Kate Hoffmann - Brian

"Quinn!" Taneesha whispered.

"What?"

"If you don't go now, I'm not going to get a chance to focus. Go, go!" Taneesha urged.

Brian yanked the van door open and hopped out, grabbing his microphone and switching it on. Taneesha followed with the camera. "Okay," she said. "I've got him. Go ahead."

Brian kept his eyes fixed on Patterson, afraid to even glance at Lily. She was the perfect distraction, dressed in her tidy little business suit, her hair pulled back into a prissy knot. He imagined removing the hairpins one by one and letting her-geez, he had to remember his purpose here! "Mr. Patterson," he called. "Judge Ramirez has issued an injunction to stop the waterfront project. Do you have a comment?"

"No comment," Patterson growled, staring directly into the camera.

"He claims that an investigation by an independent panel found some financial irregularities. Would you like to explain what he found?"

"No comment," he said, picking up his pace.

"How much money did your company contribute to Senator Jerry Morgan's last campaign? Was that money given in return for favors?"

Patterson quickly slipped into the car and slammed the door.

"Mr. Patterson is late for a meeting, but I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have."

Brian turned back to Lily. She smiled at him, but he could see the anger glittering in her eyes.

"Mr. Patterson's contributions to Jerry Morgan's campaign are a matter of public record. As for the injunction, we're confident that once given the chance, we'll be able to answer the court's questions to their satisfaction. The waterfront project will provide hundreds of jobs for Boston residents and Mr. Patterson believes that this will be of great help to the citizens of this city in these tough economic times. If you have any further questions, please feel free to call me."

"And what is your name?" Brian asked.

"Lily Gallagher. That's G-A-L-L-A-G-H-E-R. Lily with one 'L'. Got that?" Her eyebrow arched in a subtle challenge.

Brian grinned. "Yeah, I got that."

"Good. I wouldn't want you to make any mistakes." She leveled a disdainful gaze at him, then turned on her heel and started back inside.

Brian watched her retreat, his gaze dropping to the enticing sway of her hips and the shift of her backside beneath the formfitting skirt.

"Brrrr," Taneesha said. "I'm feeling a little chilly." She started toward the truck. "This was a waste of time. A comment by the ice queen and that's about it."

The ice queen? That description couldn't be further from the truth, Brian mused. But Brian wasn't about to tell Taneesha that Lily had the capacity to generate more "heat" than any women he'd ever touched. Just the scent of her hair or the sound of her voice was enough to make him ache for her.

He handed the microphone to Taneesha. "We're through here," he murmured. "I'll meet you back at the station." He jogged to the entrance.

"Where are you going?" Taneesha shouted.

"I've got a few follow-up questions," he said, waving. Brian caught up to her at the elevator, smoothly stepping between her and the doors. "Hi, Lily," he murmured. "It is Lily, right? Lily G-A-L-L-A-G-H-E-R?"

Lily crossed her arms over her breasts and sent him an uneasy look. "I-I don't have anything more to say to you."

"I told you I wasn't going to back off," Brian said. "People are starting to talk about Patterson. It's only a matter of time, Lily. You can't save this guy."

"I'm going to do my job," she said, straightening her spine.

"And I'm going to do mine," he countered. "Have you had lunch yet? I know this great seafood place just a few blocks from here." He grabbed her hand, weaving his fingers through hers. "Come on. You'll love it."

Lily stared down at their tangled fingers, then suddenly yanked her hand from his. "No! I'm not going to lunch with you. I'm not going anywhere with you. We will not be seeing each other outside of my capacity as Richard Patterson's media spokesperson. And you can quote me on that."

She punched the button on the elevator over and over again, as if she were frantic to get away from him, but the doors still didn't open. A few seconds later, a maintenance man carrying a toolbox walked up beside them. "That elevator is out," he mumbled. "Some idiot hit the stop button and now it won't start. You can wait for the other one or use the west elevators."

Lily started toward the stairs and Brian had no choice but to follow. "You know Patterson is ass deep in alligators, here," he shouted. "If I don't expose him, some other news reporter will. At least with me, you know I'll get the facts straight."

"I was hired to do a job and I'm going to do it," Lily said, shoving open the stairwell door.

Brian jogged after her. "Don't you have any ethical qualms about this?"

She stopped at the first landing and turned to face him. "What does this come down to? A little piece of property with a view of the water? We're not talking about war or disease or famine here. We're talking about a shopping mall and a few restaurants and some condos. I think you're the one who needs a little perspective. Why don't you go investigate some drug dealer or murderer?"

Brian stared at her for a long moment. He was sick of talking business. There were so many more pleasant things to talk about when he was with Lily. "You're thinking about kissing me right now, aren't you," he said.

Lily gasped. "Wh-what?"

"You heard me." He glanced around the stairwell and frowned. "What the hell are we doing in here? Patterson's office is on the twentieth floor."

"I'm in shape," she said. She jogged up another flight of stairs and Brian groaned softly. Though he worked out, twenty floors was a long way up. After chasing her that far, he might not have the energy to kiss her. With a low curse, he slipped out of his jacket, dropped it on the floor and started up after her.

"You can admit it, you know," he called, his voice echoing through the stairwell.

"Admit what?"

"You like me. I'm not afraid to admit that I like you."

She stopped on the next landing, then slowly turned. Step by step, she descended. But when she was just above him, her heel caught on the edge of the step and she lurched forward. He reached out and caught her in his arms, slowly letting her body come to rest against his. Brian smiled and bent forward, waiting for her to surrender to a kiss. Five seconds later, he was still waiting.

A weak smile twitched at her lips. "Now who's thinking about kissing who?" she murmured.

"Whom," he corrected.

She pushed away from him, then smoothed her hands over the front of her suit. "This is war," she said. "And I'm not about to cozy up to the enemy."

"It doesn't have to be war," he said, leaning forward and brushing his lips over hers. He waited for a moment, sure she'd retreat up the stairs. But when she didn't, he tried again, this time testing her lips with his tongue. Lily hesitated but then opened for him, a tiny sigh slipping from her as she did.

Brian picked her up, his arms wrapped around her waist, and set her down beside him, then captured her face in his hands. Their kiss turned more intense as Lily ran her hands over his chest. Kissing Lily was always an adventure. He was never quite sure how she'd respond, but when she reciprocated, he found himself instantly caught in a vortex of desire.

Her body was soft beneath the conservative clothes. He slipped his hands under her jacket and circled her waist, then yanked her closer, her hips tight against his. Clothes were a barrier to his need and he tugged at her blouse at the same time she fumbled with the buttons of his shirt.

Why did he want her so much? He'd had other women but Lily was different. Whenever he was near her-and even when he wasn't-he needed to touch her, to kiss her… to reassure himself that she was really there. Was this all about the chase? Brian had been known to be relentless in his pursuit of the opposite sex, only to grow bored once he'd made the conquest.