Starview, Colorado

Sage Addison climbed from the idling taxi and waited while the driver placed her bags on a cart attended by a hotel porter, who looked sharp in his red, gray, and black uniform. She sighed and glanced down at her boots; they'd sunk into the snow, which fell faster than the plows or shovels could keep up. The actual walkway to the building was salted, but where she stood wasn't under any protective covering.

Sage tipped the taxi driver who'd brought her here safely from the airport, and followed the porter rolling her luggage inside the place she'd be calling home for the next two weeks: The Village Resort. A perfect blend of rustic and modern, she could already see the appeal it had. Nothing specific, just a general appeal, and she liked it. A lot. She was anxious to check in, stow her luggage in her room, change clothes, and hit the slopes.

Pausing at the desk, she smiled at the man behind the counter, attired in what she was quickly coming to see as staff colors. This man wore a gray shirt, topped by a red jacket, and black pants.

"Welcome to the Village Resort," he said with an easy smile.

"Thank you." She gave him the necessary information and waited while he confirmed her registration.

Once she’d signed in, she followed the porter, who led her to her room. He placed her bags inside as she looked around. Damn! Okay, this was nice.

"Where's the lift to go up the mountain?" she asked, knowing it had to be near, based on the cables she’d seen on her arrival.

"Guests at the Village Resort have access to an exclusive line. You just enter through the lobby to get there."

Double damn! That's what I am talking about. She smiled her thanks and tipped him, then swiftly unpacked. She stared longingly at the king-size bed, knowing it would feel like heaven compared to the one-inch foam mattress she'd been sleeping on.

Instead of indulging herself, she pushed through the doors leading to the balcony and stared up at the snow blanketing the mountain. The crisp Colorado air made her smile and sigh with contentment.

This will be a good Christmas. Although she'd miss her family, she just couldn't take one more holiday where she got the third degree about her lack of dating, no husband, or kids. The endless setups and crocodile tears from her parents who just "wanted grandkids before they were too old to enjoy them."

So one afternoon, sitting in the main ranger station for her district—before they went out to their remote station—she had been talking with a friend who, in her opinion, spent way too much time on the Internet. Jason Guestrap had told her about an ad he'd seen for a singles-only event offered at a Colorado resort for the holidays. So she'd signed up, just wanting a fun holiday for a change, and possibly even a vacation fling.

So, she was here for two weeks. She would enjoy a week to herself before the singles’ thing started, and then a week of whatever the resort had planned for their single guests. After that, she had to get back home and return to work so some of the others could have time off during the holidays as well. Wind whipped around her as she stood on the balcony, and she closed her eyes in pure bliss as it flowed over her exposed skin along with the falling flakes, making her feel alive.

Native American to her. The other two were white. Each one of them was gorgeous, no doubt about it.

She wasn't the only one who'd noticed them, either. Many women were giving them an extremely thorough perusal. The man who'd been on the driver's side rear walked around the back and paused at the end, staring at Sage.

Her belly clenched and flipped around. Dear Lord, he was fine. His faded, medium-blue jeans hugged well-muscled legs, and even with his dark brown leather jacket she could see—and appreciate—the width of his shoulders and lean waist.

His face was angled and chiseled, making him ruggedly handsome. There was nothing pretty about him. His hair was black with a disheveled look, a de-structured effect with layering on the sides and, she assumed, nape, with longer spiked strands on top.

Goodness, she wanted to touch it. He had tanned skin, but from this distance she couldn't tell the color of his eyes. She wished she were closer. One of the men with him said something, and he replied while still staring at her. Hell, it could have been he was staring at someone past her; she didn't know. A slight grin turned up one corner of his mouth as he walked to where the other three waited for him.

Shaking off her feeling, Sage headed inside, craving a warm shower and some food. Still, as she went on her way it wasn't easy not to turn her head for a final look. Whatever women nabbed those men were going to be some lucky ones.

Hell, for all I know they're not even here for the singles thing. It is a week early, after all. They could be couples, or married.

Once in her room, Sage stripped and walked naked into the lavish bathroom. Some of the amenities might be rustic around this resort, but the bathroom wasn't one of them. She turned the water on and stepped beneath the streaming flow with a groan of relief. Good water pressure. She rested her hands along the sandstone-and-green-hued tiles lining the shower and allowed the water to work out her kinks.

Finished, she stepped from the steamy shower and wrapped in a large robe. She grabbed her body oil and sat on the ottoman at the foot of the large bed. After popping the top, she began smoothing the oil on her skin. This was a specific blend she'd had a friend prepare for her.

Once that was done, she turned to the clothes she'd laid out earlier and ran a critical eye over them. No, she wasn't vain, but those four men were making her rethink the desire to snag a man. Well, not rethink, just push up the timetable a bit. Why wait for the singles thing? Especially if she could have one of them now.