Hard to Resist (Sexy Nerd Boys, #3) Read online

  “Haha, nice. Does she pay her half of the rent with blowjobs? If not, she should because it’s a shame to let a talented mouth like that go to waste.”

  Bile rises in my throat and my fists clench.

  “I think you’ve got the wrong girl.”

  I know he doesn’t, he used her full name. And she does have a talented mouth. I guess I was just naive enough to think that I was one of the few to experience it. God I’m an idiot, of course she didn’t join a convent after last summer. She’s been at college, doing god knows what with god knows who. It’s not like I was much better, trying my best to forget Hadley with every mouth I came across. But, I guess when I agreed to be roommates I didn’t stop to think how that situation would play out. Good lord this is going to be awkward as hell. I wonder if it’s too late to back out of this whole messed up thing.

  Once our drinks are up I bring them to the table and then proceed to sit there and pout while Hadley and Chase discuss all of the things that they missed in each other’s lives since Christmas. When Chase gets up to use the bathroom Hadley turns to look at me suspiciously.

  “What are you brooding about over there?”

  “Well, I had an interesting conversation while I was in line to order.” My voice drips with accusation and she narrows her eyes.

  “With who?”

  “I don’t know, how many guys in this coffee shop have experienced your ‘talented mouth’?” I ask using finger quotes. Her glare intensifies with challenge. She sits up a little and starts to look around with a look on her face like she’s doing mental calculations.

  “Four guys here have had my ‘talented mouth’. And...” She continues to look around. “Three guys know that I prefer a nice clean Brazilian wax as opposed to a full on shaved vag.”

  I practically choke on my coffee.

  “Jesus Christ, LP.” I feel like I might actually vomit. She’s supposed to be mine. And, for the first time in my life I actually feel a burning resentment towards Chase.

  “Jealous?” She taunts. Extremely, but I’m not about to admit that out loud.

  “I just hope your brother doesn’t find out about your extracurricular activities, he’ll go apeshit.”

  She rolls her eyes.

  “Yeah right, he could walk in on me riding some guy and he’d be like ‘if this is supposed to be a joke Had, it’s not funny’.” She does a spot on impersonation of Chase. She’s right, he has his head in the sand. Except when it comes to me for some reason. When I even look at Hadley his hackles go up.

  “How exactly do you see this working with us as roommates?”

  She shrugs keeping her face purposefully blank. We went through this phase after we saw Rounders where we were determined to become poker masters. We’d played for hours a day for at least four months. I know Hadley’s poker face.

  “I could put a sock on the door whenever I’m getting lucky,” She suggests. Chase returns just in time to hear her last statement.

  “Is that supposed to be a joke, Had? Cause it’s not funny.”

  She smirks at me with a look that clearly says ‘told you so’.

  “Sure Chase.” She gives him a sugary smirk.

  “Good because I know that my baby sister is a virgin,” Chase says sternly. I inhale sharply and coffee goes down my trachea. I sputter and cough, half wishing I could just lay down and die here right now with the guilt that consumes me.

  Chase is my best goddamned friend in the world. Our school that we grew up in was predominantly white, Christians and so in middle school and high school I was picked on a lot. People called me a terrorist, and I would try to tell them that I was friggin’ Indian not middle eastern. But they were ignorant fucks. And, Chase always stood up for me. Especially after he became a football star and his word held a lot of weight. I don’t know what I would’ve done without him. And, how do I repay him? I defile his beloved sister.

  “Do you want the real answer or the answer that makes you feel better?” Hadley bats her eyes at Chase in mock sweetness. Chase’s brow furrows and he frowns.

  “No one’s good enough for you Had.” He pulls her over and gives her a hug. She rolls her eyes but ceases arguing, returning his hug firmly.

  “Alright, come on you douches, let’s go back to our apartment. You guys need to meet my best friend, she’s our downstairs neighbor.”

  Hadley

  As Eve bends over in the refrigerator to reach the beer in the back Chase takes a good long look at her shapely backside.

  “Can I help you with something?” Asher booms as he enters the kitchen and glares at Chase. Chase’s eyes go wide and I do my best not to laugh. I tend to forget how intimidating Asher can look to people who don’t know him. With his tattoos, piercings, and brawny muscles I can see where someone may think he’s menacing. However, once you get to know him you find out that he’s nothing but a teddy bear, mathlete. True story, he was a mathlete.

  “I, uh...sorry,” my brother mumbles with embarrassment.

  “Oh Asher, be nice. Hadley’s brother doesn’t know that you’re harmless,” Eve admonishes lovingly.

  “I’m not harmless,” Asher contradicts with a pout.

  “So, do you guys want to come up for kind of a housewarming party tonight?” I ask enthusiastically. I’ve always had this thing about parties, they stir this emotional reaction in me for some reason. I feel like when you’re partying with close friends you’re making the memories that you’ll look back on when you’re sixty.

  “Sure,” Eve agrees. I don’t need to look at Asher to know he’s wearing that ‘what Eve wants; I want’ look. I wonder if a person has ever turned actually green with envy. I don’t want Asher, he and Eve belong together. What I want is my own Asher. I want someone to love me like that. My gaze drifts to Ravi. Well, maybe not just any someone.

  Out of the corner of my eye I catch Ravi discreetly raking his eyes along my bare legs. Goosebumps erupt across my skin and my nipples tighten. Ugh, stupid hormones. Ever since he stopped off that plane my hormones have been on fire. He smells like mint and man. I can smell his mouth watering scent practically wafting across the room. And, he’s gotten in amazing shape over the past year. He’s had long, lean muscles since he was sixteen, but he’s bulked up. He’s also cut his hair and the hint of a tattoo is peeking out from the right sleeve of his t-shirt. It’s almost like he’s gone from a boy to a man in the past year. But that can’t be true, he’s still a scared little boy.

  Ravi

  “So this premature ejaculator comes out of nowhere,” Asher delivers a joke jovially and everyone pauses for a second before getting the pun and bursting out into raucous laughter. I look across the table at Hadley. Her hair hangs down her shoulders in messy waves. Her cheeks pink with inebriation. I can always tell when she’s starting to get drunk because her cheeks go bright pink.

  When we’d gotten home she’d change out of her gym clothes, which she will be wearing in my fantasies later, into one of those long, tight dresses she loves so much. My eyes travel over her chest and pause on her taut nipples. It’s not cold in here, so she must be aroused. I look up and find her gaze on me, watching me blatantly check her out. And I know that look in her eyes. She wore that same look several times last summer, and all of those times had ended memorably. to say the least.

  Her pink tongue darts out between her lips and I have to bite back a groan. I’ve gotten a lot of blowjobs in my life, especially in the last year, but no one, and I mean seriously no one sucks a dick like Hadley Parker. She’s never timid, she completely owns you in her mouth, like you fucking belong there and she loves it. My cock springs to life at the memory. I’d made it my mission over the past year to find a woman who could suck a dick like Hadley. I’d told myself that if anyone did then I would fuck her. No one had even come close. I hadn’t had sex with anyone since Hadley. Although, I’d gotten more blowjobs than I could even count.

  I’d been a fool to think moving in with her would be a good idea. But, now I’m stu
ck and I know that I’m going to have her in my bed...and the living room, the kitchen, the shower, and any other surface that will hold our weight.

  “I’m going to the bathroom,” She announces to no one in particular, throwing back another shot before getting up and sauntering down the hall to the bathroom. No one acknowledges that she’s gone. Chase is deep in conversation with Eve and Asher. Before I can talk myself out of it I quietly slide my chair out and get up casually and head down the hallway as well.

  Hadley is in the bathroom and I stand there like an idiot trying to decide if she’s actually going to the bathroom or is she waiting for me to come in. Before I can decide what to do the bathroom door open and she steps out. I look down the hallway and know that no one can see us down here. My body makes the next decision for me.

  I wrap my arms around Hadley’s athletic frame and tug her flush against my body. She gasps quietly in surprise. I’ve never been this forward with her. But a year of fantasizing about her has made me bold and needy. My lips hover inches away from hers and I breath in her strawberry scent. My cock strains against her, like she’s some sort of damn snake charmer. My eyes fall to her lips, slightly parted and awaiting my next move. I dip my head and just as my lips brush hers she gasps and pulls back.

  “Don’t,” She whispers, a desperate edge to her voice. “Not unless you really mean it.”

  I hesitate, our lips still nearly touching, her breath tickling my face. Fuck, I want her so badly. But, I already know I can’t give her what she deserves.

  “Where the hell is my gorgeous girl?” A deep voice calls from the living room.

  A smile spreads across her face and I frown. Holy shit, Hadley has a boyfriend.

  She wiggles out of my grip and turns from me before practically prances down the hall. I follow behind her, in a daze, as she rushes into the living room and jumping into the arms of the owner of the deep voice. I’m as straight as they come, but the guy is objectively attractive. His broad shoulders scream ‘jock’ and his blond hair, blue eyes, fucking dimpled smile belong on an ad for apple pie.

  “Dahling,” She puts on a fake drawl and kisses his cheek. He takes in the scene as he keeps her close, one arm around her waist protectively. Our eyes meet and his smile brightens. He leans close and brushes his lips to Hadley’s ear and whispers something to her. Hot, bitter jealousy boils in my veins. I think I’m going to be sick.

  Hadley

  “Holy Kama Sutra batman, I’m so sad that man is straight because I would do such naughty things to him,” Matthew whispers in my ear. He said pretty much the same thing when he first met Asher. Actually, what he said when he first met Asher was ‘What I would give to find out what else that stud muffin has pierced.’

  “He just tried to kiss me,” I whisper back in a panic. Matthew laughs quietly, looks Ravi over again and chuckles once more under his breath.

  “Come with me a minute sweetheart,” Matthew says loudly, directing his amused gaze towards Ravi as he steers me towards my bedroom. He closes the door behind us and pulls me onto the bed, wrapping a comforting arm against me. “So... tried to?”

  “Yeah, I made him stop. If we hook up it’s going to get so awkward living together. He’s incapable of not freaking out any time we have sex, what’s he going to do if he can’t even escape me?”

  “You’re probably right. But, I don’t know how you could resist those full lips of his.” He fans himself dramatically and I laugh quietly. “And, just so you know, he thinks we’re fooling around right now.”

  My mouth falls open as I contemplate what he’s saying. Matthew is an attractive guy, and we’re very touchy feely, it doesn’t take the biggest leap to assume we’re having sex.

  “Do you mind if I don’t correct that assumption?”

  Matthew shrugs.

  “Are you asking me to be your beard?” He teases. “Anything for you sweetness.” And, then for good measure he starts to tickle me, making me squeal loudly. Well, if Ravi didn’t think we were screwing around before he certainly would now.

  “Thanks, I owe you.”

  “Nah, a beard for a beard. So... your brother, definitely straight or what?” He hedges. I let out a brief laugh.

  “Well considering he almost got pounded by Asher earlier for checking out Eve’s ass, I’m thinking he’s probably straight,” I deadpan.

  “Sad,” Matthew pouts.

  We stay in the bedroom for a few more minutes while I try to calm my nerves from the almost kiss, and Matthew complains to me about how much he regrets signing up for summer classes.

  When we go back out Ravi is staring daggers at Matthew. I actually feel kind of bad for letting him think we’re hooking up. But, ultimately it will be better if he sees that we can’t be together. If he wanted me for real it’d be different, but he just wants what every other guy I know wants.

  True to form, Chase doesn’t even notice that I just disappeared to my bedroom with a man for twenty minutes. I don’t know what Ravi is so nervous about, I could have sex with Ravi in front of him and he’d pretend he couldn’t see it. I love my brother, but I wish he wouldn’t see me as such a child.

  *****

  I’m startled from a peaceful sleep by a loud knock on my bedroom door.

  “What the hell are you asleep for?” Ravi’s warm, teasing voice wraps around me in the dark and gives me chills.

  “It’s the middle of the night genius, that’s when people sleep,” I gripe, pulling my blankets up over my head to better ignore him in my bedroom. But, the moment I’d heard his voice my entire body hummed to life. There’s no going back to sleep right now.

  “Get up, it’s time for sunrise pancakes.” Ravi yanks my blanket down.

  I squeal with delight and practically jump out of bed. Sunrise pancakes is a tradition we started shortly after we got our driver's licenses. Ravi and I go to the local Denny’s, order pancakes to go, and then eat them at the lake while watching the sun come up. My throat clogs with all the things I want to say, as well as the urge to pull Ravi into my bed and have a proper reunion.

  Ravi flips on my light and I shield my eyes until they adjust.

  “Come on,” he urges, practically dragging me out of bed while I laugh and try to swat him away.

  Once he’s gotten me on my feet I open my top dresser drawer and pull on a pair of worn jeans and my favorite hoodie since it’s late May and is still chilly out this early in the morning. When I turn to face Ravi his gaze lingers on my hoodie for several seconds.

  “Is that my hoodie?” He asks quietly. The words seem to have a deeper meaning as his eyes meet mine.

  “Oh, yeah, I think it somehow ended up in my stuff,” or, I purposely stole it from you so I’d have something of yours to wear once you were halfway across the country. “I suppose you want it back.”

  “No, keep it,” He insists, swallowing thickly before turning to leave my room, with me right on his heels.

  Ravi

  Hadley and I sit on the hood of my car, a large blanket shrouding us, both digging into our pancakes. The beauty of sunrise pancakes is you can just sit and watch the sky change colors and enjoy each other’s company. This isn’t complicated like every other part of our relationship.

  “I miss this L.P.,” I admit. “I really miss our friendship. Chase won’t let me wake him in the middle of the night for breakfast food or watch Lord of the Rings with me. I didn’t realize how good of a friend you were until I was in New York.” I don’t know why I’m spilling my guts like this, must be the lack of sleep.

  “You miss me because you can wake me up before dawn and I put up with your nerdy movies?” She teases.

  “Whatever, you like the nerdy movies too, you just don’t want to admit it.” I bump my shoulder against hers. She laughs and then looks over at me.

  “We’ll always be best friends Ravi.”

  Her words loosen a tightness in my chest I hadn’t realized was there. It’s almost like I can breathe for the first time since Chase and I left
for New York.

  “Right.” I nod, and then feeling the heaviness of the moment I force a joke. “Best friends see each other naked, right?”

  Hadley shoves my arm playfully.

  “Of course, want to know what Eve has pierced?”

  I laugh and shake my head. No, I don’t really feel like imagining anyone but Hadley naked. I’m totally screwed.

  Chapter 6

  Ravi

  The smell of blueberries wrenches me from a fantastic dream I was having about Hadley. No big surprise there, I’ve hardly dreamt of anything but her in a year. The sound of a man’s laughter is like a punch in the gut. I guess I’d better get used to the fact Hadley has a boyfriend. Or, I could go play on a railroad track, yeah that sounds like a better plan than living with Hadley and her stupid, handsome boyfriend. We’ve been living together for a week and the sexual tension seems to be expanding rather than diminishing.

  A knock at my door startles me. Hadley peaks her head in and her eyes land on my bare chest. I take an inordinate amount of pleasure in how long her gaze lingers on my chest, and how heat creeps into her cheeks when she realizes she’s been staring.

  “What’s up LP?” I ask casually, pushing my blanket aside and standing before her in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs, not bothering to even try to conceal my morning wood.

  She licks her lips as her gaze travels over my body. My cock lengthens under her perusal.

  “Did you come in here just to eye fuck me?”

  Her eyes narrow into angry slits and she gives me the finger.

  “I came to tell you I made blueberry muffins.”

  My stomach grumbles at the mention of food, especially food made by Hadley. She’s an amazing cook. Since she was sixteen she’s wanted to become a chef and open her own restaurant. She definitely has the talent to achieve her dream.