She stiffened. “I am who I am. And I would prefer it if you did not call me by that name.”

“Katherine? Why not?” His eyes twinkled. “It’s your real name, isn’t it?”

“Yes. But my mother never used it unless she was angry, so I prefer Kat. Or for you, Miss Macdonald.”

He laughed. “Miss Macdonald it is. But only if you’ll call me Devon.” His gaze darkened the slightest bit. “I want to hear my name on your lips.”

Kat had to rub her arms to stop the goose bumps that traveled up her skin at the silken tone of his voice. It took all of her composure to answer in a steady voice. “I hope you aren’t counting on such. I will never say your name.”

He leaned forward, his eyes so rich a blue that she couldn’t look away. “Is that a wager?”

“No, Mr. St. John. It is a fact.”

The man smiled then, a faint curve to his well formed mouth that drew the gaze and sent heated thoughts through her mind. “Miss Macdonald, may I say that I look forward to the challenge of our continued friendship.”

Friendship…was that what this was? Kat was held by the thought. It had been a long time since she’d thought of having a friend—any friend, even a dangerous one like Devon St. John. And he was dangerous. She stole a glance at him from beneath her lashes.

Kat was used to seeing rather robust men appear pallid beside the likes of her lads, especially Alistair and Simon, who had to dip their heads to enter the lower barn door. But this man carried himself with such masculine ease that she caught herself looking at his legs, his hips, his hands…wondering what he would be like in bed. She already knew his kisses were hot and lethal, a fact that only made her wonder the more about the rest of him.

Kat’s cheeks heated. Bless her, but she was worse than Annie’s cousin, Jane.

Well, perhaps not that bad, but bad enough. “I am exactly what you see, St. John. Can you say the same?”

“I think so,” he answered, nodding thoughtfully. “I have never been one to dissemble.”

Before she could stop herself, she snorted in disbelief.

His brow jerked lower. “I am serious. I do not lie.”

“Never?”

“Never.”

“Have you ever told a woman she had beautiful eyes for no other reason than to tempt her into your arms?”

He opened his mouth. Then closed it. After a long moment, he puffed out a sigh. “Up until now, I hadn’t thought of that as a lie.”

“No? What would you call it?”

“A hard-won compliment.”