Author's note: WOW! That's all I can say about all the reviews and follows and favorites. There are so many, y'all! Stuff is getting better and better in this. I promise. Like there may be actual sexy times soon. Are your loins properly girded?

Happy reading!

Chapter Nineteen

Katniss stood in front of the door and looked at her watch for the hundredth time. When the knock finally came, she quickly opened the door and pulled Peeta inside. She pressed him against the closed door and kissed him hard on the mouth.

"Why are men so hot when they interact with kids?" She asked against his lips.

He smiled. "You answer the same question about women and I'll answer it about men."

She stepped back and took his hands to lead him to the couch. She sat down and pulled him beside her. She combed her fingers through his hair. "Caleb just eats it up when you give him attention. He's used to Gale and Finnick because they've been around his whole life. But you're new and exciting and you're just so good with him."

He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. His hand rested on her thigh. "I've never seen Cal lights up so much as when she's with you." He opened his eyes. "I wanted to kiss you so much yesterday."

"Well, you're here today."

"Is that an invitation?"

She nodded and leaned in.

He met her the rest of the way. He whispered, "I really like kissing you." He covered her mouth with his in a soft kiss.

She pushed him back on the couch and stretched out over him. She deepened the kiss as she moved her hands down his torso. She wrapped her hands around his hips and held onto him. His hands slowly, almost lazily, explored her back.

He gently cupped her chin as he broke the kiss and moved his lips over her neck. She sighed and returned her mouth to his. Her hand tentatively slid up his shirt. He moaned.

Katniss sat back and straddled his hips. She chewed her lip a moment as she watched him panting beneath her.

Peeta sat up and tangled his fingers in the hair just behind her ear. "What are you thinking?"

"Considering something."

"What?"

"If I want to take my shirt off."

He smiled. He reached behind his head and pulled off his own shirt and dropped it on the floor. He took her hands and kissed each of them. He placed them on his stomach.

She took quite a while running her palms over his torso. He wasn't toned, except for his arms. Must be all the dough kneading. But he was slim. And his skin was so smooth. She leaned forward and nuzzled his neck. She kissed her way up it and caught his mouth in a deep kiss. It was painfully short, however. But she made up for it by pulling her own shirt off and dropping it on top of his.

Peeta's breath caught. He gently ran his hands over the length of Katniss's arms and back up. He touched her nowhere else when he noted the slight discomfort on her face. He pulled her to his chest. "Is this okay?"

"It's fine." She kissed him again. This time it lasted much longer. His mouth tasted sweet and hot and she never wanted to stop enjoying it. She felt warm all over. This was something she hadn't ever gotten to explore. Plenty of times she had been aroused with her former husband, but he had always finished far too quickly and he didn't really care about her needs.

She suddenly broke the kiss and stood. She picked up her shirt and slipped it over her head.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked as he picked up his own shirt and pulled it back on.

"I just started thinking about…" She shook her head. "It's not important. You should get some work done. And I have a few phone calls to make."

He nodded and watched her walk off toward the kitchen. He got to work on the mural. He lost himself in it. The hours passed quickly.

"Hey." Katniss called quietly from the doorway. "Are you going to stay all day?"

Peeta blinked several times as the real world came back into focus. "What time is it?"

"Almost noon. I didn't want to disturb you, but I need to get ready to go to the range and I figure you need to get back to the bakery. But if you want to stay, I'll let you."

He poured the paint he was using back into the bigger bucket. "I would love to just work on this. But I have some couples expecting cakes on their wedding day and they've paid good money." He gathered his brushes and met her at the door. "Let's have dinner tonight."

"With the kids?" She asked as she took a step forward.

"Yes. What would you like? I'll cook."

"I believe it's my turn to cook. I have students nonstop until six and then I have a couple hours break and one more at eight."

"Why so late?"

"College kid. She's got classes and stuff until then. But she's good. She has a big competition coming up, so it's going to be a long one."

"Where does Caleb stay when you work that late?" He walked past her and into the bathroom to rinse his brushes.

"He mostly stays at the range. He can entertain himself and he usually has a blanket stuffed in his backpack so he can curl up in a corner and doze for a while." She shrugged. "It's not ideal, but when Prim was in school, she was only able to help sporadically. So we made plans and ways of him being comfortable there."

"If you ever need, he can spend an afternoon with me. Or even just an hour or two whenever." He sat his brushes off to the side and washed his hands.

"I'm sure Caleb would love it."

"I'm sure he would." He dried his hands. "Can I get a kiss?"

She leaned in. "Let me cook for you and Callie."

"Okay."

She closed the rest of the space between their lips. She broke it with a sigh. "Sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I don't know." She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. She rested her forehead against his. "Why did you kiss Caleb the other day?"

"Because I felt like it." He held her close. "Because I'm starting to really care for both of you."

"You can't, Peeta."

"But I do. And I know you feel the same for me and Cal."

She stepped back just a little, but kept her arms around his neck. "I do. You're really sweet with Caleb and that's always been an important part of letting people into our lives."

Peeta nodded. He picked up the end of Katniss's braid. "If you're ever ready to redefine this, let me know."

"I'm pretty good with this how it is." She kissed him once more and stepped out of his embrace. "You should probably get going."

"I probably should. I'll see you for supper." He walked out of the house and got into the car, feeling like he needed to go home and take a cold shower.

Katniss called Peeta in between clients. It was later than she had expected. One of her athletes had been late and that had affected the rest of the class. She warned the girl, a senior in high school, that she needed to call and reschedule the next time. After a cancellation and a quick pick-up practice from a boy who needed to switch practice time, it was a hellish evening and she was crazily behind.

"Can you do me a giant favor?" Katniss asked.

Peeta chuckled. "I think you owe me one now?"

She laughed. She turned away from Gale when she realized it was almost a giggle. She said, "I meant to get to the store and pick up some things, but I'm running behind. Could you perhaps come get my debit card and a list and pick up some groceries for me?"

"No problem. But I don't really need your card. I can pay for it."

"You'll pay for it, all right." She said seductively.

He growled sexily into the phone. "Is that a promise?"

"You bet your tight ass it is." She whispered.

He laughed. "You're doing some wonderfully uncomfortable things to me, just so you know."

"Yeah, I know." Her voice was now at normal volume and she had composed herself. "And maybe my son can tag along with you? If you're up for it?"

"Oh, yeah! Sign me up!" He laughed. "I'll get Cal and be right there."

"Thank you so much! I'll pay you back tomorrow."

"I'll hold you to that." He hung up.

Katniss hung up and gave some final instruction to her students and told them to pack it in. She walked across the width of the facility and crouched in front of Caleb as he played a game on his tablet. "Hey?"

He didn't look up.

"You need to get the game to a stopping point because Peeta is on his way here to get you to go grocery shopping."

He looked up at that. "Are you serious?"

She smiled. "I am. And then you guys are going back to the house and I will meet you there to make supper."

"Yay!" Caleb shut off his game and started packing up his backpack.

Katniss took a piece of paper from his notebook and a pencil and jotted down a list of ingredients for making chicken fried rice, one of Caleb's favorites.

Her latest archers showed and began to set up. Katniss set up the target while Gale set up some for his clients.

"Hey, so what are you doing?" Gale asked.

"Getting targets ready. What are you doing?"

"I meant with Peeta?"

She shrugged. "I'm making him and Callie dinner tonight."

"Was that him on the phone?"

"Yes."

"Look, I'm not telling you how to live your life, but you need to be careful. And mostly for Caleb's sake."

She looked at her son as he stood by the door waiting anxiously. She looked back toward her friend. "Peeta is our friend."

"Caleb is head over heels for him. I saw it the other day. And do you know what he talked about when we were fishing? Peeta. And he thinks you two are in love. He thinks Peeta is going to be in his life forever."

"You know what? Peeta may be in his life forever. And he may not. But he's here for now. And he's great for Caleb. And I don't guess you've noticed, but he's been great for me too. Callie and I click in the same way Caleb and Peeta click. And he understands the struggle of being a single parent trying to provide the best life for his child."

Gale nodded. "Okay. Just don't be stupid, Katniss." He walked toward the three kids he had waiting and Katniss joined hers.

Peeta came in as the kids were all shooting their first arrows. Katniss spoke to each of them and told them how they needed to fix their shots. They tried again. She pulled a list out of her back pocket and handed it over.

"No specific brands required for any of these, just whatever's cheapest." She pulled out her phone and slipped a debit card out of a slit in the back. "And I'll meet you back at my place."

"What if we get done before you?" He asked.

She slipped the lanyard off her neck and took off a key. She handed it to Caleb. "Don't lose that."

"Yes, Mama." Caleb slipped the key into his pocket.

"See you guys in a little while." Katniss went back to her students.