"Is there something wrong with your dinner, Sarah?" Reverend Seth Watson asked his nineteen year old daughter. She had been home from her first year of college for nearly a week and he had yet to see her eat more than three or four bites of anything.
"No, Daddy, it's fine. I'm just not hungry. I ate a big lunch." She continued pushing the mashed potatoes and meat loaf around on her plate. At that moment her stomach rumbled lightly and she blushed.
"Sarah," Seth cupped her chin and lifted her face to look into her eyes. "You know better than to lie to me. You've barely eaten anything since you got home. What's going on?" He refused to let her look away, even as a tear slipped down her cheek.
"I'm too fat, Daddy," she finally replied. "None of the guys I met this year wanted to go out with me, and–" she took a deep breath, "one of them even mooed at me."
"Oh, Sarah." Seth patted her hand. His wife, God rest her, had always complained he wasn't affectionate enough with the children, but as a third generation pastor he had been raised to always conduct himself in a manner that was above reproach. If he were always hugging and kissing Sarah and her older brother Gideon, the church members might say he was molesting them secretly.
"You are beautiful just the way you are. I'd rather have you a little on the plump side than stick thin with ribs sticking out. I don't know why anyone would find that attractive." For the first time since her body had begun to blossom at twelve he let himself look at her closely. She still kept her chocolate brown hair straight and long, nearly to her waist. Her green eyes were clear and intelligent, her face perfectly symmetrical with a nose the tilted up just a bit at the tip and lush deep pink lips. And yes, she was heavier than the average girl, but her curves were really just the icing on the cake. She could have been Ruben's muse. She reminded him very much of her mother at the same age, when he'd met and married her, and the memory caused a stirring in his loins. Quickly he squelched it and sent up a prayer asking for forgiveness, then blamed the lapse in control on the fact that he hadn't looked at another woman seriously since his wife's death three years earlier, not on the fact that his daughter was exactly the kind of girl that had always aroused him.
"No more of this starvation nonsense," he said sternly. "In addition to the dangers to your health, vanity is a danger to your spirit. Besides, you don't need the distraction of dating while you're still in school. Finish up your meal and then clean the kitchen while I work on my sermon. I'll be at the church until 9 or so."
"Yes, Daddy." Sarah picked up her fork again and he watched for a moment to make sure she was actually eating before he left. He wished now that she had chosen a school closer to home so he could have kept an eye on her, made sure she wasn't negatively influenced by her peers. Seth hated to admit to himself, though, that he was very glad none of the boys she had met had expressed an interest in dating her. It was selfish of him, but he wanted her to be his little girl just a while longer. He had always believed he would be glad to see his children become self sufficient and go out on their own, and when Gideon had graduated college and moved halfway across the country four years earlier he had been. Of course Lara had still been alive and they'd been looking forward to retirement after Sarah graduated college, being able to travel without worrying about the kids.
Seth arrived at his office and settled in behind his desk. As he studied in preparation for his sermon his mind wandered and as if he were watching a film he could see himself bending Sarah over his desk, lifting up her skirt, stroking her beautiful hair as he slipped into her. Forcefully he shook himself out of the image, a part of him extremely reluctant to give up the fantasy. "No," he told himself. "No."
It was nearly midnight before Seth finally returned home. All of the lights were out, except the lamp in the hallway, which he doused on his way to his bedroom. As he passed Sarah's door a scene from the earlier fantasy hit him. Knowing he shouldn't, that he was just begging to be tempted he pushed the door open wider to check on her. This had once been a nightly ritual for him, looking in on her as she slept, making sure she was safe. Then puberty had hit her and he had found himself thinking of her in very non parental ways. He had confessed the thoughts to Lara, who reassured him it was normal and then offered to remove temptation by being to one to check in on the girl at night.
The sight that met him nearly took his breath away. Sarah slept soundly on top of the covers, the window open to let in cool air. She wore a silky night gown, it looked like palest pink in the moonlight, short with spaghetti straps. He wondered how she could think she was too fat as he gazed upon her. Her bare arms looked strong, her shoulders well defined. Seth eyes lingered on her legs. It was the first thing he noticed about women and Sarah's were probably the prettiest he'd ever seen. Just a hint of tan, strong calves, soft fleshy thighs, she shifted and rolled onto her stomach and the gown rode up to expose lacy boy cut panties covering a round full bottom. Seth's penis stood up at instant attention. He knew he would had to leave soon or he might be really tempted to do something he'd regret. Instead of turning to his room though, he went in to sit on the edge of her bed. His hand hovered above Sarah's tush as he fought the urge to caress her, to wake her and indulge in the fantasies he'd had when she first started to develop, the ones he'd punished himself repeatedly for.
"Daddy?" Sarah said sleepily, sitting up as he jerked his hand back, afraid she guessed his lustful, sinful thoughts. He could see sadness in her eyes, hear quiet desperation in her voice. She wanted to be loved.
"You don't need to be thinking about boys right now, Sarah. Males your age can't appreciate you yet, but in a few years they will." He cupped her face in his hands. "You don't need anyone but me for now."
"It's not the same, Daddy," she said softly. "I want to be, well, wanted." She blushed deeply in the dim light. "God created us with needs for the opposite sex, right?"
"Yes," Seth whispered hoarsely, before he gave in to temptation that had been building for six years and kissed her softly, his hands moving from her cheeks to her shoulders to press her back into the mattress. Swearing softly he forced himself to pull away from her. She lay on the bed, gazing up at him, lips parted. He couldn't read the expression in her eyes.
