Emergency: Mother Wanted

by Sarah Morgan

  She'd thought of everything.

  Zach felt an unfamiliar sensation tug at his insides. He lifted a hand and stroked the tempting strands of honey blonde hair that fell in a tousled mass around her pretty face, telling himself firmly that what he felt towards her was just gratitude.

  She froze under his touch and stared at him like a rabbit in a trap. 'Zach?'

  Her hair felt incredible. Soft and sensual, a silky curtain of temptation that he wanted to tough for ever.

  Still groggy from lack of sleep, she looked totally adorable, her huge blue eyes bemused and unfocused as she looked up at him.

  Driven by an impulse outside his control and beyond his understanding, he bent his head, his mouth hovering only a breath away from hers while he made a final valiant attempt to resist temptation and listen to common sense.

  He saw her eyes widen, saw the question in them and then he was kissing her. Really kissing her, the way a man was meant to kiss a woman.

  And she was a woman.

  He knew that now.

  There was no way he could pretend otherwise.

  There was nothing childlike in the way she was responding to his kiss.

  Nothing childlike in her warm, womanly response which made his guts clench and his heart thunder in his chest. He was drugged by the taste of her, by the seductive touch of her lips, and he deepened the kiss, exploring every inch of her soft mouth.

  Kissing Keely.

  It was something he'd never even allowed himself to contemplate. She'd always been out of bounds. The baby sister of his classmates.

  But she wasn't a baby any more...

  Without breaking the kiss, Zach scooped her up in his arms and sat down on the sofa, settling her on his lap so that he could have better access to her body. He felt her shiver with reaction and soothed her gently, one hand stroking her arm, the other locked in her hair, holding her head steady for his kiss.

  He felt her hand reach up and part his dressing-gown and then rest tentatively on his hard chest.

  Still blocking out common sense, he mirrored her action, slipping his long fingers inside her dressing-gown and touching the soft swell of her breasts. He was surprised by how full she was for such a slight woman, and her body's immediate response to his touch made the blood race through his veins.

  'Drink!'

  Pheobe's cry was like a cold shower and Keely gave a soft gasp and wriggled off his lap, leaving him to fight for control.

  Damn.

  What had he been playing at?

  He ran a hand over his face and shook his head slightly to clear it.

  'She's not hot. She was just thirsty.' Keely didn't look at him and Zach could tell by the dark stain on her cheeks that she didn't know what to say to him. Which was hardly surprising, because he didn't know what to say to her either.

  What the hell had come over him?

  'I'll sort her out. Go to bed Keely.' His voice sounded rough. Rougher than he'd intended. 'I'll stay with her now. You need some sleep.'

  Why had he done that?

  Why had he kissed her when he'd known it was madness?

  Because he'd lost control. And he couldn't remember the last time he'd lost control with a woman. He never lost control. Even when he had relationships—and he was becoming more and more choosy as time went on—he always managed to keep himself emotionally detached. In fact, since Catherine's death it was as if his heart had been replaced by a block of ice. He seemed incapable of feeling anything for anyone except Phoebe.

  So why had he reacted so strongly to Keely?

  Zach gritted his teeth and settled his daughter back in her bed. Maybe if they just ignored what had happened it would go away. They'd both been tired and worried about Phoebe, that was all. It hadn't meant anything. But he'd better make sure she understood that. The last thing he needed was Keely developing another crush on him. She wasn't the sort of woman to settle for a brief affair and he was in no shape to give anything more. He had nothing to offer a woman like Keely.

  Keely walked hesitantly down the stairs the next morning . and then froze when she heard laughter in the kitchen. She couldn't do it. She didn't know what to say. Turning quickly, she started to go back up the stairs, but it was too late.

  'Keely?'

  Zach had obviously heard her footsteps. Bother. No escape.

  Now what?

  What did you say to a man who'd kissed you senseless the night before and then behaved as if it hadn't happened?

  'Hi, there.' She flashed him a bright smile that probably looked as false as it felt and walked briskly down the stairs as though passionate kisses in the middle of the night were an everyday occurrence. 'How's the invalid this morning?'

  'Come and see for yourself.' He'd pulled on a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a loose-fitting sweatshirt, but he obviously hadn't bothered to shave. He looked breathtakingly handsome and Keely's heart thumped against her chest and threatened to obstruct her breathing.

  Oh, help, it was happening all over again. She was falling for him.

  No. No. No! She gritted her teeth and told herself firmly that she was doing no such thing. She was bound to find him attractive—what woman wouldn't? But that didn't mean she had real feelings for him.

  She followed him into the kitchen and smiled at Phoebe who was sitting in a high chair at the table, demolishing the remains of a boiled egg.

  'Hello, cherub.' Keely sat down next to the child and touched her forehead. 'You feel cool. More paracetamol?'

  Zach shook his head. 'Not since the dose you gave last night. I think she's getting better.'

  'Phoebe poorly,' the little girl said clearly. 'Poor Phoebe.'

  Zach grinned. 'Poor Phoebe, indeed.' He ruffled her hair and sliced her toast into fingers. 'At least you're more cheerful this morning.'

  Phoebe wrapped her chubby fist around a piece of buttery toast and held out her arms to her father. 'Want cuggle.'

  'Cuggle?' Keely frowned and then nodded. 'Oh, I see— she wants a cuddle.'

  'Finish your breakfast first,' Zach said firmly, but Phoebe started to whine and grizzle and eventually he scooped the messy toddler onto his knee, ignoring the lumps of butter and egg that attached themselves to his clothing. 'There we are, then. One cuddle coming up.'

  Keely swallowed hard and reached for a piece of toast. Just seeing the two of them together turned her insides to marshmallow.

  'Awful parenting, I know,' Zach said with a rueful smile, finishing his own toast as he balanced Phoebe on his lap. 'I should have been stern and made her stay in her high chair until she'd finished eating. I over-compensate all the time, I'm afraid.'

  'Don't apologise Zach. You're doing a great job,' Keely said quietly, spreading butter on her toast. 'A really great job.'

  Zach watched her for a moment and then pushed a mug of tea towards her. 'Here—this is yours. You deserve it after last night.'

  'Thanks.'

  'It's me who should be thanking you,' he said quietly, and she concentrated on her toast to hide her blush.

  What exactly was he thanking her for? Kissing him?

  Probably not.

  'You're welcome,' she said finally, glancing up and giving Phoebe a smile. Anything rather than look him in the eye. 'Presumably you're not going in today?'

  'No.' He shook his head. 'I don't want to leave her with anyone until I know she's better, but I'm going to talk to Barbara, my housekeeper, about looking after Phoebe during the day. I might go in tomorrow if she's all right.'

  Keely took a sip of tea. 'I'm off tomorrow, so I'll look after her then if you like. Just to make sure that she really is on the mend before you give her to anyone nonmedical.'

  Those blue eyes were suddenly wary. 'Keely, there's something I need to say to you...'

  Oh,, help. She could guess what was coming.

  'You want to talk about the kiss,' she said lightly. 'But it's OK, Zach. We were both tired. It didn't mean anything.'

  There was a brief silence. 'And you're all
right about that?'

  'Of course,' she lied bravely. 'Why wouldn't I be?'

  He gave a sigh and tilted his head against the back of the chair. 'Because, to put it bluntly, you once had a crush on me and last night I did something I shouldn't have done. I don't want you to get the wrong idea.'

  He was obviously afraid she was going to throw herself at him again.

  Well, she wasn't.

  She'd never make that mistake again. She couldn't stop herself from finding him irresistibly attractive, but she could stop herself from showing it.

  'Look, it was just a simple kiss,' she pointed out gently, and he gave a short laugh.

  'In my experience there's no such thing. I need to spell this out, Keely, and if I hurt you then I'm sorry.' He took a deep breath and his expression was serious. 'I am not in the market for a serious relationship.'

  She nodded slowly, her eyes sympathetic. 'Because of your wife?'

  His jaw tightened and he stood up quickly, the chair scraping on the kitchen floor. 'Because of Catherine, yes.'

  'You don't have to talk about it, Zach.'

  'No.' His voice was harsh. 'And, frankly, I don't want to... Suffice it to say that any relationships since her have been... superficial.'

  Superficial?

  Presumably he meant just sex.

  Suddenly a lump grew in her throat. What was it like to love someone that much? So much that no one could ever take their place.

  A muscle worked in his lean jaw. 'Don't fall for me, Keely.'

  'Relax. I got over that when I was sixteen.'

  He didn't look convinced. 'You're all right about living here? After last night?'

  'Why shouldn't I be?' She gave ,a shrug and reached across the table to give Phoebe some more toast. 'I'm old enough to handle one kiss without falling into a swoon and expecting you to marry me.'

  'You're making light of it but I just want to make sure you're clear—'

  'I'm clear.' She held his gaze and smiled. 'I understand the main house rules. Residents must not fall in love with the master of the house. Any other rules I should know about?'

  He visibly relaxed and shook his head. 'No. Aren't you going to be late for work?'

  She looked at the kitchen clock. 'Oh, help. Probably! I'd forgotten I had further to drive this morning.' She stood up and waggled her fingers at Phoebe. 'I'll see you later.'

  'If you have any problems today, talk to Sean,' Zach told her, frowning slightly as she picked up her bag and keys and flew towards the door.

  'Yes, boss.' She grinned and opened the door, letting in a stream of icy cold air. 'See you later.'

  She climbed into her little car, trying to ignore the leaden feeling in her stomach. It was all very well telling herself that she wasn't going to fall for Zach, but after that kiss... But it hadn't meant anything, she reminded herself firmly. It might have been breathtaking, and fantastic, and all the things that kisses were meant to be in fairy-tales, but it hadn't actually meant anything. There hadn't been any feelings behind it—at least not on Zach's part.

  Zach was obviously convinced that he'd never love another woman again, and maybe he was right. Maybe for him there would never be another woman who matched up to his first wife. Certainly he'd just gone to great pains to make sure that she hadn't misunderstood the situation.

  And she hadn't.

  She understood perfectly.

  Falling for Zach would be a quick route to a broken heart, just as Nicky had told her, and she had no intention of putting herself through that twice in a lifetime.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  'You're kidding!' Nicky stopped dead, her arms full of sterile dressing packs. 'You've moved in with him?'

  'Why are you so surprised?' Keely caught the dressing packs before her colleague dropped them on the floor.

  'Well...because... He never...' Nicky gaped at her, almost speechless, 'Zach never, ever lets women stay at his house. In fact, to my knowledge, he's never introduced any woman to his daughter—apart from the nannies, of course.'

  Which was exactly what Zach had told her himself.

  'Yes, well, that's where I fit in,' Keely said lightly, tossing the packs into the box in the treatment room, ready for the dressing clinic. 'In Zach's eyes I'm somewhere between a child and a nanny.'

  Or at least she had been before last night.

  'Even so, I cannot believe he's letting you stay with him.' Nicky straightened her uniform and took a deep breath. 'Maybe there's hope after all.'

  'Hope for what?'

  'Hope for Zach. Hope that he might one day allow himself to get involved with a woman again.' Nicky frowned. 'Frankly, he's so emotionally detached that I didn't think he'd ever let anyone get close to him again.'

  'Don't get carried away, Nicky,' Keely said dryly. 'I'm staying in his house to help look after his child, not him. I'd hardly say we were close.'

  It was true. Zach might have kissed her but she wasn't any closer to the real Zach than she'd been when she'd arrived. Nicky was right when she described him as emotionally detached. He certainly was. But, of course, now she knew the reason. Part of him was locked away after the death of his wife.

  Nicky shrugged. 'I still think it's a step in the right direction.'

  Keely lowered her voice. 'He—he told me about his wife.'

  'Did he?' Nicky sighed. 'Awful, isn't it? I don't know any of the details—it all happened before he came to the Lakes.'

  'He must have loved her very much.'

  'Yes. He certainly isn't interested in another serious relationship,' Nicky agreed, opening a new box of sterile needles. 'But what about you, Keely? Are you sure you're going to be able to live with the man without falling for him?'

  'Honestly?' Keely gave a rueful smile. 'No, I'm not sure. But if I do fall for him I promise not to let it show.'

  Nicky shook her head. 'Don't let yourself be hurt, Keely.'

  'It's Zach who's hurt,' Keely said simply. 'And if I can make things better by helping out in a practical way then I will. Don't worry about me. I can cope with my feelings.'

  At least, she hoped she could.

  Zach was bathing Phoebe when he heard Keely's cheerful greeting from the hall.

  She was home.

  He lifted Phoebe out of the bath and wrapped her in a towel, ruthlessly pushing aside memories of Keely's soft mouth under his. The way she'd felt...the way she'd tasted...

  Damn.

  He should never have kissed her.

  He'd thought of nothing else all day and, despite his blunt warning to her this morning, he knew that the kiss was gong to cause him no end of problems. She was going to expect something he couldn't ever give a woman again.

  He walked into Phoebe's bedroom, slap into Keely who was obviously looking for them.

  'Oops. Sorry.' She grinned and steadied herself against the door, leaning forward to kiss Phoebe. 'How is she?'

  'Much better, thanks.' Zach moved past her, trying not to notice her flushed cheeks or her happy smile. If he looked at her smile then he'd see her lips, and if he saw her lips he'd want to kiss them again...

  What on earth was the matter with him? He never normally had any trouble resisting women. In fact, he'd become something of an expert at keeping them at a distance. Why was Keely proving so much of a temptation? She wasn't even his usual type, if he was honest. Normally he ended up with cool, sophisticated women—like Catherine. But Keely was nothing like Catherine. Maybe that was it. Maybe he was attracted to Keely because she was as unlike his first wife as a woman could possibly have been.

  'Why don't I put her to bed?' Keely reached out to take Phoebe from him, but she squirmed away and clung to her father.

  'Sorry. Don't take it personally.' Suddenly Zach felt exhausted. 'She's always been quite clingy. She doesn't go to people very easily.'

  'Well, that's understandable,' Keely said softly, a sympathetic smile on her face. 'Phoebe, shall we go and look out of your bedroom window? We might see that cat again.'

  P
hoebe stiffened and looked suspiciously at Keely. 'Cat in garden?'

  'Maybe.' Keely nodded and gave the little girl a smile. 'What do you think? Shall we go and look?'

  Phoebe hesitated and then nodded and reached out her arms.

  Zach hid his surprise and watched as Keely settled his daughter on her hip, still chatting about the cat.

  Damn, she was good with children. Incredibly patient and good-humoured. He knew only too well just how difficult Phoebe could be, but Keely didn't seem bothered by her behaviour. Just incredibly understanding. And smart. She always had a distraction ready, something to capture the little girl's interest.

  'You could pour yourself a drink and put your feet up.' Her eyes were twinkling at him and he frowned and shook his head.

  'You're the one that's been at work all day.'

  'And work is nothing compared to looking after a toddler, as we both know,' she said with a laugh. 'Go on. We're going to look for the cat. Pour me a glass of wine while you're there and I'll be down in a minute. White, please.'

  But he couldn't move. Seeing his daughter cuddled close to a woman made his insides twist.

  'Are you OK?' Keely's voice was soft and her eyes were concerned. 'Zach? Have I done something?'

  'No. You haven't done anything,' Zach said roughly, 'and I'm fine.'

  Damn.

  It wasn't her fault that his emotions were in a mess. But he was going to have to be more careful in the future. He knew what Keely was like—if she guessed just how raw he was inside then she'd be trying to mother him and sort him out. And that was the last thing he wanted.

  'Daddy poorly,' Phoebe said emphatically, and Zach gave a wry smile and ruffled her soft blonde hair.

  'Daddy's not poorly,' he reassured her gently, stiffening as Keely touched his arm, her expression still worried.

  'Do you want to talk about it?'

  'Nothing to talk about.' He detached himself from her touch and walked towards the door. 'I'll go and pour the drinks.'

  It was typical of Keely to think that talking would solve his problems, typical of her trusting, optimistic approach to life. He most certainly didn't want to discuss his feelings with her and he had no intention of dumping his hurt or bitterness in her lap. He didn't want to use her in that way. She was still young and naive enough to believe that relationships could end happily ever after. Who was he to disillusion her?