Matters of the Heart

by Vanessa Devereaux

  Lucy placed her back in the crib and put her finger against her lips to signal for him to be quiet as she tiptoed outside the room.

  She yawned. He wanted to suggest she sleep in his bed so he could hold her, but he thought that maybe that wasn’t such a smart idea because he didn’t want to rush things with her. But the very least he could do was give her a goodnight kiss.

  He pulled her close, knowing she must feel his erection stabbing her belly.

  “Thank you for being so wonderful with my daughter. I don’t know what either of us would do without you.”

  “It’s my job.”

  He kissed her on the end of her nose, getting more tempted by the second.

  “I hope you haven’t forgotten about the play tomorrow. Sadie’s babysitting.”

  He rubbed her back.

  “So is it going to be a date?”

  “I don’t think it should be, do you?”

  He took a deep breath. They’d crossed the line already but he could hear hesitation in her voice.

  “Let’s just leave that as an open question.”

  ****

  Lucy had been in a daze most of the day. When she’d woken she’d actually thought that maybe she’d dreamt the whole thing. Her getting a job as a nanny with a handsome sheriff, the two of them kissing, and then him making love to her in front of a roaring fire.

  She’d gone into town to buy a dress to wear to the play and as she headed down the stairs in it, her stomach felt like it was churning. She stopped on the bottom step when she saw him, in his cowboy boots, shirt, black pants, and tan jacket. The scent of his spicy cologne drifted her way and she went weak at the knees. He turned to look at her, his lower lip dropping like he was about to speak, but nothing coming from his mouth.

  “You look beautiful, Lucy.”

  For the first time in her life she felt like she was.

  The doorbell rang.

  “I hope that’s our babysitter,” said Brad heading toward the door.

  He opened it.

  “Hi Sadie, come in.”

  Sadie smiled at Lucy.

  “Well, don’t you look pretty in that dress.”

  “Thanks for the tickets, and the offer to babysit,” said Brad.

  Lucy lifted Presley out of her playpen.

  “And there’s the little cutie,” said Sadie holding the baby’s hand.

  “She’s been fed and changed so she’s good for at least a couple of hours,” said Lucy handing her to Sadie.

  “Yes, don’t worry about a thing because we girls are going to have lots of fun. Now off you go and stay out as long as you want.”

  Brad held Lucy’s coat for her as she slipped it over her dress. He put his hand on the small of her back as they headed out to the garage and got into his SUV.

  As they backed out of the driveway, she waved back at Sadie who had Presley cradled in her arms pretending to wave to them from the front doorstep.

  “She’s a great lady, and don’t get me wrong I trust her to babysit, but does she strike you as a little odd at times?” said Brad as they headed down the road.

  “Sometimes, but I got the feeling Presley’s going to have the time of her life with her.”

  ****

  Sadie sat Presley on her lap and flicked through the TV channels until she found a movie that looked promising.

  “I do like a good mystery,” she told the baby. “And how do you think your daddy and Lucy are doing at the play? I’ll let you into a secret. I’ve placed a little spell on them tonight so things should kick into high gear. Just think Presley, Lucy could soon be your new mother. Oh, I’m so excited.”

  Presley giggled and fingered Sadie’s necklace.

  “Oh you like this,” she said lifted it up so the light caught it, sending images dancing around the room that held the baby spellbound. Presley mumbled and put her hands up and fingered the air as if she was trying to catch each one of them.

  “I’d get you one of these but they’re just for witches. You like things that spin around, don’t you? Okay, I shouldn’t but how about this?”

  Sadie blinked three times causing the toys in Presley’s play pen to lift up into the air. The doll, her teddy bear, and rag doll began dancing and circling as her and Presley sat on the couch.

  The baby giggled and reached out for them as they waltzed by.

  Sadie burst out laughing too. “You’re having so much fun, but thank goodness that you’re too young to remember this or I’d get in lots of trouble. But I’m always in lots of hot water.”

  Sadie blinked again and the teddy bear and doll faced one another danced together. Presley’s eyes grew wider and then she mumbled and began sucking her fist as the pair began waltzing around the room.

  “Just think if you were a witch, you’d already be in training,” said Sadie.

  She was about to blink again and have other toys join in when a cold shiver went down her spine. She raised her hand and flicked her finger causing the toys to march back to the playpen.

  Sadie stood and held Presley close to her. Her intuition told her there was some sort of danger around. Not for her, but the baby. She walked to window, sensing it was outside but she couldn’t see anything. She was about to head to the kitchen when she had the premonition that someone was coming for Presley.

  “Oh, you sweet baby. I won’t let them. Hold on, my dear.”

  She covered Presley’s eyes. Sadie touched her necklace and was soon in the Witches’ Realm. She walked along the hallway and into the lounge where two witches sat reading.

  “Is that…is that a mortal baby?” one asked.

  Sadie didn’t respond. She knew she’d committed one of the biggest faux pas of the Witches’ House Rules

  The witch stood. “Just what have you done?”

  “The child’s in danger so we need to cast a spell ASAP,” said Sadie.

  ****

  Brad had to admit he wasn’t a fan of plays. He’d never been to the playhouse before but tonight he was enjoying the show. Maybe it was the company that made all the difference.

  He glanced at Lucy. She seemed to be glowing. He put his hand on her knee and squeezed it. She looked at him and smiled.

  A smile that made him go weak at the knees. Lucy slid her hand into his. He curled his fingers around it, allowing their palms to kiss. He really wanted to put his arm around her and pull her close while they watched the rest of the play but didn’t think that would be appropriate in the playhouse. For now, hand holding would have to suffice.

  It was a story about lost loves and finding them again. Usually he’d think this sort of thing just for the ladies, but the words the characters recited pulled on his heart and he found himself even tearing up.

  Shit, he hoped no one saw him when the lights came back on. He’d already run into three people he knew who were also attending the play.

  He wanted the main character to get the girl. He wanted to get the girl, Lucy. Without giving it any thought, he lifted her hand up to his mouth and kissed it. He smelled her perfume, felt her soft skin against his lips, and his heart beat picked up.

  Lucy glanced at him and that’s all it took. He wanted to kiss her but knew he’d have to wait until after the play was over and they were safely back in the SUV.

  How he wished the actors would race through their lines to get to the end. He wanted to make love to her again. A naughty thought came over him. He’d drive them to the number one make out spot in town.

  Pine Ridge Lane

  that over looked the town. When he’d first joined the police department he’d often caught teenagers messing around in cars up there.

  Everyone started clapping and he hadn’t realized that the play was over. He’d been too busy dreaming about what would happen once he got this beautiful lady alone.

  He let go of Lucy’s hand so they too could clap. The lights grew brighter and they gathered up their coats before heading out of the theatre. Brad grabbed her hand again and they walked out to the SUV
like two people who had been lovers forever.

  “I have to say that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” said Brad, opening the door for her. He closed it and rushed around to the driver’s side and got in.

  “It was sort of magical, don’t you think?” said Lucy. “And I saw your eyes water.”

  She touched his face. He grabbed her hand and kissed its palm. They reached across to each other and kissed. He fingered the curls in her hair, which was soft and silky. He loved everything about her.

  “I want to make love to you.”

  “Right here.”

  “Nope, but you’ll see.”

  ****

  Lucy knew they weren’t heading home and at first she wondered if they were going to a hotel, but then as Brad turned onto the road that trailed up the side of the mountain range she knew he had something else in mind.

  As he parked the SUV into what looked like a spot cleared of trees she could see the lights of Pine Ridge twinkling down below them. If this wasn’t romantic she didn’t know what was.

  He turned off the ignition.

  “Aren’t we going to get cold?” she asked.

  “Nope, because there’s going to be lots of physical activity and we’ll use one another’s body heat to keep warm.”

  “I like the sound of that,” she said before he kissed her.

  “I think we should get into the back seat.”

  Brad put his leg over the driver’s seat and got in the back of the SUV and then held Lucy’s hand so she could do the same.

  “How many other ladies have you brought here?”

  “You’re my first and that’s the truth. And you’re going to be my last.”

  He took off his coat, set it ever the top of the seat and then turned to Lucy and put his hand on her cheek and kissed her.

  She let him ease her back on the seat as he opened the buttons on her coat and soon he was caressing her breast through the material on her dress. It felt so wonderful and made her nipples harden and ache for more. He moved his hand down over her belly before pushing it up under her skirt.

  “The dreaded pantyhose,” he whispered. He tugged on the waistband and Lucy lifted her butt so he could pull them off her and when he did, her panties joined them.

  “Guess that gets them out of my way too,” said Brad, pulling them off her feet. “Now where was I?”

  He lifted up her dress and inched his fingers up her thighs until he reached her curls.

  Brad kissed her as he found her clit and circled it with his pinkie.

  She was already on fire down there and as he pressed harder onto the nub she guessed that her lower body was about to burst into flames. She tilted her head back, allowing Brad to kiss her as she brought her closer and closer to climaxing.

  Despite the cold nip in the air, she felt heat radiating from him, intensifying the woodsy smell of his aftershave. He kissed her and she pulled him close as he pressed harder on her clit, making her see shooting stars and then, she shook in his arms when she came.

  They pulled away and suddenly the moon shone brighter allowing them to see more of one another’s faces. They didn’t say another as Brad let his finger slid from her clit and teased her pussy entrance.

  “I want to see that pretty face of yours as you come,” he whispered.

  He glided his finger inside her channel, making her mumble and then groan as he finger fucked her. She played with the top of his shirt collar as he drove deeper and harder, until she had no choice but to let go and give in. She cried out as another orgasm washed over her.

  “I want you inside me right now,” she said, pulling at his fly.

  “Nothing I want more.”

  She lay back on the seat as Brad took off his pants and underwear and sheathed himself.

  Lucy giggled as he lifted one of her legs up so it was resting on the back of the seat.

  “And what’s so funny.”

  “This, us.”

  “It’s sexy and romantic.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  She wrapped her other leg around him as he pushed his cock inside her.

  There wasn’t much room but in a way that was a good thing because it brought his body closer to hers, setting up more friction as he thrust inside her.

  She lifted her butt off the seat so she could match each of his movements. Lucy felt herself slipping a little so pressed her foot against the window causing Brad to tip deeper inside her. He kissed her neck as she heard him groaning.

  Wrapping her other leg around his butt she was sure the moon was getting brighter and that stars were twinkling directly above them.

  This time her orgasm took her by complete surprise. She lifted her butt as it washed over her and felt like she was spinning around in somewhere warm while Brad held her.

  She kissed him, not sure if it was her own heartbeat she heard or his. He panted and whispered her name as he found release. They stayed locked together.

  “I guess this is the right time to tell you that I think I’m falling in love,” he said.

  “With me?”

  “Yes, of course you.”

  He was about to kiss her again when someone tapped on the driver’s side window.

  “Shit,’ said Brad. He pulled out of Lucy, covered himself with his jacket and leaned over to open the window.

  “Sir, this is a public place and we don’t allow…Oh, it’s you Sheriff Ryan. I wouldn’t have…I mean.”

  Lucy could see that it was a uniformed officer standing outside with a flashlight.

  Brad coughed. “That’s fine you were just doing your job.”

  “Yes, sir, and I’ll leave you to get back to…I mean whatever it was you were doing. Have a wonderful rest of the evening.”

  “You too.”

  Brad pushed the button to close the window and then they both burst out laughing.

  He got into the back seat with Lucy and put his arm around her. “You see what a bad boy you’ve turned me into.”

  “Yeah, like you weren’t naughty before you met me.”

  “I thought about telling him I’d apprehended a suspect and I was searching you.”

  “Sheriff, you can search me any time you like.”

  “Well in that case how about we head home and I can do just that. Let’s relieve Sadie of her duties and I can make love to you all night long.”

  ****

  “That’s weird because the TV’s on, but no Sadie,” said Brad putting his keys in the dish by the CD player.

  “Maybe she’s upstairs with Presley. I’ll go and check.”

  Lucy walked up to Presley’s room but the crib was empty and Sadie was nowhere to be seen. She went back downstairs.

  “Nope, neither of them is up there. You don’t think anything’s wrong do you?”

  “She had both our cell phone numbers and she would have phoned if something was wrong.”

  Lucy suddenly felt uneasy but she didn’t know why.

  “I’ll go check in the basement. Maybe the furnace went out and she’s down there checking it,” said Brad.

  Lucy knew it was stupid but she even checked the pantry and closet by the front door.

  Brad came back up from the basement. “Nope. Maybe we should check with the hospital just in case.”

  He’d only just dialed the first two numbers when Sadie walked down the stairs.

  “Where were you?” asked Lucy.

  “Up in the attic. I thought I heard something chewing up there when I put Presley in her crib and I didn’t want it disturbing her,” said Sadie.

  “You had us worried,” said Brad.

  “Sorry, I would have called down to you but I didn’t hear you come in. I hope you both had a nice evening.”

  Lucy looked at Brad and he winked at her. “Great play, so thanks for the tickets,” he said.

  “Presley’s been a wonderful baby and I’d be happy to babysit any time you two want to go out someplace. I guess I’ll be on my way. Oh and I’ve placed a small silver token
in Presley’s room. It’s a little gift from me.”

  “That’s sweet of you but you shouldn’t have,” said Brad.

  Sadie grabbed her coat and put it on. They walked her to the door and waited on the doorstep until her car was out of sight.

  Brad put his arm around Lucy.

  “Definitely a strange lady but I like her. And if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have a nanny who’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever met.”

  ****

  Sadie turned on the radio as she headed out of Pine Ridge. That had been a close call at the Ryan residence. She’d lost track of time over on the other side in the Witches’ Realm. She’d been able to put a safety spell on a token for Presley and had placed it in her room. She felt more at ease but two other witches had also felt that someone was about to take Presley.

  ****

  Brad lay looking up at the ceiling as Lucy made a trail down his belly with the edge of her fingertip. Shit, she could be a tease when she wanted to be. He glanced down.

  “You promised me you’d keep your eyes shut,” she said looking up at him.

  Damn, he’d been caught cheating.

  “Okay, but then you’ve got to do the same when I do erotic things to you.”

  He closed his eyes and felt her hand going around his dick.

  Presley better be the best behaved baby in the world tonight because he didn’t want anything to interrupt Lucy right now. She eased her hand up and down his shaft, making his skin prickle.

  She ran her fingers over his balls that made him groan. He loved that she paid special attention to those babies. He put his arm behind his head and rested back on the pillow. She tickled the underside of the tip of his dick and it took every piece of willpower inside him to keep it under control.

  He broke his promise when he looked down at her. Her naked body, her breasts dangling over him, their nipples pink and hard, and he wanted her so badly.

  “Lucy.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m not going to last much longer. I thought I could. With other women I’ve been able to, but you’re different.”

  “I hope that’s a compliment.”

  “It is honey, it is.”

  He got up and pulled her on top of him, massaging the cheeks of her butt as they kissed.