Emergency: Mother Wanted

'I'm sorry, Zach,' she mumbled finally, not quite meeting his eyes. 'I was just trying to help. I wasn't. Oh, damn.'

'Hush...'

She felt his hands on her shoulders and glanced up awkwardly, preparing herself to apologise again—to explain that she hadn't been throwing herself at him. Instead, the words died in her throat and what she saw in his eyes took her breath away.

'Keely.' He said her name softly, his strong fingers stroking through her blonde hair as he scanned every inch of her face. 'Little Keely. You can't see anyone hurt and not try and help, can you?'

'I'm not little.' She frowned, hurt that he seemed to be dismissing her concern so lightly. 'I'm an adult, remember? I don't—'

'Dammit, I know you're an adult.' He growled the words against her mouth and then suddenly he was kissing her. Kissing her the way he'd kissed her that night in Phoebe's bedroom.

She gave a soft gasp and he took instant advantage, steadying her head with strong hands as he deepened the kiss.

Her heart thudding erratically, she melted into him and with a rough exclamation his arms slid round her, trapping her against his powerful body.

Swamped with need, her knees sagged and without breaking the kiss he propelled her backwards until her shoulders came into contact with the wall, his body hard against hers as he continued to drive them both to a frenzy of need. He seemed to know exactly how to kiss her, exactly what to do to excite her the most.

His breathing harsh, he lifted her skirt, his hands sliding up the warmth of her trembling thighs and cupping her bottom.

'Dear God, Keely...' He muttered the words against her mouth, his strong fingers tightening on her flesh, his touch sending rivers of wild excitement tumbling through her insides.

'Zach...' She was trembling like a leaf in a storm, her whole body consumed by the fire he'd ignited inside her. She felt his fingers tugging at her skimpy pants and gave a soft gasp as he sought access to the very heart of her passion.

She clutched his shoulders and her breath came in tiny pants as her body responded to the touch of his clever fingers. She couldn't believe what was happening, couldn't understand the response that he coaxed from her, and she trembled as she felt the ripples of sensation spread through her body. For a brief moment in time she forgot where she was—she forgot who she was—aware only of the sudden explosion within her body. His mouth captured her cries of ecstasy and afterwards she nestled against him, hiding her burning face in the cool fabric

of his shirt.

'Oh, Zach...' She whispered his name, not daring to look at him. 'I wasn't— I didn't mean to—'

He gave a soft laugh, his warm breath brushing the top of her head. 'You didn't. I did. If anyone needs to apologise here, it's me.'

She shook her head, her cheeks still burning. How could she have let him do that? How could she have been so totally shameless?

'Keely, look at me.'

She ignored his quiet command, her face still buried in his shirt.

'I can't. I'm too embarrassed.'

With a soft curse he slipped a hand under her chin and lifted her face so that she was forced to look at him.

'Zach, I really didn't mean...' She swallowed hard and tried again. 'I don't want you to think— When I hugged you, I wasn't throwing myself at you.'

'I know that.' A ghost of a smile played around his firm mouth. 'You were trying to comfort me, and I'm sorry.'

Her eyes widened. 'Why are you sorry?'

'Because I was the one who kissed you. And I shouldn't have done it.' He hesitated and then gave a humourless laugh. 'I always seem to be saying that to you, don't I?'

Keely closed her eyes, still hideously embarrassed. 'Zach, it was my fault, not yours—'

Zach covered her lips with a gentle finger, stopping her in mid-flow. 'It wasn't anyone's fault, Keely. The truth is that you and I can't seem to be within a metre of each other without sparking enough electricity to power the whole of the national grid.' His hand dropped and suddenly he looked weary. 'But it doesn't change the fact that I have nothing to offer any woman at the moment. The truth is that after Catherine I haven't got anything left to give anyone.'

'I know. I understand. Truly I do.' With a massive effort Keely flashed him a smile. 'Let's just forget it. It was just a kiss.'

The way he lifted an eyebrow made her realise how totally ridiculous it was to refer to what they'd shared as 'just a kiss'.

Saying that it was 'just a kiss', was like saying that Everest was just a mountain!