“Well, hell,” he muttered, careful to stay quiet enough not to wake her up.
He was going to have to fight that urge. She sure as hell wasn’t helping, crawling into bed with him and curling up, her body warm against his, with the fruity scent of her hair only inches from his face. He inhaled. Yep. Some kind of fruit, all right; fruit and pure girl.
He had better get himself under control because that was not the deal here. He had a job to do, and that had better take precedence over his desire for her, a desire that was as much in his head as it was in his body. He didn’t even want to think about his heart.
“Nope,” he muttered. “Go to sleep, damn it.”
But he lay awake for a very long time, staring into the dark and trying not to think about the irresistible girl sleeping in his arms.
Kyra woke up after the loveliest dreams. She didn’t remember details, just a feeling of being warm and safe. And after a few seconds she realized why.
She turned to look at Brock, who was fast asleep next to her. Well, partially under her since her head was still pillowed on his shoulder. She stretched gently, careful not to wake him. She wanted to just enjoy being there for a little while.
It was so nice of him to let her sleep in his bed. He was super sweet to her when she’d come to his room after those bad dreams, and she knew he really would protect her from Richard. From anything.
The sun was shining through the curtained windows, just enough that she could make out the tattoos on his arms. There was a big Chinese dragon with water and koi fish in the background on one arm, and a tiger on the other. The sheet wasn’t pulled up enough to cover his upper body and for the first time she noticed the tattoo on his chest, right over his heart. It was an apple pie, of all things. She’d need to ask him about that later. But right now, she had an idea.
Slipping as carefully as possible from the bed, she tiptoed to her room. After making a quick stop in the bathroom and pausing to brush her teeth, then her hair, she dug through her bag until she found what she was looking for.
She grabbed a washcloth and ran it under some warm water, then squeezed it out before she crept back into Brock’s room, trying not to giggle. He’d turned onto his side, which was perfect for what she had planned.
She bit her lip, holding the laughter back as she held the glittery fake tattoo of a unicorn in rainbow colors. Then she carefully patted his skin with the warm, damp washcloth and pressed the tattoo gently to the back of his biceps on his left arm, wiping it with the washcloth until she was sure it had transferred, then carefully peeled the back off.
The giggles rose in her chest, and she had to bite her lip even harder to keep it from bursting out. Oh, he was gonna be so mad! And she was no doubt going to be in some big trouble, but she kind of liked that idea.
Her special places tingled when she thought of him putting her over his knee, the way he was always threatening to do. If only he would!
Maybe the glitter tattoo would do the trick.
She knew it was bratty of her, but she enjoyed being a brat, and she was pretty sure she’d enjoy the consequences, too.
He groaned quietly and rolled onto his back. Whew! Just in time.
She jumped up and ran back to her bathroom to get rid of the washcloth before he could see it. She heard him moving around, the bed covers rustling, and when she strolled into the living area with as innocent a look on her face as possible, he was standing in the doorway. In his striped cotton pajama bottoms. And no shirt. Just all that muscle right there where she could see it.
She swallowed the big sigh that wanted to come out and said, “Good morning. I’m starving, Rock; can we get room service today while I go get ready to play with Sadie?”
He rubbed his face, and she could see that his eyes were red. She felt bad for a minute, knowing she’d kept him up late.
“Sure. Pancakes today?”
“Yes, please! And bacon.”
“Bacon and pancakes it is,” he said, letting out a yawn.
“Thanks, Rock!”
She turned and half-skipped her way to her bathroom, and somehow she managed not to giggle until the door was closed and she was safely in the shower. Oh, he was going to be so mad! But she couldn’t wait to tell Sadie, and for some of the folks at the Ranch to spot the glitter tattoo! She wiggled her butt as she stood under the hot water, wanting to dance, she felt so good, so naughty and so free. For the first time in forever she had acted on a whim and didn’t feel like she was going to throw up afterwards.
Spending the night in Brock’s bed sure was good for her. He was better comfort than any of her stuffies, as much as she loved them.
By the time she was out of the shower, had gotten dressed and styled her hair the way Jackie had shown her, she could smell breakfast. Her tummy grumbled as she walked out to the living area.
“I’m starving!”
“You’re always starving, Ky,” Brock said.
“That’s kinda true. Can I have extra syrup?”