Emma glanced down at her breasts, which were on ample display in the shirt Ruby had chosen for her. The shirt was cut low and tight, skintight. It was almost sleeveless and slightly sheer, definitely not her usual style, but she had to admit that Ruby had been right about one thing; she looked sexy.

She was wearing her tightest jeans, low-rise in the waist and the black shirt barely reached to cover her abdomen. She pulled on the shirt as she walked away from her car and to the front door of Regina's building. The doorman asked for her name and when Regina had text her that morning, she told her she'd given her name to the doorman so he would be able to let her into the building.

The doorman took one look at her before checking the list and Emma nervously slipped her hands into the pockets of her red leather jacket and shifted on her feet. She wondered if she should've brought something, a nice bottle of wine or even flowers or dessert. She knew she should've asked Mary Margaret, at the very least, what was proper to do on a dinner date at someone else's home. It was too late now, it was already quarter after four and she'd already texted Regina when she left to let her know she was on her way over.

"Swan," the doorman said as he slowly ran a finger down the long list he had. "Ah, there you are. Forgive me, but I need to ask for ID. Safety measures," he said and she nodded, already pulling out her driver's license and handed it over to him. He checked it, his eyes lingering a little too long on it, before handing it back and finally opening the door. "Have a wonderful evening."

"Thank you, you too," she smiled politely at him and walked into the lobby and straight for the elevators.

Emma couldn't believe that she was as nervous as she'd been in the club last week when they'd gone up to the VIP lounge for drinks. Maybe it was because she had no idea what to expect, especially not after their date on Sunday and the way things had ended between them that afternoon. She'd thought many times over the past couple of days about the end of their date and wondered just what would've happened if Regina's personal assistant hadn't come to the door when he had.

Emma let her thoughts wander as she rode the elevator to the top floor and stepped off when the doors opened. Her phone beeped and she glanced at the screen to quickly read the text Regina had just sent telling her to let herself in when she arrived. Emma swallowed thickly and approached Regina's door and she lifted a hand to knock, but instead she took a deep breath and opened the door slowly.

"Regina? I'm here," Emma called out as she entered. She could hear soft jazz music playing in the direction of the kitchen and she shut the door behind her before wiping her boots on the mat and removed her red leather jacket and hung it up in the coat closet on one of the few spare hangers that hung on the rod.

"In the kitchen, darling," Regina replied, just loud enough to be heard over the music that was playing.

Emma walked towards the kitchen, pausing to look at some of the framed photos on the wall she hadn't noticed that night they came back there for a drink after they left the inn. They were pictures of Regina's family, and almost immediately she noticed an uncanny resemblance to the older brunette in some of them, guessing that it was her mother. Zelena was only in one, taken at what looked like a wedding. Emma turned and continued the walk down to the kitchen and entered to the sight of Regina swaying her hips in time to the music as she chopped up some onion. The black dress she had on was form fitting, the hem fell just above her knees, and she was barefoot, which surprised Emma because she expected Regina to be in expensive designer heels.

"Hi," Emma smiled, approaching her slowly and Regina grinned as she placed the knife down and wiped her hands on the dishtowel that was on the counter beside the cutting board.

"Hello," Regina murmured and she pulled Emma in for a short but sweet kiss. "How was your day?"

"Boring," Emma laughed. "Yours?"

"Busy and quite the opposite of boring," Regina replied and she pulled Emma in for another kiss before handing her the knife. "Could you finish chopping the onion? I need to start the sauce. Luckily I don't have to make everything from scratch tonight."

Emma set to work at chopping onions, grateful for the easy job because it was hard to screw up the simple task of chopping the onions into small bits. Emma and Regina easily fell into step, moving around the kitchen as if it wasn't the first time they were cooking dinner together. Regina explained the process, each step she took to make her signature dish, promising if she liked it when they ate later, she'd share her secret ingredient. Emma didn't have the heart to tell her she saw the red chili pepper flakes she'd sprinkled on top of one of the layers of meat.

Once the dish was in the oven, Regina opened up a bottle of expensive looking red wine, explaining that later she'd open a bottle of white while they ate. With the wine glass in hand, Emma followed Regina out onto the balcony, grateful that the wind wasn't too strong and that the evening was a warm one. They settled onto the outdoor sofa together, a comfortable silence between them while they sipped their wine and stared at the view her penthouse condo had of the city, the skyline visible just off to the right.

"The sunsets are phenomenal," Regina said quietly. "It's part of the reason I made sure to face west, for the sunsets."

"Maybe there'll be a phenomenal one tonight," Emma smiled and Regina hummed in agreement. She took a small sip of her wine, silently reminding herself to go slow on the drinking tonight as it was still very early and she didn't want the date to turn into a complete disaster because she'd had a little too much to drink. "Do you like it here?"

"I do," Regina nodded. "My old condo didn't quite feel like home. It's starting to feel like home here, I suppose. Sometimes, I must admit, it gets lonely. At least you don't have to feel lonely in your own home, not with two roommates and a dog."

"You'd be surprised how lonely it gets even when you have people around you," Emma shrugged and she turned to face Regina, their thighs brushing lightly. "Have you always lived on your own?" Regina just nodded and sipped her wine. "Have you ever had a pet? Like a cat or something?"

"No, I've never had a cat or something," Regina chuckled. "My parents have several though they didn't get them until after I had left for college. I don't care much for them even if they are grossly independent creatures."

"The litter box thing is kind of gross," Emma said with a scrunch of her nose. "Mary Margaret had this old cat when I first moved in with them and she kept the litter box in the bathroom. The smell, even though she kept it clean, it really put me off on wanting to get a cat of my own, though they are cute when they're kittens and everything, not old and mean."

"Tell me something about yourself, Emma," Regina inquired. "Something else about your childhood. Were there any pets in any of the homes you lived in?"

"Sometimes, but no dogs or cats. One had this giant snake that I was terrified of. They also kept like ten tarantulas as pets."

"And you weren't terrified of the tarantulas?"

"No."

"But you were of the snake?"

"It was a freaking python and the guy fed live mice to it. Of course I was terrified. It can strangle you to death if it wanted to, but tarantulas are pretty harmless."

"I hate insects," Regina shuddered. "If I find a spider in my home or any bug for that matter, I've gone as far as calling Jefferson over to remove it."

"What if he's not around?"

"Jerry is always willing," she chuckled. "I once trapped a garden spider under a glass for five hours before I worked up the nerve to try and remove it myself. The moment it moved, I'll admit I screamed and locked myself in the bathroom and called Jerry in tears asking him to come and get rid of it for me. I'll never live that down."

"Tell you what, next time just call me and I'll come over. I don't like to kill them, just trap them and release them back outside where they belong. Karma, I guess. I lived with this new age family when I was thirteen and some of the things I learned while I was there just stuck."

"Hippies?"

"Yeah, I guess they were," Emma shrugged. "They were nice. It's too bad they got caught with a field of pot and all us kids were removed from their care. They were probably the nicest foster parents I ever had even if they were a little eccentric at times."

"How many families were you with before you aged out?"

"Too many to count, really. When you're older than five and labeled as a bad kid, you get shipped around a lot. It's all right though because I wouldn't be who I am now if I didn't live through all of that and experienced life in so many different ways."

"I cannot imagine what that would be like," Regina said softly. "I can't imagine it was good."

"Sometimes it was," Emma shrugged. "When I was with a good family, with nice people who didn't just have foster kids for a nice little paycheck from the government so they didn't have to work," she said and she sighed heavily before taking a sip of her wine. "I don't really like talking about my childhood much because while there are some good memories, there are a lot of bad ones too."

"I won't pressure you to talk about something you're uncomfortable talking about," Regina said quietly. "I'm sorry if I overstepped a line."

"You didn't. It's okay. We're getting to know each other, right?" Emma asked and she smiled at Regina. "This is all just a part of the process, yeah?"

"Yes," Regina nodded and she ever so slyly draped an arm around Emma's shoulders. "My mother is rather anal retentive and controlling, at least she was when I was growing up. Everything was about order, obedience, and strict structure."

"Her way or the highway?"

"Basically, yes. It's different now," Regina said and she shook her head. "Retirement has changed her, it seems."

"Less anal?"

"Quite a lot less," she laughed lightly. "My father has always been the biggest sweetheart. Sometimes I do wonder why he stayed all these years. My parents love each other dearly, I know that now, and he does tend to bring out the best in my mother at times."

"I'm going to guess that you take after your father then, huh?"

Regina laughed and Emma could feel it course through her body, warming every inch of her. "In some ways, I suppose I do. I like order and structure, routine, discipline. Do you know what the people I work with call me?"

"What?"

"The Evil Queen."

"You? The Evil Queen? Like from that fairytale Snow White?" Emma laughed and she leaned into Regina. "I can't see it."

"I'm an entirely different person when I am at work. Sometimes I have to be strict. I am, after all in charge of a very large company and head the board meetings we have monthly, sometimes weekly. The board is made up of mostly men, but I've been aiming to change that. Change such as that takes time, patience, and trust."

"What do you publish?"

"Everything. Novels, textbooks for schools, magazines, and a couple of newspapers are run through the company. We've started to make an online presence lately after I finally listened to Jefferson's proposal on branching out to a medium that is far more popular than print."

"Big time company, huh?"

"You could say that. Do you find that intimidating, Emma?"

"No," Emma smiled and she felt a little intoxicated by the scent of Regina, just Regina with no hint of her designer perfume she'd worn the last few times she'd seen her. "I find it endearing. You're running this huge company and from what I figure, you're doing a damn good job at it."

"I certainly hope so. My parents worked very hard to get this company up off the ground nearly forty years ago. Can I tell you something in confidence?"

"Of course."

Regina downed the last of what was in her wine glass and exhaled slowly. "I never wanted to take over the company. I loathed the idea for many, many years."

"What did you dream of doing when you were growing up?"

"Owning a farm and running an equestrian school perhaps. Mother always frowned upon that since she was determined for me to one day take over the family business. Zelena was never a candidate. She doesn't have the right drive, the passion or the patience to run a business."

"Nor does she usually have the passion or the drive or the patience to make it through one of our sessions at the gym."

They laughed and Emma leaned into Regina a little more, enjoying her warmth and the way her body fit almost perfectly snuggled into her side. Emma had never enjoyed small talk before, not like she was with Regina. She enjoyed getting to know her, a little bit at a time, hearing about her life, her work, and even just a little bit about her family. She wanted to know more. She wanted to know everything there was to know about Regina Mills.

Regina moved to place her empty wine glass on the end table near her and Emma finished off her glass before doing the same. Regina instantly pulled her in for a kiss, one that started off light and sweet and quickly evolved into one that was full of heated desire. With the first moan that fell past Regina's lips, all Emma could think about was the moment she had come undone days before and she felt her panties grow damp and her body flooded with nothing but uninhibited arousal.

Experience, Emma was quickly finding did not necessarily matter much at all. She was drawn to Regina, she was affected by Regina, and by the way the woman touched her and kissed her. She was a woman who knew what felt good and she wanted it all. She wanted it all and she wanted to make Regina come tumbling over the edge again, even if just to see that unfurled passion in her eyes and hear those delicious moans stumble past her luscious lips.

Their current position made it hard to get impossibly close, but every time Emma tugged at Regina's hips and urged her to move to straddle her thighs, Regina pulled back in hesitation and stayed right where she was sitting and pressed up awkwardly against Emma's side. Yet, before Emma could work up the courage to take complete control, Regina gently pushed back at her shoulders and ended the kiss.

Without a word, Regina rose to her feet and grabbed her empty wine glass before heading back inside. Emma took just a moment to catch her breath before she grabbed her empty wine glass and followed Regina inside. Her heart was racing at full tilt and her body, her mind, even her soul was screaming that it wanted more. Emma felt as if she was at war with herself because as much as she wanted more, she couldn't quite bring herself to take it, to take Regina in the ways she envisioned when she'd brought herself to orgasm twice the other night.

"Would you like another glass?"

"I think I'll wait for a little while," Emma said quietly and Regina hummed as she poured herself another glass of wine.

"I have beer if you'd rather drink that?" Regina offered. "I don't normally keep any in the house, but since I was having you over for dinner, I picked up a six-pack. Help yourself, dear."

She could feel Regina's eyes on her as she walked over to the large stainless steel refrigerator and found the six-pack of Stella Artois on the bottom shelf. She pulled a bottle out and turned around to find Regina almost right behind her and holding a bottle opener. Regina's eyes roamed over her body as she stepped back and Emma blushed at the appreciative gaze in her eyes.

The music was still playing and as Emma sipped her beer that wasn't quite cold enough, but drinkable, at least, she noticed the small stereo with an iPod docked sitting on the counter near an expensive looking espresso machine. While she wasn't a huge fan of jazz, she found her body moving to the sultry beat of the music. Regina laughed softly as she wrapped an arm around her from behind and began to move with her.

"When you worked at that club, what did you dance to?" Regina asked, her lips lightly brushing over the shell of Emma's ear.

"Trashy electronica mostly."

"How lovely," she laughed lowly. "I have to say, I was a little bit surprised when you told me about your previous profession. Though I must say, if that was something I did, going to an establishment such as a strip club, I most certainly wouldn't have minded a private dance with you."

Emma's mouth suddenly went dry and her whole body was buzzing in delight as she thought about what that would've been like to give Regina a private dance. Her thoughts quickly turned to wondering if Regina would want a private dance despite that it was no longer her profession, and that allowed a flood of heated, salacious images to flood through her mind.

Regina placed her glass on the counter and turned Emma around slowly. Her eyes had darkened considerably and Emma licked over her dry lips and placed the bottle down beside Regina's wine glass. She slipped her hands over Regina's hips, focusing on the feel of the soft material of her black dress and her curves beneath her palms. Regina's hands trailed up her arms slowly as they began to fall into step to the sultry beat.

They didn't take their eyes off of each other and as Emma pulled Regina a little bit closer, she could feel Regina's heart racing just as fast as her own. Emma spun around, eliciting a surprised gasp from Regina and she grinned as Regina's fingers sunk deeply into her hair at the back of her head. Just as their lips were about to meet, the timer on the oven began to beep.

Emma grabbed her beer and sipped as Regina removed the dish from the oven. She watched Regina remove a bowl of cheese from the refrigerator that she'd grated earlier and meticulously added it to the top layer. Once the dish was back in the oven, she set the timer again and smiled as she wiped her hands on the dishtowel that was still laying on the countertop beside the cutting board.

"It smells really good," Emma smiled.

"I would hope so," Regina replied. "I've spent many years perfecting the recipe, although it is not quite as good as when my father makes it. He won't reveal his secrets."

"I'm sure he will someday."

"Perhaps," she chuckled before she draped her arms around Emma's shoulders. "Now, where were we?"

"Right about here," Emma whispered as she ducked her head in quickly and captured Regina's lips with hers in a fervent kiss.

Emma blindly reached out to place her bottle back on the counter before she wrapped her arms around Regina tightly. With every kiss they shared, Emma wanted more, and she just couldn't seem to get enough of Regina. She was almost obsessed with the way the woman's lips felt, the way her tongue danced around hers, and the taste of her, even with the lingering hints of wine, was intoxicating and addictive.

Regina smiled lightly against Emma's lips before she ended the kiss. Emma felt a small pang of disappointment when Regina moved out of her embrace. She just stood there and watched Regina remove some things from the refrigerator before she began preparing a garden salad in a large bowl.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No," Regina replied. "The table is already set."

"Okay."

"I hope you are hungry," she said with a coy smile and Emma just nodded eagerly as the smell of the lasagna baking in the oven filled the kitchen more so than it already did.

"Starving actually."

[X]

After dinner, and after Emma had a second helping of the best lasagna she had ever tasted, they moved back out to the balcony. Emma was full, beyond full, but content as it had been a long time since she'd had a meal like that. They had talked during dinner, well it was more Regina who had talked about her upcoming business trip to New York City and Emma just listened as she ate.

Regina had made some tea after Emma refused a second glass of wine at dinner. She had driven there and she wanted to keep a mostly clear conscious for the evening. The sun would start to set within the hour and Regina had Emma convinced that she'd never seen anything quite like it before. Emma knew she was right. There weren't often times she would sit and watch the sunset and it wasn't as if the apartment had a view like Regina's place did.

It almost reminded Emma of the times she'd find somewhere high to watch the sunrise when she was younger. It was something she'd done in every foster home and it usually meant finding a way up to the roof. It had been an escape of sorts and she almost missed doing that some days, especially when she was up before the sun and feeling a strange ache in her heart like something was missing.

The tea Regina had made was an herbal tea and it was still almost too hot to drink. Emma blew against the liquid in the mug gently before taking a tentative sip. The tea was sweet and Emma couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but whatever it was it was good. She slipped one of her boots off and then the other before she tucked her feet under her and relaxed against the sofa, mirroring Regina on the other end.

"Would you like dessert?" Regina asked and Emma just turned to look at her. "Not much of a dessert person, are you?"

"Sometimes, but I'm still pretty full from dinner, so I'll have to take a pass."

"All right. Next time, then."

"Next time," Emma smiled. "I know our date isn't over yet, but when can I see you again?"

Regina exhaled slowly and took a small sip of her tea. "I'm quite busy this week and I won't return from New York City until late Sunday night. Perhaps, if you don't have any plans or aren't working, we can meet for lunch on Monday?"

"I'd like that," Emma replied. "Where would you like to meet?"

"Mondays are normally a busy day for me and I eat my lunch in my office. You can join me there if you'd like? I'd be all yours for close to an hour. I can have Jefferson run out to get our lunch."

"Monday it is," Emma nodded.

"Do you need me to give you directions and an address?"

"No, no I know where it is. It's not far from here and you can't miss it. I've passed it a few times."

"My office is on the eleventh floor. The secretary in the lobby is dreadful, but I'll make sure she knows that I am expecting you at one. My personal secretary will direct you to my office once you're there and if not her, Jefferson will be there."

"Okay."

"Speaking of Jefferson, he told me he ran into you earlier at The Perk. Do you go there often?"

"Pretty much every day, yeah. The bear claws are a personal favorite and it has the best coffee even if it's more than a cup at Joe's." Emma paused to take a sip of her tea. "How did you know how I took my coffee, Regina?"

"Hmm?"

"That night at the Laundromat, when you paid me back for the change I fronted you. You paid me back with a coffee exactly how I like it without asking me how I took it beforehand."

"Andrew was working that night. He knew your order."

"So, it wasn't a wild guess?"

Regina laughed. "No. That would've been too much of a coincidence, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Emma was thinking about the fact that they wouldn't be seeing each other for nearly a week. It was uncharacteristic of her to become attached to someone so quickly, but she couldn't seem to help but feel the way she did about this woman. Before her mind could start reeling and thinking about the fact that Regina could be busy because of whomever else she was seeing, Regina quickly caught her attention by placing a hand on her knee.

"Have you ever been to New York City, Emma?"

"Once," Emma replied. "Ruby talked me into going away for my twenty-fifth birthday. It rained the whole time we were there, the hotel we rented was a dive, and the drive back home had us not speaking for almost two weeks."

"What happened?"

"We were miserable and took it out on each other. That trip was not everything we expected it to be. It was a complete disappointment."

"You two obviously made up, didn't you?"

"Yeah, that was almost five years ago. It was Mary Margaret who actually got us to sit down and talk it out. She literally barricaded us in the bathroom for three and a half hours."

"That seems excessive."

"Yeah, but it worked."

"They're your family," Regina smiled and she gave Emma's knee a light squeeze. "Family is everything, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Emma replied, suddenly feeling emotional and on the verge of tears. "I don't know where I'd be without them right now."

"If it weren't them, it would've been someone else that became the family you never had," Regina said softly. "I know you haven't spoken much about them, but I can tell they mean a great deal to you. You're lucky to have two people in your life that mean such a great deal to you, just as I'm sure you mean a great deal to them."

Emma reached up to wipe away the single tear that slipped out. "Yeah. They're everything to me," she said shakily and then a short laugh escaped her. "Even when they're being assholes."

"Kathryn is like that," Regina laughed and she lifted the hand from Emma's knee to her cheek to wipe away the next stray tear that slipped free. "As much as I love her, I loathe her at times. Can I let you in on a little secret?"

Emma nodded. "Sure."

"Kathryn was fucking the gardener for months before she and David separated."

"The gardener? Sounds like a soap opera or something."

"Or something?" Regina chuckled as her hand fell back to Emma's knee. "She makes such a big deal about David being with Mary Margaret when she's the one who cheated first."

"Mary Margaret is really sweet," Emma said, suddenly defensive of her roommate and someone she did very much consider family. "She loves him."

"I know. Kathryn knows and it has made her paranoid. I don't see why," Regina sighed. "Kathryn was the one who had an affair, but she makes it out to be anyone else's problem but her own."

"Mary Margaret loves him," Emma said quietly. "It might not be right, but she does love him."

"I know. Mary Margaret works for The Perk, after all, and I do hear things."

"Things? Like what?"

"Just things," Regina chuckled lowly. "I'm afraid I've gotten a one-sided impression of her though Kathryn tells me she's awfully plain and boring."

"She is, but that's just what makes her, well…her. And I wouldn't say she's boring," Emma replied and she bit her bottom lip, unable to stop herself. "I'm pretty sure not one surface in the apartment has been left untouched by her and David."

"Oh, that is seriously disturbing," Regina said with a shudder. "I need to get that image out of my head."

"Trust me, it is extremely disturbing and I have to live there."

"How do you like the tea?" Regina asked, changing the subject quickly. "My father brought it back with him when he and my mother went to Morocco last summer."

"It's good, really good," Emma smiled and she took another sip and savored the taste of the sweet tea. "I don't normally drink tea."

"If you don't, I could've made some coffee instead."

"I was being polite," Emma replied and Regina laughed softly. "But it really is good."

They went back to watching as the sun began to set, sipping their tea, and lost in thought. Emma was sure their date was going to go a lot differently than it had, but she wasn't disappointed at all. She really did enjoy spending time with Regina, but she was finding it harder and harder to not think that she's not the only one who spends time alone with Regina.

That she's not the only one that kisses Regina.

That she's not the only one Regina smiles the way she does at her.

That she's not the only one vying for Regina's affection and dare she think it, love.

Regina had told her she never did bring her dates home, and that only offered a small sense of comfort knowing that she was the only one. It was hard to swallow back those thoughts when they were right there racing to the front of her mind. She knew it was dangerous for her to be thinking about the other women Regina was dating—if there was more than one—because she hated the way she acted when she acted out of jealousy.

After the sun had set and their tea done, Regina led the way back inside and into the living room where Emma sat on the dark grey leather couch while Regina went into the kitchen to get herself some wine and Emma a beer.

Yet, the second that Regina returned, their drinks went untouched as Emma pulled her down for an intoxicating kiss that left no doubt of what she wanted from Regina at that very moment.

A/N: I apologize for the slow-burn, but believe me when I tell you it will be worth the wait ;) Don't forget to leave a review!