Regina stood on the bottom rung leaning against the fence, her sweet rounded derriere, clad in black breeches, rubbed against Robin's groin as she turned to watch the horses approaching the finish line. The tail of her French braid caught Robin's chin as she turned her head sharply. Her high black boots struck his shin when she jumped in excitement as Thorn crossed the finish line first.

"Oh, did you see, Robin!" Regina exclaimed. She turned in his arms to face him. He stood behind her, hands braced upon the fence.

Robin gazed at her. She was refreshingly charming, her cheeks heightened with color, her eyes sparkled with excitement, and errant wisps of hair escaped her braid.

Impulsively Regina threw her arms around his neck, and he instinctively moved closer, pinning her between the fence and his long, hard form. "Wasn't he wonderful? I knew he would win. I told Will he would, odds or not."

Robin was inordinately pleased with her obvious happiness. "Yes, Princess, he is indeed wonderful, odds or not."

"Oh, Robin, this is the very best birthday. How can I ever thank you?" Regina asked.

He grinned at her innocent question, thinking of a numerous of ways, none which were appropriate at the moment. "A kiss, Princess, would do it."

Without a pause, she leaned fully against Robin's body placing a sweet kiss on his lips.

"Ah, Princess, I know you can do much better than that," Robin said.

As her fingers twirled in the hair at his nape, she considered his request. A teasing sparkle lit her eyes when she replied, "Robin, tis not proper," and she gazed about, continuing, "What will all these people think?"

"I don't give a damn what they think. Now, give a proper tribute to your husband," Robin said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Still uncertain but more than willing to do his bidding, she leaned into him, parting her lips slightly and placing them upon his. When she would have lifted her mouth, she found his hand held her head. His tongue teasingly traced her lips, then plunged into her mouth, coaxing her tongue to play. Regina, stirred by him, kissed him back, her tongue boldly fencing with his.

Robin felt the fire light his loins, the blood rush to his manhood, which rose, pressing against Regina's belly. He checked his desire, and lifted his mouth reluctantly from hers. He saw the aroused passion in her dazed eyes and knew she felt the stirrings as strongly as he. Rubbing his thumb over her lip, he whispered, "Princess, if we continue I shall embarrass myself. As it is, I pray you do not leave me at the moment, for my breeches are straining at the bit."

Feeling herself as if her knees would give out, Regina rested her head against his throat, willing her own desire to burn down.

"Bloody hell," Killian said as he spat as he thew down his cigar, grinding it viciously with his foot.

John turned to him, a smile etched on his mouth. Tauntingly he inquired, "Lose, did you now? Well, it it makes you feel better, I lost a tidy sum to Regina." Shaking his head, he muttered, "Should have never taught her about odds and all."

Killian, his gaze resting on the figures embracing at the fence, replied, "Our friend has the devil's own luck when it comes to horses and women."

John, looking in the same direction, nodded in agreement.

Regina, after having gained some measure of control, lifted her head and saw the many faces turned toward them. "She whispered desperately to Robin, "Everyone is looking."

Holding her close, he replied easily, "Let them. I told you, Princess, I care not what people think nor say." She smiled up at him, leaning against his tall frame, casully fingering the stubble on his chin.

Seeing the horses lining up, Robin asked her. "Which horse have you wagered on, Regina?"

Regina turned to lean against the fence, securing her feet in the rung, "I wagered with Will over the gray." she replied, and turning to face him, added. "I did wager a large sum, though I think Will goaded me into doing so. I fear he and I will always be at odds."

Smiling, Robin remarked, "Don't worry, love about the amount, nor Will for that matter. He's always one to hold a grudge, you know."

"Well, had Touche not stumbled, I would have beat him, and well he knows it," she replied defensively.

"I guess you'll have to show him, won't you?" Robin pulled a cheroot from his vest pocket and lit it.

"Would you really let me challenge him to a race?" she asked incredulously.

A curl of smoke drifted upward as Robin puffed on the cigar. "Have you any doubt?" A smile lit her face at his words. The start of the race caused Regina to turn. Once again her exuberance over the race caused her buttocks to brush against Robin's groin. He groaned as she unconsciously rubbed against him.

"Regina, pay special attention to the horses parading by. "Regina watched mounts passing, noted a solid black filly, fine boned with four gleaming white hooves and a blaze. She watched the filly prance before her and sidestep daintly.

"Which would you choose? Which one would you bet on?" Robin asked.

Without pause, Regina pointed a slender finger at the filly. "That filly over there, Robin, the fiesty one."

He smiled and pulled on his cigar.

"I'll wager two hunderd pounds on her, Robin." Regina said.

"Not until I've collected, little one," interjected a just arrived Will. Regina pulled a face at him and withdrew one hundred pounds. Robin stilled her hand. Both looked to Robin, who explained.

'Perhaps, Will, you'd wish to wager double or nothing on this race?" Robin smiled down at Regina.

"Two hundred pounds?" Will asked. Robin nodded. Will looked at Regina, who smiled and agreed.

Will raised an inquiring brow and taunted, "But can you afford it?" He smiled at her, letting his gaze travel over the breech clad figure, and taunted further, "I wouldn't want to deplete your allowance and deprive you of the means to purchase a proper wardrobe."

Regina glared at him, her temper, beginning to flare, reflected in her narrowed eyes. Robin interjected, "Not to worry, friend, I'll cover her."

Will had wirness the public display between Robin and Regina. He had noticed how Robin had remained very close to her, even now as she was pressed against the fence by his body. He replied, sarcastically, "Cover her, yes, you've done that quite nicely today."

Not willing to be drawn, Robin smiled easily, asking "Which mount do you chose, friend?"

"Let the lady make her choice first, it's the least I can do before I take her money." Will said.

The lively twinkle in Will's eyes incensed her. She permitted herself a withering stare before sht rurned abruptly, causing her head to bump Robin's chin, and pointed. "The black filly with the white blaze and hooves."

"I prefer the blonde roan myself," Will said.

Robin grinned at Will, "Yes, it appears you are partial to blondes today." His eyes pointedly came to rest on Anatasia standing a discreet distance away.

"It would appear so," Will agreed, following Robin's gaze.

The report of the gun signaled the race had began. Regina rose to stand on the rung, her body rested against the fence, and her derriere rode high, brushing against Robin's groin, which burned with the contact. Robin, not the least bit interested in the race at hand, leered wickedly down at Regina's raised bottom, taking in its soft, rounded shape, while illicit thoughts and images ran rampant through his mind.

Regina turned quickly about, crying, "She won, Robin! She beat them all!"

Robin quickly masked his face agains this carnal thoughts and led Regina over to the filly. Regina stood admiring the horse and rubbed the soft black muzzle.

"Do you like her, Regina?" Robin asked.

"Oh, she is splendid, Robin. What is her name?" Regina asked.

"Duchess," Robin paused to relight his cigar. With cigar clamped between his teeth, he added, "And she is yours."

Intense astonishment touched Regina's face. She breathed one word, "Mine."

He pushed a stray tendril of hair from her face. "Happy birthday, love."

Impulsively she threw her arms around his neck. Standing on her toes, she drew his face to hers and pressed her open lips against his mouth. She moved closer, molding her body against his, pressing her breasts to his chest, her hips to his, and slowly curled her fingers in his hair.

The kiss she had began deepened, loosening the restraints of her passion. Her tongue stroked his mouth thoroughtly, as the flames of desire began to lick at her. Robin could no longer suppress his desire and kissed her, his tongue bolding meeting hers, stroking her mouth. His hands moved over her back, caressing, kneading her, pressing her closer to his rising desire.

A distinct cough brought Robin to his senses and reluctantly he lifted his mouth from a weak kneed Regina, who leaned heavingly against him, her face turned against his throat feeling his rapid pulse pound.

"Sorry to interrupt, friend," John said, who looked anything but sorry, "but my intentions, while untimely, are honorable. I've come to pay Regina her winnings."

"As have I," added an even less remorseful Will.

Regina at the moment could have cared less, she was still reeling from the effects of the kiss and merely smiled weakly at the intruders. While she had unwrapped her arms from Robin's neck, she remained leaning against him until she was sure her trembling legs would hold her upright. At that moment, Killian pulled the men away to chat on the sidelines.

Regina stood at the fence and watched the horses, as her eyes drifted they stopped and moved over a group, coming to rest on the slender figure of a man whose back was to her.

A nagging sense of familiarity oozed through her as she took in the brown hair, the lean, athletic physique. As if feeling her eyes upon him, the man turned. His eyes arched slowly back and forth in the crowd, stopping to hold her brown eyes. He turned fully to face her, and across the distance that separated them, Regina saw the face that haunted her dreams, and held her heart.

She saw Daniel...