Floating in the water… a kiss?

They spend the next hour cooling down in the river.

As they float in the cool water, Katniss feels Peeta's body pressing against hers, his skin slick and warm. She can sense his eyes continuously glancing back at her body, the way they lingered on her barely-covered curves. It makes her feel exposed, **** in a way that has nothing to do with her state of undress.

She shifts slightly, trying to put some distance between them. But Peeta's hand finds her waist, his fingers digging into her skin as he pulls her closer.

“Peeta,” she warns, her voice low and tense.

But Peeta doesn't seem to hear her, his other hand coming up to cup her cheek. His thumb brushes over her lower lip, a gesture that sends a shiver down her spine.

“Katniss,” he breathes, his voice rough with desire. “You're so beautiful. I haven’t... I haven’t stopped thinking about you.”

Within her, there’s a small, traitorous part, that wants to give in, to let herself drown in the sensation of his touch. She's so tired of fighting, of being alone. And right now, in this moment, Peeta feels like the only solid thing in a world that's constantly shifting beneath her feet.

She leans in, her lips brushing against his in a feather-light kiss. Peeta makes a sound low in his throat, his hand tightening on her waist as he deepens the kiss.

Katniss loses herself in the sensation, in the taste and feel of him. But even as she does, a small voice in the back of her mind screams at her to stop, to remember where she is and what's at stake.

With a gasp, she breaks the kiss, shoving Peeta away. He looks at her, his eyes wide and confused, his chest heaving with exertion.