Author's note: This is becoming smuttier than I was planning on and I'm not complaining. I hope you aren't either. lol. Things are moving along pretty quickly, so I think this will only have a few more chapters. But I hope you enjoy the ride. ;)
You can find me on Tumblr at booksrockmyface if you want to talk or flail or to get little mini previews of this or my other stuff.
Happy reading!
Chapter Eight
Haymitch sat in front of Iris. He had a cup of tea in his hand, quickly growing cold. She'd actually made it for him, but that was it. She sat and stared at him. Not speaking except to answer his questions in as few syllables as possible.
"So, do you need anything?" He asked, not for the first time.
"Mm, no." She stood and shuffled to the thermostat and pushed a few buttons. "It's so cold."
"You should put on a sweater."
She shrugged and sat back down on the couch. "Why can't you just let me go?" She finally asked in despair.
"Because you're more important than that, Iris. Don't you know? Don't you care?"
"Caleb left. He didn't care."
"Caleb was killed in a very unfortunate work accident. He didn't do it on purpose. And you're trying to. Don't you see the difference?"
"You and Katniss can take care of Prim. I'm useless here, Haymitch. Just another mouth to feed. Why won't any of you just let me go?"
"If you really wanted to off yourself, Sister, you'd've done it already. There's some part of you that wants to live. So, please, stop threatening. Follow your program. Get in there and cook supper for your girls. Go work in your garden. Take your medication and don't stay in bed all day. You don't have to do a lot, but you do have to do something. You're fine. Your girls are fine. And Caleb wouldn't want this for you."
The corner of her mouth twitched up. "You haven't called me 'Sister' since we were kids."
He smiled. "Remember when we used to run around playing like we were cowboys?"
"You always made me be the damsel in distress. Just once I wanted to be the bad guy." She looked down at her hands. "I guess I got what I wanted."
He moved beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You got out of bed today. We're having an actual conversation. You're not a bad guy, Iris. You're recovering. You may never be cured, but you can at least learn to overcome some of the struggles."
She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder. "I've been such a horrible person."
"No, you haven't. You're sick. You aren't responsible for any of this. Do you understand me?"
She sat up and looked at him. "I want to get better for them."
"Good. You do that." He looked up at the clock. "Katniss and Prim should both be home soon, right?"
She nodded.
"I'll order some pizza." He smiled. "Extra mushrooms and anchovies on yours?"
She smiled. "Make sure to have extra bell peppers on yours."
He kissed her temple. "Just pepperoni and sausage all around."
"Prim likes veggie now."
He rubbed her back. "She does. See? You're here now. With them. You're paying attention."
"I'll get better."
"You already are." He pulled his phone out of his pocket. He was just dialing the number for the pizza place when Effie's number popped up. He answered it and hurried into the other room. "Hey."
"Hey, handsome. What are you doing tonight? The answer better be me."
He laughed. "Maybe after while. I'm eating with my family."
"Oh." Her voice dropped. "But we can get together later?"
Haymitch looked into the living room where Iris was now reclined on the couch. "Want some pizza? Meet my family?"
"Are we there yet? We've only been sleeping together for a short time."
"Maybe I want to pretend you like me for more than my body."
"Well, I do. You were the one who said we had to keep this a secret."
"So you want to come over?"
"I better not."
"Meet me at my place tonight, at least? I always feel uncomfortable when Cinna's around."
"But your bed is lumpy." She pouted. He could picture her with her lip poked out adorably.
"That just means you get to be on top."
Someone cleared their throat and Haymitch swung around to see Prim standing in the doorway.
"Haymitch?" Effie asked. "You still there?"
"Uh, yeah." He cleared his throat, embarrassment flooding him. "I'll see you later."
"Yeah, later."
Haymitch hung up and went back to dialing the pizza place. "Veggie lover's pizza, a pepperoni and sausage, and some cheese sticks? Sound good to you for supper?"
Prim laughed and shook her head in disbelief. "You're a riot."
"The pizza, Prim."
"Yeah, veggie. Thanks." She walked away, laughing.
He cursed under his breath and made the order. Katniss came in a short time later and went straight to the bathroom with a backward wave to the bunch. The shower started a moment later.
"Pizza will be here in a half hour." He smiled at Prim. "How was practice today?"
"Tiring. We just ran drills the whole time."
Iris shook her head. "I don't know how to work this one, sweetheart." She passed the book back to Prim. "Maybe Katniss knows. She's better at math. Like your father was."
Prim rested her head on her shoulder. "It's fine, Mom." She closed her book. "I'll just do it later." She wrapped her arms around her mother's waist. "Mama, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Primrose." Iris said as she returned her daughter's embrace. "I love you. Don't ever forget."
"I won't."
Haymitch turned on the TV and started surfing through the channels. He settled on a reality show just as Katniss emerged from the bathroom braiding her wet hair.
"Did I hear you say pizza?" She asked.
"Yep." He put down the remote.
"Guess what I heard?" Prim said as Katniss settled on the last chair.
"What's that?" Her sister asked.
"Haymitch was talking dirty with his girlfriend in the kitchen."
Haymitch turned and glared. "I was not."
"You told someone they could be on top. Of what?" She gave him a wicked grin.
Katniss laughed. "This your model girlfriend?"
"She's not currently a model." He said.
"But she was a model at some point."
"She's not really my girlfriend, either."
Iris asked, "So you're sleeping with a former model?"
"How did you even meet her?" Katniss asked. "You're at work, home, and here. Did your eyes meet over the potatoes at the grocery store?"
He chuckled uncomfortably. "I'm not supposed to be seeing her. She was a patient at the center."
There was a shocked silence in the room. Iris started laughing. It was a soft series of giggles at first and then turned into a deep belly laugh. It became infectious and the girls quickly joined her. Even Haymitch started laughing at the sound of his sister's sudden joy.
Iris finally gasped out, "You have a forbidden girlfriend. A regular Romeo."
He shook his head. "She's not my girlfriend."
The doorbell rang. Katniss answered it and ushered the pizza delivery girl in. Haymitch got up and handed her the payment and sent her on her way.
"No more teasing, please." He finally said.
Katniss said, "Maybe for today at least."
He shook his head and sat down to eat his slices.
Effie walked past Haymitch after he opened the door and straight toward his bedroom. She shed her shoes and shirt as she went. She looked over her shoulder to make sure he was following and then dropped her skirt just outside his bedroom door. She hopped on the bed and crawled across it, giving him a great view of her backside just barely covered in white panties.
He removed his shirt outside the door. He walked in and shed his pants. He stepped behind her and rubbed a hand over her bottom. "I have a lovely idea."
She looked over her shoulder. "I think I like your idea." She sat up and wrapped her hands around his head. She rubbed against him. "You're ready already."
"You bet your sweet ass I am." He slid her panties down and nipped at her shoulder. "Lean forward."
She turned her head and kissed him softly before she leaned forward on her hands once more. She watched him over her shoulder as he prepared himself. He took hold of her thighs and pulled them apart. Her head fell forward as he guided himself in.
"Oh, yeah." She sighed.
He moaned deeply. "You always feel so good."
"Tell me how good." She pushed back.
He chuckled and started moving. "You know I don't do that. You do the talking."
"You like when I talk." She purred as she moved with him.
"Hmmmmm."
"That's nice." She moaned. "That's so nice. You should go faster."
He grunted and complied.
"Yeah, that's it." She gasped. "Already? Damn it!" She cried out over and over as she came.
He continued to pound into her. He dug his fingers into her hips as he plunged in harder. He grunted and moaned.
"You gonna come or what?" She finally asked sweetly.
That sent him over the edge and he let out a primal yell as he met his climax. He held her still a moment and then let her go.
With a heavy sigh, Effie fell forward on the bed. She pulled herself up to the top of the bed and wrapped her arms around the pillow as she pressed her face into it. Haymitch joined her on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.
She turned her head and asked, "Were you serious about be meeting your family earlier or were you just testing the waters?"
He shrugged. "Don't know. It just came out. I was trying to be nice."
"So you don't want me to meet your family?"
He was silent for a moment. He looked over. "We're not dating."
"Right. We're just fuck buddies, right? Because it's against the rules for us to date. And it's highly recommended that a person getting treatment doesn't engage in any new relationship while still in the early stages of recovery. But here I am recovering and sleeping with you and making you dinner and we're not supposed to do any of it. So the question comes down to what's more important, getting laid or risking your job?"
"What do you want to know, Effie?"
"I want to know if you'll go out with me. On a real date. To a restaurant or a bar or the zoo. Do something besides meet up to screw for a few hours a night. Something where neither of us has to slink away in shame before the sun comes up."
He watched her a moment and then nodded. "Okay. What would you like to do?"
"Dinner and a movie. You pick me up at my place and take me out on the town and you drop me off before midnight and you come home."
"Alone?"
"Yes." She moved closer to him. "Then I'll sneak back over and spend the night."
"Sure."
"Sure what?"
"I want it. Let's do it. Friday."
"Okay. Friday."
He smoothed her hair away from her face. "But you can stay all of tonight. You don't have to slink away in shame."
"I don't have any clothes here besides the ones I wore."
"I don't care. And you don't have to start work until ten. I go in at nine. You have plenty of time to go home and shower. And have a gab session with Cinna before you start."
She sat up and took off her bra and threw it off the side of the bed. "You know you're sweeter than most people give you credit for." She draped herself over his chest. "All that gruff attitude you give everyone is to keep them away, isn't it? Because if you show everyone how kind you are, everyone will come out of the woodwork begging you for help."
"Maybe."
"You're a good help anyway." She kissed his shoulder. "You're so hot." She trailed kisses down his chest. She paused and trailed her fingers over a scar on his side. "Why won't you tell me how you got this?"
"It's nothing." He smoothed his hand over her hair. "A silly accident."
The way he said "accident" made her think he wasn't being truthful. She let it go and continued to move her mouth lower. She took his cock in her hand and quickly stroked it back to life. She licked him base to tip. She took the tip in her mouth and swirled her tongue around it as she stroked the length.
She kept her eyes on his as she lowered her head. She maintained eye contact as she worked her mouth over him. He smoothed his hands over her hair. She smiled and bit her lip as she stroked him with her hand.
"You like that?"
He smiled. "Do you ever stop talking?"
"Do you want me to?"
He shook his head.
"Tell me wat you want."
"That." He gasped. "It's working."
She lowered her mouth on him once more, taking him deeper.
"Effie, that's—ah, it's nice. But work higher."
She removed her mouth and licked her lips before she returned her attention to his cock. She slowly ran her tongue around the tip, keeping her eyes locked with his.
"Yeah." He sighed and dropped his head back on the pillow. He gasped again and thrust up.
She quickly moved away and watched twitching of his body as he came. He let out a string of curses and then relaxed on the bed.
"You are good." He sighed.
"So are you." She ran her hand up his torso, smearing the mess further.
He laughed. "Now tell me what you want."
Effie bit her lip and shrugged. "I don't know."
Haymitch grabbed her hand and tugged. "Tell me."
She watched him a moment. Then she moved forward. "Stay right where you are."
He smiled as she moved to sit on his upper chest. "I like your way of thinking." He grabbed her hips and pulled her forward.
She grabbed onto the headboard as his tongue made contact with her clit. She let out a soft sigh. "That's wonderful." She rotated her hips and grabbed a fistful of his hair. She looked into his eyes as his tongue and lips brought her closer and closer to the brink. As she stepped over the line, she fell forward. She gasped over and over. She fell over with her feet stuck underneath her.
"You good?" Haymitch asked.
Effie giggled. "Yes. Very." She somehow made her way back to the top of the bed. "Thank you." She reached up and wiped at his chin. "Sorry about that part of it."
He chuckled. "I should probably get myself cleaned up. You've made a mess of me."
"I have. We should take a shower."
"A shower would be nice." He got up and headed for the door. He looked over his shoulder. "Coming?"
"I sure hope so." She got up and dashed out of the room ahead of him. A laugh drifted back to him.