Guardian Girl (The Chronicles of Staffordshire) by NC Simmons Page B

city, probably right here in New York. One day we will leave our firms, join forces, and open our own practice."
    Lenore paused, opened her eyes, and smiled at Lena. "One of us will get married… To a wonderful man she will love with all the love a woman can offer. Then the other of us will get married and it will be like something out of a storybook. We will be at each other's houses all the time, with dozens of children running throughout our homes.”
    Lenore pressed the knuckles of her left hand to her mouth, letting slip an embarrassed giggle as she delivered her epilogue.
    "And we will make out when nobody is looking! And we will compare naughty notes about how we make love to our husbands. Our children will be like cousins and our families will grow old together. And… And if one of us becomes sick, the other will be at her bedside, holding hands with her and lifting her through her struggle.”
    By the time Lenore completed her monologue, Lena's eyes were pancake-sized, her jaw gaping and slack, her eyes streaming with tears.
    "Oh… Is that all?" Lena asked.
    "Well, I could go on, but it might overwhelm you… my beautiful, amazing Wild Child." Lenore grinned. Lena giggled nervously.
    It was a wondrous, captivating dream, overflowing in Lena’s heart, whetting her craving for the soul of a lover. It was fantasy, utterly impossible in a world where such dreams seemed unattainable for straight couples, let alone two thrown-together-by-fate girls.
    "Lenore, I just need you to promise me something."
    Lenore reached her arm around Lena and pulled her close. Lena rested her head on Lenore's shoulder.
    “Ask me anything, Wild Child.”
    "Promise me that all we’ll do is make out. Please. I really want to save myself for a husband, Lenore. I love you, but… But… I… I really want a husband, Lenore. Please. I want a husband someday.”
    "I promise you, Lena, I will not use my ‘freaky supermodel looks’ to make you do anything you do not want to do. Beyond that, I cannot promise you that my freaky supermodel looks will not seduce you anyway." Lenore winked.
    Lena stifled an enormous yawn. “You know what, Lenore… I’m exhausted… And I feel a little… Weird. A little… I don’t know… Lonely. But not lonely. It feels so good in your arms, but… I feel really confused. Would you mind if I just laid down here with you and cuddled for a while before I went back to my bed?”
    “Why not sleep here tonight, Wild Child?”
    Lena measured Lenore’s virtue, considering the possibility that Lenore perhaps wanted more out of their relationship than Lena could offer.
    “No making out?”
    “No. Not if you don’t want to. I just want to hold you, Lena. I just want to… To protect you. To feel you next to me.”
    “Well… Maybe just for a little while.”
    Lena got up and prepared the room, turning off the lights. Lenore laid on her back, sliding toward the wall, inviting her roommate to snuggle closely. Lena returned to the bed, wriggling and scooching, settling in, her head nestling against Lenore’s shoulder, her lips pressing against Lenore’s cheek in a kiss. The Wild Child’s cleavage split across Lenore’s torso as one arm draped across her roommate’s body. A powerful, bare, left leg wrapped around the model, giving Lenore a small, satisfying resolution to the lust she felt when she scanned Lena’s body during the staring game.
    Pulling the band from Lena’s hair, Lenore let her roommate’s mane fall free. Lenore stroked Lena’s hair with her free hand and kissed Lena’s forehead, whispering, “I love you, Lena… I love you so much…”, sending her the roommate off to sleep with a contented smile on her face.
    Lenore adored Lena as the Paulson sister slumbered. Feeling sleepiness press at her eyelids, Lenore pulled the covers around their shoulders and switched off the light above her bed.
    For the first time since arriving at Paulson, the model student felt herself ready to drift away at