But she’d gone straight to her room. Shut the door. Closed him out.

Shit. He’d lost his control in front of her. He hadn’t meant for that to happen. But when Mark had lunged for her and Piper’s terrified scream filled Eric’s ears, he’d just lost it.

Attacking had been his response. A primitive, instinctive response to protect what was his.

Only Piper didn’t think she was his.

They’d kissed. So what? If he was going to build anything with her, he had a hell of a lot more work to—

The stair squeaked. The fourth stair from the bottom. It always squeaked when someone was on it. It had squeaked last night and alerted him to Piper slipping down the stairs. Was she going for another midnight snack? He turned and hurried toward the stairs.

Holy hell.

Eric staggered to a stop when he saw her. Piper was wearing his shirt again. She’d picked up plenty of new clothing that day, but she was wearing his white button-down and looking like every fantasy he’d ever had.

When she saw him, Piper froze. Her hand was on the banister. Her feet on the last stair.

He tried a smile. One that he hoped didn’t look crazy as all hell. “Got another craving?”

She gave a slow nod. Her hair slid over her cheek.

He closed in on her. “What’s it going to be tonight? More chocolate chip cookie dough? Or maybe chocolate? You want to try something different?”

Again, she nodded. “Something different.” Her voice was soft. Sexy and husky, and it stroked right over his skin. His cock was already at full attention, mostly because her legs were on glorious, perfect display for him.

And he remembered far too well what it had been like to have her legs wrapped around his hips. For him to carry her across the kitchen. Put her on the table.

I wanted to make a feast of her.

His cock shoved at the front of his pants. Desire beat in his blood, and when he spoke, his voice was gravel rough. “Tell me what you want, and I’ll get it for you.” Anything to take the fear from her eyes. Eric turned away, ready to hit the kitchen—

“You.”

The whole freaking world stopped in that instant. Even his heart stopped beating. Silence lingered all around him.

“Eric? Did you hear me?”

Hell, yes, he had.

But he wanted to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He’d had a dream like this before. A time or twenty.

Her soft footsteps padded toward him. Then her gentle fingertips pressed to his shoulder. “You’re what I crave.”

If he turned around, he’d devour her. He’d take her and never let go. She didn’t realize what she was doing.

What she was offering to a starving man.