(A/U-Special thanks to Kara for beta reading this, thank you so much. Also thanks to those who read, follow, fav, review this story.)

On Saturday night, Regina stood in her private suite and stared at herself in the long mirror. Tonight was the night of the ball, and here she was feeling like she didn't belong here, and truthfully, she didn't. These people didn't know her, and she didn't know them. Yes, they were very nice people, had been very polite, but they knew Robin and his family, not her.

She was wearing a deep V neck evening gown with a voluminous tulle skirt. She even paired it with one red heel and one black heel. Her hair was pulled back into a retro updo, and her lips were painted bright red.

She turned her head to see Ruth walking in with Roland. Roland had on a white tuxedo and looked absolutely adorable. Ruth had on an elegant cream ankle length gown.

"Regina, you look beautiful, my dear," Ruth said.

"As do you, Ruth," Regina replied as the two women smiled. Regina then crunched down to Roland's height,"And you will be the most handsomest man there tonight."

"More than Daddy?" Roland asked.

"Much more than your daddy," Regina said.

Ruth smiled to herself, hoping that Regina might have a change of heart with her words. Ruth was thinking that once Regina saw her younger son, he would take her breath away as she knew that Regina would take her son's breath away once he saw her.

"Can I escort you to the ball, Regina?" Roland asked as he put his small hand up to Regina.

"I would be honored," Regina answered as she put her hand in Roland's smaller one and started towards the ballroom downstairs.

Robin decided to go differently to the ball. While all the other men attending were wearing the typical black tuxedo, Robin opted for a 3 piece suit, his trousers were black, he had a blue jacket, and vest. He was extremely nervous, which was unusual for him. He was going to take a huge risk tonight, a move so daring; he hadn't taken such a risk since before Roland was born.

He had been wanting to spend time with her, time alone with her. He wanted to get to know her, to know what she loved most out of life. He wanted to know everything about her, and he wanted her to know him, she knew his son already. Roland was constantly talking about her. Regina liked how he colored, Regina liked how he could write his name, and Regina liked how he did a cart wheel. Regina liked him.

Robin wanted Regina to like, him.

"Well, aren't we trying to make an impression," David said as he entered his brother's room.

"Some of us just sit on the sidelines, while others are in the game," Robin said as he turned to look at his brother.

"And by game you mean?" David asked.

"You can stop all this, David," Robin said, crossing his arms over his chest,"I know you only started to pay attention to Regina to needle me."

"Is that what you think?" David asked, smiling.

"You deny it?" Robin asked.

"Robin, if I show an interest in a lady, it's not just to needle you," David said,"and Regina is one lovely lady."

"That she is," Robin said as he walked around his brother and headed out of the room. "Oh, and David," Robin said as he turned around to look at his brother,"don't forget when karma comes around to visit you, soon."

Robin walked out of the room and headed downstairs to the ballroom. There were hundreds of people here this weekend, but there was only one that Robin was interested in finding.

Robin felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, as he turned around to look up the stairs to see Regina standing there. She reminded him of a diamond in the rough. A rare jewel. She looked so small and delicate, and he felt a surge of protectiveness within him. She may be small, but he could sense a strength within her.

He walked up to the bottom of the steps as she started to make her way down, his son at her side, holding her hand. She paused and saw his eyes flicker over her as if she had suddenly sprouted wings or horns.

"Is...something wrong?" Regina asked hesitantly.

Wrong? Robin felt his mouth dry. He had to keep his eyes on her face instead of going to her chest to watch as she breathed, as the fabric of the top of her dress seemed to caress her breasts like a man's tongue. He swallowed. Or that her waist should dip like that.

"Daddy, why is your face like that?" Roland asked, causing his father to clear his throat.

"Because Roland, when you see something that takes your breath away, you never will forget it," Robin explained, as his words caused her to blush and smile.

"Roland, why don't you and I go see if they have any treats ready?" Ruth said as she took her grandson's hand and together they walked away from Robin and Regina.

"Thank you for inviting me here, it's beautiful," Regina said.

"My pleasure, and you are beautiful," Robin said as he shifted his feet to try to abade his arousal. Regina was a sizzling sex pot of a creature in that dress, who was attracting the lecherous gaze of every hot blooded male in the place, including his brother was was making his way over to them.

"Dance with me," Robin asked, smiling as she nodded.

Regina was as mesmerized by Robin as he was by her, he looked gorgeous in his suit. She loved how the blue in his suit seemed to enhance his blue eyes. She felt so fortunate to be the one on his arm right now. His arms held her, drew her forward, and she found herself looking up into the handsome, enigmatic face of Robin Locksley as he drew her to the floor and mingled with the other guests.

Many eyes were on them, the tall, dark blonde haired man and the slender lady in his arms. The two of them started to sway to the music that was being played, one of her hands was in his, while the other on his shoulder. His free hand rested low on her waist, keeping her close to him.

"I thought you couldn't dance," Robin said.

"Well it's been a very long time since I have," Regina admitted.

"A shame, you should dance more often," Robin said.

"No one to dance with I guess," Regina said softly.

"I'm free, whenever you need a dance partner," Robin said as her eyes shot up to his, and he found himself loosing time just looking into them.

"There's David," Regina said as Robin moved his gaze from hers to see his brother standing on the sidelines watching them.

"Who?" Robin asked sarcastically as Regina looked up into his warm eyes and laughed softly.

"Your brother," Regina said.

"I have no eyes for him this evening," Robin said.

Regina looked at him for several seconds before she moved her eyes from him, saying,"Roland looks adorable in his little white tuxedo tonight."

"Takes after his father," Robin said, his smile bright on his face.

"True," Regina admitted. "All the Locksleys are a hit tonight."

Robin nodded as he thought how there might be another Locksley on a day in the future. He was trying to ignore the stabbing ache at his groin, which was hardening by the second. It would not do to have a raging hard on with her on their first dance in front of all these people. Robin looked down into her face, which occasionally would look up into his own. Finally, she let her eyes stay locked with his as he held her in his arms as they danced.

"I want to thank you for being so great with Mom," Robin said.

"She's a pleasure to work with," Regina said.

"And I also wanted to apologize again for my behavior when you first started," Robin said.

"There's no need," Regina started.

"There's every need, I had no right to go off on you like I did," Robin said.

"You were looking after your son and wanted to shield him from any pain that you could," Regina said,"that's what a parent's job is meant to be."

"Still doesn't make up for the way I acted," Robin said.

"All is forgiven," Regina said.

"Roland really likes you; he is constantly talking about you," Robin said.

"He is such a delightful little boy," Regina said,"and those dimples of his, I love dimples. He's going to be a heartbreaker when he gets older."

Robin smiled and let a pair of identical dimples appear on his face. Regina smiled at him as he let a lazy smile be on his face, looking at her own set of dimples.

"And where did you get your dimples from?" Robin asked, as the smile that had been on her beautiful face, quickly disappeared.

"Regina, was it something I said?" Robin asked.

"No, no. It's just my father had a set of dimples, that's where I got them," Regina said.

Robin could feel the tremor that raced through her body, obviously this was a painful subject for her as she had said, her father had dimples, not has.

Before he wanted it to, the song ended and he said,"Would you care to take a stroll outside?"

Regina nodded as he offered his arm, and together they strolled out into the night air. Robin took two glasses of champagne and offered one to Regina as they walked along the huge patio, taking a walkway that led to a private gazebo that had twinkle lights all around it.

"To a wonderful evening," Robin said as they clinked their glasses. Once they were through, Robin took her glass and set both of them down.

"I can't thank you enough for inviting me. It's so beautiful here," Regina said as she looked around the inspiring grounds of the estate. Why was she having some sort of feelings towards him? Was it attraction? Was that all it was?

He took a step closer to her and saw her retreat from him, so he stopped,"You're not afraid of me, are you?"

"No," Regina said, she wasn't afraid of him, she was afraid of how he affected her.

"Good, because I don't want you afraid of me, Regina," Robin said,"I mean you no harm."

He led her to one side of the gazebo where a lake could be seen by the light surrounding it. "At night, it's beauty shines through, calm."

Regina looked at the lake, enjoyed its tranquility. She had been for a few seconds wanting to get away from him, and now she was at perfect ease being with him. What was it about him, that affected her like this? Making her want to run for fear of feeling something for him, and the other time wanting him to kiss her.

"What do you want most out of life, Regina?" Robin asked out of the blue.

"Passion," Regina said.

"Passion?" Robin asked.

"Passion for life, I want to know what it's like to have so much passion inside you, you don't know what to do with it all. Instead all I know..." Regina stopped talking then.

"All you know is?" Robin asked, he was so close to her now, she could feel his breath on her skin.

"In books," Regina admitted.

"Only books?" Robin asked softly.

All at once, Regina became aware of a different mood entering the atmosphere, a mood both darkly dangerous and yet intensely exciting. She turned her head and saw his eyes looking over her as they had done earlier. Her senses quickened, and she felt the rise of color to her cheeks. Suddenly, she felt out of her depth, the reality of her situation unnerving.

Robin took a deep breath and raised his hands to the sides of her face, cupping her cheeks as his gaze held hers,"Regina," he said softly, as he noticed the faint tremble of her lips.

Regina's eyes were darker tonight, and her lips gleamed at him with a provocation he had never noticed in them before. He felt as if she was like a siren, calling to him which was as old as time itself.

Telling himself that if she didn't want this, she would move away from him, say something to him, but nothing of the sort happened. Because her eyes were fixed on his with a look of intensity which seemed to echo the way he was feeling inside, and she was biting her bottom lip as if trying to suppress an urgent kind of hunger. A hunger he recognized instantly because it echoed his own.

It was now or never...

Robin lowered his head and was kissing her, and she was kissing him back as if her life depended on it. Robin's mouth drove down on Regina's, and she shuddered beneath the sweet pressure of his lips, because the potent power of that kiss exceeded every fantasy she'd ever had about this man. And she'd had more than her fair share of those.

Robin was kissing her! Her! A million stars exploded in her head, and the blood sizzled hotly throughout her veins. Was she dreaming?

But no. Dreams, no matter how realistic did not make your heart pound so fiercely that you felt as if its muffled thunder might deafen you. Nor your knees buckle like someone who had just got out of bed after being sick for a few days. Dreams did not conjure up with such vivid accuracy the sensations that Robin was creating as he ran moved his hands to her hips.

"Oh," she moaned, unable to believe this was really happening to her. She was in Robin's arms, a man she was attracted to, but had been fighting with herself to avoid. She was being kissed, and kissed so long and so thoroughly that she thought she might faint from the sheer pleasure of it. Her fingers fluttered up to clutch at his shoulders as his hands moved lower, to splay themselves over her buttocks, and she pressed herself luxuriantly against his powerful frame, unable to bit back her pleasure at the intimate caress,"Oh!"

"You like that?" Robin growled out as he tore his mouth away from hers.

"Oh, yes. Yes!"

Almost helplessly, Robin closed his eyes as she pressed her body even closer. He could feel the soft weight of her breasts as they pushed against him, their blatant invitation taking him by surprise. He had not exactly planned on kissing her tonight and could not have guessed the strength of his own response to that kiss.

It was the most exciting kiss of his entire life!

Up on one of the many balconies of the mansion, David took a swig of his champagne, smiling to himself as he heard footsteps approaching from,"I wondered where you had gotten to."

"I had to make sure Roland was occupied, he's in the children's room enjoying his dinner with the other children," Ruth said as she stopped to stand by her oldest. "So how are they doing?"

"Well, right now I'm sure my brother has his tongue down her throat," David said.

"And a raging hard on I bet," Ruth said as David looked at his mother and winked at her.