Kate Hoffmann - Brian

"What? You think I deliberately walked in this direction knowing that we'd run into Patterson's secretary on the street? It's a bad break, but we'll deal with it."

"You'd get everything you wanted in one easy step. I'd get fired and there will be no one to refute your story."

"You're being irrational, Lily. I don't want you to lose your job. And I don't care if you counter the story with one of your own. It's just a job. It's what we do to pay the rent. It doesn't have anything to do with what we feel."

Yes, she was being irrational. But it had everything to do with what she felt. Lily couldn't ignore the fact that losing her job would suddenly destroy the barriers that stood between them. There were times when she'd been ready to quit, to put her little battle with Brian Quinn behind them and explore the feelings they shared. But she needed her job. It was who she was.

This was all happening too fast! She was ready to give up everything she had worked for to have a man she barely knew. A man she wasn't sure she could trust. "I-I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

"I'll walk you back," Brian said.

Lily shook her head. "No, I need some time to think. Time to figure out how to handle this."

"Fine," he murmured.

To Lily's relief, he didn't fight her. She started down Commonwealth Avenue, moving along with the pace of the crowd, but not really watching where she was going. She wanted to feel angry, to lash out at Brian for everything he'd done to mess up her perfectly ordered life. It was his fault she'd lost control. If he hadn't been so sweet and sexy and-Lily cursed. It was his fault!

Lily stopped on the street and covered her face with her hands. All right, she was partially to blame. In truth, maybe this whole thing was her fault. She'd invited him into the limo that wonderful, incredible night-a groan slipped from her lips. Her life was falling apart and all she could think about was spending the rest of her life in bed with Brian Quinn!

"Get a grip," she muttered. "He's still the enemy. And I'll be damned if I'm the one who's going to surrender."

The day was only half-over and Lily was completely exhausted. She sat in her office, her shoes off, her feet tucked beneath her, staring out the window at a gloomy sky. Lightning flashed in the west, signaling the approach of a summer storm. If she were home right now, she'd have called in sick, curled up in bed, and had a nice little pity party for herself.

Her mind wandered back to Friday night and then to the last week she'd spent with Brian Quinn. When she'd first learned who he really was, Lily had known any contact with him would be dangerous. But she couldn't seem to resist him, no matter how hard she tried. He was sweet and sexy and charming and he made her feel like she was the only woman in the world.

But things were different between them now. Since running into Mrs. Wilburn, Lily couldn't think about Brian as the man she desired. He was the enemy again-an enemy responsible for ruining her professional reputation. Whatever happened, Lily was ready for it.

At least the confusion would finally come to an end. She'd know exactly where she stood. Lily had even pushed the issue with Brian, telling him about the ground-breaking, taunting him into running his story. From a business standpoint, it hadn't been the best move, especially if she managed to keep her job. But she was sick and tired of having his story hanging over her head. Sometimes it was better to face a problem head-on than try to figure out how to handle it if and when it came.

"It is all for the best," she murmured, rubbing her temples with her fingers. "Whatever happens." With a soft curse, Lily reached for her phone and punched in a familiar number.

"DeLay Scoville Public Relations," the receptionist said.

"Emma Carsten," Lily said, deepening her voice so that the woman wouldn't recognize her. She waited for her friend to answer. "Hi, Em. What's going on in Chicago?"

"Lily! I've been hoping you'd call. I went over to your house and watered your plants and picked up your mail. Everything is fine, but someone stole the pot of geraniums you had on the front stoop. What do you want me to do with the mail? There's a ton of junk and lots of magazines. And a card from your mother."

"I don't know," Lily said. "Hold on to it for now."

"All right." A long silence spanned the distance between them. "What's wrong, Lily? You sound a little bit upset."

Lily bit her bottom lip. Normally, she wouldn't hesitate to confide in Emma. But now that she found herself in a tangle of personal and professional troubles, maybe Emma wasn't the best person to tell. After all, she was a loyal employee of DeLay Scoville and wasn't the most objective observer. "I don't know. I'm starting to think I shouldn't have taken this job."

"Are you crazy? How could you refuse? DeLay almost wet his pants when he saw that retainer check. He's been talking about you ever since you left, how great you are, what a bright future you have at the agency. He's about to crown you 'Consultant of the Year' and put your name on a damn plaque in the lobby."

"But I'm not sure I can handle this, Em."

"Is it that bad? What did Patterson do? Is he in big trouble? He didn't give anyone a cement overcoat, did her?"

"No!" Lily cried. "He's not a mobster, at least I don't think he is. It's not even Patterson. It's…" Lily gnawed on her bottom lip. "You know, if I had a family emergency, maybe I could convince DeLay to send you out here. You'd love Boston."

"Lily, what's going on? You can tell me."

Now that she was ready to confide, Lily wasn't sure how to explain what had been happening to her. When she'd come to Boston, she'd been determined to change her life, to quit dreaming of romance and avoid unavailable men. The problem was, she'd had a one-night stand with a man who was perfectly available. That had been her big mistake.

Still, there were a whole host of problems beyond that. They were too much alike, too driven, too single-minded when it came to their careers. Though their passions made for an incredible fire between them, it also spelled disaster for a lasting relationship. And there was always his rather long and colorful history with women.

"I'm just… I don't know. Maybe I'm homesick."

"For Chicago? Then why don't you come home? You can spend next weekend here and fly back on Sunday evening. I could use your help."

"With work?" Lily asked.

"No, I'm sanding the floors of my apartment and it's turning into a nightmare. I've been walking around for the last week covered in a thin coating of dust."

"I think I'll do that," Lily said. "I need to be in familiar surroundings for just a little while…" She hesitated, knowing that the conversation was winding down. "I-I met this man, Em. His name is Brian Quinn. He's a reporter. An investigative reporter for a television station."

"And?"

"And nothing. I'm just a little confused."

"Wait," Emma said. "Oh, Lily, don't tell me this. He's working on a story about Patterson, right?" Her friend groaned. "I don't know how you manage to pick the worst guy in the world to fall in love with."

Lily squirmed in her chair. Trying to explain her attraction to Brian Quinn over the phone was impossible. Emma needed to see him to know what Lily was up against. "I didn't know who he was when I met him. I should have broken it off as soon as I found out. I knew it was doomed, but I couldn't seem to let it go. He just… does something for me. And I was curious to know how long it would last." She swallowed hard. "And now, I think I may have to give up this job. I have a serious conflict of interest here."

"What is this 'it' you're talking about? Are you having a relationship? Are you having sex?"