The Keys to Jericho

by Ren Alexander

  “I love hearing you call me that.”

  “I love calling you that. Fuck, Kitty Kat. You feel so goddamn good on me. Baby, don’t ever fucking stop.”

  Kissing over my chest, she says, “This time feels different between us. It must be the vows.”

  I groan and kiss her, guiding her at a steady speed, but the way this feels with Kat does feel different—better—than what I’ve ever felt with her during sex. It sounds corny and fucked up, but it feels like we have a deeper connection now.

  She brushes her fingers over my lips and I kiss her rings, and whisper, “I love you, Katriona.”

  Kat pulls my left hand to her lips and kisses my ring. “I love you, Jared.” She closes her eyes and gasping, she holds my hand tighter and fucks me faster. Her pussy holds me tight and she wails, “Oh, Jared!”

  I say, “That’s it, my gorgeous Kit Kat.” I grunt as I feel mine coming. “Jesus Christ. You feel…” I lose the ability to finish my sentence as I breathlessly come inside my wife, and holding her hips tight to mine as I do.

  Panting over me, Kat puts her hands on both sides of my face and leans down to kiss me. “Wow, husband.”

  Catching my breath, I say, “I’m speechless, wife.” I grin and brush her loose hair hanging over her face. “That was even hotter than our first time.”

  “I think I might want to do that again with you.”

  “Oh, and you will. Again and again and—”

  She kisses me, giggling against my mouth, which makes me smile before I shove my tongue into her mouth.

  My phone rings and I jump awake, looking around the room for it, before I remember it’s still in my pants on the floor. Stretching, I rummage through them until my phone falls onto the carpet. Seeing that it’s Brenda, I hurriedly glance at the clock on the nightstand.

  “Fuck!” As I answer my phone, I twist and say, “Kit Kat, get up. We’re late.” Turning to the phone, I join Brenda’s rant in progress.

  “Why isn’t Kat answering her phone? You two are going to miss your flight!”

  “Shit. We slept in.” I rub my eyes, glad that we got showers after we made love last night, so we don’t have to worry about doing that in a manic rush.

  I reach over and shake Kat, but she’s still out. Brenda asks, “Rough night?”

  I gruffly clear my throat. “Uh…”

  “Shut up, you stud. Get your wife out of bed and get your asses moving! No morning delight, either! You don’t have time for it! Join the Mile High Club!”

  Rolling my eyes, I sneer, “Thanks for the tip.”

  “Which hotel are you at? I can make it before you leave.”

  “I gotta get Kat up. I’ll text you the address.”

  “Well, go!”

  I hang up the phone, shaking my head, muttering, “Crazy. Jesus.”

  Rubbing Kat’s arm, I sternly say, “Baby, get up. Now. We’re late. Come on.” When she still doesn’t move, I crawl closer. “Kit Kat, wake up.”

  No response, and my gaze instantly goes to her T-shirt, looking for it to rise and fall as panic infiltrates me, but in my building anxiety, I notice nothing.

  Shaking her harder, I yell, “Kat!”

  When she still doesn’t answer, I throw down my phone, and flip her onto her back, grabbing her face. “Kat! Wake up!” My eyes fly over her and putting both hands on her shoulders, I bounce her on the bed, but she lifelessly recoils. “Don’t you fucking do this to me!” Leaning down, I try to feel for her breath, but I can’t sit still long enough, for fear I’m wasting time, which is something I’m an expert at doing.

  Swinging my head around, losing my mind as I desperately try to cling to it and to my wife, I scoop up my phone from the bed.

  With my trembling hand, I drop my phone, but when I again reach for it, Kat loudly gasps and grabs my arm.

  Swerving back to her, I clutch her shoulder and shout, “Kit Kat!” She breathes fast, catching her breath like she just ran. “Are you okay?”

  Blinking fast, she looks up at me. “Yeah.”

  “Do you have to go to the hospital?”

  Her speech is slightly slurred. “No. Jared, you’re crying.” She touches my face and I reach for her hand. My other hand goes into my hair as my gaze searchingly wanders over her.

  “What the fuck just happened?”

  “Oh, God.” Kat slowly sits up and shakes her head, still gasping for air. “Sleep paralysis. My doctor thinks it’s a result of my accident. It happened frequently for months afterward, but now, just every so often. It lasts a couple minutes after I wake up. I heard you yelling, and felt you shaking me, but my motor muscles freeze. It’s like restarting a computer.”

  “Why didn’t you fucking warn me about this? I thought you were dead!” I sniff and look away from her, unsteadily sighing in relief.

  Kat forces me to look at her and she wipes the tears from my face. She stutters, “I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to scare you. I haven’t had one of those episodes in over a year. I forgot, which is another long-term side effect. Bad memory with things like that.”

  “Jesus Christ, Kat. Scared doesn’t describe what I just felt.” I shake my head and run my hand over her hair. “I can’t fucking lose you again.”

  “You won’t.” She wraps her arms around my neck, hugging me. “It’s just misfiring neurons, I think my doctor said. Maybe that’s why I didn’t notice your feelings for me.”

  I hug her, burying my face into her neck. “Don’t ever do that to me again. Do you hear me?”

  “I’ll try not to, but if it happens, you’ll know what it is next time.”

  “I mean the leaving me part.” Kat squeezes me tighter and I sigh. “We have to go.”

  She sighs back. “I want to make you feel better.”

  “Shit. We can’t. Your mom is coming to get our clothes.”

  Pulling away from her, she pouts, and before I have a chance to give in, there’s a knock at our door. Still feeling the tremors coursing through me, I roll my eyes as I get off the bed. “That woman has the worst timing. Ever.”

  Wiping my face, I grab a pair of shorts from my suitcase, and look through the peephole, seeing Brenda, and I try to shake off what just happened as I put them on. Opening the door, she looks at me without my shirt, and she shouts, “Holy shit! Are you serious?”

  “What?” I see her gawking at my chest and I roll my eyes.

  “I’ll wait out here. Hurry up, though!”

  “You can come in.” I look over my shoulder, noticing the empty bed. “Kat’s in the bathroom changing.”

  “I don’t want to smell the sex in there. Awkward.”

  I frown and peer up and down the hall. “Just get in here before you get us kicked out before we’re packed.”

  “You’re not even packed?” She storms into our room and looks around. “Oh. Well, it looks like you didn’t unpack much, either.”

  Kat comes out of the bathroom, dressed, but her hair still is everywhere, which is sexy. Brenda grins. “Oh, boy. You have that glow about you, Katydid.” I know she does.

  She scowls. “Can you stop being weird?” Kat sighs and says, “I had an episode a few minutes ago.”

  Brenda cringes. “Probably the stress of the past few weeks.”

  Kat crosses her arms and ruefully says, “I didn’t think to mention them to Jared.”

  Brenda closes her eyes. “Oh, shit.”

  I put my hands on my hips and say, “Yeah. Oh, shit. Scared the fuck out of me.”

  With her hand over her mouth, Brenda walks over and pats my shoulder. “You really do love my baby.” I shoot her an incredulous look and she glances down at my hand. “You’re still wearing your wedding ring!”

  “Huh?”

  She shakes her head, and Kat rolls her eyes at me as she puts on her sandals. “Ignore her. I think she’s the one with misfiring neurons.”

  When Kat turns around to dig through her bag, I go up behind her, putting my arms around her waist, and I can’t even help myself.
“I see that glow about you, too. You know it was good, baby. Best ever. We still have time for another go at it.” Shit. That’s no lie. Whatsoever.

  Brenda gasps. “Just make me feel worse about barging in on newlyweds! God!”

  Kat elbows me and squeals, “Jared Beckett! Stop egging on her madness, and mine! Go get dressed!”

  Brenda scoffs as she picks up my clothes from the floor. “What the hell? Did you two play strip poker or something? More awkwardness!”

  I laugh into Kat’s neck, making her laugh with me. Brenda piles our clothes onto the bed and says, “I’m not stupid! I know what you two will be doing on your trip the whole time.”

  I loudly sigh. “Oh, Kit Kat. She’s right. I’ll probably even knock you up.”

  Kat spins around and slaps my arm. “Shut up and go get dressed!” Turning her attention to her mother, she says, “Not happening. Get that glow off your face.”

  Brenda tries not to smile, but shit, that’s not happening, either. She says, “Since I’m here, I’ll give you a ride to the airport.”

  Kat goes into the bathroom to grab her things off the counter. “They have a shuttle here.”

  “It’s no problem. I may be the only thing getting you there. If I leave you alone…”

  Crossing my arms, I nod. “True, baby. You look hot in those jeans. There’s no telling when we’ll leave.” No lie there, either.

  Kat points to the bathroom. “Go!”

  Must be a family trait.

  Brenda looks at her watch. “Come on. You can see each other naked when you get to Florida.”

  Kat shrieks, “Florida?”

  I widen my eyes at Brenda and she questioningly looks between Kat and me. Realizing Kat didn’t know yet, she covers her mouth and gasps, “Shit!”

  Sighing, I shake my head and Kat says, “I’ve never been to Florida! We’re really going there?”

  Rolling my eyes, I say, “Yeah…”

  She squeals and hugs me as I shoot an exasperated look at her mother.

  Brenda waves me off. “She was going to find out at the airport anyway.” She contritely smiles and mumbles, “Sorry, though. Why’d you pick Florida when you could go anywhere?”

  I let go of Kat and go to my suitcase, feeling like I’m letting my wife down by not picking some place exotic. “Kat mentioned she always wanted to go to a Florida beach.”

  “That’s exactly where I want to go! I don’t know any other languages. Why would I want to go somewhere far away? As long as I’m with Jared, we could’ve stayed right here.”

  Walking past her, I kiss her cheek and whisper, “Damn, I love you.”

  She kisses my cheek in return, whispering, “I know you do, Sonic.”

  If it weren’t for her mother, we would stay here. Fuck the plane tickets. It’s not like we’ll be on the beach much anyway.

  I’ll make sure of that.

  At the airport, I got a text from my dad, saying Hadley was okay, but he wouldn’t give details. I tried calling Calder, but he didn’t answer, either, making me even more suspicious.

  Walking over to the wall of windows, showing a plane landing in the distance, I check my messages, seeing one from Rio.

  ------------------------------------------------

  Get laid yet, whore?

  ------------------------------------------------

  I laugh out loud, shaking my head. “Prick.”

  ------------------------------------------------

  More times in one night than you ever

  will at your pussy farm, doc. Pathetic.

  Where’s Dash?

  ------------------------------------------------

  He instantly replies:

  ------------------------------------------------

  Home, I guess. Don’t worry about him.

  Just so you know, when we’re

  next-door neighbors, I’ll kick your ass

  with Christmas lights.

  ------------------------------------------------

  That’s the only way you’d ever be able

  to kick my ass. Later.

  ------------------------------------------------

  Walking over to me, Kat asks, “Your dad?”

  “No. Duquesne.”

  “Hear anything more about Hadley or Dash?” I shake my head and she says, “Leave it alone for now. Deal with them when we get back.”

  “I know, but Hadley… She’s gone through a lot.”

  “There’s nothing you can do for her right now, especially if she doesn’t want your help.”

  I frown at her. “She has no choice in that matter.”

  “Jared.” Kat sighs and squeezes my arm. “She is an adult.”

  “She’s still my sister. I feel responsible.”

  “Why? Because of what happened between you and Blair? Did you tell her at our reception and she took off because of that?”

  I yank on my hat and anxiously look around us. “No. I haven’t told her.”

  “Are you going to?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. Definitely not anytime soon.”

  Kat leans her cheek against my bicep. “That’s probably for the best.”

  They call our gate, and Brenda jumps up and squeals, “Go have fun! I want pictures!” She runs over, hugging us. “Not pictures of everything you’re doing! Keep some to your selves, for Christ’s sake! I don’t need to see porn pictures!”

  “Mother!”

  I shake my head, smirking at Brenda. Damn. That woman makes me wonder how in the hell she gave birth to the love of my life. One of those mysteries of the universe, or for Scooby and the Gang to solve, I guess.

  Since our flight was only a couple hours, and Kat wasn’t up to becoming a member of the Mile High Club on a small plane, she fell asleep, which made me nervous. I never thought I’d be afraid of her falling asleep, something that she’s done with me, without incident, every weekend and then some for a year.

  That truly did things to me. Thoughts of her not being in my life again shook me harder than I shook Kat, trying to rouse her.

  The day we met, she changed my life, but the day I walked away from her, changed me. I knew what it was like not to have her anymore, not having that chance with her. We wasted so much time because neither of us took that chance, forcing each of us into our very own personal hell.

  I’ve been given a second chance and I made it right this time. There was no other option I could’ve lived with. I couldn’t stay in my Hell anymore.

  And if I lose her again… Fuck.

  I can’t ever let that happen. It really would kill me.

  Waiting for our rental car to pull up, I put my arm around Kat’s shoulders. “Wanna drive, baby?” She shakes her head and I say, “Oh, come on, Kitty Kat. It’s only 10 miles.”

  “Nope.”

  I lean down and whisper, “It’ll be a turn-on for me.”

  She scoffs, “Uh-huh.”

  A Dodge Charger pulls up the curb and I grin. “Look. It’s even white, commemorating our wedding.” Kat tries not to smile, but it’s not a skill she possesses.

  After loading the trunk, I nod to the driver’s side and she frowns at me. “Right.”

  I prop my arm on the open door and laugh. “It’s an automatic, Kit Kat.”

  She bites her lip before rolling her eyes and walking up to me. “Okay. Anything to turn on my man.”

  “That’s me.” I grin and she kisses me before sliding behind the wheel.

  Looking up at me, she says, “Damn straight. Get in.”

  Shutting her door and getting in the passenger side, her hand goes to my leg as I pull up the directions on my phone. “Both hands on the wheel,” I warn.

  “I’m not your student anymore.”

  “You’re still a new driver.”

  “But I like putting my hands on you.”

  “Oh, and you will. All over me, but not now. Both hands. On the wheel. Both eyes. On the road.”

  “And this is supposed to be a
turn-on for you?”

  Without looking away from my phone, I nod. “I’ll let you know when we get there. Now, drive.”

  She sulks, “You’re rough.”

  “Yep, but you like it rough.”

  Kat impatiently inhales as I smile at my phone.

  Too easy.

  “Look how cute this place is!” Kat squeals when I push open the front door of the small beach house.

  “That’s what I was going for,” I wryly say, setting down her suitcase.

  She flits from room to room. “Is this our room?”

  “The king-size bed should give that away.”

  Kat gazes at the four-poster bed with a light blue bedspread. “Wow.”

  I put my arms around her, resting my chin on her shoulder. “How about we try out the bed? You fucking turned me on driving that car.”

  She nods. “After I look around.”

  “I’m being denied for a damn tour?”

  Kat shrugs, moving my head. “Rain check.”

  I scoff, “Seriously? I’m being blown off for that?” I wave to the window and she gasps.

  “The ocean is right there!”

  “Well, Gulf of Mexico.”

  She spins out of my arms and heads into the living room. Rolling my eyes, I smile as I follow her. As she gawks at the view from the sliding door of the kitchen, I read the welcome note on the counter.

  Hearing the door open, I look up to see Kat stepping onto the small deck. As I follow, she tries to prop herself up on the thick railing, but when she can’t, I shut the door and go over to her. Picking her up, I sit her on the railing, before I lift myself onto it to sit next to her. She looks over her shoulder and then turns to straddle the railing, and I do the same, facing her.

  I watch her brown hair floating in the breeze as she takes a deep breath. “The beach isn’t crowded.”

  “No. It’s private, so only the other bungalows share it. I didn’t want a madhouse beach like in Ocean City.”

  “I can’t believe you did this.”