AN –Extended, M-rated version of Chapter 10 of Flying Solo.

Peeta crossed its deck of the catamaran with a plastic flute of champagne in each hand, his eyes on Katniss as she leaned against the rail of the party boat as it motored away from shore. Her chin tilted up and he watched her draw the sea air into her lungs and smile slightly. A few strands of hair had escaped from her braid and were blowing back from her face. He'd bought her a pair of earrings in a resort shop the day before and now they swung in the breeze as they dangled from her ears, perfect pearls nesting inside balls of fine wire made of Mexican silver.

He joined her at the rail, dropping a kiss on the shoulder exposed by the wide neck of the slouchy, jade green sweater she was wearing over her white bikini top. The same bikini had almost brought him to his knees when she'd put it on that afternoon, another purchase from the day before. It set off her toned body and olive skin perfectly. You could see it under the loosely knit sweater, which only served to draw further attention to the swimsuit, and to her. Several men on board were staring, but she was as oblivious to their attention as always. His fingers itched for a pencil. He'd sketched her face hundreds of times over the years. He could draw her a thousand times more and never tire of it. Peeta feared he might need to do just that to survive the distance that would be between them when they returned to their real lives tomorrow.

Katniss frowned when she saw him. "What's wrong?"

Peeta shook his head of its melancholy thoughts and passed her flute of bubbly over. He stood behind her and wrapped his free arm around her waist, tucking her against him tightly. Katniss relaxed into his embrace. He buried his nose in the soft, smooth skin of her neck drawing in the scent of the outdoors and the sea. His lips brushed against her temple and they watched as the sun cast a spectacular blaze of yellow and orange across the sky, slipping ever closer to what seemed like an endless expanse of water and turning the bright blue sea to a sparkling purple.

The captain cut the engine and the crew unfurled the sails, which snapped and rustled as they caught the wind. The force began to propel them forward once again, this time under the power of nature. Katniss' eyes gleamed with a spark of exhilaration and adventure. Peeta added the look on her face to his seemingly endless mental catalogue of her expressions. Another one for the sketchbook.

"What's your favourite colour?"

Her eyebrows quirked with surprise at his question. "It's green. Why?"

He shrugged. "There's so much stuff that I don't know about you yet and I feel like we're running out of time. I didn't even know your favourite colour until just now."

Katniss was still looking at him curiously, measuring his mood. "What's yours?"

His champagne flute was still in his hand when he pointed to the horizon where only the rim of the descending sun remained. The sky was brushed with streaks of orange, red and pink as day gave way to night. "Right there."

"The sea? I've never seen anything quite like the blue of the Caribbean Sea." Her lips quirked. "I've only seen one other shade of blue that I like better."

He smirked. "No. My favourite colour is orange."

Katniss wrinkled her nose. "Orange?"

He smiled and kissed her neck just below her jaw. Her pulse leapt beneath his lips. "Yes, but soft. Muted." He nodded toward the horizon. "Like the sunset."

"Beautiful," she murmured.

"Yes," he whispered near her ear; his gaze on her.

The first stars were winking in the sky when soft music floated across the deck and couples began to dance. As the boat turned back toward shore, Peeta drew Katniss away from the rail and into his arms. He held her close and spun them in a slow circle barely larger than a dinner plate. Katniss toyed with the hair on the back of his neck before settling her head on his shoulder. She whispered "I love you" so softly that he could hardly hear it, but his heart leapt anyway. He didn't think he'd ever get used to hearing those words from her.

"I'm not ready for this week to be over."

Katniss made a sound of agreement. "Me neither. I'm going to be so lonely tomorrow night."

Peeta sighed and laid his cheek on top of her head. "Me too." They clung to each other and swayed to the music. Peeta felt the gloom begin to overtake him again. He forced it away and lifted Katniss' chin so that he could look into her face. "We can't let it wreck our night. I want to enjoy this time with you. We'll deal with tomorrow when it happens."

"Okay," said Katniss with a tremulous smile on her lips. Peeta could see the turmoil in her eyes and knew it was mirrored in his own. Needing to erase the sadness that had befallen them, he extended his arm, forcing her to step back, before twirling her under his arm and pulling her tight against him again. This time, the smile she tossed him was genuine. He was reminded of a girl in a green prom dress who'd shyly clutched his hand until she'd forgotten to be nervous and laughed with his friends. They were older now, more self-assured, more ready for the power of the connection between them, but he was still awed by the idea that this enigmatic woman wanted him - loved - him.

The sailboat landed at the dock and Katniss, Peeta and the other passengers came ashore. While Peeta's back was turned to watch the crew lowering the sails, Katniss planted her hands on his shoulders and jumped onto his back. He grunted with the impact and was still staggering in shock, trying to get his balance, when she planted a kiss behind his ear and captured his earlobe between her teeth.

"You were an all-state wrestler, Mellark," The sensation of her breath against his neck sent a shiver down his spine. "You used to be prepared for a sneak attack. Think you're still strong enough to carry me back?"

"Pfft," he scoffed, hooking his hands under her thighs. "You weigh less than the bags of flour we get at the bakery."

"Good. Then I don't have to bother unstrapping these sandals again."

They headed back up the beach toward the suite. Peeta travelled just above the line of the incoming tide to keep his shoes dry while Katniss giggled and nibbled on his neck. He turned his head and kissed her. "You know, I don't typically carry bags of flour for a mile. And they're usually more co-operative."

"Hmm. That does it, I know you're getting soft now."

"Careful, Sweetheart, you might not get that surprise after all."

Katniss slid off his back and darted in front of him. "Surprise?" Her eyes narrowed. "What are you up to?"

Peeta laughed and stepped around her, holding out his hand. "C'mon. You'll like it, I promise." Katniss grumbled under her breath about how much she hated surprises and sand in her shoes and then began to debate with herself about which she hated more, which only caused Peeta to grin and shake his head. She was adorable.

"So, you used to watch my wrestling matches?" he asked, in an attempt to distract her.

Katniss paused in her diatribe long enough to blush and bite the inside of her cheek. "Oh, you know, school spirit and all that."

"Uh-huh. Ok." They walked along in silence.

"And maybe I liked how you looked in your singlet. Maybe."

Peeta didn't need to see her face to know that it was scarlet now. "I might have watched an archery tournament or two," he confessed. Katniss was the best archer in the state when they were in high school. He'd always wondered if she'd noticed him in the stands at her competitions. They hadn't exactly been crowded.

He peeked over and her shrewd smirk told him she had. "And here I just thought you were an archery fan."

"Oh, I was. A total fanboy." He winked at her and swung their hands between them. "For one archer in particular."

As they neared their suite, Katniss noticed something flickering on the sand. Her curiosity peeked, she began to drag Peeta toward a little oasis that the resort staff had built for them while they were sailing. Upon arrival, he could see that it was even better than he'd hoped. It was nestled between the lush shrubs and verdant trees that provided privacy to each of the suites. Two mats had been laid on the sand in an L shape and a mound of pillows was piled at their juncture. A squat, square table sat was set for dinner inside the L. The candles on the table wavered in the breeze and their flames glinted in the glassware and china. Lanterns cast golden beams along the sand. A little fire burned a short distance away. He watched Katniss as she slowly took it all in. "Surprise."

Katniss leaned over and kissed him softly. "It's perfect, thank you."

Katniss kneeled on one of the mats and started to get comfortable while Peeta went inside the suite to tell room service that they'd returned. While he was gone, she leaned back into the pillows and began to count the stars. He re-emerged moments later with an ice bucket. "They'll be here momentarily," he told her, as he pulled a bottle of champagne out of the ice and wiped it off deftly. "In the meantime, they left us this." The cork popped into the air when Peeta pried it out of the bottleneck. He waited for it to foam over and then he filled the two flutes on the table before settling down beside her. It was a good vintage, he noted, as the bubbles slid down his throat.

Katniss' eyes glittered in the candlelight when he took her face in his hands. Her lids fluttered closed as he dropped kisses on her forehead, her nose and cheeks before bringing his mouth to hers. Her lips parted hungrily beneath his own. When his tongue swept inside, he could taste the champagne on hers. His fingers found her hair and pulled her closer. Katniss wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Someone cleared their throat behind them. "Perdóneme, señor y la señora Mellark. I have brought your dinner." Katniss was blushing as she pulled away. "Do not be embarrassed, señora Mellark," the waiter told her as he placed her plate before her and lifted the dome to reveal a lobster, cracked and ready for eating. "It is a beautiful thing to see two people beginning their lives together when they are so much in love." Katniss gave the waiter a nervous smile and took a healthy gulp of her champagne. "Enjoy your meal, señor," he said to Peeta, and told them he'd be back later.

Peeta grinned at Katniss, who was looking at the lobster like she was afraid of it. "Have you ever had lobster before?"

"I've had a lobster roll before, but I've never had a whole one on a plate like this. I couldn't justify the price." She gave a nervous laugh. "I don't know where to start."

Peeta tossed the pillows between them out of the way and scooted over to Katniss's side of the table. "It's easy, really, especially since they've done all the hard work. He used his fork to pick up some of the tail meat. "You just dip it in the melted butter," he demonstrated, "and then you eat it." He slipped his fork between her lips and watched her reaction as the flavour of the creamy meat burst on her tongue.

"It's good," she told him, licking the butter from her lips. "Really rich, though." Peeta put some more on his fork and offered her another bite; watching as the tip of her tongue slipped over her lips again. She grinned at him over her champagne flute and he wondered if she'd caught him staring. "Aren't you going to eat yours?"

He pulled his plate closer to his new spot beside her. Snuggled up together, they enjoyed their feast in the warm glow of their personal haven. Peeta watched her profile as she sipped her champagne. Her face was happy and relaxed in the candlelight. He'd been right to save this final dinner for the last night of their vacation. It was perfect. She was perfect.

They had barely finished their meal when their waiter was back, accompanied by another white jacketed co-worker. They declined dessert and before long, the second man had whisked away their table, while their other server rearranged the mats and pillows so that they formed a little bed under the stars. With a wink and a wish for a good evening, he disappeared out of sight.

They lay back against the pillows. Katniss curled up in her favourite spot in the crook of his arm and pointed out the constellations in the sky. Peeta kissed the top of her head as she lay in his arms in the starlight. Her voice rose and fell over the rhythm of the waves rolling against the beach and the staccato snaps from the little fire. Maybe this was the memory that would get him through the empty nights without her. As Katniss's finger traced out bears and lions, Peeta tried to envision the schedule back in Panem and figure out how long before he could get to Pittsburgh to see her. His heart fell when he realized it could be a month before he could get a weekend free. He and Ryan would need to make some serious changes if he wanted more free time, and more still if he wanted to open a restaurant in Pittsburgh. Maybe he could coax Brandon into opening the bakery in the mornings. That was the part of the day that Bran liked best anyway. Then Ry would be free to run the restaurant at night, if he could get Ry to agree to that. He sighed. That was a lot of ifs.

He hoped Katniss would wait while he worked them out.

Peeta's sigh brought Katniss out of the stars and back down to Earth. She raised herself up on her elbow and peered down at him. She wasn't sure where his mind had wandered, but it wasn't on the beach with her. "Am I boring you?"

"Huh?"

He was completely zoned out, she realized. "Am. I. Boring You?"

"What? Katniss, no," he stammered into her scowling face. "No. Sorry. I was just… thinking."

"What about?"

He stroked her cheek until the frown was erased from her face. "Restaurant stuff." He kissed her. "Don't worry about it."

Katniss settled back down into his arms again and then slid her hand under his shirt to rest it on his chest. "Mmm. What a great night."

Peeta absently drew circles on her back, running the cost of another chef against the restaurant's budget. "Yeah."

Katniss slid her knee over his hips and straddled him. "Hey. Where are you? Stay with me."

His eyes snapped to hers and he reached up to stroke the end of her braid. "I'm right here. Always."

She leaned over until her lips were flush with his ear. "Guess I need to work harder at keeping your attention." Her nimble fingers worked the buttons on his shirt and she followed the trail with her mouth, breathing in his spicy scent. Her tongue circled his navel while her fingers travelled lower to the button of his pants. She felt the bulge under his zipper twitch when her hand brushed across it.

"Can I ask you something?"

Katniss nodded and waited for the question she was sure to come. Sexy time in their little refuge sounded good to her. Her lips pressed a row of kisses along his waistband, formulating a plan to show him just how okay she was with the idea.

"Tonight, when the waiter called you Mrs. Mellark. Why didn't you correct him?"

Katniss froze with shock for a second before she sat back up. Her arms crossed as she shrugged defensively. "It was no big deal."

"It was to you. I could tell." Damn. She thought she'd played that out pretty well. "But you didn't say anything. Why?"

"You know, like at the cenote. It was just… easier to play along."

Peeta rolled his eyes. "Remind me never to take you to Vegas. You'd lose your shirt at the poker table."

She huffed. "Fine. I kind of… liked it," she muttered, blushing furiously. She felt like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar and she hated it. "I just wanted to see what it felt like, you know? What it would be like if this really was our honeymoon."

Peeta sat up and looked at her seriously. "Katniss. This is definitely not our honeymoon."

Oh. Oh. She recoiled like she'd been slapped and jumped from his lap. Clearly, they were not in the same place at all.

"I, uh, I need to go inside," she mumbled and then ran into the suite. The door slammed behind her and she bolted up the stairs to the bathroom off their bedroom. She locked the door and threw herself down onto wall of the tub, her hands in her hair. What had she gotten wrong? Communication was not her strength, but she'd truly felt like they were building something permanent between them. They were having a great evening until the waiter had called her señora Mellark. He'd grown quiet after that.

"Katniss!" he called from downstairs. "Where did you go?" She could hear the alarm in his voice as he raced up the steps. "Katniss!" His heavy steps came closer as he crossed the bedroom. He banged on the door. "Katniss! Are you in there? Please come out."

"Leave me alone, Peeta!" She swiped at the tears that were threatening to spill over.

The doorknob rattled. "Katniss, open the door."

She crossed the room and leaned against the door. "Go away, Peeta. Just let me be for a few minutes."

He slammed his hand against the door, causing her to jump back. "Dammit, Katniss, we are not doing this again. You are not running away from me. Whatever's happening, we need to talk about it. Now open the door or I'll break it down."

Katniss leaned against the sink and covered her face with her hands. She just needed a minute.

"I'm gonna count to three and then I'm coming in there. One!"

She just had to wrap her mind around this. She'd been thinking about forever and he wasn't there.

"Two!"

He wasn't there yet.

"Three!"

Katniss scrubbed at her face and stood up.

"Katniss, I'm coming in!"

She opened the door to find a panicked Peeta standing with his shoulder braced, ready to throw himself against the door. He yanked her into his arms. "Katniss, oh my God. I thought we were done."

"No, Peeta…"

He clutched her against him, sliding his hands over her hair and back. "I thought this was over. I'm so sorry. I don't know what I did, but I'll fix it. Just don't run from me again."

"Peeta."

"Whatever it is, I'll fix it. I swear. I can't lose you again. Not after knowing what it means to be with you."

"Peeta," she said, stroking his face. "No. It's OK. It was me. It was my fault. I thought... I guess I thought we were in the same place. But we're not. Maybe you need more time. Of course you do. You just broke up with Delly…"

Peeta took a step back and held her by the shoulders. He looked completely perplexed. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

She sniffled and swiped at the rivulets of tears that had finally spilled over. "Well, after the waiter left, you just got really quiet. And you weren't paying attention. And then you asked why I didn't tell him we weren't married and you said this wasn't our honeymoon. I just got really upset. I mean, it's OK. I get it now. I had some time to think. You're not in the same place as me…" Her voice broke.

"Aw, Katniss." Peeta held her close and stroked her hair as she sobbed. When her shoulders finally stopped shaking, he led her to the bed and lay her down gently before stretching out beside her and wrapping her tightly in his embrace.

"How could we not be in the same place in this? I've loved you my whole life, Katniss. My whole life. Since I was five years old and I first heard you sing. Even when I gave up hope that we could ever be together, I still loved you."

Katniss played with a button on his still-open shirt. "Then what's the big deal if I pretended this was our honeymoon for a few minutes?"

Peeta stroked her hair again. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I'm sorry it hurt you."

"I don't know how else I could have taken that."

Peeta was still for a minute. Then he sighed and flipped to his side so that they were nose to nose and smiled bashfully. "I wasn't exaggerating about how long I've loved you, Katniss. I imagined our honeymoon for years." When her eyes widened in surprise, he shook his head quickly. "Not in a creepy way, I swear. And now that I've got you, I am going to ask you to marry me someday." He forgot his discomfort when she melted in front of him. He linked their hands and stroked her ring finger with his thumb. "I've always thought we should get married in autumn. Then I could whisk you away to a log cabin on the shore of a lake in the mountains. I'm not sure where. New Hampshire or New York State maybe? Some place where the fall colours are beautiful. We'll walk through the forest on a warm day through the trees all dressed in red and gold and orange and their leaves falling all around us. We'll pick up the prettiest ones and press them in a book. I'll cook for you in the cabin's kitchen and in the evenings, we'll cuddle up in front of a big stone fireplace or out on the porch, wrapped in a blanket. We'll drink hot chocolate while we listen to the crickets chirp and the loons call. Then we'll go to sleep in a big, soft bed tucked under the eaves in the loft."

Katniss' lips turned upwards. He'd just described her idea of heaven. "That sounds exactly right. Except for one thing."

Peeta's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "What?"

"I plan on doing more than sleeping in that big, soft bed."

She watched his shoulders rise and fall in a silent chuckle. "We'll figure something out."

She grabbed his shirt front and pulled him closer. He captured her bottom lip between his own as her hands slid up, mapping the plains of his chest before pushing his shirt past his biceps to his elbows. She bit down lightly on his shoulder and then her lips meandered along the wide expanse toward his throat. She sucked lightly near his collar bone and heard a slight moan escape from his lips.

"Katniss, we still have a lot to talk about."

"Later."

Peeta shrugged off his shirt and his hands roamed under her sweater, spanning her waist and skimming up her rib cage, before pulling it over her head. Katniss felt the current of anticipation under her skin and the responding throb between her legs. Her body recognized his touch and craved it, craved him. He dived into the valley of her breasts, still bound in the bikini top, kissing down one sensuous slope and up the other, squeezing the soft mounds gently, flicking his thumbs over her already turgid nipples. She sucked in a breath in response. He reached behind her and released the clasp. The bikini top fell down her shoulders and Peeta tossed it to the floor with her sweater. He sat back, committing the moment to memory knowing that the flush of colour over her breasts and the fierce look in her eyes would haunt him until he'd transferred it to canvas. She was so strong, so beautiful, both inside and out. And she was finally, finally his.

He flicked open the button on her cropped pants. Lifting her leg into the air, he kissed the inside of her ankle, up her calf to her inner thigh. Katniss held out her arms and Peeta fell into them. She thrilled at the heat of his belly against her own. His hardness pressed against her middle and instinctively, she raised her hips to meet him and the resulting heat coursed through her veins. His name sounded like a prayer when it slipped through her lips and the hunger for him that she'd been keeping on a slow burn all evening flared to life.

Peeta's blonde locks shone in the moonlight streaming through the patio door and she fisted her hands in his curls, their lips melded together, while she ground herself against him again and reached for the button of his slacks. Peeta shook his head, before climbing off the bed and removing them and his boxer briefs. He rummaged in the bedside drawer. Then he held out his hand to her. She took it and joined him beside the bed.

"Come with me," he whispered. "I want to make love to you in the moonlight." She nodded in agreement and followed him as he led her out to the balcony, glancing around to be sure they were alone. He led her over by the little bistro set where they'd eaten breakfast and tossed a packet onto its surface. With her face cupped in his hands, Peeta leaned in to kiss her. Their lips met and clung together as he slowly backed her into the parapet wall. Peeta pulled back slightly to look deeply into her eyes. He traced her lips with his thumb and then sank his hands into her hair at the nape of her neck. When he brought his mouth back to hers, Katniss welcomed him with an open mouthed embrace, their tongues dancing together. Her hands tightened around his waist to hold him tightly against her, her need for him pushing away any worry they might be seen.

Peeta's mouth began to trail along her neck. Katniss moaned in an equal mix of pleasure and frustration. Peeta gave her a wolfish grin. He brought his finger to his lips, signalling her to be quiet, and began to ravish her breasts, raising each mound to his mouth until her nipples were erect and aching. He kneeled on the floor of the balcony as he kissed her belly and then hooked her bikini bottoms with his fingers. "May I?" he whispered. Katniss whimpered softly and nodded. She wanted, needed, his mouth on her. The bikini bottoms slipped slowly off her hips. He cupped her rear gently and then slid his hands up one slender leg to ease it out of the garment before stroking down the other leg to remove the bottoms. Katniss kicked them aside. Peeta reached out and grabbed a chair from the bistro set and raised her foot upon the seat so that she was spread out before him.

His thumb began to gently massage her clit, already swollen and slick with need. "Fuck," he cursed. "You're so wet, Katniss."

Katniss bit her lip, unsure whether to be embarrassed by the state of her arousal or thrilled by his dirty talk. Then it didn't matter anymore because he brought his mouth to her core, flicking his tongue once over the hooded nub, causing her to cry out. When he drew the bundle of nerves into his mouth and began to suck, Katniss gasped again and made a keening sound as she held him to her.

Peeta stopped and peered up at her. "Our neighbours will hear us," he warned.

"Don't care," she said desperately. "Just don't stop." Peeta smirked and then returned to his ministrations. He drove two fingers inside her, stroking the pleasure zone just above her public bone. Katniss clenched her muscles as she began to ride his fingers, making frantic noises in her throat. Peeta responded with a groan of pleasure and the vibration took her higher. She called out his name again as another frisson of pleasure coursed through her. It was only this good with him. She had never trusted anyone the way that she trusted him. Her muscles clenched as she readied herself to fly.

"Peeta, I want you to come with me."

He replaced his mouth with his thumb and looked up at her through his long lashes. "Not this time. Soon." When he mouth returned to her clit, he sped up his thrusts and Katniss came, her head thrown back to the starry tropical sky, calling his name.

She was barely back on Earth when Peeta grasped her by the hips and spun her around. Quickly, he sheathed himself and filled her. Katniss, still feeling the aftershocks of her orgasm, responded with a delighted moan as she grasped the low wall. She looked over her shoulder at Peeta, whose eye were closed, his face and jaw slack with pleasure. When he finally opened his eyes on hers, his pupils were fat and his gaze intense. A thin sheen of sweat lay over his neck and shoulders. "God, you feel so good," he said. "You ready?"

Katniss nodded and angled her hips to take him deeper. "Now. Hurry."

Peeta's fingers flexed at her hips as he drove himself into her again and again. Katniss lost herself in the speed and power of his thrusts. A breeze blew up off the water, stimulating her sensitive nipples. She rolled them between her fingers and thumbs and the pleasure shot right to her thighs. She could feel herself tighten even further around Peeta's cock.

"Fuck, Katniss. You're so tight." She looked over her shoulder. Peeta was straining for control.

"Touch me," she begged. When the heat of his fingers met her aching clit, Katniss called out her release and with two strong thrusts, Peeta's followed.

When their breathing finally slowed, Peeta eased her back into his arms and tenderly kissed the nape of her neck. "That was, uh, wow."

Katniss laughed and looked out over the beach where their little campfire had been reduced to embers. "It's a good thing we're going home tomorrow. I won't be able to face the neighbours."

Peeta's forehead fell against her shoulder. "This wasn't quite the romantic night I had in mind," he muttered.

Katniss turned in his arms and smirked at him. "The night's not over yet. We have lots of time for romance."

Peeta lifted her into his arms and kissed her gently as he turned back to the bedroom. "I love the way you think."