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I squeeze her harder until she flinches, swallowing to control the reaction.

Her features twist into a fierce look. “Let go of me.”

Yeah, I don’t think so.

“Why are you here?” I dip my head to the side of hers and run my nose over her cheekbone, up to her hairline. A power move and one that makes her shiver. “And don’t lie. I’ll know it if you lie.”

Her body against mine has my skin tightening, and I close my eyes against an electric current. Has it been so long since I’ve touched a woman that my body is desperate for attention? Any woman will do, apparently, including the stepsister I’ve always despised on principle.

I need to push her away.

I can’t move my arms, though, and we both stay grounded to the spot.

Fuck me.

“I needed to have a break from things,” she manages. “I couldn’t stand my apartment anymore and I figured, withthemon vacation, the cabin would be empty. I already went to the trailer and my dad was there.” She snorts. “No way I’m bunking with him for a vacation.”

“Bullshit,” I bite out. “There are plenty of other places for you to go. Just because my drunk piece-of-shit father offered a blanket invitation to his portfolio of properties doesn’t mean you use it.”

Why would she pick this spot?

I never expected any of them to show up. We’d washed our hands of each other, and I’m better for it.

I push Gillian away from me, jolting back in surprise when she slaps her palms against my chest.

“You’re still a bully,” she says. “You’ve always been a bully, Soren Savage.”

I bare my teeth at her. “I love how you talk like you know me. You don’t know shit about me, Gilli.” I exhale hard. “You should have fucking called someone. At least give us a heads-up you were on your way.”

A few heavy seconds pass where we’re both trying to size the other up and I’m failing miserably. The way she watches me brings an awful heat to my spine.

I hate how pretty she looks, with her tawny skin and her luscious curves. The way those pants fit her is criminal. She’s lost the baby fat in her face, too.

Her backside has always been large and I take great pains to avoid breaking eye contact to stare at it now. She’s let her brunette hair grow out past her shoulders, the waves wild and untamed, and beneath her glasses, her hazel eyes are pools of unfathomed depths.

“I–I don’t have a phone.”

“What do you mean, you don’t have a phone?” I ask. “Everyone has a phone these days.”

Gilli glances to the side, eager to avoid eye contact, which sends a sliver of alarm down the backs of my arms and legs.

“I…I lost my phone and I haven’t replaced it yet.” She wraps her arms around herself. “So what?”

“Then get out and buy a new one. I’m just saying. There’s no way for anyone to contact you.”

She swallows, and my scowl is about ten seconds away from becoming a permanent feature. “I’m fine for now. Any other comments you want to make about my life?”

I sneer, crossing my arms over my chest. “I don’t give enough of a crap about it.”

We glare at each other and she’s not backing down. The girl has balls, I’ll give her that. If I didn’t despise her, I might admire her.

Without another word, I turn and stride out of the room, barking out my cousin’s name. “Aiden, you’d better be decent, we’ve got company.”

“Wait a minute.” Gilli scrambles for her glasses, cramming them over her eyes before jogging after me. “Who else is here?”

“It’s Dad’s sister’s son, Aiden October. You probably don’t remember him,” I tell her.

Why am I bothering to explain?