"I can neither confirm nor deny," Lily said with a weak smile. "All I can say is that I hope it doesn't cause you too many problems. I've handled situations like these. There may be some talk but it will die down. It's not like you committed murder or had sex with a prostitute. You just possessed a little youthful enthusiasm, that's all."

"They're putting together a damn focus group," he muttered, pacing back and forth across the room. "The station manager pulled me in the minute I got to work this morning. He's worried about my image and the news director is thinking about taking me off the air for a while."

"I'm sorry," Lily murmured, reaching out to touch his arm, her hand trembling slightly.

He stepped back, avoiding her touch. "Do you really care?"

His gaze met hers, and suddenly she knew they weren't just talking about the report. "Of-of course I do. I don't want to see you hurt."

They stared at each other for a long moment and then, as if a bomb had exploded in the studio, they threw themselves into each other's arms. Brian took her face between his hands and brought his mouth down on hers, his kiss hot and demanding. Lily's hands smoothed over his chest, aching to touch his skin.

Nothing seemed to matter but the taste of him, yet even that wasn't enough. He pushed her back against the carpeted wall and pressed his hips into hers, the heat of his arousal evident between him. Lily reached down to touch him there, needing to prove to herself that he still wanted her as much as she wanted him.

Slowly, she stroked him through the fabric of his trousers, his breath coming in hot gasps, his mouth ravaging hers. With a low growl, he brushed her touch away and pinned her wrists above her head, then fumbled with the buttons of her blouse.

Lily moaned as he tore at her bra, pushing it aside to reveal the soft swell of her breast. And then his mouth left hers and drifted down to her nipple. How could she possibly resist these incredible sensations racing through her body? He made her tremble all over, made her ache for his touch. When she was with him, he made her breathless and weak with longing.

But as quickly as it started, it was over. Brian released her hands and straightened, then carefully began to rearrange her clothes. He drew a ragged breath as he turned his attention to the buttons on her blouse. "We can't do this. I'm in enough hot water here."

"Kiss me again," Lily whispered, caressing his cheek.

He did as he was asked, but this time, some of the desperation was gone. This time, he was gentle and sweet. "We can't keep doing this, Lily," he murmured, his forehead pressed to hers. "I want something more."

"What do you want? Tell me and I'll give it to you."

He stared down at her for a long moment. "I want… a date. Something normal. I pick you up, we go out. We get to know each other better, maybe find out if there's something more going on here than just…"

"Lust?" she asked.

"Maybe."

"I thought we agreed that night in the limo that-"

"I didn't agree to anything," Brian interrupted, his jaw tight. He finished buttoning her blouse, then tucked it into the front of her skirt. "You asked me what I wanted and I told you. I'll call you, we'll go out for dinner."

Lily hesitated. This wasn't part of the plan. She knew the dangers she faced in trying to make a relationship work with Brian. When it was just lust, what they shared was simple. But when it was more, then she risked getting hurt. And Brian Quinn was exactly the kind of man who could shatter her heart into a million pieces.

He changed women almost as often as he changed his socks. She'd read it all in the report. He pursued women for as long as they resisted and then cut another notch in his bedpost and moved on. She'd known his type before. But that didn't mean she wasn't tempted.

"All right," she said, reaching for the door. An instant later, she felt Brian's hands on her waist. He slowly turned her around. His gaze met hers and then he bent close and kissed her again, his hands smoothing over her face as if he couldn't get enough of touching her. And when he was through, he sighed softly. "You go ahead."

"Are you coming?"

Brian chuckled, then glanced down at the front of his trousers. "I think I might need a few minutes-to compose myself."

Lily felt a blush warm her cheeks. "All right. I guess I'll see you then. It's a date."

"I guess you will. I'll call."

Brian pulled up in front of the Eliot Hotel and scanned the sidewalk for Lily. He saw her standing near the door, chatting with a bellman and he watched silently.

She wore a pretty cotton dress with a loose, flowing skirt that moved in the warm summer breeze. Her hair, a riot of curls, was pulled up into a haphazard ponytail and tied with a colorful scarf.

When the sun hit her, he could see the outline of her legs through the fabric of her dress. "God, she's beautiful," Brian muttered.

He'd been thinking about her all week but had deliberately held off calling her until yesterday. He'd hoped that, given time, he'd be able to understand his attraction to her, and thereby control it. But all he'd learned was that his desire for Lily was completely irrational.

He ought to hate her, or at least mistrust her motives. But the furor over the Herald article had died down. He was back on the schedule and according to a station focus group, the article had served to improve his image as a regular guy and a native Bostonian.

So, for now, he and Lily were at a standoff professionally and at a crossroads personally. Maybe after their first date, he'd finally have a clue. Brian beeped his horn and Lily turned to look his way. He stepped out of the car and waved and she came running up. Considering their last encounter in the sound studio, he wasn't sure how it would be between them. But as she came closer, a smile curved her lips.

"Hi," Lily said.

"Hi. Are you ready?"

"I am. But I'm not sure for what."

He circled the car and opened her door for her, grabbing her bag. Before she got inside, he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her toward him for a quick kiss. She didn't resist, instead tipped her face up and kissed him back. This was how it was supposed to be, he mused. Easy and familiar. By the time he drew away, Brian felt as if they'd smoothed out the difficulties between them, at least for the day. He tossed her bag in the back seat and jogged around to his side of the car.

"Where are we going?" Lily asked, once they'd pulled into traffic.

"It's a surprise," Brian said. "But we're going to have fun, I promise."

"I'm glad you called," Lily murmured. "I wasn't sure you would. I wanted to tell you again how sorry I was for what happened."

Brian shrugged, then reached over and wove his fingers through the tendrils of hair at her nape. "No talk about work today."

"All right," Lily agreed. "So what do you want to talk about?"

"Let's not worry about that," Brian said. "I'm sure we'll think of something."

The drive passed quickly and as Brian suspected, they didn't have any problem finding something to talk about, though he was much more preoccupied with studying her beautiful face than making conversation. Lily chatted about trying to find something to occupy her free time in Boston and Brian suggested things she might try. He didn't suggest his first choice, that she spend every free minute in bed with him. Although he thought it was probably the most valuable use of her time-and her body-Lily probably wouldn't appreciate such brazen talk on their first date. By the time they crossed the Congress Street bridge, he'd nearly convinced her to try sculling lessons on the Charles.

"Sculling lessons," she murmured. "I could do that. I'm really good on the rowing machine at my health club."

Brian pointed out the window at the Children's Museum and the Boston Tea Party ship. "We're heading into Southie now," he murmured. "This is my neighborhood."

"You live here?"

"Not anymore. I have an apartment close to the station. But I grew up here."

"Can we go see the house where you lived? Is it still there?"

"Did I tell you about Southie?" Brian asked.

"I-I just read the report."

"Maybe I should read the report," he teased. "I wouldn't want to repeat something you already know."

"I thought we weren't going to talk about work," Lily said. "Although it will probably be a moot point before too long anyway."

"Why's that?"

Lily shrugged. "I'm thinking of turning this job over to one of the other people at the agency. I'm not sure I can be as effective as I should be."

"You'd leave Boston?" Brian asked.

She nodded. "I shouldn't have come to the station the other day. It shouldn't have bothered me that that story hit the papers." Lily paused. "But it did."

Brian stared out the street, unable to believe what he was hearing. Then with a soft curse, he pulled the car over the curb. "You don't have to leave," he said. "If that's the worst you're going to dish out, I can handle it."

"But I-"

He stopped her words with his lips, yanking her from across the car into a desperate kiss. The thought of her leaving Boston shouldn't have affected him at all. He shouldn't have cared. But he did-and he wasn't sure why. All he knew was that he needed to keep her close for now.

Brian reached up and smoothed his hand over her face. "You don't have to leave. Not on my account. Do what you have to do for Patterson, Lily. I'll understand. No hard feelings."

"You say that now, but it's still going to affect the way I do my job." She laughed softly. "Wait until you meet Emma Carsten. She'll have no mercy. By the time she's done with you, you'll be recommending Richard Patterson for sainthood."