Overnight, snow fell in heavy flakes that quickly became a blanket over the ground. Regina wrapped herself in a robe and walked down to the kitchen to start a kettle for tea. Opening the backdoor, she smiled. It was a winter wonderland, she thought.
In a bit, she could imagine Roland making snow angels, building a snowman, and having a snowball fight with Rob. It made her heart happy. Turning on the outside lights, it brought the Christmas feel to life. Lights danced outside against the white snow. Behind her, the tree they'd put up yesterday dominated the room.
The pops of color, cute additions, and shiny ornaments made her smile. Turning on the radio and Bing Crosby crooned about a white Christmas. His deep voice and dreamy tone followed her into the kitchen to start breakfast. Christmas morning was her favorite.
Presents were piled under the tree and she knew Rob would be here any minute to add to the pile. She pulled out the eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and pancake mix. It was a tradition every year that they'd eat the biggest breakfast possible.
Roland really loved putting chocolate chips in his waffles, and he devoured bacon like no other kid. When the pancakes were piled high, Judy Garland wanted her to have a Merry Little Christmas.
They would have the perfect day, she mused. Betty and Jack were hosting dinner this year. There were tons of people coming, tons of food to eat, and gifts to exchange. Glancing over at the box under the tree she'd wrapped in green, she hoped Rob would like her gift.
It wasn't what he was used to, but it would be something they could admire. She'd keep it for after the party. It was a rather intimate gift and she wouldn't want to embarrass him in front of his family. Her mood was uplifted when she heard Rob's truck pull up to the back door.
She held her breath when she cracked the eggs and whipped them up. Taking a sip of her tea, she tried to breathe through her mouth to keep from smelling the eggs. It was her sore spot, but it didn't bother her to eat them. Weird.
Rob came inside and asked, "Is Roland up yet?" He had the bed of his truck down and there were too many presents to count. It was just after six in the morning.
"Not yet," she walked to the door. "Rob, what did you do?"
He shrugged. "I had a lot to make up for. So, I went all out. Don't be mad," he said and reached in for the biggest box. It was wrapped in red with a white bow.
"What's inside?"
He grinned and lifted the lid. A golden retriever puppy head popped out. "Oh, god." Reaching out, she stroked the puppy's head. "It's so soft. Hi, baby." Kissing his nose, she smiled. "Roland is going to go crazy."
Rob closed the lid. "Let's keep it a secret until after breakfast," he suggested. He set the box by the tree and made a few trips to bring in the rest of the boxes. To Regina's surprise, the puppy stayed inside the box. An identical red box was put next to the first and she hoped it wasn't two puppies.
"Rob, that better not be what I think it is." Crossing her arms, she glared at him.
He gave her a sheepish grin and continued to move things around quietly.
By the time he had everything set up, Regina put the food on the table, and they waited for Roland to come downstairs. Eartha Kitt crooned out Santa Baby and Rob held out his hand. "Come here."
"What?"
"Dance with me," he grinned.
"Robin, I can't dance." She took his hand and he led her by the tree, and they started to move to the quick and joyful beat.
"You're doing just fine." He held her close and swayed to the beat. "You look beautiful."
"You need to have your eyes checked. I just rolled out of bed."
Tightening his arms around her, he said, "You look the best like this. I love your face when it's free of all that makeup you wear. This is you." He kissed her forehead. They continued to dance, and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Sometimes I wish that we could go back, and things would've been different," she said in a low voice.
He didn't respond right away. When he did, he said, "Your life is proof that no one's path is set. We'll never know what could've happened. What matters is that you found your way back from the darkness and into the light." The song changed to Baby it's Cold Outside and they stopped.
Glancing up, Regina saw they'd managed to stand below the mistletoe. Her arms were around his neck pressed up against him. She tilted her head back and searched his eyes. "I have you to thank."
"I only helped. You did the work." He smiled.
"It wasn't fair, Robin. Our story was so short," she said with tears in her eyes.
"It didn't make it any less epic," he whispered. She pulled him down and pressed her lips softly to his mouth. When he lifted his head, he asked, "What was that for?"
Regina pointed upward, "Mistletoe."
"You know," he said nuzzling closer. "We have a second chance to make that story happen again." He brushed his cheek against hers and she closed her eyes at the intimate gesture. "This time, we're not kids. There isn't an easy fix and I might scare you away again."
He looked into her eyes and looked so serious. "I have something I've been wanting to give you, but it hasn't been the right time. I figure Christmas is as good a time as any." He pulled a red velvet box from his pocket and her heart began to pound in her chest.
"Robin…"
He lifted the lid and a ring in gold winked back at her. It looked old but newly polished. The center of the ring was engraved with some foreign language. An intricate pattern of the gold held a blue diamond set in the center of the ring. "What does it say?"
"My great-great-grandfather gave this to my great-great-grandmother in Scotland and had it engraved. It says," his low voice that prickled her skin with nerves. "My heart is yours for eternity." Her eyes snapped to his and she felt the room begin to spin. "Regina, my grandmother wanted me to give this ring to the woman I intend to spend my life with."
She tried to swallow, but her throat was too thick. She held tighter to him. "Robin, I don't know if…" To her surprise, he leaned forward and silenced her in a kiss. A slow dizzying kiss that sent her body into a weakened state. When her head began to swim and her limbs began to go limp, he eased back.
"I'm not asking you to marry me, yet." She blinked when he slid it on her finger. "I'm giving this to you as a promise. That when you're ready, you'll let me give you what I promised you all those years ago. I want you to be happy, darlin'. If that means that you take some time to heal, then so be it." He leaned in and kissed her sweetly.
"Regina Mills, I promise to take care of you." His lips brushed her cheek. "To make you happy or to apologize when I make you mad." He moved slowly to kiss her other cheek. "To support you in whatever you want to do in this life." His lips pressed to her temple. "To be there for our children and to watch them grow." Her other temple got the same attention.
His hands caressed up her back and he nuzzled his lips against the nape of her neck, pressed and held for a minute. "If you let me, I'll be the husband you deserve. The man you deserve." He lifted his head and smiled. "I promise to make sure I give you whatever you want if it's in my means."
Regina's eyes were wet, and her emotions were close to the surface. "What do you see in me?"
He laughed. "I see everything in here." He pressed his lips softly to her heart. "I love you." He sunk into a kiss that was beyond their agreement, but she was swept up and opened for him. For a few frantic moments, they lost themselves in each other.
Regina's hands fisted into his coat and held him close. Her sense of control was slipping when his hands tangled in her hair and he changed the angle. There was pent up frustration between them, and it was dangerous to unleash it. The kiss was more than an overflow of emotions. It was need.
Lost in the moment, the kiss became deeper. Rob's tongue stroked inside of her mouth and her breasts rubbed against his chest eagerly. Before she realized what was happening, she was laying on her back on the big cushy couch. Rob's mouth nibbled along her neck and his groin pushed against her hips making his desire known.
Her breath caught as his hands moved across her body with reckless abandon. He parted her robe and his mouth closed over her breast through the material of the top she wore. Gasping, she arched her back as his mouth assaulted her sending her body into a wave of sensation. She moaned as he tugged with his teeth.
"Shh," he mumbled against her skin. He nipped around her cleavage and lifted the fabric of her top. When his mouth closed over flesh, he groaned. A hot flash of arousal shot to her core and she tightened her hands around his shoulders. He managed to shred himself of his coat and his shirt. Her nails dug into his back and caused him to jerk.
She gasped and shifted as his teeth nipped her breast. She whimpered when he did it again. "God, I love you." His hands slid up her arms and lowered the robe to free her. "You're so beautiful, darlin'." She panted as he freed her from the constraints of the material. His mouth hot and avid on her skin.
His hand slipped under her long shirt and found her hot and wet. She wasn't wearing panties. "Oh fuck," he breathed. He penetrated her with his fingers, and she stretched languidly beneath him. Regina's mind had gone blank. Maybe she'd regret this later, maybe not. Right now, her body took over and she only felt.
Despite Roland sleeping upstairs, she allowed herself to be lost in the pleasure.
To feel desire, want, and pleasure during sex made her feel powerful. It had always been this way with Rob and never had with any other man. Even when she'd allowed herself to enjoy with Jaden, it had never been like this. Her heart was pounding so hard, her breath was heavy, and her body hot and alive.
When he withdrew his hand, she groaned. He reached down and released himself from his jeans. Then, he slid his hands under her shoulders and sunk into a deep kiss. Her legs wrapped around his hips and brought him into her. Her hands gripped his torso tightly as he began to rock his hips.
His lips found hers again as he started to thrust in short, rhythmic pumps. Regina was swamped with sensations and emotions. She tore her mouth away to take in air. He lifted his torso to look down at her and she saw everything she needed to see in his eyes.
Why had she been so stupid, she wondered. Robin was full of life, laughter, and love. He never saw her the way she sees herself. She touched his cheek tenderly and he turned his head to press his lips to the palm of her hand.
His rhythm intensified and she felt the coiling inside of her belly. "Oh God," she panted. Her body began to shudder. He lowered himself and she clung to him.
"Fuck," he grunted as she clenched around him. "Come for me, darlin'." Their fingers linked and he held her hands down for purchase. He pistoned his hips and the coil got tighter and tighter until she was sobbing sounds of pure desire as her climax washed over her in waves of heat. Her vision blurred and his head ducked down to nuzzle her neck.
His teeth sank into the hollow between her shoulder and neck and he pulled her into another climax that sent her body into a swirl of shudders and jerks. Her abdomen clenched so tightly it was almost painful. Rob was pulled into his release and grunted so loudly it was almost a shout. When she eagerly rode the sensations, his movements became clumsy and jerky and his whole body became taut.
They rocked together slowly until they came down and collapsed together in exhaustion. Rob's weight on top of her kept her grounded. He was heavy but she didn't want to move. He pressed a kiss to the spot he'd bitten. Lazily, his lips slowly and intimately moved over her shoulder.
As her mind began to clear, he moved to nibble along her jawline and sank into a gentle kiss. If her head wasn't already foggy, it would have been by the way he kissed her so lovingly.
Then, he shifted and rolled behind her. With his arm wrapped around her, he whispered, "Are you alright?"
His hand lazily tugged on her hair and his fingers caressed up and down her arm. "Yeah."
His hand lazily stroked along her belly feeling where her belly was beginning to harden. He kissed her shoulder softly. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" She looked back over her shoulder.
"I agreed not to touch you." His lips pressed against her cheek. "I couldn't help myself."
Rolling toward him, she wrapped around him and hugged him tightly. The warmth of his body and the feel of his heart beating against hers brought tears to her eyes. This was love, she mused. True and pure love. And she was stupid to keep running from it.
For a long time, she feared it. The swell of emotions inside of her was too great to ignore. "I love you."
His hands caressed up and down her back until she'd stopped shuddering from her good long cry. When she relaxed, he slipped inside of her, and this time they went slow as the radio crooned about a magic Christmas. Rob shifted to his back and brought her atop him.
Hugging her to his chest, she rocked sending delightful shivers through her body. His lips clung to hers and when she began to shudder, he lifted his hips to prolong the feeling. "Let go," he said against her mouth. Regina tried to hold back to make it last a little longer.
Sinking, she shook her head and slowed her pace. His arms tightened around her, and he rolled his hips. She gasped and had to sit up to relieve the tension. Rob took her waist and pulled her back into the intoxicating rhythm. "Come on, darlin'." He picked up the pace and her body began to shudder again. "Let go."
"Oh, God," she felt herself going under and clung a little longer.
"Fuck," Rob shifted and rolled them over nearly overturning them onto the floor. Finding his balance, he pistoned his hips until she was coiled so tight, she had no other choice but to give in and let go. His body jerked and trembled. "Yes. That's it, darlin'."
His hips didn't stop but he slowed and covered her mouth with his in a long deep bone-melting kiss. Her body was limp and loose and relaxed. She moaned when his hand squeezed between them and his thumb slid along her swollen flesh. In a surprising moment, she clenched around him and went over again.
His hips jerked in short clumsy thrusts and he surrendered to his release. His hands gripped her hips so hard he might leave bruises. He groaned in her ear and slumped down in exhaustion. Lifting his heavy head, he kissed her long and slow.
They lay together on the couch quietly feeling the warmth from the fire and listening to the music of the holiday. Rob toyed with her hair and they shared lazy kisses.
When they heard Roland's door open, Rob quickly righted himself. "We'll talk tonight after we come back from moms. I think we need to establish what's between us."
Regina picked up her robe and tied it around her. Kissing him one last time, she nodded and turned to see Roland scrambling down the steps with a wide grin on his face. "It's Christmas!"