"So Nate forgot about your anniversary, huh?"

Laying on my bed, I continued flipping through the newest Cosmo, not even bothering to read any of the content inside. "I think so. I mean, I know it's only been a month, and that isn't a huge milestone, but I thought he would at least acknowledge it."

"I don't know, Fitz. He's pretty new to the whole relationship thing. Maybe it just didn't occur to him. Cut him some slack."

I turned another page. "Since when did you join his fan club?"

"Since he started dating you and seems to actually be a stand-up guy. I nearly passed out when he invited me for a game of pool. I thought it was a prank."

That made me chuckle. In the beginning of our relationship, I pleaded with Nathan to spend some time with Mike so he could get to know him. He said he would, but it took a couple weeks. I kept pestering Nathan, reminding him of that promise, but he would always blame it on our marathon kissing sessions.

"I'm glad you guys are getting along now."

"I'm just glad he's actually calling me Mike. That was driving me crazy."

Smiling, I rolled off my bed and walked over to my dresser. "Yeah, I know. He did it to drive me crazy."

"Well, I'm just glad that's over."

"How is everything with you and Gisel?" I asked curiously. Lately I've been lost in this whole new relationship glow with Nathan and haven't had a lot of time to hang out with Mike. We definitely needed to right that wrong.

"It's better. This whole thing is an adjustment and it's going to take time. But we're okay."

"That's good. I was worried about you two." Gisel and Mike were the most solid couple I knew. If they fell apart, then I felt like every relationship was doomed.

My cell phone vibrated to alert me that I had a new text. Looking at the screen, I saw it was from Nathan.

Meet me at the treehouse in one hour.

With a frown, I put the phone back to my ear. "I just got a text from Nathan. He wants me to meet up with him."

"That's good, right? Maybe it's an anniversary dinner date."

I doubted it. He probably just wanted to kiss until we both got so worked up by our hormones that we would have to stop. Then I wouldn't see him for hours after.

The treehouse has been Nathan's go-to make-out hangout over the past two weeks. Since it was a secret spot, there wasn't a risk of us being caught by his parents or Lanie. There was the possibility of Nick catching us, but Nathan said he always made sure Nick was busy doing something.

And my house was too much of a risk with my parents who liked to just walk in my bedroom unannounced. Their No Locked Doors policy didn't help matters either.

"Maybe," I said to Mike. "Can I call you later?"

"Sure, Fitz. Have fun. And happy anniversary."

I smiled at that last part. "Thank you, Mike. I'll call you tonight. Bye."

Throwing my phone on my bed, I ran to the bathroom to take a quick shower before picking out an outfit to wear. I was curious about his invitation to the treehouse. Was he planning something for our one month anniversary? Or was I being absolutely ridiculous for thinking one month was a big deal?

What was the rule on anniversaries anyway? Was it only three, six and nine months that mattered? Besides the big one year, of course. God, what if Nathan and I made it to a year? And what if we ended up falling in love with each other? One thing I knew for sure, in love or not, I wasn't going to USF. The thought of being so far away from Lanie and Harper was hard enough. Adding Nathan to the mix made my heart hurt.

Within the hour, I was pulling into the wooded area that led to the treehouse. I decided to wear pants this time. I knew how much he liked me to wear dresses, but I was starting to feel like they were part of the reason for our start-and-stop hot and heavy sessions. Maybe this would help keep the tension down so we could kiss a little longer.

After I parked next to his jeep, I followed the usual path we took. I could hear the soft sound of music playing as I approached the wooden ladder. Excitement and curiosity had me taking the steps a little faster than usual. Maybe Mike was right. Perhaps Nathan really was planning something-

"Oh. My. God."

I froze when I made it into the treehouse. The battery powered lamps that usually lit up the place were turned off. Instead, there were lit candles spread out all over. Then there were the roses. Dozens of petals covered the wooden floor.

"Do you like it?"

My eyes shot in the direction of Nathan's voice. Standing to the left, he was holding a single rose. And he looked good. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. That coupled with the backwards hat he had on was enough to have me drooling.

"Nathan, this is amazing. I can't believe you did this."

Taking a few steps towards me, a corner of his mouth lifted in a sexy half smirk. "You thought I didn't know what today was, didn't you?"

"Well..."

"It's okay. That was the plan," he murmured. "I wanted to surprise you."

I took the rose he offered me and breathed in the rich scent of it. "I'm very surprised."

Cupping my face in his hands, he brushed his lips softly against mine. "Happy one month, gorgeous."

"Happy one month, Nathan."

The kiss he gave me was deep, slow, and relaxed. It had my heart accelerating and my knees starting to go weak. As they usually did. So much for this whole wearing pants idea. My hormones were already surging.

"What's the matter?" he asked when I pulled away.

"Maybe we should stop for a little while." My eyes landed on the sleeping bag and blanket in the back of the treehouse. The makeshift bed wasn't here before. "Maybe we can go for a walk. Or...something."

When my eyes stayed glued to the bed, Nathan tucked his finger under my chin so I would meet his gaze.

"We aren't going for a walk or something. And we aren't stopping."

My mouth fell open a little as I tried to process what he was saying. "We aren't?"

He shook his head. "No, baby."

"So we're going to..."

Now that this was actually happening—or possibly happening—I got super nervous. Here I was, a virgin, standing in front of someone who has probably had sex with our whole student class, and I had no idea what I was doing.

What if I was horrible at sex? What if he took my clothes off and he didn't like what he saw? I've seen some of the girls he's been with. A lot of them could be supermodels.

"We aren't going to have sex tonight," he said softly. "But I thought we could kiss and see what happens. Maybe do other things."

Other things definitely interested me. But I was feeling extremely self-conscious about him seeing me naked.

"Tell me what you're thinking, baby."

Oh, right. I was just standing here, freaking out while he was waiting for my response.

Inhaling a deep breath I said, "I think other things are a good idea."

He took my hand and pulled me towards the sleeping bag. I tried to keep the images of all those girls out of my head, but it seemed impossible. What the hell was wrong with me? This is what I've been wanting for the past couple weeks, and now that other things were finally happening, I was having a mental meltdown.

Nathan guided me down to the bed and instructed me to lay on my back. He was stretched out next to me on his side, head resting in his hand. As I looked into his eyes, I tried to force myself to get a grip.

"You're so beautiful. You know that, Karma?"

When he said that, yes I did. "Yes."

He glanced down at my jeans and chuckled. "What's with the outfit? I think this is the first time you've worn pants since the beach."

"Well, I thought it might make it a little...easier for us if I wasn't wearing a dress."

His smile faltered and he placed his hand on my waist. "Gorgeous, I want you no matter what you're wearing. I just really, really love how sexy you are in dresses. It's so much easier to feel your skin that way, too.

Heat flowed through my body, craving his touch and more. Even self-conscious, I still wanted him with a need I didn't fully comprehend.

"Can I take this off?"

Looking down I saw Nathan's hand holding the bottom of my shirt. It was happening. Right fucking now.

"Yes." Damn. My voice was so low I didn't think he heard me. Then he started lifting it, causing me to sit up so he could pull it over my head.

Fear and desire were yanking me in different directions. I wanted this more than anything, but I still found myself folding my arms in front of me, trying to hide my body from his eyes.

"What's the matter?" Sometimes he knew me a little too well.

Forming words became too hard, so I pulled his lips to mine and kissed him, hoping it would not only help me, but also keep him from realizing how off I was feeling.

At first it worked. He deepened the kiss, moaning into my mouth as he got more into it. Then his hand moved from my hip to the waistband of my jeans.

Never breaking the kiss, he unbuttoned the top button. Then my zipper was pulled down. When he pulled away from my kiss to sit up and pull my pants down, I reached forward and stilled his hand.

"Nathan, wait."

He stopped immediately. "Wait?"

I bit my lip. "Yeah, um. I don't know if..."

"If you aren't ready, it's okay." The softness in his eyes told me he meant what he said. He wouldn't be mad if I put a stop to this right now. It made me like him even more.

"I'm kind of ready," I said lamely. "Can we take it slow? Maybe take my pants off but leave my panties and bra on?"

"Of course we can. But are you sure that you want to—"

"I'm sure," I replied. "I want the other things with you."

Eyes never leaving mine, he removed my shoes before reaching for the waistband of my jeans again. He pulled them down slowly, revealing inch by inch of my skin. Thank god my bra and panties matched. That would have been so embarrassing.

Nathan sat back on his haunches and ran his eyes over my half-naked body. My instinct was to reach for a blanket and cover myself. But I forced myself not to, not wanting to ruin this. I watched as he pulled his shirt over his head. Then he stood up to remove his own jeans. My eyes tracked his movements, my breathing becoming faster and shorter.

When he was only in his boxers, he laid back down beside me.

"You have no idea what you do to me." Stroking my cheek, he smiled. "I've never wanted anyone like I want you."

His words made me feel a whole range of emotions. Most of them were good. Hot. But it also made me nervous.

"I never wanted anyone like I want you either, Nathan."

His brows drew together in a deep V. "Tell me what's bothering you. I can sense it, Karma. I can tell when you're upset about something."

When I dropped my gaze, he cupped my cheek with his hand. "Don't do that. Don't hide from me. Just tell me what it is."

My eyes met his again. "I want this. I really do. It's just..."

"Just what?"

If I told him the truth, it was going to ruin the moment. And that was the last thing I wanted. But I felt like if I wasn't honest with him, then we were never going to get past this.

So I finally said it.

"I'm feeling self-conscious...about how I look. I can't stop my mind from comparing myself to..."

I couldn't even finish that sentence. But I didn't need to. The surprised look on his face said he understood me just fine. When he sat up next to me, I thought he might get up to leave.

Boy, was I wrong.

"Alright then." His tone was one of complete resolve and determination. "There's only one solution to this little problem then."

The next thing he said was not what I was expecting. And it made my body ignite with desire.

***

Next chapter will pick up from here from Nate's POV! So excited to add a little spice to this story. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Xoxo

🖤