Chapter 25

It had a few days since the safe-word incident and I felt as if you were pulling away from me. You didn't talk to me, touch me or make love to me nothing. You were slipping away from me and I couldn't stop it; I felt guilty and I didn't like how that felt so I decide to confront you about it and get it sorted before I begin to lose it.

Your father could see that there was some tension between us when he came for dinner one evening but he didn't say anything to me either at work or out of hours I think he was trying not to be too overbearing and too nosy about our relationship

"Okay Henry I'm gonna get going" I tell your father as I pack up my desk. The work load had been easy so far but I knew it was only going to get harder and the hours a lot longer

"Emma… I don't mean to rude or appear to be interfering with you and my daughter but is everything alright between the two of you" It would appear I had spoken too soon to myself on your father's silence on the subject

"We're… we're fine Regina's just really busy with work" I knew that if you could tell when I was lying then I had no doubt your father could. I can feel his eyes looking into my face he knew I was lying but whether or not he'd pull me up for it is another question

"Hmm"

"I'll see you tomorrow" I say quickly breaking for the door before he could say anything else. I take the long way back to the mansion via the beach in order to sort myself out. I knew that I couldn't lose you because if I did I'd die inside. As I lean against the railings looking out to the torrid ocean I'm struck with an idea. You were working late tonight so I had all the time I needed to set everything up.

I rush back to the mansion and call up Abigail hoping she wasn't with Frederick "Hey Abs you free?"

"Yeah what's up Ems?" She asks packing up her desk at the Globe waving to her editor as she heads out

"I need you to get my Barry White CD from my room and bring it to Storybrooke I'm doing something special for Regina" I say hoping that my description of why I need my Barry White CD would slate Abigail's hunger for wanting to know everything

"Yeah not a problem is… is everything okay with you two?"

"Yeah of course it is" I reply a little too quick and I knew it immediately. I flinch when I hear the deafening silence on the other end of the line. She knew

"No it isn't. What's going on?" Abigail opens the door to her car and slides in leaving the door open to relief some of the heat

"We're fine Abs we're just working a lot of late that's all" I sit down in the lounge looking around the room at all the fine art works and various family photos. There was still so much I didn't know about you and I doubted I would ever truly know you

"Emma you're a bad liar" I sigh and rub the bridge between my eyes feeling the beginnings of a stress headache coming on

"Looks Abs can you drop it please? Whatever may or may not be going on between myself and Regina is our business" My tone left no room for argument or retaliation on her part. The NDA had been signed and I had to agree to it or I would lose you for sure

"Fine whatever I'll be there in a few hours" With that my line goes dead and I sigh heavily. I bring my cell down from my ear and put it on the coffee table running my hands over my face. I look at the liquor cabinet and give in to the need to have a drink I stand from the sofa and pour myself a large whisky. The weight of losing you was beginning to weigh too much on my shoulders.

It's a good few hours before Abigail turns up with my CD. I had already made dinner and was expecting you home in a few minutes "Thanks Abs" I say as I take the CD and insert it into my laptop. I wanted to rip the track off so I could put it on my iPod

"Look Ems I'm sorry for prying I just thought you might wanna talk to someone" I look at her briefly and shake my head before returning my gaze to the screen

"I know Abs it's just Regina is very secretive about her private life and I am too so if we're having problems we'll deal with them in private without prying ears and eyes okay"

"Okay. I'll see you later" I wait my friend leave the study and a few moments later I hear the door open and close. I hit rip and wait for the track to appear in my library before copying it onto my iPod. When it's done I unplug my iPod and put it in the speakers hitting play 'You're my First, Last and Everything' begins to play softly through them. I head upstairs and change into a dress I brought a few days ago. It was a perfect fit and it suited me well. It was a dark navy dress that cut off just below the knee it was backless and strapless. I smile looking in the mirror 'Yeah I look good'. My face lights up when I hear the door open. You were home.

"Emma?" I hear a soft call from downstairs and I head to the landing to see her standing there in the foyer looking tired yet still so beautiful

"Hello" I say looking down on her with a small, soft smile gracing my lips. I shiver slightly when her gaze falls upon me. I can feel her eyes roam my body and see the smile appear on her lips

"Hey… what's all this?" She asks setting her bag down next to the coats as she looks around the room in awe of the setting I had created for us

I sigh and looking at the floor for a moment regaining my confidence to do this "This…" I begin to walk down the stairs slowly "Is me showing you that I still believe in us and that one incident isn't enough to drive me away from you" I hear her sigh as she hangs her coat up. She knew that I was scared of losing her

"Emma… I… I…" I take a hold of one of her hands and pull her to me the feel of her body on mine setting it alight

"You've been pulling away from me and I am so scared I am going to lose you" I feel her arms come around my waist our bodies now flush against one another "I know I couldn't survive without you and I don't really wanna try. My life before you was boring, empty and pointless and I don't wanna go back to that"

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry I thought that… that maybe you didn't want me near you"

"Regina… how could you even think that? My body longs for you… my soul longs to be joined with yours and my heart… my heart can never be separated from you" I press my forehead against hers and sigh quietly before I pull on her hand leading us into the dining room. The room was lit only be candle light setting the mood

"Oh Emma…" I hear her say quietly I can tell she isn't used to romantic dinners or any kind of romantic gesture

"I can-not and will not lose you because of one incident"

"And I can't lose you you're my light source, my redemption"

"And you won't I promise. Now sit down whilst I go and get our dinner" I say kissing her gently before moving off into the kitchen to retrieve dinner coming back a few minutes later laying down the plate in front of her

"Thank you" She says quietly as I sit down opposite her giving her one of my nervous yet endearing smiles before I bite my lip. I hear her groan a little "Stop biting your lip" I chuckle and playfully wink at her. Teasing her was slowly becoming one of my favourite things to do it always ended in such a 'exercise' filled night

"You love it Regina"

I hear her growl lowly making me chuckle again at her frustration "I'm so close to putting you across my lap" I cough and sputter at her words quickly picking up my glass to take a drink. I feel myself getting aroused at the mere thought of her spanking me again. "Getting aroused are we darling?" I flush bright red unable to control the embarrassment over being caught out

I mumble something under my breathe before taking another sip of my wine "Just eat"

"Are you… are you ordering me around Ms Swan" I feel a shiver go down my spine the change in tone of your voice it was lower and much more dark, seductive. I shift in my chair a little in an attempt to ignore the wetness between my legs "Because if you are… then… then you're going to have to be put in your place" I swallow the lump in my throat as I hear Regina put down her cutlery and leave her chair. I keep my eyes in front of me as I feel her come up behind me her hands on my shoulders. I could feel my breathing become heavy and quick "Stand up" I shiver as she whispers into my ear seductively and not wanting to ignore her command I do as she asks. "Good girl now bend over" I feel myself becoming more and more aroused at her commands I knew what was coming and I was looking forward to… greatly. I bend over my hands either side of my plates my breathing still heavy and laboured. I feel a hard slap fall across my ass causing me to bite my lip it's followed by another then another "I am your mistress I give the orders isn't that right my pet?"

"Yes" Another hard slap comes down across my ass. Images of that night flood my mind yet I don't feel as if she was hurting me, as if she was losing control no… no she was in control and she knew this was driving me insane

"Yes what?!"

"Yes mistress" I can tell she was smirking behind my back as she brings her hand down across my ass one more time causing me to hiss in pain a little this time. God I was on the verge of exploding I was that turned on by her actions

"Good girl now you can sit back down" I do as she says hissing a little as my ass hits the cushion of the chair "Don't ever order me about again"

"Yes mistress" I say looking down at my plate realising that I was no longer hungry for food just her. She finishes off her meal as if nothing had occurred

"Thank you Darling that was amazing" I look at her with a small, sweet smile as I stand collecting up the dishes "Are you… are you alright" She asks sounding concerned. She was terrified she had hurt me I could tell by the fear in her eyes and the shakiness of her tone

"I'm fine Regina" I say kissing her softly as I pick up her plate my cleavage visible in hopes it will distract her

"I've just completely ruined this haven't I?" I put the plates down on the sideboard and rush over to her kneeling in front of her. I take one of her hands in mine and bring it to my lips kissing the back of it gently

"No you haven't… god Regina… you just made this night so much better. I am so turned on right now that I want to take you on this table so please I am asking you don't turn my spanking into something ugly because it wasn't"

"I… I love you Emma" my heart stops in my chest as the words that we had been avoiding leave her mouth. I can see how scared she is… how childlike she looks in this moment. She has known little of love in her life and for her to feel love is something that would be scaring her to death

"I love you too" I say in return my eyes glistering with the tears that refuse to fall in the moment. I pull her up wrapping my arms around her waist holding her flush against me "I have from the moment I laid eyes on you" I say looking directly into her eyes as I say what I had been planning to say later on "You think that you're not perfect… maybe you aren't but to me you are. You have changed my life Regina. Made me feel things I never thought I'd feel. Made me experience things I would have never had the courage to experience. I belong to you and not just as your sub but as your lover. I love you and I will always love you"

She buries her face in my hair and begins to sob lightly. I just hold her and allow her to let it all out. She needed to. I had changed her life in ways that I couldn't grasp. It was clear she had never expected to fall in love or be the hearts and roses type but in some way I had changed that and perhaps I hated myself for it a little bit because she was perfect just the way she was.