(Special Thanks for Regal_Bekki for beta reading this. And this was just to be a one shot, but alas its not.)

(A/U Setting. To the troll, Robin Hood is the archer. Robin Locksley is in an alternate universe :)…...thanks for playing.)

Regina had just arrived at the party her best friends Tink and Mary Margaret were having to celebrate the Fourth of July. Regina was running a little behind in her time, and as she walked into the country club, she was looked at by Mary Margaret and her boyfriend David.

"Sorry, I'm late," Regina said as she headed to the kitchen with her apple turnovers she was famous for. The house was pretty packed as many friends and family members, as well as co-workers were there.

She was just about to walk out of the kitchen when she was approached by Leopold Blanchard, Mary Margaret's father.

"Regina, it's been a long time," Leopold said. Regina shuddered inside, the man was a leech, plain and simple.

"Everyone is busy," Regina said.

"I was hoping you would be by the house sometime, I'd love to have you for dinner," Leopold said, his words hardly innocent.

"I really have no time," Regina said.

"Make time," Leopold said as he closed the distance between them, and put his hand on her hip, his intentions quite clear.

"You know, I was just about to leave," Regina said.

"I can give you a ride home," Leopold offered with a sinister smile on his face.

She weighed her options. If she walked outside onto the patio he would follow her. But she couldn't stay here with him. She had to get out!

Regina watched as a man, hands in his pockets walked near the refreshment table, just outside the kitchen. Broad shoulders, trim waist, long legs. His dark blonde hair was tapered with the top styled into a tousled mess. He had bright, blue eyes, and what she imagined was a three day old beard.

Instant lust, immediate attraction. And he hadn't even looked her way yet.

"Why don't we go somewhere more private?" Leopold asked. Regina blinked at Leopold, knew he wasn't going to give up until he had her in a bedroom, naked. She'd rather have acid poured into her eyeballs than have him touch her. Seeing this man standing there, gave her hope that she could get out of this. She just needed his attention.

And she really needed him to notice her. She immediately called out an endearment to him,"Darling!"

The man abruptly stopped and looked around. Regina sidestepped Leopold and walked as fast as she could to the hunk. As she approached the stranger, she lifted her arms and wound them around his neck. She saw his eyes widen in surprise and felt his hands come to rest low on her hips, but before he could say anything, she slapped her mouth on his and hoped to death that he wouldn't blow her cover.

His lips were warm and firm beneath hers and she felt his fingers dig into her hips, their heat burning through the material of her dress to warm the skin underneath. Her fingers touched the back of his neck, above the collar of his shirt and she felt tension roll through his body.

The stranger yanked his head back and those penetrating eyes met hers, flashing with an emotion she couldn't identify. She half expected him to push her away from him, to ask her what the hell she thought she was doing, but instead he yanked her closer to him and his mouth covered hers again. His tongue licked the seam of her lips, and without thinking, she opened her mouth to his, allowing him to taste her, to know her, if only this way. A strong, firm arm around her waist pulled her flush against him, and then her breasts were flat against his chest, her stomach resting against his-Holy Cannoli!-his erection.

This kiss might have lasted seconds, minutes, months or even years, Regina had no idea. She was that lost up in time right now. She felt his mouth move to her neck, where he kissed and sucked, worshipping it. When he finally pulled his mouth away, strong arms still holding her against him, all she was capable of doing was resting her forehead on his collarbone, because of their height differences, while she tried to get her bearings. She felt as if she'd stepped away from reality, from time, from the room they were in, and into a whole new dimension. This had never happened to her before, not with any other man, no man had ever made her loose herself like this. She'd never been so swept away by the passion, that she felt as if she'd had an out of body experience. That it had happened with a perfect stranger, even as handsome as he was, it had totally threw her.

"Blanchard, it's good to see you," the man said, somewhere above her head. Judging from his voice, he was very used to being kissed by strangers in fancy country clubs.

"I was hoping that you would be here. I was on my way to find you," the man said.

"Locksley," Blanchard replied.

Knowing she couldn't stay pressed against the man forever, sadly, because she felt as if she belonged there, Regina lifted her head and tried to wiggle out of his grip. She was surprised when, instead of letting her go, he kept her plastered to his side.

"I see you have met my lady," the man called Locksley said.

Regina's head snapped back and she narrowed her eyes, as she looked up into his handsome face. His lady?

His.

Lady?

Her mouth fell open. Bats from hell, he didn't even know her name.

Leopold pulled a cigar from the inside pocket of his jacket, he narrowed his eyes as he looked at Regina,"You two together?"

Regina knew that she often pulled on her feisty girl mask, but she had never owned an invisibility cloak. Regina opened her mouth to make them both stop talking about her as if she wasn't even here, but Locksley pinched her left butt cheek, and her mouth snapped shut. Mostly from indignant surprise.

"She's my lady. As you know, I've been out of the country and I haven't seen her for a couple of weeks," Locksley replied.

Weeks, years, who was counting?

Leopold didn't look convinced,"I thought she was leaving."

"We agreed to meet outside," Locksley stated, his voice calm. He brushed his chin across the top of her head and Regina felt her knees go weak. "You obviously didn't get my message that I was on my way up, love."

Love? Yep, he definitely didn't have a clue who she was, but the guy lied with calm efficiency and absolute conviction. "Let's go outside, I want to be alone with you after we have a drink to celebrate my return," Locksley gestured to the patio doors.

Locksley, still not turning her loose, held out his right hand for Leopold to shake."Nice to see you again, Blanchard, and I look forward to meeting with you soon to finalize our discussions. When can we get together?" Locksley asked.

Leopold ignored his outstretched hand and gave Regina another up and down look,"Oh, and I'm having second thoughts about the project."

Project? What project? Why was this man Locksley, doing business with Leopold? What was she costing this man?

"I'm surprised to hear that, I thought it was a done deal," Locksley said his tone almost bored.

Leopold's smile was nasty. "I'm not sure that I'm ready to hand that much money to a man I don't know all that well. I didn't even know you knew Regina."

He had her name now, Regina thought.

"I didn't think that our business deal required that level of familiarity," Locksley responded.

"You're asking me to invest a lot of money. I want to be certain that you know what you are doing," Leopold said.

"I thought that my track record would reassure you that I do," Locksley said.

Regina looked from one stubborn face to the other.

"The thing is...I have what you want so I suggest that if I say jump, you say how high," Leopold said.

Regina sucked in her breath, aghast. But Locksley, to his credit, didn't dignify that ridiculous statement with a response. Instead, he looked down at her, and smiled down at her before looking back at Leopold.

"Come now, Robin, let's not bicker. You're asking for a lot of money and I feel I need more reassurances. So I definitely want to spend more time with you-" Leopold's eyes traveled up and down her body and Regina felt like as if she had been licked by a lizard. "and with our lovely Regina as well. My people will call you."

Leopold walked toward the ballroom, walking around the room. Once he was out of their sight, Regina tugged her hand from Robin's, noting his thunderous face as he let out a breath.

"Bollocks!" Robin said, finally dropping her hand and running his through his short, stylishly, messy hair. "That manipulative cretin."

Regina took two steps backwards and pushed her hair out of her face,"I apologize for dragging you into this."

"He's just annoyed that you rebuffed him. He'll forget about you and his demands in a day or two. I'll just tell him we had a massive fight and that we split up."

"I didn't mean to cost you any business deal," Regina said.

"Don't worry about it," Robin said as he tried to figure out if he knew her, surely he would remember a face like that. He knew one thing for certain, he had never kissed those gorgeous red lips of hers, a kiss that had almost knocked him on his arse.

"Well, I really hope everything works out for you," Regina said as she made to turn, but felt his hand on her arm.

"Wait," Robin said, not wanting her to leave just yet. "I don't think we have been properly introduced. Robin Locksley, at your service."

"Regina, Regina Mills," Regina answered. "Do you know Mary Margaret or Tink?"

"I've known David for many years now," Robin answered. "And how do you know those two?"

"My best friends since grade school," Regina said. "we sort of used to get into trouble way back."

"I can imagine," Robin said, smiling at her, his eyes almost seeming to be twinkling at her.

"I better get going," Regina said.

"Before you leave," Robin said as he lowered his head, it went to the side of hers and he whispered into her ear,"I thoroughly enjoyed our kiss."

Regina looked once more into those eyes of his before turning and walking away from him. She felt his gaze on her as she walked over to Tink.

"And what has you in such a good mood?" Regina asked as she saw that Tink had a huge smile on her face. She sat down at the bar beside Tink, ordered herself a drink.

"Oh, nothing," Tink replied, "so who was the guy?"

"What guy?" Regina asked as she took a sip of her wine.

"Oh, the one who gave you that hickey on your neck," Tink answered, causing Regina to choke on her wine.

"You saw that," Regina stated as she looked at the mirror behind the bar, sure enough there was a hickey on her neck from Robin's kiss earlier.

"Well, why do you think they had to turn on the air conditioning? The room almost over heated from that kiss you two had," Tink said, still smiling.

"You're over-reacting," Regina said.

"Look me in the eyes, and tell me that kiss didn't affect you?" Tink said.

Regina looked down at her drink, and took another sip.

"Caught you," Tink said.

"It doesn't matter, it was just something to fend off Leopold," Regina said, "I'm sure, I won't see him again."

"And you weren't going to tell me?" Tink asked.

"I got better things to do than sit around and gossip about boys," Regina said as they saw a movement, and Robin walked up to them.

"Care for a drink?" Robin asked, he had three drinks in his hand, Tink smiled and quickly took one.

"Tink, Robin Locksley, Robin, Tink," Regina introduced them to one another.

Tink put her hand out and shook Robin's hand quickly,"I've been wanting to meet you for a very long time."

Regina elbowed her friend,"Thank you, but I have my drink."

"Ah, well perhaps later then," Robin said as he smiled at her, looking at her as he turned to leave the two women alone.

"Regina, you better get yourself some of that," Tink said. "He seems to be the one who could make you walk crooked for a week."

Regina smiled,"A week? Probably a month." Not telling Tink, about Robin's erection she had felt earlier that had been pressed against her, for her.