There was a note delivered to the bakery that afternoon, along with lunch from the Mill. Peeta opened it, his cheeks flushing as he scanned the words written on the small card. Tucking it back into the envelope, he slid it into his pocket before tucking into the extra large oyster po'boy sandwich and asparagus spears wrapped in bacon.
After lunch, he casually walked to the coat rack, slipping on his coat, glancing over at Lavinia. "I have some errands to run; do you think you can handle things here tonight?"
Lavinia grinned widely. "You betcha, boss." She gave him an exaggerated wink. "You tell Katniss I said hello."
Peeta flushed and nodded, pulling his keys out of his pocket and hurrying out the door to his Sequoia. After he'd slid into the driver's seat, he pulled the card out and stared at it, his blood heating, desire licking slowly along his veins. Shifting the big truck into gear, he set the card down on the seat next to him and backed out of his spot, giving it a bit more gas than necessary as he pulled out of the lot.
They'd been building towards this for weeks now, ever since he'd pulled out the blindfold and taken her up against the wall. Building trust, learning what made the other tick. As much as they knew each other, there was still so much to discover. They'd been experimenting more, which thrilled him to no fucking end. For as much as he liked being the dominant force in the bedroom, part of him wanted to just surrender to her, to let her take control and run with it.
He glanced down at the card again, his dick already at half mast. Her handwriting was small, and cramped and nowhere near anything but perfunctory but the words she'd written were anything but. Come home after you eat lunch, I have plans and they all involve you being naked, hard, and at my mercy.
Dammit, why did there have to be so much traffic? Didn't these people know that he had somewhere to be? He pressed a little harder on the accelerator, swerving sharply into the other lane to swing around the pricey Mercedes and the blue haired matron behind the wheel. She honked as he cut her off, but he didn't care, flooring it to make it through the last light between him and the house.
Two lefts and a quick right and he finally pulled into the driveway, turning off the truck and sprinting up the drive to the house. His hand shook so badly that it took him three tries to get the key in the lock. Cursing under his breath, he finally slid it home, hearing the tumblers click as he turned the knob. "Katniss, I'm home!" He called as he stepped over the threshold, turning to close the door behind him and locking it.
He turned around and stopped dead in his tracks. Katniss was leaning against the doorframe, wearing the tiniest fucking scraps of lace and silk that could ever be called clothing. "Oh fuck," he breathed as he drank her in, starting at the top of her head and her hair loose around her shoulders, down her torso and the tiny demi cups of orange silk that hugged her breasts and thrust them up, her nipples pressing tightly against the thin material. His mouth hung open as his gaze slid lower, lingering on the miniscule triangle of sheer orange lace covering her pussy. Thigh high black stockings with a thick band of lace at the top and stiletto heels with studs in the heel completed her outfit. The scars she'd gotten in Africa were visible, but he hardly noticed them now, they were a part of her, a piece of the whole, the same way as his scar and his slight limp.
She smirked at him and lifted her brow. "Did you enjoy your lunch?"
Peeta swallowed hard, nodding. Katniss pushed up off the wall, slinking towards him. She lifted her hand, trailing her index finger down his chest slowly. "The menu was designed to enhance your," her eyes met his as she dragged it lower, over the obvious bulge in his khaki pants, "stamina."
He was in trouble, serious, serious trouble if the look in her eyes was any indication of how this was going to go down. "Did," he squeaked. Clearing his throat, he tried again, his voice gone thick with desire. "Did you have an enhanced lunch?"
She gave him a wicked grin, laced with promise. "Yes, almonds and figs with honey." Her hand moved to cup his cock, squeezing gently. "The chocolate is upstairs; I wanted to wait for you to share it with."
His eyes flicked to the stairs and then back to her face, his hips pushing forward into her hand. "Mmm," he breathed, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.
"There are rules this time, Mellark," she said firmly, her fingers curled around his cock. She gave him just enough of a squeeze that all of the blood rushed from his head, straight to the appendage currently in her hand. "You like rules, don't you?"
He nodded mutely, heart thundering madly. He was so hard right now it felt like he could blow his load at any second, something he was certain wouldn't make her exceptionally happy or him for that matter.
"Good," she continued. "Rule number one, the safe word is pearl. Any time you feel uncomfortable or want to stop, just say that word and it's over, done with, okay?"
Another nod and a shifting of his hips, breath coming in deep pants. She grinned at him and teased her nails against the hard ridge pressing against his pants. "Rule number two, I'm in charge. What I say goes and you do everything I ask." She walked a slow half circle around him, trailing her hand up over his waistband and along the line of his hip. "Rule number three, you answer everything honestly but only when I give you permission to speak. If you wish to ask me something, you must beg your mistress for permission. Do you understand?"
"Yes," he said raggedly, exhaling heavily through his nose.
Katniss swatted his ass just hard enough to sting. "I didn't give you permission to speak."
He swallowed hard again, hips jerking involuntarily, eyelids fluttering closed briefly as pleasure arced hotly.
Katniss rubbed her hand over his ass, squeezing lightly. He inhaled raggedly, pulse thumping hard as she leaned closer, nipples grazing against his back. "Go upstairs, Peeta. Wait for me by the bed. Don't get undressed, or touch anything, just stand there." She punctuated the end of her sentence with another swat on his ass, making him jump.
Peeta walked slowly towards the stairs, setting one foot in front of the other. He turned his head to glance back at her over his shoulder and got another swat for his effort. "I told you to go upstairs Peeta, not to look at me." Her voice was firm and hard and it made his cock twitch in his pants.
Turning his face back forward, he finished walking up the stairs and down the hallway to their bedroom, eyes widening as he took in the changes she'd made. Sturdy hooks were in the walls and two long, fabric covered ropes hung from them, stretching the width of the room. An assortment of toys was laid out on the small table next to the window. He saw a small, flat paddle, a long, thin feather and a few other things he had no clue about.
"Eyes to the wall, Peeta," Katniss said as she walked into the room. He jerked his gaze to the wall in front of him, flexing his fingers. He could see her in his peripheral vision, strutting across the carpet in those fuck me heels and he damn near lost it. He was so fucking hard, all it would take a stiff breeze and he'd be coming.
She crawled onto the bed, lying back against the big mound of fluffy pillows, settling with her legs tucked sideways, watching him stand at the end of the bed. "Strip for me, lover."
His startled gaze shot to her face and she inclined her head, winking at him. Lifting shaking hands, he pulled his shirt free from his pants, tugging it up over his head.
"Slower Peeta, I want to enjoy the show."
His hands hesitated on the waistband of his khaki's, mind whirling. He was no good with smooth moves, he looked like an ass whenever he tried to dance, or do anything sexy. Talk, he could do. Fuck, he could dirty talk a nun out of her habit, but this? Way out of his comfort zone.
"You can do it, Peeta, show me your moves," Katniss said softly, teasing her nails against the soft silk of one of the pillows. He swallowed hard and nodded, rolling his shoulders to try to loosen up. He canted his hips from side to side, feeling incredibly ridiculous, but she smiled widely, encouraging him. His hands fumbled at the button at his waistband, finally getting it through the hole, and then sliding the zipper down, thrusting his hips forward, doing a pretty fair representation of the white boy shuffle. He moved his feet from side to side, pushing his hips forwards and backwards while trying to shove his pants down his hips. They slid to the floor and tangled in his feet and he stumbled, arms windmilling as he tried to stay upright. He lost the battle and fell flat on his ass on the floor in a tangle of khaki and embarrassment.
"Peeta!" Katniss leaned forward until she could see him on the floor, her lips twitching as she fought back laughter. "Are you okay? I give you permission to answer."
"I'm fine," he groaned, cheeks flushed a bright red. He leaned forward and unfastened the laces on his shoes, kicking them off before pulling off his socks, tossing them after his shoes. When his feet were bare, he shoved his pants the rest of the way off, pushing up off the floor and standing at the end of the bed once more.
Katniss rolled to her knees, reaching out to cup his chin, forcing him to look at her. "I wasn't trying to embarrass you, you know that, right?"
He nodded sharply, his humiliated flush still riding his cheeks hard.
She rubbed her thumb along the line of his jaw. "I just wanted you to slow down so I can look my fill." Her other hand slid along the curve of his shoulder, along the line of his delineated bicep. "You're so strong, and defined," she said softly. "And it makes me so fucking wet when you lift those bags of flour like they weigh nothing, your arms flexing. I just want to drag you off into the corner and fuck you blind."
His eyes met hers and tension coiled between them hot and heady. A sly grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "Permission to speak, Mistress?"
Katniss licked her lips and nodded. Peeta let his gaze wander down her body, lingering on the swell of her breasts. "Since you got back, I think about being with you all the time, so much so that I have to go into the bathroom and jerk off just to make it through the day. I wake up hard, I go to bed hard." His gaze lifted back up and locked with hers, his voice a low, rough growl. "I dream about fucking you, so many ways."
Katniss made a sound like a strangled squeak and his grin turned feral. He could smell her arousal and it was driving him mad. "I want to taste you, Katniss, run my tongue over your pussy and drink you in until I'm drunk on you."
Katniss swayed towards him and his arms lifted automatically to grasp her upper arms, dragging her closer. Their lips were a hairsbreadth apart when she jerked back, shaking her head. "Sneaky, but you're not allowed to do that yet," she said, climbing off the bed. Her gaze flicked down to his boxer briefs and the tip of his cock pushing up out of them. "Get rid of the rest of your clothes and stand over in the middle of the room, in between the restraints."
Katniss walked over to the middle of the room and picked up one of the long ropes, running it lightly over her hand. Peeta shucked off his underwear and padded over to where she stood. Lifting his hand, she wrapped the fabric covered rope around his wrist, not even remotely tight, but enough so that he knew it was there. Walking behind him, she did the same with his other wrist. "Flex, I want to make sure the knot will hold."
Peeta tugged lightly on the ropes, flexing his arms. They snugged a bit more firmly against his skin, but if he truly wanted to, he could slip out of them easily. Her fingers trailed over the curve of his ass and he jumped. "I love this ass," she purred, leaning in closer to him, pressing her front against his back, her hand cupping his cheeks and squeezing them. "It's so tight. I love looking at it and knowing that when you come home from work, I can dig my nails into it as you pound into me, making me breathless with want."
Her hands slid up over his ribs and around to his chest, over his nipples, fingers teasing them to aching tautness. "This heart," she whispered against his neck, "that loves so fiercely, it humbles me."
Her hands slid up to his shoulders and down his arms. "These arms, so strong they could break me instead offer me shelter from my fears." Her hands moved to his bound hands, threading their fingers together. "These hands, so caring and gentle when they touch my body, bringing me to the edge of ecstasy."
She moved under the restraints until she was facing him, her finger sliding over his lips. "These lips, that kiss me senseless, and remind me that I'm worthy of love with caring words and unending support."
Katniss traced lightly over his brow. "Your eyes, so perfectly blue, that see the world's beauty. Every time I look into them, I know, without a doubt, that you love me."
She stepped closer, fitting her body to his. "I love you, Peeta Mellark. You are the sun to my moon, the day to my night, the beginning to my end."
Peeta pulled on the restraints, wanting nothing more than to fold her into his arms and carry her to the bed. "Katniss-"
She shook her head, laying her finger across his lips. "No talking, not yet." Stepping back, she moved out of his line of sight and he turned his head, watching her as she walked over to the table. "Tonight is about you. Eyes forward. You have permission to answer the questions I'm asking you."
He could hear her but did as she asked, focusing his eyes straight ahead. The anticipation of what she was going to do, or what she had taken from the table was making his blood run at a fever pitch. Goosebumps erupted on his skin and he flexed against the restraints, rising up on his toes and back down.
The smack, when it came, made him lift onto his toes again, ass stinging. "Fuck," he hissed through clenched teeth. Her nails skimmed along the line of his spine and his skin rippled as shivers danced in their wake.
Another swat landed on his ass and he grunted, cock twitching. Pleasure pain arced through him. Her breath was hot in his ear. "Do you like that?"
"No," he grunted, ass cheeks stinging. It made him uncomfortable that it felt good, like he was dirty for liking it.
She swatted him again. "Do you like it? I give you permission to like it." Her voice was accompanied by another stinging swat that had his cock twitching hard against his stomach. His eyes fluttered closed and he inhaled sharply as a hot wave of need licked through him.
"No," he groaned raggedly, fists clenching against the ropes that anchored him.
"Yes," she said, letting the word draw out slowly, her tongue curling around his ear lobe before she sucked it into her mouth, biting down on the soft skin.
"Nggghhh, Katniss." He groaned her name, the ess enunciating on a low, sibilant hiss, knees threatening to buckle when the paddle landed on his ass cheek again. His balls were so tight and heavy, the need building at the base of his spine, coiling up until he couldn't hold it in any longer, coming with hot spurts against his stomach and the floor. Her hand curved around his cock, stroking him, milking every last drop until his head hung between his shoulders limply.
She pressed a gentle kiss to his shoulder, resting her cheek against his back. He felt her hands slide up his rib cage, holding him in a loose hug as he fought to catch his breath. They stood there for long moments; the only sound his heavy, deep breaths and her soft nonsense words as she plied his skin with gentle, nipping kisses. Her nails scratched lightly over his chest, tangling in the damp curls.
Ducking under his arms, she licked a trail along his jaw up to his ear, kissing the soft skin behind the lobe. A jolt of heat slammed through him and he jerked against the restraints. Her eyes were wicked as they held his, her hands already moving to unfasten the ropes from around his wrists. "Recovered?" she asked softly, tongue swiping across the plump curve of her lower lip. She reached over to the table for a cloth before coming to stand in front of him once more.
Peeta nodded, his body already reviving. Katniss trailed her index finger down his chest, teasing along the hairs that arrowed down to his hips. "Good," she purred softly. "Because I'm not nearly done with you yet." She handed him the soft cloth and he wiped his chest and stomach with it before tossing it back over towards the table.
His cock twitched as she brushed by him, her hand trailing down his arm to tangle their fingers together, leading him to the bed. She stopped just beside it, turning around to face him. "Undress me," she said, their gazes locking. "Slowly. Show me how much you want this."
Peeta swallowed hard, his hands already rising to cup her breasts, thumbs flicking over the hard bumps of her nipples beneath the orange satin. Her head fell back and she licked her lips, a soft moan coming from her throat. Palming her breasts, he pulled the material down, exposing them to the air. Bending forward, he licked one turgid nipple, blowing on it as his fingers plucked the other one.
The sound she made spurred him on, teeth closing around the hard nub, biting softly. Her fingers wove through his hair, blunt nails scratching against his scalp as he laved her tender skin, leaning back to blow on it every so often, watching it harden further each time. She was so wanton, so lusciously sexy with her head thrown back, throat extended, her body undulating under his touch. He kissed his way to the other nipple, sucking it into the dense heat of his mouth, flicking his tongue against the hard nubbin, hands splayed wide across her back, supporting her as the pleasure spiked.
"The way you touch me," she panted, tilting her head down to stare at him, eyes heavy lidded with desire, "it makes my skin feel electric, every pulse hitting deep inside of me until I can't think, I can't breathe…" her voice got huskier. "I can only feel."
He groaned against her, fingers moving over the tiny clasp that held the bra on, unfastening it and drawing it down her arms, tossing it behind him. He released her nipple and blazed a trail down her stomach, lingering on the jut of her hip, the crease where her thigh met her pelvis, the soft satin triangle damp with her need. Peeta slid his hands around, cupping her ass, drawing her closer as he sank to his knees, burying his face against the apex of her thighs. The thin silk of the panties was hardly a barrier and he licked her folds through it, flicking his tongue against her clit.
Her nails were back on his scalp, fingers tugging at the thick curls when his thumbs hooked into the delicate lines of material and began drawing them down her hips. The tangy musky scent of her hit him and his cock twitched against his stomach, aching to be buried deep within that wet, searing heat. She leaned her hands on his shoulders as she stepped out of the panties, flexing her fingers against his shoulders. "What do you want, Peeta?"
Her voice was thick with desperate need. His hands clenched on her ass, drawing her closer, his mouth brushing the hood of her clit as he spoke. "I want to taste you, feel you come on my tongue. Will that please you mistress?"
He could feel her eyes on him, her fingers flexing on his shoulders, hips swaying towards his face with every breath she took. "Yes," she said breathily. "I want to feel your mouth on my pussy, making me scream."
His lips curved wickedly and he bent eagerly towards his task, the flat of his tongue sliding through the slick folds, worrying her clit with his lips. His hands moved around to the front of her thighs, pushing them slightly apart, thumbs parting her so he could see the wet, red center of her. Groaning, he buried his tongue deep within her slick passage, drinking her in.
A high, keening cry escaped her lips as he slid a finger into her snug channel, stroking upwards in time with his tongue playing against her clit. Feeling her fall apart beneath his tongue was one of his favorite ways to spend time. It'd gotten to the point that he liked to see how many times he could make her come before she collapsed bonelessly against him. That was one. He slipped another finger into her pussy, pumping hard, the heel of his hand bumping against her clit on every stroke, his breath skating across the delicate skin.
Her nails dug into his shoulders and he grunted as she wound her fingers around his curls and tugged, another orgasm rippling through her, the walls of her pussy clamping down on his fingers as he worked her through it.
Palming her thigh, he lifted her leg over his shoulder, shifting her so that she fell back onto the bed, her legs splayed wide. He grinned up at her over the plane of her body, licking his lips to savor every drop of the slick arousal that coated his face. "Permission to speak, Mistress?"
She lifted her head, staring down at him with dilated eyes, her cheeks flushed and sweat dampening her hairline. "Granted," she said hoarsely.
"How many times do you want to come?" His words sent a shiver dancing through her and he watched as goose bumps erupted on her skin, pebbling down to where he stroked her thigh.
"Endlessly," she breathed, her head falling back onto the bed, hips rising to his face.
Peeta grinned against the slick skin, tongue darting out to flick against her clit, three fingers buried deep within her, stroking fast and hard. His cock was hard against his stomach again as she came with another keening shriek, her hand fisted in the sheets.
He slowed his ministrations, using just his fingers to stroke her as she writhed on the bed, his hand on her thigh the only thing keeping her legs from locking around his head. When the wave subsided, she leaned up on her elbows and stared at him, a languid grin on her face. "Lay back, on the bed."
He crawled up onto the big bed, settling back against the pillows, watching with hungry eyes as she rolled onto her side and then up into a sitting position. Sliding her legs over the side, she bent down and pulled off the heels, tossing them towards the closet. "Mistress," he called softly, watching her pad over to the small table. "May I speak?"
Katniss turned to glance at him over her shoulder, her hair tumbling down in messy waves, almost hiding her face. "No, you may not," she said softly, easing the words with a smile. She turned back around and came towards the bed, a long, droopy feather in her hand. "I'm going to punish you with pleasure, Peeta, just like you did to me with your mouth." She crawled onto the bed, kneeling at the foot of it. Setting the feather down, she licked her lips as she let her gaze travel the length of his body.
Peeta's balls tightened and his cock twitched as her eyes ran over him. He fisted his hands in the bedcovers as she crawled up the bed towards him, reaching for the feather. When her mouth was hovering over his cock, she reached up and teased the feather over his chest, running it gently over his nipples. Her breath was sizzling and he shifted, thrusting his hips up in silent invitation.
Katniss looked up at him through lowered lashes, a wicked grin dancing on her lips. "You want me to suck your cock, don't you Peeta?"
He nodded rapidly, eyes fluttering closed as her tongue darted out, swirling around the head. The feather brushed over his skin again, barely there but enough to leave him squirming against the bed. His back arched and he nearly lost it when she opened her mouth, engulfing his cock in hot, wet heat, her tongue swirling around the shaft. Her hand cupped his balls, rolling them against her palm, squeezing gently as she sucked and licked him.
"Katniss," he gasped as she abandoned the feather and curled her hand around him, stroking over the parts she couldn't fit in her mouth, her cheeks hollowing as she sucked him, head bobbing up and down in a quick rhythm that had him writhing on the sheets, hands fisted in the covers.
She began to hum and he groaned, hips thrusting gently against her face. "Please," he begged, "want to finish inside of you."
With one last lick, she lifted her head and crawled up his body, his hands sliding over her hips, steadying her as she reached beneath her and slid down onto him, squatting down over his body. His hands moved to her ass, lifting her up and down as he pumped his hips.
The wet sound of skin slapping skin filled the room, punctuated with his deep moans and her soft pants as they raced towards completion. Her pussy clenched him tightly and he felt the tightness gathering in his balls, rolling up his spine. When the first hard contractions of her orgasm rippled through her sheath, he groaned her name, hands digging into her hips as he spilled deep within her.
Katniss collapsed against his chest, shuddering every so often as another aftershock surged through her. Peeta brushed her sweaty hair to the side and kissed her temple. "I love you."
She lifted her head, grinning down at him. "I love you too, now let's eat that chocolate."