now, she felt her cheeks warm as she thought of what she'd done. Pausing at the door, she pressed her palms to her face. Why should she feel embarrassed? She'd decided what she wanted and she'd gone after it. Just because that involved unbridled lust and an earth-shattering orgasm didn't make it a crime.
'That's what I'll keep telling myself,' she said.
Another knock sounded on the door and she pulled it open. A waiter stood outside with a tray. 'Good evening, Ms. Gallagher.'
'Hi,' she said. 'You can just put that on the table, thanks.'
Lily followed him inside and signed the bill for the pie and ice cream, adding a generous tip. Richard Patterson was picking up the tab for her hotel, so why not? But as she was signing the check, a familiar voice drifted through the room. She froze, then slowly turned to face the television.
Lily's jaw dropped. There he was! Brian Quinn was sitting behind a news desk reading the news. She closed her eyes and cursed. Now she was imagining him on television, and not just in her bed or in the limo or showering in her hotel bathroom. She opened her eyes and stared at the screen, prepared to realize she'd been wrong. 'Oh, my God,' she murmured. 'It's him.'
'He's really good,' the waiter said, nodding in the direction of the television.
She snapped her head around to look at him. 'What?'
'That guy. Quinn. He did an investigation on the auto repair business in Boston. It was really an eye-opener. Two of the biggest dealerships in town were taking cars in for repair and they were deliberately breaking things, just so they could charge to fix them. And this Quinn just went in and stuck a microphone in their faces, daring them not to answer the tough questions.'
Lily turned back to the television, her attention transfixed by the image on the screen. He really was a handsome man with his dark hair and beautiful eyes, those chiseled cheekbones and sculpted lips. A tiny shiver skittered through her as she listened to his voice. It was hard to believe this was the same man she'd been with the previous night. He'd never mentioned what he did for a living-although that had been one of their little rules.
'He usually doesn't read the news,' the waiter said. 'He's like an… investigative reporter. I read somewhere he's from Southie.'
'Southie?'
'South Boston. Hometown boy. Working-class neighborhood.'
Lily handed the check back to him. 'Thanks,' she murmured.
The waiter smiled and nodded. 'Have a nice evening, Ms. Gallagher. Just give me a call if there's anything else I can get for you.'
She didn't see the waiter leave the room. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed on the television, slowly sitting down at the table. How odd it was to be looking at him again. When he'd left her last night, she'd assumed it would be the last time she saw him. And now, here he was, in her hotel room with her.
She grabbed a fork and dug in to the piece of apple pie a la mode, her eyes still transfixed by the news broadcast. This was not supposed to happen! She wasn't supposed to feel this way. A one-night stand was supposed to last just one night!
But now she knew where to find him. He wasn't just some stranger in the night, he was a man with a job and a home and people who knew him. If she wanted, she could dial the television station right now and leave a message. And when he got that message, he'd stop by her hotel room and they'd-
Lily glanced down at the pie then methodically devoured the remainder of it in four large bites. Then she snatched up the room service menu and dialed the kitchen. 'Hello. Yes, Lily Gallagher in 312. I'd like a piece of lemon meringue pie and a piece of pecan pie. And send up one of those chocolate fudge brownie sundaes, too, as well as two glasses of milk. And hurry.'
She hung the phone up and went back to the television, pacing back and forth in front of it. 'Stick to your guns,' she muttered. 'Don't imagine something that isn't there. This is all about control.'
Lily groaned and sat down on the end of the sofa to wait for her food. If she was in complete control, then why did she want another night with Brian Quinn, and several more after that? And why did she feel like gobbling down an entire pie? Lily covered her face with her hands, groaning softly. 'What have I done?'
3
Lily sat in her office at Patterson Properties and Investments, staring out the window at the Boston skyline. She pushed up from her desk and peered down on the streets in the financial district, watching the traffic crawl along. Though Boston was beautiful, it wasn't Chicago. Lily sighed. She'd only been in town for only three days and she was already homesick.
After her breakup with Daniel, she'd decided to make some big changes in her life. She'd stumbled upon an old house for sale in the WickerPark neighborhood of Chicago and without really thinking about it, put in an offer. The act of purchasing a home had been her first step toward independence. From the time she'd left college, Lily had always rented, believing that her perfect mate would come along, they'd get married and buy a house together.
But now, she had a mortgage payment all her own and a house in need of a new roof. A promotion at work and a big raise would go a long way toward paying the bills. If she did a good job for Richard Patterson, Don DeLay would have to see her value to the firm.
The house in Chicago hadn't been the only change. Her mind flashed back to Brian Quinn. Her little one-night stand had been part of the plan, too-a part that she was fast growing to regret.
Lily turned away from the window. Why couldn't she put Brian Quinn out of her mind? Yes, the sex had been good… all right, great. Incredible even. But she had to believe that part of the excitement came from the spontaneity of the moment. Making love to him in the back of the limo had been dangerous and wicked, completely out of character for her.
After it had happened, she been pleased with the results. It had been everything she'd needed-at that moment. And she'd expected to relive the moments over and over again in her head, the memories of the passion so strong. But she'd never expected this nagging temptation, this need to see him again.
A knock sounded on her office door and Lily jumped, then calmed herself. She'd been so edgy! Was this a side effect of unbridled lust? 'Yes?'
Marie, the administrative assistant assigned to her, poked her head inside. 'Mr. Patterson will see you now, Ms. Gallagher. In his office.'
'Thanks, Marie.' She smoothed her skirt and tucked her notepad under her arm, then walked out of her office and down the hall to the elevator. When she stepped inside, she leaned back and fixed her gaze on the numbers above the door. This was exactly how an ordinary woman turned into a brazen hussy, she mused. All she could think about was sex, sex, sex. Had there been an attractive single man in the elevator, who knows what might have happened?
'I need a hobby,' she said. 'Something to distract my mind. Pottery or kick-boxing. Maybe I could take singing lessons. I've always wanted to learn how to sing.' She paused and glanced up at the security camera mounted in the corner of the elevator. 'And maybe I should stop talking to myself now.'
The elevator doors opened and Lily hurried out, making her way through the executive suites to the end of the hall. Richard Patterson's secretary stood as she approached. 'Hello, Miss Gallagher. Is there anything I can bring you?'
'Coffee would be nice, Mrs. Wilburn,' Lily said. 'Cream and one sugar.' She rapped on the door, then opened it and walked inside.
Richard Patterson nodded at her from behind a massive desk that was scrupulously organized. He pointed to a guest chair. 'Good morning, Lily. I assume Mrs. Wilburn got you situated yesterday.'
'She did. I have an office, an assistant and I met with your key people.' Lily paused. 'It looks like your public relations department has done a terrific job for you. But I still don't know what I'm doing here. You already have highly qualified people to do your PR. Why do you need me?'
He leaned back in his leather chair, bracing his elbows on the arms and steepling his fingers in front of his face. 'There's a situation developing that may cause a bit of a crisis and I need someone experienced to handle it when it
