“Good, because you’ve had me going since I saw you on the dock, skipping rocks.”

I shuddered, ready to get to that portion of the day, but I also wanted to wait until just the right time. I wanted today to be perfect for her. “We’re here.” I announced, turning her so her back was to our tree as I set her down.

She landed on her feet and immediately began to look around for her last present. “Where…?”

“Turn around,” I suggested.

She spun and gasped, slapping her hands over her mouth as she took in the heart I’d carved into the trunk of our tree with our initials inside.

“Knox, it’s perfect.”

I took her hand and studied the mark with her. “At first, I felt bad about scarring our trouble tree, but then I got to thinking…whenever we cut our skin and new skin grows back, it’s tougher there than it was before. And I liked thinking we were going to be permanently marked in this wood together where it’s going to be the strongest.”

She looked at me, her eyes swimming with love. “Because we have an unbreakable bond.”

I kissed her knuckles. “Exactly.”

This time, when she leaned in to kiss me, I let her. The need in me was urgent, but I let her initiate everything and set the pace. She opted for soft and slow, only sliding her tongue along mine after a while of sweet, closed-mouth kisses. But as soon as our mouths opened, we both moaned and began touching. I cupped her breasts and she gripped my ass.

“You’ve ruined me, Knox Parker.” After flicking open the top clasp on my jeans, she grasped the zipper. “I have to touch myself every night now, wishing you were there, caressing me. Licking me.”

“Fuck,” I muttered, jerking against her palm when she slid her hand into the opening of my pants.

She bit the tendon of my neck and spoke into my ear. “I keep wondering what it’d feel like if you put this inside me instead of your fingers.”

I gulped and pressed my hips deeper into her hand when she stroked me through my underwear. “God, City. I do too. I think about it every single day.”

“Then, do you think you could give me one last birthday gift?” She dug her hand into the front pocket of her shorts and pulled out a small foiled packet.

My head went light and my vision blurry as I stared at the condom. Then I shook my head in wonder. “I swear, you could tempt God Himself.”

“Then let’s get this bad boy on.” She pulled my straining cock out of my underwear and then began to rip open the package.

I caught her hands. “Not yet.” When she looked up at me with fear and uncertainty in her eyes, I kissed her forehead. “Not here on the cold hard ground. I want our first time to be special.”

Her eyes warmed. “But it will be special because it’ll be with you. And this is our tree. Our trouble tree. Where else would you want it to be?”

“On a bed, preferably. With maybe some candles and mood music. Champagne and chocolate, or some strawberries. Something just really special and…romantic.”

“Oh, Knox.” Resting her forehead against mine, she stroked me leisurely as if she weren’t even aware of what she was doing to me. “You know I don’t need all that.”

“But that’s how I want it,” I argued softly. “I can’t give you much. So, please…let me give you this. Let me plan the when and the where.”

She bit her lip. “Will the when be soon?”

Working me faster, she tempted me too far. I groaned and pressed my back against the tree. Panting through the pleasure, I nodded. “As if I could wait much longer.”

“Good.” Purring, she kissed her way along my neck. “Now will you at least let me do this for you right now?”

“Only if I can return the favor.” Catching the tab of her shorts, I began to ease it open. When I slid my hand inside, she gasped and squirmed against me.

“Sold.”

I kissed her, and we pleasured each other with our hands while we both leaned against our special trouble tree.

I woke to footsteps outside my bedroom door. It took me a minute to orient myself and remember I was in my new apartment, so the person walking past my door had to be my new roommate.

Suddenly wide awake, I sprang upright. For three days, we’d lived together, and for three days, I’d been a tense, emotional wreck. We hadn’t crossed paths once since the day we’d moved in. He’d helped carry all my things up from the back of Noel’s truck, and once that was done, he’d disappeared into his room.