Then Eric laughed. “Or maybe you’re a lot worse. You’ll have to show me.”

Show him? Glaring, she flipped him off and stormed into the guest room. Piper slammed the door to show him how she really felt. The guy had been the bane of her existence for too long. And now she was counting on him for help? For protection?

Growling, she yanked off her shirt as she stalked toward the bathroom. The situation totally sucked.

And…

Dammit, that stupid kiss had been the best of her life, too.

***

He was a world-class liar. Always had been. But Eric hadn’t been lying to Piper, and it was a fucking sad thing to admit, but when he’d been seventeen and he’d kissed her…

Hell, yes, that kiss had been incredible.

He raked a hand over his face as he headed toward his room. Piper Lane was in his house. Piper Lane.

He kicked the bedroom door shut and hauled out his phone. He didn’t care what time it was, he needed to get his crew started on her case. He dialed his Vice President and had Simon Forrest on the line in moments.

“You are totally interrupting something very, very important,” Simon growled at him. “Why is your timing always shit?”

“I want our best men sent to Piper Lane’s home first thing in the morning. She’s had two break-ins, and some SOB trashed her place.”

“What?” Simon’s voice sharpened. “Ben’s Piper?”

Eric nearly crushed the phone. She isn’t Ben’s.

“Is she okay?” Simon demanded.

“She’s fine. She’s here.”

Silence. Then… “Want to say that again?”

He knew the guy had heard him perfectly the first time. “She’s staying at my place until we can catch this bastard. The local PD is overwhelmed, and I won’t have her put in danger. I want the best team we have doing a full security installation at her place, but before that, I want the area swept for any evidence that might have been left behind.” He exhaled. “And I want a complete sweep on her car. Check for any GPS devices and make sure that baby is running perfectly.” Sabotaging a car would be an easy way to hurt a target.

“Uh, sure thing, buddy, but if the cops have already been to her place…”

“I want the place examined again.” Cold fury punctuated the words. “And we both know that our team is the best in the whole state.” Actually, the best on the entire East Coast.

Simon didn’t argue.

“She’s scared,” Eric added grimly. “And I told her we’d find this jerk. He isn’t going to get close to her.”

A pause, then…“This sounds personal.”

He looked toward the wall that separated him from Piper’s bedroom. “It is.”

***