Kate Hoffmann - Brian

The fire blazed in the stone pit, sending sparks up into the night sky. Lily snuggled against Brian, wrapped in a rough wool blanket. His arm draped around her shoulders as they rested their backs against a long log on the beach. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so completely content. She felt… happy. It was such a simple word but it was the only one she could find to describe her condition.

Here, on this little island out in the middle of BostonHarbor, they seemed a million miles away from all the troubles between them. She could almost imagine living like this every day. She and Brian could get to know each other better, they could do things that normal couples did, like eat take-out Chinese and watch videos and argue about the position of the toilet seat.

"I could stay here forever," Lily murmured.

"We could send Brendan and Amy back," Brian suggested. "I'll build you a little grass shack and I'll fish for food-although it's not recommended that we eat the fish from the harbor."

"It's a fantasy," Lily said. "We don't need to think about that. I'll collect sea grass and I'll make plates and curtains and clothes for us."

"Oh, hell, I thought we'd do this thing naked," Brian teased. "Isn't that all part of the fantasy?"

"And what are you two going to do when winter rolls in?" Brendan asked from his spot on the other side of the fire. "When everything is covered with snow and the temperature is barely above zero."

Amy slapped him playfully. "Don't spoil their fantasy," she said.

"I'm just being practical. Remember our trip to Turkey? We had tents with cots and down-filled sleeping bags and you still had to send me out to buy you more socks from the local market. They're going to dress in grass clothes and live in a hut. Let's get real here."

"You're right," Brian said. "We'll spend summers here, except for black fly season, no-see-um season and the mosquito season. And when it turns cold, we'll go to Tahiti, to our winter hut."

"This fantasy isn't such a fantasy anymore," Lily complained. "If I have to give up Twinkies and Fresca for bananas and papayas, I'm not sure I'll live."

A long silence descended around them, the snaps and pops from the fire the only sounds in the night. Lily sighed, then snuggled closer to Brian. "Hey, why don't you tell me about the Quinn family curse? It's dark, we're sitting around a campfire. A spooky story might be fun."

Brian groaned. "Oh, no, we're not going to go there."

"Why not?" Amy asked. "Lily deserves to know what she's getting into. I'll get the marshmallows."

"I vote we tell her," Brendan said. "She might want to get out now."

Amy pushed to her feet. "First she should hear a Mighty Quinn tale, just to put everything in context."

Brian groaned again. "I might as well find the nearest cliff and just jump off. Don't you think the Mighty Quinn thing is more of a fourth or fifth date revelation?"

"A Mighty Quinn story," Brendan said in a deep voice. He cleared his throat. "I'll give a Reader's Digest condensed version. We begin with a Quinn ancestor, usually clever or handsome or strong, but clearly not living up to his potential. He performs an act of courage or mercy or cunning and suddenly he's a hometown hero. Usually, if there's a woman involved, she's evil, manipulative or greedy. Example, Paddy Quinn plants the magic bean and climbs up the vine to slay the giant, but there's a woman on the ground chopping the vine out from under him."

Lily frowned. "So the stories don't have a happy ending?"

"Oh, always," Brian said. "The Mighty Quinn prevails, the dragon is vanquished and the woman turns into a toad. My da thought these tales would teach us to beware of women. They only confused us."

A long silence grew around the fire. "And that's the curse?" Lily asked.

"The curse is a more of a modern-day phenomenon," Brendan explained. "It actually started with our oldest brother, Conor, and then moved to Dylan, then me and then Liam."

Amy returned to the fire and handed Lily the bag of marshmallows. "They played the Mighty Quinn and rescued a woman in trouble," she explained. "And they ended up-horror of horrors-in love." She giggled. "Such a sad, sad tale. All those stalwart ancestors protecting the family image only to have this generation turn weak and pathetic."

Brendan growled playfully, grabbed her around the waist and wrestled her to the ground. Amy scrambled to her feet, then ran toward the water with Brendan following her. "We'll go find some sticks for the marshmallows," he called, before they disappeared into the darkness. Brendan laughed and Amy teased him, her voice echoing in the cool night air. But then their voices faded, replaced by the sound of the water lapping on the shore.

"I think they're still on their honeymoon," Brian said.

"They're good together," Lily said. "That's always the way I thought marriage should be." She hesitated. "Not that I'm thinking about marriage. I mean, I think some people aren't meant to be married."

"Maybe so," Brian said. "I used to think that. But when I see my brothers with the women they love, I wonder if I'm missing something."

An uneasy silence grew between them and Lily wasn't sure what to say. All this talk of love wasn't what she expected from a guy like Brian. "The food was wonderful," Lily said, changing the subject. "Now, I can go home having experienced a true New England clambake. I'll have to send you some deep-dish pizza in return."

"Technically, this wasn't a clambake," Brian said. "More like a lobster boil with a few clams tossed in."

"It was still good," she murmured.

He tightened his embrace and pulled her nearer, nuzzling his face into her hair. "When do you think you'll be going back to Chicago?"

Lily shrugged. "I suppose you'd probably know that better than me."

"Maybe there's a way to keep you here," Brian countered.

Lily looked up at him and he took the opportunity to kiss her, covering her mouth with his and lingering there for a long time. Lily knew she ought to stop, but they'd already crossed the line long ago. Why deny her desire for him? It felt so good to have him close, to feel his hands on her body.

His fingers moved up to her face and traced her features as their kiss spun out, growing more demanding, more passionate with each heartbeat. Lily already knew his taste, the sweet narcotic that was his mouth. A hundred men could kiss her in a dark room, and she could pick out Brian immediately. With him, each kiss was… perfect.

There had been other men in her life, other failed relationships, but when she was with Brian, all those experiences seemed to fade. He'd become something more, a man she wanted to trust. Yet there were still so many things standing between them. Though they'd managed a lovely evening together, tomorrow their careers would be back on a collision course.

Brian pulled her down on top of him and Lily drew the blanket over their heads, wrapping them in a warm cocoon of privacy. He stared up at her, his face barely visible in the firelight that filtered through the blanket. "I'm glad I brought you here," he murmured, his hands skimming over her body.

"And I'm glad I came," she said.

"Not bad for a first date."

Lily giggled. "I've had worse."

Boston was ablaze with light as Brian wove through Saturday night traffic in Back Bay. Lily had curled up against his body, still wrapped in the blanket and quietly dozing. He pulled her closer as he waited at a stoplight, then pressed a soft kiss into her rumpled hair. She smelled of salt air and campfire smoke, a scent more intoxicating than any French perfume.

Brian sighed softly, wondering at the oddly protective feelings he had toward her. Though he'd accepted they were on opposite sides professionally, that didn't affect his feelings for her at all. He'd told the truth when he'd urged her to do what she had to do.