Disclaimer: This fic is rated 'M' for language and sexual content. I do not own any of the characters of The Hunger Games (although I wish I did). All other ideas and creative liberties are my own.

BREAK

"So, what'll it be?" the bartender asked as Peeta jerked his chin in greeting and slid onto the empty stool at the far end of the bar.

For most guests, the night was still young, the over sixty crowd already having retired to their lavishly outfitted hotel rooms that only the Capitol Center could boast. A thousand thread count sheets. Featherbed mattress toppers. Sixty-inch flat screen televisions in every room. Not to mention, the best 24-hour room service the city had to offer at the touch of a button.

It was only eleven o'clock, but for someone who got up at the ass-crack of dawn every morning to light the ovens at the bakery, it was late. Fuck. When did he become such an old man?

The thing was, he was just so damn tired. Not only in the physical sense but emotionally too. Tired of the long hours he'd been putting in at work over the past year. Tired of the dark circles that had taken up a permanent residence beneath his eyes. Tired of being a shadow of who he really was. And just so damn tired of the casual dating scene that never seemed to amount to anything more than awkward morning afters and a pile of phone numbers he had no intention of saving into his phone. Maybe that made him an asshole, but the way he saw it, why drag something out if he knew it wasn't going to go anywhere? Yeah, he was definitely tired. Tired of his meddling brothers.

Peeta startled at the bartender's not-so-subtle "ahem". Right, a drink.

Eyeing the impressive selection of scotches and whiskeys, his attention lingered on a 25-year-old bottle of Glenmorangie. Madge's dad, a retired senator turned restauranteur and distillery owner, had insisted on only the best well-stocked selection of spirits, whiskeys, and fine malt liqueurs to celebrate the nuptials of his one and only daughter.

That was why getting piss drunk sounded like an excellent idea, especially when it was on someone else's dime. It was tempting, to forget for just one night the mile-long list of things he had to accomplish over the next few weeks. Just thinking about it caused his temples to pulse and the back of his neck to stiffen. God, he really needed to unwind. But then again, maybe finding solace at the bottom of a glass wasn't such a great idea. Especially when surrounded by half the Mellark clan.

"I'll just take a Corona, thanks." The hulking bartender acknowledged him with a firm nod and then turned to another guest, leaving Peeta alone with his thoughts.

Despite the life-altering changes that awaited him, there was a reason Peeta had stuck around way past his bedtime. And that reason was currently chatting with a group of people on the opposite side of the room.

Peeta sighed. Twenty-four hours. That's all it'd take.

Katniss Everdeen had blown into his life like a category five hurricane, stealing from him not only his breath but his heart, in one fell swoop. Was that even possible? Or healthy? Or was he just being naïve…at this point in life, he couldn't muster up the moral sense to care.

"Sulking in the corner now, are we?" Glancing up, Peeta shook his head and smiled as Delly pulled up a seat next to him. "Should I buy you a drink then, handsome? Turn that frown upside down?"

"Open bar," he stated, waving a hand at the wall lined with every shape and size bottle of alcohol imaginable.

"Oh really? Well, I wouldn't know. Haven't had to get myself a drink all night."

Peeta chuckled, then made a show of rolling up his sleeves as he surveyed the crowded room. "So what's the tally for tonight? How many hearts do I have to scrape up off the floor?"

"Pfft…I lost count somewhere after ten," Delly said with a wink. Then like magic, the bartender sauntered over and placed a martini glass down in front of her along with his beer.

"Another one bites the dust, I see." With a hearty laugh, Peeta glanced around again to see who the unfortunate soul was this time.

As one of his oldest friends, Delly Cartwright held a special place in his heart. When they'd first met in elementary school, she was still at that tender age where baby fat was considered cute, but throughout high school, he'd watched in quiet frustration as she struggled with her weight. He'd always told her she was beautiful because she honestly was, but it wasn't until they'd graduated from college that his words had finally begun to sink in. He'd never been one to say "I told you so", but once she'd stopped fighting herself and embraced her God-given womanly curves, she was turning the head of every hot-blooded man that crossed her path.

Delly shot him a pointed stare as he reached for his beer and tipped it back. "You're not one to talk, Mellark. I saw the way all those girls were practically undressing you with their eyes during your Best Man speech. And you should have heard the two sitting behind me at the ceremony." With a shudder, she made a face. "I was this close to tossing my program in the one girl's face. And I'm pretty sure I threw up in my mouth a little when I overheard their very detailed scheme to persuade you into a threesome."

Peeta burst out in a laugh, almost spewing his drink across the well-lacquered bar top. "You lie."

"Like a priceless Persian rug on a rich man's floor," she sang, shimmying her shoulders as she gave her martini a stir with her olive-garnished toothpick. "So, you gonna tell me why you're hiding out here all by your lonesome instead of using that silver tongue of yours to get under the dress of a certain bridesmaid?"

"No reason," he all but muffled into the mouth of his beer bottle. Trying not to be too obvious, he tilted his head to the side so he could continue to watch her. Katniss had moved to another table, apparently making the rounds with Madge's family. At that exact moment, she looked up and their gazes met for a brief second. God, she was so damn pretty. So beautiful it made his stomach hurt. He was the first to look away of course, slowly releasing a pent-up breath in hopes of hiding how much she affected him. But Delly being Delly, saw right through it.

She leaned in, eyes squinting as she inspected the front of his crisp white dress shirt. Pulling back quickly, she smacked his chest with the back of her knuckles, almost knocking his drink from his hand. "Ah, there it is. I thought I spotted bullshit."

"Fine…if you must know, I've been banned."

"Banned? From what?"

"Katniss," Peeta grumbled as he closed his eyes. Setting down his beer, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Before the rehearsal last night, Rye cornered me in the bathroom. He pretty much told me that she was off-limits."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Nope." With a humorless laugh, he shook his head. "I casually mentioned our run-in with her at the coffee shop and you should've seen the way he stared me down when I jokingly thanked him for pairing the two of us up. And if that wasn't enough, the death grip he had on my shoulder when he said 'Don't go there, bro' was downright frightening. Didn't even give me a reason either, just said if I messed with Katniss I'd have Madge to answer to."

Eyes wide, Delly stared back at him, no doubt waiting for further explanation. "Sounds rather ominous to me." She took a sip of her drink. "Does she have a boyfriend or something?"

"That's the kicker, she doesn't. But that doesn't change the fact that Rye thinks I'm a man-whore."

Delly barked out a laugh loud enough to turn heads, but then her smile dropped just as fast. "You're serious." Glancing down at her martini, Delly blew out a breath before taking a sip. After a quick wince, her cherry-red lips frowned. "Why on earth would Rye think that?"

Although he wasn't a hundred percent sure, Peeta had a pretty good idea why. He paused before taking a swig from his beer. "Everett."

"Seriously? I swear he's worse than a bored housewife, sticking his nose into everyone else's business. Gossips like one too, apparently." Taking hold of his arm, Delly shook him gently. "Honestly, I think he's just jealous. Ever since he and Meredith tied the knot and had the twins the same year, he's been living vicariously through you and Rye."

Ten years his senior, the eldest Mellark, Everett, had fuck all to be jealous of. If anything, Peeta was the jealous one. After the unexpected passing of their mother four years back and their father just last year, life had thrown him curveball after curveball. It'd taken Peeta just as long to get his life back on track, and by then it seemed his grandiose plan of settling down and living the whole white picket fence dream with 2.5 kids and a golden retriever had come and gone.

It didn't help that one night after an exceptionally shitty week he'd gotten drunk in the back of the bakery with Everett and made some stupid comment about how the odds of finding a decent girl in town were slim to none. From then on, and despite his protests, his brother and sister-in-law had taken it upon themselves to become his personal matchmaker, filling his weekends with dates and not-so-subtle invites to Sunday dinner with coincidently single friends of Meredith's. Fuck, those were embarrassing.

He'd soon be entering his thirties, what his brothers swore was the prime of his life. If that was the case, then why did it feel like he'd missed the boat? Like he was stuck onshore as he watched his brothers sail off into the sunset with the loves of their lives?

The whole thing left a bitter taste in his mouth, despite the refreshing bite of lime at the bottom of his bottle as he swished his Corona. "Well, the grass isn't always greener."

"Ain't that the truth?"

The music suddenly changed over to a slow song, and Peeta watched as couples made their way onto the dance floor. And just like every slow song before, he scanned the crowd for that one familiar face, wondering who the lucky guy would be this time around. It was no surprise that he wasn't the only one who'd taken an interest in Katniss Everdeen.

Thinking back to the other day at the coffee shop, he wasn't sure what had gotten into him, coming on to her so strong with all his double entendres and leering looks. Well, no, that wasn't true. He knew exactly why he'd acted the way he did. It was the vice-like grip she'd had on his shoulder and the fire in those steely gray eyes of hers during those few seconds of mistaken identity that caused his dick to spring to life.

The last time he'd reacted so strongly and so quickly to a woman's touch—or rather man-handling—was, well…never. She might as well have been fisting his cock with the way his heart leapt into his throat and his eyes threatened to roll into the back of his head. And then when he'd shown up late for the rehearsal dinner the day after, he was both surprised yet happy to find that Katniss had actually kept her promise and saved him the seat next to her.

Regardless of Rye's warning, Peeta wasn't about to be rude and ignore her, which is why they'd spent the entire meal and an hour afterward talking about anything and everything. She had a sister in nursing school two states over. Her father passed away when she was eleven. She loved the outdoors and singing, although never in front of a crowd. And when he'd coaxed her into singing a few lines from her favorite song, the last haunting notes of her sultry voice had rendered him speechless. Which she'd continued to tease him about over the course of the day. Saying the two of them had good chemistry together was a major understatement. But still, he didn't pursue her, choosing to walk the fine line between flirting and being friendly. And what a fine line it was.

He'd always considered himself a patient man, but every time their eyes had locked in a brief yet heated exchange, he felt a little more of his resolve crumble. Which was why he'd stolen away to the bar the moment the dessert plates had been cleared, giving him the perfect vantage point to keep an eye on Katniss without being too obvious. And as hard as it was to go against his instinct and stake a claim on her, he'd gritted his teeth and watched in agonizing silence as countless single—and a few married—guys lead her onto the dancefloor or filled her hand with a drink. He'd reminded himself over and over: it was Rye's wedding day. The last thing Peeta wanted was to make unnecessary waves over something he could easily put off for a few more weeks. Or days. Or maybe he was giving himself too much credit.

"Listen Peeta," Delly said, nudging him with the spiked heel of her stiletto. "You're my oldest friend, and you deserve to be happy, more than anyone I know. So I say screw Rye, he lost the privilege of having a say in what you do the day he left. If you feel like there's something between you and Katniss, then go for it. Be fucking selfish for once in your life!"

Peeta shook his head as she clinked her martini glass with his beer bottle. "Right back at cha. And you can start with tall, dark, and mysterious over there." He lifted his chin towards a guy who'd been hovering at the bar ever since Delly had plunked herself down next to him.

With a quick glance over her shoulder, Delly's eyes widened. "I think he's a school friend of Madge's, Tim or Tom…something like that. Whatever his name is, he's damn fine." Draining the rest of her drink in one impressive gulp, she slid her empty glass back on the bar and squared her shoulders. "Okay, so how are the girls?"

Peeta stifled a laugh as she hooked a finger between her boobs, adjusting and plumping her overly ample cleavage. "Looking high and alive, as always," he said with a wink.

"Do me a favor and bring that girl a damn drink already, or better yet, ask her to dance." Flashing him a grin, she tucked her purse under her arm and slid off the stool. "As for me, don't wait up!"

Peeta rolled his eyes but smiled as he watched her saunter off, making a bee-line straight for her target. Maybe Delly was right. This was his life and when did he start letting other people, especially Rye, dictate his future? He'd wasted too many years catering to everyone else around him, watching as their lives fell into place. And the sad part was, he'd allowed himself to believe he was content with it. That was, until now. After meeting Katniss, he couldn't remember the last time he wanted something—someone—so badly it made his chest ache.

Scanning the dance floor again, he finally spotted her, arms wrapped around the neck of a tall blond who looked like he spent way too much time staring at his reflection in the gym mirror. And it didn't help when Peeta noticed how the douchebag's hands had a way of constantly falling to Katniss's ass, regardless of how many times she purposefully moved them back up to her waist.

She never seemed to dance with the same guy twice, and from what he could see, and to his relief, she never really looked all that into it. Or perhaps that was wishful thinking on his part. Regardless, making a scene wasn't his thing, so he planned to bide his time until the song was over and she sent handsy-mc-douchebag packing. Then he'd get her a drink and find a quiet corner where they could talk and hopefully pick up from the night before. But beyond that, he wasn't exactly sure what his next move was. Shit. Maybe he needed to think this through a bit more.

Flagging down the bartender, he ordered another beer. Just as he'd started to run through the finer details of a better game plan, a large hand clasped his shoulder and squeezed tight.

"There you are!" Rye sidled up next to Peeta, taking the bottle the bartender had just put in front of him and draining half of it in one gulp. As annoyed as Peeta was at his brother, the sheer happiness radiating off of Rye was unmistakable. The guy was practically glowing. Who'd have thought that marriage would be such a good look on him?

Something caught Rye's gaze and Peeta glanced over his shoulder just in time to catch Madge cutting in between Katniss and her slime ball dance partner. Relieved, Peeta let out a sigh. "Who is that?"

"Hmm? Oh, some second cousin of Madge's. Kyle? Carl? No, wait…Cato? Whatever, the guy's an asshole. I'm barely married an hour and he has the fucking nerve to slip me a card for his buddy's company. Some website that caters to married men looking to cheat."

"Seriously? What a dick."

"Right? I don't know why he's even here. We made it clear to Madge's parents that we were drawing the line at first cousins, and I still don't know half the people here!"

When he'd heard the final guest numbers, Peeta was certain his brother was joking. With the headcount tipping in at just over four hundred people, this had definitely been the largest wedding he'd ever attended. And with over a quarter of them single women? Odds were easily in his favor if he was looking to score a hookup. But he only had eyes for one woman. One woman who was now thankfully in the safe arms of Madge as they slow danced, purposefully bumping into other couples and giggling like school girls.

Both brothers were silent as they watched the pair, a slow smile stretching Peeta's face as he took in Katniss's flushed cheeks and wisps of hair that had escaped her braided updo. And that dress. God, that dress. The way it hugged her body in all the right places, accentuating every curve from the dip at her waist to the flare of her hips. What really sent his head spinning, though, was the fact that he knew exactly what he'd find underneath that dress.

Ugh, stupid Rye. His brother owed him an explanation and a damn good one at that.

"So, you going to finally explain to me why I've been banned?" Surprisingly, his brother had the decency to look confused. But then again, if the glassiness of Rye's eyes and dopey grin meant anything, then perhaps he actually was. Peeta blew out a slow breath and tried again, gesturing to the pair still on the dance floor. "From Katniss."

Rye nodded slowly. "Right…that." Peeta held his breath when his brother leaned in, paused, then proceeded to belch in his face. "Uh, sorry…so yeah, about that. Well, the main reason is that, you know, the wife's orders."

"Madge? What does she have against me?"

"Look, don't take this personally, but you and Everdeen were never going to happen. You see, Madge has been trying to set her up with a guy from work and she swears it'll work out this time."

"This time?"

Rye lifted a hand and scratched the back of his neck. "Uh yeah. Madge has been trying to set her up with someone for a few months now."

What the fuck? Unbelieving, Peeta stared at his brother. "Oh really? And you never once thought, oh look, my brother's single, maybe I should put in a good word for him?"

"Oh come on, you live on the other side of the country!" Rye made an attempt to drain the rest of his beer but Peeta stole it back. "Madge would have my balls if I'd interfered with her plans and tried to set the two of you up while you were here. Besides, Katniss doesn't do one-night stands, and I know for a fact that you, little bro, have never slept with the same woman twice."

"How the fuck would you know? That's not…" But then he trailed off, and as much as it made him cringe, Rye was right.

"Yes, it's true," Rye finished, shaking his head. "But unlike our idiot brother, I know the real reason why."

Raising a skeptical brow, Peeta rested a hand on the bar, drumming his fingers against the wood. "So you're not a supporter of the man-whoring theory that Everett's cooked up?"

"You? Yeah right. You might not believe it, but you're more like me than you think." Peeta frowned. Blonde hair and blue eyes aside, they were nothing alike. As if sensing his doubts, Rye continued. "Hey, don't look at me like that and just hear me out. It took me weeks to get Madge to cave and take a chance on me, and twice as long to get her sexy ass naked in my bed, but when I finally did, good god was it—"

"Whoa, whoa!" Covering his ears, Peeta feigned disgust, sticking out his tongue and gagging for good measure. "TMI, man."

With a shove of his shoulder, Rye scoffed. "Oh fuck off with your earmuffs and listen. Just one time with Madge and that's all it took. Something clicked and I just knew that one day I'd make her my wife."

"Remind me again what this has anything to do with me?"

"Just because I've been living here the past few years doesn't mean I've been blind to what's been going on back at home. I know how long it finally took for you to get your feet back on the ground after Mom died, and believe me, I still feel like an asshole for leaving you and Everett to pick up the pieces and look after Dad. It was just all-around bad timing with his recovery from the accident and the bakery closing for renovations and then when he started to go downhill…well, fuck."

Sucking in a sharp breath, Peeta froze. Rye's enlightening speech had turned all too real, way too fast. He exhaled, trying his best to ignore the sudden ache in his chest. "If you have a point somewhere, you'd better get to it soon because this shit is way too heavy to be getting into on your wedding day."

"All I'm saying is, I know you're finally in a good place, with yourself and with the bakery and just life in general. And I can't see you leaving all that behind any time soon, especially after what Everett's been telling me." Waggling his eyebrows, Rye grinned.

Ha. The joke was on him then, now wasn't it? Heaving a heavy sigh, Peeta rolled his eyes. "Don't believe everything you hear, and besides, what exactly does any of this have to do with getting to know Katniss?"

"Just humor me for a second. Say you and Everdeen hook up tonight, what happens come Monday after you fly back home? Can you honestly look me in the eye and swear that once you step off that plane you'll ever think of her ever again?"

How could he not? He was already a goner.

Taking his silence as agreement, Rye continued. "Listen, I know you've just met her and everything's still all shiny and new to you, and I know there's an amazing woman under that scowling façade, but Katniss needs stability, someone who's going to be around, and be there for her. She's had a rough couple of years and I'll be damned if I have to see her curled up in Madge's lap crying over my stupid brother who couldn't just keep it in his pants for one weekend. She deserves better than a one-night stand, Peeta. And so do you."

Wow. If Rye had been drunk before, he'd certainly sobered up after a speech like that. There were only a handful of times when Peeta had seen his brother so serious. The day they buried their mother. When he'd told them he was moving out east. Then again when they buried their father next to their mother. And finally, when he'd told them of his intentions of making an honest woman out of Madge.

"Listen," Rye continued, heaving a heavy sigh. "Forget I said anything. Just…just have fun tonight. If you want to hang out with Katniss, then, by all means, hang out with Katniss. I'll turn a blind eye and if Madge comes after me, I'm sending her your way."

"Yeah, you do that." Peeta glanced over just as couples began dispersing from the dancefloor. "Oh, and it looks like your wife needs you," he added when he noticed Madge waving a hand in their direction.

"Well, duty calls! Later, bro!" And without a backward glance, Rye made his way over to Katniss and Madge, making a show of lifting his bride into the air and smacking a big ole kiss on her cheek.

Peeta watched as the three of them chatted, his curiosity peaking when Katniss glanced over in his direction. She blushed a little and looked down, her eyes focusing somewhere below his face as she tried but failed to hide a smile. Hmm…interesting. Tilting his head slightly, he smiled back in return. But when she broke away from the happy couple and appeared to be heading straight for him, his pulse kicked up a notch.

He managed to gulp down a mouthful of liquid courage before she reached him, her eyes filled with mischief, and if he wasn't mistaken…lust? Or maybe not. He was having a hard time getting a read on her because as she got closer, the way her eyes nervously looked everywhere but at his face had him second-guessing.

"So, you avoiding me?" she asked, the calmness of her voice contradicting the tense vibe he was sensing.

"Why would you think that?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because every guy here's asked me to dance. Every guy…except you."

Grinning, Peeta flagged down the bartender and gestured to the empty seat next to him. "Well, maybe I was waiting for you to ask me."

Taking him up on his offer, she slid onto the stool and ordered herself a shot when the bartender finally made his way over. Then turning towards him, she took him off guard when she leaned in close. The scent of orange blossom and something spicy wafted over him and he almost tipped over backward with how close she was. He sucked in a much-needed breath and held it when her lips brushed up against the shell of his ear, sending all the blood from his head straight to his cock.

"You wanna dance?"

As she pulled away, her eyes finally locked with his, and as hard as it was to drag his attention away from the way she slid her tongue along her bottom lip, he forced himself to lean back and take a good look at her. There was a glassiness in her eyes, tipping him off that she wasn't quite herself. Taking a second to restore some semblance of judgment, he cleared his throat. "You're drunk."

"Correction…I'm buzzing." To prove her point, she held up a finger, signaling him to wait as she carefully reached for the full shot that had suddenly appeared in front of her and balanced it on the back of her hand.

Curious, he watched as she stretched her thumb and forefinger apart, and when she leaned over to reach for the salt shaker, he couldn't help but admire the lush curve of her ass. With a muffled groan, he averted his eyes and took a swig of his beer, trying but mostly failing to block out the dirty thoughts threatening to fill his mind. Returning to her seat, she surprised him again when she carefully lifted her hand to his face. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Lick," she commanded.

"Excuse me?"

Eyes narrowing, she inched her hand up closer to his mouth. "I said…lick."

Now she'd gone and done it. His cock sprang forward, painfully tight against his zipper. Those stormy gray eyes of hers, once again filled with mischief and a hint of mystery, bore into him, that stare of hers like a slow, hot stroke against his cock. Her eyebrow shot up and the corner of her mouth lifted in a blatant challenge.

Never one to back down from a dare, he leaned in but then hesitated. His gaze darted to the shot glass balanced perfectly on the back of her hand, the surface of the dark amber liquid barely moving. For a woman who was, as she mildly put it "buzzing", she had the steady hand of a surgeon. Then his eyes met hers in a last attempt to make sure she wasn't fucking with him. When her teeth sunk into her glossy bottom lip, he couldn't hold back any longer. Without looking away, he slowly licked the webbing between her fingers and then just for good measure, captured it between his lips for another leisurely pass with his tongue.

Her warm exhale brushed past his cheek and the quiet whimper that quickly followed caused his breath to hitch. With a final flick of his tongue against her skin, he released her and slowly pulled away. She didn't move for a good five seconds, allowing him just enough time to take in her parted lips and the pretty flush of her cheeks.

The sound of clinking glasses from behind the bar finally broke her from her daze, then with a shake of her head, she cleared her throat. A cocky remark was perched on the tip of his tongue, but as if sensing it, Katniss glanced away and picked up a slice of lemon with the same hand. With a light tap of the salt shaker, he watched with rapt fascination as the tiny grains stuck to where his tongue had just moments ago wet her skin. Her eyes met his as her tongue darted out, clearing away the salt with a seductive lick. Then before he could take his next breath, her lips connected with the rim of the shot glass, and both her head and hand tipped back in a quick jerk. The moment her lips curved around the slice of lemon, his cock grew even harder and he had to stop himself from leaning in when a drop of juice escaped the corner of her mouth.

She winced and the crinkle of her nose had him grinning like an idiot on the inside.

"See?" she said, flashing him a triumphant smirk. "If I was drunk, I wouldn't have been able to do that."

"Point taken," he said with a shake of his head. "But past experience has shown me that women and tequila don't mix."

"Hmm…not in my case." Then just to show off, she tossed the shot glass up and caught it mid-air with a quick swipe of her hand. "If anything, tequila dissolves my filter, which reminds me...I know your secret."

Fighting back his amusement, he decided to humor her. "Oh? And what's that?"

"You," she began, pausing before she lifted a finger and aimed it straight for the center of his chest. "Find me attractive."

Ha. What a gross understatement, but before he could voice his opinion, the tip of her finger finally made contact with his chest, and a burst of heat radiated from the spot. He sucked in a breath as he dropped his gaze to her finger which was now tracing lazy figure eights around the buttons of his shirt. Christ, if only she knew the effect a simple touch from her could do to him.

When he glanced back up at her, the calm gray of her eyes had darkened to a stormy hue. Curious to whether it was actually Katniss talking or the tequila, he arched an eyebrow and answered, "That's not a secret."

"Fine then…you wanna fuck me."

Peeta's mouth fell open as she pulled back, her bottom lip tucked enticingly between her teeth. Blinking a few times, he tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

Well, now that was unexpected.

She slipped off the stool and shuffled closer, and when he parted his legs wider, she nestled in between them. His eyes darted across the room frantically to make sure no one was watching them, especially his brother or new sister-in-law, but no one seemed to take notice or care about them huddled at the end of the bar. The instant her hands touched his thighs, he almost lost it. And then she had the nerve to smirk at him, her gaze dropping momentarily to his lap. She knew exactly what she was doing, and so he stood corrected. Katniss Everdeen knew exactly the effect she had on him.

"That's not a secret either," he finally managed, his voice hoarse as he clenched his hands to keep from grabbing hold of her and dragging her onto his lap. Instead, he reached for his beer bottle, tipping it back to bring some much-needed moisture to his throat. Too bad for him it was somehow empty.

"Well, good thing we cleared that up then," she said in a low, breathy voice as her fingers continued to creep up his thighs. Just another inch to the left, he silently begged as his eyes fell shut. But just when he thought she'd heard his silent plea, her hands fell away and the sense of loss was instant. Still hopeful but unsure, he waited a few seconds before his eyes snapped back open just in time to catch her turn on her heel, the skirt of her dress fluttering around her toned calves.

What the...oh hell no. Did she honestly think she was getting away from him that easily?

Peeta glared at her retreating form but just as he was about to jump off his seat and chase after her, he stopped short. Glancing down, he noticed something orange poking out of his pocket and his eyes went wide. Thankfully, he had just enough presence of mind to set his beer bottle back down before shoving his hand into his pocket. The moment his fingers made contact with the warm yet slightly damp scrap of lace, he choked back a groan. Visions of sexy orange lace and those naked legs of hers wrapped around his hips sent him rising to his feet.

Something—other than his dick—told him that if he didn't follow her now, he'd be making the biggest mistake of his life. His instincts had gotten him this far in life, so why ignore them now? Because she deserves better than a one-night stand, Rye's voice taunted him again. Well, so did he and it was about damn time he did something about it.

Glancing up, he noticed that Katniss had halted her retreat, no doubt wondering why in the hell he wasn't following her. Lifting an eyebrow, she shot him a challenging smirk. "You coming?"

Flashing her a cocky grin in return, he made a show of tucking her panties into his shirt pocket. He was coming alright, and so was she. Multiple times, if he had anything to do with it.

BREAK

Author's Note: Hello! Since this story is complete, I didn't want to make you all wait too long for an update. I hope you liked seeing things from Peeta's perspective this time and as I'm sure you've all figured out, the "M" for mature rating will be in full effect for the next chapter *wink wink* As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments and thank you so much for taking the time to read!

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