Her Maine Attraction: A Small Town Romance (Pine Cove Book 1)

by Rebecca Gannon

  Have I died and gone to Valhalla? Because in what real life scenario does this big, tall, strong Viking of a mountain man also have the ability to sing?

  When the song ends, Jake brings our joined hands up to his mouth and kisses mine.

  “Jake,” I breathe. “I want to kiss you so fucking bad right now. You have no idea.”

  His laughter is just more music to my ears. “I’ll have to sing more often then.”

  “You better. But only for me. I don’t want to have to fight off women when they try and jump your bones after hearing your voice.”

  “Darlin’, trust me, I’ll save it just for you.” He smiles.

  “Pull over,” I command in a soft voice.

  “What?”

  “Pull the truck over. Right now.”

  He seems confused by my demand, but does as I say and pulls over onto the shoulder of the dark side road.

  The second he puts the truck in park, I unbuckle my seatbelt and throw myself at him. Straddling his hips, I grip his face between my hands and slam my mouth down on his.

  I moan instantly, sliding my tongue against his and running my hands through his hair, loving the feel of it gliding through my fingers. Gripping hard, Jake groans into my mouth, and I feel it vibrate through my whole body.

  When I feel his hands start to slide up my legs, though, I use every ounce of strength I have to pull away from him. I untangle myself from his grip and crawl back over to my seat and buckle myself back into my seatbelt again.

  I had just wanted to give him a taste for later, but now I just want all of him.

  “Darlin’, why did you stop?” he asks, breathing hard.

  Smiling sweetly, I pat his chest. “You were taking me to dinner. Aren’t you hungry?”

  “Yes. For you.” Reaching across the middle console, Jake rests his hand on my thigh, slowly sliding it upwards. “I love this dress. You tease me with your long legs and soft skin, and all I can think about is how they’ll look wrapped around me.” Moving his hand up a little more, it disappears under the skirt of the dress, but stops near the apex of my thighs. “And how easy it is for me to slide my hand up and under here. If I wanted to, I could feel how wet you are for me. I could take care of you so easily if you needed me, darlin’. You just have to ask.”

  My breath starts to come in short, rapid intakes. Why does he have to say things like that?

  I risk a quick look at him, and if I had any chance of winning this battle of wills, I just lost. Jake’s eyes are shining with so much need and desire, and it’s all for me.

  Moving his hand off my thigh, he unbuckles my seat belt again, and I don’t waste another second before I lift myself up and over onto his lap.

  “You win,” I whisper, right before Jake shuts me up with his lips.

  Melting against him, I go straight to undoing his belt and jeans, needing him to put out this fire burning inside of me. Lifting up, I give him the room he needs to shove his jeans and boxers down, freeing himself.

  Digging in his pocket, I pull out a condom I know he keeps there, and rip it open. He watches my hands tremble as I roll it down on him, his eyes blazing with need as he slides his hands under my skirt to smooth his palms over my ass.

  Gripping me hard, he groans. “Darlin’, this ass will be the death of me. When I get you in my bed later, I’m going to lay you out and trace every curve of your body. First with my hands, then with my mouth. I want every inch of you imprinted in my mind so that when you’re not around, I can still feel you.”

  Moaning at his words, Jake’s mouth leaves a path of flames up my neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive flesh behind me ear.

  I can’t even think straight anymore.

  Pushing my panties aside, he slides his fingers between my folds. “Always so ready for me,” he rasps.

  Positioning himself at my entrance, he slams up into me in one stroke, and I scream out at the sudden invasion, my body feeling like it’s being split in two.

  Every sound we make echoes back at me in this small space, drowning out all thought.

  Jake grips my ass to the point where I think he’ll leave permanent hand prints, and I brace myself on his shoulders. Over and over again, Jake lifts me up, and I slam back down on him, filling me completely.

  It feels primal and unhinged, and it’s not long before my legs are shaking and my vision blurs.

  With one final stroke, I let go, my body not my own as it shatters around him.

  He owns all of me.

  Trying to drag in breath after breath, I close my eyes and rest my head on Jake’s shoulder, breathing in his musky, woodsy scent.

  When my head stops spinning, I lean back and look at my sexy mountain man. His hair is all wild from my hands, making his overgrown golden locks look like a fierce lion’s mane.

  Smiling softly, I lean in, kissing his swollen lips.

  With that simple touch, my heart swells with a feeling I’m too scared to label. My head is trying to tell my heart to slow down, but I don’t think that’s even an option anymore.

  Lifting myself off of him, I move back over to my seat, smoothing my dress down. Looking back over at Jake, I bite my lip nervously.

  “So, dinner then?” I smile shyly, not wanting to give away what I’m thinking.

  Jake flashes me a wicked grin and laughs. “Yeah, darlin’, dinner.”

  After adjusting himself, he pulls back out onto the road and continues on towards wherever he was taking me. I don’t even care anymore. All I can think about is the fact that I just had sex in his truck on the side of the road.

  “You realize anyone could have driven by and seen us?” I laugh lightly, realizing what we just did.

  “Yes, but you didn’t care, did you?” he asks, already knowing my answer.

  “Nope, it didn’t even cross my mind actually.” Smiling, I see a satisfied little gleam in his eyes. “I’m starving.”

  “We’ll be there soon,” he says, squeezing my hand.

  True to his word, a few minutes later we pull into the parking lot of a little dive bar.

  “I know it looks kind of shitty from the outside, but it’s not on the inside, and they have good food.”

  “Good. Because I could go for a big, juicy burger with fries and a cold beer.”

  “My kind of woman,” he says, getting out of the truck and coming around to open my door.

  “I know.” I smirk, taking his hand again as we walk inside.

  Looking around, it’s actually not as bad as I thought it’d be. It’s a country bar, with the walls covered in saddles, hats, ropes, and pictures of different artists. The floor and tables are both a dark brown wood that’s been worn down and scratched from years of use, but gives it more of a homey feel. A small stage sits unoccupied on the far back wall with a dancefloor in front of it that’s probably used for live music or karaoke.

  Jake walks us over to a booth, and a waitress comes over almost immediately.

  “Hey, Jake, how’re you doing tonight?” she asks, practically eye fucking him.

  She has long brown hair, brown eyes, pouty lips, and a tight little body with big boobs. Please, honey, you’re not fooling anyone with those balloons on your chest. I thought I left all the fake and superficial bitches back in Jersey, but I guess they’re everywhere.

  Not even bothering to acknowledge me, she flips her hair over her shoulder and thrusts her boobs out, as if that was necessary. Her tight, low-cut t-shirt is enough for anyone, girls included, to zero in on her honkers straight away.

  “Hey, Amber. I’ll have a bud draft. Ally?”

  Amber, really? Sounds like a stripper. Looks like one, too.

  She reluctantly turns my way when Jake addresses me, and narrows her eyes. Okay, bitch.

  “I’ll have a Stella, thanks,” I say politely, making sure I keep my true feelings to myself.

  “Sure, I’ll go get those,” she replies, smiling seductively at Jake before walking back to the bar – my eyes shooting daggers at her the entir
e time.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah, just peachy,” I say, forcing a smile.

  Tilting his head to the side, he studies me with a small smile playing on his lips.

  “Fine,” I sigh. “I didn’t like her thrusting her boobs out at you and giving you sex eyes while I’m sitting right here.”

  “And if you weren’t sitting here, that’d be okay?”

  Is he joking?

  “No, it wouldn’t be okay, but at least I wouldn’t have to see it.”

  “You’re sexy when you’re jealous.”

  “I’m not jealous.” Liar. “I just…never mind.”

  Smiling like he’s won the lottery, Jake leans back in his seat, that damn dimple mocking me because he knows I am jealous. Possessive of him might be a better way of putting it, though.

  When Amber returns with our beers, she makes sure to bend over when she places them on the table so Jake has a full view of her cleavage.

  Why don’t you just shake them in his face while you’re at it?

  Shifting my eyes back to Jake, I notice he’s not even looking at her. Instead, he’s watching me with a knowing smirk.

  “Do you need time to look at the menu?” She practically purrs at Jake.

  “No, we’re ready. I’ll have the cowboy burger and fries, medium rare.”

  “I’ll have the same,” I say, smiling as I shove my menu back at her.

  Huffing, Amber flips her hair and walks away, putting a little sway in her hips this time. Oh my god, she’s relentless.

  “I think Amber has a crush on you. Just letting you know in case you didn’t catch any of her blatant come-ons.”

  “I come here with my brothers sometimes, and she always serves us.” He shrugs, like that’s supposed to reassure me or something.

  “Are you and your brothers close?” I ask, trying to get my mind off the tramp.

  “Yeah.” He nods, drinking his beer. “All our lives, really. I can count on them to always be there if I need them.”

  “That’s how my sisters and I are. Especially when we were growing up. No matter what was ever happening, we stuck together. And when things got particularly bad, we’d have sleepovers in each other’s rooms and stay up late talking about the dumbest stuff. It made the world of difference to me.”

  “Bad?”

  “Yeah, my dad. He, uh, wasn’t the greatest,” I confess, clearing my suddenly dry throat.

  “Did he hurt you?” Jake asks, his voice hard.

  “Not physically, no. But I always had my sisters. A lot of the times I’d run into their room just to know that we were all together. Marissa is the oldest, then Kelly, and I’m the youngest. They’re both married to great guys now. I’m glad they found their happiness.” They have men who stand with them, not against.

  “What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “Do you get to find that?”

  “Um…” I look down at my drink, not wanting him to know that I’ve started to think of him as my happy. “I haven’t really thought about it in a long time. I’ve been on a self-proclaimed man hiatus for the past seven years.”

  He tilts his head slightly, studying me. “You haven’t been with a man in seven years?”

  “No, I haven’t,” I confess, looking him directly in the eyes.

  Something flashes in his, but it’s gone before I can figure out what it is. “Tell me more about your dad.”

  Swallowing hard, I take a few sips of my beer. “He’s been an angry, unhappy man, for as long as I can remember. He never treated my mom well, and he was never someone that I could count on or look up to. He disappointed me more times than I can count, until I just gave up believing he’d ever be the father, or man, I needed him to be.

  “My mom is the best woman in the world, hands down. She always made sure my sisters and I knew we were loved, and she always encouraged us to chase after what we wanted. It was her who pushed me to study art. My dad thought it was a stupid and useless skill. So, to get a degree in it was definitely something he deemed useless.

  “I haven’t spoken to him since my parents split up a few years ago. He hasn’t ever even tried to contact me. My sister’s reach out to him on occasion, but I never do. They never had to live alone with him and my mom like I did, so they don’t really understand why I don’t try.”

  “What was it like?” he asks gently.

  “I was the one left at home to deal with all of the fighting, yelling, and criticism when they left for college. They have no idea what I had to endure. But I’d also never tell them either. They were living their lives and were happy. I envied them for escaping, but I could never leave my mom alone there.”

  Feeling the tears sting the back of my eyes, I take a deep breath to relax.

  I’m better. My mom is better. We’re all fine now.

  Jake reaches across the table and takes my hand. “Darlin’, I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine what it was like to grow up having a father you couldn’t depend on.” His voice is both angry on my behalf, and comforting to soothe me. “Why did your mom stay with him? Didn’t she see what it was doing to you?”

  “They only stayed together as long as they did because they thought it was better for us. I asked her once, not long after they split, why she even married him, let alone had a family with him, and she told me he wasn’t always like that. She said he used to be a good man, and he used to be good to her.

  “How am I supposed to deal with that? I already had mistrust and disillusions towards men, and now she tells me he used to be good? So, a man can marry a woman, lover her, have a family, and then completely change and be horrible?” My voice breaks as I look to Jake for the answers I know he can’t give me.

  “Ally, he wasn’t a man. A real man would never tell a woman he loves her when he doesn’t. And a real man wouldn’t marry a woman and have a family when he’s not capable.” The fierce tone of his voice keeps my tears at bay. “The fact that that asshole mistreated you makes me angrier than you can even imagine.” Shaking his head, he squeezes my hand and rakes the other one roughly through his hair.

  “Every time I’ve ever given a piece of myself to a guy, it’s been returned to me broken, if returned at all.” His eyes shoot to mine, and I let him see the dark pieces inside of me. “I’ve already put myself back together too many times, and I don’t think I can do it again.”

  “Ally…” he says, his voice strained.

  “I just need you to know where I’m coming from. And to know that this”–I motion between us–“is new for me.”

  Nodding, he rubs soothing circles across the back of my hand. And when he opens his mouth to say something, Amber is back with our food.

  “Anything else I can get for you, Jake?”

  A little laugh escapes me, and she snaps her eyes to me, glaring. Coughing, I try to cover it up, but she’s not buying it.

  “I’ll have another beer,” I tell her, sliding my empty glass to the end of the table.

  Giving me major side eye, Amber pouts and turns back to Jake.

  “Me too,” he says, handing her his empty glass.

  When she’s far enough away I start laughing, happy that the tension from what I was talking about has dissipated. This girl is ridiculous. Jake’s on a date with me, and yet she’s flirting with him like he’s going to just dump me and go after her.

  “Something funny, babe?” Jake smirks.

  “She’s trying to take you from me, in front of me, and I think that’s funny.”

  “Not happening,” he says firmly.

  Smiling, I pick up my burger and take a huge bite, moaning and closing my eyes. This is the best burger I’ve had in a long time.

  Jake freezes, his burger halfway to his mouth. “Darlin’, you can’t make noises like that. It makes me think about how you’d sound with something else in your mouth.”

  Coughing, I start to choke, and I practically grab the beer out of Amber’s hand when she returns, taking a few big gulp
s to clear my throat.

  Of course she doesn’t seem fazed at all by my choking, and she walks away smiling, probably wishing I would have just suffocated so she could comfort Jake all the way to her bed.

  “You good there, darlin’?” He smirks.

  “Jake, why did you say that?” I ask, trying to calm my heart.

  “Just being honest.” He winks, biting into his own burger. Imitating me, Jake moans, and holy hell he was right. I start to think about this mouth devouring a certain part of my body.

  Squirming in my seat, I pop a fry in my mouth and stare at him while he eats. He opens wide to take a big bite, and I watch as his mouth and jaw move, and his throat bob as he swallows. When the juices start to run down from the corner of his mouth, his tongue darts out to quickly lick it away.

  “Something you want to say, darlin’?”

  My eyes shoot up to his, and he’s looking at me like he knows exactly what I’ve been thinking.

  “Um…”

  “Didn’t we agree that I’d tell you mine if you told me yours?”

  “Here?” I bite my lip and look around.

  “We can revisit it later,” he says, even though his eyes are telling me that he wants me to tell him every dirty thought I have in my head right now.

  Nodding, I pick up my burger again and force myself to eat. But I’m not really hungry for food anymore, just the man across from me. And with both of us staring at the other while we eat, I can’t take the tension for very long.

  Excusing myself, I go to find the bathroom, and as I walk past the bar on my way, I see Amber flirting with the bartender. She’s curling her long brown hair around her finger and leaning towards him so he can get a good look at her boobs. Yeah, this girl needs to relax.

  Shaking my head, I keep walking past the bar to the ladies’ room that’s on the other side. And as I’m washing my hands, I look in the mirror to see someone I don’t recognize staring back at me. I’ve never seen myself look so…happy. My cheeks are flushed, my skin is glowing, and my eyes are shining with something new.

  “Well, well, well. Look who we have here.”

  Glancing behind me, I see Amber standing by the door. Great.

  “Hi.” I smile, reaching for a paper towel to dry my hands. What did she do, follow me in here?