The Keys to Jericho (90 page)

Reaching up, I lightly pull at strands of her hair. “I like all kinds of it with you. Let’s pick one and have it. Right now.”

“I guess. Since we’re here and all.”

Sucking in a breath of air through my teeth, I hurriedly get out of the car, but once outside, I peer over at the school. 

“What?” she asks when I don’t open the door. I shake my head, but Kat walks around the car to where I’m standing. “Tell me, baby. Are you okay?”

I shrug at the school and then look at her. “I was just thinking about what I found and lost in that place.”

She softly smiles up at me. “Did you ever find it again?”

“I did. The day you reappeared out of thin air.”

“
You
reappeared. I’ve been here.”

I anxiously lick my lip, the memories fresh in the glow of the school’s lot, and flooding me as if they happened yesterday. “I wanted you so much then. I should’ve told you, but I… We wasted so much time, and it’s my fault you married that asshole. I was so stupid.”

She grabs onto my biceps. “It was my fault that I didn’t say anything, either, but we can’t dwell on it anymore. It’s only wasting more time. It’s also not your fault I married him! That was
all
mine. I tried to replace you, but that was impossible. You were supposed to be my first and only…everything. We fixed it. We’re together now. Like we were supposed to be.”

We stare at each other, alone with our school and our memories.

Snapping out of my gawking, I reach around her, opening the door to the backseat. “Get in.”

While Kat climbs into her black Nissan Altima, I look around us before following her. As she leans onto the front seat to lock the door, I reach up her skirt, yanking on her underwear. When she pulls them off, she kneels on the backseat, leaning in close to my face, as she jerks down the elastic of my nylon shorts, which are much easier of an access than jeans in a car, even if I had to change my wet pair earlier.

I tilt my head and our noses touch, but we only hover our mouths over each other’s, surprisingly not in a rush to kiss, and she doesn’t make a move to go any further, either.

Looking into her eyes, I whisper, “I’m so proud of you.”

She sits back some. “For what?”

“Your license. Buying a car. Triumphing over your accident. You’re so brave. You conquered your fear. I’ll forever be in awe of that.”

Kat says, “Thank you. I couldn’t have done any of this without you, Jared. You conquered your fear, too.”

“What fear is that? Marriage?” I shake my head. “I’m not afraid to marry you.”

Kat slightly smiles. “You were afraid to love me.”

I hesitantly admit, “I wasn’t afraid to love you. I was afraid of you
not
loving me.”

“Oh, Jared.” She winces before she leans her forehead against mine.

“So don’t thank me.” Swallowing, I whisper, “Just love me.”

“I can’t even tell you how much I love you. It grows each time I’m with you.”

“Mine does, too, baby.”

Kat sighs and when she moves her head, the light from the school illuminates her tears. “I’m going to miss you.”

I reach up and wipe her tears. “Don’t cry, Kit Kat. I’ll miss you, too. This school year will go fast and it’ll be over before you know it. We’ll get through it.”

“I won’t be able to tell you goodbye. It’ll be too hard.”

“It’s
not
goodbye. Think of it as just a temporary absence during the week. A short detour on our road to forever.” How in the hell did I get so fucking mushy?

“God. I love that.” Kat giggles, reminding me of how I became so mushy, and I’m again grateful.

“I do, too. We’ll still talk every night. I promise.”

“I know. I can’t stop thinking that if you hadn’t changed your mind about loving me, we’d be in a different situation and the pain would be worse. I just have to keep telling myself you’re not leaving me.”

I sternly say, “Let’s get a few things straight. I never changed my mind about loving you. I just admitted it to myself and then grew the balls to tell you. I love you, Kit Kat. Not just present. My past and future, too. And I’m not leaving you. I even told you that when we weren’t officially together. I meant it.” Picking up her left hand, I ask, “See this ring? It means you’re taken. I’m not going anywhere. It’s sort of a placeholder, until I give you another ring that shows the world I made that vow to you.”

“But you have no ring yet. I want you and everyone else to know you’re still mine.”

“I do know that. And if anyone doesn’t know, I’ll tell them I’m in love with the most amazing woman. It’ll never be a secret again.”

“I love how you can say all these things to me. You don’t normally tell people what’s in your heart.”

“No, I don’t, but even if I don’t openly express it, you don’t realize how ecstatic I am to have you back in my life and to finally call you mine.
Nothing
will come between us, and if anyone or anything tries to, well, fuck them. They lose.”

Kat smiles and still hovering our lips close, I reach up to brush the new tears from her face. “We’ll be okay, Kit Kat.”

Kat nods and I sweep her brown hair, tucking it behind her ears. She rubs her nose over mine and I can practically hear our hearts pounding with our broken breathing. Moving my hand to the back of her head, I pull her closer, and in the reverse of our last, first kiss we had in a car, I whisper, “Like this.”

Our lips slowly meet, and it feels just as good as our first kiss had. Her hands go to my face and her thumbs are close to my lips as we kiss. Growing harder, I groan, but don’t move her onto me. We only kiss, filling the car with the sound of our lips and muffled moaning, as we make out, while our high school building looms close by.

When our moaning becomes louder and more frequent, I lift her onto my lap, our lips not breaking away while she positions herself over me, gradually taking me into her. We groan against each other’s mouths as we snugly fit together. When we resume kissing, my hands go to her hips and I slowly slide her back and forth, but we’re still in no hurry to get off.

The lights from the school’s lot casts a soft glow on us, but they in no way spotlight us in her car. Leaving her mouth, I whisper, “You’re all I’ve ever wanted, Kit Kat.”

Keeping a slow rhythm, she gasps, “You’re my holy grail.”

“You’re mine. You’re my everything.”

Our slow fuck begins to ignite me, but I strive to stay at a steady pace with her, not rushing what time we have left together, no matter what we’re doing. However, like before, going slow does nothing to actually slow us.

Kat throws her head back, gasping before she utters, “Jared. Fuck me.”

“Kitty Kat, ride my cock. It’s all yours.” I push my hips up, to go deeper. Unfortunately, that also pushes me into overdrive. I grunt, “Shit.” Holding her as I come hard, I roll my head back and yell, “Fuck! Jesus, Kat!”

Gripping my shoulders, Kat moves faster and whimpers, “Oh, Sonic.”

I watch her as she closes her eyes. “That’s it, baby. Love me.”

She moans as she peaks, and with her body holding onto me, I gasp with her. Kat yells, “Jared! Baby!”

She fucks me fast as she rubs out her orgasm on my dick, but then slows. When she finally stops, she heaves a contented sigh while smiling at me. Leaning down, she gives me a kiss and whispers, “Wow.”

My grin pulls along her smiling lips. “Nice car. I hereby proclaim it christened.”

“I’ll remember this when I’m driving without you. It’s perfect.”

“That’s what I think about in mine, too, so it’s only fair. But who knew that sex in a Nissan Altima would be so fucking hot?”

She whispers, “I knew it would be.”

“But then again, I’d have sex with you anywhere, anytime, anyhow.”

“We’ve proven your theory quite a few times.”

“And we’ll prove it many more.”

And I always keep my word.

“Hey, Jericho! Happy Thanksgiving!”

Setting down the large bowl of stuffing that Kat made, I reply, “Happy Thanksgiving. Why are you here so early?”

Standing at the kitchen island, Dash says, “Because I told Brenda I make a mean chocolate chip pecan pie. She wanted me to make a couple, so here I am.”

I dubiously ask, “I know you do, but you don’t have an oven at home?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t want the crust edges to break or the middles to cave in on the way here.”

“Jesus. I think your
balls
caved in on the way here.”

Taking a dishcloth, he wipes the counter and shrugs. “Don’t hate. You’ll be begging for the recipe.”

“As
you’re
begging for air.”

Peering past me, Dash scoffs, “Why are you so grouchy? Where’s Merrick?”

“She ran upstairs.” Looking around the kitchen, I say, “The house turned out nice.”

He nods, taking in the room, as well. “Yeah. It did. All our blood, sweat and tears paid off.”

I frown. “With your contribution of glitter, pecans, and hairspray.”

Dash rolls his eyes and asks, “How’s work going?”

Shrugging off my gray coat, I say, “Good. I already have a lead into Richmond, so that’s even better. I just have to get licensed.”

“Damn, Jericho. You’ll have to get a bunch of licenses, one for work, driving, and marriage.”

“I know.”

Dash licks his lip and clears his throat as he pretends to concentrate on putting the cap back on a bottle. “Where’s your dad?” Dash Calder can’t fool me.

“He had to take care of something for work. Don’t worry, Hadley will be here.” Even though Dash looks down to his pie, I see his eyes light up. Squelching that fire, I say, “With Finn.”

He mutters, “That’s great.”

“Uh-huh.”

Dash frowns, but then he looks up and smiles. “Hey there, future Mrs. Beckett!”

Smiling, Kat says, “Hey, Dash. What are you doing?”

Turning to look at Kat, wearing the dark green sweater dress that she wouldn’t let me take off of her before we left, I sneer, “Scrounging for his balls.”

Kat takes my coat from me as I laugh. She says, “Jericho, stop.”

Dash says, “Yeah. Listen to Mrs. Jericho.”

Rolling my eyes at him, the doorbell rings, and Kat leaves the kitchen to answer it, while the oven timer goes off and Dash scurries over to it, grabbing potholders. Parked on the rack above the turkey, he lifts out another pie with overly slow caution. I shake my head; however, I’d rather skip dinner to eat chocolate chip pecan pie. At least Calder is good for something.

“Hey, bud. Happy Thanksgiving,” Dad says as he carries a casserole dish over to the counter, before giving me a hug. “When did you get in?”

“Last night.” I vaguely notice Finn setting a pot of food on the counter and Hadley putting down the bag of food she’s carrying before hugging Kat.

Releasing me, Dad asks, “Do you get to stay until Sunday?”

“No. Since I’m the low man on the totem pole, I have to work tomorrow.”

From behind me, Hadley asks, “You only came in for one day?”

Nodding, I turn and say, “I said I’d be here.”

Dad asks, “You’re still coming back Friday night?”

“Yep.”

Hadley says, “That’s a lot of driving.”

Dash laughs. “Jericho’s in
love
.”

I frown at his gleeful face and Hadley says, “You’re sweet, Jared.” She gives me a hug, and from above her head, I see Finn leaning against the counter, his arms folded over his chest, giving me a look that clearly refutes Hadley saying I’m sweet.

I nod at Finn. “Hey.”

Sharpening his dark glare, he measuredly answers, “Jared.”

Patting Hadley’s back, I ask, “You have a good birthday?”

As Hadley lets go of me, she says, “Yeah. Dad gave me some gift cards, and Finn gave me a glass picture frame, purple nail polish, this sweater I’m wearing, gift cards, and a bottle of wine.”