He grinned. “I was just thinking that the wind had made you look as if you’d just been thoroughly rolled in the hay, even if I’ve yet to touch you.”

But he had touched her. In many, many ways. In the weeks since Devon had arrived, Kat felt as if he’d awakened her. Brought her back to life after a long, lonely sleep.

The question was, if she allowed the relationship to go further, could she ever be satisfied to go back to the lonely sleep again, or would it be torturous to remember what she had and could no longer have?

Her smile must have faltered, for he removed his hands and said a little harshly, “Come. It’s about to pour. Where is this shelter?”

She waited for him to mount and then took the lead, directing them back down the path to where the shed was almost completely obscured by a copse of trees and brush.

Just as they reached the shed, the heavens opened and rain came down in buckets. Devon slid off Thunder as soon as they reached the shelter, then helped Kat down. She was already drenched and could barely see for the sheets of rain.

He took Lady’s reins, then pushed Kat gently toward the shed and yelled that he would be there soon. Kat stumbled forward, the water obscuring her vision. She could barely decipher the outline of the shed.

The old building was small and damp, but the roof wasn’t as bad as she’d thought, leaking in only two or three places.

She hugged herself, shivering a little at the cold. The breeze, which had felt so good before the rain, now seemed chilly and unwelcoming. She looked around the shed to see if perhaps there was enough wood to make a fire, then decided that if she attempted to start one, the entire place might catch aflame.

Devon appeared, wet to the bone, something tucked beneath his coat. He wiped the water from his face and glanced around. “It will do.”

“It has to,” she answered, offering a smile. A slight shiver wracked her as she spoke.

Devon pulled the picnic blanket from beneath his coat and handed it to her. “Here. Take off your jacket and put this over you. It’s fairly dry and will keep you warmer than that wet wool.”

Her teeth were beginning to chatter, so she took off the jacket and the bedraggled white scarf. After looking around, she hung them both on a stray nail. “I wish there was more furniture. Some chairs, at least.”

She turned to take the blanket from Devon when she saw his gaze on her chest. She looked down and winced. The rain had soaked her white linen shirt and her chemise all the way to her skin. The cloth clung to her, revealing far more than she’d intended.