This Game Called Life (Kingdom Book 4)

“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.

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