking her tongue over the length of her as she let Regina's legs fall from her shoulders. She smoothed her hands over Regina's inner thighs, unwilling to move from her spot just yet.

"Emma."

Emma shook her head a little and scraped her teeth over Regina's sensitive and still throbbing clit. It was Regina's hands sliding into her hair and pulling her back that essentially made her stop. She licked her lips, moaning at the taste of nothing but Regina and she looked up at her with heavy eyes, feeling her clit throb and her pussy clench at the way Regina was looking right back at her.

"Emma!"

"Hmm?" Emma leaned up on her elbows and smiled when Regina just growled and tugged at her hair. "What is it, babe?"

"Come here," Regina demanded. "Kiss me."

"With pleasure."

[X]

"Emma, are you all right? You look exhausted?" David asked as he hovered in the doorway of her office early the next morning.

"It's the heat," Emma muttered sleepily as she let her head drop to her cluttered desk. "This damn heatwave has gotten to me."

"Maybe you should go home, get some rest and drink plenty of fluids?"

Emma closed her eyes, thinking back to the day before, the night before, and that morning with Regina and all the hours they'd spent in Regina's bed. She thought of how many times she'd taken Regina and how many times she'd been taken in return. It was no surprise she was exhausted, but her father didn't need to know that. As far as he was concerned, it was the heat that had gotten to her, not Regina Mills and her insatiable sexual appetite. She smiled innocently before she lifted her head and gave her father a curt nod.

"That sounds like a good idea. You sure you can handle things today?"

"Yes," he said with a smile. "Go home, Emma. I heard this heatwave is supposed to move out tonight at some point. Got a storm coming in."

"Right."

He just shook his head and wandered over to his desk and Emma picked up her phone, swiping at the screen until her messages with Regina appeared. She licked her lips, thinking of all the ways she could escape from the heatwave for yet another day, and sent a quick message to her that she was leaving work before she headed out of the station and out into the hot, morning sun. A moment later, her phone chirped and she grinned as she read the reply.

I'm already in the pool. Don't keep me waiting.

Emma rushed to the Bug and she barely had the door shut when her phone chirped again with a second message.

And come naked, dear. We have the whole house to ourselves yet again.

Emma's whole body buzzed with excitement and she sped off to Mifflin Street with only one thing on her mind and that was to spend yet another day finding a way to escape the heatwave that had overtaken the east coast and their town, and to create a whole other kind of heat between her and none other than Regina Mills.