The Keys to Jericho

by Ren Alexander

  Dad lifts his head and his tone becomes accusatory. “And right there is what I’m talking about. You never let your emotions get involved and you’re never responsible for anyone else’s feelings, either. You seem to plow through life without feeling at all.” He thinks I’m a fucking robot, too?

  “I’m not an android.” I put my hands on my hips and check around us for eavesdroppers before looking back to him. “Why are we having this conversation this morning? Here?”

  “Because when we are alone, we don’t talk about anything that matters, and I’ve noticed that ever since you started talking to Kat, there’s been something different with you, underneath the contempt.”

  My head falls back and I growl in frustration. Looking him in the eye again, I say, “I don’t know how many times I have to tell people this, but I’m the same person I’ve always been. Maybe everyone else around me is just realizing that they’re the ones with the problem. And I don’t know what you see, but Kat and I are friends. Don’t read any more into it.”

  “You’re not going to be in Annapolis much longer. I just want you to be careful with her.”

  “I am. And for your information, no. I’m not having sex with her, so you can run back to Brenda and tell her that, too.”

  “Jared, that’s not what we talk about. These were just my concerns.”

  “Well, you can stop with your concerns. I’m helping her with driving. Nothing more. She works the steering wheel, not my dick.”

  He snaps, “Jared Beckett, that’s enough.” Still only two names. Damn it, and I thought that was a good attempt at a trifecta.

  I laugh at his exasperation. “That’s me.”

  Suddenly, I’m smacked on the back. “Hey, Mr. Beckett! Jericho!”

  Dad slaps on a smile, making an effort with his greeting. “Dashiell.”

  “Calder,” I blandly say, as I busy myself fluffing my hair before spinning my bill to the back.

  My dad sighs. “Well, boys. Have fun and stay out of trouble.” He glances at me, definitely meaning, “Keep your inhuman hands off my assistant’s daughter.”

  Dad heads to his truck. Yeah, he wasn’t checking up on me.

  Dash asks, “Ready for tomorrow?”

  Since my dad’s debriefing is over and I’m not distracted, I glance around for Kat. “You know it.”

  “The Jacuzzi is waiting for me!” Dash fist pumps and I resentfully roll my eyes.

  “Don’t let Rio and his caretaker in there alone together. It’ll need drained and scrubbed again. With bleach. Twice.”

  Dash flicks his head, his blond hair shaking out of his eyes. “Oh, Jericho. Jeez. They’ll behave.”

  “I swear to God, if I hear them fucking, I’m going to throw all of you into the ocean or set some beds on fire.”

  Looking as if he just sucked a lemon, he says, “That’s a little much, especially saying that where a house burnt down.” Maybe somewhat. I inhale and covertly look around for anyone that may have heard. I wouldn’t have wanted Kat to hear me say that. Anyone else, whatever.

  I lower my voice and warn, “It’s still a fact, so make sure there are extra fire extinguishers.” I’d at least have the decency to remove the mattresses from the house before I torched them. I’m not that much of a dick.

  “Chill.” Dash rolls his eyes, but suddenly grins. “I’ll tell them to use gags over their mouths when they fuck.”

  “Thanks for that mental picture, ass.”

  “Rio’s bed is against the far wall in his room. We’re not going to hear anything from our rooms.”

  From behind me, Kat asks, “Hear what?” Not awkward.

  Dash laughs as he digs out a purple sucker from his pocket. “Rio having sex.”

  Kat laughs with him. “What the hell did I just walk into?”

  Popping the sucker into his mouth, he says a muddled, “You don’t want to know.”

  When I look next to me to see Kat, her wavy, purple hair is bunched on top of her head, and she’s wearing another one of her thin tank tops that showcases her perfect tits. Instantly, I think what it would feel like for her nipples to harden beneath my fingers, and on my tongue. Not a good thing to think of right now.

  “Jared?”

  My gaze flies to her face. “What?” I need to focus more. Shit.

  Kat smiles at me. “What were you thinking about?”

  Removing the sucker, Dash retorts, “You don’t want to know that, either.” He snickers, so I shoot him an ominous look, making his stupid grin take a hike.

  Looking at Kat, I nod to the street. “Ready to go?”

  Her glowing brown eyes shine back at me. “Yes.”

  As we head to the car, Dash shouts, “Have fun frolicking at the park, Jericho! Take pretty pictures!”

  I yell over my shoulder, “Fun, like you cleaning up mattresses?”

  “Hilarious!”

  I ask her, “How’s he know where we’re going?”

  “I mentioned it to him. Sorry.”

  I shrug as I notice the basket she’s carrying. “What’s that?”

  “A basket.”

  “Well, now. I never would’ve deduced that. What’s in it?”

  She laughs. “Lunch and snacks.”

  “We’re going to be at the park that long?”

  “You never know. We could be there all day.”

  I narrow my eyes with a scowl. “Nice try. You’re driving later.”

  I open the passenger door for Kat and take the basket from her, putting it on the floor of the backseat. When I’m behind the wheel, she asks, “Do I still not want to hear what that was about with Dash?”

  Starting the car, I shrug. “Just setting some ground rules for this weekend, like promising that if I hear Rio fucking during our trip, there will be consequences.”

  “Liberty is going?”

  As I pull onto the street, I mutter, “Regrettably.”

  “Go easy on her. You like to rouse her.”

  Stopping at the intersection, I turn to look at Kat, batting my eyelashes. “Me? I don’t rouse anyone.”

  She scoffs with a dubious crook of an eyebrow. “That’s false.”

  Being a quiet, residential street and we’re at a stop sign, holding onto the wheel, I lean over to her. “Really, Kat Merrick? Do I rouse you?” I smirk at her suddenly wide eyes, but her perfume and lips begin to tease me, and I have to restrain myself from licking her neck. Fuck me. My razzing skills need work.

  “Somewhat.” She turns her head, but I see her smile in the window’s reflection, and with every ounce of will I have, I sit back and make the right turn, smiling as I glance out my side window.

  Since it’s a short drive, it’s not weird when we don’t say much. Along with Kat’s perfume in the air, my dad’s diatribe has me thrown. How could I break her heart when she’s never—or never will—offer it for the breaking? I wouldn’t know what to do with it if she did.

  I’ve always kept my heart closed off to intruders. It’s easier that way. And because I’m apparently nonhuman, I don’t even have one to break.

  When I drive into the park and stop at the gate, Kat speedily reaches over me, handing the employee the park fee. As much as I relish her scent in my face, her arm brushing against my chest, and her hand on my thigh to balance her, I’m tentatively turned on, but even more baffled.

  She returns to her seat and I pull forward, asking, “What the hell was that for?”

  “It’s my treat today, so get over it. Park at the Dogwood Pavilion.”

  “Yes, ma’am, but why? What do you want to do?”

  “You’ll see. I can keep a secret, too.” Kat purses her smiling lips and I nearly crash into a tree.

  Gripping the steering wheel, I try to focus, but it’s a lost cause now. “It’s a secret?”

  “Shh. I can’t tell you that.”

  I laugh. “You have a secret here at the park?”

  “Still classified.”

  Parking and getting out of the car, she heads for the t
rail, walking ahead of me, and I have to jog to catch up to her. “What’s the hurry, Kit Kat, or is that another secret?”

  Kat keeps up the pace and I soon match hers. She peers over at me, and smiles. “No hurry. Just excited to be somewhere other than an unconstructed house or in a car.” I remember the comment she made yesterday about being stuck in a car, and I compulsorily make a face. Quickly, she adds, “I’m glad to be here with you.”

  I shrug. “You don’t have to say that. Let’s just do what you wanted to do here because you still need to practice today.”

  Her eyebrows dive. “You know how to ruin a good mood.”

  “Such a raving endorsement.”

  “I’ll always endorse you, but I’d like to keep you to myself.” She bumps my arm with hers and laughs. She’s killing me.

  “For what?”

  Kat doesn’t answer me as she walks faster, seemingly with a renewed purpose, and I pick up my pace slightly, but not to outrun her, because I could. When we reach Harness Creek, she spins around and tells me, “Stay here.”

  Before I can question her, she goes to the boat rentals stand. What the hell is she doing?

  As Kat talks to the male park employee, I stare at her ass, imagining rubbing my impatient cock against it before I bend her over and at long last, drill into her. All these years, and I still can’t stop fantasizing about being everywhere on her body, bringing each other to places I know I’ve never been to before.

  I could make a move.

  No. I can’t. The threat of rejection still looms as she rejected me in school. She’s kissed me. Twice. Yet, is it a ploy? Is she just tormenting me until I leave? Am I a game to her? Or, is she feeling guilty that I’m helping her get her license and she feels the need to repay me somehow?

  I wish I knew. Then again, if she were being genuine, it still won’t change anything, except that she might be open to having sex with me once, before I move to Philadelphia. I need to fuck her so I can get it out of my head and move on.

  In spite of that, there I go opening myself up for more rejection and the possibility that I won’t be able to keep it to fucking her just once. Maybe twice—three times, with oral for each of us. That’s it.

  Goddamn it to Hell.

  It’s also quite possible that I’m holding her to outrageous expectations that aren’t real. We could be so sexually incompatible that neither one of us would want a repeat.

  Yeah, right.

  Yet, there’s more to her that I crave than just sex. It’s only an unattainable thing, so it makes sense that I’d want it more.

  I think.

  “You still with me?”

  “Huh?” Twitching from being yanked out of my exhaustive and constant deliberation, I uneasily scratch my jaw and peer at the ground. “What?”

  “You’ve been doing a lot of daydreaming lately. You okay?” When I look at her, Kat’s eyes and smile are bright and anticipative.

  I lightly laugh and glance at the water. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

  She laughs. “I wouldn’t want you to totally zone out on me.”

  Sighing, I give her my full attention. “Nope. I’m here. What did you just do?”

  “We’re going on a paddleboat.”

  I cringe and probably pout. “Aww, Kat. Not those things.”

  “What’s wrong, Jericho? Scared?”

  I scoff, “No. They’re kind of lame.”

  “Lame? Have you ever been on one with me?”

  When I can’t refute that, she grins and follows the guy carrying two life jackets to the dark green boats. I adjust my hat so it’s facing the front again. I sigh and follow her. “Fine, but only if you’re in the driver’s seat.”

  “You can steer the boat from either seat.”

  “You have to sit on the left, while you steer us. Deal breaker.”

  She shrugs as she takes the lifejacket and puts it on. “If you say so.”

  “Yep. I do.”

  After we’re suited up in our ridiculous, puffy vests, and we get into the boat, Kat backs us out of the dock.

  “Nicely done, Kit Kat.”

  She laughingly frowns. “Jericho, it’s a paddleboat.”

  “The technique is similar to backing out of a parking space, though. You still have to watch what you’re doing and not run into something.”

  Still doubtful, Kat scrapes hair out of her face and says, “I guess so.”

  I angle my head at her, watching her fingers move over her skin. “I know so.”

  I heave a slow, but long sigh as we leisurely pedal, taking in the scenery and observing only a few other insane paddleboaters out this early on a weekday. Even if this activity is lame, I’m actually glad she brought me here, just as long as Calder and Duquesne don’t see me in this fucking lifejacket.

  Kat slows her pedaling. I glance over at her and she asks, “Is the beach house actually on the beach?”

  “It’s in a beachy, subdivision-type area across the street, but you can see the ocean from all the front windows. It’s a short walk and not a busy street to cross.”

  “What will you all do on this trip?”

  I shrug. “This and that. We’ll fish, sit around a bonfire in the backyard—talking shit about each other—watch fireworks on the beach, and if it rains, watch movies. That’s about it.”

  As I shift the bill of my cap, she asks, “No dick measuring?”

  Holding onto my hat, I swing my head to her, shocked she just suggested that. “Uh, what?”

  Her lips gather to the side and her eyes study the surprise on my face. “You guys haven’t whipped them out to see who has the longest?”

  “I…um…” I clear my throat with a laugh. “Shit. No, but Dash would be at a serious disadvantage. I wouldn’t want to ruin his vacation or his life, since I’m good at ruining things for people.” What a lie about Calder. It’s not even fair.

  She leans into my arm. “I knew you were nice, deep down.” I encircle my left wrist with my right hand to fight the urge to put my arm around her, so I can keep her against me. Since Kat has come back, I’m again fighting the need to touch her in some way. She has been the only one I’ve ever wanted close to me. We haven’t even had sex, yet I feel closer to her than I have to anyone.

  “Not nice. I just don’t want to hear him crying about his small dick, along with Rio’s fucking. What a vacation that would be.” Definitely bed-burning worthy.

  Kat laughs and letting go of the silver steering bar, she smacks my arm. “Speaking of a stick,” she laughs again, which makes me laugh at her word choice, “how did you learn to drive one when we learned how to drive on an automatic?”

  “My dad. He had a manual truck and I wanted to drive to work instead of him or my sister having to drop me off all the time. Hadley and I worked together, but not always the same shifts.”

  “Was it hard to learn?”

  I shake my head. “No, I got the hang of it in a day. I was on my own in two.”

  Her mouth falls open and she says, “Wow. There’s no way I could learn, especially that fast.”

  “It takes more focus at first. If you learned on an automatic, you have to train yourself to keep in mind that you’re the one shifting gears, not the car, and you have to be careful not to burn the clutch by using it too much, or not using it and fucking up the gears, thus the transmission. You get used to hearing the whining of the engine’s RPMs topping out in a gear, and having to step on a clutch to shift. After a while, shifting becomes second nature. You just do it without thinking, really.”

  “That makes my head hurt just thinking about it.”

  I laugh. “Then don’t. If you ever want to learn, give me a call and I’ll teach you sometime with Dash’s car.”

  Kat shakes her head and incredulously laughs. “Let’s get through this one first.”

  “Right.”

  “Do you miss driving your car?”

  Holding onto the front of my jacket, I shrug. “Yeah, but it’s okay. I’m liking the Altima.”
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  Kat giggles. “Because it’s a hot car?”

  Smiling, I shake my head and offhandedly watch her feet pedaling, but don’t elaborate. The less I say, the better.

  I change the subject to something that’ll make her talk. “Why’d you get blue contacts?” That question seems to astonish her because she flinches and fidgets with the folded hem of her jean shorts on her left leg.

  Eventually, she shrugs and mutters, “Because brown is lame.”

  “I said paddleboats are lame, not your eyes.” Uh… Shit. Note to self: I must wear a gag at all times.

  And those brown eyes of hers pop open, making me stare, but knowing I shouldn’t. “You like my eyes?”

  I lift my hat, pushing my hand into my hair as I uneasily laugh. “You’d look scary without them. True story.” Nice recovery, Beckett.

  “I could always wear those glasses with the springing eyes.”

  My laugh is sincere this time. “I guess you could, but I’d refuse to drive you anywhere, freak.”

  She shoves me again, and it’s harder than I had anticipated, and I grab onto the side of my seat, laughing harder. “You’re going to push me into the water, Kit Kat!”

  “I know,” she quips with a giggle.

  Sitting up, I tease, “Save that shit for Dash. He’s used to it.”

  Kat halfheartedly laughs. “I had to have my nose done, too. The accident broke it, but even though it was fixed, there was still a bump and it looked crooked.”

  “I never noticed.”

  “I did.” She takes a loud, deep breath before asking, “Since you asked me if I dated Adam—not your dad—I think it’s fair for me to ask.”

  I’m not sure what she’s alluding to, so I’m cautious. “Okay… By the way, Adam is also my middle name.”

  The stressed look she had dissipates. “You’re named after your dad?”

  I exaggeratedly scowl. “Unfortunately.”

  “That’s cool. Mine is Elyse.” I knew that…

  I fib, “I’ve never known anyone with that name before.”

  “You have since high school, silly.” She laughs and I roll my eyes.

  “That I knew of, I guess. I like it.” Katriona Elyse. My favorite name.

  She bites her lip at the water before saying, “Thank you. Adam is nice, too.”