over her shoulders as she moved around. Her features were delicate, the line of her jaw finely sculpted yet with a vein of stubbornness through it. The gray sweatpants molded to her lower body, to those slender hips and the gentle slope of that gorgeous arse. The loose-fitting stretchy top kept slipping off one creamy shoulder.
Compartmentalizing his observations in another part of his brain, he responded to her small talk, his gaze fixed on her the entire time.
She set the table, getting coffee mugs for them both, keeping up a steady stream of chatter, which was unusual for her. Anna wasn’t one to chatter. Turning at the waist, he transferred his last flapjack to the plate, trying to figure out what was going on. She wasn’t herself, that was for sure.
Setting the plate on the table, Anna reached for the drawer at the end of the counter and grabbed some paper napkins. She set them on the table just as the coffee was done. She poured two mugs, setting sugar and creamer into the middle. She then went to the fridge, got out yogurt, and snagged a powdered sugar shaker and the butter dish as she came back and set everything down.
Taking a seat across from him, she reached for the creamer and added it to her coffee. He drank his black, so he just took a sip and leaned back. Sunlight caught in her long lashes and brought out the gray in her eyes as she looked at him.
She reached out and accidentally tipped over the powdered sugar container. He tilted his head and held her gaze for an instant, then set down his mug and added three pancakes to his plate before passing her the dish. Flustered, she took the plate. He slathered butter on his pancakes, then sprinkled the powdered sugar on from the shaker she’d righted.
He wasn’t one to let things go. He liked to be direct so that everyone was on the same page. He met her gaze.
He stared at her for a moment, then said quietly, “What’s up, luv? Why so jumpy?”
Her expression froze and she went so still, it was as if she wasn’t even breathing. There was a long, electric silence, her agitation almost palpable. Then she abruptly looked down. “Nothing,” she said, her tone artificially bright and her face carefully arranged into a non-expression.
He ate a couple bites of pancakes, then took a sip of his coffee, considering how to play his hand. “Nothing because you don’t want to tell me or nothing because there’s really nothing and you’re acting strange just because…it’s morning?”
“You don’t want to know, Sir Oliver.”
A hint of a smile curved his lips. He had to admit she was deftly trying to avoid answering his question, but he wasn’t that easy to shake. Leaning back and considering her a moment, he could almost feel her squirm. He was also very good at maneuvering. “If there’s something going on, I do want to know. We’re in this together for the long haul.”
Her head came up and her gaze riveted on his face, her eyes a little brighter. She took a heavy breath. “Okay, I have these dreams about you…almost every night.” A low sound wrenched from her. “So, I’m really turned on when I get up in the morning.” She lifted her chin and gave him one of her cool looks. “I’m trying to get past that by my chatter. Is that okay with you?”
O-kay… “Um…yeah…” he said, clearing his throat and swallowing hard. Experiencing a fierce, almost primal feeling like he wanted to leap across the table and do what he’d been trying to avoid for what seemed like an eternity, Dodger forced himself to keep his hands loose in his lap, the need to touch her almost unmanageable. Sometimes he could curse Max to hell for being her brother.
His gaze strayed back to her. Those direct eyes and her words made him stupid—because it was nothing but stupid to be so wound up about her…and those words.
I’m really turned on when I get up in the morning.
He had no business even repeating those words back to himself. Protecting her, yes. Helping her, yes. Fucking her, bloody yes…dammit no. Bollocks, those words were driving him crazy, but the memory of Max’s evil eye was a definite deterrent.
She licked powdered sugar from her full lips—luscious. She smelled sweet and he bet she tasted sweet. Definitely edible. He had to go back to the team with at least that