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if she’d do it sweaty and dirty from the garden.

Four
    C onnor’s laughter still ringing in his ears, Brian winced as he pulled into the driveway. What his brother had found so damned funny, Tina was sure to be pissed about.
    He’d known going in that the trick would never work. Just the fact that he’d let Connor try to put one over on Tina proved the level of Brian’s desperation. And in a weird sort of way, he was glad it hadn’t. At least he knew that Tina could still tell him apart from his brothers. It had always been like that. Even though everyone else considered the Reilly triplets interchangeable, Tina was different. So different from every other woman on the face of the damnplanet, that if Brian couldn’t get her to leave town soon, he was a dead man. He’d never survive the bet with his brothers.
    Hell, any other time, Tina’s visit would have been bad enough. She was a distraction no matter how you looked at it. But now, when he was already a man on the edge, Tina was enough to push him over.
    He’d never wanted another woman as badly as Tina. And that still held true. They’d been apart for five years, but just knowing she was in town had his body tightening and his blood pumping. Knowing that she was alone, in the house next door, made sleep impossible and every waking moment a torture.
    Oh, yeah. He was in bad shape.
    Still grumbling about the coming confrontation with Tina, he stepped out of the car into the cool of twilight. The sun was down, the first stars were just starting to wink into life and jasmine scented the air.
    The front door to the main house was open, lamplight spilling into the darkening yard, laying out a path of welcome that he was willing to bet Tina hadn’t meant for him. Brian scowled at the house and told himself he didn’t give a damn what she thought about his plan. He’d had to try, and it didn’t really matter if she was mad about it or not. He didn’t owe her anything anymore. They were exes.
    So why then, did he feel so blasted guilty?
    And so damned hesitant about facing her?
    Hell, he was a Marine.
    Trained for combat.
    Which, he told himself as he started for the door, might just come in handy when talking to Tina Coretti Reilly.
    He took the steps in a couple of long strides and stood in the slice of lamplight, staring through the screen door. From the living room, came the muted, plaintive wail of good jazz playing on the stereo. The dogs had to be outside, or they’d have had their nasty little faces pressed to the screen in an attempt to chew right through the mesh and get to him. So, there was one good point. No dogs to deal with.
    He knocked. No response.
    He knocked again, louder this time.
    â€œBrian?” she called, “Is that you?”
    â€œYeah, it’s me.”
    â€œCome in.”
    Well, so far, she sounded reasonable. Good. That was good. He stepped into the house, walked through the living room and tossed his USMC cap at the closest table. He rounded the corner into the kitchen and found her sitting at the table, a glass of white wine in her hand.
    She was mad. He could see it. Her eyes dancedwith it. And damned if she didn’t look great. That extra sparkle in her eyes appealed to him, which let Brian know he was in deep trouble.
    â€œSit down.”
    â€œNo, thanks,” he said, letting his gaze slide over her smooth, tanned legs, her pale green cotton shorts and one of the skimpiest tank tops he’d ever seen. No, he wouldn’t sit down. He wouldn’t be staying that long. Couldn’t afford to be around a woman who could torment him this easily. So, best to just say what he had to say and get out of there. “Look, Tina, I’m sorry about—“
    â€œâ€”sending Connor to get rid of me?” she finished for him, then paused for a sip of wine.
    He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Well, yeah.”
    â€œThat’s it?” She