"So," Brooke Davis began abruptly with a knowing glint in her green eyes, "spill the tea, sis."

"What tea?" Haley James was sitting across from her best friend of almost fifteen years but looked at her as if she was a stranger- Brooke was always surprising her with her crazy expressions and never knew how to interpret them.

"You know," Brooke waved her hands energetically in front of her face as if she was rotating the air, "the details with you and your sexy co-worker!"

"Oh," she sighed after sipping on the milky froth at the top of her latte, "there's not really much to 'spill' honestly."

Brooke's perfectly shaped eyebrows wrinkled into skeptical question marks. "Bullshit!"

Haley fiddled with the lid of the latte, avoiding her friend's unwavering gaze, "I don't know, Brooke, I just don't think he's that into me."

"Why not?"

"We've been out on three dates already and he hasn't even tried to make a move yet."

"Seriously?" Brooke chewed on the information like it was a bitter piece of chocolate. She craved something sweet, but blanched at the unexpected sour taste. Haley and her hot co-worker had been playing cat-and-mouse for months; Brooke had high hopes for them, especially after spending hours on the phone listening to Haley as she recalled their constant flirty office banter. "I thought you had a lot of fun together!"

"We did - we do. That's what I don't get. The dates are great. We have really deep conversations. We laugh together and he stares at me like I'm the only woman in the room but when it comes time to say goodnight, he just bolts straight to his car. No hug, no kiss - not even a damn handshake!"

"Wow, that's really weird."

"I know," Haley mumbled, "I really like him, too. But maybe the chemistry is only one-sided."

"Or maybe he's gay?"

A light chuckle tore from her throat, "a gay guy who stares at my cleavage and ass all day?"

"Ok, or, he could be a monk."

"That'd be a damn shame," her lips twisted into a coy smirk, "he is so hot!"

"So I've heard," Brooke teased. It was refreshing to hear Haley gushing about a guy for once. Even since high school, she rarely had crushes. Save for a few boyfriends in college, Haley wasn't much of a dater, hence Brooke's fascination with her intense crush on a co-worker.

"Seriously Brooke, it's unbelievable. His eyes are so blue, I swear I could drown in them. And oh! His smirk has me wanting to strip naked right-then-and-there!"

"Maybe that's what you need to do," Brooke advised with a serious nod, "maybe he needs a little incentive."

"Isn't that a bit… desperate? I mean, I practically throw myself at the guy already."

"Some guys just need a little extra motivation."

"We are going out again tonight," Haley mused, "I could wear something more revealing, you know, to tempt him…"

"Perfect!" Brooke all but cheered in the middle of the cafe, "I love slutty Haley!"

"Let's just hope Nathan does too," she mumbled.

"Trust me. He will. No guy can resist scantily clad women. It's like, their inner-male instincts."

"Even men with an insane amount of self-control?"

"Even them. You'll have this guy eating out of the palm of your hand by the end of the night!"

"Hopefully it's not the only thing he's eating out-" Haley made herself blush as Brooke burst out laughing.

"Like I said, I love slutty Haley!"

. . .

Haley never tried so hard for a guy before, but Nathan Scott was different. She wanted him. Badly. It took months for him to even ask her out, but she'd be damned if it took another six months before he even attempted to kiss her.

She was, by no means, a woman without morals - Haley actually considered herself fairly traditional - but she was also a confident woman with strong sexual desires. She knew what she wanted and she wasn't afraid to go after it. Of course, she preferred when men made the first move, but she also didn't mind playing seductress if that meant speeding things along. Hell, it would actually be a fun little challenge.

Haley stared proudly at her reflection in the mirror. The red dress was not something she wore often - she definitely wasn't a prude, but she didn't overtly flaunt her assets in public, either. Tonight, however, was different. If getting to make out with Nathan Scott meant having to show extra skin, then so be it. Her bright red lips pulled into a confident smirk. She was ready.

The deep v in the dress exposed a more-than generous amount of her cleavage, and the rest of the tight fabric hugged her curves like a second skin which only defined the roundness of her breasts and firm behind. Nathan's jaw would hit the floor! Or, so she hoped. And, just in case Brooke's advice actually worked, Haley even wore her thinnest, sexiest, and laciest thong she owned.

She felt sexy; powerful even, and she was ready to pounce.

The knock on her door meant it was show time. With one final approving glance at her reflection, Haley ran her hand through her honey blonde curls and all but strut in her black stilettos to greet a shy-smiling Nathan Scott.

Holy shit were the first two real words to form in his brain when he saw her. It was almost impossible to comprehend how she could possibly look any more beautiful than she already was - but damn. Haley James was the picture of sexy. He knew, in that moment, his eyes would never want to look at anything - or anyone - else, ever again. Surely, it would be one difficult challenge to even pry his starving gaze away from her in the first place.

"W-ow. You look, um- you look," Nathan struggled to find the appropriate words, and not the crude ones dangling on the edge of his tongue, "incredible."

But somehow, incredible still didn't seem fitting enough. Was there even a word to describe an ethereal mixture of beauty and absolute pure desire?

Haley's red lips pulled apart to showcase the world's most captivating smile and Nathan's knees buckled as he inhaled a shaky breath. He couldn't keep his typical cool, calm, and collected composure around her. Instead, he reverted into a shy, awkward pre-teen who blanched at the mere thought of touching a woman.

"Thank you," she was quite pleased with herself. Nathan's eyes hadn't even blinked yet. So far, the plan was working. "You don't look so bad yourself," Haley curled her words into a low, seductive voice as her eyes slowly scanned his body. Dressed in a light blue button down collared shirt and dark jeans, Nathan looked delicious- the diamond color of his eyes were intensified by his shirt, which Haley's teeth already wanted to pluck each button off to reveal more of that extremely sculpted chest. Her gaze lingered on the space between the buttons before working her way up to his adorably pink cheeks. Was he blushing?

"Thanks," his voice croaked, "uhm, these are for you. I couldn't decide between roses or daisies but then I saw these and remembered your favorite color is purple so I got these instead. I hope you like them."

Nathan groaned inwardly as the sound of his own voice filled his ears. Here he was, a full-grown, twenty-six-year-old man, rambling like a damn school girl. If he was Haley, he would have laughed in his own face.

"Oh, Nathan, They're beautiful!" Haley beamed, "thank you. I love them."

His shoulders relaxed visibly. He hadn't completely screwed up. Yet.

But he'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Even though they saw each other every day, and this wasn't their first date, Nathan was as anxious as he'd ever been. Haley was stunning - and that damn red dress was the sexiest piece of clothing he'd ever seen a woman wear - he was terrified of saying the wrong thing, or of touching her and exploding right then and there. It was ridiculous, really. He was by no means a virgin - far from it. There was a time in college when he was considered the Casanova of Duke University. All he had to do was smirk at a girl and she'd be in his bed - but now, one woman had him overthinking every thought. He had to restrain himself because he knew - one tough and it'd be all over.

Haley James wasn't just a woman he wanted to take to bed. He knew, from the minute that he met her, she was going to be his wife one day. And he'd be damned if he screwed it up. Nathan made a lot of mistakes in his past - letting Haley James go wasn't going to be one of them. He was determined to do this right, no matter what it took.

She gracefully took the bouquet of little purple flowers from Nathan's hands and looked like she was about to lean in to hug him, and, so naturally, he panicked. His body swiftly shifted away from hers, not before noticing the look of rejection in her glowing brown eyes. Fuck, he swore silently. He didn't want to upset her - but he knew, one touch and they wouldn't make it to dinner. The dress would be a crumpled mess on the floor and she'd be screaming so loudly, her windows would shatter. As much as he wanted it, Nathan knew going slow and steady was the proper way to a woman's heart.

Luckily, he was able to act naturally by crouching down to greet an adorable puppy running straight towards him.

"Oh, hey there," Nathan crooned. "What's your name?"

Haley's laughter filled the front hall, "this is Lucy."

"She's so cute," he chuckled as the little ball of white fluff pushed her paws against his knees in order to lick the dark stubble lining his sharp jaw.

"She's a little hussy," Haley joked. She tried to conceal her jealousy of her own dog - how was it that he allowed a dog so easily to be all over him but the minute she tried to touch him, he recoiled? Haley hoped after a few drinks at dinner, he'd loosen up by the time they could return to her apartment…

"I always wanted a dog," Nathan mused, continuing to pet Lucy between her floppy ears.

Haley smiled sadly. She had heard all about Nathan's tumultuous past and relationship with his parents. His childhood was hardly a happy one - no wonder he'd never had a pet.

"You should get one," she suggested, crouching down alongside of him to join petting Lucy.

"Yeah," he grinned like a child, "maybe I will."

Haley mirrored his gleeful grin, giggling when Lucy tried to land in Nathan's lap. "Hey!" She scolded lightly, "get your own date, Lucy."

Nathan chuckled, "I think she wants to come with us."

"Something tells me the people at the restaurant might not like that very much."

"You're probably right," he chuckled and slowly started to stand up, making the dog whimper. "Sorry, Lucy."

"You'll see Nathan later," Haley coaxed, "we won't be gone for long."

Nathan swallowed hard. Haley had just implied she would be inviting him back inside after their date. The pressure only intensified.

A stray bead of sweat bubbled a top his forehead. Fortunately, Haley was too preoccupied with Lucy to notice Nathan wipe it away with the palm of his hand.

"You ready to go?" He asked after clearing his throat.

"Absolutely. Lead the way handsome," she flashed him that knee-weakening smile again, almost causing him to trip down the stairs of her front porch. It was going to be a long night.

. . . . .

The barbeque restaurant was one of Haley's favorites. He remembered that during one of their lengthy office conversations, when they should have been working but preferred talking to one another instead.

Nathan decided he would bring her there every single day if it meant seeing her smile stay permanently upon her lips - especially the way her eyes sparkled when she noticed where he had taken her.

"This place has the best mac 'n' cheese!" She practically moaned - which did nothing to help the uncomfortable tightness in Nathan's pants.

"So I've heard," he teased, "all the five-year-old's I know have said the same thing."

Haley playfully peeled her eyes into a mocking glare, "are you implying I'm a child?"

"No," he chuckled, silently thinking she looked absolutely nothing like a child. "I'm implying you have the taste buds of a child, though."

"There is nothing wrong with liking macaroni and cheese."

"Nah, I guess you're right," he pulled a chair out for her once the hostess had lead them to their reserved table overlooking Cape Fear. "I might have to have some myself."

"Well, you're going to need to order your own dish because there is no way that I'm sharing," Haley said seriously.

"Fair enough," Nathan declared as he settled into the seat across from her. He tried really hard not to let his eyes stray from her face, but her breasts were practically spilling out between the dress. Where was that damn waiter with their water? His mouth was morphing into lumps of dry sand.

He had never seen Haley dress so . . . provocatively. She always looked professional at work, even though the tight pencil skirts she often wore hugged her perfectly round ass like a glove. And Holy Hell, her legs in heels had him reaching for the heaviest books in a desperate attempt to conceal his erection. Seriously, no woman had ever unraveled him the way Haley James had. It's as if she held some sort of magical spell over him.

She didn't need to wear sexy, revealing clothes to look beautiful - Haley could make a paper bag look good - but there was something about her tonight that had him sweating. He knew he should have opted to wear less of a tight-fitting shirt. He would be pulling on his collar all damn night in order to breathe right.

"Nathan? Are you alright?" He heard Haley's soft voice. "You're looking a little flush."

He nodded slowly, then coughed to cover the dryness of his words, "uh, yeah, I think I just need something to drink."

Haley agreed and glanced at the menu. "Do you know what you're going to get?"

He pretended to think about it, "I don't know. What do you recommend? Besides the mac 'n' cheese, of course."

The sound of her airy laughter tickled his stomach. "Well, you like prime rib, right?"

"I do," he said, "it's one of my favorites."

"I remember," Haley smiled. "You got it on our first date, too."

He liked that she remembered something so simple about him; it was a sign that she might have liked him as much as he liked her.

"I did. So maybe I'll change it up tonight and get the steak."

"Not a bad choice," she mused, "then again, I don't think there's a single bad choice on this menu."

"Do you come here a lot? We could have gone somewhere different if you wanted-" Nathan was starting to panic again. Thankfully, Haley couldn't see his leg shaking under the table.

"Oh, yes," she drawled slowly, "I make all of my dates bring me here."

His face drained of its natural coloring, "a-all your dates?"

Haley laughed at how gullible he was, "yep, and then I bring them home and murder them before I chop up their bodies and bury the pieces in my backyard." This time, her words were drenched in obvious sarcasm.

"It's always the pretty ones," he played along with a teasing grin. "Haley James - serial killer."

"Don't worry, though," she lowered her voice to a seductive whisper, "you're way too sexy to kill. I think I'll keep you."

Nathan nearly choked on air; little did Haley know, she was already killing him - killing him with how damn sexy she was. He'd be lucky if he didn't pass out and hit his head before the night ended.

Thankfully, the waiter had finally interrupted their flirty banter to take their drink orders. Nathan practically swallowed the entire pitcher of water in a single gulp - and yet, his throat was still drier than a desert. Haley ordered a glass of Sangria, and Nathan bit the bullet and ordered a beer. He hadn't planned on drinking, but he needed something to take the edge off. He was squirming in his seat like a damned toddler with a loaded diaper.

"So," Haley leaned over the table and discreetly stuck her cleavage in the direct line of Nathan's eyesight - a classic move of feminine seduction. He still had not made a single move to touch her yet, and dammit, she needed to step up her game! "How'd your basketball game go this morning?"

Nathan pulled at his collar. He felt like there was a noose around his neck. Haley's breasts were in touching distance. They were practically begging to be spilled out into the open. And when she leaned even closer to rest her elbow on the table and put her chin in her palm, he could see the cutest little brown birthmark on her left breast.

Nathan inhaled a long, steadying breath before forcing his eyes back to her beautiful face. He almost forgot what her question was.

"Oh, it was good. We won," he smirked proudly. It was yet another detail about him she remembered. Every Saturday morning, he and some of his old high school friends got together to play basketball. Losers had to buy lunch.

"Of course you did," Haley beamed, "has your team ever lost?"

"Yea, whenever my brother plays with me," he joked.

Haley's giggles were infectious, "I'll have to come and watch you one day."

"I thought you hated sports," Nathan said after sipping his beer. Already, his nerves were calming.

"No, I just suck at them."

"I'm sure you're better than Lucas," he grinned teasingly again.

"How is he and Peyton doing?" Haley asked as she rubbed her manicured fingernail around the rim of her wine glass ever so slowly. Nathan starred in mesmerization.

"Oh, they're good. I saw them today, actually. I helped Luke paint the nursery."

"Aw!" Haley cooed, "do they know what they're having yet?"

He shook his head, "nope. Peyton wants to keep it a surprise, so the walls are yellow. But, if she had it her way, they would probably be bright red and black. She was pissed we didn't let her help."

Haley laughed. She didn't know Peyton and Lucas like she knew Nathan, but the few times they had met, she really enjoyed getting to know them. Peyton definitely seemed like a red-bedroom type of woman. Nathan had shared many stories about his brother and sister-in-law over the years. It always made her smile; despite his rocky relationship with his parents, he seemed to be really close with Lucas and Peyton. Plus, it was really cute how excited Nathan was to become a first-time-Uncle. It's all he talked about for weeks at work when he first found out a few months ago.

"Either way, I'm sure it looks great," Haley said with a comforting smile.

"Thanks," Nathan chuckled. "What about you? What'd you do today?"

Truthfully, he didn't want to think about his time at Peyton and Lucas' house. They spent the entire afternoon grilling him about Haley. He was nervous as it was, but Peyton kept telling him what he should-and-shouldn't do on the date. Who knew there were so many damn rules?! Nathan guessed it was punishment for all the girls he took advantage of in college; he never needed to take them out on dates because they were all so willing to give him what he wanted. And, because he never had a proper girlfriend, he had no idea what to do when it came to dating Haley the 'correct' way. Peyton's ridiculous rules only confused him more than he already was. Was he going slow enough? Was he going too fast? When was the right time to ask her to be his girlfriend? How many dates did it take before he could hold her hand? To kiss her? Agh. He wanted to scream. Dating was difficult - but Haley James was worth it.

"I got coffee with Brooke," Haley answered, "she just got back from New York, so it was nice to catch up."

"Sounds fun," Nathan smiled at the way her golden brown eyes twinkled with the reflection of the river outside the window. Her honey blonde hair was curled softly to her shoulders. It looked like waves of silk he could spend days tangling his long fingers through. "She's the fashion designer right?"

"Yes! She's so talented."

"Did she design that dress?" He took the opportunity to once again oggle the way the red fabric hugged her curves.

"Yeah, actually. She made it for me a while ago, but it's my first time wearing it. She always knows how to make me look good."

Nathan found her eyes again. "It's not just the dress that makes you look good, Haley. You're beautiful no matter what."

"Oh," her cheeks tinted a soft shade of pink, "thank you, Nathan."

Shit. Haley was turning red. He must have embarrassed her. Was he coming on too strong? He wished Peyton were here to give him advice. His eyes darted nervously to his fidgeting fingers on the table. He hated feeling so insecure. Why couldn't he ever say the right thing?

Luckily for Nathan, the waiter had impeccable timing. Before he could continue his silent panic attack, their food arrived as a perfect distraction. As long as Nathan didn't spill anything on his shirt, there was no way he could screw up eating - or, so he thought.

Not even three minutes into their meal and he had, once again, embarrassed himself in front of Haley.

"How's your meal?" She asked.

His eyes fell on her enticing chest again; he wished he could stick his nose between her cleavage. "Delicious. This steak is the breast."

It was only after the words left his lips and filled the air that he realized his stupid, stupid mistake.

Fuck.

He said breast instead of best.

Way to go, Nathan, he thought bitterly. Can you be any more obvious?

Haley giggled softly. Nathan's shyness only added to his already inherent sexiness. She wanted him more than ever, but the man was a ball of steel. Despite his flirty words and charming smiles, he still hadn't attempted to touch her. Did he not understand the signals? Haley now had to take it one step further and initiate the contact herself. She was getting impatient.

She saw the perfect opportunity to reach out and grab his left hand when he rested it next to his beer glass. And, as her fingers inched closer to his forearm, Haley decided to be extra bold and 'accidentally' rub her stiletto-clad foot against his ankle.

When Nathan felt Haley's heel hit his ankle, he didn't think anything of it - but when her foot slowly started inching towards his knee, he tensed rigidly. What was she doing?

And, just as he was about to shovel another piece of steak into his mouth, he felt her delicate fingers reach out and grab his hand, shocking his entire nervous system like a bolt of lightning. His fork slipped right between his fingers and fell onto the floor.

"Shit," Nathan muttered, but it was a great excuse to pull away from her touch. He avoided her soft eyes and reached under the table in search of the fork - oh my God. Nathan froze again as he realized just how close he was to Haley's perfectly toned and tanned legs. They were just inches away from his hands and face. His stomach twisted into a tight knot. Why did she have to have the sexiest legs he'd ever seen, too?

Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, He silently chanted.

But he did it anyway. He looked right between the slight crevice of her thighs and caught a glimpse of black lace playing peek-a-boo.

"FUCK!" He couldn't stop the swear from coming out of his mouth when he hit the top of his forehead against the bottom of the table. "Son of a bitch!"

"Nathan, are you okay?" Haley's words were laced with nothing but concern as he reappeared above the table, rubbing a spot on his head with a look of agony scrunched across his features.

"Uh, yeah, I just hit my head pretty hard."

"Do you want me to ask the waiter for some ice?"

"No, no, it's okay. I'll be OK."

She studied him intently again, which did absolutely nothing to slow his slamming heart-rate.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Thanks, though."

His shoulders slumped. Nathan had never felt more disappointed in himself before. In trying so hard not to mess up, he did so anyway. He needed to calm down. To start over. Something. He could not fuck this up.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," he huffed in a quick breath and rushed out of his seat, "I'll be right back."

In the men's room, he splashed cold water over his face. "You can do this, Scott. Get your head in the game. Stay cool. You got this."

He reminded himself that they'd already had their first date. And she said yes to a second, third, and fourth date. If she didn't like him, she wouldn't be here. She laughed at his dumb jokes. She wore an unbelievably sexy dress for him.

But even knowing all of this, he could barely keep his composure. He'd never felt this way before. Nathan didn't consider himself a perfectionist, but Haley was the closest thing to perfect that existed and if he wanted a future with her, he could not be anything less than that. Inhaling one more deep breath, he nodded at his reflection and strutted back to their table where he found Haley texting someone on her phone.

He guessed it was Brooke - she was probably telling her what a disaster their dinner was.

And just like that, any ounce of confidence Nathan had gained with his little pep talk had decompressed and vanished right back into thin air.

"Sorry," he apologized lamely, "I must've drank too much water."

"No worries," Haley looked at him with a dazzling smile, "you missed me inhale the rest of my mac 'n' cheese like a vacuum. It was not attractive."

Nathan chuckled. Part of Haley's magical powers was her simultaneous ability to make him feel both extremely nervous and completely at ease all at once. It was strangely an addicting feeling.

"Do you want to get dessert?"

"Oh, no. I'm way too stuffed," she fell back in her chair with a dramatic sigh, "but we can have coffee or a nightcap back at my place if you'd like. I'm sure Lucy would love to spend more time with you," Haley tried to sound innocent but her suggestion was clearly loaded behind her seductive tone.

Nathan nodded shyly. He wasn't sure if going back to her place was the best idea but he also didn't want their night to end. Despite how nervous he was, Haley was one of his favorite people to spend time with - besides, it was only 8 pm. If he went home now, he'd spend the rest of the night using his right hand, and it was far too early for that.

"Um, okay, yeah. I'd like that."

They talked about work and Haley's family as they waited for the waiter to bring the check. On the slow ride to Haley's house (Nathan made sure to stop at every stop sign and wait at least three seconds) they briefly discussed politics and their contempt for the current state of the country. They gossiped about their co-workers and complained about their boss, an older guy from Texas who loved yelling at interns and barking orders at everyone else.

Nathan almost forgot how nervous he was until Haley tried to reach for his free hand resting on his knee. The second he felt her fingers brush his, he pulled away like she burned him. This time, he noticed the look of hurt flash across her face and felt guilty for pulling away so quickly. Maybe holding hands wouldn't be so bad… it was their fourth date afterall. He forgot what Peyton said was okay to do. He felt like a damn middle school kid on his first date. He wanted to kiss Haley so badly, but one kiss would lead to more and that, Nathan knew, was way too soon.

To recover from looking like a complete dweeb, at the next red light, Nathan boldly reached across the center console and grabbed Haley's hand. She looked up at him with a smile that sent butterflies through his entire body. He squeezed her tiny hand between his, only then realizing just how sweaty his palm was. Oops.

Well, at least she didn't pull away cringing.

"You still want to come in, right?" She asked when he pulled his car into her driveway.

Not able to trust his voice, he simply nodded and cut the headlights out before hopping out of the truck and pulling open the passenger door. He kept a small distance behind Haley as she led him back into her house, where Lucy was waiting and impatiently wagging her tail.

"Someone is happy to see you," Haley laughed.

Nathan chuckled and bent down to greet the barking puppy. "Hi, Lucy!"

"I'm gonna let her out back, otherwise she'll pee herself with excitement," Haley giggled again and bent down to pry Lucy away from Nathan. "Come on, girl. I know he's cute, but you're gonna scare him away. Especially if you pee on him."

Nathan laughed loudly and stuck his hands in his jean pockets, discreetly wiping away any leftover moisture residing on his palms as Haley opened her back door to let Lucy out.

"What can I get for you?" Haley asked once she'd returned.

"Uhm, coffee is good if you have it." He needed a distraction - something to keep his hands busy with, otherwise they'd be trying to find the zipper on Haley's dress so he can finally see exactly what was beneath it-

"Sure. Decaf?"

"That's fine."

"Milk?"

"Please."

Nathan started second guessing his decision to come inside. He had no idea what to do. Peyton didn't prep him on this part. Did Haley want casual sex? A serious relationship? Was he allowed to ask her without coming across as a total nimwit?

He wanted everything with her - but he wanted to do it in the right order. If they had sex tonight, would it ruin their chance for a long term relationship? Did it make them fuck-buddies? Why couldn't he fucking think straight?

"Here you go," he watched Haley pad across the kitchen floor and join him in the middle of her living room, where he was still standing awkwardly with his hands deep inside his pockets.

"Thanks," he took the steaming mug from her hands and allowed his eyes to discreetly sweep over her for the millionth time that night.

"Come on," she chewed on the meaty part of her lower lip as she gestured towards her couch, "make yourself comfortable."

Nathan watched her kick off her stilettos and fall back onto her couch, patiently waiting for him to settle into the spot next to her.

He swallowed the rock forming in his throat and inhaled a deep breath. Those huge, damn beautiful brown eyes watched his every move.

"Come on," she coaxed again, this time in a much more seductive tone, "I don't bite."

Nathan cautiously placed the coffee mug on the table next to the couch and gingerly sat down on the couch, sure to leave a few inches of space between them. He could feel the heat radiating off of her body as if she were the damn sun. One touch and he knew he'd explode into a ball of flames.

Haley furrowed her eyebrows with clear confusion and tried to close the gap between them, but as she moved closer, Nathan slowly wiggled his body to the opposite side of the couch, further away from her wandering hands.

He visibly jumped when she unsuccessfully attempted to curl her fingers around his bicep and push her breasts against his shoulder.

"For fuck's sake, Nathan!" Haley finally exploded. She could only take so much rejection in one night. "What more do I have to do?" Her face was flushed with red anger. "Do you think I'm made of fucking glass? That if you touch me, I'll break? Is that it? Or maybe you've seen so many damn breasts in your life that mine are boring? Is that why you're not even the least bit tempted to fucking feel me up? God! Or- or maybe Brooke was right! Are you gay? You must be gay! I mean, I've been throwing myself at you like a stripper all night and you don't even TRY to touch me!"

"I - but - what?" Nathan was officially stupefied. He definitely was not expecting that reaction from her.

Haley closed her eyes and slumped into the couch. "If you're not interested in me, Nathan, please just save me any more embarrassment tonight and go home."

"What?" He repeated slowly. He was still processing what just happened.

Her eyes peeled open and stared at his bewildered face. "I don't get it. I can't read you. Are you - are you even interested in me, Nathan?"

"Of course I am!"

"Then why won't you touch me?" Her voice was meek and filled with reluctance, like a child's.

"I just-," he sighed and ran a hand through his raven black hair. "I don't want to screw this up."

"Why would you screw it up?"

"I don't know how to be in a relationship, Haley. I've never done this before. I don't know how to do it the right way. I don't want to rush into things. Not with you. You're way too special."

Haley's frown cracked and was replaced with a slow, slanted smile. "That's really sweet of you, Nathan, but you don't need to worry. You're not going to screw anything up - unless you keep going at this snail pace when I'm sending you every signal to speed up," she joked with an easy grin. "I promise you, if I was ever uncomfortable, I would tell you."

"I'm sorry," he hung his head, "I realize now that you were giving me all the green lights and I was ignoring them because I was so wrapped up in my own damn head. Like I said, I've never done this before, and I sure as hell never felt this way about someone as beautiful as you are-" he rambled nervously again, "plus, it didn't help that you're this confident and sexy woman who knows she's a good kisser and knows exactly what she wants-"

"Wait," Haley interrupted, "pause. What did you say?"

"That you're a confident and sexy woman who knows she's a good kisser-"
"How do you know I know I'm a good kisser?"

"That thing you posted on Instagram today. You know, it was that really gorgeous selfie of you in that black t-shirt and the caption was something like 'things I'm good at: singing, kissing, writing, and some other things I don't remember right now-"

"I didn't post that," Haley said. "I don't even know what picture you're talking about."

Nathan pulled out his phone to show her. Sure enough, the latest picture on her account was of her pursing her lips at the camera with the exact caption he quoted.

"Dammit," she muttered, "Brooke must have taken my phone and posted this when we were at lunch today."

"Why would she do that?"

Haley bit her lip, "I was telling her that we still hadn't kissed yet and that I didn't think you were into me. She probably did it knowing you would see it and be tempted or something - she's also the one who told me to dress slutty to try and impress you."
"Trust me, you don't need to impress me by dressing slutty, though I should still thank her for making this for you because damn, Hales, I couldn't stop staring at you all night. I felt like a damn pervert."

She laughed and leaned closer, smiling when he didn't pull away this time. "Nathan?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't you want to find out?"

"Find out what?"

"If I'm really a good kisser."

"Oh," he blushed, "yeah."

"Then what the hell are you waiting for?"

He licked his lips slightly, "Are you sure we're not going too fast?"

"Oh my God," Haley rolled her eyes dramatically "any damn slower Nathan and we'd be going backwards."

He chuckled and leaned in about an inch away from her lips, "this has to be perfect."

"Why are you so damn adamant about everything being perfect? You know I'm not perfect."
"Because," Nathan drawled, "this is going to be our last first kiss, ever. It needs to be done right."

"Oh, really?" Haley's eyes sparkled as her eyebrow curved in a piqued interest.

"Yes," he said with a confident nod. It was the most confident Haley had ever heard him. It made her weak. "Are you ready?"

"God, yes. I've been waiting forever. Just do it already!"

His loud laughter filled the air, "Jeeze, you're so impatient."

"Nath-" before she could finish scolding him, he cut her off with an electric touch of his lips to hers.

Finally.

Haley couldn't hold back anymore. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him flush against her. Neither could contain the moans that escaped from their fused mouths. Months of pent up sexual desire had poured between them all at once. It was overwhelming. Haley was liked a depraved woman - now that she started, she couldn't stop. Neither could Nathan. His fingers were spearing through her hair and he shifted her body so she was straddling his waist. His other hand left her hair and slowly crept towards her chest. She had said she wanted him to feel her up, and he wasn't going to risk making her upset again. He was all in.

She ground her lower hips into his, moaning against his lips loudly. It's as if their tongues had melded into one. Neither had broken away - not even for a second - afraid that if they did, the magic of it would disappear. But, eventually, both Nathan and Haley needed to breathe and reluctantly pulled apart from their kiss, panting for breath.

"Wow."

"I know," she smirked, "how was that for your last first kiss?"

He grinned contently and rested his head in the crux of her neck, "I'd say it was a perfect ten."

She smiled and agreed with a short but firm kiss against his swollen lips, "so, am I a good kisser or what?"

He nodded emphatically, "I can't believe I waited so long to find out," his hands now rested on the globes of her ass and he squeezed softly. Shy Nathan was long gone now.

"Worth it?" Haley teased as she writhed against the swell in his jeans.

"Oh, yeah," he kissed the column of her throat.

"Lucky for you, it's not the only thing I'm good at," she seductively ran her tongue across his lips and ground herself against his waist, "but you know," Haley started slowly, "I wouldn't want to go too fast for you…"

Nathan threw his head back with laughter, then groaned, "you're going to hold this against me forever, aren't you?"

"Maybe," she teased, "but probably not because it was the best first last kiss in the history of first last kisses."

"Don't you mean breast?" Nathan laughed huskily again and pressed delicate kisses against her swollen breasts.

Haley grinned slyly, "something tells me kissing isn't the only thing you're good at, either."

"What makes you say that?"

"Please tell me you don't need another sign," Haley continued to tease. "Anything more and it'd be considered desperate."

"I don't know," Nathan's smirk grew, "I think maybe you reached that point when you yelled at me to touch you earlier."

"Fine. I won't hold it against you if you don't hold that against me."

"Deal," Nathan nodded.

"Should we seal it with a kiss?"

"I think we can do more than that, don't you?"
Haley giggled, "oh, yes we can."

And, oh, they did.