"You’ve arrived at your destination. 143 Lumber Patch Road."

Sonia Bentley drove her SUV to a complete stop in front of an old two-story cabin. She turned the engine off to conserve gas just in case she needed it. With the way this road trip was turning out, there was no telling what other inconveniences awaited her.

The GPS screen soon faded to black. Cold air seeped into the vehicle as snow fell to the ground. The air was just too humid to result in any significant accumulation at this point, but come nightfall, the circumstances would be different.

After driving for four hours straight and then being stuck on the road for another two hours because a bridge had iced over, Sonia was ready to vacate the car and plop down in a comfy chair somewhere.

Her cell buzzed and she picked it up to see her Dad's phone number flashing on her caller ID.

She answered it. "Hey Dad. I'm here."

"Oh, thank God. I called you two times already but you didn't pick up. I was worried," her dad exclaimed.

"I only had one bar. Even my radio kept cutting in and out," Sonia said.

"The reception is terrible up there, but I'm glad you made it. It'll be safer for you to stay there for the time being instead of trying to fight your way across frozen bridges and highways. I called the hotel for you and they'll hold your room until you get there. You'll make it in time for the interview tomorrow. Don't worry."

"That interview is the least of my worries right now. Just about every eatery was closed on the way here. Guess they know what's coming," she said.

"Do you have anything at all to eat tonight?"

"I've got some sandwiches that I bought at the gas station up the road, so I'll be okay," she said.

"Right. You'll be just fine. I looked at some national weather reports and they expect the blizzard to end sometime tomorrow. Once the snow clears, you can head out to Aspen Valley again."

"I hope so…"

Sonia turned her attention to the cabin amid towering oak trees and vast acreage, all of which were covered in snow. This countryside view wasn't anything like the tall federal buildings, skyscrapers, and multi-use condominiums that she was used to up in Cincinnati. The area looked as deserted as a college campus during spring break. Not that she coveted crowded roadways and heavily polluted air, she just didn't expect the area to be so secluded. Or maybe all the residents were hunkered down inside their cabins preparing for the blizzard.

Sonia, her dad, and Wanda, Sonia's step-mom had lived in the cabin for about three months before her dad decided he wanted to change careers. His new wife had family in the area, mainly grown sons, but she didn't have a problem with leaving them behind to start a new life with her new husband. That was four years ago. At the time, Sonia was only fourteen—a minor. Her dad couldn't just leave her behind.

So instead of going to live with her mom out in California, who was five months pregnant at the time, she made the decision to move to Cincinnati with her dad and his new wife. She'd always been a daddy's girl anyway. Plus, she actually liked Wanda. She had never blamed her step-mom for driving the final wedge between her birth mom's and dad's already failing relationship. Sonia saw the separation and divorce coming from a mile away. Unfortunately, her dad's union didn't last with his second wife and now he was back where he had ended last time—going through divorce filing procedures.

"Did you find the spare key under the flower pot?" her dad asked, jolting her from her thoughts.

"I haven't gotten out of the car yet," she said.

"Well, for heaven's sake, what are you waiting on?" he exclaimed. "Don't sit in the car and freeze to death."

Sonia rolled her eyes and decided not to mention how he'd been calling her every thirty minutes along the way.

"I'll call you back once I get inside," she said.

"Okay. And there should be some wood down in the basement and more outside near the shed under some brown tarp. That should last a week but I doubt, you'll be out there that long," he said.

"I hope not." She glanced out at the front porch and thought she saw a figure or some shadow move behind a curtain. "Dad…you did say no one was here right?"

"There shouldn't be. Wanda and I rented the cabin out sometimes to tourists, but we arranged all that through Lombardi Lodging and only when they were in dire need of space. Besides, the tourist season has come and gone."

"Okay," I said, pushing the car door open. "I see the flower pot you mentioned."

"Alright. The spare should be right under it. It's heavy, but it's the only way inside or you'll have to break a window. I'm going to text you the number I have here for Luke Lombardi. If you can't find it, he'll help you get inside."

"Okay, dad. Let me hang up so I can lift the pot and then I'll call you back," she said.

After her dad hung up, she got out of the SUV, slammed the door shut, and began trudging through the snow toward the wraparound porch. Her sneakers would be soaking wet, but what mattered was that she had found a safe shelter. Soon she'd be huddled up by the fire taking a long nap without the stress of the outside world looming over her. She wouldn't have to worry about rowdy roommates or subway noises anymore. She wouldn't even worry about the upcoming job interview she had in Aspen Valley. If she missed her chance at nailing a dream job, well…it was never meant to be.

As Sonia walked through the snow, she spotted some imprints that belonged to a rather large boot and then some more footprints that looked like they belonged to an animal—maybe a dog or wolf. But that didn't mean anything. This was the wilderness. Animals roamed about all the time. The majority of them were harmless since they had gotten used to humans sharing their territory. And unlike the town of Aspen Valley, most of the residents traveled by foot from neighborhood to neighborhood and shop to shop. During the three months that Sonia had lived out here with her dad and step-mom, she'd learned a lot about nature and how to survive in it.

The big flower pot sat to the left of the door just as her dad had described, but the Hostas that usually bloomed in the spring had wilted and rotted away. In fact, none of the flower beds they planted four years ago remained. The temperatures were harsh in this region this time of year and only the trees and various shrub surrounding the wrap around porch thrived.

She lifted the pot up to one side and bent down to look for the key. Unfortunately, the key wasn't there. She reached under the pot and slid her hand along the bottom and even stuck a finger in the small drain hole, thinking it had gotten stuck in there somehow over the years. Still nothing.

Sonia sighed and sat back with her legs folded under her. Her breath visibly folded out in front of her as she looked around the porch for other pots. The only thing left were two rocking chairs, the bench swing, and some ferns hanging from the ceiling. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket, weary about whether she should call that guy, Luke, for help. The last thing she wanted to do was call her dad right back only to tell him that she couldn't find the key and was stuck outside. Or she could just find a nice big rock and bust out one of the basement windows like her father had suggested.

Just as she was about to open her text messages to get the number to Lombardi Lodging, she heard the sound of footsteps on the inside.

Her pulse quickened and she held her breath and listened. Sure enough, over the sound of the wind howling, she heard the floor boards creak inside. Just like it always did near the foyer when she used to live here.

Her back stiffened when she realized that the phone in her palm might have been the only object she had to defend herself. She placed her free hand down on the floor and was just about to push herself up when the doorknob rattled and then turned. Locks clanged together on the inside and the frame shifted as someone swung the door open.

While she was still kneeled on the floor like a damsel in distress, a big six-foot-two man filled the doorframe. At the same time her mouth dropped opened, his eyes narrowed in suspicion or maybe it was recognition.

Standing before her in just a pair of jogging pants with nothing else on was Andre Trenton, her step-brother. Well…soon-to-be ex-step-brother. But that's not all he was. Andre was her very first crush—her first real crush.

"I hope there's a very good reason for being down on your knees like that," he drawled, staring at her with those enchanting amber eyes of his.

Just like his body, his face was sculpted with only a couple days’ worth of stubble. His hair was the same as she'd always remembered it. Cut short and tousled, as if he'd just gotten up from a long nap or taken a lengthy jog. Instead of responding with a sassy comeback, she lost her voice and resorted to blushing instead. She couldn't stop staring.

"Sonia…" he breathed.

Even the sound of her name on his tongue sent warmth up and down her spine.

Embarrassed by her own skittish reactions, she rose to a standing position and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

"I'm going to be staying here."

He lifted an eyebrow.

"My dad owns this place," I added.

He raised both eyebrows. "Is that what you really think?"

"Yeah, it's what I know. The roads going into Aspen Valley are iced over, so I took a detour just to be safe. My dad said the cabin was empty. It's his cabin or I wouldn't be here."

"The cabin is owned by both my mom and your daddy. At the moment. After the divorce, the cabin will belong to my mom but I don't think your daddy got into all that with you, did he?"

"No, he didn't…" I frowned. "Look, if this is going to be a problem for you, I'll just call my dad. We'll get this straightened out."

"No need to call daddy. We're both adults, right? We'll figure it out," he told her. His tone sounded serious, but then he gave her that wicked, crooked grin he always used whenever he was up to something.

Sonia bit her bottom lip, her gaze skirting across his chest. "Yeah, I guess we will."

His scent was subtle, smooth, and masculine. Whatever it was—his cologne or maybe the smell of the soap he used—it was pulling her in, making her mind wander to inappropriate things. Like the thick bulge pushing against the thin fabric of his running pants. This was the same feeling she had every time she was in Andre's presence. The last time was four years ago. She didn't remember the pull being this strong.

"God, how long has it been?" he asked.

"Almost four years," she said, almost too quickly. "We left a couple months after my fourteenth birthday."

He smiled. "Yes, I remember the party they threw for you. You've grown up."

His gaze moved from her face and trailed down her body. He didn't hide the fact that he was sizing her up…or checking her out.

"You too." That was all she could manage.

He chuckled. "Well…I was grown when the three of you left."

Sonia's stomach fluttered as she took in his muscular build, thick biceps, and wide shoulders. His tall six feet three frame cast a wide shadow over her, but she didn't feel the least bit intimidated by this man who'd been out of her life for years. She was drawn to him.

A brisk wind swept across the porch and folded across her skin. Her body shivered from instant chills, but deep down inside there was something else. She felt something else. Some other emotion ran deep within her as she stood there staring at Andre Trenton, trying to figure him out…like she'd tried to do since the day she first saw him.

He held his arm out, palm open between them.

"What?" I mumbled, confused.

"You have suitcases and stuff, right? Give me your keys."

"Oh." I blushed and fished my keys out of my pocket.

"Go inside. It's cold." He stepped aside and motioned for her to come inside.

Relieved, she walked into the cabin. Andre walked right out of it.

"Hey, don't you need a coat or something?" she called out behind him.

He gave a short laugh on the way to the SUV.

"Or not…" she mumbled. She gawked, watching him walk out into the snow and pull up the back lift.

His muscles rippled under taut sun-kissed skin that simply screamed to be touched. No matter the season, his skin was always the same flawless light copper hue. Snowflakes melted instantly as soon as they met his flesh. He was unbothered by the deadly chill in the air. If the rumors were true, his ability to walk out into the snow without flinching made sense. He had three other brothers. Same mom. Different dads. And Sonia had solid proof that his older brother, Jacob, was a shifter. Too bad neither Andre or Jacob would confirm if Andre was one himself.

As he worked, Andre's jogging pants had slipped down an inch or so, revealing his eye-catching V-cut. His form was rock-solid irresistible. He was pure perfection. Everything about him was, even down to the immaculate birthmark on his right shoulder. She had asked him about it once, boggled by the pattern that it formed. A circular spiral about six levels deep. She'd never seen a birthmark quite like it.

He lifted her big heavy suitcases like they were filled with nothing but air. She watched from the foyer as he brought them in one by one. All four of them. He brought her plant in last. After placing it on the foyer table, he shut the door and locked them inside and reached for a shirt. He mopped the shirt across his torso and also used it to dry his hair.

"A plant? Really?" he exclaimed.

"It's my bonsai. I found it abandoned at a secondhand shop a few days ago. It still needed some attention so I couldn't leave it behind."

He cracked a bright smile. "Of course, how could I forget who you are? On the other hand, you've got enough stuff to open up a clothing shop. How long are you staying?"

She shrugged. "A few days, maybe a week."

"That looks more like a few months’ worth of clothes to me," he joked.

She rolled her eyes. "That…coming from a guy who owns maybe three pairs of pants and a couple of shirts. Whatever. I have a couple sets of suits just in case I get called back for a second interview and then my regular clothes."

"We're not all spoiled little daddy's girls, you know? Asks for what she wants and gets it and then some."

"That's not who I am," she countered. "And don't get me started about being spoiled."

This time he shrugged with indifference. "I don't own a lot of clothes, because I don't need a lot of clothes."

My gaze dropped to his body again, giving him another once over.

He didn't wear a lot of clothes either.

He was right. He didn't need clothes. He was a living, breathing Adonis. Personified male perfection. He was sex on legs with a repetition that lived up to the hype, if the rumors were true. And the rumors had to be true. In the past, she'd seen the way women lured him and tried to initiate sex with him.

Sonia forced her gaze away from his body and looked around the cabin. She recognized the setup and layout, but most of the furniture inside was new. The walls were also painted a different color and the window treatments had been changed.

"Is someone else here?" she asked.

"No…just me." He gave her a lingering stare. "And you."

"I thought you and your brother were still living together in Aspen Valley. Or at least that's what I heard…"

Dad had mentioned last week that Wanda was visiting her sons in Aspen Valley and used that as an excuse for not showing up at the meeting scheduled with their lawyers. Their divorce meetings were old news to Sonia, but at the mention of Wanda's sons—one in particular—her curiosity had been piqued. It had been so long since she'd seen Andre. Who would've known that she would bump into him again so soon and in a place where she wasn't expecting to see him. She couldn't help but to admit…she knew Andre was still here, living somewhere in Aspen Valley. And as small as the town was, she had anticipated seeing him before her visit ended. What she didn't expect was how easy it was to find him. Only trying to make it to town before the blizzard hit, obviously she hadn't even been looking at the moment.

He grinned. "That's what you heard…?"

She nodded. "Yeah, you know how everyone talks around here."

"And you believe everything everyone says."

"No."

"My brother and I still share a house in town. The same house we grew up in together," he said. "I work for Remly now. They got a contract to do maintenance work on the dam out here. The assignment was temporary but my mom suggested that I use the cabin to keep from having to drive back and forth every morning. Work has been called off for a few days until the snow clears. We're expected to get three feet total, maybe more."

"Oh. You know, it's possible my dad didn't know you'd be here," she said.

"He didn't or he probably wouldn't have sent you here," he said.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Your daddy doesn't really like me. It's too bad my mom and your dad broke up. She really thought he was the one she'd spend the rest of her life with. Turns out I know my mom very well…she favors constant change over stability. It's not that she didn't love your dad or anything like that."

"Oh." She looked down at the floor.

"It's nothing personal. She did it to my dad too. Moved on and got pregnant with my youngest brother just like she did the other times."

Sonia swallowed. "Well, in my case, they weren't fighting. They've split up on good terms. My birth mom and dad fought all the time before they went their separate ways."

"So…here we are again," he said.

"Yes, here we are again."

"So, uh…do whatever. I would say make yourself at home, but ownership of the cabin is up in the air. There's enough food and water to get us through the storm just in case we can't get outside in the morning. I've got a generator in the basement which seems to be working alright. If you need anything, let me know now so I can go get it. We won't know how bad it'll be until the storm gets here."

At the mention of food, Sonia's stomach churned and growled something fierce and she prayed he hadn't heard. "Okay. I'm all set, so I should be fine. No need to go out in this."

"Great. Well, I'm gonna go drag your suitcases in your room. I took some steak out of the freezer earlier. I was getting ready to make tacos. Good timing, right? We're both hungry."

"Sounds better than the sandwiches I brought," she commented.

Sonia watched his retreating back as he dragged two of her suitcases into one of the rooms. Her old bedroom. Having only stayed in this cabin for a few months, she wondered why it felt so comforting to be here all over again.

She hadn't realized it before, but she missed the countryside. The quiet. The peacefulness. The sounds of nature.

And…she had missed Andre. And not one week had passed by over the last four years that she didn't think about him.