The Hidden Legacy

pulled me up so that my back was tight against his chest. He was filling me up with long, sure strokes that had me shuddering with pleasure. He set the pace and the tone of our lovemaking...slowly and deliberately at first, and then faster and stronger.
I was close. So close to the orgasm of my life. I felt it build and build, and tried one last time to see his face...
The next thing I knew I was sprawled flat on my belly. My head hung off the side of my own bed, and I was staring at the braided blue and yellow area rug on the bedroom floor. I shook my head, and pushed up slowly to my elbows.
“What in the world?” I sat up, patted my chest to make sure I was still clothed, and breathed a sigh of relief when I found that I was in my pajamas. I glanced around the room and reassured myself that I was indeed alone, except for the cat who was sleeping at the foot of the bed. I flopped over to my back against all of the pillows I’d sewn from old scraps of yellow and white quilts, and held up my hand to regard the emerald ring.
I’d never experienced a vision like that, I thought. One that was so vivid...with so much texture, sensation...and damned if it hadn’t seemed real!
I tried to level my breathing, but my body still throbbed and ached from coming so close to that truly epic orgasm—only to have it suddenly interrupted. I ran my hands down and was slightly embarrassed to discover that my panties were damp from my own arousal. I shifted, uncomfortable, on edge, and tried to recall details from the vision.
I had recognized my own room. The yellow painted dresser, my blue and white quilt...When I closed my eyes and tried to focus on any specifics about the man in the vision, it only made me more needy. I tried to recall exactly what he’d whispered in my ear, and to my shock, an orgasm hit me like a freight train.
“Holy shit,” I laughed, panting as the climax ended.
Not sure whether I was delighted or embarrassed by what had happened, I lay there for a moment and caught my breath. Eventually I rolled out of bed, picked up the carved box and set it on my nightstand. I calmly folded back the sheets, hit the lights, and climbed into bed.
After my eyes adjusted to the light of the waxing moon that spilled into my darkened room, I lifted my hand and studied the jewel carefully. The vision had to be of the future, because I hadn’t had a lover in years...or one who’d ever given me that much pleasure.
“The problem is,” I decided, “I have no idea what that future lover even looks like.”
Sam walked up me and leaned into my face. “Then again, Sam, that might be for the best.” I patted the cat’s head absently. “Knowing too much about your own future can cause all sorts of problems.”
The cat didn’t have anything to add to my monologue, instead he made himself at home on my chest while I mulled it over. Well, the ring was certainly living up to its reputation...and wouldn’t it be something if I ended up having a sexy little adventure? Me, Hannah Osborne Pogue. Single mother, and all around practical Witch.
I fell asleep still wearing the poesy ring, smiling over the possibilities.

CHAPTER THREE
The next morning I woke to a bright sunny day, and was more relaxed than I’d felt in weeks. When I remembered why, it made me chuckle. I hopped out of bed, secured the poesy ring back in its carved box, charmed it into concealment again, and headed for the showers.
I dropped Eli off to spend the day with my dad and drove straight to the office. The two story building was directly across the street from my parent’s spice shop on Maple Street. Fox Investigations had been in business for six years—and I’d been my best friend Edmund’s assistant for five of them. Edmund Fox and I had grown up together, our families were close friends, and while he wasn’t a magickal practitioner, his mother was.
I’d started out as a part-time clerk when I’d been pregnant with Eli, answering phones, filing and doing some computer work. As time had gone by, I’d begun to consult with Edmund on his cases using my particular witchy talents. I had a nose for the truth and for lies, and as my friend had discovered, my clairolfaction abilities came in very, very, handy in his line of work.
For five years it had been only Edmund and me, but that was about to change. Good news? Business was booming, I was now full-time and he was expanding. Bad news? Edmund had recently decided to take on a partner. All I knew of the partner was, he was an old college friend of Edmund’s, and that he used to be a cop. I still hadn’t found out why his friend was no longer on the force. I was currently debating on whether or not running a background check on the new partner would be ethical.
I unlocked the door, disengaged the security system and went directly to my desk in the front office. I tucked my purse away, turned up the air conditioning, and headed for the back. Above me, I could hear Edmund in his apartment, and a few minutes later he was bounding down the back stairs and into the kitchenette.
“Morning handsome,” I called out.
“Morning gorgeous.” He skidded to a halt in front of his coffee maker. “You look nice today. Is that a new dress?”
I glanced down at my sky blue, knee-length summer dress. “It is. I got it online for a great price.” I answered. The dress was swingy with the cold shoulder style.
“You found that dress online?” His dark eyes grew wide. “That’s fabulous, Hannah. I don’t know how you always find such great stuff