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Chapter Text

"So how did you two meet?" Delly, their neighbor, asked. 

Katniss and Peeta glanced at each other. "Oh, um…" she faltered. 

Peeta turned toward Delly, giving her one of his charming smiles. "I'll let my wife tell this story. She's a great story-teller."

He was doing this to tease her, and Katniss scowled at him.

Of course, she should have expected the onslaught of questions from their neighbors during the neighborhood autumn block party. And it was a simple question, really, one that they answered often. Still, it flustered her every time she recalled that day...

"Jo, couldn't we have waited to come on a different day? You can't even walk around in here," Katniss grumbled while squeezing her way between sales racks and huddles of women.

She hated shopping, especially on one of the busiest days of the year. Not to mention that the store Jo wanted to go to (a high-end lingerie store downtown known as Capitol Delights) was holding a fundraiser that day. But Jo was persistent when she showed up at Katniss's door that morning, practically dragging her out of bed and force-feeding her toast. Jo's excuse was that she needed something to wear for her and Gale's anniversary. Katniss thought it pointless.

"Well, then there wouldn't be any Black Friday sales, brainless," Jo said dryly. Then she held up pink fuzzy handcuffs. "These look just like the pair Gale uses at home." Katniss's face felt hot as she looked at the cuffs, and she tried desperately to erase the mental image that was slowly unfolding.

"I could have gone a lifetime without hearing that." This made Jo snicker and put the cuffs back.

During their one hour of shopping, Katniss had learned way more about her friends' sex lives than what she was comfortable knowing. Like Gale's reaction to Jo in stockings or how her friend owned several dominatrix costumes⎯ it made her cringe just thinking about it.

As they moved from showroom to showroom, Katniss had no intention of trying anything on in that store, least of all the actual lingerie. Most of it was priced way above what Katniss was willing to spend on a pair of lacy underthings. And it was overly bawdy compared to the simple cotton underwear that she owned. 

Though Jo had other plans. Of course, she did. "Here."

Katniss had just enough time to react to Jo tossing her something she found on the sales table⎯ the item nearly hitting her in the face. She glared at her friend, then looked down at the red strappy teddy in her hands. Her eyes widened. The garment didn't even have enough material to pass as a piece of clothing. "I'm not trying that on," she said firmly. "Plus, who am I going to wear this for?"

Jo gave her a mischievous grin. "Yourself... or for your blind date that your boss is sending you on with her grandson, duh."

Katniss rolled her eyes and tossed the teddy back onto the display table. "I'm not going to sleep with him. We're only going out to dinner."

"Right." Jo snorted. "You say that until you find out that he's hot."

"There's more to someone than their looks, Jo," Katniss insisted. 

"Come on, just try something on. I feel like I'm shopping by myself here.”

"That's because you are. I'm an office assistant. I can't afford any of this," she argued.

Jo released a dramatic sigh, then leaned forward to pluck three items off the nearest rack and shoved them into Katniss's hands. "Fine, you twisted my arm. I'll buy them for you."

Katniss shook her head. "What, no-" But Jo cut her off with a tsk and grabbed her hand.

"Now, would you hurry up? We're never going to get a fitting room if you keep dragging your feet," Jo grumbled. Katniss didn't even get a chance to inspect what Jo grabbed before being pulled in the direction of the fitting rooms on the second floor.

At the top of the escalator, they entered a dome-shaped room that looked nothing like fitting rooms⎯ it almost resembled that of a hotel lobby. In the middle of the room, a woman with brightly colored hair and a chipper voice greeted them from her reception-style desk. Katniss wasn't sure what was more absurd, the reception desk or the woman's orange hair. "Hello, how may I help you, ladies?" 

"Two fitting rooms, please," Jo told the woman.

"Of course, right this way!" They're led down a hall of doors similarly styled like the rest of the store with its black floors and walls, making the narrow strip appear endless. Two doors were unlocked for her and Jo, then the woman turned toward them with a wan smile. "Now, if you need help, ask for Effie," she said.

Before Effie had walked away, Jo was already closing the door to her room. 

Katniss gave the woman a smile and turned the handle to her own door. After she opened it, she paused to take in how polished the room was. Silver wallpaper covered the walls, paired with dark carpet and a single maroon chaise in the middle of the room. But that wasn't what stopped her. No, it was the giant one-way mirror on the far wall that overlooked the fundraiser in the neighboring building. Sounds of clapping and music can be heard from the other side.

How… odd. Katniss had never seen anything like it. Nor was she comfortable with the idea of changing in front of the people below⎯ not that they could see her. Still, she closed the long drapes puddled on one side of the window, just in case.

Katniss set her pile of clothes down on one side of the chaise, feeling hesitant to try any of it on. But after a moment of contemplating whether to lie to Jo about it, she sighed and began stripping down to only her underwear. 

It didn't take her long to figure out that Jo's style conflicted with hers, though she probably could have figured that out before she went through all of the trouble of trying the first two garments on. She almost didn't bother with the red teddy that Jo had tossed at her last minute. But she removed the narrow straps from the hanger and started working her arms and legs into the strips of lace and nylon⎯ a decision she soon regretted.

Everything was going fine until one of the straps in the back became tangled as she was adjusting the fit. She tried reaching behind her to undo the knot, but it was too small for her fingers to grasp onto.

After six attempts, her arms fell down to her sides tirelessly, blood pounding from holding them behind her back for so long. She released a frustrated sigh, pushing her sweaty bangs out of her face. "Shit." She was undoubtedly stuck in that ridiculous red teddy.

Now what? 

She bit her lip, pondering whether she should walk over to Jo's door in her current state of dress… or lack thereof. 

After deciding that it was her only option, aside from risking the reception desk, Katniss slid on her flats and opened the door to her fitting room. She covered her nearly exposed breasts with her arm and stepped across the hall toward Jo's room. Her knuckles rapped against the door. "Jo," she said, waiting, then tried again when there was no answer. "Are you in there?" Still, no response.

God, she really didn't want to walk all the way out to the reception area. But she looked down the hall, anyway⎯ it was empty. Maybe she could make it to Effie and back without being spotted. 

Now with both arms crossed over her chest, she made her way toward Effie's desk. She was walking so fast that she didn't have time to stop for the person that rounded the corner into the fitting rooms.

"Oof," she gasped as she bounced off a solid chest. A hand gripped her elbow before she could fall over as the sound of boxes clattering to the floor reached her ears.

The person she had run into let go of her elbow and crouched down to pick up the two boxes at her feet. When they stood up again, her breath caught in her throat. All she could do was helplessly gawk at the guy in front of her.

He was a few inches taller than her and wore a short-sleeve white button-down, the words Mellark Bakery etched into the right pocket. Short curly blond hair was neatly gelled back⎯ only two unruly strands rested against his forehead. She also noticed the series of colorful tattoos that covered his skin. They started on his taut biceps underneath his shirt's sleeves and ended at his hands.

He was extremely attractive.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking down at her.

She blinked, then remembered the mess she just made. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." Heat swirled in her face.

He smiled. "Don't worry about-" he stopped suddenly, his breath hitching, ears turning pink. 

It was then that she realized she was no longer shielding her chest. Instead, only a thin strip of cloth covered her nipples from the stranger, leaving her almost entirely exposed. "Oh!" Katniss crossed her arms over her chest again, hoping to preserve some modesty. "Men aren't allowed back here," she exclaimed in near panic. Her face burned hotter.

He looked anywhere but her while rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "Er, sorry, I uh- I was told to use the back door for the fundraiser," he explained and nodded toward a door next to one of the fitting rooms. "I'm the caterer."

"I… oh," she said lamely.

Still not looking at her, he asked, "are you one of the models for the fundraiser?"

His words left her stupefied and a little speechless. She didn't think she could pull off being a model, but she was flattered that he thought so. "Uh, no. I-" she cleared her throat, "I was looking for my friend." For some reason, she was embarrassed to admit the next part. "I, um, I'm kind of stuck."

"Oh?"

She nodded her head, even though he couldn't see it. "Yeah…"

"Well, I can help you," he suggested. 

Her eyes widened, and she was pretty sure her brain stopped working. "What?"

His head snapped toward her. "Wait, that came out wrong! I meant I can help you find your friend, not with your outfit. Not that I don't want to-," he paused, scrubbing a hand over his face and his mouth tilted up into a shy smile. "I'm sorry, do you want me to find someone to help you?"

Katniss bit the inside of her cheek. She wasn't going to lie. The thought of him helping her didn't seem totally unappealing. But what if Effie caught them and assumed they were doing more than untangling the teddy?

Honestly, it didn't make the idea any less inviting. In fact, it did nothing more than add fuel to Katniss's imagination.

"Okay," she said after a moment. "You can help me if you want." The request was barely audible to her own ears, but the red splotches spreading up his neck told her that he heard her.

"I don't know, are you sure?" he asked carefully.

"Uh-"

At the sound of women coming up the escalator, Katniss grabbed his hand (ignoring how warm it felt in her palm) and guided him back to her fitting room. Once inside, she dropped his hand and tried to fight the blush that followed. 

Now that they were alone, she suddenly felt anxious and giddy. And she silently hoped that he didn't think she did this often. Because she was already having a hard time believing that she just pulled some stranger into her fitting room. He could be some crazed killer for all she knew. Although, the way he was nervously fidgeting next to the door made it seem unlikely.

"So, where do you want to- where do you want to do this?" he asked finally.

"Oh, um," she turned toward the chaise in the middle of the room, "maybe it'll be easier if I sit down." He followed her, and she sat down with her back facing him.

She pulled her hair out of the way as he set his boxes down somewhere behind her. "Okay, where are you stuck?" he asked shyly. Her skin broke out in goose flesh as she felt the heat from his hands at her back.

Katniss reached behind her, searching for the small knot. "Right here."

"Okay." An involuntary shiver coursed up her spine when his fingers touched her skin, but he didn't seem to notice (or ignored it) and continued toying with the knot. 

It didn't take him long to undo the mess she made at her back, then he worked his way toward the next part that became twisted. She gasped when his nimble fingers brushed a sensitive spot on her side. His hands froze, and she blushed furiously. 

"Sorry," he said quickly. 

Katniss licked her suddenly dry lips. "It's okay, I'm just… ticklish." He hesitated for a moment, but then she felt his fingers working at her side again. When he reached her front, her breathing sped up because he was currently crouched in level with her chest. She tried to distract herself by watching his tattooed fingers undo the lace, and became slightly in awe by the contrast between his hands and her stomach. 

But this did little to distract her. Because now she was thinking about those hands exploring all parts of her skin.

Another breathy gasp escaped her when he reached the bit at her navel, and this time, he bit his lip but didn't stop. His brows furrowed in concentration until he had finished untwisting the teddy. Katniss had to bring her hands up to keep the garment from falling down, and she gave him a timid smile.

"Thank you," she murmured. 

He rested his hands on either side of her thighs. They were a respective distance, but it didn't stop her stomach from swooping or thinking about how precarious their position was. After all, he was kneeling between her partially opened thighs, and she might as well be naked. 

"You're welcome," he said, his voice sounding an octave lower than before.

She bit her lip and watched his eyes follow the movement. There was a sudden urge to lean forward and kiss him, but he pulled away before she could respond to the impulse.

He stood up, the left side of his mouth tilting upwards. "I'm sorry, I should probably get going. I might be missed downstairs."

"Yeah," she breathed, nodding her head. "Er, thank you again. You didn't have to help me..."

He shrugged. "I'm a gentleman. What can I say?"

He walked around the chaise to pick up his boxes, and before he could leave, she quickly said, "I don't normally ask random strangers to help me out in the fitting room. This is kind of… well, it's a first-time occurrence." Katniss was unsure why she said it, but she felt like she needed to convey this to him.

He laughed, though, the sound thrilling her. "I didn't think you did," then he left her room.

Katniss changed back into her clothes and exited her room in a bit of a daze. Jo walked back toward her room, hands full of more clothes, and released a low whistle. "You should have seen the hottie I saw leaving the fitting room. If I wasn't married…"

"Mhm," Katniss hummed, not really paying attention to what Jo was saying, but her ears perked up at what she said next.

"So, did you find something for tomorrow night?"

Oh,… right. How did she forget about her date?

She sighed. "No."

"Good, because I found more things for us to try on."

Katniss didn't bother telling Jo that the 'hottie' she was referring to had helped her out of a piece of lingerie.

The following day, she wasn't any more enthused about her date and dragged her feet to the door when she heard him knock. However, as she pulled open the door, she was a bit startled to find the guy who helped her in the fitting room on the other side. He was dressed in a navy suit and a pair of dark dress shoes that revealed more tattoos on the tops of his feet. And instead of boxes in his hands, he held a bouquet of orange dahlias. 

Okay, maybe he was some crazed killer… or a stalker.

She was about to accuse him of following her until a mutual look of surprise registered on his face. "Katniss?" he asked slowly. 

She nodded, fidgeting with the skirt of her dress. "And you must be Peeta, Mags' grandson?"

"Yeah," he breathed. "Wow, small world."

"Yeah," she repeated after him. They awkwardly stood in her doorway, and Katniss couldn't seem to take her eyes away from how well he filled out his suit. And another look at his hands had her thinking about his fingers feathering over her skin again. The thought discomposed her, making her blurt out her next words before she could think about them. "I like your tattoos."

When he didn't say anything right away, her cheeks went hot with humiliation. But then his mouth broke into a grin. "Thank you." She sighed with relief, then he added, "I like how you look in red." Her eyes widened. He couldn't be referring to- "Your dress, I mean," Peeta continued.

"Oh." Of course, what was she thinking? 

At her reply, he rushed to correct himself. "Not that you didn't look good in the teddy yesterday! Wait- I mean-" He was rambling, but Katniss could only focus on the fact that he was thinking about her in that piece of lingerie.

She paused for a nanosecond, reluctant about what she would say next⎯ her blood rushed into her ears. "Well, I can show you what else I bought yesterday?" 

He visibly gulped, and he nodded his head stiffly. "Uh, sure." Then she walked away from the door.

He followed her inside, and the door closed behind him with a soft click ...

"And that's how we met," Katniss finished with the story, shooting Peeta a secret smile. His mouth quirked, and he took a drag from his beer.

"Oh, that's so romantic," Delly exclaimed, sighing to herself. "Don't tell Thom, but I wish we met anywhere other than a grocery store."

When they left the party later that evening, Peeta stopped them in the middle of the sidewalk on the way to their house. "So, you find my tattoos attractive?" he asked, smirking.

She blushed, poking his ribs playfully. "You already knew this. I've mentioned it in numerous versions of the story. Plus, I tell you this all the time."

Peeta laughed and pulled her against his side. "Also, that's not exactly how I remember us meeting," he said, looking down at her with amusement. "You seemed to have left out the part where we had sex on that maroon chaise, and again in your apartment. But I appreciate you making me sound like quite the cavalier."

She shivered at the memory. How is it after three years, Peeta still managed to get her all hot and bothered with a few simple words? 

"You are a gentleman," she told him, then Katniss stepped out from his side and tugged on his hand. "But maybe you can jog my memory about how unhonourable you were that day."

His jaw ticked, and he gave her a wicked grin. "Gladly." And Katniss squealed as Peeta picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

Chapter Text

Peeta listened as Katniss fluffed up the story about how they first met. 

And to be honest, there wasn’t a blind date.

It just so happened that he bumped into his grandmother’s hot office assistant at a lingerie charity event. But Katniss thought it was a nice touch, sweet even, to suggest that they had been destined to meet again. There was no way he could see his wife saying that she actually invited him to her place after amazing sex in her fitting room—not even Peeta had believed his ears when she offered.

However, he found it cute when she'd blush through certain parts, not telling the whole truth. Delly clearly couldn't tell when Katniss was working herself through a lie, but Peeta did, and he'd smirk when she'd nervously play with the end of her braid.

When she came to the part where she asked him to help her, she faltered, biting on her bottom lip to keep from smiling. He tilted back his beer, hiding a smile of his own, as she made the story sound sweet and accidental. But Peeta remembered what actually happened when she bumped into him that day…

"The back entrance to the fundraiser is upstairs," the tight-lipped woman at the front desk said. "And don't linger," she added with a firm look. "Men aren't allowed in the fitting rooms."

He wanted to tell her that he wouldn't have to go to the second floor if the manager would have given him another pass to replace his forgotten one. Instead, he held his tongue, nodded, and continued in the direction of the fitting rooms.

When he stepped off the escalator, the fitting rooms appeared empty—even the reception desk sat clear of any employees.

Peeta tried not to linger too long and searched for signs that would lead him to the back of the runway. Through his search, he became too busy navigating the hallways that he didn't notice the petite woman rounding the corner. She was moving fast, and he didn't have enough time to respond before they collided with each other.

The empty cake boxes fell out of his hands as he reached out to stop her from falling. She gripped his arms and swayed a little on her feet. Once she properly found her footing, she glanced up and gave him a shy smile.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded, and Peeta dropped his hands when he knew she wouldn't fall. Then he bent down to pick up the boxes. When he straightened again, that was when he got a good look at her, and he swore his heart stopped beating when he noticed her outfit (if you could call it that). There was a lot of red lace stringing over smooth olive skin, and it took every ounce of effort to keep his eyes trained on her face.

But that wasn't too hard because he thought she was gorgeous. She had long dark hair that flowed around her shoulders, and the most captivating eyes that he couldn't put a color on. Grey? No. Silver? Maybe, though the color still didn't feel right.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." Her face now matched the color of the lace clinging to her shoulders. "I was trying to find someone to help me get out of this," she said, her hand waving down to the lingerie.

Peeta swallowed hard.

Somewhere in his brain, he registered that he was speaking, but he couldn't exactly say what was leaving his mouth. The rest of him was working too hard to stop his blood from flowing south.

"What?" she asked, alarmed, and he blinked out of his daze.

"Uh..." He mentally scrambled to figure out what he said to make her look at him like he was crazy.

"I don't know if the fitting room manager would like it if I invited a man into my room," she continued to say, nervously pushing her bangs out of her face.

Shit.

Well, he'd definitely said worse things.

"I meant to say that I can help you find someone to assist, uh, with your problem." This made her frown. "Not that I don't want to help you take it off... I mean... I would..." he was rambling because now all he could think about was peeling the straps of that damn teddy down her delicate shoulders.

Her eyes locked on his face, the look in them unreadable. Then she nodded, finally deciding on whatever mental battle she was going through. "Okay," she said. "You can help me."

Was this happening? No. Maybe he tripped and hit his head going up the escalator because... this couldn't be real.

Before he could answer, she grabbed his hand and guided him down the hall until they came to a red door. She opened it, quickly pulling him inside and closing it behind him.

At the surprised look on his face, she said, "uh, sorry. I didn't mean to rush you, but people were coming up the escalator."

He nodded absently and glanced around the surprisingly spacious room, distracting himself from the fact that he was alone with this sensuous vision of a woman. "So, uh, where do you want to do this?" he asked.

She walked over to the giant red chaise in the middle of the floor. "I think it'll be easier if I sit down."

Peeta left his boxes near the door before walking over to the chaise behind her. He was unsure at first and left his hands at his sides. "Okay, where are you stuck?"

One of her hands came up behind her, and she pointed out a small knot that sat against her spine. "Right here."

He swallowed. "Okay."

She shivered as his fingers touched the curve in her back and gasped when he reached the lace at her side. The small sound went straight to his dick, stopping him as he felt like he was nearing the line that would make this suddenly inappropriate.

"Sorry, I—"

"It's okay, I'm just... ticklish," she told him, glancing over at him.

He was going to have a serious case of blue balls after this.

Peeta made quick work of the rest of the knot, growing hesitant again when he reached her navel. But she nodded her head, and he bit his lip to focus on the task and not where his hands were. A few more breathy gasps later and the material finally gave way, falling softly into her lap. She lifted her hands to cover her breasts, the fleshy globes swelling under her fingers... all of a sudden, his breath felt scarce, and he braced his hands against the chaise near her thighs to steady himself.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"You're welcome."

The tip of her tongue peeked out to run across her lips, and his fingers in the cushion tightened. A part of his brain screamed at him that it was time to leave because he was most likely needed elsewhere.

But she silenced these thoughts as soon as she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. The kiss was soft and tentative. Then she did it again, less hesitant this time until Peeta finally responded to her kiss. A pleased noise bubbled up from the back of her throat, and she gripped the front of his shirt. He nipped her lips before delving his tongue inside her mouth, sliding it across her teeth and the roof of her mouth.

His fingers twitched near her thighs, craving to touch the amount of smooth skin at their disposal. But he couldn't, not until she gave him another indication that she was okay with this.

Noticing his resurfacing hesitation, she pulled away from him, slightly panting. "You can touch me," she told him, grabbing his hand and bringing it to one of her breasts. It should have been impossible for him to grow any harder, yet his erection twitched painfully in his jeans. " Please touch me."

How could he tell her no?

His thumb smoothed over her nipple, making it pebble under his touch. Then he dipped his head forward, curling the tip of his tongue around the pert bud. She whimpered, and her fingers fluttered into his hair, holding him against her chest. Peeta's eyes didn't leave her face as he moved to her other breast, sucking and licking to the sounds that fell from her slightly swollen lips. She watched him under thick black lashes, the color of her eyes growing dark and hungry.

"Oh!" she gasped when he grazed his teeth against her sensitive flesh. He leaned back, pulling on her nipple until it slipped from his mouth pink, wet, and shiny. Peeta groaned at the sight in front of him and palmed the back of her head to claim her lips with his again.

Her fingers moved from his hair to work on the buttons of his shirt while readily meeting his kiss. He shivered when she finally got it open and gently scraped her nails across the snake tattoo on his stomach.

"Shit," he groaned into her mouth.

She pushed his shirt down his shoulders, and he leaned back on his haunches to finish yanking it off his arms. He tossed it onto the chaise beside her, and then he grabbed her hips to jerk her closer. She let out a low moan; the sound vibrating against his tongue.

His heart was racing in his chest before it suddenly plummeted to his feet when he realized he didn't have any condoms on him—at least, he assumed that was where this was going. He pulled his mouth away, and panting, pressed it to her collarbone. She continued running her hands against his heated skin, dragging them down until they just barely dipped under the waist of his jeans.

The muscles in his stomach jumped, and he really didn't want to stop her, but... "I, I don't have condoms," he finally got out.

Her hands stilled their exploration, a breathy "oh" tickling the top of his ear. Then after a beat, she said, "well, we can do other things..." Peeta pulled back, eyes wide. She was biting her lip, a pretty blush spreading across her face. "If you want."

God, he did. He really did, yet there was something he needed to know before they continued.

"What’s your name?" he asked her.

A look of suspicion crossed her face at the sudden change in topic, though, after a moment, she relented, smiling at him shyly. "Katniss. And, uh, what’s yours?"

He heard her question, but her name rang in his ears. It couldn’t be… He decided it probably wasn’t the best time to bring up his seventy-year-old grandmother, figuring it might kill the mood.  

"Peeta."

"Peeta," she said, testing his name. The smile on her lips grew. "I like it, and um..." She glanced away, tracing another tattoo on his bicep bashfully. "Maybe now we can try more?"

Fuck.

He reached up and tilted her face back toward his, placing a kiss on the corner of her mouth. "Okay." Katniss returned his kiss, eagerly pressing her lips back to his.

His hands slid further up her thighs until his fingers hit the barrier of her underwear and the teddy. Katniss helped him by lifting her hips so he could pull them down her legs, then he tossed them onto the chaise near his shirt.

Peeta sunk down in front of her until his face was level with her stomach. She took a deep shuddering breath and leaned back on her forearms, watching him through lidded eyes. He led a trail of open-mouthed kisses down her navel, paying extra attention to her hips. When his face aligned with her center, he groaned at the amount of arousal he found there.

" Shit , you're so wet."

Katniss released a soft moan when he ran his fingers along her outer lips. Then she squeaked when he leaned forward and flicked his tongue between her folds. A low noise rumbled from his chest as he tasted her, and he gave another long, leisurely stroke against her swollen flesh. Her back arched as he dipped his tongue inside her, causing her hair to slip off her shoulders and pool into an inky black puddle beneath her.

"I, more," she panted.

Peeta pressed closer, adjusting her legs so they hung over his shoulders. It made tilting her pelvis against his mouth easier, and Katniss yelped at the added amount of pressure. His tongue delved deeper into her core, and he felt her muscles flutter and clench in response.

More wetness seeped out of her as he teased her entrance with flicks of his tongue—the sweet tangy taste of her coating his chin and tastebuds. The heady smell of her arousal made his cock twitch so insistently that he shifted and pressed it against the edge of the chaise.

He snaked one of his hands up to palm her breast, his fingers tugging on her nipple. Her hips shifted against his face, making his tongue bump her clit.

"Yes!" she squealed.

Suddenly, a knock sounded against the door as soon as he pulled her sensitive nub into his mouth, but he didn't stop, and she bit her lip to stifle the moan that followed. 

"Brainless, how's everything going?” a woman asked. Her friend, maybe? “It sounded like you were struggling in there."

"No," Katniss gasped as he started sucking. "I'm good." He hummed against her, and she choked on another gasp.

"Are you sure? How's that teddy fitting?"

"Good—"

She squeaked when he curled a finger inside her, and her walls gripped him like a vise as his tongue continued to play with her clit. A second finger joined the first and his tongue moved faster until he felt her tremble around his digits. Her hands flew up to cover her face in an attempt at muffling the mewls spilling out of her as she came.

"Okay…” the woman said slowly, and Peeta barely heard her through the blood pounding in his ears. “I'll be in my room if you need anything." A few moments later, he heard a door closing.

After Katniss calmed down, she slowly slid her legs from his shoulders and leaned up to pull him into a heated kiss. The way she hungrily licked into his mouth made him think that she might have enjoyed the taste of herself on his tongue. And that alone had him quickly unfastening his pants and shoving them down his legs.

Once they were around his ankles, Katniss dragged him onto the cushion beside her and crawled into his lap. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, resting her hands on her thighs—his cock jerked at the proximity. He watched her glance down between them, the flush on her cheeks growing darker. "Can I?" she asked hesitantly.

Instead of answering, because he was sure his voice would have failed him, he grabbed her hand and wrapped it around his length. The way she gasped afterward, her fingers rippling in his, made him clench his jaw as he tried not to come.

He guided her movements to show her what he liked; then he let go when he felt his hand was only slowing her down. She swiped her thumb over his tip, smearing it around his head and down the underside of his cock. His eyes fluttered closed, but they snapped open again when he felt more wetness ease her grip. Katniss spit again, and Peeta groaned because it felt so goddamn good. There was no way he could take his eyes off of her. Not now.

Her other arm draped around his shoulders to card her fingers through the short hairs at the nape of his neck. She tugged, urging him to crane his neck to the side. He sucked in a breath when he felt her teeth scrape along his jaw, and his hands moved from his sides to grip the tops of her thighs.

"Oh, fuck," he gasped.

Slowly, Katniss started to shift in his lap, her arousal smoothing over his skin. Peeta couldn't help the groan of approval that passed through his teeth as he watched her grind onto his thighs. It was the hottest thing he'd ever seen.

As her hand sped up, so did the movement of her hips, and Peeta grabbed her waist to help her move against him. The act was so close to sex that he felt his balls draw up, though he didn't come. Not yet. Not until she went rigid in his lap and tossed her head back.

"Peeta, I'm coming," she gasped as a red flush traveled down her chest. He leaned forward and followed it with his mouth, drawing one of her pert nipples between his lips when he reached her breasts. Then she cried out, her chest arching toward his as she rode out her orgasm.

It didn't take much longer for his cock to twitch in her hand, and he covered the tip with his palm as he chased his own release. "Katniss, fuck," he grunted while his semen spilled onto his skin.

They were both panting heavily, lost amid the wave of euphoria. Peeta turned his head and placed a kiss against her sweaty hairline, enjoying the small sigh that followed.

Katniss leaned back, giving him a lazy smile. "That was..."

"Yeah," he breathed.

She giggled, and a piece of hair fell into her face. Peeta reached up to fix it but stopped when he remembered that his semen still coated his palm. "Uh, sorry," he mumbled. "I should probably clean—"

He released a harsh breath when she grabbed his hand and licked the sticky mess off his palm and fingers until it was clean. Peeta was sure he actually stopped breathing. And he knew he would replay that moment for the rest of his life.

"God, you're so hot."

Then they moved toward the window—

"Wait, wait," Katniss gasped as he nipped the side of her neck, cutting him off mid-story. "I don't remember the part with the window."

"Some of it might be fantasy..."

She laughed, her chest shaking against his. "I didn't know you were an exhibitionist."

"Only where you're concerned," Peeta murmured against her skin, dipping his tongue out to press it against her fluttering pulse.

"Hmm," she hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe we can try it sometime."

He stopped and pulled away, staring down at her in awe. "God, I love you," he said before kissing her.

She squealed into his mouth as he picked her up and placed her on the window ledge. Then he pushed open the curtains, basking them in the warm glow of the sunset. "Peeta, our neighbors are walking by," she weakly protested between kisses. "They can see us!"

His mouth quirked slightly. "That's the point." Then he grabbed her wrists in his hand and pressed them against the window.