(A/N-Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, following and favoring this story. I appreciate you all so much. I hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween!)
(Special note for Celina for a great idea on a certain someone in this chapter!)
The following Saturday was to be their first test for Regina as his hostess for his potential clients. Regina seemed to have everything in perfect order, the catering company she had for their event was perfect, from what he had sampled. There was wine chilled and Robin was patiently waiting for all his guests to arrive, he was really waiting on Regina to walk down those steps...he looked up then as he heard the sound of heels clicking on the floor and saw her walking down the steps in a knee length black dress, there were little lace sleeves that just covered her shoulders. She had on a pair of matching black pumps to match the dress. Her hair was in loose curls, that fell just below her shoulders and her make up was flawless as her red lips she had painted.
"Well?" Regina asked as she moved her arms slightly.
"Stunning," Robin admitted to himself and her as he walked up to her, standing only a few feet from her as he did so. "And I thank you for pulling all this together in such short notice, and I wanted you to have this as a token of my appreciation."
Robin pulled out a rectangular box, and held it in his hand as he slowly opened it to reveal a beautiful necklace, with a tear drop diamond on it.
"Oh, it's beautiful Robin, thank you," Regina said as she gathered her hair in one hand. "Will you put it on me?"
Robin smiled as she turned around, he took the necklace in his hands anad gently placed it around her slender neck, as she looked at herself in the mirror, she then felt the light feel of his lips on the back of her neck, just above where the necklace laid.
"Now, it does justice, since it's on you," Robin couldn't help himself from telling her this. He breathed in the sweet smell of her. She turned around to look at him, smiling as she did so. Their eyes met and held, neither willing to stop looking at the other, as Robin started to lower his head towards her, her lips...there was the sound of the doorbell, signaling their guests were arriving.
"Ready?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
Regina nodded as she watched him walk away a little, she admired him in his blue suit, it set off his gorgeous eyes. He was simply delicious, all crisp and masculine with a slight sensuous edge that set off something sharp and hot inside her. Last night, she'd felt just enough of the body he carried under that suit and the memory of it had haunted her dreams last night.
An hour into the party and the guests were arriving still, Robin and Regina mingled with his, no their guests and he kept his hand on the small of her back. She admitted to herself, she liked the way it fit there, as if his hand was made to fit on her body. It served two purposes, one being to provide support and the other showing everyone that they were a united front.
And did people ever notice, many heads watched the gorgeous couple make their way around the room, the music playing in the background couldn't shush out the whispers about the Robin's new wife.
The neckline of her dress slipped, revealing a healthy amount of one breast. She quickly covered herself back up. It slipped once more as Robin was making her way towards someone she didn't know.
"Ah, Thomas Garrett so good to see you. I hope you are enjoying yourself?" Robin asked as he started to shake his hand.
"Hello, Locksley, nice party." Thomas replied as he then turned his attention to Regina. "And this must be the woman everyone is talking about. Thomas Garrett, it's an honor to meet you."
"Regina, and I'm so happy that you are here," Regina replied.
"She's a beaut, Locksley," Thomas said as he answered his cell phone as it started to ring. "Locksley, I hope you don't mind but I also invited someone here tonight who might have an interest in our potential partnership."
"Of course," Robin said as a few moments later his doorbell sounded again and in walked Thomas's guest.
"Ah, Hunter, so good of you to make it," Thomas said as Robin and Regina turned to greet the newcomer.
"It can't be," Regina whispered, causing Robin to look down at his wife.
"Regina? What's wrong?" Robin asked as concern for his wife was evident. Something was clearly wrong.
"Thank you for inviting me," The man said as Thomas started to introduce them.
"Graham this is Robin Locksley, the man I was telling you about, and this beautiful woman at his side is-" Thomas was saying.
"Regina," Graham whispered as they stared at one another. Robin watched them, looking at one shocked expression and the other.
"I take it you two know one another?" Thomas asked.
"If you two will excuse me, I need to speak to my wife alone," Robin said as he started to walk with Regina to his study. He opened the door for Regina to enter, as soon as she was in, he closed the door behind him.
"You want to tell me what that was about?" Robin asked as Regina turned around to face him.
"I used to know him a long time ago," Regina said.
"As in know him...you mean you were in a relationship with him?" Robin asked.
"Yes, we were," Regina answered truthfully.
Robin went over to the bar and poured himself a drink. He took one big drink of it before he continued to speak. "How long ago were you involved with him?"
"Right after I went off to college," Regina answered.
"How did you meet him?" Robin asked, he hated that he even wanted to know. It was before he had met Regina, so it shouldn't matter to him if she had had a previous lover or even a hundred of them. But he suspected her number was only on one hand, with a few fingers to spare.
"I met him in a bar one night," Regina said. This was very uncomfortable for her, having to explain about Graham to her husband now. Graham had been very special to her, had helped her through a lot she had been going through at the time.
"Were you intimate with him?" Robin asked. His jealously was clearly showing now. He hated that he was jealous, but jealous he was. He was jealous of another man, a man that had been obviously important to Regina at one time in her life.
"Yes, yes we were. Is there anything else you would like to know about him?" Regina asked.
"I realize this is none of my business, but it's not everyday that you have an ex lover of your wife show up in your house," Robin said.
"Point taken," Regina said.
"So did you end it or did he?" Robin asked. He wanted to know everything, everything that had happened with these two, particularly Regina.
"I ended it," Regina answered.
"Why?" Robin asked.
"Does it matter?" Regina asked. She really didn't want to discuss her ex lover with her new husband.
Robin stared at her for a moment then shook his head, "No, I supposed it doesn't. But I won't have you making eyes with him."
"I wasn't making eyes with him before, I was just shocked to see him standing there," Regina said.
"Regardless," Robin said, not knowing what to say less it be evident he was jealous. He hated the man, hated him because he had gotten to kiss Regina, hold Regina, touch Regina, make love to Regina all night long...this had to stop! He had to stop being like this, otherwise he would be attacking Graham and throwing Regina over his shoulder and taking her upstairs and making love to her all night. He had semi controlled himself until her sleeve had slipped showing him some of her breast, he had wanted to touch, caress, pinch, suck on it until he couldn't breathe anymore.
"This is a very important night for me, I can't have an ex lover of yours messing things up for me," Robin said.
"Graham wouldn't do anything of the sorts," Regina said.
"I hope not, for his sake," Robin said as he walked up to her.
"Are you jealous?" Regina asked boldly.
"Do I have a reason to be?" Robin asked, before he could think anymore, he lowered his head and captured her lips under his. It was the lightest of touches, but all the same Regina was aware of it in every inch of her skin, every nerve ending. But most of all every pulse of the soft inner trembling building inside her.
She felt herself starting to grow weak as Robin kissed her, his mouth moving on hers, still gently but with a growing insistence as the secons lengthened into minutes.
Regina felt the flicker of his tongue probing her lips, searching for the inner sweetness they protected. At the same time, his hands were cupping her butt, bringing her into contact with his hardness pressing up against her.
Her breath then caught in excitement as his lips softly kissed her eyes, her cheeks, the tremulous corners of her mouth, before feathering his lips over the pulse in her throat, making it leap in anticipation.
When at last, he raised his head, Regina's face was burning, forcing her to stifle a gasp as she registered the sudden tumult in her blood. She was on fire for him. She wanted him.
She was not a virgin but, in the same time she felt so inexplicably nervous and insecure that this might indeed have been her first time kissing a man.
"That should do it," Robin said softly as Regina gave him a questionable look.
"What?" Regina asked as Robin took her hand in his and they started making their way back to the party. In the hallway as they were walking, Regina causght herself in the hallway mirror and saw that her lips were slightly bruised from their kissing and she had a mark on her neck where he had had his lips. Everyone would know what they had been doing!
"Did you do this on purpose?" Regina asked.
"Kissing you is no sacrifice," Robin said, his tone bordered on the cold level. At that moment she was anxious to get on her ski trip and try to control these feelings that were starting to grow for her husband.
When they entered the room again for their guests, lot of them smiled and whispered about how they both looked, especially Regina's swollen lips and what could only be called a hickey now on her neck. Her blush was growing and she smiled as Robin placed his hand on the small of her back again as they made their way around the room, only this time there was no feelings as there had been before with his hand on her.
Regina could see out of the corner of her eye that Graham was watching her, calmly watching her as she and Robin walked around, making small talk with their guests. She wanted to talk to him, to make sure he would truly cause no trouble with Robin.
Half an hour later, Robin was talking with Garrett on the side of the room, Regina made her way to grab a glass of champagne. When her fingers grabbed it, they were covered in Graham's hand, his hand covering her left one, where her wedding ring was.
"It's good to see you, Regina," Graham said as he gave her the drink.
"Thank you, you too Graham," Regina said as she took a sip of her champagne. "I have to ask what you're doing here?"
"I've been in business with Garrett for over a year now, I was quite shocked to see that you were married now, and to Locksley," Graham said.
"We've only been married a short time," Regina said.
"Might we go out on the patio, I would like to speak to you without so many eyes on us?" Graham asked.
Regina hesitated, this was her husband's house. But she did feel like she owed Graham. She nodded and together they walked out on the lit patio.
Robin watched his wife leave the room with her ex lover, and a ton of emotions swelled up inside him; anger, jealously, fury that Graham had managed to take Regina away from him, and jealously on what he might be saying to her, the anger he also had towards Regina for leaving with him.
How could she do this to him? In front of all their guests? In front of Garrett? He made his excuses and went out to the patio to find the two ex lovers. What he saw made his blood boil even more.
Regina was in Graham's arms, it looked innocent enough. But for Robin, he couldn't stand to see her in another man's arms, especially one who had known Regina intimately.
He watched them hug once more before Regina left him to go to a side entrace to the house. Robin watched Graham stand there for a moment before approaching him.
"I wondered how long it would take you to follow us," Graham said as he turned to look at him.
"I'm only going to say this once, stay away from my wife," Robin said.
"She's a beautiful woman, Locksley," Graham said.
"A married one," Robin said as he started to turn to go back into the house.
"Have you seen her birthmark yet?" Graham called out, causing Robin to stop in his tracks and turn back around. "From your expression, I'm going to take that as a no. Pity."
"Graham, don't provoke me. Don't ever interfere in my marriage again," Robin said as he walked up to the man.
"It's not a marriage, its a business deal. And no, your wife didn't tell me," Graham said. "Listen Locksley, take my advice, don't waste what is staring you right in the face. Or you'll loose it forever, I did."
And with that Graham headed back into the house as well, leaving Robin to stare out into the darkness of his huge back yard. He took a few moments before going back into the house, where he found Regina making the rounds again with their guests. He put a smile on his face and took his place at Regina's side. They might have looked like a united front but inside they were both battling the events of this night.
Later Robin and Regina bid their guest goodnight, Thomas Garrett promised they would be in touch very soon. Robin watched again as Graham looked at Regina as she avoided his gaze. Once the last guest left and the caterers were gone, Robin headed to his study to have a drink. Regina knew she had not had this event go as smooth as it could have been. She gave him a few minutes alone before going to him.
She entered the study to find him looking out a window with a drink in his hand. "Robin, I'm sorry about what happened with Graham. I swear to you it won't be repeated."
Robin took a few moments before he decided to speak, "Regina, I realize you had no idea he was going to be here tonight but, what I don't appreciate is you leaving a room full of crowded people to go spend time with an ex lover of yours. I hope you know that should you find yourself in a room with him again you are not to be alone with him."
"Robin, I am sorry about the impression it gave you but, I assure you nothing happened," Regina defended herself.
Robin heard her words, but he also remembered the embrace between the two lovers he had witnessed. It infuriated him to no end that Graham had hugged Regina, as innocent as it might have looked, it still managed to get under his skin to no end. "I expect no repeats of this night."
"It won't happen again, I promise you," Regina said.
"Good." Robin said as he turned back around to look out the window.
Regina felt like she had been dismissed, so she left the study and headed upstairs. The next week passed with them barely speaking with one another. The tension between them which had been on a sexual level, now it was on another level entirely. Maybe this break with her going to the ski trip would do them good, Regina thought. She had left him the name and number of the ski resort they were going to, the Stowe Mountain Resort.
On Friday morning, she got up early and headed to the airport to fly to Vermont for the weekend. Robin had told her to use his private jet for her and her friends. They arrived and went to the ski lodge, her friends had asked why her husband had not joined them and she had explained how he had a huge meeting the next week and needed this weekend to be fully prepared. She had watched their reactions and their sympathetic look they gave her.
Even with the misunderstanding between them about Graham, Regina still missed her husband. She had hoped he would be able to come with her, and let their relationship begin to develop but, now it seemed like that was a hopeless thought. As Regina went to sleep that night, her thoughts were filled with Robin. How Robin confused her on so many levels, how he would push her away one moment then be kissing on her the next. She was attracted to him clearly, but there were feelings that were starting to grow there as well. Ones she had not experienced in a long time, not since Graham.
For Robin, Regina being away meant his thoughts were not consumed with her, for a few moments anyways. He had thought that her being gone would help him not think of her constantly, but it seemed to backfire on him, as his thoughts were still on her. What she was doing? Was she having a good time? Was she warm? Was she missing him?
He shook his head as he tried to focus on his report that he was going to propose next week to Garrett. He hoped by then they would seal a deal. Garrett seemed very interested in his proposal.
He spent the next hour finishing his report for Garrett, it was late in the afternoon and he was tired and was thinking about laying down on the couch for an hour. He had just laid down when his cell phone rung, he dug into his pants pocket for his phone.
"Hello?" Robin asked.
"Robin? It's Mrs. Lucas, is Regina alright?" Mrs. Lucas asked, there was clearly some panic in her voice.
"Regina? Yes, she's at a ski resort," Robin said, wondering why she was asking him about Regina.
"Robin, haven't you heard? There was an avalanche at that resort she was going to, there's people missing," Mrs. Lucas informed him.
Robin shook his head, as his stomach filled with dread that something had happened to Regina. No, it couldn't be Regina, not her...