Chapter 1: Unprotected Making Love

It's just him, and me in our bathroom. I am doing my hair following a shower, a towel wrapped around my body. Peeta is scrubbing the countertop – something about Effie coming over in a couple days and our place cannot look like a pigsty. That's Haymitch's job, not ours. As I watch him work, his brow furrowed in concentration, I cannot get over the fact that he is mine. I had never planned on marrying, but I now see that Peeta is the only man who I would want as my husband. He has been so good to me in our thirteen years of marriage. Hell, he has always been so devoted to me.

There it is again. Just realizing his undying love for me makes me feel guilty. The nagging feeling that I have not paid him in kind… and that there is only one thing that could.

Peeta has always been so good with children. I've seen him with the kids that come into the bakery. He would make a natural father – and the only thing that is stopping him is my fear of raising kids and having the responsibility of parenthood.

No. That can't happen anymore. I want to make Peeta happy, and if giving him the child he so desperately wants is the answer, then so be it. Besides, time is running out for me to get pregnant anyway. Carrying and bearing Peeta's child could be the gift I have always felt prompted to give him, to thank him for saving me and being with me.

So, I make the decision.

"Peeta? Honey?"

"Hmmm?"

"Ummm…. I've been thinking…. do you want to try for a baby?"

OK, that did not come out the way I wanted it to. The scrub brush stops in mid-scrub as my husband stares at me. "I'm dreaming. My wife actually asking me if I want a child? Never thought I'd see the day!"

I smile my biggest smile. "You're not dreaming. Here's how I know." I let my towel drop to the floor, exposing my nakedness, and jump on him. I'm kissing him everywhere I can reach, and he's kissing me back, as I rub my body against his still-maddeningly clothed one.

"Feel that?" I pant. "That's me…. wanting you."

Peeta chuckles in between kisses. "Horny, aren't we, dear?"

I proceed to climb him, wrapping my legs around his waist, my breasts jiggling against his shirt. I tug at his belt as I kiss him desperately.

"Clothes. Off. Shower. Now."

Peeta sets me down on the counter. Our kissing is uninterrupted as I tug off his pants, unbutton his shirt, pull down his boxers.

All at once, the passion slows from a frenzy to very sensual. Peeta drags me off the counter by my hips. Snaking his arms around my waist, he pulls me to him. He kisses me, slow and lovingly. I drape my arms around his neck and kiss back. My eyes flutter shut. "Mmmmm…"

Peeta's hands go on autopilot. He caresses me down the length of my butt, cupping one cheek and rubbing circles along it. His other hand touches my thigh gently. In a sudden motion, he assertively raises my leg to his waist before sliding that same hand down the inside of my thigh, mid- to working his way in towards my center. I smile against his lips.

"Huhhhhh…Peeta…" I am already very wet, liquid shamelessly pooling between my legs and running down them. When Peeta gives my butt cheek a squeeze with his one free hand, I sharply gasp into his mouth before humping him insistently. I want sex. And I want it now.

Taking me by my butt, Peeta lifts me back up until I am forced to wrap both my legs once again around his waist. We stumble into the shower, our tender, deep kissing returning to the frantic ones I initiated. Somebody flips on the water; we're too engrossed to care who. My hands grip at his shoulder blades, my breath coming in rough gasps. Peeta presses me into the wall and begins to fondle my breasts. I arch into him, leaning my head into the wall to allow his lips better access to my neck as I let out a moan.

"Take me, darling! Fuck me hard so I know I'm yours! Make love to me so I can have your baby!"

Peeta obeys. He slides up into me, pounding my center so that I slide up and down the shower wall. His returns his lips to mine, before once again planting kisses down my neck until he has taken one of my nipples into his mouth. My hands practically smush his face as I hold him in place.

"Ohhhhh…god…Peeta, I love you!"

Peeta comes up for air, letting out a sexy growl as he continues to slap his balls down to hilt against my womanhood.

"I want your lips back on mine now!" I command, before seizing his face and smashing our mouths together. I throw open my mouth wide and practically pull his tongue in to intertwine and play with mine. I groan and close my eyes in delirious pleasure. My one hand grips his hair while the other gropes low, squeezing Peeta's butt cheeks. Peeta's hands re-cup my breasts and he kneads them like the dough he has handled all his life. I groan louder, not giving a damn if anyone in the District hears us. My husband is making sweet love to me, and I to him, and I don't care who thinks it's indecent, dammit! Peeta nibbles on my lower lip, and that combined with the worship he displays on my breasts makes me nearly scream in ecstasy. I settle for yet another moan instead, very reluctantly pulling out of the deep kiss for air.

"P…Peeta….." I pant, imploringly. "Please….pick up the pace. You don't always have to be so damn tender!" It's true, Peeta has always been the consummate gentleman when it comes to sexually pleasing me, his wife. I've always thought it cute, but I personally find it more sexy when he rides me with wild abandon. His domineering side, rarely on display because that's mostly been my job, is always so…. hot.

Peeta shoots me a half-smile, half-grimace so unbelievably attractive I find myself flushing. I practically want to fan myself, this latest round of sex has become so heavy and involved. "Your wish is my command, Mrs. Mellark." I let out something between a whimper and a wail when he says my married name - the reminder that I am his. He is mine. Anything else is unthinkable.

"Oh, yes…Peeta!" I warble. Peeta goes faster and faster, letting out another animalistic grunt as he pounds harder.

"I'm….I'm…..gonna…..cum!" He empties himself inside of me right on the last word.

I kiss him in appreciation, smirking as I pull away. Peeta is amazing at sex, except he usually forgets to get me off whenever he finishes first. Well, I'll make sure of that.

"Second round in bed."

Moments later, my husband and I are tangled amongst the sheets. Rolling around in each other's embrace, we kiss until I am the one on top. Laughing, I writhe against Peeta, creating friction as we make love. Finally, I let out a shriek as I climax and collapse on top of him. I can only gaze at him, my eyes full of love. I kiss him tenderly, repeatedly, as if I cannot stop. Just before we fall asleep in each other's arms, I know there has to be more of a way to tell Peeta how much I love him.

"Peeta?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"You wanna know how much I love you?"

He props himself on one elbow and grins down at me, indulging my somewhat-less-clumsy-than normal attempt at being romantic. "How much?"

"I love you so much, that I know I will kill anyone who threatens you. And if anyone tried to separate you from me, I would die first."

Peeta blinks at me in astonishment, then his eyes fill with tears and he kisses my forehead, then my lips. He knows what I mean. That I will do anything to protect him, and not let anyone or anything take him away from me, or I from him. Knowing that, we fall asleep in each other's arms.