He was standing at his full height. Back straight, shoulders relaxed, sneer painted over the sharp angles of his face. His hands kept running through his blond hair, smoothing and slicking. Those long, slender fingers curled and flexed at his sides, drumming every now and then on the fabric of his black pants. His legs shifted from their lengthy stance as he crossed one behind the other, propping his foot up by the toe of his glossy ebony wingtips.

"You're staring," Charlie whispered in her ear.

Skylar blinked, coming back to the present. She tore her eyes from Bear. "He is pretty hot when he's worked up." It wasn't the first time she had witnessed him reprimanding someone. That was the main reason an employee would come to the top floor--they messed up. "So," she hopped onto the edge of Skylar's desk and crossed her legs, "are we still set on the sweater dress? Because I was thinking I could wear those white shorts with the Nike crop top."

"It's November," Skylar giggled, "please don't wear booty shorts on a fall date. At least make him think that he has to work for it. Sweater dress says, 'I'm Charlie, and I may not get laid tonight, and that's okay'. You're white shorts say, 'You don't even have to take me to restaurant, we can just bone here'." She propped her chin on her fist and batted her lashes up at her.

"This is why I came here first. Okay, I'm going to go change, be right back." She jumped down, taking her backpack to the bathroom.

Bear sent the trembling man away and stalked back to his doors, pausing with his hand on the black swirls making up his name. "Why is she here?" he asked without looking at her.

Skylar gaped, fumbling for something to say. "Uh...she's...I was--"

"This isn't the mall, Skylar." He turned to face her and she sucked in a breath at his expression. He'd never looked at her like that before. His eyes seemed darker, colder. He looked like he hadn't slept the night before. Dark veins were webbed beneath his lower lashes. But she blinked, and they were gone--his face softer. "Sorry," he grunted, "I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just--it's been a long day."

Skylar rose from her chair, taking a hesitant step toward him. "I can ask her to leave."

"No, no, don't. She's more than welcome to be here with you. I'm just," he rubbed his eyes, "I'm stressed out. I'm sorry." He checked his watch and cursed under his breath. "It's already five o'clock."

"Shit, oh shit!" Skylar ran to her desk, searching for her keycard and knocking over the pencil holder.

"What's wrong?" he asked, picking the pencils up.

"You're coffee! Manny told me before he left that we were out of the coffee you like, and I was supposed to go down at four thirty to get some from the lobby and I completely spaced it!" She was already jogging to the elevator and jabbing the down button with her thumb.

"Uh, Skylar?" he called.

"Yes?" She didn't turn until she heard the sound of liquid pouring. Bear was hovering a full coffee pot over his mug with a smug smirk. "What are you doing?" The elevator opened up.

"I'm perfectly capable of drinking any one of these brands," he said, bringing the mug to his lips and sipping. His face screwed up and Skylar leapt into the elevator.

"Oh yeah?" She laughed as the doors began to close. 

Bear put a hand out to stop them, the doors opened wide. "It's fine. Just don't leave me alone up here with her. If she comes out before you get back and I'm here alone," he trailed off. He leaned his elbow against the wall. His blazer opened up and she could see the black undershirt beneath it and a tuft of dark blond hair in the crook of his underarm.

"She's harmless," she promised him with a giggle. 

"She's loud," he countered, taking a step closer. She could smell it again--the fresh mint on his breath. He was barely an arm's reach away. His emerald orbs flicked down to her lips and she felt her legs weaken. She gripped the gold bar and leaned against it to create some space between them. She watched him swallow, his throat bobbing as he didn't look away from her lips. He took another step and she found herself straightening, pushing away from the mirrors with her fingertips. Her gaze left his eyes and fixed on his mouth. His lips parted, small minty bursts fanned her face as he moved closer, closer. 

"Told you he liked you," Charlie chirped from behind.

Bear grunted and stepped out of the elevator, Skylar on his heels. "He was just giving me his order," Skylar stammered.

"Yeah, I bet he was," Charlie bit her lip at him.

"His coffee order!" Skylar snapped.

"Uh-huh," Charlie's lips pursed, trying to hold back her smile that was ever widening. "Well, I have that date, so..." She pointed her fingers at the elevator and walked in. Skylar gawked. Charlie wiggled her fingers and blew them both a kiss. "Text you later." The doors closed.

Skylar stood there for a moment, dreading to look at Bear--to see how horrified he was that someone had seen that interaction. Braving a glance, she saw he wasn't even looking at her. He was looking at his phone. "Gabby is going to bring up the coffee," he stated.

"Okay," Skylar replied in a small voice. "Do you need me to--"

"No, it's fine. She's bringing me something else too. Just set it on my desk when it comes," he ordered, avoiding her stare and heading for his office. The golden doors closed silently before she could even think to say something back.

Barely ten minutes had passed before an elderly woman in a maroon suit came through the elevator doors. She looked to be in her sixties, but she carried herself so elegantly with her curly white hair flowing down her back. Her lips were painted a deep, dark scarlet and she was severely lacking laugh lines around her mouth. "Coffee and dinner," she announced, setting the tray on her desk. One full bag of coffee grounds and one tall, silver thermos.

"Thank you," Skylar stood up. Gabby didn't respond, only turning on her tall nude heels and leaving. She picked up the tray and let herself into Bear's office. "Bear?" she tried, but he didn't answer. The office was empty. She set the tray down gently on his desk and backed away. The last thing she wanted to do was make things weird between the two of him. Not when he'd gone out of his way to help her out. She spun around and the bathroom door opened. 

"Oh," Bear said when he saw her at his desk. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Sorry, I was just bringing in your dinner." She said, the coffee grounds nestled in her arms and giving her something to focus on that wasn't the way he was staring at her. 

"Thanks," he said, crossing the room to where she stood and moving the thermos off the tray.

"Of course," she said, bowing. Bowing? Her cheeks heated and she cringed, rising up to meet his amused smile. "I don't know why I just did that," she sighed, embarrassed.

"What are you doing this weekend?" The question took her by surprise.

"Uh," she blinked, "I don't know. I haven't made any plans yet." She wanted to shove her hands into her pockets to keep them from shaking, but her jeans were stuffed at the bottom of her backpack. Instead, she drummed her fingers over the front of her blue dress--another company credit card purchase.

"How would you like to go to dinner with me?" She was aware that she was gaping, but she didn't know how to stop. Her mouth opened and closed. "Can't have rumors going around that I'm not a gentleman," he grinned wickedly, "you deserve better than that."

"I--uh," Skylar gulped. A date--dinner. He wanted to take her out for a night. Him. 

"No pressure." She looked up at him. He didn't look the slightest bit worried. His hand rested on the desk top and thrummed idly. "Pick you up at eight?" He winked. She could only nod weakly. "Perfect," he said, a triumphant glint in his eyes.

She noted his hand inching along the desk, walking his fingers towards her. She bit her lip in anticipation.

Bear chuckled deep in his throat and grabbed his thermos. Skylar nearly choked on her embarrassment. "I should get back to...computer...stuff."

"Computer stuff, huh?" He wagged his brows and took a drink of whatever he considered dinner.

Her cheeks were on fire. A nervous laugh caught in her throat and she coughed hard into her hand, choking on her own spit. Her humiliation was complete when Bear began howling with laughter at her expense. He swallowed two big gulps from his thermos and set it down, a contemplative look crossing his features. She opened her mouth to say...something, but he never gave her the chance.

In an instant, his hands were on either side of her face. Pulling her towards his parted lips. She should have moved--pulled away and talked some sense into him, but she couldn't. Wouldn't.

She let her own hands encase his, feeling the heat of his pale skin beneath her vibrating fingers. His lips hovered just about hers, and she realized he was waiting for her consent. She gave it to him, closing the gap on her tiptoes.

His kiss was searing, leaving a fire with every soft caress of his lips. His hands left her face and fell to her hips, gripping and massaging. It was an awkward angle--having to reach up to his absurd height in stilettos. She went to lower herself but her shoe twisted.

He caught her around the waist before she went down. A breathy laugh escaped her. "Sorry, I'm not used to heels." She felt like she'd apologized a thousand times to him.

"Then take them off," he purred, lowering himself to his knees in front of her. Her toes curled. His eyes locked on hers as he undid the buckle straps on each side and slid them slowly--so tantalizingly slow that it made her core ache with need--and let them drop to the floor.

He took up one foot and rubbed slow circles over her arch. Her peach and raspberry toes flexed when he applied pressure. He smirked. "Is that better?" He was staring into her soul.

"Mhmm," she managed. His flesh was so warm on her aching feet and the pressure was too perfect. He dropped her foot gently and went to work on the other one. Her lids fluttered.

Her eyes opened when the massage stopped. Breath hitching, he crashed his lips into hers once more, this time with more urgency. She could feel his need to be closer to her in every gasp of air. His hands roamed her bare arms, slipping under her short sleeves to trace her shoulders.

Skylar gasped in his ear when he hooked his hands behind her legs and hauled her up on top of his desk. A few glass paperweights fell to the floor and shattered. Her first instinct was to clean them up, but Bear pinned her with a lust clouded stare. His eyes held hers and she couldn't stop herself from letting him pull her back in.

He was smiling--she could feel it against her lips. Her heart fluttered in her chest. His touch on her arms had her hair rising. She hitched her leg around his waist, pulling him in. "Bear," she breathed as he nipped at her neck.

"Hmm?"

"I don't want you to think that I'm...that--"

He pulled back. "I like you, Skylar." She swallowed. "You're different."

"Different?" She cringed internally.

He traced his thumb over her bottom lip, watching the way her lip gloss coated his digit. "You aren't like the others around her. You're interesting. Different."

He leaned closer and she felt like she was in a sauna when his throbbing need pressed against her inner thigh. He must have known she could feel it. Running a ringed hand through his hair, he stepped back. "Need a ride home?"

"T-Teresa is picking me up."

A grin. "Tomorrow at eight?" She nodded vigorously. "I'll see you then." He strode from the office with his thermos in hand. She didn't know where he went, but he didn't come back for the remainder of her shift.