Lilly’s smile looked dangerously sympathetic. “I’d say you’re going to have a hard time finding a woman who’s as athletic and adventurous as Molly Somerville.”

“I’ll bet she wouldn’t go skydiving.”

“I’ll bet she would.”

Even to his own ears he sounded sulky. And Lilly was right about the skydiving. He could almost hear the sound of Molly’s screams when he pushed her out of the plane. But he knew she’d love it as soon as her chute popped.

He still felt queasy about her falling in love with him. And angry, too. This had been temporary right from the beginning, so it wasn’t as if he’d led her on. And he sure hadn’t made any promises. Hell, half the time he’d barely been civil.

It was the sex. Everything had been fine up until then. If he’d kept his pants zipped and his hands to himself, she’d have been fine, but he hadn’t been able to do that, not when they were together day after day. And who could blame him?

He thought of the way she laughed. What man wouldn’t want to feel that laughter under his lips? And those blue-gray eyes with their wicked tilt were a deliberate sexual challenge. How could he have thought about anything except making love when they were turned his way?

But Molly knew the rules, and great sex wasn’t a promise, not in this day and age. All that crap she’d handed out about his not making emotional connections couldn’t have been more wrong. He had connections, all right. Important ones. He had Cal and Jane Bonner.

Whom he hadn’t talked to in weeks.

He gazed at Lilly. Maybe because it was late and his defenses were down, he found himself telling her more than he intended. “Molly has some opinions about me I don’t share.”

“What kinds of opinions?”

“She thinks …” He set down his beer bottle. “She says I’m emotionally shallow.”

“You are not!” Lilly’s eyes flashed. “What a terrible thing to say!”

“Yeah, but the thing is—”

“You’re a very complicated man. My God, if you were shallow, you’d have gotten rid of me right away.”

“I tried—”

“You’d have given me a few pats on the shoulder and promised to send me a Christmas card. I’d have been satisfied and driven off into the sunset. But you’re too emotionally honest to do that, which is why my being here has been so painful for you.”

“That’s nice of you to say, but—”

“Oh, Kevin … you mustn’t ever think of yourself as shallow. I love Molly, but if I ever hear her say anything like that about you, she and I are going to have words.”