The blizzard raged outside, burying the mountain under endless waves of snow until the lodge was completely isolated. Roads were gone, phones buzzed with the same useless apologies from husbands trapped in the city, and the world beyond the windows had turned into a white, howling void. Inside the main lounge, the massive stone fireplace roared, casting flickering golden light over the leather couches and thick rugs. Sultry Christmas music pulsed low from the speakers, turning innocent holiday classics into something slow and sinful.
Jake pushed through the door from the stairwell, expecting the place to be deserted. He still wore his fitted black thermal base layer and gray ski pants that clung to his lean, muscled frame. At twenty-eight, with sun-streaked blond hair and a cocky grin tha
