"Who did this?" he asked, his face deadly serious as if the gaping slit in my skirt was some important state affair. He said it out of concern, or so I thought, for which I would be incredibly grateful if the matter at hand wasn't so horrendously embarrassing. "It just sort of...I mean...I did", I squeaked in an almost inaudible whisper but at the way his face scrunched up to reveal disbelief and horror, I was pretty sure he heard it. "You? You did this? You did this, yourself?" he asked incredulously making me wince with each word. Ironically, the only thing clear in his voice was the confusion and I felt what little self-esteem I had left erode away into the abyss of nothingness. Knowing not what to say, I nodded shamefully, while pushing harder at his chest to get away from him. This conversation was already far too unconventional and the tingles and this brazen honeymoon pose were only making it ten times worse. Why wouldn't this man just let me go so we could have a proper conversation in our own personal spaces? That is...as proper as a conversation about torn clothing and exposed body parts could get... "Are you crazy? WHY?" he shouted and a squeal escaped Mr. Talon's mouth reminding me that he was still here. I shook my head vigorously, "It was an accident!" I replied mentally stabbing myself from the mortification, "I just...I tugged at it...and it...it just...sort of...it..." I felt like I would explode if I continued so I let it go but unfortunately my word vomit didn't end there, "and I couldn't tell anyone and I didn't want anyone to see so I was running to the car with that blasted hospital gown when I crashed into you and it flew to God knows where and then you...you..." Gaaaaah! This was so indescribably embarrassing! Someone please shoot me with a tranquilizer dart, preferably a heavy dose! I buried my face in my hands and squealed into them. My cheeks felt hot against the palms of my hands. I slowly lifted my head and looked back up at the CEO who was now staring at me impassively, but his eyes seemed to hold a tiny bit of mirth as they twinkled, crinkling ever so slightly at the corners. Having exhausted my reserves of explanations, I did the only thing I had done punctually without fail for the past ten minutes. I blushed. The CEO still continued to stare at me silently and the discomfort started eating at my insides so I looked away from him only to find Mr. Talon looking appalled at the state of my skirt as he stared at it wide-eyed, his gaping mouth covered by the palm of his hand. Strangely enough, I didn't feel that embarrassed or at all disgusted at Mr. Talon having seen my undignified state. There was something about him which just made him seem like family. His staring only told me he was shocked and most probably extremely concerned about my condition, but there was no trace of any cheap or dirty sentiments in his eyes. He was, to put it simply, pure! "TALON!" The CEO's loud bellow made Mr. Talon jump to the sky and back and his eyes gave their full attention to the CEO once again as another low growl filled the air and I gawked wide eyed, red faced at the CEO's stomach and thought not now! "S-SIR!" For a few seconds the CEO just glared daggers at Mr. Talon who looked as good as dead. Then the CEO squeezed his eyes shut as if he were trying to regain some semblance of control before opening them and releasing a deep breath. One of his hands withdrew from around my waist and dipped into his pant pockets and I heard a familiar jingle as he produced a set of car keys from it. "There is a spare jacket in the back seat of my car. Go get it for Ms. Winters", the CEO ordered making my heart flutter as I gazed at him in awe and wonder. Why would he do that? "Y-Y-yes sir! Right away sir!" Mr. Talon affirmed and immediately ran towards where the cars were parked, forgetting to take the keys in the first place making the CEO scowl in disbelief and irritation. I was already hyperventilating since I heard the word Jacket but when Mr. Talon scurried away without the keys I cringed so hard that my face started to hurt. "Mr. Tal-" "TALON!" the CEO's annoyed snarl cut me off stopping Mr. Talon dead in his tracks. He turned towards us so fast that his feet tangled in each other and he fumbled around doing something resembling an exotic belly dance. Oh Mr. Talon! I whisper-shrieked at his predicament while the CEO just hissed in growing annoyance. Once Mr. Talon had assembled himself, he stood straight and the CEO looked warily at him. He opened his mouth to say something but then clamped it shut again and just held the keys up in the air so Mr. Talon could see them. It took all of two whole seconds for his slip to register and a shrieking, shaking, stammering Mr. Talon started stumbling towards us again. I felt the urge to reach out to him and provide some form of comfort but the minute I made the slightest of movements to get away, the CEO's grip tightened around me pressing me back into his solid torso. When Mr. Talon was significantly closer, the CEO called out to him, "Here", he said throwing the keys to him, only to have them land with a loud clang on Mr. Talon's face making both of him and me gawk in shock. Mr. Talon quickly gathered the keys from his reddening face and smiled sheepishly while nodding at who knows what. The CEO sighed in exasperation, "Go", he breathed out. "Yes Sir!" Mr. Talon replied ever enthusiastically and turned doing yet another strange haphazard dance movement making me and, surprisingly, even the CEO lurch forwards to steady him. But he gathered himself quickly and tottered away once again. Oh dear...He reminds me of a male version of myself I released a strangled breath feeling overwhelming sympathy for the poor man who was staggering away. Almost simultaneously the CEO also released a breath, and I was shocked into oblivion when he bent down and exhaustedly buried his face in my hair. My mouth went dry as I once again became strikingly aware of the tingles dancing across my flushed skin. In the span of just a few minutes, the CEO had done so many small yet intimate things making me feel extremely confused and even more flustered. He made no movements as he stood with his face still buried in my hair and just when I started wondering if he had passed out I heard him inhale deeply as he pressed me closer into his warmth, the gesture screaming intimacy. Why would he do that? And all of a sudden I could feel every inch of my body against his, how my soft curves pressed into the hard panes of his strong sculpted body. I could feel his chest rise and fall in sync with his steady breathing. I could feel the ever present warmth that his body radiated, envelope my already flushed skin. I could feel his heart thump rhythmically against the palm of my hand which was placed on his chest.