Hard to Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

before were somewhat foggy, a slow smile crossed my lips. It was everything a twenty-first birthday was supposed to be. And this morning, I’d had the hang over from hell to prove it.
    She dug through her purse, offering me a compact. “You need some concealer.” The only thing my mother criticized more than my poor manners were my looks, and though applying makeup in public would have typically earned me an exasperated sigh, apparently things were dreadful enough that immediate intervention was warranted. That and I guess being tucked back in the tall booth of a dim restaurant wasn’t exactly public.
    I took her compact and flipped it open, inspecting my appearance. The re were dark circles under my eyes, and my hair hung limply around my face since I hadn’t had time this morning to dry it. I twisted it into a low, loose bun and secured it with a few pins dug from the bottom of my purse. Then I swiped some of the concealer under my eyes until I was satisfied it was the best I could do.
    “That’s better , ” m y mother said, holding out her hand to retrieve the compact.
    We were waiting for my father to arrive, and so far he was an entire seven minutes late. I was sure he’d get an earful about it later . My mo ther had chosen the restaurant – a high-end steakhouse. I was never much of a meat eater, but she and my dad were on a high-protein diet. I scanned the menu for something that didn’t make me want to hurl. I decided on a C a esar salad with grilled shrimp.
    My father arrived, slipping into the booth beside my mother and offering her a chaste peck on the cheek in apology. “Sorry I’m late. Business meeting ran over.” He reached across the table and gave my hand a squeeze.
    I nodded. “ It’s okay, Daddy.”
    I knew my dad had a stressful job. He was a partner at an accounting firm and worked hard to give me and my mother everything and then some. I couldn’t be mad at him for being a few minutes late to a lunch I didn’t want to be at either. 
    My stomach was still queasy from last night, and I nibbl ed on bread and sipped my water while my parents discussed the upgrades they had planned to our vacation home in Aspen. M y mind wandered to last night’s events . Oh, all right, directly back to Cade . This morning while I’d stood under the steaming hot spray of the shower, scrubbing his address from my forearm, I couldn’t help but remember his sexy , challenging smile.
    S eriously, w ho in th e hell arranges a meeting to lose their virginity? It wasn’t like I was actually going to go through with having sex with a porn star , and a complete stranger at that. God, was that insane or what? I really needed to keep MacKenzie on a tighter leash. This was all her doing. W hen I remembered the look she gave me when I admitted that I was a virgin, I shudder ed . Even Tyson had jumped in , saying he’d be happy to make me a woman himself. Too bad there was zero attraction there . H e was a nice guy, and I knew he’d do anything for me — but that? No thanks. It’d be like kissing my brother. Gross .
    The look on Cade’s face at hearing Ty step up to the plate was pure anger, and when his eyes flashed to mine they were filled with something else… L onging? No. I couldn’t think about the possibility of desire in Cade’s expression. That had me shuddering for an entirely different reason.
    But what was etched most deeply into my memory was the smug look on his face, the certainty that I wouldn’t have the guts to show up today .
    That , coupled with my mother’s disapproving glances and not-so-subtle hints about setting me up with Peter Wyndham III were enough to convince me. E ven though I’d scrubbed away every trace of his writing from my skin, I remembered the address. 715 Evergreen Terrace .
    Not that I was actually going to go . God, could you imagine? Sorry, Mom and Dad, I have to cut this horrendous lunch short to go meet a porn star so I can lose my virginity. Ha! I choked on my