This Game Called Life (Kingdom Book 4) (4 page)

“I know you’ve met
Josh. Do you honestly think I stand a chance of simply emerging from behind this
tree and just asking nicely that they all leave the room?”

“Kissing behind
this stupid tree was your dumb idea, so what do you plan to do about it?” At
his blank look, MacKenzie continued speaking. “You better think of something
Jacob because I don’t want to have to cuss your brother out!”

“Look, they’ve all
probably figured out what we were doing back here, so we might as well face
them now rather than later.”

“Oh, my God! Your
father!” MacKenzie shrieked, forgetting that she was supposed to remain inconspicuous.

Grabbing hold of
her hand, Jake pulled a surprised MacKenzie from their hiding place. The first
thing he noticed was the absence of his father. The second thing he noticed was
that his brothers and Aviva were all sitting down, drinks in their hands, their
eyes riveted on the space they now occupied.

“Say nothing!”
Jake informed the room at large.

“Man, you have got
to be kidding me. This is way too good to let slide!” Josh threw back at him in
a heartbeat.

“Joshua, I’m
warning you,” Jake threatened, although his threat carried little heat as he
was having difficulty suppressing a laugh at the way they were all sitting
there staring at them.

“Whatever Jake,”
Jason said, joining in. “MacKenzie, you do realize that once our father became
aware of what was taking place behind the Christmas tree, he had to leave the
room.”

Looking over at
MacKenzie, Jake saw she was ignoring his brothers, her eyes fixed on Aviva as
though imploring her to deny what they were saying. Turning back to Aviva, Jake
was just in time to see her lower her eyes by way of confirmation of what her
husband had said.

“Oh my Lord, I’m
never gonna be able to look that man in the eyes ever again.”

“MacKenzie, are
you aware that up until what just took place behind that tree, Jake was incorruptible.
You lured him behind our Christmas tree and just like that,” Josh said with a
snap of his fingers, “from the sounds you guys were making, he succumbed. Lady
you’ve got skills.”

The look of horror
on MacKenzie’s face was there one moment and gone the next. The quick change
took Jake by surprise. But it was nothing compared to what she said next.

“Yeah, I kissed
him behind the damn tree, so what? Look at y’all sitting there like the only
thing missing is some damn popcorn. I bet y’all wished y’all had thought of it,
and it was good too!” Realizing what she had said out loud in her vexation,
MacKenzie paused long enough to give Jake a dirty look. “I said it was
good
,
not
great
; you could do with some practice, so you can wipe that smug
look off your damn face!”

“Damn, man she
just shot your ass down!” Josh quipped to everyone’s amusement except,
MacKenzie’s, who was the only one not laughing.

“Shut the hell up,”
MacKenzie said, pointing at Josh as she looked him up and down before
dismissing him.

Turning back to
Jason, she fixed him with a deadly stare and spoke with exacting deliberation.
“You should be forever grateful that you married my best friend, Jason Kingdom;
otherwise, I’d make you leave the room just as fast as your father, and the
last your wife would see is the door handle hitting you in your butt crack!”

That was it;
everyone exploded into laughter at the outrageousness of MacKenzie’s comment,
her included.

In all honesty,
Jake was a little stunned at the way MacKenzie had just taken Jason down in a
blaze. When she again looked his way, Jake held up his arms in the universal
pose of surrender, his dimples on full display. “Hey, you already insulted
Jason and I, by my reckoning it’s the cub’s turn.”

With all eyes
trained on him, Josh jumped to his feet and cautiously made his way around the
couch backing up towards the door. “You know what I think? I think my big
brothers may well have a death wish. I, on the other hand, do not. I will
therefore, wish you all a goodnight.” Reaching the door, Josh exited without
waiting for his brothers to confirm his cowardice.

**********

It was ten days
since Noelle’s birth. New Year’s had come and gone, and MacKenzie was still
staying in the Kingdom’s home. No longer prepared to succumb to Jake and
Aviva’s insistence that she needed their support, MacKenzie knew it was time to
go home.

Her attempts at
avoiding Jake since New Year’s Eve was were beginning to tell on her nerves. It
seemed to her that Jake appeared to find some form of perverse enjoyment in seeking
her out whenever he could. It was driving her crazy.

They both knew she
didn’t have the excuse of fobbing off her behavior on an excess of alcohol or
any other mind-altering drug. She had wanted his attention, and when he had
given it, she had given in to her curiosity of being held and kissed by him.

That had been
mistake number one; number two had been liking it and number three had been her
response to him. That response had given him more power over her than she had
ever given another man, save one.

Every time
MacKenzie thought about the evening she cringed. Every time she saw the knowing
look in his eyes she cringed a little more. Every time she saw him watching
her, she wanted to punch him. At the same time that all these unsettling
feelings were running through her mind, she did everything within her power to
let him know that he was getting on her nerves.

Nothing worked.
She had quelled many a man with her death-ray look, but for some reason it
didn’t seem to work on Jake. The more she tried to out-stare him the more
knowing his look.

As if just
thinking about him was enough to conjure his presence, Jake was suddenly beside
her, he reached into the crib for the baby. He did that a lot. For some reason,
he always wanted to hold Noelle.

“I’m not even
going to ask you what has you so deep in contemplation because we already know,
don’t we little one?” Although the question was directed at MacKenzie, Jake’s
eyes were firmly fixed on the child he held.

“I think it’s time
for us to go home.” MacKenzie watched as Jake’s eyes lifted to look at her, and
seemed to change color with each passing second. Bracing herself for an
argument, MacKenzie was taken off guard by his comment.

“Let me know when
you’re ready to leave, and I’ll take you home?”

“Oh... okay. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,
MacKenzie. Did you expect me to say otherwise?”

Knowing it was
foolish to get distracted while dealing with Jake, MacKenzie pulled herself
together and concentrated on what she had just been asked. “Of course not!”

Leaning down to
place the sleeping baby in her arms, Jake bent in closer until his lips were a
whisper away from her ear. His proximity caused her to pull in a quick breath.

“I enjoy a good
chase, MacKenzie. Remember that.”

MacKenzie could
have sworn that she felt the tip of his tongue pass across the shell of her ear
before he straightened and walked away.

Chapter 7

It was six months
since MacKenzie had returned home, and this was the first time Carlos was
taking Noelle for an overnight visit. MacKenzie’s anxiety level was extremely
high, but she couldn’t keep him away from his daughter.

His mother had yet
to show any form of interest in her granddaughter, and that was fine with
MacKenzie. Both women couldn’t stand the sight of each other, and that too was
just fine with her. Because of their dislike for each other, MacKenzie worried
about her baby being in the older woman’s company.

It wasn’t as
though this was the first time Noelle had spent the night away from her. As a
single parent, she had called on her sister on more than one occasion for
babysitting services when she needed a break. Just because she was a single
mother didn’t mean she stopped needing to be, MacKenzie.

Carlos’ past
interactions with the baby contributed in alleviating some of her misgivings
surrounding him taking her for a sleepover. He was really good with his
daughter whenever he had been in her company. MacKenzie’s worry was more that
he would get distracted. Carlos was on a mission with his career, and it showed
in his lack of free time. Even with his hectic life, he appeared to be trying,
and MacKenzie wouldn’t take that away from him.

Maybe it was her
unsubstantiated concern about his mother or the way he was currently looking at
her, but something didn’t feel right to MacKenzie. Carlos was acting odd.
MacKenzie couldn’t put her finger on what his behavior meant, so she attributed
it to his nervousness about being responsible for his daughter overnight.

The sight of
Carlos standing at her door had come with mixed emotions for MacKenzie.
Although no lingering attraction towards him remained, she couldn’t help but
notice just how attractive he was. There was no getting away from it; Carlos
was a good looking man, and he knew it.

What he failed to
realize was that the charm that countless women fell for, no longer held any
illusions where she was concerned. When they first met, she had been a little
star struck. To be in the presence of such a famous star had been thrilling.
However, for MacKenzie, his status hadn’t been the deciding factor. They had
spoken and exchanged pleasantries, but she had refused to succumb to his innate
charm.

At that time,
MacKenzie had been unsure as to whether he was genuinely interested in her or
if he was only out to make another conquest. In the end it hadn’t mattered, they
were both free and single and it was what they both wanted. After an exchange
of numbers, and a number of dates they had started a casual relationship.

“Wow, you look
great! All ready for the big night I see.” Carlos voiced his compliment with a
smile; yet his stare said something entirely different.

“Thank you, come
on in, Noelle is ready,” MacKenzie said, standing aside to give him access to
her home.

Once inside,
Carlos’ demeanor changed. Gone was the smile that had accompanied his
compliment, in its place was a look MacKenzie could only liken to displeasure,
where or what his displeasure originated from, she was unclear.

“Is Noelle what
you and I have come to, MacKenzie?”

“What else is
there? We tried, we failed, the end!” MacKenzie knew she was being flippant,
but she didn’t care. She had given Carlos as much of her time as she intended.

“You’re my baby
mama. That should mean something!”

The displeasure in
Carlos’ voice caused MacKenzie to slam the front door shut. Her action annoyed
her even more because she had promised herself that her door slamming days were
over.

“First off, don’t
ever refer to me as your
baby mama
ever again. I have a name and our
daughter has a name, use them!” As far as she was concerned the title of
baby
mam
a was one she would never go by. The sooner he accepted that, the sooner
they would come to an understanding.

Completely aware
that when her manner became stern, most people found her difficult to
counteract; MacKenzie wiped all signs of amicability from her expression. It worked;
Carlos seemed to withdraw as though searching for another angle to ingratiate
himself with her.

MacKenzie imagined
the cogs of his mind turning. That was her indication that something had
changed with him. Months ago they had decided they would co-parent Noelle, and
apart from her wellbeing, they would go their separate ways. Even though he
tried, Carlos couldn’t seem to hide the smug blaze in his eyes, and it made
MacKenzie uneasy.

“What’s going on,
Carlos?”

His laugh in
response to her question sounded contrived, and MacKenzie had an overwhelming
need to shake an answer out of him. What he did next caught her by complete
surprise.

Stepping in close,
Carlos pulled MacKenzie into his arms and fixed his lips against hers. Her
brain picked that moment to freeze. She didn’t push him away nor did she
respond, she just stared at him as his lips continued to move against hers.
After a few moments, MacKenzie’s brain kicked into action, her thoughts
wavering between shock and the thought that Carlos must have lost his mind.

Unprepared to
fight him, she remained perfectly still. She was experienced enough to tell the
difference between a man wanting her and one just going through the motions.
Carlos’ kiss fell into the latter category.

When he pulled
away, MacKenzie was unsure of what he expected to see in her expression. Maybe
some form of bliss that he had shown her attention. MacKenzie wanted to laugh
in his face. She had swallowed her pride as much as she was prepared to do
where Carlos Ernesto was concerned. If he thought his looks and status were
going to change that fact, he was sadly mistaken.

“You used to like
my kisses,” Carlos murmured.

Without a doubt,
MacKenzie knew something was going on with him. He hadn’t been interested in
her since he found out she was pregnant. She had known it, yet she had still
accepted his invitation to stay with him all in a vain attempt at making their
relationship work. Always holding on to the possibility that they could make a
life together.

“You’re right; I
used to like your kisses, but you and I know that we don’t work. Therefore,
I’ll ask you again; what’s going on with you, Carlos?” The moments stretched on
with no response to her enquiry, surrounding them in an eerie silence that
unnerved her.

“Have you moved
on, MacKenzie, is that it, have you found someone else even though your
daughter is only six months old?”

MacKenzie didn’t
understand the look Carlos gave her, and she certainly didn’t appreciate his
comments.

“To my
understanding, Noelle is
our
daughter, and yes I’ve moved on, and
whether I’ve found someone else is none of your damn business!” MacKenzie could
feel the heat rising in her face. How dare he stand here in judgment of her;
she had seen image after image of him attending functions with more than one starlet
on his arm. The level of his hypocrisy was almost unbelievable until she
remembered who she was dealing with.

Pushing all
thoughts of his disdain aside, MacKenzie lifted her sleeping baby out of the
car seat. Holding Noelle close, she placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before
returning her to her original position.

“By the look of
that dress I’d say you have a hot date rather than dinner with Aviva and her
husband. Are you sure that’s where you’re heading or is a certain Jacob Kingdom
going to be there?” His tone dripped with so much scorn it shocked MacKenzie.

“What is this? You
knew Jake was going to be there. I never hid that when you offered to babysit.”

“You’re right, and
honestly, I’m happy he’s going to be there,” was Carlos’ cryptic response.

Deciding their
conversation had deteriorated far enough, MacKenzie decided she didn’t want to
know what he was alluding to. Instead, she kept her attention fixed on her
daughter.

“Noelle’s ready so
don’t let me keep you. What time will you be bringing her back?”

“I’ll let you
know.”

Taking a deep
breath at his cavalier response, MacKenzie decided to approach the subject of
the return of their daughter from another direction.

“Okay, I want you
guys to have a good visit, so I’ll expect you around noon tomorrow.”

“Seems to me
you’re anticipating a really long night!”

“I know you’re
trying to pick another fight with me but I’m not biting. Whatever’s going on
with you is your business, so leave me out of it!”

“Got it, leave you
out of it, understood.” Picking up the car seat, Carlos didn’t spare her
another glance as he left.

Proud of herself,
MacKenzie drew in a few deep breaths to compose herself. Something had changed
where Carlos was concerned. With that thought, a shiver of fear inched its way
down her back.

Rushing to the
window, MacKenzie pulled back the curtains and watched as Carlos secured the
baby in his car. As though he could sense her gaze he looked back. As their
eyes locked, her feelings of apprehension intensified. One minute he looked as
though he hated her, and the next the Carlos Ernesto smile was on full display.
Then he walked around the car, got in and drove away.

For some reason,
MacKenzie felt tears pool in her eyes. Angry with herself, she grabbed a
tissue, blew her nose and tossed it into the trash. Pulling herself together,
she wandered around for a few minutes, fluffing cushions and straightening artwork
that didn’t need her attention. Realizing what she was doing, MacKenzie allowed
her arms to fall to her sides. A loud sigh and a few deep breaths later she was
nearly in control of her emotions.

Shifting gears,
MacKenzie attempted to dismiss her concerns. It was Jake and Jason’s
thirty-fifth birthday, and Aviva had insisted she join them for dinner. Aviva
had wanted to throw them a party, but Jason had balked at the suggestion, and
for once held firm against the wants of his wife.

With a few hours
to kill, MacKenzie realized for the first time just how tired she was; having
sole responsibility for a baby was all encompassing. The idea of a nap seemed
wonderful, and would accomplish three things: It would take her mind off her
baby being gone; distract her from Carlos’ odd behavior, and hopefully it would
stop her from falling asleep during the meal.