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

  His overgrown, dark blonde hair, hangs in his face, still a little messy from sleep, and the t-shirt he has on does nothing to hide the bulging muscles of his shoulders, chest, and arms. He’s holding a rifle in his hand, and looks like a warrior ready for battle.

  I’m too busy taking in all that he is, that I forget I’m standing here in nothing more than a little silk pajama set that shows way too much leg and braless boobs.

  I quickly cross my arms over my chest to try and hide the goods, and when I look back up at him, I’m met with his intense eyes. I feel a jolt to my chest and chills run down my arms and legs as the cool night air clashes with the heat of his stare.

  “Is something out there?” I ask, my voice just barely above a whisper. He doesn’t answer me, though. He just continues to stare at me.

  “You’re Jake?” I try again, my voice a little stronger.

  He gives me a curt nod, but still doesn’t say anything.

  “Is there anything out there? I’m really sorry for waking you up, I just didn’t know what to do. It’s my first night and I was scared I was going to be murdered or something. And Dottie said to call you if I needed anything.”

  “Just a bear,” he finally says. “They can’t get in the house. I’ll fix the broken pots in the morning.” His deep voice floats over me, and it feels like velvet caressing my insides.

  “Okay.” I’m starting to feel a little dizzy with him looking at me the way he is. “Do you want to come in for a minute? Dottie made her blueberry pie for me today, and she said that’s how she usually pays you. I know it’s after 2am, but a slice is the least I can do.” I don’t know what possessed me to invite him in, but I can’t just let him leave.

  “Sure. I can never pass up Dottie’s pie. She usually makes me a whole one.”

  I throw a nervous smile over my shoulder as I walk towards the kitchen. “Well this one is mine, so I can only offer a slice.”

  The pie is already siting on the table from this afternoon, so I go over to the cabinet to grab us plates. But before I can reach up, I feel his warm body come up behind me.

  “Let me,” he says over my shoulder, his low voice sending a shiver down my spine.

  Reaching up, he grabs two plates from above me, and his chest brushes my back. I freeze, my skin instantly heating from just that simple touch.

  Gripping the counter, I turn around when he moves away, and watch him pull two forks from the drawer near me before setting them on the table.

  He dominates the kitchen with what has to be at least a 6’5” frame. And now that we’re in the light, I can see all of him.

  He’s fucking gorgeous.

  His wild blonde hair falls around his neck and frames a square jaw that’s covered in a short scruffy beard. His eyes are framed by a strong brow bone, a straight nose, and high cheekbones. He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.

  His back muscles flex under his shirt every time he moves, and his low slung sweat pants are showcasing an ass that looks like two scoops of ice cream and thighs that look like they could crush a car like it’s nothing.

  He has this rugged mountain man look that makes me want to ask him if he can chop me some wood out back. Shirtless. Or maybe naked.

  Get a grip, Ally!

  I shake myself out of those thoughts and walk over to the kitchen table, taking a seat in front of the slice of pie he’s already cut for me.

  “Thank you,” I murmur, my voice sounding a little nervous as I pick up my fork with a trembling hand.

  I meet his eyes again, and I’m struck by their color. It’s like I’m looking into the ocean. They’re a swirl of blue and green that’s becoming darker the longer I look into them. I feel like I’m drowning in the shallows of the tide.

  My chest tightens. He’s hypnotizing me. It feels like he’s trying to see into the deepest parts of my mind.

  Using everything in me to look away, I take a tentative bite of pie, trying to regain a semblance of my sanity. We sit in silence for a minute before it becomes too suffocating for me, and I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

  “Do you help Dottie often?”

  “When she needs me.”

  “I’m sorry I bothered you tonight. I probably overreacted. I was just picturing some creature crawling out of the trees to take me.” I let out a nervous little laugh. “Where I’m from, we don’t have bears that come knocking at the door.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “New Jersey.”

  “I see,” he says simply.

  “Are you from here? Pine Cove?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay.” I nod. He clearly doesn’t like talking, so I remain quiet and finish off my pie. When I’m done, I stand up and bring my plate and fork over to the sink, needing to do something to break the awkward tension I’m feeling.

  Who just sits, stares, and barely speaks?

  The only reason I’m not freaking out right now is because of the fact that Dottie trusts him. But then again, I barely know Dottie. She could just seem nice, but is really out to collect bodies or something by posting fake rental ads online.

  Oh my god. I’m alone in a house with a stranger who has a gun. My pulse starts to quicken, and my breathing becomes rapid as I grip the sink in front of me.

  “Hey.”

  “Eeep!” I let out a very girlish squeal and I spin around to see that Jake’s right there, not even two feet away.

  What the hell? He doesn’t make a sound when he moves!

  I knew it. I’m dead.

  I’m going to die at the hands of this sexy mountain man who’s only said like fifteen words to me.

  “I’m not going to kill you. You need to relax.”

  “Telling someone to relax isn’t helpful,” I fire back. Then what he said registers. “And why would you say you’re not going to kill me? That’s not a very normal thing to say when you’re trying to calm someone down.”

  “Because you just mumbled something about a mountain man killing you.”

  “I said that out loud?”

  “Yes. Now sit back down and I’ll make you tea.”

  Tilting my head, I study his expressionless face. “You make tea?”

  “Yes. Dottie taught me.”

  “Oh. Okay, then,” I say, sitting back down, trying to settle my heart rate.

  Jake takes out a cup and saucer and places it on the counter next to the stove as he fills the kettle. He moves around with a quiet, stealthy ease – completely in control.

  I jump when the kettle whistles, and I watch as he pours the hot water into the cup. With his back to me, I can’t exactly see what he adds to it, but when he places it in front of me, the sweet aroma fills my lungs.

  With a tentative sip, I let the hot, sweet, and smooth liquid slide down my throat, warming me from the inside out. I’m genuinely surprised that he knows how to make this. I think he added something special to it, but I can’t place it.

  “It’s good. Thank you. And I’m sorry. My thoughts just got away from me and I panicked. I guess I was still shaken from being woken up like that.”

  “It’s fine.”

  I nod, closing my eyes as I sip my tea, loving how good it is. Who knew a man like Jake could make tea?

  When I chance another look at him, I find him studying me.

  “So, what do you do here in Pine Cove? Help distressed women when they’re in need of saving?”

  “No, that’s just Dottie.”

  “Why? Are you related?”

  “No. Her husband taught me everything I know about what I do, so I look after her now that he’s gone.”

  “And what is it that you do?”

  “I build boats.”

  My eyes drop to his chest, and I scan his whole upper body. “I can see that.”

  “Do I look like I build boats?” My eyes flash up to his, and they hold me captive again.

  “Yes, you, um, do.” I feel my grip on my sanity waning, and I think he needs to leave before I say or
do something stupid. “I think I’ll be okay now. Thanks again for coming over here so late.”

  “I don’t sleep much anyway,” he states, trying to make me feel better.

  Standing, I walk him to the front door, and he turns back right before stepping out onto the porch. “Goodnight, Ally.”

  Lord have mercy, my name just rolls off his tongue like he was always meant to say it.

  “’Night,” I whisper, watching him get into his truck.

  Closing and locking the door, I lean against it, trying to wrap my head around what just happened.

  I think I stand there for five minutes before I can gather myself enough to walk back to the kitchen to turn the light out, and then crawl back into bed.

  But sleep eludes me. I just lay here, staring at the ceiling, replaying every second I just spent with Jake.

  When I turn to look at the bedside clock, I see it’s past four in the morning now.

  Ugh! I can’t stop thinking about him with those sexy ocean eyes and the body of a warrior I want to wrap myself around like a vine.

  Damn it!

  I close my eyes, but his beautiful face is all I see. And that, in no way, is making me want to sleep.

  I hate that he’s affecting me like this. I don’t let men get under my skin. But the tight control I usually have over my emotions started to falter the second I locked eyes with him.

  When the first rays of light start streaming through the crack in my curtains, I let out a frustrated sigh. I just spent hours thinking about a man who said maybe twenty words to me.

  Sighing again, I throw the covers off of me and put on a pot of coffee. I can see the sun is about to come up, so I go and grab the crochet blanket from the back of the couch in the living room and pour myself a mug of coffee. I peek through the window on the back door to make sure there isn’t a bear waiting to attack me, and when I see the coast is clear, I slip outside and sit in one of the wicker chairs, wrapping the blanket tight around me.

  The sun begins to peak out from the horizon and paints the sky in hues of orange and yellow, mixing with the blues of the ocean and sky.

  It’s absolutely stunning. I can’t believe I get to wake up here everyday now. I don’t know what could beat this.

  Chapter 4

  Taking a sip of coffee, I breathe in the warm steam.

  When the sun is fully seated in the sky, I stand, yawning as I stretch out my stiff limbs. I head back inside for more coffee, and spot a loaf of bread on the counter, suddenly hungry. I guess only sleeping for a few hours before staying up all night thinking about a sexy mountain man will do that.

  Sitting at the kitchen table, I spread butter and jam on my toast and think about what I should do today. It’s my first official day as a Pine Cove resident. I think I’ll do a little unpacking first, and then head into town to roam about. I want to take a closer look at all of those cute shops on Main Street.

  Finishing my breakfast, I reluctantly go to my room and start sorting through the bags and suitcases. After putting away my massive amount of clothes and shoes, I’m exhausted, and my back hurts. I’ll have to leave the other boxes for another day.

  Dragging my feet to the bathroom, I take a nice hot shower to relax my aching muscles, but when I stand in front of the closet full of clothes I just hung up, I’m at a loss. I want any first impressions I make today to be good ones. I’ve already greeted one town resident with pajamas, messy hair, and no makeup. So, really it can only go up from there.

  Deciding to go with a simple look, I put on black skinny jeans, a loose white t-shirt, a jean jacket, and black ankle booties. While May back home is already hot, the weather here is still a little unpredictable.

  I keep my makeup subtle and natural with only a thin line of eyeliner against my lashes and mascara to make my blue eyes pop. I curl some gentle waves in my long blonde hair to give it a little volume, and then flip it over a couple of times for a tousled look.

  Grabbing my purse and keys, I open the front door and immediately jump back, letting out a little scream.

  “Jake, you scared me!” I exclaim, my hand flying to my chest. “What are you doing?”

  Dragging his eyes from my feet to my eyes, his gaze leaves a trail of fire up my body. “I said I’d fix this in the morning,” is all he says, and I look down to see that he’s gluing the flower pots back together that the bear broke last night.

  How long has he been here? I didn’t even hear him.

  Smiling slightly, I decide to try and take back control of my emotions. I can’t keep letting him make me feel like I’m powerless. “Yes, you did. And you’re a man of your word, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Very few words, granted, but that’s okay.”

  “And why’s that?”

  I flash him a smile. “Because I’ll get you talking eventually, mountain man.” I accidentally let my little nickname for him slip, and watch his eyes go a little darker when I do.

  “Is that so?”

  “Yup. And I’m a woman of my word.” A ghost of a smile crosses his lips before he looks back down at the broken pieces in his hands. “Do you need anything? I was just heading out to go into town and walk around.”

  “No. I’m almost done here.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Jake. I can clean it up.”

  “Dottie would want me to help you out.”

  “Well, thank you,” I say, closing the door behind me.

  Taking the first step down the stairs, Jake stands, blocking my way. Looking up, my eyes meet his, and my brain goes fuzzy.

  “Are you going to let me by?”

  He doesn’t answer me. He just looks at me with those intense eyes, and then steps aside. But only enough to where I still have to brush by him to pass. When my arm touches his torso, I feel a fire spread across my skin like it did last night when he came up behind me in the kitchen.

  I suck in a short breath and straighten my spine as I walk to my car, acting like I felt nothing. When I reach for the door handle, though, I hear him say, “Watch out for bears.”

  Turning back, I smile sweetly. “I could, but then I wouldn’t be able to call you to come and rescue me again. And where’s the fun in that?” Not waiting for a response, I get in my car and head off down the driveway. I chance a look back in my rearview mirror, and see him standing there by the stairs, staring after me.

  When I get into town, I park my car at the end of Main Street. I go in and out of a few boutiques, and notice a few cute dresses and some nice jewelry that I will definitely be back to try on.

  As I’m passing the hardware store, I glance in their window, and stop short. Off to the side, I see canvases leaning up against the wall and an assortment of brushes and paints hanging on the wall above them. For some unknown reason, I’m compelled to go in and take a closer look.

  A friendly man behind the counter greets me straight away, and tells me to let him know if I need any help. Thanking him, I head straight for the art section, and smile when I see they carry the paints and brushes I used to use.

  I run my fingers over the canvases, feeling a pang in my heart. I stopped painting a long time ago, but I think it’s time I start again.

  Grabbing a basket, I load it up with a variety of brushes, a new palette, and about twenty tubes of paint. I bring that up to the counter first, and then go back for an easel and four canvases in different sizes.

  Hauling everything up to the counter, the man who greeted me earlier smiles down at me. “Hello there, young lady, I’m Jim,” he says, sticking his hand out. He’s an older man, maybe in his sixties, with short salt and pepper hair and kind blue eyes.

  “Hi, Jim, I’m Ally,” I tell him, shaking his hand. “I just moved into Dottie’s place.”

  “Oh, yes, she said to look out for you. Good to meet you. I hope you’ll like our little town.”

  I smile. “I do so far.”

  “I’m glad.” He smiles back, ringing up my items.

  “You have a g
reat selection. My favorites actually.”

  “That was my wife’s doing. She was an artist, and wanted to make sure this town had a place for people to buy good supplies without driving out of their way. She had taught painting, drawing, and sculpture classes from our garage, but since she passed a few years ago, we haven’t had many artists come through.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. She sounds like an incredible woman. I always believed artists have the ability to feel deeper than anyone because you have to open yourself up when you create. Without that, art wouldn’t mean anything to anyone.”

  “That’s very true, young lady,” Jim says, his eyes misty. “My Linda loved fiercely, and felt everything to her core. Thank you for coming in today, Ally. I hope you come back soon. And maybe I can see some of your work sometime. This place has a way of inspiring you.”

  “I haven’t painted in a long time, but I’m starting to feel the pull again.” After paying, I quickly realize that it’s going to be difficult to carry all of this back down the street to my car. I guess I could make two trips? “Do you mind if I leave some of this here for a few minutes? I think I need to take two trips to my car.”

  “Of course.”

  “I can help you,” a familiar voice says behind me.

  “Jake, my boy, how are you?” Jim bellows to the man behind me. Shit, how long has he been in here?

  “I’m good, Jim.”

  “Good to hear. So, you’ll help young Ally here?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I turn to face him. “You don’t have to. I was going to take two trips.”

  “Now you don’t have to,” he says before looking over my head at Jim. “Do you have my order?”

  “Got it right here.” Jake takes a brown paper bag from Jim, and then takes the bags from my hands, along with the two bigger canvases.

  Nodding, he signals me to lead the way, and I don’t bother arguing. I pick up the other two canvases and walk out the door, Jake falling in step beside me.

  “You paint?” he asks after we walk in silence for a few seconds.

  “Yes. No. Well, I used to,” I answer, shifting the canvases to get a better grip.