He smiled, so she knew his answer was sincere. “Yeah, I do. I think it’s cute as hell on you. It goes well with your sassy little self. And the color makes your eyes even more blue.”
Why was she blushing? She hoped he wouldn’t notice, but of course he did.
“Why the pink cheeks, Ky?”
“Because… I don’t know. Just because!”
He chuckled but didn’t say anything since their lemonade arrived just then. Brock tapped the straw out of the paper sleeve and plopped it into her drink before he did the same to his own, and she took a long sip.
“Thanks for coming horseback riding, Rock.”
“Sure. I enjoyed myself. You’re a natural on a horse.”
“Your horse was gigantic! But then, so are you, kinda.”
“Gigantic?” He made a face. “I know I’m a big guy, but gigantic? That makes me sound like some kind of freak.”
“Well, if the shoe fits,” she sassed.
“Ky. Be nice.” His expression was stern, but she knew he was joking.
“Or what?”
“Or that offer to put you over my knee still stands, little girl.”
Her cheeks were burning again. But this time it was half embarrassment and half… what? Was it the idea of him actually putting her over his knee and giving her a spanking that made her have those Big girl feelings again? Big girl and Little girl all at the same time. She took another sip of her lemonade to cover her blushing while Brock sat there clearing his throat.
“Oh good, dinner’s here,” he said unnecessarily, making her wonder if he felt it, too.
Did he?
But she wasn’t supposed to be thinking of him this way, she reminded herself firmly.
“Here, Ky. I know you like sour cream.”
He spooned some onto her plate, then added a little to his own plate.
“Thanks.”
He always took such good care of her, even the small stuff like putting her straw in her drink or spooning sour cream onto her plate. They seemed more like Daddy things than bodyguard things, she couldn’t help thinking.
“Sure. Want one of my tater tots?”
He held one out on the end of his fork, and when she went to take it with her fingers he pulled it back a bit.
“Manners, Ky. We’re in a restaurant.”
She made a face at him, but when he slowly moved the fork toward her mouth she opened her lips to take a bite. And as she did, his gaze met hers. Something strange was happening, but she couldn’t figure it out. All she knew was that everything was tingling again, so much that she nearly forgot to chew.
She sat back, chewed on the tot and wiped her mouth with her napkin, even though it didn’t need it.
What the heck? Did she have a crush on her bodyguard?
She sipped her lemonade again, trying to calm down, but her pulse was racing. And he was still looking at her. Watching her, really, with a strange expression on his face.
Just then Derek came by their table.
“Hi there, how was your day, you two? My Sadie hasn’t stopped talking about how much fun she had. She tells me you’re both good riders, too.”