This Game Called Life (Kingdom Book 4) (5 page)

Chapter 8

At exactly 7:30 pm,
Jake saw Mackenzie walk through the door of the restaurant. As the hostess
escorted her to the table, Jake saw her hesitate, probably because he was the
only one present.

This would be the
first time they had seen each other since the day she left his home all those
months ago.

Every time he had
tried to see or contact her he had been rebuffed. MacKenzie maintained eye
contact with him until she reached the beautifully decorated table; seemingly
unwilling to allow Jake to see how much the absence of Jason and Aviva rattled
her.

“MacKenzie,”
Taking hold of her upper arms, Jake kissed her on the cheek before he held her
at arm’s length and searched every inch of her face. “You look beautiful.”

“It’s good to see
you too. You look well, tanned. Have you been on vacation?” As she spoke,
MacKenzie took the seat Jake held for her.

“Vacation, no, but
I have been to the Seychelles, we’re thinking of opening a hotel there.”

Without having to
be signaled, the waiter arrived at their table. Jake ordered drinks for the
both of them, and proved himself to be a master of small talk while they
awaited the delivery of their beverages.

“So where’s the
photos of the baby?

From the look on
her face, Jake could see MacKenzie was surprised that he was interested in
seeing pictures of her child. As she whipped out her phone, he was pleased when
she scooted closer to him on the semi-circle leather seating. Wedged up so
close to him that not even a sheet of paper could pass between them, MacKenzie
showed Jake photo after photo of her daughter.

The realization
that she was back at the first picture of the baby was the moment MacKenzie
seemed to become aware that she was pressed up against his side. It was also
the moment she appeared to sense that his attention was fixed on her.

“She’s beautiful,
just like her mother,” Jake couldn’t help but say.

Jake found her
look of surprise and her stunned silence amusing. “Do you doubt me?”

“No, I never
refute the obvious,” MacKenzie said with a big grin.

“Good, there’s
nothing I like more than a confident woman, but just how confident are you,
MacKenzie?”

Jake’s question as
well as his unwavering gaze seemed to throw her off her stride. “This man is
forever watching me as though he wants to take a bite out of me.”

“Bite, no, not my
style. A taste, now that’s a whole other issue.”

Mortified that yet
again she had inadvertently spoken her thoughts aloud, MacKenzie gave Jake a
flustered look which he found endearing.

Before her muddled
brain could think of something scathing to say, Jake dipped his head and pressed
a firm kiss against her mouth. “Did you miss me?”

“Are you crazy,
why should I miss you? In fact, since the last time I saw you, you haven’t even
crossed my mind!”

“A simple
no
would have been sufficient, MacKenzie. Is this a classic case of protesting too
much? Maybe I make you nervous.”

 “I don’t know
about making me nervous, but you get on my nerves!”

“Well, if you
don’t know, I can only surmise that I do,” Jake said with a slight tilt of his
head that seemed to annoy her even more.

“You can take your
surmise and shove—”

“Tut-tut,
MacKenzie,” Jake grinned wagging a long finger at her. “Pretty girls don’t use
the type of language that was just about to come out of your mouth,” Jake
finished with a huge grin.

“You have got to
be the most irritating man I’ve ever met.”

Jake only grinned,
completely at ease with their banter. In all honesty, he had missed it. His
thought was quickly followed by the fine hairs on the back of his neck rising.
Something didn’t feel right. As surreptitiously as he could without alarming
MacKenzie, he looked around the restaurant. Nothing or no one seemed out of
place, but the feeling persisted.

Unwilling to spoil
the evening, Jake stood and extended a hand to MacKenzie. “Would you care to
dance?”

With only a
moment’s hesitation, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to assist her
to her feet.

Once they were on
the dance floor, Jake pulled MacKenzie into his arms. When they began to move
around the floor, he took one more look around. Then he felt it; they were no
longer being observed.

“Have you heard
anything from Jason and Aviva?” MacKenzie asked.

Pulling his
awareness back to her, Jake attempted to put his disquieting thoughts out of
his mind.

“I was attempting
to reach them when you arrived. I don’t know where they are, or if they’re
still coming.”

Her toneless
oh
I see
, told Jake he had to think of something more to say. It wasn’t like
Jason and Aviva to cancel on a date without letting the other party know.

“You have to
remember that with them everything is a first. Maybe they just wanted to spend
the evening on their own.”

“You’re probably
right, but it just doesn’t sound like Aviva.”

“Which part,” Jake
asked. “The part about spending time alone with her husband on his birthday, or
the fact that she didn’t call you?”

“The calling part,
Jake. It’s not like her.”

Jake could see
that MacKenzie was worried and decided to try to set her mind at ease. He
didn’t want Jason and Aviva’s no-show to ruin their night together.

“Come on
MacKenzie, this is Jason and Aviva we’re talking about. If those two get caught
up in each other, we’ll be the last thing on their minds. In all honesty, it
could be next week before we hear from them.”

Jake watched as
MacKenzie’s eyes glazed over, taking on a faraway look. If his interpretation
of the look was correct, his father was right; nearly all women were a sucker
for true romance. While she might work hard at her attempts of independence and
bravado, she had just failed his test. Therefore plan number one was now in
full effect. If that failed, he already had another plan lined up and ready to
go. Jake only hoped one or the other worked because he didn’t have a third plan
in place... yet.

While she still
appeared occupied with thoughts of Jason and Aviva, Jake seized the opportunity
to pull her close as the music surrounded them. He knew just as sure as he knew
his name; the moment wasn’t going to last for much longer.

He was wrong; the
moment stretched on in silence throughout the whole dance. It was as though she
were giving her silent consent for him to hold her.

Jake remained
quiet as he savored each moment. Each beat of the music became a throb that
worked its way through his body attuning itself to the way she felt pressed
against him. If he were given the choice to be anywhere else, he knew he would
gratefully choose the here and now.

He knew what he
was beginning to feel just as he knew how hard she was fighting against her
feelings. It was his thirty-fifth birthday, and his mind was made up. MacKenzie
and Noelle were his to care for, and to cherish. In his mind the reason was
simple, the thought of them in his life filled him with contentment.

Chapter 9

For the most part,
the meal was a success. As they stood outside the restaurant, Jake recognized
he had another mini battle on his hands. MacKenzie had arrived in a cab, and
she now seemed determined to leave the same way. While he knew that wasn’t
going to happen, he understood what dealing with MacKenzie meant; there was
going to be a clash before he got his way.

 “I’ll be fine in
a cab, Jake.”

“I’m sorry, but I
won’t hear of it.” Jake could see she was getting ready to voice another
objection and interrupted her before she could do so. “Here’s my car,” he said
taking the key from the valet.

Holding the door
open, Jake maintained unwavering eye contact with MacKenzie until she gave in,
and slipped into the seat. Feeling elated about his easy victory, he pulled
into the late night traffic and cast a quick glance at MacKenzie, who seemed
intent on ignoring him.

“Are you warm
enough?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Would you like
some music?”

“Whatever you
want.”

“Umm... whatever I
want, huh?” Jake laughed at her attempt at shutting him out with docility.
“Well, how about if you and I spend the night–” Jake laughed even harder as
MacKenzie cut him off so quickly he was unable to finish his sentence. Her head
flashed around so fast he thought she might well suffer the effects of whiplash
come the morning.

“Stop right
there!”

“I’m curious as to
what you thought I was about to say?” He questioned, giving her his most
guileless look.

Jake knew calling
her out, would put her on the spot, and wondered how long it would take for her
to get out of this particular hole.

“I have no idea
what you were about to say, and I have no wish to know what you were going to
say.”

“Wow, a double
block, you’re good! But what you should always remember is that I’m better.”

“Jacob, on your
best day, you will never be as good as me on my worst day.”

“Did you just dare
me, MacKenzie? Where I come from those are fighting words!” He was enjoying
himself, and from the look on MacKenzie’s face, she was too.

“Bring it twinnie,
I’m ready!”

“Are you sure
you’re up to the challenge?”

“Oh please, is
this all you’ve got? I devour Kingdoms for breakfast, then I laugh and move on
to devour the world for lunch with a cry for more!”

Jake couldn’t nor
did he want to withhold the laughter that bubbled within him. He was with whom,
and where, he wanted to be. Even through his enjoyment, he knew MacKenzie was
going to be his greatest challenge. He also knew he would relish every moment
he spent breaking down her barriers.

“You doubt me?”
She asked when he finally stopped laughing.

“MacKenzie, I
would never doubt anything you say to me. However, I should warn you that the
men in my family rarely play, but when we do, we always win.”

“Win what?”

“Whatever we
want.”

“What do you want,
Jacob, and don’t say me!”

“I would never be
so obvious.”

“Thank goodness
for that. I can’t stand an obvious man.”

“Then this is your
lucky day!” Jake quipped. “That was bad right?”

“So bad, I’m
having difficulty putting it into words.”

“Well, it’s just
as well that you’re home,” Jake said, pleased he had managed to avert the
awkward silence that had first been their companion when their drive had begun.

Coming to a stop
before her apartment, he cut the engine in a deliberate attempt to force her
into inviting him into her home. He wasn’t ready for the night to be over. If
he knew MacKenzie, and he did, she would probably ignore his subtle ploy with a
goodnight that left no room for objection.

He knew a lot about
MacKenzie, but as yet she knew very little about him. Each time he was in her
company, his awareness of her grew. She grated on his nerves, yet at the same
time she was an enigma that he wanted to solve. The more he found himself
spending time with her, the more he wanted to know about her.

Everything about
her seemed to indicate that they should have nothing in common, but he was
forever drawn to her. Whatever that imperceptible something was, it was real,
and he was unprepared to leave his feelings unexplored. Where she stood, Jake
was unsure, but he was a Kingdom. Therefore, it didn’t matter. He was going to
explore what was between them, and he intended to make her acknowledge her
attraction for him.

There was nothing
in his arsenal that could prevent the lure she had inadvertently cast in his
direction. Jake knew that everything in life had a natural course. Some
relationships developed without intervention while others needed constant
attention to take root. He instinctively knew he and MacKenzie fell into the
latter category.

Even as he made up
his mind to move forward, Jake considered how he would counter her refusal to
his question. “Are you going to invite me in?”

“Sure.”

Her agreement came
as something of a surprise; Jake hadn’t expected her to be so readily willing
to extend their time together. Although she had surprised him, he wasn’t going
to question her agreement.

Leaving the car,
Jake began his walk to MacKenzie’s door to assist her. Before he could reach
it, she was out of the vehicle and standing on the sidewalk waiting for him.

“I would have
assisted you out of the car, MacKenzie.”

“Well, as you can
see there was no need. I can get out of a car perfectly fine on my own.”

“That’s not the
point and you know it!”

“Jake, it’s not a
big deal, get over it,” MacKenzie said with a dismissive air.

As MacKenzie was
about to walk away, Jake’s hand shot out and took hold of her arm. “We need to
get a few things straight; when you’re with me, you will wait for me to assist you
in and out of vehicles. Do I make myself clear?”

“You’re kidding
me, right?” MacKenzie laughed.

“Do I look as
though I’m making a joke?” Jake was pissed that she was making light of
something he took so seriously.

“That sort of
stuff doesn’t matter to me, but if that’s what you want, then it’s fine with
me,” MacKenzie said with a shrug.

Jake was again
taken aback by her swift acquiescence; it was out of character and he knew she
was up to something.

“Shall we?”
Extending his arm, he indicated that they should move inside. He wasn’t
finished with the conversation, but he was finished with speaking on the
sidewalk.

With another shrug
of her shoulders, MacKenzie headed towards her door with Jake following close
behind. Somewhere in the back of his mind he couldn’t quite shake the feeling
that given the chance she would slam her door in his face.

As soon as she got
through the door, Mackenzie kicked off her shoes before she switched on a table
lamp, which cast a soft glow around the room. Moving forwards, she led the way
into the main living area where she switched on two more lamps.

As the glow of the
lighting filtered into the room, Jake took a good look around. He had been
inside her home once before; that was on the day they had first met. That
disastrous encounter had set the pattern from which he was still trying to
recover. She hadn’t allowed him to take her home after the New Year; insisting
that Aviva had already volunteered.

For the first
time, Jake took in his surroundings. When he had been there before, he hadn’t
been that interested in her home. Now everything had changed.

The room wasn’t
big, and it was decorated in varying shades of cream, brown and green. Her wall
hangings were of abstracts and African imagery. Dotted around the room were
sculptures that complimented the other artwork. There were lots of plants.
Everywhere he looked there were different types of indoor plants that seemed to
blend perfectly into their surroundings. He liked the room and thought it
suited her perfectly.

“May I offer you
something to drink?”

“Coffee sounds
good.”

“Coffee coming up.
Please have a seat while I go get it started.”

“Do you mind if I
join you?” Jake asked, aware that she was giving him an odd look.

“Sure, come on.”

Jake followed her
as she walked towards another door leading from the main room. The kitchen
surprised him. The room looked as though it belonged to a professional chef.
Pots and pans hung from a central rack with other serious looking gadgets that
he couldn’t begin to name.

“What can I say, I
like to cook!”

“I can see that.
I’ll impatiently await an invitation to dinner.”

“I don’t like you
enough to cook for you. Coffee, no problem, a meal is something completely
different.”

Jake laughed at
her rudeness even as MacKenzie rolled her eyes at him. “I was wondering where
the real MacKenzie had gone. All that easy capitulation to my requests was way
out of character.”

“The only reason
you’re getting coffee is because you paid for dinner, and drove me home. So
don’t read anything else into it.”

Jake made a pretense
of considering her words. He knew she wasn’t going to lower her guard easily.
Therefore, he was going to have to help her along, starting now.

“Understood,”
moving to a stool by the counter, he shrugged out of his jacket and placed it
on the back of his seat. Then he loosened and removed his tie. Removing his
cuff-links, Jake rolled up his sleeves, as he watched her every move. He knew
she was aware of him; he just didn’t know how much, and he wondered how long it
would take her to look at him.

She lasted for as
long as it took her to gather the accoutrements to brew the coffee. With that
task complete, her reason for ignoring him was gone. Jake remained quiet,
waiting to see what she would do next.

Spinning around,
MacKenzie gave him a dirty look, and Jake grinned.
Good
, he thought,
here was the reaction he had been waiting for.

“I hate it when
you watch me like that.”

“How do I watch
you, MacKenzie?”

“Like... I don’t
know! All I know is I don’t like it, so stop it!”

“How am I supposed
to stop doing whatever it is you don’t like if you can’t even explain it to
me?”

“Don’t try to mess
with me, Jacob!”

“Oh, I want to
more than mess with you, MacKenzie; so I dare you to tell me how I watch you.”
Aware that he had just moved the goal posts, Jake held her gaze without waver.
With an inner smile, he realized he was enjoying pushing her buttons. Where
MacKenzie was concerned, he could get two reactions; she could cuss him out, or
she could be blatantly honest. He knew which he would rather, but only time
would tell.

“You look as
though you want a big bite of chocolate.”

Momentarily
stunned at her words, Jake decided to play along. “You’re right, and I have a
very sweet tooth.”

“That kiss was a
one-time thing. It’s not going to happen again... ever!”

“Whatever you
say,” Jake agreed, his gaze unwavering.

“I mean it, Jake!”

“I already
acknowledged your statement, MacKenzie.” Jake saw a fleeting look of skepticism
pass across her face but said no more.

“Well good, very
good. How do you take your coffee?”

“Black with two
full spoons of sugar,” his reply earned him another dirty look, and again Jake
withheld his laughter. He knew she probably thought he was making another
innuendo, but, in fact, that was exactly how he liked his coffee.

Taking the cup she
offered him, Jake took the opportunity to ensure his hand brushed against hers.
Her reaction at the contact only lasted a moment, but it was enough to give him
all the answers he needed.