A Beautiful Sacrifice

Chapter Twelve

That night Lily sat painting until the sun started to come up. She was very tired by the time she had done but she had got so much further. Cleaning her paint brushes she left the painting to dry and climbed the stairs to her room. Perttu was not there and nor did he come in while she changed and got into the bed.

                It felt very comfortable to lay on the mattress again after days in that chair and she moaned in satisfaction, turning a few different ways to get the comfiest. Her mind wandered to the time when his hands would roam around her body and she would have to be the most intimate with him. She imagined his hands, his long fingers trailing down her body and his body, defined but thin, over her with his face looking down at her face. She pictured that sculpted image of his torso that she herself would like to run her hands over - exploring him as he would her. Well, that was what she imagined but she opened her eyes suddenly, thinking that maybe making love and romance and exploring bodies wouldn’t be in his head. He had heard her married friends talk about sex and not all of them liked it, not all their husband were considerate enough to take the time needed.

                She started to feel apprehensive because not only would she have to bare her body to him, but she longed for that passion. She wanted to enjoy it and she was worried it wouldn’t be like that. They barely knew each other so in her eyes she couldn’t imagine how they could be so… attentive to each other’s bodies. They had not been close; they had sat together, talked together, he had led her places and they had laughed a little when he showed her around the house but they had yet to be close to each. To even kiss and she found herself not only wondering at what it would be like, but longing, desiring, to kiss him. She wanted to be close so close as to make love to him. He was a very desirable man and the little time she had spent with him had showed her a side to him she had never expected.

                Her prejudice of him being a monster was disappearing, slowly but still fading. She wondered now if her prejudice would turn out be right in that intimate department. The more she thought of these things the more she tossed and turned in the bed. Whatever was to happen, it would be better than the forceful transformation. She had to keep thinking about that. She had to hope that it would be an experience she would not want to shun afterwards.

She woke to the smell of bacon. Thinking that it was Perttu she took a deep breath before opening her eyes but she was surprised to see Berneice. Her future step mother in law was carrying a plate and a glass.

“I made you breakfast.”

“Oh, you didn’t need to,”

“I wanted to, here eat up before it goes cold.”

“Thank you.”

                Lily sat up in bed and pushed her hair from her face before accepting the plate. Berneice really was a good cook and she cleared the plate in no time at all.

“It’s nice that you like my cooking. Right then dear, go get washed and dressed; me and you are going out.”

“Going out? Where to?”

“A little town just down the road. You may like there.”