Prologue
Jose Manuel Sanchez had never seen snow like this before. The flurries, thick as wool, danced in the frozen air as the world outside the lodge transformed into a silent, white abyss. Sweden was nothing like the hometown streets of Chicago where he’d spent his childhood. Here, there was something ancient about the cold, something that made even the strongest seem small. He pulled his jacket tighter against the biting chill, his breath clouding in the air as he stepped out onto the wooden deck of their winter resort.
Barry Lovewing was already there, leaning against the railing with a glass of whiskey in hand, his jaw set in a tight line. The older man hadn’t said much since they’d arrived, not that Jose minded. They weren’t exactly best friends, but they were teammates, and that counted for something. What didn’t count for much, though, was the nagging feeling that Barry was watching him. Watching her.
Olympia.
She stood by the fire pit on the other side of the deck, wrapped in a thick wool sweater, the glow of the flames dancing across her smooth skin. She was perfect, effortlessly beautiful in a way that made his chest tighten just thinking about her.
And that’s where the problem lay. He could hear Barry’s low mutter of discontent, feel the weight of his gaze across the deck every time they locked eyes. Jose had no idea if it was because Barry hated seeing his younger teammate so full of life and energy, or if it was because he could feel the heat between Jose and Olympia, the invisible tug of attraction that was impossible to ignore.
But it wasn’t just the age difference between Barry and his girlfriend Mariah that made things strained. It was the game. Barry had been the star for years, and now, with his leg injury and waning abilities, he resented the way things were changing.
Things between them had always been competitive, but this tour—this vacation—was different.
A sudden gust of wind howled across the resort, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned his head just in time to see Barry’s eyes flicker toward him before he looked away, his gaze hardening as the snowflakes began to swirl around them.
Something was shifting between the four of them, something unspoken and electric, simmering beneath the surface. Maybe it was the isolation, or maybe it was just the storm that had started brewing long before they arrived. But Jose couldn’t deny it. The longer they spent here, the closer they’d become, and the more the boundaries between them started to blur.
The storm was only just beginning.
And whatever happened next would change everything...
