Rivalry

Ellie had what could charitably be called a crappy upbringing. Her father was a tyrant, her social life was the pits, and she was forced to sleep down the hall from James, her own personal bully. Now, as a post-grad student, Ellie is determined to finish her thesis and needs a distraction-free place to do it. The solution—the isolated cabin owned by her soon-to-be-ex stepmother.Imagine Ellie's surprise when she steps out of the shower and finds James standing in the living room.James has been in love with Ellie since high school, and would have asked her out had her father not married his mother and warned him to keep his distance. To survive a hellish home life, James did everything he could to push Ellie away—the further the better.But James isn't a kid anymore, and with their parents divorcing, the rules have changed.A lost set of car keys forces Ellie into closer quarters with her childhood bully than she'd ever wanted to be. Except James isn't a bully anymore, and while she doesn't know if she can trust him or herself, she can't say she isn't tempted.