Hard to Resist

Hard to Resist

• Title Page
  
• Chapter One
  
• Chapter Two
  
• Chapter Three
  
• Chapter Four
  
• Chapter Five
  
• Chapter Six
  
• Chapter Seven
  
• Chapter Eight
  
• Chapter Nine
  
• Chapter Ten
  
• Chapter Eleven
  
• Chapter Twelve
  
• Chapter Thirteen
  
• Chapter Fourteen
  
• Chapter Fifteen
  
• Chapter Sixteen
  
• Chapter Seventeen
  
• Chapter Eighteen
  
• Chapter Nineteen
  
• Chapter Twenty
  
• Chapter Twenty-One
  
• Chapter Twenty-Two
  
• Chapter Twenty-Three
  
• Chapter Twenty-Four
  
• Chapter Twenty-Five
  
• Chapter Twenty-Six
  
• Chapter Twenty-Seven
  
• Chapter Twenty-Eight
  
• Chapter Twenty-Nine
  
• Chapter Thirty
  
• Chapter Thirty-One
  
• Chapter Thirty-Two
  
• Chapter Thirty-Three
  
• Epilogue
  

H a r d
t o
R e s i s t

Shanora Williams

© Shanora Williams, 2013. This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws, and all rights are reserved, including resale rights. You are not permitted to give or sale this book to anyone else. Any trademarks, product names, service marks, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. All rights are reserved.

The names, events, and character depictions in this novel are not based on anyone or anything else, fictional or non-fictional.

Acknowledgments

Goodness, where do I start with this one.
Hard to Resist
was an experience. It is my first Contemporary Romance and I have to admit that writing it was amazing. I’m beyond words with this book. I’m completely speechless.

I give my honor to God for blessing me with this amazing talent. Without him, I’d literally be nowhere.

To all that supported me throughout this process, thank you so much! It truly means a lot to me and to know that you were all impatiently waiting cracked me up, made me nervous, but kept me going all at the same time.

Especially, Stina, who is my loyal beta-reader. I love seeing her reactions.

I could relate so much to this book because not only was it fun, but it dealt with the way that I felt. There are events in this book that I won’t mention exactly but that are related to me. Natalie and I have a ton in common which is why her story was so hard to get out. I had written two books before finally combining the two stories into one. That’s how
Hard to Resist
came about. I’ve thought on this story for years and it finally clicked.

Beth Suit is an amazing woman with BRILLIANT ideas. Talking to her made me feel secure and her constructive editing is top notch. Her help was amazing and I can’t thank her enough for only aiming to help me out with Natalie and Nolan’s story.

Kim Bias for helping a sister out with re-writes and construction. For making things clearer for me that I looked over. It seriously helped so much! I felt honored that she went over the book with me – especially since she doesn’t usually do it with authors. Her comments and critique helped a ton. She is one awesome lady!

I have to thank my family for supporting me, my boyfriend for keeping me inspired, and of course my readers. The support and love that you show is just . . . wow. Mind blowing. I can’t thank you enough.

Thanks to Stephanie White for being the creator of my lovely cover. I love the magic you create!

Dedicated to my Juan Carlos. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to write this book. I love you. Forever and always.

Chapter One

Graduation Night

“Are you ready?”

Sighing, I reached for my clutch to pull out some of my best lip gloss. I bought it every time that I would go to Victoria’s Secret. It tasted just like peppermint and the only reason that I kept buying it was because Bryson loved to suck it off of my lips. I shivered just from thinking about Bryson and his velvety tongue. Whenever he would tease me, use his tongue to trace my lower lip, it would be to die for. When he used to use that same velvety tongue to caress it against my ear lobes—oh, God . . . I was in heaven.

I smeared some gloss on my lips then turned to look at Gracey as I pushed the visor of the car back up just as she was pulling hers down. “You’re asking me if I’m ready but you keep checking your face,” I teased, my lips hinting at a smirk.

“I know, I know.” She sighed then reached to fluff her glossy black hair. “There’s just this guy that’s going to be here. I met him at a party last week. He’s really hot—but I forgot his name.” She stole a glance at me before her eyes drifted to look through the windshield.

“Does he just want your thong?” I asked.

She grinned. “I don’t know. Maybe I just want his dong!” We both burst into a fit of giggles, clutching ourselves but making sure that we didn’t destroy our makeup with our tears. “But at least you won’t have to worry about that.”

She was right. I didn’t have to worry about sex that night because Bryson was there. He was my boyfriend and, technically, I could have sex with him whenever I wanted and not feel guilty about it. Just thinking of him made me grin.

“Gah, you look like a love-struck idiot when you smile like that,” Gracey muttered beneath her breath before pushing the visor back up and pushing against the passenger door of the car. She shut it behind her but I continued to grin as I climbed out of the driver’s seat. Placing my lip-gloss in my clutch, I turned to face Gracey in her bright orange, skin-tight mini dress. She could have passed for a stripper (especially since her breasts were extra perky and her make-up was a bit dramatic) but she was still gorgeous. Gracey’s skin was flawless with a beautiful light-brown tint to it. Her complexion could have been compared to the color of mocha. She had brown freckles, beautiful hazel eyes, and a body that she loved to work out with.

I locked the car up then walked around the hood to meet her. She studied my creamy white mini dress briefly before turning to face the large mansion that was just a few yards ahead of us, surrounded by cars. “I envy you tonight,” she hissed as we began to walk for the house in our stilettos.

Chuckling, I asked, “Why?”

“Because, you look beautiful and if you want
some
, you can get some without even trying . . . unlike me, where I have to work for it, you don’t.”

I laughed again. “Oh, trust me, Gracey. It’s graduation night. I’m sure that whoever this guy is that you’re trying to sleep with will be drunk enough for you to drag upstairs and hump for a little while. He won’t mind.”

“Euch.” Gracey’s face pinched. “Don’t make me sound like a tramp.”

“I’d hate to burst your bubble but . . .” She scowled and I gave her a teasing grin. “I’m only kidding, Gracey. I love you and after four years of working our asses off, we deserve a little fun. High school would have been hell without you.”

“Same here. I wouldn’t have survived biology or history without you as my study buddy.”

I nodded and began to smile but that smile faded as we approached the large oak door. Gracey looked at me, wide-eyed, and we both could tell that it was really going down inside. We could hear it, feel it. Most of the students of West Ashley High School of South Carolina were there. We had all graduated and we were all partying with no regrets.

“You ready?” I asked, glancing at Gracey who was tugging her dress down.

“Been ready.” Reaching for the door knob, she finally swung it open and it was just like a jungle-gym inside. As soon as we stepped in, people were making out, red cups were spread all over the floor. The lights were dim and the thick stench of sweat and beer filled my lungs. I tried my hardest not to breathe it in as I shut the door behind us. Looking up at the spiral staircase that was on my right, I spotted couples there, too. They were making out and some I would have thought were having sex by the way their legs were intertwined and their tongues were lodged down each other’s throats.

“I see him!” Gracey yelled over the music. The song changed and as it did, the lights went out, the room grew darker, but the flickers of rave lights began to shine. “I’ll find you later, kay?” she called, already drifting away from me. Nodding, I watched her meet a tall, fair-skinned guy with cropped hair and his lip pierced. He had on a tight black T-shirt, skinny blue jeans, and his arms were toned, as if he worked out every day. He really was hot and now I can see why Gracey was so ready to be all over him.