"Just do the job," she murmured, flopping down on the sofa. She reached back and undid the pins from her hair, pulling it free from the confining knot.
Brian had already broadcast one report on the protests against the Wellston waterfront project and it was clear that he had Patterson in his sights. Compared to the community groups who had opposed the project, Quinn was more dangerous. He could reach thousands of viewers a night and affect the decisions of people in power.
Lily felt almost impotent in dealing with him. She had shown him her weaknesses that afternoon in the pub and if he was any type of reporter, he'd exploit them at the first possible opportunity. She groaned softly and rubbed her temples, trying to drive thoughts of work from her head. With this job, more than any other, she needed to leave it at the office or she'd be a basket case by the time she left town.
But that would be easier said than done. Without a social life in Boston, she had no choice but to spend her days and her evenings thinking about work. She'd already broken her own promise to start a workout routine. Lily reached for the box of Milk Duds she'd bought from the vending machine and popped a few in her mouth. Tomorrow was soon enough to get started.
A knock sounded on her door and Lily scrambled off the bed. She hadn't called for dinner yet, but maybe it was the maid with the chocolates for the pillow! Lily yanked the door open, only to find Brian Quinn standing on the other side. He held up a bouquet of flowers, a wide grin on his handsome face. Her heart did a little flip and had she been able to reach inside her chest and slap it, she would have.
"Hi there," he said, his gaze skimming her face and coming to rest on her lips.
Lily groaned and made to close the door, but he gently pushed it open. This was the last thing she needed tonight. "What are you doing here? How did you find out where I was staying?"
"I'm Brian Quinn, investigative reporter," he teased. "I have sources everywhere."
"I don't want to talk to you. We don't have anything to say to each other."
"All right, we won't talk. Let's go."
"Go where?"
"To dinner. You're new to Boston. I know all the best places to eat and I can get in without reservations. I'm inviting you to accompany me to dinner. You don't have to say a word. We won't talk about work, we won't talk about sex, we won't talk at all, we'll just eat."
"I'm not going on a date with you!" Lily cried.
"Did I say this was a date?"
She sent him a sarcastic smile. "Haven't I explained this already? Are you Brian Quinn, reporter, or Brian Quinn, hearing-impaired jackass?"
"I don't think the fact that we're working on opposite sides of an issue should have any bearing on whether we eat together. I can separate my social life from my professional life. Can't you?"
"Of course I can," Lily lied, walking into the room. "I just don't want to at the present moment."
"You haven't even tried," he said, following her inside. "I'm a very charming man and a brilliant conversationalist. I'm also witty and handsome. And modest. Come out to dinner with me and if you're having a horrible time, then you can go home. You have to eat, don't you?"
"I'm tired. I was going to order room service."
Brian shrugged and sat down on the edge of the sofa, stretching his arms across the back and crossing his leg over his knee. "That sounds good, too. Can I see the menu?"
Lily hitched her hands on her hips. "If you don't get off that sofa and out of my room, I'm going to call security and have them throw you out. But first, I'm going to call the media so they'll have cameras ready to witness your graceful exit. And I might just also let slip about your fondness for whips, leather underwear and four-inch heels. Don't you just hate it when the news reporters end up making the news?"
Brian chuckled. "You've been in town for three days. You don't have any juice yet with the local media. No one knows you. They won't show up. So where's the menu? I could go for a burger. How about you?"
God, she hated that he was always one step ahead of her! If this was any indication of how she was going to control the situation, she might as well catch the next plane back to Chicago. She sighed and raked her hand through her hair. "You're not going to leave, are you?"
"Nope."
Lily walked over to the desk and grabbed the room service menu, then threw it at him. To her frustration, he caught it with one hand. "So, how was your day?" he asked as he perused the menu.
"Do you really expect me to answer that?"
"I was just making polite conversation."
Lily strolled over to the easy chair. "I'll tell you, honestly. It was busy. I spent the day looking at media coverage of Richard Patterson. I must say, you haven't been kind. Your report on his Minuteman project was very unflattering. And you didn't check your facts very well." Lily folded her hands on her lap and stared at him, trying to convince herself that he wasn't as handsome as she remembered. "You know, you still owe me two questions."
Brian frowned. "That was Saturday night."
"I don't recall there being a time limit, do you? No? Question number four. What do you have on Richard Patterson?"
"I'm not going to tell you that," Brian said.
"You have to. Total honesty, remember? That was the deal." Lily couldn't help but smile. Now she finally had the upper hand, at least for the moment.
He sat silently and considered the question. "Let's order dinner first and then I'll tell you everything. What will you have?"
Grudgingly, Lily grabbed the menu. "A small salad with vinaigrette dressing, steamed vegetables, and a glass of red wine. By the way, Richard Patterson is paying for this room and the meal. I don't know if you have any ethical problems with that but I just thought I'd warn you. You're eating on his dime."
"I'll buy dinner." He picked up the phone and dialed room service. "Yes. We'll have two New York strip steaks, baked potato, crème brûlée for dessert and a bottle of your best champagne. Oh, and add a shrimp cocktail and some oysters to that as well." Then he proceeded to offer his credit card number.
"I wanted a salad," Lily said.
"Oops," Brian said. "Since I'm paying, you'll have to eat what I ordered."
Lily shook her head. "You are really a pain."
He hung up the phone. "You haven't seen anything yet. Now, you wanted to know what I've got. I know that Richard Patterson has had to make some sleazy deals to get the Wellston project off the ground. Bribes, influence peddling, probably a few illegal campaign contributions. That waterfront project has been tangled in legalities for years. Three different developers have owned the property and they couldn't make it work, yet he suddenly can? Something smells bad here."
"What proof do you have?"
"None… yet. But it's out there. I just have to find it. Now, let's talk about something else."
"Next question," Lily said. "What do you-"
"No," he interrupted. "I told you what I had on Patterson and I told you what proof I had. Two questions, two answers."
Frustrated, Lily stood up and walked to the bedroom. "I'm going to change. When I come back, I'd be elated if I found you gone."
Lily stepped into the dark bedroom and closed the French doors behind her, leaning back against them for a moment to catch her breath. She couldn't deny the fact that she'd been thrilled to see Brian. Even though he drove her to distraction, there was something about him that she found completely disarming. That nearly-black hair that fell into his eyes every now and then. And those odd greenish-gold eyes. Oh, and that body. He definitely had the most incredible body.
Had the notion not been completely ridiculous, she might have considered prolonging their "relationship" for a while longer. With a soft moan, Lily crossed the room to the dresser and pulled out a T-shirt and jeans. She slipped out of her jacket and skirt, then walked into the bathroom, unbuttoning her blouse along the way.
When she got to the bathroom, she turned on the water at the sink and scrubbed her face clean. Then she pulled off her panty hose and kic
ked them aside before walking back into the bedroom.
"I'd forgotten how beautiful you were."
Lily's breath caught in her throat as she looked up to find Brian standing in the doorway, the light from the sitting room streaming in behind him. They stared at each other for a long time, Lily's heartbeat measuring out the seconds. She was afraid to move, afraid to breathe, afraid that if she even acknowledged his presence she might spontaneously combust.
Then, a tiny sigh slipped from her throat and it was like a quiet surrender. At the same moment, they moved to each other, Brian gathering her in his arms, Lily collapsing against his body, their mouths meeting in a desperate kiss. His hands frantically skimmed over her body, beneath her silk shirt, over her lacy bra, down her back and around her hips.
Though Lily knew she should fight the desire, she couldn't summon the energy. She loved the way his mouth tasted and the way his hands felt on her skin. Blood pounded in her veins, awakening every nerve in her body until the simplest caress sent waves of sensation racing through her.
He grabbed her backside and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Their mouths still locked, he moved to the bed, but stopped halfway there to press her against the wall. His hips ground against hers and she arched toward him, remembering how it felt to have him inside of her, the wild sensations created by their shared release.
Lily tore at his shirt, aching to feel his body beneath her fingers and he did the same, shoving her shirt off her shoulders and exploring the skin beneath with his mouth.
"God, Lily, what are you doing to me?" he murmured.
And then, just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. His breath came in deep gasps and he pressed his lips to her shoulder, nuzzling her shirt aside. "Are we going to do this again?"
She grabbed his face and kissed him again. "Yes," she murmured.
"Yes," he repeated, savaging her mouth with his tongue. Then he drew back. "No."
"No?"
He slowly lowered her to the floor, then fussed with the front of her blouse, adjusting it until he could button the top two buttons. "Even though I'd love nothing more than to spend an evening in bed with you, I think we need to exercise some restraint." He chuckled softly. "I can't believe I'm saying this. I'm just a heartbeat away from tearing that blouse off of you."
Brian stepped back, then lowered his hands to his sides. "I have to go. I'll… see you. We'll have dinner sometime. In a restaurant. A well-lit, very crowded restaurant." He gave her a quick kiss, then straightened his clothes as he walked out of the bedroom.
Lily heard the door to her suite close and she leaned back against the wall and willed her heart to slow to a reasonable pace. Raising her fingers to her lips, she sighed softly. She could still taste him, smell him and feel his body against hers. It hadn't been a fantasy or a dream, he'd been here and they'd nearly lost themselves in each other again.
She wasn't sure how long she stood there, waiting for her breathing to return to normal. Her eyes were closed when she heard a knock at the door. For a moment, she considered not answering, certain that if she let him into the room again, they'd end up in bed. But then, Lily realized that she wanted him-beyond all reason.
She hurried to the door and pulled it open, but it was only the room service waiter who stood outside. "Good evening, Ms. Gallagher. I have your dinner."
Lily stepped aside as he pushed the cart into the room. By the time she got a hold of her emotions, he'd laid the dinner out on the table and was making his way toward the door. When she was alone again, she wandered to the table and picked up the crème brûlée, cracking through the hard sugar topping to the custard beneath.
This was exactly what had gotten her in trouble in the first place. Eating dessert before trying the appetizers and main course. With Brian, she'd been focused on instant gratification, certain that sex was all she really wanted. But now, she wondered what might have happened if she'd done things in the proper order, calling on a bit of willpower.
She took a bite of the crème brûlée and let the silken custard melt on her tongue. "This is better than sex," she murmured. "I just need to eat more dessert. Then all these crazy feelings will disappear."
4
" I need the camera goddess!"
Brian grabbed his jacket and slipped it on, then searched his desk for a tie. He liked to look respectable when he appeared on-air, but sometimes news happened, whether he was dressed for it or not.
"Taneesha!" he shouted, striding through the newsroom. He poked his head into the editing suite and found her sitting at the control board with one of the news editors.
"Come on," he said. "We have to go."
Taneesha glanced up. "I need to get this offline editing done by noon. They want this piece for the six o'clock news."
"This is more important," he said. "Jerry can finish that for you, can't you, Jerry?"
The tape editor nodded. Taneesha got up and followed Brian through the door. "What's up?"
"A judge just issued an injunction on Patterson's waterfront project. He claims there are some irregularities with the financing that need to be explored. Dave is going to get me a transcript of the court report. We have to go ask Patterson what he thinks. Catch his reaction on camera."
"Quinn, we don't have a story here. You've got the news director and the station manager telling you to back off. If we go sticking a camera in Patterson's face, it's going to come back and bite both of us in the butt. He'll file harassment charges if you're not careful."
"I'll take full responsibility," he said. "Bob's got the van parked in back. I need you to get me a good shot. We're building our case here. Persistence will pay off."
Taneesha grudgingly agreed, picking up her pace as they headed to the station's parking lot. As Bob promised, he was waiting with the engine running. Taneesha was the best cameraperson at the station and in Brian's opinion, Bob was the best driver. He wove in and out of lunch hour traffic, easily making it from the station to the financial district in less than ten minutes. He pulled up in a No Parking zone in front of Patterson's office building.
"So, how are we going to do this?"
"Patterson has a meeting this afternoon with his investors at his club. His driver is scheduled to pick him up here in a few minutes." Brian pointed to a Lincoln Town Car parked in front of them. "That's his car. So I figure, he's coming this way."
"How did you know he had a meeting?" Taneesha asked, grabbing up the camera. She checked the battery pack, then balanced it on her shoulder.
"The guy who owns the car company that Patterson uses is an old high school buddy. We once stole a television together."
Taneesha gasped. "You stole a television?"
"It was just sitting there on the back of the delivery truck. I had very bad impulse control when I was young."
"And I can see you haven't changed much," she muttered.
Brian stared out the window at the front entrance to the office tower. "He'll see the van when he comes out. If he turns and runs, I want to get that on tape, too. The fact that he won't want to talk to the media will make even a bigger statement." He paused as the doors came open. "Here he is," Brian murmured. "Get ready."
But just as Brian was ready to hop out of the van, he noticed a figure exiting the building right behind Patterson. "Lily," he murmured, his hand frozen on the door handle. For a long moment, he didn't move, her presence causing him to rethink his actions.
"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 h
er-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."
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