Fake Dating With The Mountain Man (Ozark Mountain Men Temptations #6)

Chapter 1

Shelly

Friday night at the Bear Den was exactly what I needed.

As we walked in, Mina and I were greeted by bluegrass music and the aroma of cheap beer. The place was already buzzing with locals.

It felt like home.

The worn dance floor was filling up, and a group of mountain men were camped out around the pool tables, like they were every Friday night.

I loved this place. It helped that I knew almost everyone in here. It was one of the perks of small-town life.

Mina went to play pool, while I scanned the bar, looking for my friend Claire.

That’s when my eyes caught on Amos.

He was holding court with two women flanking him, hanging on his every word.

Amos leaned back against the bar, chest out, an easy grin on his sexy lips. The man was doing his favorite thing right now, basking in their attention.

Why does he have to be so hot?

His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, and his shirt stretched across his chest decadently.

It was his Friday-night shirt. The one with the lucky horseshoes embroidered across the front. I’d given it to him for Christmas, and he’d worn it every Friday since.

Vanessa and Ivy laughed at something he said, and my heart settled uncomfortably in my chest.

I’d watched this exact scene play out dozens of times. The night would wind up the same way it always did… with him walking someone out the door.

But it was never me.

In all the years I’d known Amos Nelson, he’d never once tried to take me home.

And after years of pretending that it didn’t bother me, tonight I wanted to know why.

For one second, I almost walked away.

But then I didn’t. I squared my shoulders and beelined to the bar, sliding onto the empty stool beside him with a smile.

“Excuse me, I’m going to need to borrow this man for ten seconds before he completely loses his mind over you two. If you don’t watch out, he’ll try to take both of you home.”

Amos turned at the sound of my voice, and his whole face lit up.

Ivy squealed when she saw me, and Vanessa shouted, “You look hot, girl! Who did you dress up for?”

“No one. I always look like this,” I sassed back, knowing full well I’d spent an hour fussing over myself in the vain attempt to get this man to notice me as something other than a friend.

“Shelly-Rae Anderson,” Amos rumbled. “You’re the best thing I’ve seen all night.”

He tucked a loose curl behind my ear, his fingertips grazing my cheek. Then he slipped them under my chin while his eyes lit up brighter than the Milky Way.

“Hi, Amos,” I said breathlessly. I always lost my words when he touched me.

“Hey, sweet baby,” his eyes danced down to my cleavage and back up again. “You’re going to make the men lose their minds dressed like that.”

I chuckled. Amos was always being silly.

Right now he was close enough for me to see the faint laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. I drank him in, my pulse hammering up a notch.

“So,” I leaned my elbow on the bar and gave him a look once Vanessa and Ivy drifted off to flag down Max, the bartender. “Having fun?”

“Now that you’re here, I am,” he drawled back effortlessly with that familiar sparkle in his eye.

“I don’t know. I might have ruined your party. You were working some of your magic on them.”

Amos laughed and picked his cowboy hat up off the bar, planting it on his head. “You know me. I was just being friendly.”

“Mm-hm.”

“Hey, I couldn’t let them feel neglected,” he winked at me. “Could I?”

He slung an arm over my shoulder, then leaned in and lowered his voice to a quiet growl. “What do you think about that chick over there? Do you think she’s ready to ride the bronco tonight?” he asked, gesturing to a tourist who must have gotten lost and wandered in here.

The woman had her eyes locked on Amos, a stunned expression on her face like she’d never seen a mountain man in the flesh before.

Damn it.

If he weren’t so hot, maybe I’d actually get a few minutes with him.

I rolled my eyes and pushed his arm off my shoulder. “Leave the poor tourist alone. She doesn’t know about you yet. It wouldn’t be fair.”

“Maybe I can be her tour guide for the night,” he drawled, his eyes already off me and onto her.

And there it was, the familiar pit in my stomach.

Why did I have to love a man who didn’t love me back?

“You’re a pig, Amos Nelson. A total pig.” I smacked him on the arm.

He howled with laughter, his lips twitching up as I walked away. “I love you, too, Shelly-Rae! When are you going to marry me and finally ride my bronco? Huh?”

He was such a showman. He made that announcement half a dozen times every Friday night. But as far as I knew, no woman had ever been offered a ring.

Amos was guilty of false advertising. I sniffed.

A few minutes later, I found Mina and steered her straight out to the parking lot, pushing through the front door with force.

“He does this every single Friday,” I said as I paced around the small gravel lot.

“Okaaaay,” she said slowly. “And this bothers you because…”

“Because it’s exhausting to watch.”

She listened, arms crossed, one eyebrow climbing up.

Then blurted out, “You can’t expect a man like him to change. And at least he doesn’t lie about who he is. He’s honest about it. I admire that about Amos.”

I sighed. “I know. I just… thought he’d grow up at some point. He still acts like he did when we were in our twenties.”

Mina’s lips quirked up. “And that’s why I don’t understand why you keep expecting him to change. Amos is just in there being Amos. Like he always is. You’re the only one worked up about it.”

She was right. But it didn’t make it sting any less.

The thing I didn’t understand was why he’d never taken me home. After all these years.

As far as I knew he was closer to me than any other woman on Red Oak Mountain. But he treated me like one of the guys.

I frowned. “I just wish women weren’t always climbing all over him, acting like he’s a piece of mountain meat.”

Mina’s eyes got wide. “Do you like him?”

“He’s my friend,” I pressed my lips together.

“That is not what I asked.”

I stopped pacing and looked out at the dark treeline past the parking lot.

Mina was my closest friend. Maybe it was time to confide in her.

“I think I’ve liked him for years,” I whispered back. “I hate it. It’s stupid.”

Mina grabbed my arm. “Aww. It is not stupid. It’s long overdue. I’ve known you were hot for him. I’ve just been waiting for you to admit it. Now go tell him, then jump in his bed.”

“I can’t just tell him,” I said, panic flying through me at the thought.

“Why not?”

“Because… there must be a reason he’s never hit on me. What if he’s not attracted to me? I’m so f—”

Mina interrupted. “Don’t talk that way about yourself. Besides, he’s constantly got his hands all over you. I know he’s attracted to you.”

I looked at my top. The one I’d worn just for him. The one that highlighted the small bit of bustline I had.

Maybe if my boobs were bigger.

But Mina was already pulling me out of my funk. “I don’t know that he’ll make good boyfriend material, but maybe one night riding his bronco will get him out of your system.”

I burst out laughing.

Should I? Could I?

One look in Mina’s eyes fortified me. She’d always been braver with men than I was.

Maybe I will. Yeah. Maybe I will.

“What about you?” I asked. “Who’s your secret crush these days?”

She laughed. “Me? I’m on a hiatus. I don’t need a man in my life.”

Mina’s hiatus had been going on for a few years now. I don’t know how she lived without sex. It was a high priority in my life. Which might be why I was seriously considering going in there and dragging Amos to the closest bed I could find.

My ex, Tucker, and I had split up six months ago, and my poor pussy had been a ghost town since then.

And that may have played a role in my decision.

“Fine. I’ll do it. But you have to buy me a tub of ice cream if he turns me down.”

Mina howled at that. “I don’t think Amos has ever turned a woman down. It’s a deal. But you have to buy me a tub of ice cream if you two hook up.”

With that threat hanging over me, I adjusted the neckline of my top to push the girls up, sucked in my stomach, and walked straight towards the front door of the Bear Den with more confidence than I actually possessed.

I was going to do it. I was going to snag that man and make him understand that I’m a woman.

I only made it four steps before a group of women I didn’t recognize surged in front of me, singing and laughing.

One accidentally elbowed me, and I stumbled back to avoid getting trampled, hitting the railing behind me.

Ow.

The one who elbowed me glanced back. Then looked straight through me like I wasn’t there.

She had the kind of straight hair I’d always wanted, and her bright pink top showed off assets I would never have.

They swept through the entrance before me as I shrank back, the fire in my chest guttering out.

I knew those types of women.

They were the popular girls. The ones that got whatever man they wanted just by widening their eyes and sticking their chests out a little.

I stood there blinking as they poured through the door, feeling high school insecurities come flooding back… even though I was thirty years old.

My friend list was long these days. But back in high school, I’d been the nerdy outsider with a pear-shaped body, a dumpy butt, and a book glued in front of my face.

A bout of teen acne hadn’t helped things.

Or the fact that I’d listened to my mom for fashion advice.

Thank god those days were over, although the dumpy butt would stay with me for life.

Mina bumped my shoulder after the herd of perky outsiders went through the door.

“Come on,” she insisted, “let’s go get your man.”

I followed her inside, but any thought of finally telling Amos how I felt died when I spotted him.

What the hell?

Amos was at the front of the dance floor. He had the whole bar up with him. Everyone was line-dancing as he led them through Country Girl Shake by Luke Bryan.

He threw his arms up and let out a howl that bounced off the rafters, then turned and thrust his hips in tempo to the beat with absolutely zero shame.

The crowd let out a cheer when he did it. Well, the women did. The men just kept playing pool and drinking their beer.

Every woman in the building had their eyes on him while I stood at the edge of the dance floor, wilting in place.

Of course they were all watching him. I knew exactly how it felt to be incapable of looking away from his magic.

Amos Nelson was the guy every woman wanted… at least for one night.

He was bold in a way I’d never be. Afraid of nothing and always up for a good time.

When the song ended, the crowd broke apart, and I saw the big-busted, pink-shirted woman who’d elbowed me earlier giving Amos a stare that said she definitely noticed him.

Pink shirt smiled at him, slow and deliberate, and I watched in envy as his eyes caught on hers, lighting up.

He instantly started sauntering her way like a dog who’d just spotted a particularly tasty bone.

Pain burned through me.

If he walked her out that door tonight, I’d still be standing here next Friday, pretending I didn’t care.

Anyone but Pink Shirt.

I couldn’t stomach the idea of him taking her home tonight.

My feet moved before I could stop them, as my heart hammered in my chest. I didn’t have a claim on this man, but I was claiming him anyway.

I crossed the dance floor and stepped directly into his path.

He pulled up short and broke into a wide grin when he saw me.

“Well, hey there, Shelly-Rae,” his voice full of easy swagger as he lifted the cowboy hat off his own head and settled it onto mine, tilting it just slightly.

Then he caught my hand and spun me once, pulling me into a loose two-step shuffle to the song that had just started up, his hand firm on my waist and his chest close enough that I could feel the heat of him. “You come to dance with me, darlin’?”

“I came to talk to you,” I said.

“Mm-hmm.” He was already glancing past my shoulder.

“I see that bossy look on your face. You’re about to tell me how wrong I am for having a little fun tonight.

” Then he leaned in and whispered in my ear, cupping my shoulder while he did it.

“But life’s all about fun. If you take that away, what’s left? ”

Then he winked at me. “You can give me your speech tomorrow. Right now, I’ve got some business to attend to.”

He stepped away and started heading over to Pink Shirt.

Any normal Friday night, I would have just stuffed my feelings deeper inside and moved on to chat with one of my other friends.

But the yearning that had been sitting quietly inside me for years simply refused to stay silent any longer.

“Amos.”

He turned back, still smiling.

“Why haven’t you ever taken me home?” My voice came out sharp, my eyes flashing.

His smile didn’t disappear exactly, but it dimmed, the energy between us changing in an instant.

The bar buzzed on, oblivious to the landmine I’d just dropped at his feet.

I wanted to take it back.

Or laugh it off.

But his eyes were holding mine with a look I’d never seen on his face before, a guarded expression underneath all that easy charm.

More importantly, he wasn’t looking at Pink Shirt anymore. He was looking at me.