“I absolutely, one hundred percent need to say these words.” She stared into his eyes. And he stared into her eyes. Impressive—his gaze didn’t drop to her bare breasts. He looked her dead in the eyes as she told him, “I love you. At first, it was a teenage crush, and then I was so mad at you. Mad for a long time. No one could ever drive me as crazy as you do…but, Eric, you aren’t the biggest asshole in the world. You can be so sweet and caring and protective. You can make me smile, and you can give me so much pleasure. With you, I start to think about the future, and I’ve never done that, not with anyone else.”

His muscles seemed to relax.

“I want to try a relationship with you.” Maybe they’d crash and burn but…she didn’t think so. She thought they just might work.

The whole happy ending thing. A life together. Holding hands. Building dreams. Maybe even a family…one day.

A little girl with his eyes would be incredible.

“Piper, I want to try everything with you.” He winked. “And I don’t just mean sexually, baby.”

A laugh spilled from her. God, she was happy. After everything that had happened, it seemed so foreign to feel this way.

“When I think of my future, you’re there, Piper. Every step of the way. At my side. My partner, with me.” His hands slid over her hips. “I want to marry you. But, shit, that’s not me trying to make you feel pressured.”

Her eyes widened.

“It’s just me wanting you. Wanting to offer you anything and everything in this world. Just know that, okay? I love you, and I want to marry you. But if you don’t want that, screw it. After what happened with your parents…” He shook his head. “Give me only what you want to give. If you don’t ever want to get married, that’s fine. We can be together any way you want. Because being with you is what makes me happy.”

Her eyes were starting to burn. She blinked quickly even as her smile grew. Perhaps it was time to stop being afraid of the future. Long past time. She wasn’t her mother. And Eric definitely wasn’t like her father.

They were different. Their path could be different. Their ending could be different.

Happy. Good.

“Let’s take it one day at a time,” he told her, voice rasping. She could feel his heavy erection pushing against her, and Piper rubbed her sex over him. He groaned. “One, uh, day…at a time. We’ll go as fast or—God, that feels good—as slow as you want.”