The Keys to Jericho (94 page)

“That reminds me.” Kat rolls over to pick up a piece of paper from the nightstand, the blanket slipping from her, exposing her ass. I roll over, running my hand over her stomach as I kiss her shoulder. She purrs and asks, “What are you doing?”

“Just seeing what
you’re
doing.” As my cock sparks to life against her ass, she lightly moans.

“Didn’t you get enough of me last night?”

I shake my head, my lips grazing her skin. “Just catching up.” I grin over her shoulder. “But if you’ve had enough of me…”

Answering me by opening her legs, my hand slides down to her pussy, feeling just how much I couldn’t get enough, which makes me harder, and eager to give her more.

She sighs as her hand goes over mine. “I’ll never get enough.”

As she holds onto my hand, I finger her clit and whisper, “Good, because I love giving it to you.”

Moving my hand, I push against her body, urging her onto her stomach. Kissing her neck, I brush my dick over her ass, and she opens her legs. I guide my dick between them, where I easily slide into her.

As I mount her, she gasps and says, “Happy birthday, Jared.”

Leaning down, I groan into her ear and say, “Best birthday ever, Kit Kat, spent inside you, coming over and over again.”

She moans, “Oh, fuck.”

I whisper, “You’ll be dripping all week with my cum. I’ll make sure of it, so you don’t forget who owns you.”

“You do, Jared. I’ll never forget, but I may need reminding.”

Pushing up, so I’m hovering above her, I grind my cock into her and growl, “Then I’ll be your wakeup call all fucking day.”

On Easter, Dad was going to visit me for the weekend in Philly, bringing Kat, but I ditched that idea and stayed in Annapolis instead. Kat and I never would’ve been alone, and we need our privacy, since we only have limited time together.

While at Dad’s for dinner, I wasn’t hungry and my stomach had been queasy all day. Thinking that maybe I was getting sick, I told Kat that we’d eat dinner with Dad, but then go home. Hadley was with Finn, visiting his mom for Easter in Delaware. My grandparents were on a cruise, and surprisingly, Brenda had plans at a friend’s house for dinner, so she wasn’t able to join us, either, which I found to be a reprieve from thinking of Kat as my potential sister. Fucking hell. That alone makes me want to barf.

After dinner, a familiar, dull pain struck me in the stomach; however, before we could leave, Dad opened his laptop on the coffee table to show us Finn’s most recent dare, since Finn had said it’s one we apparently shouldn’t miss.

Kat, Dad, and I watch Finn’s dare, and all of us gape at the computer, stunned by what he did.

Irritated, I ultimately snap, “What the hell was that?”

Kat says, “Oh, wow. That was drastic, but so sweet.”

“Sweet? Are you serious? So I’m supposed to go do
that
now?”

She shakes her head. “No, you’re not Finn, but it’s romantic that he did that for Hadley, don’t you think?”

Rolling my eyes, I shrug. “He seems too desperate.”

“Well, that dare seemed pretty genuine to me.”

Dad says, “It rather proves he’s committed to her.”

I sneer, “Without actually committing to her.”

Kat asks, “What do you mean?”

“Finn would rather take a flying leap without a parachute than get married.”

Kat asks, “Are you serious?”

“Very. Fearless Finn Wilder
does
have a fear: marrying Hadley.”

“You think Finn doesn’t love her?”

“He says he does. He claims he doesn’t want to marry her just to get divorced. I don’t know whether to believe him or not.”

Dad says, “Yeah, but look what he just did. Still, divorce isn’t a reason not to get married if he really loves her. It’s the risk you take in the name of love.”

I shake my head. “I’m still not buying it. If he did love her as much as he claims he does, he’d risk it
all
.”

Smiling at me and brushing at my hair, Kat says, “I think he does love Hadley. The way he looks at her, even when she’s not looking, he adores her.”

I retort, “Yeah. Just as long as nobody else sees him adoring her.”

Dad frowns. “That part bothers me.”

Kat sighs. “Finn seems like a nice guy. I want to believe he’ll change his mind and marry her. I know it must be hard for Hadley, especially when she’s in two weddings so close together.”

Amid the pains getting closer together and stronger, making me feel like I’m in fucking labor, I irritably ask, “Whose?”

Kat says, “One of her friends is getting married in June.”

I shift on the couch, trying to ease the pain, without letting on that I’m seriously hurting. “Well, damn. No wonder Finn’s losing his shit and doing crazy-ass dares. He’ll be in the nuthouse in no time.”

Kat clasps her hands together. “I think it may be getting to her. The weddings, I mean. She seems to not want to talk about them much. She’s been great at getting fitted for her dress, but I think both of these weddings are making her sad. She hasn’t been talking as much to me, either.”

Dad scratches at his jaw. “Poor Hadley.” Dad then asks me, “Are you asking Finn to be in your wedding?”

Glancing at the paused video, I say, “No. I have the three I need matched up to Kat’s three, and I’d ask Tony before I’d ask Finn, anyhow. The way he’s treating Hadley pisses me off.”

Kat points to the computer. “Come on! How can you still be pissed at him?”

“He’s yanking her chain still. It’s almost like a diversion. He’s not even coming to the wedding.”

Kat asks, “Why not?”

“He said he has to work and probably won’t make it. Bullshit. He can’t take off a couple hours to at least see Hadley dressed up and dance with her for one song?”

Dad rubs his graying beard. “God. I wish I knew what his true intentions were with her, and if he really does love Hadley.”

I say, “If he is at the wedding, Hadley will have to dance with Calder at the reception. Finn will see Hadley with someone else, especially one who has a crush on her. And if he doesn’t go, take pictures and make sure he sees them.”

Kat argues, “But you said you didn’t want Hadley and Dash together.”

“I don’t, but since they will be for the wedding, I’ll use it to spur Finn on.”

Dad sighs. “Jared, don’t start something with your sister, or get between her and Finn.”

“I’m not. I’m just working the situation. Finn needs to quit dicking around with Hadley. He’s aware that other guys are interested in her. Maybe he should actually see proof.”

Kat asks, “You’re going to use Dash for the very thing you were pissed off at him for doing with her? He’ll hate you.”

“I’m not going to tell him what I’m doing. Jesus. I’ll just be watching Finn’s reaction to them paired together. That’s all. I’m not arranging Dash and Hadley’s damned marriage.”

Dad says, “You do know that it’s your reception, though. You’ll be walking around, talking to people, getting your picture taken, not worrying about what Finn is doing. You’ll be too busy.”

“I’ll have someone else keep an eye on him, too.” Duquesne needs something to do.

Kat says, “I don’t want any drama at our wedding or reception, Jared.”

I laugh. “There won’t be. Finn won’t openly make any kind of scene that would draw unwanted attention to himself while he’s not on TV. Trust me.”

Dad sighs. “It’s the
afterward
I’m worried about. He and Hadley could have a big fight.”

“As long as Hadley doesn’t go kissing Dash, they won’t fight. He wouldn’t want Hadley to think he’s that insecure.”

Kat shakes her head. “Wow, Jared. You’ve really thought about this.”

I shrug. “When you have a lot of alone time in the evenings, you think about all kinds of crazy shit.”

Kat frowns. “That’s what worries
me
.”

After going to Kat’s apartment, the hope that the pain was a fluke proved a cruel joke as it intensified on my right side. I knew my fucking appendix was throwing a damn hissy fit. I had appendicitis in grade school and a bout in high school, but apparently, doctors back then didn’t feel the need to remove it. Assholes.

As I grew paler, Kat fretted over me. When I started throwing up around 11:00, as my body burned everywhere from the pain and the sweating, Kat forced me to go to the emergency room. When they admitted me for further tests, I had to stay overnight for observation bullshit. I’ve been through this damn song and dance before. They diagnose me with appendicitis, I stay in the hospital for observation, they throw some pills at me, and then I go home.

However, shortly after Kat returned Monday morning, the doctor came in to deliver the news I had not been expecting.

“You need an appendectomy.”

“No way. I’m not doing surgery.”

“It’s going to rupture. Actually, you should’ve had it removed the last time you had appendicitis. Not sure why it wasn’t.”

I grumble, “I don’t either, since I’m in the same hospital I was the previous two times.”

“Well, I’m telling you that it has to come out now.”

“Fabulous.”

“Surgery is scheduled for 1:00. You’ll need to fill out the paperwork.”

“How long will I be trapped here?”

“You’ll go home tomorrow afternoon if you don’t develop any further infection, and you’re able to walk around.”

I sigh and glance at Kat, who smiles. What the fuck? She likes seeing me in misery?

When the doctor leaves, I snap, “I hate hospitals.”

“I know. So do I.”

Suddenly feeling like a douchebag, remembering that Kat was on life support in this hospital, I mutter, “Fuck. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ll tell your dad you’re having surgery.”

“He doesn’t have to be here. Jesus. I’m only getting my appendix out.”

“Jared, he’d want to know and I think he’d be hurt if you didn’t tell him.”

“Christ. He already knows I’m in here for observation. Just don’t mention the surgery part.”

“Yeah, but if you’re still in the hospital after he gets off work, he wants to stop by.”

“He’s been texting you?”

“He called me this morning.”

“I’m glad you two are conspiring against me. Judases.”

“Not against you. We love you.”

Rubbing my hand through my hair, I say, “I guess I need to call work to tell them I won’t be in tomorrow, either.”

“You won’t be allowed to return for a while, I imagine.”

Looking up at her, I grin. “This may work to my advantage. Are you going to play my nurse?”

Kat scowls. “No sex, either.”

I cringe. “No surgery then.”

“Sit back, Jericho. You’re having it done.”

The nurse returns with papers and Kat steps out to call my dad.

When my dad arrives an hour later, I roll my eyes at his concerned face. I say, “You didn’t have to race over here.”

“I’m on my lunch break and I’ll be back when you’re out of recovery.”

“I’m fine,” I complain. “This is stupid. I should’ve had this shit done years ago.”

He says, “I asked the doctor about it the last time you had appendicitis. I even told him I had mine removed, but he said you should be okay. I’m sorry.”

Kat says, “At least it’ll be removed now and you’ll never have to suffer through this again.”

Dad laughs. “You’ll be scaling buildings again like Spiderman in no time.”

“What the hell?” I laugh, but it hurts my stomach and I wince with a gasp.

He pretends to be confused. “I thought that’s what you did for a living?”

I roll my eyes. “I wish.”

The nurse arrives to inform me that I’m ready to go. Before I’m wheeled out of the room, Kat squeezes my hand, “I’ll be right here when you wake up. I love you, baby.”

From behind Kat, Dad grins and says, “Ditto, baby.”