The way he trails his fingers down her spine, while at the same time brushing his lips so feather-lightly against her neck makes Emma's knees tremble and her heart rate quicken. Eyes closed, she tries to steady her breathing: it's not easy.

Her hand, which had been lingering on the door handle, slips unconsciously into his hair, fingers sliding between the strands. Killian groans softly in reply. Letting him press her back against the wall, his attentions moved to her breasts, hands dancing over her still clothed form while pressing kisses along her jaw.

She sighs, all the air escaping her lungs as her toes clench and she nudges his mouth towards hers. Devouring him in a deep and longing kiss, she desperately holds on to her last shred of restraint.

"Henry," she gasps pulling back her lips.

"The name's Killian, love," he replies with a devilish smile.

"Smart ass," she quips, reaching with her other hand to squeeze his wonderfully firm ass. "Thank you for dinner," she whispers. Through her lashes, she looks up at him. His cheeks are glowing and his hair disheveled in a way which just makes her want him more. Just because they decided to take things slow, doesn't make this any easier.

"The pleasure's mine," he insists, his hand finding hers and drawing it to his lips for a chaste kiss. "Are we still on for Saturday?"

Emma nods. Hell yes, they were. She had a overnight sitter lined up for Henry. He had tickets for some Jazz festival up the coast.

"You bet," she promises, with a coy smile.

Reluctantly, she untangles herself and reaches for the door again.

"Bye, Killian," she mutters as he reaches for another kiss; perhaps meant to be brief but instead lingering until the internal mother alarm inside her goes off. And with a heated glance and exchange of smiles she slips out of his apartment.

Two weeks of dating and she was already in deep.

She drives to collect Henry from soccer practice and then takes him to Granny's for a burger. She barely touches hers: Killian cooked earlier. But her lack of appetite is also because she's just that little bit nervous. The anticipation for the weekend ahead already filtering into her system.

/

"Emma Swan."

Emma started, her heart jumping into her throat, the case file in her hand flopping onto the desk beneath it.

"Regina," Emma sighs when she sees her employer standing in the doorway of her office, her arms crossed in a manner which she just couldn't read. "You startled me."

She smiles then, and Emma feels a small wave of relief. Regina did not smile when she was unhappy. She had seen her use her 'angry face' with Archie in Accounts Payable enough times to know that.

"Just popping by to wish you a happy Friday and also to offer you an invitation."

"Oh?" Emma replies, straightening up in her chair, a bemused smile on her face. "Is there an office event happening?"

Walking closer to her desk, Regina shakes her head. "Last months stats have just came in. Your department has just had its best month on record. And it's all down to you."

Emma blushes. She's never taken compliments well, especially from figures of seniority. "Just doing my job," she shrugs meekly.

"And an excellent job, too. I'd like to take you out tonight for some dinner. Bonuses are a little way away but I want you to know how appreciated you are."

"Oh," Emma sighs, feeling flustered, "That's great - I mean, so kind, but I have to think of Henry and I already have plans for tomorrow-"

"Not a problem. My secretary, Ariel, has offered to babysit and you can also leave after our one o'clock meeting so you can spend some time with your son."

For a second Emma was dumbstruck. Her boss really had thought of everything, so there was only one reply she could give.

"Sure. Thank you!"

"Great," Regina nods, "I'll arrange a car to pick you up. I'll have Ariel update your calendar."

Emma watches as Ms Mills leaves her office, biting her lip as a strange and unfamiliar sense of pride washes over her.

/

Dinner was at Scalini's, an Italian restaurant not far from the docks and the closest thing to fine dining that Storybrooke had to offer. Emma gorged herself on spinach ravioli and bruschetta, the two women sharing bottle of shiraz as they ate.

Work talk had lasted throughout their meal. Regina shared details of an intended expansion of the company into the pacific north west, Emma made suggestions of how to improve efficiency within her section.

As the plates are cleared away, talk turns to a more personal nature.

"So how is Henry settling into school?"

Emma smiled at the mention of her son. "Well, in less that two months he's made more friends than he ever had in the city, so I see that as a good sign. I feel like I barely see him now, between after school clubs and sleepovers."

"These years are precious, right?"

"So I'm told. Though I wish kids came with a manual."

"Don't we all."

"Oh, I thought you didn't have-"

Regina shakes her head, a brief smile on her lips. "No… Not yet. Maybe one day."

Emma feels lost for words for a moment, the line between work colleague and friend is clear between them. Of course, though, she knows of her and Robin's entanglement through Killian. She purses her lips as the waiter refills their glasses with the last of the wine.

"And what about you? Clearly I'm thrilled that you accepted our offer."

Relieved at the change of subject, Emma nods. "So far so good. I have to admit I was a little anxious about making such a big change in our lives. But things are coming together quite nicely." Smiling nervously, she blushes as she adds, "And Killian is helping too."

Regina raises her brows across the table, her ruby-polished fingertips curling around her glass.

"Oh? So things are going well with you two?"

A quick flash of the sensation of his lips on her neck yesterday passes her mind and Emma smiles to herself.

"They are. He's a very surprising man."

Regina chokes a little on the wine that she was taking a sip of and Emma frowns.

"So, you're fine with his previous behaviour?" she asks, taking a napkin to dab at her lips.

"Oh yeah," Emma smiles, waving the notion away with her hand, "That's in the past."

"Well, Ms Swan, you're a more forgiving woman than I."

"What do you mean?"

"If Robin had only ever shown interest me in because of some frat boy-esque bet, I'd have been-"

"What?"

"The bet," Regina replies flatly, dipping her chin as she met eyes with Emma.

Pushing her glass of wine aside, Emma tilts her head. "Bet?"

Her boss's lips form a small O. Emma feels a sickening sensation rising in her stomach.

"You don't know."

Emma shakes her head and sucks in a deep breath, willing the threatening tears to stay away. After all, she still has no idea what her boss is talking about.

A ringing sound buzzes in her ears as she suddenly feels oddly cold.

Regina purses her lips and sighs. "I only found out myself last week," she begins, her eyes sympathetic, "But Robin told me that when you first came to town he and Killian made some kind of bet."

Stony faced, Emma purses her lips and stares at the tablecloth.

"Something about getting you to sleep with him…" her voice becomes quieter as she speaks.

And that's when the nausea breaks out in full force. She can't move. Her legs tingle - they are numb but heavy as lead.

A bet. A goddamn bet?

Was that what she was to him?

Regina reaches out for her hand across the table. "When you said you had talked…" she begins, before her voice trails away.

"I…" Emma whispers, avoiding the other woman eye, trying to think but failing.

"He called it off though. Killian, I mean. A while back."

The revelations still has her reeling. When exactly did he call it off? Was he ever going to tell her?

She doesn't know how she should feel.

"Can you, excuse me? I don't feel so great. I think I need some air. Thank you for dinner…"

Shit shit shit. She quietly curses herself as she grabs her purse and smiles, biting back the urge to cry. Regina watches her with sympathetic eyes and she feels even more awkward. This is far too personal, too raw. She wants - no needs - to escape.

Glancing at her watch as she steps outside, she sees it's barely past nine. She pulls out her compact and checks her face - her eyes are a little red, but she is otherwise unscathed.

That said, she hasn't had a chance yet to think about what she has just learned.

It is impossible to think clearly. It seems so ridiculous. Could it really be true?

There's a cab waiting outside and she climbs in.

Back home, Henry's already in his room and she thanks Ariel, ignoring the scathing glance she gives her as she leaves. She locks up, kicking off her heels and pulling out her earrings as she makes her way upstairs.

Her phone buzzes in her pocket. It's a text from Killian.

How was your dinner, love? Ready for tomorrow? K x

She stares at the screen as she walks upstairs.

She doesn't know what to do. Of course, she wants to ask him about what Regina has revealed. She wants him to tell her it's all a big mistake. Her mind is a muddle of feelings and uncertainty and her earlier high is only making this low feel worse.

On autopilot, she undresses, not bothering to clean off her make up, too preoccupied to care. For a moment she stares at his text again. She doesn't know what to say in reply. Sleep is what she needs. It's so much easier to think clearly when rested.

She turns her phone over, so it's glowing screen is no longer visible and turns off her lamp. Flipping onto her stomach, she presses her cheek into the cool pillow.

Tomorrow, she will ask him. Tomorrow, she will clear everything up. Tomorrow, she will be stronger.

/

She doesn't sleep a wink.

A/N As always, thank you for all your comments and reviews. If you can leave a review or send me a message telling me what you think it is immensely appreciated.

Also, I'd like to give a big shout out to my amazing beta Ztofan/Nickillian who whips me into shape when I am slacking!
Hoping to progress this story quickly now!