For my favorite baby lawyer, Jess from her OQ Secret Admirer. Hope you enjoy!

I love my job. I love my job. I love my job.

It's the mantra she always repeats to herself on days like this, but today it doesn't seem to be doing much to settle her.

This was supposed to be an easy case. A somewhat amicable divorce, with both parties interested in getting it done and over with as soon as possible. Clean. Simple.

But here Regina is, too bright and too early on a Thursday morning, sitting inside one of Sherwood & Associates' flashy offices, waiting for opposing counsel to show up for yet another negotiation.

She should've never agreed to come here, should've made them come to her turf instead, but her client, David, has insisted on making this as easy as possible for his ex-wife, and that apparently includes catering to her every whim, even her preference for meeting spaces. He had agreed to it before even consulting with Regina, and she'd had to begrudgingly follow suit. Best not to give anyone the impression that she and her client are not on the same page.

The door creaks open, and here they come, the vapid ex-wife and her counsel, Robin Locksley.

Regina and Locksley's firms are rivals, which means they end up on opposing sides of the same divorce more often than not. He's never been disrespectful, on the contrary, has been nothing but polite and courteous whenever they encounter each other, but he's good at his job, and he knows it, seeks to show her so. In the years they've been competing against each other, he seems to have learned just how to push her buttons, his cocky smile and too-clever comments getting on her nerves quite frequently.

He flashes her that flirty grin she hates as he enters, the one that shows off his dimples and reminds her of just how unbelievably attractive he is. It's so disarming that she almost smiles back. She hates herself for it.

Pleasantries are exchanged, Regina giving both he and David's ex a curt nod and too-rough handshake (she ignores the tingly burst of electricity she feels when Lockskey's handshake lingers just a second longer than necessary), and then she takes her seat next to her client, her pen at the ready as they all look at the copies of the assets distribution agreement Locksley has passed around.

"Why is the penthouse in this? We agreed last week that Mr. Shepherd would get to keep that and Mrs. Shepherd would keep the condo," she starts brusquely, her eyes landing on the new clause her counterpart has added to the proposed settlement.

"Yes, well, now I want the penthouse too," the ex replies, and Regina can't help the exasperated sigh she gives in response.

"Wanting it doesn't mean you get it," she basically snaps at the woman. It's unprofessional to be rude to her, but she's a spoiled brat and the reason this whole thing has taken so long, what with her changing her mind every five seconds. And they had finally reached an agreement, damn it. Today was supposed to be the final meeting before signing, the woman can't just turn everything upside down at the last minute.

Turning to Locksley, Regina pushes, "Change it back to what we agreed on, or my client is not signing anything."

She can feel David is about to object, to say Mary Margaret can keep the penthouse, and Regina makes sure to level him with a stern look before he gets the chance to open his mouth. She's known him for years, but never liked his wife, which meant Regina rarely saw him after he got married. They're not as close as they were when they were younger, but they're friends, and she's not going to let him surrender years of hard work just so his ex can feel a little less wounded by the turn of events.

"The penthouse is a necessity, I'm afraid," Locksley tells her, coloring his tone with that smugness Regina dislikes so much.

"And where is my client supposed to live?" she fires back. "Your client is taking everything else."

"Your client should've thought about that before he cheated on his wife," Locksley responds coolly.

"Oh, we're playing the blame game now, how mature," Regina says flippantly.

"I did not cheat, we were separated when I met—" David starts, but Mary Margaret cuts him off.

"We had one fight!" she yells, slamming her fist on the table. "One fight and you went and slept with your new coworker like I meant nothing!"

"You know that's not what happened, Mary Margaret," David tries, his voice soft, but it's too late, the woman is crying and on a rampage.

"You threw five years of marriage in the garbage because you wanted to have sex with that good-for-nothing piece of—"

"Enough!" Regina interrupts, and to her relief, her counterpart agrees, whispering a calming word to his client. David, for his part, simply sighs, and keeps his tone as level as possible as he speaks to his ex-wife, against Regina's instructions.

"I understand that I hurt you, Mary Margaret, and I deserve all of your insults, so please, fire them at me, say whatever you want to me or about me, but you know as well as I do that my relationship with Killian didn't start until months after I had moved out. None of this was his fault, so I'd appreciate it if you left him out of it."

That just enrages the woman further. Her fists close and her scowl deepens as she gets ready to fight some more, but Locksley whispers something to her, and she nods, staying silent. At least one of them has chosen to listen to their attorney, Regina thinks, throwing a scorned look at her client.

"If it's okay with you both," Locksley says then, looking from David to Regina, "my client would like to go home. Counselor Mills, if Mr. Shepherd would like to do the same, you and I can handle the negotiation. I'm sure we can come up with a better arrangement for both parties, and we can set up a definitive date to sign it, if they both agree."

This never ending tug-o-war is going to make her hair fall out.

Still, Regina swallows her anger, turns to David and says pointedly, "That might be the only possible solution, given today's events."

He nods, looking properly chastised, and waits until Mary Margaret has taken her leave before he, too, grabs his coat and exits the room, leaving Regina facing Locksley in the corner of the large conference table.

"Ah, alone at last," he says with a smirk. That smirk.

Regina rolls her eyes with a small grin, opening the folder in front of her once again and grabbing her glasses from her blazer pocket to better read the smaller print.

"God," Locksley sighs, so low she's not sure she's meant to hear him.

"What?" she asks anyway, still perusing the settlement.

"I didn't know you wore glasses," he observes, and that has her looking up at him.

"Only when I need to," she waves him off.

"They suit you," he says with that easy grin. The compliment has her giving him a tender smile in thanks before she can stop it, and she has to shake her head to bring herself back to the problem at hand.

"Can we just get this over with?" she pleads, making no effort to hide her exasperation with Mary Margaret as she goes on to ask, "Why is she pushing for the damn penthouse now?"

"Mrs. Shepherd feels she's entitled to it after being abandoned by the person she committed her life to," Locksley answers, so matter-of-factly that it makes Regina almost growl her impatience.

"You're being ridiculous," she grouses.

"Am I now?"

"Marriages end!" Regina reminds him. "We're divorce attorneys, it's what we do! We had finally reached an agreement and you let your brat of a client ruin everything. Again!"

"She feels she's being treated unfairly, I'm defending her interests," he replies calmly.

"No, you are both being difficult on purpose just to drag this out and make it worse for my client," Regina accuses, and to her annoyance, he smiles at her.

"You look beautiful when you're angry, did you know that?" he remarks, and that catches her off guard.

"Excuse me?"

"I shouldn't be surprised, really," he continues. "You're always stunning."

Regina stands up at that, starts pacing the room and trying with all her might not to blush. But then he's standing too, walking around the table and leaning back on it as he crosses his arms over his chest, the fabric of his suit jacket tightening ever so temptingly over his biceps. He stays right there, respecting her space, but locks eyes with her in a way that makes her heart stutter. Regina nervously runs her hands down the sides of her pencil skirt, the one she'd picked out of her closet this morning simply because she likes the way his gaze lingers on her when she wears it...

"Robin, what are you doing?" she asks then, and his gaze softens.

"Hmm. I believe that's the first time you've ever called me by my first name," he tells her.

"That's neither here nor there," Regina tries to dismiss him.

"I quite like the way you say it," he insists, his voice low.

"Robin," she warns, knowing full well she's playing into his game and not entirely put off by it.

"Regina," he counters, and the corner of her mouth tips up in amusement before she can help it. But they're here to do a job, not... whatever this is. And anyway, it's not like she likes him like that. Right?

Yes, a little voice all but screams in her head. Yes, you do. You dressed up for him, for fuck's sake.

"Stop it," she admonishes out loud, hoping to shut that little voice up.

"I've made you uncomfortable," Robin says then, looking suddenly contrite. "I apologize."

"No, you didn't," Regina says automatically. "Well, yes, but not in the way you think."

She sighs then, taking one step toward him, just one, just enough to look him square in the eye and admit, "You're not entirely off the mark. I just... don't think we should be doing this."

"Doing what?" he asks her then, grinning.

"Ugh, don't make me say it," she chides with a roll of her eyes, and he chuckles, but drops his arms from his chest and holds his hands up in defeat.

And then...

"I meant what I said," he tells her softly, hands on either side of him, holding onto the lip of the table where he's perched. "You're stunning, in every way, and you deserve to be told as much."

"Robin," she warns again, but she can't deny how good it feels to make him smile like that. To watch him revel in hearing his name spoken aloud by her.

God, coming here was a bad idea.

Because the truth is, she wants more of this with him, despite the many times she's told herself that she doesn't. That he's an ass and a know-it-all. He's none of those things. He's smart. And funny... and absolutely yummy in that navy suit he's wearing.

And right now he's being kind and complimentary, genuinely so, and looking at her like she's the most gorgeous view he's ever had...

"We should get back to work," Regina insists, mentally urging her hormones to stop this nonsense.

He looks down for a minute, then pushes away from the table, walking closer. "If that's truly what you want," he tells her, his accent making that low baritone all the more delightful. He's doing this on purpose. He has to be.

But one look into those blue eyes of his, and Regina is not sure she cares.

He's so close now, she can feel the warmth radiating off of him, see the swift brush of his lashes over the tops of his cheeks as he blinks once, twice before looking down at her lips and licking his own. He wants to kiss her, Regina can tell, but makes no move to do so.

She's shocked by how much that frustrates her.

"It doesn't matter what I want," she whispers, answering him at last. "I mean, this, us... we can't."

"Can't we?" he asks then, and she can just feel the spark of hope in his voice. "We're both adults, aren't we?"

"Yes, but you're my colleague," she insists.

"And you're incredible," he tells her. "Fun and sexy and far more clever than I am, you put me in my place when I'm wrong—sometimes even when I'm right, too."

They both chuckle at that, and then he continues, his voice warm and velvety as it showers her with spoken affection, "You're resilient, Regina. Strong and intelligent and an absolute force of nature, beautiful inside and out, and I've been head over heels for you from the moment I met you."

She doesn't know how it happens, but one moment she's inhaling the pine, woodsy scent of his cologne, and the next she's grabbing him by the lapels and crashing his mouth down onto hers.

There's a little moan that tumbles out of him, more out of shock than anything else, she guesses, and he remains mostly unresponsive as she smooches him for a couple of seconds.

Regina pushes back, a million apologies ready to go as embarrassment starts to settle in, but his eyes are intent on hers, and next thing she knows, he's looping his arm around her waist and bringing her back to him.

This time, he kisses back, lips seeking hers out as he buries his free hand into her hair, holding her to him. He's solid and snug against her, and she sinks into the embrace, opens her mouth when the tip of his tongue begs entrance, and she moans at the taste of him, sucks gently at his upper lip, inhales sharply when she feels the soft sting of his teeth sinking into her bottom lip. And then he takes a step, and another, pushing her until her back hits the wall, her arms wrapping securely around his middle, hands roaming his back as she drags her tongue against his, savoring the little whimper he lets out.

It's slow, and sweet, and perfect, the way he sucks at her lower lip, how he presses his thigh between both of hers, how he scratches gently at the back of her neck as he kisses her, the arm he has wrapped around her waist tightening just enough to keep her flush against him, and heat flashes through her when he breaks the kiss to hum softly.

"Been wanting to do that for so long," he breathes, letting out a soft chuckle, his forehead resting on hers.

"Could've fooled me," she quips, though her voice is just as husky. "You can be so... antagonizing sometimes."

"It's all a front. Couldn't let you know how weak I was for you," he says, his teeth sinking into his smile, and Regina laughs at his response.

"Until today?" she asks.

"Until today," he confirms. "Call it Valentine's Day magic."

"That's not until tomorrow, though," she counters.

"Yes, about that... got any plans?" he asks, and Regina laughs again.

"Seriously?" she rolls her eyes. "A Valentine's Day date?"

"Why not?" he shrugs, loosening his hold just a bit so that she can push away from the wall. She keeps her hands on him, though, not ready to let go just yet.

"Okay," she says tentatively. "And in the meantime?"

His arms are wrapping more firmly around her waist once more, bringing her closer as he offers, "How would you like to come back to my place, and let me cook you breakfast?"

Regina smiles. Can't help it. And nods. "On one condition, though."

Robin sighs, but his grin is still there as he promises, "I'll talk to Mary Margaret about the penthouse."

"Good," says Regina, and then she's leaning in for another kiss.

And maybe this isn't wise, maybe it will complicate their jobs, but as Robin's lips veer down to plant teasing little pecks along her neck, his breath warm on her skin, hands deliciously roaming her body over her clothes, Regina decides she's willing to risk it.