by Penny Dee
“He would give me Purgatory.”
His eyes shot to mine. “The MMA fighter?”
I nodded, full of shame. I had used this beautiful man and his tragedy to gain a better position in my father’s business. At the time I hadn’t looked at it like that, I had simply seen the opportunity to show my father what I could do. I hadn’t taken the fact that Jake was a living, breathing—feeling—human being into consideration. I would never have done that if I had stopped to think about it long enough. But hindsight was a bitch and I couldn’t go back and change what I had done. I had gotten carried away, and in the process I had hurt one of the most amazing people I had ever met. The guilt was overwhelming.
“I’m so sorry.” And, dear God, I was. I would give anything—anything—to take the pain out of those beautiful eyes.
He glared at me, his eyes narrowed and sharp as he stepped toward me.
“Well, I’m the best in the world, so I guess that makes you good at what you do.” He looked at me with such disgust my insides twisted with pain. “Congratulations. Enjoy Purgatory. Because you just lost me.”
He turned to leave.
“Jake, no. Please don’t.” Fear turned to tears. I grabbed his arm but he shrugged me off, dragging his lip under his white teeth as he tried to regain control of his emotions.
“Tell me one thing—was fucking me a part of the plan to get me back on top?” he asked.
“What? No! How could—”
He cut me off and took angry steps toward me until I was backed up against the wall.
“Was making me fall in love with you a part of your plan?” His palms slapped the wall on either side of my head as he leaned in even closer, his big muscular arms caging me in. “Was ripping my heart out just a bonus?”
“No,” I breathed desperately. How could he think that? I had given him my heart. I was so in love with him I couldn’t remember what it felt like to not love him.
“I told you that you gave me a reason to breathe,” he agonized, his voice hoarse and full of pain. “That you were my everything. Do you get that? My everything. And now I find out it was all because of a bet.”
I swallowed hard. He was my everything. And I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.
“You must’ve laughed all the way to the bank,” he scoffed, pushing back from the wall.
“That’s not true.” I whispered. “I’m in love with you.”
For a moment his face softened and his eyes filled with desperate hope, like he wanted to believe me more than anything in the world. But then his anger was swift and fierce as it returned.
“I loved you,” he breathed angrily, emphasizing the word love in past tense, and my heart broke. “I wanted to give you everything and anything, because you gave me back my reason to live. But it was all a lie. Nothing but a cold and calculated lie to prove a point to your father.” He pointed a finger at my chest. “Well, you can take your daddy issues and go. You’re fucking fired.”
He turned away from me and went to leave.
“You’re firing me?” I cried, stepping toward him.
He swung back and with his face only an inch away from me, he fumed, “And why doesn’t it surprise me that you’re upset about me firing you. Yet you barely batted an eyelid when I said I loved you.”
Panic tore through me. Without thinking I grabbed his face and smashed my mouth to his.
And for a moment he let me kiss him. His surprised moan rumbled between us as our tongues collided and our mouths moved urgently together. He reached for my face and cupped my jaw with his big hands, moaning desperately as he walked me back to the wall again. I mirrored his hold on me and my fingers pressed into his jaw, urgently kissing him, desperate to show him how I felt about him.
I broke away from him to look in his beautiful eyes and tell him exactly how I felt. That I was in love with him. That he meant more to me than anything in the world. But when I saw the hurt on his face I faltered and had no words.
Unfortunately, Jake did. And as pain replaced desire in his eyes he released his grip on me.
“I’m done.”
And without another word, he walked out.
* * *
Chapter Thirty-Four
Mackenzie
I tried getting a hold of him but he refused to take my calls. So I sent him text messages—which he ignored.
I wasn’t really the type to sit back and wait for things to happen, so I caught a cab to his house.
Filled with anticipation I knocked on his door and waited, my heart going crazy inside of me. When I heard the lock being released, blood rushed through my ears and my stomach swooped. But when the door opened it wasn’t Jake standing in front of me. It was Chloe. Puck bunny extraordinaire.
I was taken back.
“Oh, it’s you,” she said, looking at me like I had killed her cat. With a shake of her blonde hair she closed the door a little, making sure I couldn’t see inside. “What do you want?”
“I need to speak to Jake.”
“He’s in the shower.” Her eyes flashed across at me. “You know how it is.”
My face went stiff while my heart beat wildly with jealousy.
Looking at Chloe—barely dressed and with I’ve-just-been-fucked hair—my hands fisted at my sides.
Yeah. I know how it is.
“I’ll be sure to let him know you stopped by,” she said with a smirk.
And then tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder, the bitch closed the door in my face.
I took a step back, momentarily blinded by the heartache tearing me up on the inside. The idea of Jake with another woman blew my heart to smithereens and sent my emotions into overdrive.
I practically kicked in the front door. Thankfully the super-smart puck bunny hadn’t locked it but even so, I was pretty sure I would’ve found my way inside either way. With fierce determination I stormed through the house until I found Chloe and Jake in the lounge room.
Jake was on his phone and looked surprised . . . no, shocked . . . when he swung around and saw me.
I looked at him and then to Chloe. Right. So he was going to fuck her tonight?
No fucking way.
He would have to fuck her over my dead body.
Jake’s beautiful eyes locked to mine and he mouthed, “What are you doing here?”
I looked at Chloe and then threw him a pointed look. “What the fuck is she doing here?”
He gave me a look that said “Whoa . . . don’t you dare jump to conclusions!” and then swung back to his phone call.
Chloe and I eyed each other like the enemy. She thought she had the upper hand with her bleach-blonde hair and big boobs but I was here to tell her otherwise. Jake loved me and I was desperately in love with him. And I was here to make sure he was aware of that fact.
When she smirked at me, I snapped.
“Get out,” I yelled at her. “Get the fuck out before I throw you out!”
Her pumped-up lips dropped apart and she looked like I’d just told her they’d stopped selling hair bleach. Then her eyes narrowed and scowled at me.
“Go for it. I’d like to see you try. Jake invited me—you, on the other hand—”
I didn’t give her the chance to finish. Twenty-five years of play-fighting with Garrick had given me some killer moves and I had her arm behind her back in one swift move.
“Hey!” she protested, struggling as I forced her out of the room and toward the front entrance. “Get your fucking hands off me before I—”
“Before you what?” I snapped. “Poke me in the eye with your boobs? Get the fuck out.”
She tried to shrug me off but my adrenaline had given me superhuman strength.
“Who do you think you are?”
I pushed her out the front door.
“I’m his goddamn agent.”
It was the perfect Hollywood movie moment. Topped off by me slamming the door in her face.
Swinging around, I saw Jake standing at the end of the ha
llway, his eyes wide and his mouth dropped open. He’d finished his phone call and was looking at me like I was a mixture of crazy and out of control.
“What the hell, Z?”
I strode over to him, armed with a pointed finger that I thrust into his chest.
“You really want to stick your dick in that?” I fumed.
“No. But I’m pretty sure Casanova was hoping to. You know, considering she was his date.”
As if on cue, the toilet flushed down the hallway and a few moments later, Casanova appeared behind Jake.
“Hi, Mackenzie.” He looked around for his date. “Hey, where’s Chloe gone?”
As the reality of the situation descended on me, I started to feel a little less sassy and a hell of a lot more stupid.
In my display of jealousy I had thrown Casanova’s date out the door.
“Um . . .” Sheepishly, I pointed over my shoulder and cringed. “I think she might be outside.”
I could feel Jake’s penetrating gaze but refused to look at him.
“Outside?” Casanova looked confused.
Still Jake said nothing but his gaze was red-hot on my scorching cheeks.
I said the first thing that popped into my head, “How about you pour us a drink and I’ll go and get her.”
“Oh, good, you’re coming to dinner with us?” Casanova asked cheerily—typically oblivious to what was really going on around him.
My eyes shot to Jake, who raised his eyebrows at me.
His expression was a mix of rampant disapproval and a smug interest to see how I was going to get myself out of this situation without looking like a complete ass.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I replied.
Jake rolled his eyes.
So, I scowled at him.
To which he walked off, following Casanova into the other room.
I stared at the front door for a moment, drawing in a deep breath and exhaling deeply before I opened it.
Chloe stood on the top step, glowering. Her eyes immediately narrowed as I feebly attempted to laugh the whole thing off.
“So, apparently I was a bit hasty in throwing you out the front door.” Was my serious attempt at an apology.
Chloe thrust her hands to her hips. “Oh, you think?”
I didn’t have to try too hard at looking apologetic, because deep down I really was sorry. Embarrassingly sorry.
“I might have overreacted. And in hindsight I shouldn’t have done that,” I said with genuine regret.
Chloe relaxed a little and folded her arms across her perfect boobs. “Sorry?”
I nodded. “Incredibly.”
“Jealous?”
“Slightly.”
She eyed me suspiciously. “In love?”
I sighed. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”
A tiny smile tugged at her lips, and then she smiled brightly. “Forgiven.”
I exhaled with relief. “Thank you.”
As she stepped past me, she grabbed me by the hand. “Come on. Let’s go get you your hockey player.”
She dragged me behind her and I followed unconvincingly. “Yeah, sure. Let’s go get me a hockey player . . . like it’s that easy.”
Chloe swung around. “Oh, honey, if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s how to get a hockey player.”
She winked. And I knew I was in good hands.
* * *
Jake
Dinner was agony.
My heart ached. Having Mackenzie sit so close to me was torture. Pure fucking torture. And her smell. I didn’t know what perfume she wore, only that it made me want to bury my face into the exquisitely soft spot between her jaw and throat and inhale it right off her skin.
So I ordered my bourbons in rapid succession. I needed to dull my senses. My need. My pathetic, teenage heart. Only I hadn’t had a drink since joining the Fury and embarking on a campaign to get them to the championships, so the hits of alcohol went straight to my head.
“So, Mackenzie, what’s it like being a sports agent?” Casanova asked, oblivious to the nightmare taking place around me.
“It’s interesting, to say the least.” She smiled and the dimples that creased the spot on either side of her beautiful mouth made my chest tighten. So, I sought comfort in the fact that—judging by the look on her face—Mackenzie was in her own world of awkward right now.
“Apart from Sasquatch here, who else have you represented?” Casanova asked.
I watched her. Every inch of me desperate to touch her just one more time.
“Before Jake, there was Ethan Valentine—”
“The quarterback? Man, that dude has a throwing arm!” Casanova fan-girled.
“I also manage Daisy Jones,” Mackenzie said.
Casanova looked even further impressed. “The pop princess? Boy, I bet she’s a handful.”
“Enough with the business talk,” Chloe interrupted, leaning forward on the table so her arms pushed up her ample boobs. “Mackenzie, is it true that you and Jake got snowed in at his fishing cabin in Canada?”
My eyes shot to Chloe. What the hell? What sort of out-of-the-blue, random question was that?
I glanced at Mackenzie, not wanting to make eye contact but at the same time wanting to see her reaction. She simply smiled softly and if I wasn’t mistaken, there was genuine regret written all over her beautiful face.
I threw back my fourth bourbon.
Regret? Nah. She was too damn calculated for that.
“Yes.” Mackenzie’s voice was gentle. And then she turned her head slightly and her eyes found mine. “For four days.”
I looked away and signaled for another drink.
“Wow. Four days is a long time to be stuck with someone in such a small space. Whatever did you two do to pass the time?” Chloe asked, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Again, my eyes shot to her. What the hell was she up to?
Mackenzie cleared her throat uncomfortably and I couldn’t help but feel a little smug.
“It’s amazing how well you get to know someone, that’s for sure,” Mackenzie said. If she looked at me I didn’t know because I refused to look at her. “You can’t help but to get to know them in such an intimate environment.”
I started to speak before I could stop myself. “Oh, I don’t know . . . some people are pretty good at hiding who they really are . . . regardless of how intimate they are.”
She gave me a black look, which I matched with my own dark look.
“So what else did you do?” Chloe asked with gleaming eyes. I wasn’t sure what she wanted to hear or what she was doing but if she thought she was going to get something out of me then she was wrong. I was keeping quiet.
Well, that was the plan. But then Mackenzie went and brought up that damn Dire Straits song.
“There was no TV. No music,” she paused and then added softly, “well, except that one CD single of Dire Straits, Romeo and Juliet.”
“Oooh, I love that song,” Chloe cooed. “It’s so romantic.”
I couldn’t help myself and scoffed. “Hardly.”
“Jake and I differ on that,” Mackenzie said quietly. She was trying to soften the fact that I was being an ass.
I slung back the rest of my drink.
“There’s nothing romantic about one-sided love,” I snapped, crunching on the ice in the bottom of my now drained bourbon glass. I was determined not to look at her but as soon as I started talking I couldn’t help it. My eyes went straight to hers. “Especially when the person who is in love is being blatantly used by the person he’s in love with.” I didn’t mean to make it so personal but the liquor swirling in my veins had weakened the wall keeping my anger and hurt at bay. And once I started, I had a hard time stopping. “I mean, she said she loved him. But it was only because she was using him.”
“That’s not true!” Mackenzie exclaimed, almost launching out of her seat, much to Chloe and Casanova’s surprise. Realizing her over-the-top response she sat back and said calmly, “Mayb
e if Romeo hadn’t been so worried about something that happened in the past—”
“In the past,” I scoffed. I know I said I didn’t want to look at her but I was too damn deep into this argument to back down. I’d be damned if I was going to let her win this one. So I met her eyes and held them. “It was hardly the past.”
“Yes, it was. And if Romeo could’ve just stopped feeling sorry for himself for five damn minutes and listen to her—”
“She broke his heart!” I erupted, surprising the hell out of Casanova and Chloe, not to mention a table of diners nearby. I took a deep breath and lowered my voice, speaking quickly. “She used him. She sold him out.”
Mackenzie spoke just as quick. “Maybe things wouldn’t have turned out so bad if Romeo had given the woman he loved a little more credit.” Her eyes were dark, her face stiff with emotion. “That perhaps everything she did, she did for him.”
I couldn’t help but scoff again. “Don’t kid yourself. Juliet was only ever looking out for Juliet.”
“Maybe Romeo didn’t really love her. I mean, he said he did but when it came time to trust her he took it all the wrong way and threw a tantrum.”
She thought this was a tantrum? I was heartbroken! I glared at her, hating that I missed her so much, hating that I would give anything to be kissing and loving her right now. I hated how much this hurt.
“Well, I guess Romeo never really knew Juliet after all,” I said.
“No, he just didn’t give her a chance.”
“Wow, you guys have really given this some serious consideration,” Casanova chimed in.
Both Mackenzie and I looked at him. He didn’t have a clue what was going on but based on the look of discomfort on Chloe’s face she had worked it out. She nervously played with her earring as she said, “Anyone interested in ordering dessert?”
Mackenzie threw her napkin onto the table and stood up. “I think I should leave.”
“No.” I stood up and also threw my napkin onto the table. “I’ll leave.”
“Oh, you would like that, wouldn’t you?” Mackenzie snapped, no longer able to keep her anger in check. “One more thing to add to your pity party for one.”