She wanted to pat herself on the back and kick herself in the ass at the same time. A community center with a pool for the short but existent summer seasons Storybrooke lucky experienced seemed like a great idea when Emma had initially pitched it at a Town Hall meeting last year. Within a month, it had the board and the mayor's approval and construction started two months after that. The building was finished after almost ten months and had been open for business for three. All had been going well since the doors had opened and almost every citizen had checked out the facility at least once.

Regina considered it a success. Henry loved going every weekend. Snow and David praised Emma's vision and reason for suggesting they build the center in the first place. Emma took pride in all of that. And when she saw Regina at the pool for the first time, she'd enjoyed that as well. It was then Emma realized how the center would benefit her libido as much as it did her heart. But that quickly proved to be a very good and very bad thing considering just how heated her skin became when she saw Regina in a black two-piece suit that accentuated her assets and exposed a somewhat lean stomach.

Mocha colored skin and her dark and naturally curly hair remained dry despite Regina's nearness to the water. She stood at the edge of the pool with Henry, who was soaked from head to toe, and unnecessarily fussed over him. She embarrassed him thoroughly as she offered him sunscreen and then started to apply some when he wouldn't take the tube.

Emma watched him squirm and say something to Regina that probably sounded a lot like a whiny, "Mom!" She smiled from where she sat in a lounge chair across the pool and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. Unlike Regina, she wasn't dressed to swim and had no intention of getting in the water. She wasn't at all shy about her own body, but she wore a gray tank top and black athletic shorts that stopped just above mid-thigh. Without the motivation to dive in, she hadn't put on a suit under her clothes either.

But Regina… Regina didn't seem interested in swimming as far as Emma could tell from her lack of time in the water, but she also didn't seem to care who saw her in her suit. And plenty of people saw. A scan of the pool revealed just how many townspeople's eyes were on her instead of their kids. Most of the gawkers were men, but there were a few women. One woman was even a familiar and, thankfully, off-duty life guard with blonde hair tied back in a bun.

Tinkerbell wore the standard red one piece with the word 'Guard' printed in white across the chest, but walked along the pool in her sandals with a towel wrapped around her waist. None of the lifeguards ever wore their slip-ons or flip flops while they sat in the chair and Tinkerbell was no exception, as Emma had noticed on other occasions. The former fairy walked a little slower when her gaze landed on Regina, and Emma didn't think she imagined the way pink lips parted.

Emma gripped the side of her lounge chair and heard her blunt nails scratch the plastic. Another glance around the pool showed a few of the spectators alternating between staring at Regina and discussing something with the people around them. Her attention narrowed in seconds on two other blondes she recognized, but hadn't ever thought she'd see at a pool let alone together at a pool. And yet, Maleficent and Nurse freaking Ratched sat at a table under an umbrella with vending machine snacks spread out between them like they were catching up with each other over lunch.

As much as Emma appreciated junk food, not only from vending machines but gas stations and the occasional street vender, she knew the only real food those two had in mind that afternoon was Regina Mills. Blue and brown eyes alike stared unapologetically at the brunette and a few words were exchanged as their gazes remained fixed on the mother of Emma's son. Worse than that, Mal and Ratched had the perfect view of Regina's plump backside. If neither of those women had seen the brunette naked before, it wouldn't be all that hard for them to imagine what that looked like given Regina's suit and their prime position.

Sandals dragged across the concrete and small puddles that lined every side of the pool. Before Emma could turn far enough to see Tinkerbell fail to pick up her feet in her dazed state along the closest side of the pool, her eyes found Regina's first. She caught the brunette already looking at her from across the pool and, a second later, Henry took a few steps away from the other woman and jumped in. He landed in the water heavily enough that he splashed Regina and pulled her attention from Emma with a gasp. The brunette then looked down at herself and touched a few wet spots on her chest and bare stomach before she glared at Henry once he emerged and flipped his drenched and long—maybe a little too long—hair. The glare turned into a partially amused expression while she shook her head at him, which Emma thought was a slap on the wrist as far as punishment. She'd expected Regina to further embarrass the teen in front of his classmates, but Emma still smiled at the sight. Especially when Regina's own smile, previously subtle and directed at Henry, was turned on her as it spread and softened.

And then Emma made the mistake of blinking.

Tinkerbell momentarily blocked Emma's view and Emma noticed the way the other blonde didn't shy away from attempting to make and keep eye contact with Regina as she headed increasingly slowly in the direction of the locker rooms. Emma rolled her eyes before she slid back in her lounge chair and stretched out her legs to sprawl herself across it. She took a deep breath and released it like a heavy sigh to calm herself. If she had to think about how many people had either slept or wanted to sleep with Regina, she was sure to abuse her power as the town sheriff. Or at least start a poolside fist fight.

"Why did I bother asking you to the pool if you're not going to swim?"

"By the way you reacted to getting wet standing too close to the pool, I'm wondering why either of us are here," Emma replied with an overly sweet smile. She turned her head to see Regina standing beside her while the brunette set the sunscreen on the small table between their chairs.

Regina bent toward the table the tiniest bit and drew Emma's focus to the woman's ass. When Regina straightened up and moved toward her own chair, Emma realized Mal and Nurse Ratched still had their eyes glued to Regina with their still perfect view.

"Cover up, will you?" Emma tugged the black knitted tunic out from under her and tossed it over to Regina. "People are staring."

Regina chuckled. "So? Let them stare. It's better than being ignored. If the people staring don't want me in shackles or in front of a firing squad, I don't mind."

"Half the people here can't keep their eyes off you."

Regina shrugged and draped herself across her chair with the tunic balled up on her stomach. The blasé woman showed no interest in putting it on.

"They're drooling like this is a photoshoot. For a centerfold spread!"

"I still don't understand why that makes you upset. I find it flattering."

"Flattering? They're probably imagining doing all kinds of things with you."

Regina grinned when she looked at Emma again. "I doubt that. They're most likely fantasizing about what they want to do to me. Not with me." The brunette glanced around the pool and softly laughed when she looked in Mal and Nurse Ratched's direction. "In fact, I can probably tell you exactly what's going through Mal's head right now."

Emma grimaced and replied, "I'm sorry I mentioned it."

Regina looked over at the audacious blonde across the pool and smirked. Emma watched with narrowed eyes, not at all pleased, and saw Maleficent gaze at Regina with a grin as hungry as her eyes. A second later, Emma's focus racked back to Regina when the brunette flirtatiously waved hello to the human-dragon hybrid.

Regina wiggled her fingers, which would have just been some ridiculous and maybe semi-cute way to wave, but the woman's expression made all the difference and easily convinced Emma that Regina was happily teasing the tall blonde across the enclosed space.

Emma glared at Maleficent and silently seethed beside Regina, who only turned her attention from Mal to Nurse Ratched. Emma wouldn't have noticed if the orderly hadn't instantly brightened. Only seconds before Nurse Ratched straightened her posture and smiled, she'd looked bitter and ignored. As soon as Regina had stopped waving and returned her hand to the arm of her chair, the nurse illuminated like a radioactive substance. The darker blonde almost looked sweet and warm, which was not at all her usual appearance and not just because of the green glow of florescent lights in the hospital basement.

Emma scraped her nails against the plastic armrests again with the same squeaky result, except that time Regina was in earshot.

The brunette turned to Emma not long after she made the sound, but Emma's eyes remained on Mal and Nurse Ratched. The two other blondes looked at her with smug, taunting expressions. Emma didn't blink or move as she glared at them. She sat rigidly with a juvenile determination to stare them down, as if she actually could, and then Regina's laugh broke her concentration.

She turned her head to see Regina looking at her with a fond twinkle in her eyes even as she tried and failed to hide her wide smile behind a hand—the same hand Regina had used to wave at Mal and Nurse Ratched—that the brunette couldn't hold still in front of her mouth. Emma would've felt more embarrassed if she wasn't so bothered by the salacious ogling Regina had received, so instead she gradually released the tension in her shoulders and uncurled her fingers from around her chair.

"Jealous, dear," Regina playfully asked.

"Pfft. No. Jealous? Why would I be jealous? We'd have to be dating or something for me to be jealous. We're not dating."

"We aren't?" Regina feigned hurt and shock before she dramatically placed a hand on her chest. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Emma rolled her eyes and listened to Regina laugh again.

"If you'd told me this sooner, I wouldn't have wasted so much time cooking for you," Regina added, even as she continued to laugh.

Emma loved the sound and almost couldn't resist the urge to smile.

"Mom!" The sound of Henry's call for assistance from the pool attracted their attention. He noticed both of their eyes were on him and directed his next words at Regina. "Can you get my goggles? The chlorine is starting to agitate my eyes."

Regina didn't wait to hear why Henry wanted the goggles before she sat up and started digging in their pool bag beside her chair.

"You're going to look like a nerd," Emma teased him and smiled.

Regina tsked her as she pulled out the goggles and stood. "You're a bully."

"It's not like I'm bullying some random kid. He's ours. And he knows I love him, so it's fine," Emma brushed her off.

Henry refused to be any help. He wobbled his chin and contorted his face to fake a near-tears expression. "You're always so mean to me," he whined.

Regina threw Emma a pointed look, eyebrow arched, but didn't appear angry. She probably saw right through Henry's act, but it didn't stop her from trying to make Emma shut up or feel guilty.

As the brunette approached the pool, she softened when she looked in Henry's direction a few seconds later and bent over to hand him the goggles. Innocent enough, except Regina stood directly in front of Emma. The woman didn't have to bend too far to give Emma a beautifully inappropriate show even Mal and Nurse Ratched hadn't seen. Regina stood at the pool's edge with her legs together and a hand on her thigh, the other extended to Henry as the goggles dangled from it—although, Emma only really noticed black knit fabric stretched across Regina's backside. The cover-up already did little to truly cover Regina's body and it did even less when Regina stuck out her ass in Emma's eyeline.

Emma considered it a gift, one she probably didn't deserve. She also probably shouldn't have enjoyed the sight as much as she did while they were in public and Regina was tending to their son, who definitely took after Emma in all the not-so-great ways.

Henry grinned very much like Regina, but grabbed onto his brunette mother's hand as he reached for the goggles like Emma would have tried had she been in his position. Henry then yanked Regina into the water faster than the woman could process what was happening. She had no chance of poofing back to her chair before she splashed into the shallower part of the deep end.

Henry laughed and looked over at his friends in the far corner of the deep end as they laughed with him.

Regina broke through the surface with a gasp and pushed her drenched hair out of her face. She glared at Henry like it would be the last thing the kid would see for a while, or ever, and Emma chuckled just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

"You little shit," Emma said to Henry through her laughter.

"I learned from the best," he quickly replied in his defense. Thankfully, Regina retaliated for her unexpected dunking at that very moment and splashed him in the face. It wasn't the most inventive or punishing revenge, but Henry choked and sputtered for a few seconds. It worked well enough.

Regina victoriously smirked and swam to the closest set of stairs in the deep end while Henry wiped his eyes.

Emma smiled and shook her head at the pair, but the smile faded when Regina pulled herself out of the water.

The other woman emerged from the water with her hands on the ladder railing in a matter of seconds, but everything from that moment on happened in slow motion for Emma. The soaked cover-up clung to Regina's equally wet skin and hung heavily on her until the brunette crossed her arms over her front and grabbed the hem.

As Regina peeled off the wet garment, Emma's jaw dropped and her eyes looked at every inch of exposed skin from the woman's hips to her slightly bouncing chest. She lingered on Regina's taut stomach when the brunette lifted her hands above her head, but, eventually, shamelessly slid her attention lower to the waistband of the other woman's suit. When her eyes later glided over to less than slender hips, she reveled in the way they swayed as Regina strutted toward Emma.

Regina blocked her view soon after that when she lowered the cover-up in front of the bottom piece of her suit. A long moment passed before Emma could tear her eyes away, even with the obstruction in front of Regina's lower abdomen. When she finally did, her attention drifted north and noticed Regina's cutely curly hair. Darkened ringlets dripped water onto her shoulders and the swell of her supple breasts. She'd seen Regina fresh out of the shower before, but always fully clothed and successfully dried off. It was heaven to see her both ways, her hair always naturally curly no matter how dry she was, but Emma couldn't resist the extra sex appeal that came with seeing Regina drenched in a skimpy bathing suit.

But just like before, Emma wasn't the only one enjoying the show.

Regina stepped aside to resettle back in her chair. Emma was slow to follow her movements that time—still entranced by the other woman—and, instead, saw Henry and his gawking friends where they hung onto the edge of the pool in the far corner. The two boys in the group seemed as stunned and in lust as Emma as they stared at Regina in awe. The two girls, one of whom was Violet, looked a little less enthralled. Violet thankfully didn't look for too long, but the other girl, Ava—Gretel—watched Regina with, at the very least, a girl-crush interest until the older woman wrapped a towel around herself and collapsed in her chair. It was the first time since before the curse broke that Emma saw the similarities between herself and the no longer orphaned teen.

One of the boys, Nicholas, said something that looked like it might have been a praise as he struggled to look away even after Regina concealed herself in a towel. Ava seemed to agree with whatever her brother had said and even added to it. Immediately, Henry loudly objected with a whiny, "That's my mom, you pervs!" He skimmed his hands across the surface of the water and splashed them all in the face like Regina had done to him, but he quickly apologized to his innocent girlfriend while she rubbed her eyes.

Emma heard Regina laugh beside her and looked to see that the towel fortunately covered everything but Regina's collarbone and lower legs. She relaxed a little, grateful for the reprieve it gave her and how it denied everyone else a look at something Emma selfishly wanted to keep a secret—although, even in clothes Regina always looked ravishing.

"Serves him right for pulling me into the pool," Regina said as she watched Henry's friends with her infamous evil smirk that sent shivers down Emma's spine. "You think he's learned his lesson?"

Emma briefly smiled and replied, "I think he's never going to ask you to come to the pool with him again. I'm inclined to agree with him if that's what he decides."

"Because you want to be the only one that gets to drool over me?" Regina teasingly asked with amusement evident in her playful pitch and shining eyes.

Emma didn't answer, but probably would have embarrassed herself further if she had. She was thankful for that, at least, but less thankful for the two blondes still seated at the table almost directly behind Henry and his friends.

Nurse Ratched downed her water like one look at Regina caused instant dehydration, which Emma understood since her mouth constantly went dry as wetness pooled in other places. The nurse's eyes focused blankly ahead at the pool entrance as if she was forcing herself not to look at Regina. Emma understood that, too.

Mal, on the other hand, didn't appear to want or need to avert her gaze. Blue eyes stared at Regina as they took on a more animalistic sharpness. The look on Mal's face could only be described as primal, predatory, and the woman appeared seconds away from transforming.

"She could set you on fire, you know." Emma turned and immediately caught Regina's gaze as the brunette looked at her with a lopsided smile. "I'm sure she'd love to burn you to a crisp after your history with her daughter. And if you get in the way of whatever she's thinking when she looks like that? You're toast."

"Are you saying I should just let her keep devouring you with her dragon eyes? You're okay with her looking at you like that and getting all…territorial?"

Regina shook her head and continued to smile, but turned away from Emma to look over at Mal. "She can stare all day and fantasize all night. That doesn't mean she'll get what she wants."

As if on cue for another ogling blonde to show up, Tinkerbell sidled up to the foot of Regina's lounge chair. Emma glared at Tink, but the vivacious woman didn't even look her way. While she was being ignored, Emma glanced back over at Mal and saw the tall woman avert her angered gaze. Regina's warning about the consequences of getting in Mal's way apparently didn't apply to the former fairy. Just Emma.

With a roll of her eyes, Emma turned her attention back to Tink in time to watch her smile too brightly at Regina and say, "Long time, no see."

"Yes, it has." Regina smiled back and, while it was polite, the expression was warm and genuine. Nothing like her polished, mayoral attitude to boost her approval rating.

Emma closed one fist over her thigh and kept a firm grip on the arm of her chair with the other.

"I've been meaning to get you alone since Zelena had the baby, but it's been impossible," Tink said while her suddenly piercing eyes slid to Emma and finally acknowledged her presence.

Emma showed her the biggest, cockiest smile she'd ever given anyone. It vanished as quickly as it appeared when the brunette extended an invitation that sank Emma's heart.

"Well, I'm free after this. Do you want to grab dinner and catch up?"

Emma gaped at Regina while Tink bounced on her feet and nodded.

"I'd love that."

"Great. I'll pick you up at eight," Regina offered before she dug into her bag and retrieved her sunglasses.

"It's a date," Tink deliberately stressed and proudly but quickly stuck her tongue out at Emma. The offending muscle was back in the other woman's mouth by the time Regina looked up again.

Tink smiled once more at Regina before she walked off with an extra swing in her step that drew attention to her firm and perky ass. Emma glared hard enough at her back that she wondered if her magic might accidentally manifest and shoot fire out of her eyes.

"Emma," Regina suddenly scolded and jolted her out of her thoughts.

She looked over at Regina just as the brunette practically threw herself out of her chair and clapped a hand over Emma's. Emma noticed the fireball she'd made only seconds before Regina extinguished it.

"Sorry." Emma sheepishly smiled and hoped that would get her out of trouble.

"Maybe it's time we revisit lessons about control," Regina said as she let go of Emma and sat back down. She didn't smile or tease, just voiced a thought, while Emma looked at her like a wounded puppy with her palm still open and turned skyward.