Page 92 of Penance

Her eyes dart around the room, looking for answers in cabinets, the gleaming silver fixtures. The ceiling, even.

She finds none.

“This,” she says, finally meeting my gaze. “Us. Last night. Now, church?”

Her voice cracks on the word, like it’s a sacred ground she’s not sure she should tread on.

Not with me, anyway.

She wants to fuck me, but she doesn’t want to be seen with me.

A laugh escapes me, cold and sharp. It echoes in the kitchen, bouncing off the hard surfaces.

“You came to me last night, Mercy.”

“I… I don’t mean that,” she stammers, her voice barely audible. Her eyes are glassy, and I can see the struggle within her. It’s written all over her face, in the blush that creeps up her cheeks, the way she chews her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Why won’t you touch me?” she asks.

She’s adorable when she’s conflicted, her brows furrowed, eyes shining with unshed tears, shaking.

I snort a laugh.

“I won’t?” I ask, cocking my head to the side. “I ate your fuckin’ pussy last night, Mercy. Or did you forget?”

Her blush deepens, spreading down her neck, across her collarbone. I can see it even in the low light of early dawn streaming in through the edges of the blackout curtains.

She opens her mouth to respond, but no words come out. Instead, she looks away, swallowing hard.

“No, I don’t mean—” she swallows hard again. “Why won’t you… sleep with me?” Her hands come together in front of her, and she wrings them hard enough that I hear the knuckles crack and pop, even from across the room.

I shake my head.

“You don’t want me, Mercy. You’re just desperate.”

Her face falls, and a tear slips free.

Just one.

“I do want you, Draco,” she whispers.

“Do you?”

She nods.

“Prove it.”

“How?” she asks. “What do you want me to do?”

“What do I want, Mercy?” I repeat. “I want you to prove it.”

“H-how?”

“Beg for me. Get down on your knees and crawl. Beg for it, Mercy.”

She does what I ask without a second thought, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised. She drops down to her knees, staring up at me, and I’m seconds away from losing it.

“Please, Draco,” she whispers, slowly moving towards me. “Please?”

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