“You could have said something. Warn a girl you’re in here.”
“I had a mouth full of ice cream.” He held up the bowl in one hand as if he needed evidence to go along with his story.
Payton pulled out supplies to make a sandwich and turned on the light. “What are you doing up?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“I hardly ever sleep.” She busied herself making her sandwich, giving her something to focus on instead of the man in shorts and a black tank top only a few feet away from her.
“Me neither.”
“Is it nightmares?”
“Sometimes,” he said after a moment.
“Dad used to get them too. I remember when I was younger, he warned me never to get too close and wake him from them. I learned that lesson the hard way.”
“Did he hurt you?” There was a hardness in his tone, as if he was concerned her dad might have injured her.
“A little. I was more scared than anything. After that, I never tried waking him again.”
“That’s probably smart.”
Payton set down her knife and turned and faced him. “What do you dream of?”
Alex froze mid-motion. The spoon halfway to his lips before setting it back down in the bowl. “I don’t remember.”
“Do you ever dream about them? Your family? The one before us.”
“Payton,” his soft word was a warning.
“Sorry.” Curse her detective brain. She never knew when to shut it off. “It’s none of my business. Forget I said anything.” To help keep her mouth shut, Payton took a bite of her sandwich.
“It’s just a time of my life I don’t like to talk about.” His face pulled tight in strain.
He didn’t like to talk about anything really, except his teammates. She really needed to stop trying to make conversation with him. “I understand.”
He growled before setting his bowl down and stepping around the island until he was in front of her. “I’m the one who should apologize. I’m not good at this.”
“What?” Air rushed out of her lungs at his closeness, making her sound breathless.
“Talking.”
Yeah, she’d noticed.
“I do a lot of talking. It’s an occupational hazard.” She chuckled at her own joke.
Alex didn’t join her. His gaze was rooted on her mouth. She jolted when his thumb swiped over the corner of her mouth.
“You had mustard on your face,” he explained then took his thumb in his mouth.
Payton’s knees threatened to buckle. “Thanks.” She felt herself leaning toward him, wanting something else in his mouth besides his own thumb. Like her tongue.
Alex’s hands griped her biceps to keep her at a distance. “Payton, we can’t.” His voice was strained as his hands shook upon her arms, like he had to physically restrain her. The invisible threads that were like a magnet tugging them closer and closer.
“You’re right. Sorry.” She pulled herself out of her daze and put her sandwich-making stuff away. It was a good thing her back was to him so he couldn’t see her flaming red cheeks.
It wasn’t the first time she’d been rejected by a guy, but it had been the first time she’d made the first move. Obviously, she’d read the situation wrong.