Brian

'No.'

'Then it was a one-night stand.'

'That makes it sound so… well, that's not what it was like. It was different. Besides, if I wanted to find her again, I could.'

'Do you know where she lives?'

'No.'

'You don't have her phone number. Did she tell you where she works?'

'No, but I have her name. Lily Gallagher.'

'You sure that's her real name?'

'Stop talking like a P.I. If I wanted to find her, I could.' In truth, Brian had been wondering about that same thing since the moment she'd dropped him off in front of the hotel. He could call the event organizers and get her address off the invitation list. He could call the limo company and find out who hired the car. Hell, he could look in the Chicago phonebook under Gallagher, if he really wanted to find her. 'I don't believe in the curse,' he finally said.

'Maybe you just had a close call,' Sean said. 'Be more careful next time. You just can't trust women.'

Brian knew that Sean's feelings weren't entirely based on his own dating experiences. His distrust went back a lot further, back to their mother and her desertion of them when he and Sean were only three years old. Brian had no memories of Fiona Quinn when he was a child. They'd been told she'd left the family, then died in a car accident, a story fabricated by their bitter father. And now that Fiona Quinn was back in their lives, Brian had forgiven her past mistakes. Only Sean seemed to be carrying an old grudge.

'Ma is staying with Keely and Rafe,' Brian said. 'Keely called this morning and wants us all to come for a picnic on the Fourth of July. Now that she's getting her business moved up here, Fiona is thinking about moving, too. I think Keely wants to convince her that we all want her here. Are you going?'

He shook his head. 'Nah, I'm busy. I'm going to be working on a case-out of town.'

'What is your problem with her? You're an adult, not some pissed off little kid. She and Da had a tough time, they both made mistakes. If Da can forgive her, you should.'

'I have my reasons,' Sean said.

'What reasons?'

He shook his head, then reached for his Guinness and took a sip.

Brian cursed softly. 'I swear, you are the most stubborn, selfish son of a bitch I've ever known.'

'She cheated,' Sean muttered.

'What?'

Sean kept his voice low. 'Fiona. She was cheating on Da.'

'How do you know that?'

'One night after the Mighty Quinn put into port, Conor sent me down to the pub to drag Da home. He was drunk. He was talking to some of his pals and he told them that he'd caught Fiona with another man. He said he'd kicked her out of the house and that he didn't expect her back. He didn't know I was there, that I'd heard.'

'Geez, Sean, why didn't you say something?'

'What was I supposed to say? I never knew her. And the way Con and Dylan and Bren talked about her, she was like the goddamn queen of virtue and goodness and I believed that. I kept hoping she'd come home.'

'What else did Da say?'

'I don't remember much of it. He was really drunk. Most of what he said didn't make sense.' Sean sighed. 'All those Mighty Quinn stories. Hell, I don't blame him. Turning over any control to a woman is dangerous.'

'You've got to talk to Ma about this.'

'Why? So she can make some excuse? She was supposed to love us. She was supposed to be faithful to Da. That's what marriage is all about. Till death do us part.'

'People make mistakes, Sean. And marriage is difficult enough, without a husband who's away for weeks at a time and who drinks too much and who gambles his pay away.'

'Are you saying she had a good excuse to cheat?'

'I'm saying you need to talk to her and get this out in the open. She wants her family back and you're part of that family.'

Sean shoved his glass across the bar. 'Tell Da that I'll tend bar tomorrow. I have to go.'

Brian sighed as Sean strode to the door. Maybe he shouldn't have pushed so hard. But he'd been on edge all day and provoking his brother into an argument had simply been a reaction to his mood.

'I have to forget Lily Gallagher,' he murmured. 'I just have to forget her.'

'I don't know what I'm doing here,' Lily said. 'Patterson hasn't explained what he needs.' Grabbing a piece of paper, she sat down at her desk in the living room of her hotel suite. She slowly scribbled on the paper as she spoke to Emma Carsten, her best friend and co-worker at the agency. 'We've got a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, so I guess I'll find out then.'

'Why did you have to be in Boston this weekend?'

Lily drew a heart and traced over it again and again. 'I don't know. I guess he wanted me to attend this benefit he was sponsoring so I could see what a good guy he is.'

Emma and Lily had started work at DeLay Scoville the same month and had struggled through their first year together, calling on each other whenever they had questions. Now that they had more experience, they still discussed their clients with each other.

'Why would he come all the way to Chicago to look for a PR firm?' Emma asked. 'There must be plenty of firms in Boston.'

'I don't know,' Lily said. 'I'll have to ask him.'

'He must know you're good with a scandal. Do you think he's got a scandal he wants you to fix?'

'If he does, I hope it isn't too messy or I'm going to be here for a while.'

'So, what are the men like in Boston?' Emma asked. 'Are they cuter than they are in Chicago? Did you meet anyone interesting at the party?'

Lily's breath caught in her throat. Brian Quinn certainly had been interesting. How many times had his image flashed in her head since last night? She'd expected to put the evening aside and get on with her work here in Boston.

But making love to Brian Quinn in the back of a limo had been the craziest, most dangerous thing she'd ever done. And rather than satisfy her desire, it only made her want more-more of his mouth and his hair and his incredible body. More of the need and excitement and shudders of ecstasy.

Lily swallowed hard. 'I-I'm not here to meet men,' she said. 'I'm here to work.'

Emma was silent for a moment. 'Are you all right? You sound a little strange. Tense.'

'No, I'm fine.'

'Are you thinking about Daniel? This assignment was probably the best thing for you. You'll put some distance between you and him and get on with your life.'

In truth, Lily hadn't thought about Daniel at all-not since the moment she'd met Brian Quinn. 'I'm over him,' she said. 'I'm moving on. From now on, I'm not going to let myself get caught up in romantic fantasies. In fact, I'm not going to let myself fall for any man.'

'I think that's a good attitude to have,' Emma said. 'For now.'

A knock sounded on the door. 'Listen, I ordered a little snack and it's here. I'll call you on Tuesday after I talk with Patterson. Make sure you water my plants. And don't let the mail pile up.' They said their goodbyes and Lily hung up the phone.

She flipped on the television as she crossed the room to the door, the sound of the eleven o'clock news filling the room. Though she'd had healthy salad and a diet soda in the hotel restaurant earlier that evening, she'd been craving sweets all evening long. She'd promised herself to get into a regular workout routine, but decided tomorrow would be a better time to start. Besides, she'd gotten a day's exercise walking around Back Bay and Beacon Hill, shopping and taking in the sights of the historic neighborhoods, learning more about the city that would be her home for the next few months.

But even with shopping to distract her, Lily's thoughts had returned again and again to the previous night. Even