saw Lila tactfully waving away the air in front of her nose, as if to disperse the foul odor.
"We belong to the same ski club," he began by way of explanation.
Lila held up a hand to stop him. "Tom, it’s okay. Really. You had a life before I came along. I understand that."
"I just don’t want you to think I dated all those women." In fact, he’d dated both of them once or twice, which was one or two times too many in his opinion.
"All those women?" Lila quirked her brow at him. She was giving him "the look." He was coming to realize it meant she wasn’t up to taking any bull. "I only counted two."
"Two in the same day." He suspected that little fact hadn’t slipped by her.
"You dated women, so what?" She shrugged, though the effort seemed forced. "I’d have been surprised if you hadn’t."
"Because of the way I look." It angered him it had come back to that again. He finally unlocked the doors to the Tahoe using the remote entry. He doubted he’d have been able to find the keyhole with the way his fingers had become numb. His whole body, in fact, was becoming numb, a feeling he was not used to and definitely did not like.
Lila gave a simple reply. "Yes. You can’t run away from the fact that you’re gorgeous, Tom. Not any more than I can pretend to be anything more than average. It’s the way we’re made."
"It’s not!" he shouted, suddenly angrier than he’d ever been. "You’re not average, Lila! Not to me!"
Lila, concern clear in her blue-ice eyes, reached out to cup his cheek. He leaned into her touch and covered her hand with his own. He kissed her fingers.
"You’re beautiful to me. I’ve never felt so comfortable with anyone before. A thousand women could come on to me and I wouldn’t even look at them twice. I love the way you look, the way you smell, the sound of your voice. I love everything about you."
His speech had left him breathless. Lila looked stricken, not the way he wanted her to look at all. Tom kissed her, and she let him. At least she didn’t pull away.
"Be careful what you say," she murmured against his chest.
He thought he heard the threat of tears in her voice, and the thought he might have made her cry stung him like a blow.
"Words can be powerful, Tom."
"I meant everything I said."
She took a deep, trembling breath and shivered. Tears glistened in her eyes. As he watched, one crystal droplet slid down her cheek. He wiped it away.
"Don’t…." She paused as if to gather courage. "Don’t say it if you’re not sure."
He hadn’t been sure when he’d blurted the words, but somehow, seeing her single tear had made him certain now.
"I’m sure. I love you, Lila."
She let out a tiny cry, half laugh and half sob. "You hardly know me!"
"How well do you have to know someone who feels so much like part of yourself?" His tone was quiet.
The snow fell faster and covered her hair with lacy flakes. She looked as though she wore a veil. A wedding veil.
"Those women—"
"Sharks." The word was blunt. "Sharks who feed on bachelors. Any eligible guy with a decent job is up for grabs to them, and they just circle and circle until they snag one."
Lila twisted her mouth. "That’s somewhat chauvinistic of you. Not all women are like that. I’m not, and I’ve never been married."
He was glad to see the tears had faded. "You’re smart. You know who you are, and that’s what I like about you. You don’t need a man to define who you are."
She looked doubtful. "You make me sound like some rampant feminist career old maid."
Her fingers toyed with the ends of his scarf. Tom liked that she felt comfortable enough with him, even now, to touch him so casually. He laced his fingers with hers as best he could through the mutual bulk of their gloves.
"Because I’m not." She might be allowing him to hold her hands, but her voice was still all thorns and no rose. "I’d like to get married someday, Tom. Have a family, all that."
"Good."
Lila’s creamy cheeks flushed. "I just meant—"
"You’re no shark. They are, and you’re not."
Lila smiled mischievously. "They were both rather predatory."
Tom rolled his eyes. "You don’t have to tell me."
She peered at him through the snow fringing her lashes. "I’m sure it’s not as nice as it might seem. Being