…...Katniss...

"Great, I'll see you on Thursday, Mrs Trinket-Abernathy, I'll have Bonnie call you back with the time and place. Then Friday, we'll have the final edit to print, okay, have a good evening, bye-bye."

I place my phone back on the table, screen facing up, just in case I receive an email, and smile at my sister. She casts her eyes at me for an instant, then goes back to pushing her food around her plate.

"I'm sorry, Prim, what were you saying?" I slouch back on my chair and try, once again, to give her my full attention.

"It's really not that important," she mumbles, pushing a blonde lock of hair behind her ear.

"Anything you say is important to me," I say softly, truly meaning it. Primrose is the person that I love and care for the most in this entire universe.

She dwells on something for a moment, furrowing her perfectly shaped eyebrows, then smiles at me, taking a small amount of weight off my shoulders.

"I think we found a place," she says excitedly, "it's on the nice part of the city, just like you asked, the owner said we can install the home security stuff that you also asked for, plus it's only a couple minutes walk from the bakery we love."

"So you really are moving out?" I sigh, allowing my sadness to show at her final decision when she nods.

"Both Rue and I love the apartment and I think I'm ready, Katniss," she explains softly, obviously trying not to hurt my feelings. "I don't want you providing for me forever."

"Prim, I only have you in my life to care for, trust me, I like providing for you."

"I know but I got my job at the hospital and with both mine and Rue's salary we can just about make-"

"I'm paying for your new apartment, don't even try to argue with me," I tell her sternly but then soften my scowl. "You know, I'm gonna miss you making a mess around the house, and I'm gonna be lonely as hell but if you say it's time then what can I do?"

Prim frowns at my lame attempt to laugh, and reaches for my hand.

"You can come over anytime you want and who knows, maybe Gale will-"

I pull my hand away and hold it to my chest, as if I've been electrocuted.

"Katniss, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

My phone interrupts her talking, for the third time. This time, I gladly reach for it, wanting to stop this conversation my than anything. I check the caller ID and I breathe out in relief. Flavius. Thank fucking God.

"Please, for the love of God tell me you have the photo shoot wrapped up and ready to be edited into the final piece?" I say after sliding my finger across the screen to answer the call.

"Oh, Katniss! The photographer lost her camera on the way here then to top it off we had a major wardrobe malfunction," Flavius, one of the assistant designers at The Capitol magazine, panics, making my head hurt that much more.

"Do I need to come down there? And how the hell did she lose her camera?"

"I have no idea, and I don't know, Katniss. Cinna looks pretty calm but I swear he's gonna burst if anything else happens!"

"What do you need, Flavius?"

"Umm, send me the make and model of the camera we last used and see whether we can reserve the studio for tomorrow morning, about half past nine till midday? I would've asked Bonnie, but she's left for the day to do God only knows what and I don't have her number."

I pinch the bridge of my nose forcefully and scowl. This is really the last thing I needed today. After spending the whole day checking everything is on track for our final meeting with Effie Trinket-Abernathy so she can approve all of our work for this season's issue, then having to actually to talk Effie, I'm exhausted. And by the look of things, the rest of this week isn't going to be any easier.

"Don't worry, I've got everything on my tablet, I'll just send it to you right now and I'll check if the studio is available."

"Oh my god, Katniss," Flavius almost sobs into the phone, "you are a life saver! What would The Capitol do without you?"

"Crash and burn?" I say dryly then look at Prim again, who is texting away on her phone. "Call me if anything comes up."

"Yes, yes, of course. Oh! Happy partying!"

"Yeah, thanks," I mutter before hanging up and twisting my body to unzip my bag to pull out my tablet.

Before I can get in an apology, Prim shoves her phone in her little side bag and pushes herself away from the table.

"Where are you going, Prim?"

"I'm going home."

"Prim-"

"No, Katniss, you can't even disconnect from The Capitol for a couple of hours on your birthday to spend time with me?" She exasperates, slinging the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "I understand that what you went through was hard but, you don't have to push everyone who cares about you away and hide away behind work."

I watch as my sister exits the restaurant, making no move to stop her, simply because she's right. I would rather sit behind my desk, deciding what is going to be put in this season's issue than talk to people or go out and I don't even like my job. I only took it in the first place because the pay was ridiculously good.

I sigh and wave at the waiter for him to bring me the check, losing my appetite. After swiping my credit card on the machine, I gather my things and make my way to the door but stop. I glance over to the bar and bite my lip. What's sadder, going home to drink your sorrows then having to face your pissed off younger sister on your birthday or staying at a bar to drink your sorrows then going home to face your pissed off younger sister on your birthday? Both seem pretty equal but at home, too many things remind me of the bastard so with yet another sigh- of which my life consist a lot of theses days-, I make a one-hundred-and-eighty turn and head to the bar.

I take another sip of my beer and put my tablet away, I've already sent the information to Flavius and given him the thumbs up for using the studio tomorrow and now, I have nothing else to do but watch the bartender stride up and down the bar serving drinks to other lonely people, like me.

I'm about to pull out my phone to check for any missed calls or emails when someone sits on the stool beside me. I move my body away from the person without even looking at them and slide my glass with me. The person chuckles.

"I haven't even said anything and you've already rejected me, what a start." a deep gravelly voice jokes sadly.

"Not interested," I say, still not looking up at him.

"Could you please just do me a favor?"

This makes me look up and him. I hold back a gasp when my eyes meet probably the most bluest, most beautifulest pair of eyes.

"My friends, they say I have no game, which you've just proved right, but they have a bet going on and I don't want to seem more of a loser than I already I'm. So if you could just, smile and write down some random numbers on my phone with some random name, I swear I will leave you alone and never bother you ever again."

A precisely squared jaw with a thin layer of blonde stubble match his defined lips and high cheek bones. His light blonde hair is styled in a way that the women and even men would go nuts over at The Capitol and the kind smile on his lips wraps it all up, reminding me of what being attracted to someone feels like. This guy's face is so perfectly sculpted that it would make Leonardo Da Vinci weep.

"I'll take that silence as a no then..." he chuckles, and his long fingers curl around his glass, of what I'm guessing is whiskey, and makes a move to stand. "I'm sorry, I bothered you, have a good night."

His apologetic smile is wiped clean off his face when I grab his hand, stopping him from leaving.

"I'm-" My voice comes out, in a squeaky, uneven tone so I clear my throat and try again, this time in a much smoother voice, "I'm Katniss."

"Nice to meet you, Katniss, I'm Peter," he holds out his hand and I shake it, feeling how strong and firm it is.

"I'm sorry for being rude earlier, Peter" I say, trying not to stare at him so much.

"It's actually Peeta, P-E-E-T-A. And it's probably like a reflex for you now, right?" Peeta chuckles, bringing his drink to his lips.

"What are you talking about?" I scowl.

"Rejecting the guys who hit on you."

"I don't get hit on that much."

"You're kidding? It's not that I'm tying to hit on you or anything but it's hard to believe that you don't get hit on since you're so beautiful."

"It's also hard to believe that you have trouble picking up women," I mutter, surprised at how forward I'm being with this guy.

"I guess I've never really found a woman that I've been attracted to to try and pick up, until now" he shrugs, then leans his elbow on the counter top.

I take this opportunity to marvel at how thick the muscles on his arms are under the thin fabric of his dress shirt and at how the color of his blue tie matches perfectly with his eyes. My god, he's so hot.

"So you're saying that no woman is good enough for you?" I raise my eyebrows in question, then add, "and I thought you said you weren't trying to hit on me?"

"I'm not, I'm just being honest" he replies, smirking. "Call me picky."

I roll my eyes and turn my face, lifting my beer to my lips and hiding my smile. We remain silent for a few seconds and I hate it. For the first time in a long time, silence in a conversation with someone I don't know doesn't comfort me, it bothers me. So with the charm and social abilities of a dead slug, I say the first thing that comes into my mind.

"It's my birthday today."

And then mentally slap myself.

"Well, cheers to that," Peeta tilts his glass to mine and I tap my beer bottle against it. "I'm guessing you're waiting for someone?"

"Nope, my date left me."

"Wow, what kind of boyfriend does that?"

I wince, pushing away the flash of pain.

"I don't have a boyfriend," I mutter, the knot in my throat getting bigger, "it was my sister, that left me."

"Again, wow."

"No, no, she had a good reason to leave, I would if I were her."

"Still, it's your birthday, you need to feel special on your birthday."

Peeta moves his hand over the counter to cover both of mine and gives them a light squeeze. The reaction my body is having to just a simple touch shocks me as shivers of lust radiate from my body. At that moment I imagine how he could make me feel special on my birthday. His big hands caressing my body, and smart mouth on mine. But of course, that would never happen.

Or would it? It is my birthday and being with Peeta would no doubt make it special. Plus, I haven't been with anyone since- no, not going there. Fuck. What am I thinking? I can't do this. Or can I? Ah, fuck it.

"Do you find me attractive?" I blurt out, already hating myself for saying it.

Peeta looks at me as if he doesn't believe what just came out of my mouth- and neither do I really-, then lets his eyes roam over my body, taking his time. When he finally meets my gaze, I'm all red and squirming.

"Fuck yes," he replies huskily, with a dark, lustful look in his eyes.

The air thickens between us and all the noise around us zones out, leaving all my senses to focus on Peeta.

"How far is your place?"

…

I tug at the hemline of my dress, trying to find something to do with my hands whilst Peeta drives us to his place in his top rated SUV. My mind is racing, one hundred and one things going through it. What am I doing? What if he's some sort of serial killer? Goddamn it, I shouldn't have done this. What was I thinking? Meeting some random guy at the bar just for a casual pity fuck on my birthday?

I look over at Peeta and all my doubts evaporate. He looks so cool and collected as he weaves through the streets of the city, hands tapping on the steering wheel to the beat of some rock band. This is probably routine for him, all that bullshit about not having any game, he obviously picks women up from the bar all the time. Peeta certainly has the looks for it, I bet dozens of girls have fallen for this trick, and I'm one of them.

"I probably would've gone home with you anyway, you know," I scowl, mostly at myself because I was so stupid to go along with this.

"What do you mean?" He asks, making one final turn on the wheel and stopping at an entrance to an underground parking lot beneath a seventy something story high building.

"You didn't have to make up that shit about having no game, Peeta, if that's even your real name. Because seriously, come on, Peeta, who names their child that?"

"Trust me, Katniss, I don't do this, at all," he chuckles and lowers his window, then smiles at the guard in the security booth, controlling the barrier. "Evening, Leeg, how are things?"

"Slow, as always," Leeg says, clearly unhappy with the statement, as he presses a button and the metal barrier lifts. "You're back late, Peeta, been working hard as always?"

"Not this time," Peeta casts his eyes at me for a fraction of a second then back at Leeg. "I'll see you tomorrow, man."

"Have a good night, Peeta. Ma'am," Leeg looks and me and smiles, making him seem years younger.

Peeta drives into the parking lot and parks right next to an elevator. He turns the engine off and gets out off the car. Before I can gather my things, he's already at my side of the car, opening he passenger door and holding his hand out. I take his hand and he helps me down, then stops me short when I try and walk to the elevator. Turning around, I scowl at him. If he thinks we're about to have some sort of teenage make out session pressed up against his car... I would not stop him.

But all he does is pull out his wallet then his ID and hands it to me.

"My real name is Peeta Mellark. It's weird I know. I guess my parents just loved the bread or really despised me," he chuckles and I hand him back his ID, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Come on."

He places his hand on the small of my back and guides me to the elevator. We don't wait long before it comes, but after Peeta puts in some special code, indicating that he probably lives near the top floor, I know it' going to be a while before we get there. To fill out the time and focus on something over than the electric current coming from Peeta hand, I do the only thing I know how to do when I waiting for something. I pull out my phone, however, I'm greeted by an empty screen, no missed calls, emails, texts, nothing. Just a picture of me and Prim at her college graduation.

I sigh and put the phone bag in my bag. The first damn time I want people to bother me, they don't. It's like some cruel joke the universe is playing on me.

With every floor that we pass, the air gets denser and hotter around us and the low thrumming of sexual tension hits me like a tidal wave. Lifting my eyes from the floor, I meet Peeta's eyes through the reflection of the mirror in front of us.

He can feel it too.

His expression, is twisted in lust and darkness and the blue in his eyes, consumed by the flat, black of his pupils. I let my eyes trail down the length of his glorious body and see that something else looks glorious, straining against his navy suit pants. I avert my eyes away from him, as my cheeks flush with color, both from the heat radiating from my body and the knowledge of how wet my underwear is.

Suddenly, Peeta's body is flush against mine, pressing me against the wall of the elevator. He gently lifts his hand and brushes a lock of my hair behind my ear, then trails his fingers down my cheeks to my lip, where he frees from my teeth. He locks his eyes with mine, blue on gray, before slowly, gently, placing his lips on mine. The kiss is innocent and careful, but my body catches fire.

"I've been wanting to do that since I saw you tonight," he breath, his hot breath hitting my ear and neck.

No matter how hard and deep I breathe, no air goes into my lungs, leaving me light headed.

Before I can gather myself, the doors ding open, revealing what must be Peeta's apartment. It's simply beautifully breathtaking, as if I needed anymore of that after the kiss. Glass walls give me the full view of the city, it's twinkling lights and busy streets, along with the sleek skyscrapers. The kitchen is an open concept -at least that's what I think it is called from all the interior decorating shows Prim likes to watch- with a black and white color scheme and a white marble kitchen island separating it from the vast living room. A large fire place warms up the room along with plenty of fur draped over the cream colored coach. Red an d orange ornaments, vases, and paintings give the room the perfect balance of style but still makes the place... homey. This place is definitively something that would get the stamp of approval from The Capitol.

Peeta, with his hand still on my back, walks me over to his kitchen, then takes my bag and coat from me and places them over the counter top.

"Please, make yourself at home," he smiles before heading over to the high tech, metal fridge that would be any chef's dream and pulls the door open. "There's wine, beer, juice, water, energy drinks, milk, sodas and... sparkling water. Which one do you want?"

"I'll have a beer,"

Yes, alcohol is so what I need right now.

Popping the lit off of two beers, Peeta hands me my beer and I take two big gulps before his even touches his lips. He chuckles but doesn't say anything and shrugs off his suit jacket, then loosens his tie and undoes the first button of his shirt.

My palms begin to sweat and my heart beats twice its normal rhythm. Shit. What do I do now? Do I jump his bones like I want to or do I wait for him to make a move or do I go straight to his bedroom, not that I have a single idea where the fuck it is anyway. For the umpteenth time tonight, I feel frustrated and stupid for not knowing what to do and for going home with some random guy. I should have just gone home to sulk and drink.

No, goddammit. I've come this fucking far, I can't just wimp out now.

I slam down my bottle on the counter, making Peeta jump in surprise, then pull his beer from his hand and put it on the counter alongside mine. I grab him by the tie and crush my lips against his. It takes about a couple of seconds of my lips moving to finally snap Peeta out of his daze. When he does, his mouth begins to match to rhythm of mine. Moving my hand from his sternum, to his neck, I dig my nails into his skin as his warm, wet tongue traces the top of my bottom lip, asking for permission, which I happily give. Our tongues dance in a tantalizing dance, making me even slicker than I was before and hardening the tips of my breasts.

Peeta wraps his arms around my waist, bringing me even closer to him, so close that I can feel his hard length pressing onto my stomach. He then reaches down and cups my ass, lifting my so I can wrap my legs around his waist. Peeta breaks our kiss to walk through the apartment but I continue my trail of kisses down his face and suck on a spot just underneath the edge of his jaw, making him groan in pleasure.

We finally enter Peeta's room and go straight to his queen sized bed that his pressed up against the wall, facing yet another glass window. This room however, is cool and calm with blues, grays and whites on the color palette.

I slide down Peeta's body and land on the silky satin sheets.

Somehow the air has changed around us, still filled with lust and want, but something else has been put into place. Something that for the life of me I can't name.

Leaning down, Peeta kisses me softly, holding my face in both his hands and stroking my cheeks with his thumbs. I reach up and run a hand through his hair, down his face, his neck then to his tie, where I loosen it enough to pull it over his head. Undoing the buttons of his shirt, I keep kissing him, until all the buttons as freed, then I pull away to look at him. Even better than anything I could have imagined. I bite my lip and move my hands over the ridges of his defined stomach to the thin trail off hair that runs down to underneath his pants.

Before I can carry on exploring his body, Peeta reaches around me and finds the zipper of my red dress, pull it down. He gently pulls me up from the bed to push the dress off my shoulders so it pools at my feet, leaving me in just my matching red underwear. I say a quick pray of thanks to the universe for choosing to wear pretty lingerie instead of my normal mismatched, old but comfortable ones.

"Even better than anything I could have imagined," Peeta speaks my thoughts.

He kisses me again, walking me back to his bed until I have no choice but to fall back onto it. Moving his hand behind my back, he effortlessly undoes my bra, and moves his hand above my breast, caressing it with him firm hands. Jesus, fuck, that feels good.

Peeta lowers his head down onto my neck, kisses it gently, the moves lower down my body to my other breast, which he suckles on with the most perfect pressure. In no time I'm squirming and pretty sure I'm dripping with arousal.

"Peeta," I moan as his hand moves down my body, into the hemline of my panties and down to my slit.

He runs a finger through my sex, just barely touching the throbbing bundle of nerves, making me grunt in glorious agony.

"Shit, you're so wet," Peeta says, his voice rough with lust. "I have to- I-"

He doesn't finish his sentence, he just pulls my underwear off in lighting speed and parts my legs just as quick, then moves down my body so that his face is between my legs.

"Holy fuck, you're glistening."

The filthy words coming from his beautiful mouth bring a fresh wave of arousal between my legs.

Peeta says no more before diving into the juncture of my legs, he parts my lips with his thumbs and runs the flat of his tongue over my sex. I jolt off the bed, the sensation overwhelming. He holds me down and continues his torture, in a variation from long licks to small flicks on the precious nerves that drive me crazy. In no time, my orgasm hits me from nowhere, the sensation something bigger and stronger than anything I've ever experienced. However, Peeta doesn't stop, his ever moving mouth on my sex, guiding me through my ecstasy.

I'm panting and sweating by the time my body finally decides to calm the fuck down. Peeta kneels between my legs and I look at him, and start to feel hot all over when I see his lips glistening from my arousal. His smart tongue wipes away at my wetness, then his lips curl into a devilish smile. I feel a strange tug at the edges of my own lips, bringing my fingers to my mouth, I realize that I'm also smiling.

Holy fuck I'm smiling. That's only ever happened around Prim for a while.

Peeta leans down and kisses my forehead, pushing away the sweaty strands on hair.

"You're even more beautiful when you smile, how is that possible?"

I roll my eyes and pull him his head down so my lips meet his, stopping him from making anymore ludicrous comments like that. My hands move down his body to the perfectly tailored waist band of his pants. I undo the small button and hook my thumbs on the inside of his boxer briefs, pushing them down along with his pants. Taking a quick glance between our bodies and bite my lip. Flying mother of god, he's big.

Before I can think too much about what I'm doing, I reach down between us and grab his length. A hiss leaves Peeta's mouth and his head bows so that his forehead touches mine. With new found confidence at my control over this wonderfully built man, I move my hand swiftly over his hardness, squeezing in all the right places. A small amount of pre cum gathers at the tip, so with my thumb, I spread the wetness over it.

"Jesus, fuck, I can't take it anymore," Peeta moans, taking my hand from his length and sucking the same thumb I used to spread his thumb.

He then positions himself above me, so that the tip of his hardness is resting right at my entrance and with one swift push, he's in. At first it's uncomfortable, then it's unbelievable. Peeta fills me completely, living no inch of me undiscovered by him. He pulls out of me and I instinctively grab onto his ass, trying to keep him right where he was, but when he pushes back into me again, my arms go limp.

"Oh, Peeta," I breathe, my eyelids squeezing shut from the pleasure.

"I know, it's-it's so fucking good."

He pulls out again but this time pushes back in harder, and when he does, an even bigger wave of pleasure slams my body. My nails dig into his back, no doubt leaving marks behind. I begin to match Peeta's thrusting, and as I do, I lose control of the noises coming from my mouth. Peeta slides his hand down our slick bodies again and his thumb finds the little bundle. He starts making small circles, somehow managing to accompany the rhythm of his thrusting.

"Fuck!" I curse as the coil inside my body springs free, along with my orgasm, my sex pulsing again.

Peeta doesn't last much longer either, as he pushes into with one last grunt, then empties himself into me, warming me. I can feel his length pulse inside me and it feels so good. This feels so good. Feels right, even.

I think I drank way too much tonight.

"Wow," Peeta chuckles, the kisses my neck. "That was..."

"So fucking good?" I copy his words, then laugh, feeling light and happy.

"Yeah, just that."

He pulls out of me after placing a quick kiss on my lips then gets up and goes into what I'm guessing is his bathroom. I hear water running then being shut off and Peeta comes back into the room, with a small wet towel in his hand. He hands it to me so I can clean myself the takes it back to the bathroom when I'm finished.

"Smiling suits you," he compliments me again.

I'm about to make some witty comment about what he said when Peeta kisses me, making forget how to talk.

"I'm going to get some water, I feel pretty dehydrated after what we just did," he chuckles, then kisses my forehead. "You want some?"

I nod.

He smiles at me, chuckling again then walks off, leaving me with my thoughts, which are pretty much incoherent right now. Bringing the tips of my fingers to my mouth, I touch my swollen lips and smile. Well that some one heck of a fuck. I can't even believe I second guessed coming home with Peeta, since it seems like the best decision I've made in months, maybe years.

And then it happens, the uneasy feeling I get when things are going good. My thoughts clear and my walls come back up just as strong as they had prior Peeta Mellark and wait for the other shoe to drop.

I hear Peeta walk back from his kitchen but this time he's talking on the phone to someone. He walks into his bedroom and I see that he's talking to someone on my phone. What the fuck? Holding out the phone to me, he smiles, however, he is met by my scowl.

What the fuck makes it his business to answer my fucking phone?

I snatch it away from his hand and look at the screen to check caller ID. Fucking great.

"Hey, Prim," I say, sliding off the bed to look for my underwear. I find them and slip them on, with my shoulder holding my phone against my ear. "Prim? You there?"

"You hooked up with someone!?"

"Prim, it's not what you think, let me explain."

"What's there to explain! You hooked up with someone!" she laughs and I stop short, with one of my arms through the sleeve of my dress.

"You're not mad?"

"Of course not! I'm happy for you! This is like you saying that you're ready to move on!"

"Prim-"

"Look, I don't want to bother you anymore, I just called to check on you since you weren't home yet and it's pretty late but it seems like you're more than okay..."

"Prim-"

"Go have fun! You can give me the details later, love you, bye!"

"Prim!" I shout but she's already ended the call.

Rolling my eyes, I carry on putting my clothes on.

"Is everything okay?" Peeta asks, getting dressed too.

"Yeah."

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah," I walk out of his bedroom and go with my gut, turning left down the hallway, hoping that it's the way out.

"You don't have to," he says quietly, following me as I look for my shoes.

I find them dropped near the counter top, and slip them on.

"When can I see you again?"

"I don't know, I'm pretty busy with work lately," I reply nonchalantly, pulling on my coat and throwing my bag over my shoulder.

I try to walk over to the elevator but Peeta grabs my hand and twirls me so that I'm facing him. He grabs my face and kisses me hard. His tongue invading my mouth and sending shivers from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes. When he finally lets go of me, I feel as if my bones have turned to mush.

He places his hand on the small of my back and walks with me to the elevator, he pushes some buttons and in no time the metal doors slide open. I step inside.

"See you around, Katniss...?"

"Everdeen."

As the doors slide closed, I carve Peeta's image into my head; his toned body, the way his pants hang low on his hips, showcasing the delicious 'v' of his abs, his sculpted face, the light blonde of his hair and his eyes. The bluest of blue.

"Bye Peeta," I mumble as the elevator starts its trajectory down the building, feeling a strange sense of loss.