Page 65 of Penance

Because you like it, the voice in my head whispers.Harlot.

Faster.

Tighter.

I roll my hips, pushing against him.

His fingers slip down again, pumping in and out of me, and then drawing back up and circling again and I feel like I’m flying.

I’m so close.

So. Close.

He slides his tongue around my nipple, harder, his teeth grazing me, and all the while, his fingers never stop their wicked dance.

Finally, he throws me over the edge, and I’m in free fall. I force my thighs apart, as far as they will go. I’m suspended, a bird frozen mid-flight. Something inside me, something that was dormant for too long, has exploded, and I can feel the rush of lava as it flows over me.

And then?

Then…

Nothing.

Draco pulls away from me. He pulls his fingers out of my panties, and I hear the elastic snap back against my skin with a sound that seems so…final.

The room feels suddenly cold, as if something sucked out all the heat. My body still pulses, vibrating and alive, but I am scared and confused.

“Draco?”

I turn to face him, searching for answers. His expression is unreadable, those dark eyes guarded. The pentagram tattoo on his hand seems to mock me as he runs his hand through his hair.

Why did he stop?

Did I do something wrong?

Why doesn’t he want me?

The questions pile up on me until I feel like I’m drowning beneath them. My hand shakes as I reach down and pull the blanket up to my chest, as if it can shield me from the vulnerability that claws at my chest.

“What’s wrong?”

I reach out, touching his arm. I can feel the heat of his skin, and his muscles tensing under my fingers, but he doesn’t pull away.

Draco sighs, a sound that seems to come from deep within him. When he looks up at me, his eyes are narrowed and dark.

“You should get some sleep, Mercy.”

Is he rejecting me? After everything?

I can feel the sting of tears behind my eyes, but I blink them back.

I won’t do that. After everything, I will not cry now.

“But… I thought…”

I can’t even form a coherent sentence, my thoughts scattering like leaves in a storm.

I thought he wanted this.

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