Major thanks to soamazinghere for beta'ing this MULTIPLE times and for putting up with all the emails I sent you! Thank you for all your hard work, this story would've been a mess without you. Thank you, baronesskika, for pre-reading and catching my errors!

I def don't own THG, y'all.

I won't be denied by you,

The animal inside of you.

Oh oh, I want some more,

Oh oh, What are you waiting for?

Take a bite of my heart tonight.

(Animal by Neon Trees)

I blink my eyes rapidly as I feel myself spacing out. Again. I have to focus.

Desperately needing sunlight, I came to the beach today so that I could get some reading done while sitting in the sand, instead of hunched over my desk like I've been doing all weekend. But instead of calming me, the ocean is proving to be a distraction; the only things I can concentrate on are the inviting sound of the waves breaking and imagining the feel of the water on my skin. Maybe if I just went in for a few minutes…

No. I need to focus. I take a deep breath as I rearrange myself on my towel, making myself as comfortable as I can, given that I'm lying on my stomach on sand. I prop my book up so that it's the only thing in my line of sight as I rededicate myself to my reading.

"For example, the discussion of the wet tropics describes lianas, strangler figs, adaptations of epiphytes, including CAM photosynthesis, and rainforest parasites (Rafflesia.)…"

I groan, dropping my book onto the sand in front of me and burying my head in its pages. I give up. I quickly close my book and whip off my shirt, knowing that I'll never be able to concentrate until I've spent some time in the water. Normally the beach would be crowded and full on a Sunday, but it's February, so the only people here are surfers and a couple of random picnickers. And now that I've resolved to just get in the damn ocean, I feel almost giddy as I put my bag under my towel and slide my shorts down my legs. My bag will likely remain untouched, but just to be safe, I'll make sure to keep a close eye on it.

I practically skip to the water, but the second my feet get wet, my body tenses as I remember that it is, in fact, February. Suddenly I'm very aware of the grey skies and slight wind, but as I look out to the horizon, I will myself not to care about the cold. I slowly breathe in and out as I try to calm my mind. Now that I'm in my senior year of college and enrolled in the most advanced classes my biology major requires, I often find myself overwhelmed and overworked. Moments like these, where I can completely relax, are rare.

Although I vaguely register that there are surfers in front of me, I'm not paying attention to them; instead I stare at the swells of the waves as I slowly inch my body into the water. Every so often I look back at my things to make sure no one has touched them, but I know I'm just being paranoid. I relax more and more as I grow acclimated to the temperature, and soon the water is up to the middle of my thighs.

A particularly large wave crashes, and I jump back and giggle slightly as I feel the water spray on my torso. When I look to my stomach I see goosebumps on every inch of my skin. I wrap my arms around myself as I look up, and I notice a lone surfboard floating towards me. I look around, puzzled, until I see a surfer swimming towards me to retrieve it. I grab the board and wade out to meet him partway.

When I'm close enough to see his face, the first thing I notice are his intensely blue eyes. The man cracks a smile as he combs his fingers through his blond locks. "Thanks," he says. "I hate having to chase my board back to the sand."

I find myself blushing for no good reason at all… other than the fact that an insanely handsome man in a wet, skintight bodysuit is smiling at me. I nod shyly as I hand the board over to him.

He takes the board and paddles away from me, and I can't help but watch him as he swims back towards his friends. His shoulders are broad and strong, and I give a little shiver that has nothing to do with the cold as I watch his arms propel him forward. I shake my head and try to clear my mind of the slightly impure thoughts I was having about the random stranger.

I notice that I've drifted a bit from my vantage point where I could easily see my bag, so I begin to make my way back to my original position. I don't know how long I'm standing there, feeling the waves crash into my stomach and thinking about my botany exam this week, when I feel a gentle nudging against my leg. I look down and see a familiar surfboard. I raise my head, and sure enough, I find the same surfer just a few feet away from me, water lapping at his thighs. It takes all my willpower not to look down at the bulge between his legs. "Thanks, again," he says as I gently glide his board across the water to him.

I desperately want to say something witty to make him laugh, but all I can think to say is, "You must need a lot of practice."

Fuck. Seriously? All I wanted to do is be witty; instead I'm insulting him. He looks taken aback, but before I can begin apologizing, he bursts out laughing.

"I'm sorry. That was rude," I mutter as I look anywhere but at him.

"I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you! That was just really funny and really true," he chuckles. "Usually I attach the strap on the board to my ankle, but I broke it last week, so the board keeps going everywhere."

"Oh, well…" I trail off, unsure of what to say next.

He grins at me and I feel my thighs clench just a little. What's wrong with me? He looks like he's on the verge of saying something, but before he can, his friends begin to shout at him to come back. "Well, I better get back out there," he says, with what sounds like a tinge of regret, before he swims back to the small group waiting for him.

I nod my head and turn to swim away from him. Truthfully, part of me wanted him to stay, just so I could look at him some more, but it's probably best that he's gone. I've got reading to finish today; I really don't need any distractions, especially not muscular ones in skintight wetsuits. As I wander away from where I spoke to the blond surfer, I try to erase the effect he had on me from my memory. I shake my head a little to clear the thoughts of the surfer out of my head and attempt to enjoy the rest of my time in the ocean.

Even as I swim and try to clear my head, I glance back at the surfers more times than I care to admit. I feel relieved a little while later when I see the blond surfer come out of the water and shout goodbye to his friends, even though I can't help but watch him walk away out of the corner of my eye. But just as I'm admiring the wet spandex across his ass, I realize he's right next to my towel. My eyes narrow when I see him bend down, seemingly to look at my book, but I can't take any chances. Ignoring the swoop in my stomach at the sight of him, I shout out, "Hey, what are you doing?" as I hurry out of the water.

Obviously startled, he jumps up and turns, blushing when he sees me. "Sor - Sorry," he stutters out. "I was just looking at your book. I wasn't, um, trying to take anything."

I purse my lips. It doesn't seem like he was trying to steal anything, but who knows, maybe he's a secret klepto. "What, you were looking for some light reading and thought Plant Biology would be a good book?"

If possible, he grows even redder. It might be cute in a different context, but right now I just want to figure out what he was doing. "Look, I'm sorry, I was just looking. I'm just going to go now…" he trails off. He hesitates, as if waiting for me to say something else, but I just stare at him. He's adorable, but I can't let that sway me. What if he really was trying to steal my shit? There's nothing valuable in my purse, but that textbook cost almost $200. When it's clear I'm not going to say anything else, he gives me a sheepish smile and walks away.

As soon as he turns away I find myself releasing a deep breath that I didn't even know I was holding. I don't look towards his retreating figure; instead I flop down on my towel and try to finally get some reading done.

When I finish my assigned chapter and the sun has warmed my skin, I decide it's probably time for me to leave. As I reach my car, I consider going home…but my one of my favorite restaurants, The Hob, is just down the street. Between my busy work and school schedules I almost never make the drive out to the beach, which means that it's been almost a year since my last trip there. Unable to resist some of my favorite food, I decide to get an early dinner before jumping on the freeway and going back to my apartment. Grinning, I throw my book and towel in the backseat of my car, and quickly slip on my shorts and shirt.

The walk to The Hob is short, and I happily take a seat at the counter near the entrance, already knowing what I'm going to order. I remember my friend Madge telling me that she could never go out to eat by herself, that she would feel too self-conscious, but I revel in the opportunity to spend time alone. As I take a sip of my chai latte and wait for my food to come out, I look up and my eyes widen when I see the blond surfer from earlier in the doorway, not ten feet away from me. He's changed into a t-shirt and shorts, and his hair is still a little wet, but he still looks absolutely gorgeous. What are the odds of us deciding to eat at the same restaurant? I start having second thoughts about staying as I find myself shrinking in my seat, hoping he doesn't see me. But the moment I dare to wish that he won't notice me, he turns and we make eye contact.

I can't help it. I'm blushing, but I can't find it in myself to look away. I can see that he's blushing too, and before I can think better of it, I find myself licking my lips. From across the room, I can see his eyebrow quirk, and I immediately curse myself for my body's involuntary reaction to his presence. The spell is broken when the hostess asks him how many are in his party, and my heart races as she leads him to a spot next to me at the counter. He sits down and I offer him a tentative smile.

"I didn't know you'd be here," he blurts out. My brow furrows. "I mean, not that I mind that you're here! Not - Not that I'm in a position to mind! I just, I wanted to let you know I didn't follow you here or anything," he finishes lamely.

I know I'm making some kind of face as I try and make sense of his babbling. "No, I didn't think that at all," I say quietly.

He lets out a relieved sigh, and it seems so endearing that I jokingly add, "Now I do."

The surfer looks mortified, but when he sees my grin he laughs and I find myself joining him.

"I promise I'm not usually this big of a dork," he says. "I'm Peeta."

"Katniss," I reply as I reach out and shake his hand. Before anything else can be said, the waitress brings me my food.

"Here you go, dear. Half a roast beef sandwich and a cup of lentil soup."

Peeta's eyes widen as he sees my dinner. "Wow, that looks really good. Can I order the same?" he asks.

"Of course! Be out in a minute," the waitress answers.

Peeta stares at me for a moment as I take a bite of my sandwich. "So, Katniss, do you like to surf?" he asks.

My mouth is full of roast beef, so I put my finger up and signal to him to wait while I attempt to chew faster. "It's okay," he laughs. "Take your time."

I swallow and take a sip of water before replying. "No. I don't know how."

Peeta looks surprised. "Well, maybe we could fix that?" he suggests with a faint trace of a smile.

"Maybe," I reply as I hide my smile in my sandwich.

An hour and a half later, Peeta walks me to my car. "I'm telling you, this lady is a nut!" he exclaims, arms gesturing wildly as he describes his mentor, Effie. I'm laughing so hard at his story that I'm almost snorting. "She told the director of my program that I'm like a piece of coal," he laughs out before imitating her high-pitched voice. "And if you put enough pressure on coal, it turns into a pearl!"

"Seriously? Why is she your mentor in the first place?" I ask between laughs.

Peeta rolls his eyes. "She was my RA during freshman year and she was like a mother hen to all her residents. She's crazy, but she has a pretty high level job at a really great art gallery, so her connections can really help me out."

"You're an artist? I thought you said you were studying business."

"Yeah," he responds, looking bashful. "I am studying business, but I'm minoring in art. My mom would kill me if I majored in art."

I feel a tiny bit sorry for him that his mom has such a say in his major, but I keep that to myself. Instead, I tell him, "Well, at least you're able to study art, even if you don't get to major in it."

Peeta smiles. "I do love art, but I want to take over my parent's bakery some day and business is what will best serve me. As long as I still get to paint as much as I want, I'm happy."

I smile back, and when I see my car at the end of the block, I feel sad that my time with Peeta has come to an end. "Well, that's me down there," I point out.

"I'm parked a couple streets over," he says as we come to a stop. "Thanks for eating with me, Katniss."

"Thanks for not stealing my biology book."

Peeta rolls his eyes. "I wasn't going to steal it! Honestly, what would I have done with a plant book?"

I just keep smiling in response, and when his eyes meet mine, I find myself feeling grateful that his surfboard floated over to me earlier today. "It was fun hanging out with you," I say, looking up at him through my lashes, unsure of what to say or do next, but knowing that I don't want to say goodbye.

Maybe he feels the same, because after a brief pause, he asks me, "What are you doing tomorrow?"

I think for a moment before responding. "I have class all afternoon," I say, making a face.

"How about I teach you to surf in the morning?"

I'm in the water with Peeta, getting my ass kicked by the waves. It's been almost two weeks since we met, and since then we've spent several mornings together riding the waves and occasionally getting breakfast afterwards. As much as I hate waking up early, the prospect of seeing Peeta in his wetsuit is a pretty good incentive to put my bathing suit on and head to the beach. While I haven't been very successful so far at learning to surf, this morning has easily been my best yet. I was almost able to stand on the board before a monster wave came up behind me and I went head first into the water.

My head breaks surface and I huff in frustration.

"You were so close, Katniss!" Peeta shouts, excited by my progress. "That was amazing."

"It doesn't feel amazing," I cough, trying to get the water out of my lungs. Honestly, this fucking sucks. Since I don't have a wetsuit, I'm wearing spandex workout leggings and a bikini top, and I'm freezing. Not to mention all the salt water I've inhaled and the small chunks of seaweed in my hair. "Seriously, Peeta, how do you do this every day?"

"Well, I don't land head first in the water every day," Peeta jokes and I splash him in response. "Just trust me, once you catch your first wave, that'll be it. You'll be hooked."

"Sure," I mutter as I look around me to see if anyone saw me fall. Most of the surfers who were here earlier left, likely to go to work, which means that Peeta and I are practically alone now. "I'm just frustrated."

Peeta swims closer to me and runs his hand down my arm. His touch makes me shiver, but I try to play it off like I'm just cold. "It's chilly out here - are you sure you're okay?" he asks as he quickly runs his hands up and down my arms to warm me up.

"Y - yeah, I'm sure," I stutter out as I look into his eyes. They're bright and blue, but I swear I see them darken a little when I lick my lips. All I can taste is salt… and suddenly I'm wondering what he tastes like. As much as I've tried to fight it, I can't deny that I'm insanely attracted to Peeta.

"Do you think you're up for another try?" he asks, interrupting my thoughts.

The moment is over. I sigh as I feel the waves roll around us. "Maybe I'll just watch you for a bit? My arms are a little sore," I admit.

"Sure," he responds easily. He gives my arm a quick squeeze before he begins to swim away from me.

I shiver again as I watch his arms slice through the water. While I've enjoyed getting to know Peeta over the last couple of weeks and I've enjoyed the friendship we've struck up, as I watch him swim away friendship is the last thing on my mind. Neither of us has made a move, but sexual tension just seems to build and build with every surfing lesson he gives me. I've caught him staring at my breasts for just a moment too long a couple of times already, and it seems like he's always making an effort to touch me or be close to me. Not that I've been innocent either; I'll readily admit to leaning into his touch or watching his arms flex as he handles his board.

I lick my lips, swollen with salt, and watch him as he looks for the perfect spot to wait. He looks so at ease, so in his element as he patiently waits for the perfect wave to come. I swim under a particularly large swell that comes my way and when I surface, I see Peeta on his board, curving expertly through the water. But suddenly, his board seems to skip a beat and I watch him get propelled into the water. This happens all the time to surfers, but as the seconds tick by and I don't see Peeta, I start to get worried.

"Peeta!" I shout out as I make a mad dash out to where he fell. I manage to grab onto his board as it glides past me, but I'm desperate to see Peeta break the surface.

After what feels like an eternity, his head pops out of the water and he coughs. "Peeta!"

He rapidly blinks water out of his eyes. "Katniss?"

Relieved to see him in one piece, I launch myself at him, my arms and legs easily wrapping around him in a tight embrace. "Katniss, I'm okay, this happens all the time," he replies easily as one arm wraps tightly around my torso while the other reaches out to hold onto his board, using it to help keep us afloat as he lightly treads water. "It was a big swell and it tossed me around a little bit, but I wasn't in any real danger."

Suddenly, I'm embarrassed. It's not like that was a particularly brutal wave, I just freaked out like a little girl for no reason. "Sorry," I mutter as I move to break away from him.

"Don't be," he says huskily as his arm tightens its grip around me. "Thanks for looking out for me."

Our noses almost touch as I look up into his eyes, which are hooded and darkened. I'm not sure if we're going to kiss or not, but when I feel his hand slip under the band of my bikini top to touch my bare back, that settles it.

Peeta and I lean forward simultaneously, and I gasp when our mouths connect. Peeta takes that opportunity to nip at my bottom lip and I groan as my legs tighten their grip around his waist. These last two weeks have been torture, being able to look but not touch, and now I'm making up for lost time. My hands are everywhere, outlining the muscles that I've been admiring, which feel even more delicious than I thought they would. Peeta's hand dips down to cup my ass and pull me closer to him, and I moan when my center rubs against the hard muscles of his abdomen. My hands tangle in the wet curls on his head, and when he gasps I take that moment to slide my tongue against his.

I don't know when I started doing it, but I suddenly realize that I've been rocking my center against him, trying to seek friction. I cry out when I feel his hand move to slip under the cup of my bikini, grasping my breast.

Breathlessly, I break away to ask, "Peeta, doesn't your car have tinted windows?"

"Huh? Yeah…," he trails off, looking a little confused.

"Don't you think we should head to your car now?" I reply as I reach down between our bodies to rub his rapidly growing bulge.

He lets out a moan. "Fuck… Yes."

I give Peeta a chaste kiss before making my way back to shore, with him following not far behind. As soon as we stumble out of the water he grabs my hand, and I laugh when I see him try to angle his board in front of his erection. "Yeah, these suits aren't great at hiding hard-ons," he admits bashfully.

I wink at him before bending down to grab my towel and bag, hoping that I look a lot sexier than I actually feel. As soon as we hit the sidewalk we practically run to his car. Peeta throws his surfboard on top of his SUV and unlocks the doors with a push of a button. I open the back door and hurry to put my towel down across his backseat. There'll be sand everywhere by the time we're done, but hopefully he won't care.

Out of nowhere, Peeta comes up behind me, whirls me around, and presses me against the side of the car for a searing kiss. I moan when I feel that he's pulled the top part of his wetsuit down, revealing his bare torso to me. One of the hands on my back reaches down to grab my ass, pulling me closer to his body, allowing him to grind his erection against me. Peeta groans when I lightly rake my nails up and down his back and thrust my hips up to meet his. He then reaches to undo the back clasp of my bikini top. When he accomplishes his task, he breaks away to pant, "Get in the car."

I scramble into his backseat, my top hanging loosely around my neck. Peeta slides in next to me and slams the door shut. In one quick motion I immediately straddle his lap and bring my lips to his. Eager to feel some friction on my quickly dampening center, I grind against his erection. I begin to kiss a trail across his jaw, only stopping when Peeta yanks my top over my head, baring my breasts to him.

Peeta raises his hands to grasp my breasts, and when his thumbs roll over my nipples I moan his name. He plants a kiss on my breastbone before moving to one of my breasts, sucking the taut nipple into his mouth. I cry out when his tongue flicks over the turgid peak, and I grind down on his bulge, my hands weaving into his wet, sandy hair. Peeta lightly pulls my nipple between his teeth, making me cry out loudly as he nips and pulls at me. I roll my hips against his and Peeta practically growls before flipping me off of him, making me lie down across his seats.

Peeta reaches down to my leggings and raises an eyebrow in question. I rise up onto my elbows as I nod, and he pulls down my pants before throwing them over our heads and into the open trunk area behind us. I'm completely bare to him, and I see Peeta's erection twitch as he stares at the wetness gathering between my spread legs. "Yours, too," I pant out, gesturing towards his wetsuit. Peeta nods as he pulls the tight spandex up and away from his erection, allowing it to spring free. I feel myself licking my lips at the sight of him, hard and thick, and while I want to take him in my mouth, I know I'll have to wait for a time when we aren't so rushed.

Finally, the wetsuit is completely off, and Peeta comes forward to hover over me. He falls into the spot between my legs and we moan simultaneously when the tip of his erection brushes over my wet folds. "Fuck, you're so wet," he pants out as he reaches one hand up to tweak my nipple.

"I need you inside me," I groan as I gently rock my hips.

Peeta lets out a shaky breath. "You are so sexy," he says before he reaches into his bag and fumbles for his wallet, procuring a condom. He unwraps the foil packet and, in a burst of inspiration, I reach out to grab it from him. "Let me," I request.

"Yes," he hisses as I roll the prophylactic over his length, pumping him with my hand a couple of times before guiding him to my entrance. Our eyes meet, burning into each other's, and with a snap of his hips, he's inside me. I cry out at the feel of him filling me so deeply, and Peeta gives me a moment to adjust before rolling his hips against mine.

"Fuck, yes," I moan as he begins moving in and out of me. He's pounding into me and I can't remember the last time I was so turned on. All I can concentrate on is the way he feels moving in and out of me, and I gyrate my hips against his, meeting him thrust for thrust. All I can hear are my breathy moans and the sound of our skin slapping together; Peeta gives me a sloppy kiss before speeding his movements, reaching down to rub my clit as we chase our highs. "I'm so fucking close," he pants into my mouth.

I nod my head in response and press our lips together in a searing kiss, causing him to shudder and come inside me with a few quick snaps of his hips. When his breathing comes back to normal and he feels me wriggling underneath him, desperate to come, he gently pulls out of me before kissing a trail from my lips down to my breast, sucking one nipple into his mouth. One hand snakes down and begins rubbing my clit in small, tight circles, and as his teeth lightly graze my nipple, I explode.

I feel my walls clench around him as my hips rock with abandon. Peeta's name falls from my lips as I ride out my orgasm, and when I come to, he gives me a light kiss on the lips before tying off the condom, stuffing it into a pocket of his duffel bag. We both sit up, but make no effort to put our clothes on right away, instead choosing to lazily slump against one another. Exhausted, I let out a little sigh before turning my head to look up at Peeta, who gives me a grin in response. He leans his forehead against mine and whispers, "I think I have a crush on you."

I blush and laugh a little in response, because it sounds so cute and sweet, not like something someone says after a quickie in the backseat of a car. His smile is so genuine that I can't help but give him one in return. "I think the feeling's mutual," I reply.

Peeta chuckles and crushes my body to his in a hug. "Good," he answers.

I'm sad when it's time to pull away and put our clothes back on, but I also know that being naked in a car parked on a public beach probably isn't the smartest idea. "Hey, Peeta?" I ask.

"Hmm?"

I see him watching me secure the clasp of my bathing suit top around my breasts and he blushes in embarrassment for being caught. I smile knowingly before saying, "I was thinking maybe we could go on a real date? You know, one that doesn't involve surfing in any way."

"Or biology textbooks," he adds. I blush while Peeta laughs good-naturedly. "I think that can be arranged."

…

Excerpt from the American Journal of Botany