Sorry it took so long to update. had a busy weekend and my internets been dropping in and out all the time. This chapter is just a smallish one. Not really sure where this is going so any ideas are welcome.

Hope you enjoy it.

A/N Own character for Lou and Jess.

Chapter 4

Zoe.

I arrived home to find my sister Lou's car parked outside my house. Fantastic. She had her own key meaning she would be able to let herself in and in there she would find Ash. Fantastic, just fantastic.

I walked slowly up to my door a pair of scrubs for Ash carefully concealed within my bag. I fumbled inserting my key into the lock nervous of what I would find.

Before I had full entered the hall I saw my niece run up to me and clamp her chubby arms around my legs nearly knocking me flying.

"Auntie Zoe!" she exclaimed happily.

"Hey Jess, baby! How are you?" I asked picking her up and giving her a squeeze.

"Good. Ash is really funny Auntie Zoe. Who is he? Is he your boyfriend?" she asked looking into my eyes. I couldn't believe that my 3 year old niece was asking me if Ash was my boyfriend. I would expect it from my sister but not her.

"Where is Ash?" I asked avoiding the question.

"In the kitchen with mummy." She said as I put her down. She wandered off to the kitchen to find Lou.

I followed her after putting my bag on the table in the hall.

As I walked into the kitchen I found Jess playing with a box of toys I had for he in the corner of the large dining area and Ash and my sister chatting to each other. Lou making coffee and Ash sitting on the stools at the breakfast bar wearing a towel round his waist and my slippers on his feet. I laughed when I saw this causing them both to look round and see me standing in the doorway.

"Hey Zoe!" Lou greeted me making her way over to hug me.

"Hey Lou. What have you been up to?" I responded as she hugged me.

"Well, I've just been asking Ash here how you know each other. Work apparently. I also asked him why he was in your house because I thought he was an intruder when I first came in. he gave me quite a fright you know!" she explained going back to making coffee and nodding towards Ash when she mentioned him.

"I would have told you he was here I wasn't expecting you till 8." I said embarrassed for Ash being stuck in the room with only a towel wrapped around his waist. I then turned to him, "There's a pair of scrubs in my bag in the hall. Go get changed." I said pointing towards the direction of the hall.

"Thanks Zoe." He replied getting up and going to get the scrubs from my bag.

I turned back to my sister and she burst into laughter.

"Sorry." She said after a minute of me looking at her angrily. "I didn't mean to turn up early but Jess insisted on coming straight here after she finished nursery so we did. Then when I came in and found him in the living room wearing nothing but a towel I just offered him coffee and explained who I was and I was just getting round to asking who he was. So who is he?" she asked, holding back more giggles whilst making me a coffee.

"He is my colleague from work." I answered simply.

"Why is he at your house in a towel?" she asked pressing the questions on me.

"Well I would like to know that as well." I replied accepting the coffee she handed me and laughing slightly.

"What! You don't know why he's here?" she questioned spraying coffee all over the worktops.

"Well I know I kissed him and we got a taxi back here last night but I don't remember anything after that and neither does he. We also don't have the foggiest idea of where his clothes are, that is why I have scrubs for him from work." I explained wiping the side with a cloth.

"Zoe!" she exclaimed. She was so like Linda in her reactions and everything she said. "Is he your boyfriend?" she asked the question I was dreading.

"No." I replied. "We're just friends."

"Yeah, friends with benefits." She laughed moving away from me before I could hit her.

"Shut up!" I laughed.

"Auntie Zoe?" Jess asked coming up and tugging on the hem of my dress.

"Yes sweetie."

"Can we have pizza tonight?" she asked putting her head on one side and sticking her bottom lip out.

"Maybe darling. We'll have to see what I have in the freezer." I said winking at her. Lou didn't like Jess to have pizza but it had become a tradition when she stayed over at mine.

"Thanks Auntie Zoe!" she said running off to continue her game.

Ash walked back into the room dressed in the pair of light blue scrubs I had bought for him, and Lou made her way over to Jess and taking her out of the room to watch TV.

"Thanks for last night Zoe." He said politely, quietly.

"It's fine. I said, "There's no need to do this. I'll drive you home and then we can forget everything that happened." I said. It was becoming more and more clear to me that last night was a mistake to him, a mistake made by two consenting drunk adults. It wasn't going to happen again anytime soon. However much I wanted it to.

"Ok. If that's what you want." He said turning away. He seemed genuinely hurt and sad with this.

"Well. I don't know," I said. "I don't know if you want it to happen again or you were just wanting to go back to being colleagues or friends. I don't know what to do or say or what I want let alone what you want." I said raising my voice.

As I was talking he had made his way over to me and was standing really close to me. He had his hands on my arms and I could feel his hot breath on my forehead.

"Zoe." He whispered and I looked up at him.

He pressed his lips onto mine and started to kiss me. I responded after a moment of shock. Kissing him back hungrily. He pushed me back against the fridge and kissed me with passion and desperation.

After a few minutes of snogging we broke apart as the kiss ended naturally.

"Is that what you want? Because it sure as hell is what I want." He said smiling holding me in his arms tightly.

"Yes." I whispered into his chest.

He smelled of hospitals and anti bacterial hand wash. He was strong and provided the comfort for me that I needed at that moment of time, why I needed it I have no idea but I knew from then on that I wanted him.

I pulled my head off his chest and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Yes." I repeated. "This is exactly what I want."

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