I Give it (Less Than) a Year (To Fall in Love With You)
Chapter Four: Pressed Hard
Emma had just woken up at six when a knock came at her door. She pulled herself out of the warm comfort of her bed, and smoothing down her bed hair as best she could, she opened the door to find a fully dressed Regina already there, waiting for her. She was wearing a sports bra and some tight jeggings, both articles of clothing that revealed a lot of skin. A lot of toned skin.
"Well?" Regina asked impatiently, crossing her arms over her chest.
It robbed Emma somewhat of the view of Regina's chest so she drew her eyes up to the CEO's brown eyes instead. "Well what?"
"I wasn't kidding yesterday when I said I was going to take you on in judo."
Emma instantly shook her head. Given how easily Regina had turned the tables on Emma in the hot tub, there was no way it would be a smart idea to challenge Regina. "And I recall saying no."
"Because you're scared."
"I'm not scared."
"Fine then, a weakling."
"I'm not weak either. I can bench press a hundred at the gym."
That did not impress Regina.
"Afraid to be challenged?" Regina taunted with an arched brow.
"As if," Emma scoffed, her ego suddenly roaring to protect itself. "On the contrary, I don't want to hurt you."
"Then facing me one on one in judo shouldn't be an issue. I'll see you in the dojo in ten," and Regina strode off, deciding that was the end of that.
Emma frowned, but took the opportunity to watch Regina's hips sway enticingly before she pulled back into her room and took all of three seconds to decide she was going. She had her reputation to protect and, who in their right mind would pass up on a chance to see Regina in those skin tight work out clothes, to freaken get her hands on exposed skin?
Emma quickly changed, pulled her hair back in a ponytail and freshened up before going to the dojo. She found Regina already doing some stretches there, and Emma had to take a moment to appreciate that before tearing herself away and doing some of her own warm ups. They did it in mutual silence before Regina finished and smiled at Emma. "Are you ready?"
Emma knew it was a stupid idea to do this, but she hated how Regina didn't believe Emma could hold her own. She would prove her wrong. She mimicked Regina's ready stance, their bare feet light on the padded mats. They stood in front of each other before Regina lunged ahead without warning. Emma barely registered the woman's quick movements and then the mat was on her back, Regina over her, brunette strands hanging down to frame her triumphant face.
Emma tried to mask her surprise but she wasn't any good at it and Regina let go of Emma's tank top before giving Emma space to get up. "You need to be quicker than that," Regina gloated and huffing, Emma took up a pose again before they began anew.
Yet, each time Emma would end up taking the loss. It was beginning to annoy her. Once or twice she got a good hit in but it barely made a difference. She was losing drastically.
As she landed on her ass for the tenth time in a row, she flashed evil eyes at Regina.
"I think you are getting some sort of sick satisfaction out of beating me up," Emma whined.
"Don't be a baby," Regina said, eyes alight with violence. Whereas Emma was wearing down, Regina only seemed to warm up. She was definitely having fun at Emma's expense.
So Emma threw herself in and gave it her all. Soon her frustration began to grow and grow and Regina knew Emma was getting pissed; it seemed to be something she wanted and had sought to achieve, in fact.
Emma was getting pissed off because she hated being pushed down. She had spent almost all of her childhood heeding to bigger bullies in the foster system. She would be damned if she let that happen to her even if the bully right now was the face of billions of dollars in income. The pure anger in her body surged up and she moved with incredible speed unlike anything she had done before. It threw Regina off. Like a bull, Emma charged at Regina, throwing off the blocks she put up. She grabbed the front of Regina's sports bra and pushed her against the wall so hard that it rattled and Regina's teeth clacked together.
Then, to keep her like that, she barred the whole length of her arm against Regina's collarbone, grabbed her wrist and pulled it high above her head, and spread her legs with her knee to keep those deadly weapons from being able to kick her properly.
They stayed like that for a while, breathing hard and just looking at each other. A strand of Regina's hair was in her face and her hurried breaths made it flutter while something liquid overtook her eyes. Emma wondered why she wasn't fighting back now- it was almost like her body went slack. And then it struck her like an intrusive thought, what Regina had said earlier in the hot tub.
But if I had to pick, it would be pinned against the wall, at the mercy of my lover.
Emma lept off of Regina so quickly it was like she was electrocuted. Regina staggered forwards from the loss of Emma's body holding her up. A second fact crowded Emma's head and how she had thrown herself at a CEO. A very important client.
Shit, this was bad.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to-" but Emma's stuttering apology was cut off.
"That's alright," Regina said, rubbing the back of her neck, cheeks flushed in a manner Emma had never seen before. "I liked that energy. For a moment I almost believed you could in fact stay on top." And here it was: back to the teasing.
So, she was still making fun of that. Any reservations Emma had were dissolved. And her ego demanded a rematch. "Then get ready for more." Fire burned in her veins.
Regina might use her fancy moves but Emma had her dirty underhand tactics. They exchanged spars and blows and Emma tried to get the upper-hand whenever she could. But whatever advantage she had had over Regina had only lasted for that one moment. And body running out of energy, adrenaline levels dropping, and muscles beginning to protest, Emma wanted this to end. So she hooked her leg under Regina's, unbalancing her and then pushed her body weight into her to push them down to the mats. Emma rolled off of Regina, their sweaty skin clinging to each other before unsticking. Both were breathing hard, but Emma notably harder since she didn't normally exercise like this. She wiped the sweat off of her brow with the back of her hand as her heart pounded in her ears.
"That was a good work out," Regina commented.
"Maybe for you. You were just abusing me the whole time," Emma muttered out. "Do you enjoy suffering?"
"No, not particularly," Regina commented, rolling herself up onto her elbows so she could look down at Emma's flushed face. Her own was only tinged with color, her caramel complexion preventing her from looking like a beet like Emma did. "Only yours," she admitted, one side of her mouth curling up deviously.
"Oh joy," Emma said sarcastically. "I feel so very, very special."
"You should. I don't usually go that hard on others."
Emma frowned at that but Regina was getting up to her feet now. "I'm going to shower. Do you want to grab lunch after or do you have something planned on that vacation itinerary for us?"
"I had us going to a evening party today."
Regina wrinkled up her nose and it was just so cute, that fact momentarily cutting in over Emma's annoyance at Regina basically bullying her this whole morning. "I don't do parties."
"You don't?"
"They're so loud...and pointless. If you have something to celebrate there are a million other ways to do so."
"But aren't you obligated as CEO to attend launch parties and the likes?"
"Of course," Regina said as she began to do her cool down stretches. Emma decided that was a good idea and got up from the mat, having left a human shaped sweat mark on it. She began to mimic Regina's moves. "Doesn't mean I have to like them."
"So the party is off the list. What would you rather do?" Emma had no problem rescheduling or moving things around. This was all about pleasing Regina after all.
"I was thinking a movie night would be nice. There are a handful of movies I've been meaning to catch up on."
Emma was always up to date on movies, thanks to Graham's TV hobby. She would walk around the house and indirectly in that way hear the plot and premise of almost every movie. But she wouldn't mind re-watching them with Regina.
"Sure. I'll order some room service and we can get whatever snacks you desire."
At this Regina chuckled lightly. "I'm afraid they don't have you on the menu, but I suppose I'll have to make do with their other snack offerings."
Emma couldn't stop her jaw from gaping wide open. Did she- was that-? That had just come out of right field!
Regina got up at this, heading for the door casually as if she hadn't just smoothly complimented the fuck out of Emma. "I'm going to shower. I'll see you in an hour for breakfast in the dining hall here."
Eventually Emma managed to shut her mouth, and her body unfroze from how it had turned stone still. Damn. Emma was losing this game and fast. She needed to change things up.
The morning in the dojo left Emma aching and sore in places she didn't know she could be sore in. She grumbled about it like some old grandma every chance she got, making sure Regina specifically heard her.
"Quit complaining," Regina rolled her eyes as the hours passed and Emma's steady stream of complaints did not wane.
"Excuse me- but you're not the one whose ass got kicked a hundred times," Emma grumbled as she opened the door for room service. They had ordered a cheese platter and a meats platter. Of course Regina would eat healthy snacks.
"You're overexaggerating," Regina informed Emma as she popped in the DVD into the TV and settled herself down on the couch. The lights were dimmed and a fireplace lit behind them to add to the cozy atmosphere. The movie began to play. It was the latest rom com.
"I am not," Emma said as she placed the platters on the coffee table in front of them. "Look at the way my hands are shaking." She made them shake on purpose as she carried the food over.
Regina rolled her eyes again but made an offer. "Let me give you a massage. It's the least I can do after 'bullying you' as you so call it."
"It was bullying. And it's fine. I'm a grown woman. I can handle this pain." Emma sniffed, sitting down next to Regina.
"I have no doubt you are grown," here Regina's eyes dipped down to Emma's cleavage unabashedly. "But I've been taking judo for a while so I know which muscles hurt and how to ease the pain."
Emma hesitated here. Having Regina's hands on her could be potentially dangerous. Emma knew Regina was going to try to use this situation to gain another point over Emma. But Emma wouldn't let that happen. The woman could be seducing her in order to win her over and get Emma to blindly agree to whatever deal for her it was she wanted. Emma wouldn't give in, wouldn't let her win.
She was going to make this work for her. "Alright, let's see what you have to offer." Emma took off the sweater she was wearing to reveal only her bra before she laid flat on the long couch, exposing her back to Regina.
"What are you doing?" Regina asked and there was a hint of uncertainty to her voice. Emma counted that as a good thing.
"Getting relaxed. How am I supposed to feel the effects of your massage if my thick sweater is in the way?"
"Should I get you some massage oils? Play some soothing spa music as well?" Regina mocked, the uncertain waver not remaining for long.
"A glass of wine on the side would be nice."
Regina chuckled and positioned herself over Emma's waist, hovering a couple inches above. She pressed her hands into Emma's shoulder blades and began to work the muscle there.
Having worked with other rich and notable clients, the fact that a CEO was giving her a good back rub wasn't too crazy or noteworthy. They were just people after all. They walk around buck naked around the house if they wanted to.
What did change the fact was that there was a game in place between them, one Emma was trying to break even with at least, if not outright win.
So she decided to moan loudly.
"Oh god, this feels really good," Emma moaned as loudly as she could. Almost too loudly. But she wasn't lying. Regina certainly knew what she was doing with her hands. Hands that were now shaking slightly on each pleasure filled sound coming from Emma's mouth.
The massage was causing the blood to rush through Emma's body and it was especially starting to rush down to one certain area before she could help it.
Regina's hands worked her upper back perfectly, but Emma needed her else where.
"Lower," Emma commanded. "Lower." And Regina's hands drifted down to her lower back but not where Emma wanted them. "My thighs really hurt." They didn't, but what would Regina know.
She complied and began to work the muscle there and Emma hummed appreciatively. "This almost makes up for you busting my ass today."
"Almost?" Regina huffed. "Many would be honored to have me massaging them."
"Sounds like they're just massaging your massive ego then," Emma commented easily as she tried to stop the rush of blood between her legs by focusing on what moves next she could make to get a win over Regina.
"I do not have a massive ego," Regina countered.
"You so do," Emma childishly pestered.
"I don't know where you get that impression from." Regina pressed down harder and Emma groaned happily into the couch cushion. "I'm one of the more humble millionaires."
"Saying you're humble doesn't necessarily make you so." When Regina's fingers accidentally strayed too close to the apex of her thighs, the moan Emma let out this time was real. It froze Regina up and Emma worried that she might have pushed things too far when she heard a deep throaty chuckle come from Regina.
"Sounds like you're more relaxed now. Or should I say, more wound up?"
Regina moved away from Emma who was flushing furiously. Damn it. Could she not charm the pants off of Regina at all? Emma was supposed to have embarrassed Regina and not it be the other way around.
The weight of Emma's sweater hit her back as Regina tossed it at her and she sat up, pulling it over her head. Her cheeks had cooled down a bit but she was still unable to entirely look at Regina. "Been a while?" Regina teased.
Emma frowned and tried to pay attention to the movie but she was entirely lost. "Isn't that a bit too personal to ask?"
"Then I'll take that as a yes."
Emma huffed out. "It hasn't been a while," she said, steely gaze on Regina who was looking at her mirthfully. Though it had been. She and Graham hadn't been intimate in over two months. They'd tried but that spark just wasn't there anymore.
"Then it must be the fact that you weren't on top," Regina explained with a shrug, devious like. "I thought you felt more like a bottom."
Oh, so this was how they were going to play it. "And it seemed to me, you liked following my orders. You were very eager to service me."
There was a hint of anger to Emma's words because how was this woman so good at flustering her? Was she losing her touch? Would she have to give up the moniker Smooth Swan?
Regina noticed the slight choler behind Emma's words and seemed to relish them. "Touche, then." And she mercifully turned to the movie.
Emma breathed out a sigh of relief, glad that Regina had called them even instead of continuing because honestly, Emma had run out of points to bring up.
But even with silence between them, Emma couldn't concentrate on the movie because all her senses were focused on the wonderfully smelling, yet hugely infuriating, human next to her.
A/N: Next time: Emma and Regina have some fun in the snow that leads to an unplanned adventure?