(A/N-Thanks to all who have read, review, follow, fav this story. Special thanks to Regal_Bekki for beta reading this.)
Thursday morning came along too quickly as Regina was at the airport, she already had her bags taken to the jet, she was just waiting on Robin to get there. She was nervous about this weekend with him, worried that the feelings she was having for him would be be clear on her face. How was she going to be able to keep them at bay? She admired and respected him, his work, his charity towards others.
She had to put a stop to this, she couldn't keep thinking of him, fantasizing about him. She wanted more than just attraction with someone, she wanted love, wanted to be loved. If she had ever learned anything in life, it was that a life without love, is no life at all. She would have to stop thinking that what she felt for Robin would ever go anywhere. And besides, even if she thought about allowing it to, once he found out about her other job, he wouldn't want her anymore.
"You ready?" Robin's voice said as she turned around to see him standing there.
"Yes, yes of course," Regina answered as they made their way to his jet. Once they walked on, they were seated. They were side by side in their seats, Regina could literally feel the heat from him. It was making her have goosebumps on her arms.
"You're not nervous about flying, are you?" Robin asked her.
"No!" Regina answered a little too quickly and loudly. "I mean, no I love to fly."
"That's a good thing, because after this weekend, there's another client I'm interested in meeting that will require us to fly to Canada," Robin said.
"When, when will that be?" Regina asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice. She hoped it was much later on, when she wouldn't have to work for Eddie anymore.
"It will be next month, we'll need to fly there Sunday for the entire week," Robin answered.
Regina nodded her head, her hopes dashed as she hoped that with enough notice, Eddie wouldn't get upset over her not working that weekend.
"Will that be a problem?" Robin asked, he had picked up on her unease about the trip.
"No, that's fine," Regina answered as she fiddled with her hands.
Robin watched her out of the corner of his eye, knowing something was wrong. Yes, she acted nervous around him at times, he based that off her being attracted to her boss perhaps. But this was more than that, this was something else entirely. He made a promise to himself to try to find out what was going on in that beautiful head of hers.
An hour later, a pretty blonde walked up to them and asked them if she could get them something to drink or eat.
"No thanks," Regina replied.
"Same for me," Robin answered as he opened his briefcase.
"Well, if you, change your mind, just let me know," the blonde said to Robin with a slight wink as she walked back to the front of the plane.
Regina couldn't help the surge of jealously she felt towards being on the front row of watching someone flirt with Robin. She knew how attractive Robin was first hand, and to a point was on the blonde's side as far as tastes in men, but that still didn't stop her from wanting to slap that wink off the skank's face.
"I'm thirty two years old, and tired of being pursued as one of New York's most eligible bachelors," Robin said.
"I can see how that could become wearying after awhile," Regina's imagination went into overdrive, thinking of situations he might have gone through. "All those women literally ready to jump on you to accost you, telling you they want to have your babies, and all for the sake of your money. Not that I'm saying you aren't appealing in your own right."
She smoothed her skirt across her knees, and hoped the pulse that beat at the base of her throat wasn't visible beneath the crisp white blouse she had on. She wanted to just be swallowed up by the chair she was in. How could she have went on like that to him?
He was so close to her, he smelled so good, in a way that made her want to bury her face in him and just breathe him in for a next century or three. The thought caused a familiar little catch in her chest, right about where her heart was located. He removed his suit jacket and placed it behind him.
"There haven't been that many jumping on me," his mouth curved with a hint of a smile, "But I've had my share of unwanted attention. And contrary to what the media seems to believe, I really don't enjoy having my name on every most sought after bachelor list in existence."
"Especially with your law firm growing like it is," Regina hoped she sounded intelligent, understanding, enlightened. Aside from all the sexual frustrations he brought out in her, she struggled to ignore the way he looked in this blue suit of his, the way that shirt stretched across his muscled chest. Which probably put her in the same lot as all those women chasing after him.
To have muscles like he had, he had to work out regularly. She pictured him sleep with perspiration, doing bench presses in some trendy city gym, and stifled a groan. Wasn't she trying to stop all these thoughts?
"I've read where some men, in order to get the media off their back, they take up an interest in monk like religion for a while, because it takes them out of the running for looking for a relationship," Regina had to bite the side of her mouth. Why was she rambling like this to him?
Robin chuckled at the idea,"That's an interesting option. I have to confess that I hadn't given any thought of taking to any kind of priesthood to solve this particular set of challenges, but thanks for the thought."
"I can't imagine you celibate, myself," Regina blurted out, then wondered if she should just bite her tongue off now and be done with it. Falling in love with your boss did that to people. Made them say and do the silliest of things, that they normally wouldn't think about doing.
Much good this was doing her, when it wouldn't, couldn't go any further. Successful lawyers didn't fall for people like her, they may want to put another notch on their belts, but that wasn't what she was looking for.
"Are you really on every list?" Regina quickly tried to cover her statement up about him being celibate. She knew how sought after he was, she might have bought one of those magazines with him in it, after one of the articles with several of his pictures in it, the florist deliveries had been non stop. Long stemmed red roses, potted palms, elegant orchids had streamed in. Socialites, models, actresses, other men's wives...they all wanted him.
Including her.
"Pretty much," he said with a shake of his head as he looked over some papers.
"I guess it's supposed to be kind of flattering, finding yourself on a most wanted bachelor list. Women who read those lists would want to..." Spend hours making slow, languorous love with you. She coughed. "Get to know you better, I'm sure. If they had a chance. You know. Nice women. Ones that wouldn't jump on you."
Regina Mills. Shut up this second! Before you stick your foot any further down your throat!
"Perhaps you're right," he smiled that killer smile that sent her insides crazy every time. Those blasted dimples of his, making her want to kiss and lick them. "I can't say I've ever given it a lot of thought."
"Uh, no," Good one, Regina. Comparing women to crazies who would jump on him. "I don't suppose you would have."
He leaned back in his seat, in the seemingly causal pose he had used a hundred times before, but his eyes were on her, assessing. "You and I have worked together for the last two months."
"I've enjoyed it." His change of subject was off putting. She hoped he wasn't about to tell her she was no longer employed by him, because she had overstepped her bounds with her words today. That would be an utter disaster. She couldn't stand the thought of not seeing him every day. Not talking with him, as nervous as he made her at times. "It's a great job. I've valued the opportunity to get involved with your firm at this level."
"You've done well," He moved his briefcase from him. "In fact you've done well started, your record is impeccable."
"Thank you," Regina said, her brain jittering around, weighing up whether it should fly into a full blown anxiety attack or not. So far the odds were for the attack. "I do try my best."
He nodded, as though pleased. "I've come to know you a little bit, Regina. You're reliable, honest, straightforward."
At that, Regina felt a small twinge of discomfort. She had worked very hard, and had been completely transparent in every way possible. But she wondered what he would think if he knew she was keeping a secret from him. One she wouldn't, couldn't afford to tell him. She just hoped that one day she would never have to.
"Thank you, Mr. Locksley," Regina said. She tried to study him dispassionately but there was nothing dispassionate about her feelings for him. He had a great nose, a strong nose, with those sensuous blue eyes of his, matched by the best mouth and the most perfect chin in all of New York. Correction, the most perfect face in all of New York.
"Robin," Robin reminded her to say, "I know so little about you, Regina. Tell me about yourself, what do you like to do? Your hobbies, your family, your dreams?"
"Nothing interesting about me, I'm afraid," Regina said. "I'm a homebody. My mother is dead, and my father is in a home." She about jumped out of her skin when she felt his hand cover hers.
"I'm sorry about your mother, and I wish the best for your father," Robin said. His sincerity was in his voice.
"Thank you," Regina said as she raised her gaze to his. He was looking at her with those eyes of his, and when he looked at her like that, she could swear he saw straight to her soul.
He kept looking at her, his gaze was so intense that she couldn't have broken it even if she tried to. She opened her mouth to tell him...what? What could she tell him, say to him? The man had a way that when he looked at you, it made you forget your name, and everything about yourself.
"Regina, if there is something you want to talk to me about, I want you to look to me," Robin said to her, "I want to be more than just your boss," I want to be your lover. "I want to be your friend as well."
"I appreciate that, and the same for you," Regina said as at that moment, the pilot came on the speaker letting them know they would soon be landing. Robin let go of Regina's hand, and buckled his seat belt.
After they landed they were driven to the hotel, where upon checking in, the receptionist informed them that there was a problem.
"What kind of problem? I booked these rooms early this week," Robin told her.
"Well, we have had computer problems all week and there is a huge convention going on in the hotel this weekend," she explained to him.
"So we have no rooms then?" Robin asked.
"No, we had a cancelation today, so we do have a room for you two," she said.
"Wait, one room?" Robin asked.
"Yes, it's the honeymoon suite with a King size bed," she told them.
"There's no other rooms available?" Robin asked.
"I'm afraid not, sir," she answered.
"Is this going to be a problem for you, Regina?" Robin asked as he turned around to her.
"No, no we're adults and its just for a few days," Regina answered.
"Fine, we'll take it," Robin said as he filled out the paperwork for the room.
In Regina's mind she was thinking that she thought it was going to be bad enough that she would be spending alone time with him on the plane ride, and this weekend, but now how was she going to get through spending the weekend with him in the same hotel room?
Sleeping in the same bed?