A Game of Cat and Mouse

T H I R T E E N

Annie wasn't sure how long she kissed Elio. It could have been hours. It could have been days. It could have been weeks and she wouldn't have cared because she would have had him. Right now, that was all she needed. 

Sometimes their kisses were intense, fiery passion overcoming them as Elio pressed her against the wall and raked his hands through her hair while she struggled to breathe. He would thrust into her and she would almost come undone at the feeling of it. "Please, mia topolina," he would beg into their mouth during those kisses. "Let me have you. Let me show you what it is like to have me." 

And then he would thrust again and she would gasp while he grunted into her lips. Elio was hungry during those times. Feral, just like he promised. And the longer he did it, the higher the heat inside of her built, the more she was starting to wonder if she was becoming feral too. Because part of her—a part that was growing the more they kissed—wanted to explore these sensations with him, to know what it would be like to be satisfied by Elio. 

Do you like the idea of being mine? The idea that I will make you burn for me as much as I do for you? Well, Annie felt the licks of flames nipping at her ankles and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep them at bay.

Other times, their kisses were slow and lazy. He would wrap his strong arm around her waist and pull her closer while he took his time tasting her. A different sort of desire overcame Annie's brain when they kissed like that, one she couldn't explain. She had never felt anything like it before. All she knew was that she would keep kissing him forever if she could. 

As his lips moved slowly against her, Annie's heart clenched. She leaned into his warm body, noticing not for the first time how much taller than her he truly was. "I love kissing you," he whispered against her lips. "Have I mentioned I love kissing you?"

She bit back a smile. "Once or twice."

"Only once or twice?" His eyes lit up with mischief she was beginning to recognize. The corner of his eyes would crinkle right before he would say something that would make her heart feel like it was going to thud out of her chest. "Well then, Little Mouse, let me say it louder."

"Oh, no. You don't have to—"

But he was already backing away, his arms outstretched as he shouted, "I LOVE KISSING ANNIE!" The sound echoed against the empty black marble of Malfoy Manor. It even made some of the oil lamp flames flicker.

Annie couldn't help it. A giggle burst out of her mouth before she could stop it. Soon, she was holding her hand over her mouth as the lightness of her smile overtook her face.

Elio's eyes widened before he strode over to her, yanking her hand down with a disbelieving look on his face. "You have the most beautiful smile," he murmured, looking at her like he was committing it to memory. "Please don't ever hide it from me."

A light blush came to her cheeks. "Alright." 

"Why don't you smile more?" he asked, cupping her cheek and running his finger over her lips. They still held the memory of her giggling. 

"I don't know... things like that don't come naturally to me."

"Things like what?"

She leaned into his hand for a brief moment before stepping back. "Being normal. Going out. Talking to others. Smiling."

"And yet you've done all of them with me." Annie was about to open her mouth for a rebuttal—to explain that he was different, that anyone couldn't help but be comfortable around him—but he stopped her by closing the gap between them again. "Those things might not come naturally to you. And you might not feel comfortable doing them but that's only because no one has taken two seconds to look at you and see just how utterly wonderful you are. You are worthy of being normal, Annie. Fuck, you're worth way more than that. Do you know how lucky it feels to be the one that your smile is directed at? It's bloody incredible. I feel like the greatest man on Earth now. I hope I can see it a lot more now."