I fell onto a strong chiseled surface, and immediately the earthy scent of rain and wet soil surrounded me, cocooning me in its warmth and comfort. A soft sigh escaped my lips as I rested my cheek against the smooth velvety surface of the earth, which rested all around me. It felt heavenly and I felt like I could happily fall asleep without a care as long as this warmth continued to engulf me. Somewhere in the distance I heard a shrill nasal cry and all too swiftly my common sense returned to me followed by realization and a tidal wave of mind-numbing tingles. I was in someone's arms! My head shot up towards the face of the person who owned the strong sturdy chest that broke my fall and when my eyes collided with familiar chocolaty brown orbs, for the hundredth time that day I wanted to sink into the ground under my feet. The CEO's handsome face gazed down at mine, his hair was windswept, his lips slightly parted and his eyes were wide, a strange emotion swirling within the warm brown depths. Familiar warm brown depths Immediately the large dark majestic animal that I had encountered in the woods flashed before my eyes. Its eyes had been the same brown pools of chocolaty warmth as those of the beautiful man's in whose arms I was currently sheltered. My fingers swept across the soft velvety material of his dress shirt, and I could feel the rippled muscles underneath it tighten. Velvety soft fur and a sturdy muscular body that rested of four strong paws came to my mind. I felt the CEO's arms tighten around my waist, the palm of his right hand slid further down my body to rest above the curve of my hip. My body suddenly felt like it was on fire as the CEO's eyes darkened to the color of a dark night sky, bearing an intensity so great that it made me feel lightheaded and made my knees want to go weak. As if obliging his command, my knees bent causing him to pull me closer to himself in order to steady me. The rich silky material of his dress pants brushed against the bare skin of my thighs and within a blink of an eye, the tingles, the fire and the lightheadedness disappeared into thin air. MY SKIRT! I had by now realized that I was no longer in possession of that darned hospital gown. My eyes were currently the size of cricket balls as I desperately clung to the CEO's shirt while trying to find my center of gravity or balance or whatever that tiny point in a person's body was that kept them upright. Was there even such a thing? The CEO had still not spoken a word but I could feel his long fingers caressing the side of my hip which was as distracting as it was disturbing. And not to mention, ticklish! What is this man doing?! Still fumbling around with that blasted center of gravity concept and trying not to dance in the CEO's arms from the tsunami of tickles his shameless hands were causing, I turned my head to glance behind me and found half a dozen hospital staff members, along with Mr. Talon, all standing with their heads bowed in respect. So they hadn't seen anything yet? That meant my dignity was still intact! At this rate, not for long. My head shot back up to look at the CEO to find a dazed expression painted over his face. He looked...lost. Is he alright? "S-sir", I whispered but his eyes continued to trace the outlines of my face. "Sir", I said a bit louder this time but apart from a slight crinkling of his eyebrows, there was no change in his demeanor. I poked his muscular chest with my fingertips but still there was no reaction from him. Is there such a thing as instant paralysis? Had I damaged a nerve of his by falling on him? Did any of these idiotic theories make even the remotest of sense? His eyes continued to trail my facial features in a dreamy manner but suddenly they came to a stop...on my lips! Gaaaaaahhhh "S-s-sir!" I could hear the panic in my voice but apparently my boss couldn't. Behind me, I wondered if those hospital staffs had left or were still busily watching the ground with eyes as interested as the CEO's seemed in my lips. It was only when his head started tilting down towards mine that I completely lost it and jumped with my good foot on his expensive looking shoe. He stopped mid-bend and his dazed features started rearranging themselves, slowly but surely, till they held the same horror that I'm sure mine held at that moment. Immediately his arms around my waist loosened and he nearly pushed me away from him, but when I gasped in pain at having lost the support his body had been providing, instantly his arms encircled my frame again. His features creased in alarmed concern as he examined my pained face. I didn't have time to feel surprised at his considerate nature for the second time that day, as his eyes slowly started trailing down my frame to exactly where I feared. My legs! Aiyaaaaahhh! Suddenly experiencing the most extreme form of panic, I yanked at his shirt bringing his chest flush against mine. Another wave of tingles and tickles exploded all over my body and I wondered how I hadn't turned into Michael Jackson yet. The CEO's eyes widened and his eyebrows furrowed in alarm. I could clearly read his face right now. The heck are you doing woman?! If only he knew. No wait, no! He mustn't know. Not now, not EVER! He tried to put some distance between us but I didn't allow it tugging at his shirt with one hand while trying to pull the ends of my torn skirt together with the other. At this rate, my skirt wouldn't be the only cloth I'd tear today. But in the frenzied attempt of my hand to protect my dignity 'down there', it accidentally brushed against his! GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH At the rate that his face contorted in shock, I guessed he was probably also a feeler. I didn't even have time to cringe in pain when within a split second he had put much over a foot of distance between us as he held me at arm's length. "Get away from me woman!" he yelled and I heard a cacophony or terrified gasps fill the air, including my own. "What the HELL do you think you're do-", his bellowing came to an abrupt halt and a deafening silence filled the evening air. And I stared in utter horror and shock as his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as his gaze fixed on to the gaping lack of covering on my lower half. And at that minute, I wished from the bottom of my heart that that large kind brown eyed wolf had actually eaten me whole. _______________