Why in the hell would you ever do that? A cold voice from inside chided her. You know he isn’t looking for forever. There is no forever. Not with a lover, there is just—

“Come back to me.”

Piper blinked. Stared hard at him. She should get out of the bed. Get dressed. Not have this conversation when her only covering was a sheet.

He took her right hand in his and pried it away from the sheet. Her left still clutched the black silk to her chest.

His face was so serious. So intense.

“I wish I’d gone back to you after the first kiss.”

The first kiss?

“I don’t want only sex from you. I never wanted that. I want you. All of you.” His hold tightened on her hand. “I’m in love with you, Piper Lane, and I have been, for a very long time.”

She shook her head.

His jaw hardened even more. “I know you think I’m a jerk. Give me a chance to show you that I can be more. That we might be able to have more together.” Then he let her go. Let her hand fall from his. “I understand that you don’t feel the same way. I’m not trying to pressure you for anything. I just wanted you to know—you’re important to me, baby. You always have been. You always will be. Whatever decision you make about us, I’ll respect it.” He swallowed. “I wanted to say the words, you know? Because all this time, when you thought I didn’t care or that I was just the biggest asshole in the world, the truth is that all this time, I loved you.”

Her heart was drumming out of control. Absolute madness. Chaos to the extreme. “Say it again.”

He frowned. A sexy little furrow between his brows. “I’m the biggest asshole in the world—”

She tackled him. Smashed the sheet between their bodies and tumbled him back onto the bed. “That part is fun, but say you love me again.”

He smiled. Flashed her that slash, and some of the intensity in his eyes changed to pure heat. “I love you, Piper Lane.”

She kissed him. Laughed. Kissed him again. And felt joy pour through her.

His arms wrapped around her hips. “Does this mean you don’t mind?”

“Mind?” Piper rose up, her knees pushing down on either side of his hips. The sheet fell and she didn’t care. “I love you, Eric.”

He tensed beneath her. Piper felt his whole body go rock hard. “You don’t need to say—”