“The front door was open,” Mark mumbled. His temples were pounding, and his chest ached. The new tattoo seemed to burn his skin. “The lights were on upstairs, so I ran up there.”

“When you found Dante Fallon—”

“He had a knife, he lunged at me, so I killed—” Mark stopped and corrected himself. “So I acted in self-defense.”

The lawyer nodded approvingly. “Damn straight you did.” He rubbed his hands together. “I’ll have you back at your home before the sun rises.”

***

She opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Sunlight trickled through the blinds. A new day.

Eric’s arm was thrown across her stomach, as if he’d wanted to hold her in sleep. It was the second time she’d woken to find him still holding her, and she liked it. Before, she really hadn’t ever slept well with her lovers. She’d been restless, far too aware of every single movement they made during the night, but with Eric, it was different.

He was different. Her head turned so that she could stare at him. Tousled hair. Long, black lashes. Dark stubble on his hard jaw. In sleep, he didn’t look vulnerable or softer in any way. He just still looked sexy and fierce, and Piper found herself inching closer to him.

She pressed a kiss to his jaw. “Thank you,” she whispered.

His eyes didn’t open. “I think every day should start this way.” His voice held no grogginess, but was completely awake and aware.

A smile curved her lips. “With me thanking you?”

“No.” Now his eyes opened. So deep and dark and consuming. “With you in bed with me. With you beside me.”

Her heart gave a fast flutter. “You’re wanting this…us…to continue?”

“No.”

No? She pulled away from him, clutching the sheet to her chest as she sat up in bed. A fast, jerky movement.

“I’ve lied to you, Piper.”

A horrible cold slid through her. She was in his bed, she’d woken feeling all happy and safe, and now she feared her world was about to implode. Talk about one brutal wake-up. “What lie?”

He sat up, slowly. The sheet pooled at his waist, and his powerful abs flexed. “There is something you need to know about me. Something that I’ve hidden from you for a very long time.” He scrubbed a hand over his stubble-covered jaw. “This shit is hard because I’ve never done it before.”

Never done what before? Told a lover to kiss off? That was exactly what she felt like he was doing. The case was over and he was already kicking her out? No, no, this could not be happening. She’d let him in. She’d trusted him. She’d started to think of a future with him.