Reed gently removed Katrina’s shoe and set it on the worn, dusty floor. “There’s nothing to interpret.”

“You’re being deliberately oblique.”

Reed shook his head, slipping off her sock. “What makes you think I had a thing for Mandy?”

“Because you’re doing her a favor. By helping me. What other reason would there-”

His large warm hands wrapped around her ankle, and she jumped at the electric sensation.

“It’s not Mandy.” He rotated her ankle. “Does this hurt?”

Katrina sucked in a breath and tried to tug her foot out of his grasp.

“Hold still.”

“It hurts.”

“Sorry.” His thumb pressed on the inside of her foot below her ankle bone. “This?”

“Yes,” she hissed.

He tried the opposite side of her foot and glanced up.

She shook her head in an answer.

“Point your toe?”

She did.

“Other way.”

She flexed. “Ouch.”

“Yeah,” he commiserated, moving back toward the sorest spot. He made small circles with the pad of his thumb, massaging in a way that hurt, but the pain wasn’t too sharp.

She steeled herself to keep still.

“Relax,” he instructed. His attention moved farther up her calf.

Okay, that didn’t hurt at all. In fact, it felt very nice. Very, very nice. She closed her eyes.

His deep voice was low and soothing as it rumbled in the cavernous space. “I’m going to move you.”

“Hmm?”

“You lean over any farther and you’re going to fall off the bike seat.” His hands left her leg, and suddenly he was scooping her from the bicycle, lifting her, carrying her.

“What-”

“Over here.” He nodded to a small stack of hay bales against a half wall.

He set her down, and the stalks of hay prickled through her tights.

She shifted. “Ouch.”

“Ouch?”

“It prickles.”

Reed shook his head in disgust, coming to his feet, striding away, his boot heels clomping on the floor.