Kate Hoffmann - Brian

Brian looked up at her, at the smile that curved her lips, the expression, the anticipation that made her even more beautiful than she already was. Her pale skin was flushed a rosy pink and her breasts rose and fell as her breathing quickened.

She held on to him, her fingers clutching his shoulders, her back arched. Her breath caught once, and then again, and she murmured his name. But he didn't want to let her go yet. Instead, he gentled his touch, slowed it, knowing that when she finally came, the orgasm would be more explosive.

Her expression turned intense, focused on his touch. Brian knew she was close and he slipped a finger inside of her, into her damp heat. Suddenly, a shudder rocked her body. A ragged moan tore from her throat and she cried out his name, arching toward his touch.

And then, when it was over, Lily collapsed forward, tumbling them both onto the bed. Her body stretched over his and he felt her breathing gradually come back to normal. Lily laughed sleepily, then pushed up, bracing her hands on either side of his head. "I thought you were putting me to bed."

"I just decided you might need to relax a little bit." He grabbed her waist and then rolled her over beneath him, their legs still hanging off the edge of the bed. Brian kissed her, his tongue teasing hers. "I should go," he said.

"Why? Stay."

Brian sighed. "Why?"

She frowned. "I don't know. Because I want you to."

"That's the only reason I could come up with, too. And for now, I don't think that's enough, Lily." Brian pushed up from the bed and grabbed her pajamas. "Come on," he said, dragging her up to her feet. "I'll tuck you in."

Lily stared at him with an astonished expression. "You don't want to spend the night with me?"

"Oh, I want to," Brian said. "You don't know how much I want to."

"Then why are you leaving?"

"I have absolutely no idea," he said. He fumbled with the buttons down the front of her pajamas, then stepped around her and held the top out. Lily grudgingly slipped her arms through the sleeves. Then he grabbed the bottoms and held them out in front of her. "Just trust me. It's better that I leave. It's our first date. We should at least try to follow some of the rules."

"I don't want the bottoms," she said.

Brian folded them neatly before pulling the bedcovers back. "Hop in," he said.

"Did I do something wrong?"

He chuckled softly. "Everything doesn't always have to happen at warp speed, Lily. You need to slow down. Some things are worth waiting for."

"I usually think that's true. But have you forgotten what we did in the limo that night?"

Brian rubbed her arms. "No. That's not something a guy forgets. But we were strangers then, and now we're not. And this was our first date. I don't think we should sleep together on our first date."

"Considering what you just did to me, I think that's a little ridiculous, don't you?" Lily crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. "Kiss me goodnight," she demanded. "And promise you'll call me tomorrow morning."

Brian bent over her bed and brushed his lips over hers. "Sleep tight. And I'll take you to breakfast tomorrow. Then maybe we should go to church. I haven't been to confession for a while. I have plenty of sins to tell. Good sins, not bad."

She reached up and touched his cheek with her fingers. "You're a nice man, Brian Quinn. But you confuse me sometimes."

He kissed her once more, then reached over and turned off the light. As Brian stood in the doorway, he looked at Lily, the light from the living room just enough to see that she was smiling. "I don't know what it is about you, but there's something," he murmured.

As he walked to the door, Brian shook his head. This was definitely a first. It wasn't in his nature to walk away from a beautiful, naked woman, especially one who was willing and able to drive him wild in bed. But he had to trust his instincts on this one and his instincts told him that it wouldn't be wise to fall in love with Lily Gallagher. And making love to her tonight would be just that-making love.

For now, he'd need to be more careful.

The Fourth of July weekend was especially festive in Boston, a city steeped in the American Revolution. Lily had looked forward to the three-day holiday all week, assured by the hotel staff that it was the best celebration in the entire country. She didn't doubt their enthusiasm as flags flew from every house and lined the major city streets. The city was draped in red, white and blue.

Brian had picked her up at noon, and they'd spent the day walking around Back Bay, window-shopping and sightseeing, taking in some of the spots she hadn't yet visited. They'd had lunch outdoors at a restaurant on Commonwealth, then spent time at a comic book store that also sold silly novelties. Brian bought her a hat with a burst of stars coming out of the top and she wore it for the rest of the day.

The crowds grew bigger as the afternoon wore on, but Brian assured her that they would have a perfect spot to watch the fireworks. Lily couldn't believe it though. The Esplanade along the Charles River was packed with people, their blankets spread out to save a tiny bit of real estate for themselves and their families.

Finally, when it was nearly dark, Brian drew her along through the crowd. They were walking away from the river, but Lily decided to trust him since he was the one who knew Boston best. They got to Beacon Street and he pointed to a four-story house that looked like it had stood on that street for a few hundred years, its brick facade softly weathered by time. "That's it," he said.

"What?" Lily asked.

"That's where we're going." Brian grabbed her hand and drew her along. He opened the front door with a key, but when she got inside, she was surprised to find the elegant mansion completely empty. The interior was stuffy and hot, but as he flipped on the lights, she could see what a beautiful place it was. Nearly every room boasted high ceilings and marble fireplaces, beautifully carved moldings and tall, narrow windows.

"Whose house is this?" she asked.

"My brother-in-law Rafe bought it a couple months ago," he said.

"Why is it empty?"

"He and Keely are going to start to renovate it this summer. They're living in an apartment now."

"Should we be here if they aren't?"

Brian shrugged. "For tonight, the house is ours."

"But it's hot in here," Lily said as she walked along behind him. And though the atmosphere might be romantic, it would be more so with air-conditioning and a little furniture. "Maybe we could open a window?"

"We're not staying inside," Brian said.

They climbed the stairs to the second and then the third floor. And when they finally reached the fourth story, Lily's face was flushed and her spirits a bit wilted. This wasn't exactly what she had in mind for her holiday celebration. But then Brian led her up a narrow stairway and through a door and the entire world opened up. They were on the roof, high enough to see the Charles River and all the people milling about on the Esplanade.

Lily smiled. "This is beautiful," she said. "We'll be able to see everything."

"Yeah, it is," Brian agreed. "Rafe said it would be nice, but I didn't think it would be this nice."

Lily turned to him and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you." She caught sight of a small table set along the edge of the rooftop deck and she walked over to it. An ice bucket held a bottle of champagne in a puddle of quickly melting ice. Two boxes of old-fashioned sparklers sat next to the champagne. A cooler sat beside the table and Lily bent down and opened it, only to find it filled with food, all of it very elegantly prepared and presented. She pulled out a plate of cheeses and a box of crackers. "Did you do this?"

Brian winced. "If I say no, will you be disappointed? Rafe said he'd put something out for us, but I figured he was talking about a six-pack of beer and a bag of peanuts."