This Game Called Life (Kingdom Book 4) (17 page)

Jason completely
ignored Delphine. Instead, he turned to MacKenzie and gentled his gaze. “Is
that what you want, MacKenzie?”

“I... I don’t
know.” She answered, confused as to the right way to approach the interview.
“What do you think, Vee?”

“I say... sorry,
Delphine,” Aviva smiled at the older woman in an attempt to lessen what she was
about to say. “If it were me, I’d take everybody who was willing to come along.
I like the way these guys sneer and from past experience, I can tell you, it
works.”

With a nod,
MacKenzie’s mind was made up. “They can come but someone needs to stay behind
with the baby.”

Aviva volunteered
and as far as she was concerned; the subject was settled. Delphine’s
displeasure was apparent, but MacKenzie wasn’t worried about what she thought.

“You need to eat
something, MacKenzie.” Jake who had remained quiet throughout the discussion finally
spoke.

“I’m not hungry.”

“I understand, but
you need to try. Remember, all that is required of you is to stand beside me
and look lovely.”

Feeling nauseated,
MacKenzie pushed back her chair ready to rush from the room her stomach in an
uproar. Remembering her baby, she stopped and held out her arms to take her
from Jake.

“She’s perfectly
fine exactly where she is,” Jake said. Looking over at Aviva, he indicated that
she go with MacKenzie.

“What time do I
need to be ready?” MacKenzie asked.

“Not a moment
before you are entirely ready; this is about you. We’re calling all the shots
from now on.” Jake replied.

A nod was the only
indication MacKenzie gave to denote her understanding.

When she reached
her room, she immediately threw herself face down on her bed and groaned.

“Okay, I’m going
to give you your momentary breakdown, you deserve it. I’d probably feel the
same way if I had to face that group out there.” MacKenzie felt the depression
beside her as Aviva took a seat. “Then you are going to pull yourself together,
do you hear me?”

MacKenzie was
shocked at the way Aviva spoke to her, she hadn’t been expecting it. “Vee!?”

“I mean it. You
have ten minutes to cry, scream or do whatever you need to. Then you better
find the old MacKenzie and make sure she is completely present when we go back
downstairs.”

“What are you
talking about, what old, MacKenzie?” She honestly didn’t know what her friend
was talking about.

“Girl, are you
kidding me?” The shocked look on Aviva’s face at her question further threw her.
“You are one of the strongest women I know. That’s what I’m talking about.”

“Appearances can
be deceiving, Vee. Do you know what?” At the shake of her friend’s head,
MacKenzie continued. “I’m sick and tired of being strong. I’m sick and tired of
everyone thinking I can face any and everything that gets tossed my way. I
don’t deserve the way that man has treated me. I don’t deserve the way
men
have treated me all my life!”

“What men,
MacKenzie? It sounds like you’re talking about more than just Carlos.”

If she were able,
she would retract the words, but it was too late. “Well, you said I could have
my moment. That was it. All you need to do now is ignore everything I just said
and help me find something to wear.”

MacKenzie hoped
Aviva would hold true to form and not press her for answers she wasn’t ready to
give. Maybe she would never be ready to give the answers she sought. The secret
she had buried deep within her, only two people knew about, and she intended to
keep it that way. Thinking about that time so long ago was way too painful.

“Okay, it’s your
story to tell, so I won’t press you. If you ever need someone to talk to,
please know I’ll always be here.”

“Thanks,” the
smile she directed at Aviva was the best she could do. MacKenzie realized it
wasn’t fooling her oldest friend, but she couldn’t bring herself to voice what
was the most humiliating and heart-breaking time of her life. “Let’s do this.”

“You know,” Aviva
took MacKenzie’s hand and stopped her from sliding off the bed. “I’m not about
to ask you if this engagement is real.” When MacKenzie attempted to interrupt,
Aviva shook her head to dissuade her. “I don’t care. All I’m going to say is
that Jake is a good man. In fact, he is one of the best men I know. I see the
ring he’s placed on your finger. Hold on to him, girl. Hold on tight. If you
can do that, you will never regret it.”

MacKenzie felt an
overwhelming need to confess all, but Aviva wasn’t listening. She had already
dropped her hand and was heading for the closet; a steady stream of chatter
about clothing filling the air.

Chapter 23

“Are you ready,
MacKenzie?” Jake asked.

“Let’s get this
over with,” MacKenzie replied, taking a deep breath.

Jake felt his
temper rise as he witnessed her trepidation. He knew he had to keep calm. The
flashing bulbs and questions were going to be hard on her. If he lost his cool,
there was no telling what he would do. At that moment, he was glad his father
was also coming along to show his support which lightened his mood.

“What are you
smiling about?”

“I was just
thinking that it’s a good thing my father’s coming along, because if this gets
out of control, I’m going to have my hands full talking my brothers down.

MacKenzie gave
Jake a serious look. “Make sure that doesn’t happen, Jacob.”

“Don’t worry, I
have their word they will be on their best behavior.”

“Why doesn’t that
promise fill me with confidence?”

“Because you’re a
smart woman, that’s why. If you’re ready, let’s do this.”

At her nod, Jake
extended his hand towards her. That she so readily took it surprised him. The
least he had expected was a disdainful look followed by minutes of persuasion
on his part.

Jake liked that
she’d complied without hesitation. Wanting to believe her feelings were
changing towards him, Jake said nothing.

It was a lovely
day. The sun was shining, and the trees that lined the driveway stretched a
cooling, green leaved canopy that sheltered them from the rays of the sun.

When they reached
the gate, the members of his family who were accompanying them were at hand.
With a nod in Josh’s direction, he indicated their readiness to proceed.

The moment the
gate opened, bulbs began popping and flashing. Coupled with the blinding beam
of the sun, Jake had to squint as he moved forward. Placing a protective arm
around MacKenzie, he took a few more steps forward and came to a halt.

As though by
osmosis his brothers seemed to pass them and blocked the eager reporters and
photographers from getting too close.

“Ladies and
gentlemen, in a few moments, Jacob Kingdom will give a statement. When he is
finished, there will be a short question and answer session.” It was at moments
like these that Delphine came into her own. Her no-nonsense air was exactly
what was needed.

Still holding
MacKenzie’s hand, Jake took one more step forward before he began to address
the gathered throng. Pushing and shoving the crowd grew closer as the flashing
bulbs again exploded in their faces.

It took everything
within Jake not to reach out and grab the sun burnt man standing directly in
front of MacKenzie. The sound of his camera made a whirling sound that was
rapidly getting on his nerves. They had been standing outside the gate for mere
minutes, and he already had the urge to make the photographer sit on his long
lens.

The next moment,
the offending piece of equipment was on the ground. Jason had moved so quickly
it had even caught him unawares. One moment it was in the man’s hands, and the
next Jason had kicked it in Josh’s direction. Josh used the heel of his boot to
kick the camera behind where they were standing.

Delphine chose
that moment to intervene and shout over the hum that had begun with their
arrival. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you do not step back, this interview will be
over!”

It took them
turning around as though to carry out Delphine’s threat for quiet to descend.

“Thank you. Now if
you are all ready, Jacob Kingdom has something to say... Jake.” When Delphine
looked in his direction, Jake was ready to play his part in the fiasco.

“My name is Jacob
Kingdom and this is my fiancée, MacKenzie Braithwaite.” Jake paused as the
sound of voices rose, shooting off question after question.

“How long have you
been engaged?”

“Does Carlos
Ernesto know about your engagement?”

“If the stories
are to be believed, aren’t you worried about your fortune?”

Everything else
faded into the background. For Jake, the last question was the only one that
stood out. Pinning the hapless man with a deadly regard, Jake silently stared
him down, the reporter’s face imprinted in his brain. The smile the reporter
wore, diminished a little at a time, until all color had drained from his face.
When Jake was certain the reporter recognized the face of an enemy, he turned
away.

Without looking at
MacKenzie, he gave her hand that was still clasped in his a gentle squeeze of
reassurance.

Jake remained
silent. Finally, the realization dawned that their questions would not be
answered until he completed his statement.

“I speak for my
entire family in the matter that has caused you all to be gathered here. We
refute the accusations that have been made against Ms. Braithwaite.

We understand that
the Ernesto family are going through a period of upheaval at this time;
however, this has nothing to do with Ms. Braithwaite. Should anyone...” Jake
paused to ensure he had their full attention. “... and I mean anyone, choose to
persist with these unfounded allegations, we will not hesitate to use our
combined fortune to seek redress.

All parties
involved have to the close of business today to publicly retract each and every
slanderous comment they have seen fit to make.”

Stepping forward,
Delphine announced that Jake would now take a few questions. Pointing to a
woman in jeans and a flowered blouse, Delphine nodded.

“Mr. Kingdom, you
spoke of some form of upheaval within the Ernesto family. Could you elaborate
on that?”

“Of course, I
could,” Jake said with a smile. “However I will not do so at this time. I will
leave that to the Ernestos’. My family and I have never used others to ensure
our point is well made. Next question.”

Delphine pointed
to another reporter.

“Abe Gantz, from
the Tribune...”

Gantz paused, and
Jake’s body tensed. Jake was as certain as he was standing before this mob that
he was about to hear something he wasn’t prepared for.

“Ms. Braithwaite,
isn’t it true that as a teenager you aborted a child because the trap you set
for the father backfired?”

The crowd erupted
with shouts and flashes sparked in rapid succession blinding him. Jake was
stunned, but it didn’t show. The grip MacKenzie had on his hand was so tight,
his fingers went numb.

Jake knew he
couldn’t let such an inflammatory comment go unanswered. “Abe Gantz of the
Tribune,” Jake spoke slowly and with deliberation. “My statement still stands.
We will not tolerate unfounded and slanderous accusations.”

His brothers and
father closed ranks, stepping in front of them as Jake pulled MacKenzie back
through the gate.

Jake was furious.
So much so that he couldn’t bring himself to look at the woman standing by his
side. Aware that his family were watching them in stunned silence, Jake pulled
MacKenzie towards a cluster of shrubs. Once he was sure they were far enough
away from the gates and sensing when they were finally alone, he looked at her.

“Is there any
truth in what that man just said?” Jake asked well aware of the way some
members of the press twisted information to their own ends. Therefore he wanted
to give MacKenzie the benefit of the doubt.

“It’s not how it
sounded!”

“You didn’t answer
my question.”

“Yes, there’s some
truth in what he said.”

“I asked you,
MacKenzie. I asked and asked for an assurance that there was nothing you hadn’t
told me. I dislike being made to look a fool. My family and I were prepared to
stand by you. We put our name on the line for you, and what do we get in
return? I’ll tell you what we got because of your lack of honesty. Humiliation!
I’m beginning to think there is something seriously wrong with you, lady!”

Unsure how long he
would be able to contain his anger, Jake turned and strode away uncaring of the
tears that ran down MacKenzie’s face.

Chapter 24

Having discarded
his tie and jacket, Jake stood perfectly still with his hands stuffed into his
pockets. This was the place he always came to when he wanted to be alone. The
setting was idyllic, but the feeling of calm that usually prevailed when he was
near the water eluded him.

Looking out over
the body of water, he took deep breaths in an attempt to relax. It didn’t work.
Nothing worked, not the sight of the sun sparkling on the surface of the water;
nor the willow trees, whose branches swayed back and forth in the gentle
breeze. His mind was on MacKenzie and what he had to do to get her to trust
him.

He knew when she
finally arrived beside him. He had sensed her approach as she made her way down
the slight embankment that led to the massive man-made pool.

“Jake?”

Jake didn’t know
if his temper was under enough control be around her, so he ignored her.

When she called
his name again, he could hear the emotion in her voice. Against his better judgment,
he turned and looked at her. The sight she presented caused his heart to thump
in his chest. The tip of her nose was red, and her eyes were bloodshot with the
tears she had shed. Jake hated seeing her this way, but he hardened himself
against the evidence of her tears.

Turning away, he
again faced the water before he spoke. “Now is not a good time.”

“May I please
explain?” She whispered.

“I said not now,
MacKenzie!”

“Jake, please just
give me a chance to expl–”

Refusing to wait
for her repeated plea, Jake spun around and cut her off. “What do you want to
explain, MacKenzie, hmm, what? Do you want to tell me why you’ve been chasing
the big bucks since your teenage years? Or do you want to elaborate on why you
think I should give a damn about the woman who just humiliated my family and
me?!” With each punctuated question, Jake moved closer to her, by the time he
was finished speaking, his nose was almost pressed against hers.

To her credit, she
held her ground in the face of his fury. Jake was typically slow to anger, but
with MacKenzie, his emotions always seemed to be in a state of flux. One minute
he wanted to wring her neck and the next he wanted to kiss away the hurt look
on her face. Moving backwards, he put some distance between them. “Tell me.”

Wringing her hands,
MacKenzie began to speak. “As you now know, Noelle is my second pregnancy. I’d
known Simeon for most of my life. He was a couple of years older than me, and I
fell in love with him. I thought he was the love of my life. He said all the
right things. He behaved exactly how every woman wants her man to behave.

He asked me to
marry him, and I said, yes. He asked me to have a baby with him before we were
married, and even though I knew it would upset my parents, I agreed without
giving it much thought. I acted like the dumb seventeen year old that I was,
playing at being a grown up.”

It seemed to Jake
that MacKenzie’s legs just gave out from under her. With an automatic reflex,
his arm shot out and aided her to the ground. Folding his long legs beneath
him, he joined her on the mossy grass. Withdrawing his steadying arm, he waited
for her to continue.

“Thank you,”
MacKenzie said in reference to his help. Breaking eye contact, she began
plucking at the grass as she returned to her story. “I rushed over to his dorm
to tell him the good news, we were pregnant. Do you know what he said, Jake?”
Without waiting for a response to her rhetorical question, she carried on; a
faraway look in her eyes.

“He said he’d
changed his mind about having a child. His career was too important; he was
going places. Major league football coaches were interested in him. I cried and
pleaded with him to reconsider. I diminished my self-worth that day, and I
didn’t care. All I cared about was the baby and that he tell me he still loved
me. Even though I begged and pleaded with him, the only thing he said was,
get
rid of it
.

He took me to the
clinic. Like the fool I was back then, I went through with it. I aborted my
baby.

I told myself that
we loved each other, that there would be time enough in the future for us to
have our family. I convinced myself that he was still the loving man I
remembered. Two weeks later he told me he had moved on, and I no longer
featured in his plans.”

When she abruptly
stopped speaking, Jake waited for a moment to see if she would continue. When
she didn’t, he placed a finger beneath her chin and turned her face towards
him. “Tell me the rest.”

MacKenzie tried to
pull away, but he wouldn’t allow it. They had come this far, and he wanted to
know everything. This man from her past was without a doubt a bastard. However,
he was exactly that, her past.

When she finally
looked at him, her beautiful eyes shone with disappointment and hurt. Jake
wanted to be the one who would lessen her pain. He wanted to pull her into his
arms, but he resisted the impulse. “Tell me,” he repeated.

“After what
happened, I don’t do relationships in the real sense of the word. If I felt an
affair was becoming too intense, I’d get out of it.” Looking Jake straight in
the eyes, MacKenzie made sure she had his full attention before she continued.
“Some people are not cut out for relationships, Jake, and I’m one of them.”

He could see she
was completely serious. Although he disagreed with her, Jake said nothing,
unwilling to interrupt. With a noncommittal nod, he signaled that she continue.

Turning away,
MacKenzie looked out across the pool and resumed her story. “When I met Carlos
I hadn’t dated for around two years. I was working long hours, and I told
myself that my career was all I needed.

I knew who he was
when I met him. Even if I hadn’t, he made sure that I did with his countless
references to his career and his European fan base. He made me laugh, and we
enjoyed each other’s company. Although we used protection, something went
wrong. When I told him about the pregnancy, he accused me of trying to trap
him. He told me to get rid of the baby.

There was no way I
was going to terminate another child, and somewhere along the way, he obviously
had a change of heart. I’m sure you don’t want details, so I’ll just say that
he convinced me to try to build a relationship with him for the child’s sake.
Against my better judgment I agreed. You witnessed the culmination of our
attempts in LA. By then I already knew I was going to be a single parent, and I
didn’t care if I had to do it alone.”

“Thank you for sharing
that with me, I know it wasn’t easy,” he murmured when she drew to a stop. Jake
felt compassion for the way she had been treated, but he was still furious that
she had withheld vital information. “However, if I’m going to put my reputation
on the line, this has to be the last time you keep anything from me. Do you
understand me, MacKenzie?” Jake asked in the hope that she recognized his
seriousness.

“I understand.”

He didn’t question
her sincerity. It was there reflected in the look she gave him. Feeling
fatigued as well as frustrated with everything that was going on in their
lives, Jake eased his large body down onto the grass. With his hands behind his
head, he stared up at the blueness of the sky. After a few minutes of complete
stillness, his eyes began to close.

Through closed eyes,
he was aware when the slight filter of light that shone through his lids was
blocked. The first touch of MacKenzie’s lips against his sent soft tingles of
pleasure through him. His heart rate escalated, but he remained perfectly
still. He wanted to see how far she was prepared to go without a response from
him.

He could sense her
every movement. When she withdrew, he didn’t react. Again the sun was blocked
out. This time, when she kissed him something was different. What that
something was he wasn’t exactly sure. The firmness and persistence of her touch
as she took small sips against his lips was pleasurable, but in his current
state of mind it wasn’t irresistible.

Then everything
changed. Her little nips were substituted, with the swipe of her tongue; Jake
revised his thinking. Moving fast, he reversed their positions, her gasp of
astonishment giving him a mild feeling of satisfaction.

Unsure of where
the thought came from, Jake realized he had been playing the wooing of
MacKenzie all wrong. By the way, she acted and reacted to those around her
showed him she liked control. The only times he could recall that she had
deviated from that position was when her child hadn’t been returned, and when
she was in his arms.

She was in his
arms now, or more accurately she was beneath him. “Why did you kiss me?” Jake
asked, his face showing only mild curiosity.

“Didn’t you like
it?”

The sultry gleam
in her eyes, nearly made Jake laugh. Little Ms. MacKenzie was attempting to
play him. Now it was his turn to see how she reacted. He was about to show her
what kind of trouble her games could get her into.

“It was okay,”
Jake replied with a shrug. “I’ve been involved in better attempts at seduction.
To my mind you could do with a few lessons. Do you want a lesson, MacKenzie?”

“Do I... lesson?
I’ll show you, lesson!” Grabbing hold of his hair, MacKenzie pulled Jake’s
unresisting head towards her, rubbing her mouth against his before she applied
stroke after stroke of her tongue against his lips.

Jake remained
unresponsive; his lips closed, an outward show that he was unaffected by her
touch. Inside his heart thumped in his chest, and it was all he could do not to
give in to her demands.

When she pulled
back, he grinned at her. “Better, but the offer still stands; if you need a
lesson, all you have to do is ask.”

“I’m not asking
you for a lesson in kissing. I’m a great kisser; I’ve always been a great
kisser!”

“You need to trust
me on this, lovely; whoever told you that monumental lie is obviously satisfied
with mediocrity.” On a day that had deteriorated more than he could have ever
imagined, Jake was finally enjoying himself.

MacKenzie’s eyes
nearly popped out of her head, and Jake waited for the explosion. “Get off me,
Jacob Egotistical Kingdom!”

“I’m disappointed
in you, MacKenzie. Life is a journey where one should seek to acquire knowledge
at every opportunity. Therefore, we should all strive to learn something new,
or in your case, better at every given opportunity,” Jake drawled, in an attempt
to infuse his words with a sage-like quality. If her expression was anything to
go by, he hadn’t pulled it off.

“Just so you know,
I’m completely aware that you’re trying to goad me into giving you permission
to take control. So, you just go right ahead, but be advised that you can’t
teach me a damn thing I don’t already know about kissing!”

Even though he’d
been well and truly busted, Jake liked the way she flung out her arms as she
granted him permission to take control. Unable to help himself, he took the
opportunity to look her over. Contrary to what generally happened after
pregnancy, MacKenzie had filled out. He suspected the current shape of her body
was her normal size, and he liked it. What he didn’t like was the way she
rolled her eyes before she stared up at the sky with a bored expression.

His hands on the
grass, Jake broke all bodily contact as he balanced on his palms and toes,
hovering over her. Then he waited... and waited. The minx was doing it on
purpose, she was completely ignoring him. Jake knew if he allowed it, she would
continue to test him, and her control of the situation.

Bending his arms
at the elbows, he lowered his body until he made the barest of contact with her
body before he pushed up. On his next downward pass, he slid his body along
every contour of her frame that she had so cavalierly laid out before him.

While playing her
waiting game, Jake’s mind was flooded with thoughts of how it would feel to
make love to her. It amazed him that just watching a fully clothed MacKenzie
ignore him had the ability to turn him on to the point that his body was fully
erect and throbbing.

Not missing a
thing, Jake saw that by his second pass up her body, her chest rose and fell
more rapidly. Inserting a knee between her legs, he pushed back and slid up
taking the hem of her skirt with him.

“Jake!” She
gasped, sherry colored eyes flashing to meet his.

“Ahh, for a while
there I thought you had forgotten about our lesson.” Jake quipped.

“I thought this
was a kissing lesson,” came the breathy reply.

“It is; I just
needed to regain your attention. Seems like my tactics worked.”

“Has anyone ever
told you that you talk way too much, Jacob?”

“What would you
rather I did, MacKenzie?”

“I thought you
were the grand master, if I need to tell you, then you’re wasting my time,” she
nonchalantly replied.

The grin on his
face was so wide his dimples were in full effect. He loved the way MacKenzie
kept him guessing. “You’re right; I am wasting time.”

Jake’s lips
approached hers. At the last moment, he changed direction and ran his tongue
over the shell of her ear. At her shudder, he bathed it with swirls of his
tongue before kissing a trail across her cheekbone. Just beside her top lip, he
took the time to place the softest of touches on his favorite freckle.