A Waking Nightmare (TNHID Book 2)

Chapter 10

Katniss

Peeta's deep blue eyes lock with mine and I motion him forward. He pats Willow's shoulder and steps outside the door.

"What is it?" he asks quietly, looking around for peacekeepers. But the hallway is empty save for the one peacekeeper watching the door.
"We need to say goodbye," I say mischievously, a dangerous glint in my eyes, before grasping his arm and pulling him towards the end of the hallway. He follows me without even asking. "There should be a large storage closet somewhere around... here," I say as I pull open the door.

The place is covered in dust, but it is easily the size of my old house in the Seam. I pull Peeta in and yank the cord hanging from the lightbulb. The light flickers and is dim, but it is good enough for my intentions.

I turn around to look at Peeta, stepping closer to him, tilting my head to look into his blue eyes.

I see Peeta smirk as he understands what I brought him here for. But I begin to speak before he can make a move, knowing that I may not be able to say what I want to otherwise.

"I know that there is a chance that you're not coming back from this. If Willow dies, my guess is that you're as good as dead. Gale will have no use for you anymore, so he can do whatever he wishes. But if Willow wins, he can't just kill the father of the victor." I wrap my arms around his waist. "I doubt that this will be our last goodbye, but just in case..." I lean up and kiss him softly before pulling away.

Peeta quickly closes the gap again and we are one. My body is pressed against his and his tongue is in my mouth. He really is like the dandelions in the spring. No, he is spring itself. All of the life and goodness and warmth. And then I feel myself being pushed against the wall, my leg brushing against a mop bucket. His lips move from mine and trail along my jawline and down the column of my throat. He kisses my neck softly, in the place he knows I am most sensitive.

I take a hitched breath, tilting my head to give him better access. He laughs softly at my gasp and the way my pulse quickens beneath his lips. I hunger for him, wishing that his lips would meet mine again. I loop my fingers in the waistband of his jeans and pull him closer. I tangle my hands in his hair, slowly guiding his face towards mine until his lips press against mine again.

"Kiss me until I forget where I am. Make me forget everything," I whisper against the warmth of his skin.

And he obliges. His hands move against my back, cradling me closer. But it's not close enough.

I lower my hand, fingertips ghosting against the nape of his neck, and pull him tighter to me. I feel Peeta's fingers against the skin of my back, his heated touch leaving chills when they move. But it feels so good. I release a sigh in the back of my throat as we continue in our dance, far away from the rest of reality.

We kiss as if there's no tomorrow. Like we may never have this luxury again. And it is a very real possibility.

I don't know how long we stand there oblivious to the rest of the world. But I finally become aware again when a broom falls to the floor.

I jump and Peeta pulls back quickly. I hear footsteps outside the closet and we both hold our breath. Technically we're not doing anything wrong, but it would still be embarrassing to be discovered like this. The steps fade and I relax.

I slowly begin to realize where I am as I look at the cleaning supplies on the shelves around us. Peeta looks at me, and he is grinning wildly. His hair is a mess, probably from when I was running my hands through it. I know that I must look similar. Peeta's gaze drifts down and he laughs. Confused, I look down and see that my dress is hiked up to the top of my thighs.