“And you know exactly what she wants.” Eric thought about the way Piper had gone absolutely wild for him the night before. “Sorry, but this time, you’re the one who is clueless. She’s a grown woman. She can go after anything or anyone that she wants in her life. Her choice. Not yours. Being her best friend doesn’t give you the right to control anything about her.”

“I’m not controlling her! I’m helping her!” Ben huffed out a breath. “Just keep your hands off her. Keep your dick zipped away and make sure—”

A soft knock sounded at the office door. The knock came just in time because Eric had opened his mouth to tell Ben just where Piper liked for him to keep his dick, and it wasn’t zipped away.

The door opened and Piper slipped inside. Her gaze darted between the two of them. “Everything all right in here?”

Ben gave a jerky nod. “Just settling some things with my brother.”

He hadn’t settled jackshit. “Something you need to know, bro,” Eric began menacingly. “Piper and I—”

Piper’s eyes went wide. She winced and seemed to brace herself. She knew he was going to tell his brother what they’d done. And she was…afraid? Hell, yes, she was. Her hand was rising toward her ear.

Screw that. He stalked toward her. Took her hand in his. Squeezed.

Ben cocked his head. “You and Piper—what?”

Eric wasn’t going to say a word. She didn’t want him spilling? She wanted him to be a dirty secret? Hell, that was fine. If he got to slide into her bed each night—or if she jumped in his—then that would stay between them. He cleared his throat. “We need to go and talk to Simon. He’s supposed to have a location on Grady soon, and I want it.”

He felt some of the tension slide from Piper. Eric rolled back his shoulders. “Come on, Piper.” He led her out of the office, past Dennis and his carefully organized desk, and toward the nearest elevator. As soon as the elevator doors closed behind him—

“Now I’m one of your secrets?” Eric’s words were low. “You’re not a kid, Piper. You can pick your own lovers, and if my brother doesn’t like that we’re together, he can screw off.”

Of course, Ben wouldn’t like it. He’d just made that crystal clear, hadn’t he?

“Ben is all I have. My one constant.” Her chin dipped toward her chest.

He jabbed a button on the control panel, stopping the elevator right there. “Bullshit.”

Her head whipped up.

“He isn’t all you have. He isn’t your family.”

Piper sucked in a sharp breath and took a step back.