Eve felt hot in the later afternoon sun.
With her spear in hand she stepped away from the group and towards the woods.
A rough hand on her wrist stopped her. "Where are you going?"
"Down to the river." She said blankly. "I need to cool off."
Cato laughed. "Not alone."
She pulled her wrist from his large hand. "You think I can't handle myself?"
"You're a flight risk." He said. "I don't want to have to go find you again."
"Then don't." She said, turning on her heals and heading towards the tree line.
He jogged to catch up to her. "You know what? I think I could use a swim too."
She rolled her eyes and her fists clenched at the smirk on his face. She wanted to knock it straight off.
Eve didn't fight as he stepped in line beside her with his sword swinging lazily at his side. There was no arguing with the man when his mind was set.
It would be an admirable trait, had it been anyone else.
She found the small river quickly and closed her eyes, letting the sounds of the running water sooth her tired mind.
"Cato!" She yelled as his arms wrapped around her stomach.
He plucked her straight off the ground and started running across the large boulders that lined the river. She clung to his large shoulders as he jumped into the air and they both disappeared beneath the water.
It was freezing cold, sending a surge through her body. She found the muffled feeling of the water's weight around her familiar, but Cato's hands weren't. They pushed her up to the water's surface and she took in a gasp of air.
She struggled out of his grasp and let her strong legs tread against the water and her heavy clothes.
"You asshole." She splashed him before swimming to shore.
"What?" He laughed. "I thought you wanted to cool off?"
"Yeah, not in my clothes." She mumbled, pulling her soaked shirt over her shoulders.
Cato was quiet as she peeled off the black cargo pants that seemed to mold to her skin.
He was two seconds away from pulling himself out of the water helping her out of the rest of the stupid material that covered her from his eyes.
She laid them out in the sun to dry and turned back to the water.
Cato was still treading water where she left him, drinking in the sight in front of his eyes.
"Take a picture it'll last longer." She called out, ringing the stray water from her hair.
"I wish I could." Cato was sure there would never been a better sight in front of his eyes.
Even as she rolled her eyes a laugh escaped her mouth.
God, he loved that sound.
Her face grew serious when she noticed the frantic look on his face. His head started to bob in and out of the water and her heart began to race.
"Help!" With one straggled cry he disappeared under the water.
Without skipping a beat she plunged into the river. The murky water was hard to see through, unlike the ocean she was used to.
Dread filled her gut as she searched for the man who had disappeared. Her hand grasped a large forearm and she pulled his massive body out of the water. She fought against the weight of his limp body and the water below her as she dragged him up on the rocks.
His eyes were shut and his breathing was shallow.
"Shit." She hissed, tapping his face lightly with her hand. "Wake up."
She told herself that the only reason she wanted him awake was because the other careers would try to kill her if he was dead. The other reason was far scarier to think about than death.
She held her ear to his mouth, praying she would feel his breath on her skin.
Nothing.
"Damn it Cato." She grabbed his face and lowered her lips to his.
She blew into his mouth and was more than surprised when he blew right back.
With a yelp she jerked her head away.
He sat up to laugh hysterically at the girl who just tried to save his life.
"If you wanted a kiss all you had to do was ask." He grinned. "No need to wait till I'm unconscious."
"That was mean!" She yelled, slapping his chest.
"No, this is mean." He said, grabbing her waist in his large hands.
"Put me down!" She kicked and slapped at him, but it was no use. He threw her straight back into the water.
She swam back to the surface and spit the fresh water from her mouth. "Asshole!"
He pulled his wet shirt from his back and threw it to the ground. She watched his muscles ripple as he pulled the belt from his waist.
His stomach tensed as he twisted himself out of his pants, making something stir deep in Eve. She wondered what his skin felt like when it tensed like that.
She didn't get much time to marvel at the man in only his underwear before his body was hurdling towards her.
She ducked under the water, missing the giant splash that followed his plunge.
When she resurfaced he was standing in the middle of the river with a bright smile on his face.
Standing?
"You can touch?" Her mouth fell open as she treaded against the water.
"Would you have come back in to save me if you knew I could?" He grinned.
"Of course not." She scoffed.
"Then I'm glad I lied." His smile was enough for her to forget why she was mad.
His eyebrows furrowed as he watched her tread against the water. "You can't touch?"
"I'm fine." She said.
He brushed off her comment as he closed the distance between them, pulling her into his steady arms. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I don't mind."
Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist and her hands rested on his broad shoulders.
Her fingertips ran over the deep dips in the muscles on his shoulders, trying to memorized everything about them.
He was a work of art. A finely tuned machine meant for one thing. Violence. To use those muscles to stake his dominance over any and every force that threatened his victory.
"Better?"
Her stomach was turning and she felt even hotter than before. "Not particularly."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" His breath fanned over her neck and goosebumps rose seconds later.
"Put me down." She said, pushing away from him.
His hands tightened on her. "Are you sure that's what you want?"
No. "Yes."
She was so close to him she felt like she couldn't breathe. She was acutely aware of every part of his body that was touching hers. From his hands firmly holding the soft flesh behind her hips to the way her inner thighs rested against his pelvis.
She wished things were different. She wished he wasn't a homicidal maniac.
"If it got down to just us, would you kill me?" She didn't want to hear his answer, but the question left her mouth none the less.
His eyes trailed over her face and down to her collarbone, tracing it lightly with his index finger. "Let's hope one of us is dead before it comes to that."
To any sane person, that answer would cause repulsion. But to Eve, it somehow made her feel okay. Sure one of them would be dead, but the thought of him not wanting to be the one to kill her was comforting in her twisted mind.
She wouldn't kill him. That became very clear to her when she had the opportunity in the woods. She was angrier than ever before. All she saw was red, yet she couldn't take his life.
"I'll take it." She whispered and a smile lined his mouth.
"The others might be getting worried." He said. "We should head back."
"Yeah."
His eyes darted to hers. "Unless you don't want to."
She smiled as she felt her heart skip a beat. "We should head back."
As she grabbed her dry clothes from the rocks Cato stopped her. His hand trailed over her arm, stopping at a scabbed over cut. "What's this from?"
"You."
His eyebrows furrowed and his hand ran up her shoulder to trace the black and blue bruises on her neck. "And these?"
"You." Her heart was racing. Why was it racing?
His fingers trailed under her bra strap, leaving goosebumps to follow not far behind. Both of his large hands were wrapped around her arm when he pulled it up into the air.
She froze as his breath fanned over her skin. His lips brushed against her before stopping at the sore cut. "I'm sorry."
She didn't speak. She didn't think it was physically possible at the moment.
He didn't seem to mind as he moved closer. He slouched his shoulders down to be able to hold his face above her neck.
"And for these." His lips gently pressed against the bruised skin.
His gentle kiss sent a tingling feeling from the spot and over the rest of her body, settling in her chest.
She wasn't sure what to say. So she said the only thing on her mind. "Cato."
Eve felt his chest rise as his nose fell into the crook of her neck. "What did I tell you about saying my name like that?"
"If I'm being honest I can't think much of anything right now." Her voice came out in a single breath as she closed her eyes.
"Good." His hushed voice rumbled against her skin. "I don't ever want you to stop saying my name."
He bit down on her neck and her mouth fell open. "Cato-"
"Just like that." He said as he peppered her neck in light kisses.
His hand grabbed the base of her neck, forcing her eyes to his.
She was stuck in his gaze as his fingers pressed into her skin. "I'm not gonna hurt you ever again."
She wished it could be true. But the frown that pulled at the sides of her mout knew the truth. "Don't make promises you can't keep."
"All my life I believed one thing," He trailed off, rubbing a strand of her hair between his fingers. "Then you show up."
Her heart was pounding in her ears as her eyes met his. They looked different. As if the late afternoon sun had pulled something from deep inside.
She didn't back away when he leaned closer.
"Marvel wants to know what the plan is." Eve almost had a heart attack at the sound of Clove's voice.
She pushed away from Cato, suddenly feeling like she had been doing something very wrong.
Eve felt self conscious as she stood in front of the girl's burning gaze in nothing but her underwear. She wasn't sure why she cared what the homicidal manic thought, but she did.
"We'll be right there." Cato called out as he pulled on his pants.
Clove disappeared back into the woods and Eve sighed in relief.
"Aww, I didn't realize you were shy." He grinned, pulling his shirt over his head.
"I can't believe she saw that." Eve shook her head.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all of Panem saw that." He whispered, not hiding the grin on his face.
"Awesome."