His Hotcakes Baby (7 page)

“Is that … was it because of me that
you and Ralph broke up?”

Mackenzie frowned at him.  She did not
want to discuss past relationships with Chase listening. She hugged him and
smiled.

“Let’s forget about the past, and
focus on the future.  What do you think?”

He nodded and frowned.

“When is the baby due?”

“October twelve.”

They looked up at the collective gasps
from Billy and Chase. 

“What is wrong?” Aiden asked
worriedly.

“My father’s birthday was on October
twelve.”

“Was?”

“Yes, he passed away last year.”

Mackenzie could see the pain and the
loss in his eyes and walked back to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. 
His arms closed around her and hugged her tight.

“Thank you,” he breathed into her
hair.  She smiled and looked up at him.  For once with warmth in her eyes.

“You do know you had as much to do
with it as I did?    I assume you know how the birds and the bees work?”

He chuckled and kissed her briefly on
her upturned lips.

“Do you have any idea what this will
mean to your Mom, Chase?”  Billy asked, his voice thick.

Chase nodded, enjoying the peace he
felt with the beautiful woman in his arms, who for once accepted his embrace.

“Well, kiddo. Let’s you and I hit the
road.  Your sister is falling asleep on her feet.”

“Where are you going?”  Mackenzie
frowned at Billy.

“I am staying with Billy on the Island
… what’s it called again?”

“Cave Cay.”

“I thought you stayed here, Billy?”

“Usually, but you are here now.”

“No!  Chase, you can’t chase Billy
away!”

“Believe me, he is relieved to be away
from me for a bit.”

Mackenzie drew out of his arms and
Aiden gave her a quick kiss on her cheek.  He ran down to the jetty with Billy
by his side.

Chase sighed and dropped his head in
defeat when he saw Mackenzie’s hands raise to her hips.  She turned slowly to
him and waited.  He smiled and shook his head.

“You find something funny, big guy?”

"Anything but. I really am tired,
honey.  I have not slept for two days.  Let’s go to bed.  We’ll talk in the
morning.”

“Goodnight then.  I’ll see you in the
morning.”

This time he did chuckle and Mackenzie
glowered at him.

“You walked away when I wanted to
discuss this earlier.  Now, I am too tired and want to sleep.  You, my dear
Mackenzie have only one place you will sleep at night and it is in my arms.”

“I … am … not … sharing … your …
room!”

She said it slowly with wide eyes and
stabbed her finger against his chest with every word.  He smiled and shook his
head.

“Sorry, hotcakes.  It is not
negotiable.”

He picked her up in his arms with his
arm behind her back and the other below her legs.  She cried out and slapped
him against his chest.

“Put me down.”

“No and I am not going to talk about
this further.  We are going to bed.”

He walked into the same room she
stayed in before and wouldn’t you know it, it felt as if she’d come home.

“Do you want to take a shower?”

She nodded and he carried her into the
bathroom.  He placed her down in front of the shower and brushed her hair from
her brow.

“Don’t bother with pajamas, hotcakes. 
You will sleep naked when in my bed.”

He turned and disappeared back into
the room, laughing at her irritated shriek.  He went to one of the other
bathrooms and took a shower himself.  He was already lying on the bed with a
towel around his waist when Mackenzie walked in, dressed in loose pajama shorts
and a strappy stretch top.  His eyebrows rose.

“I distinctly remember giving you an
instruction.  Get rid of them, honey.”

“No.  I can’t sleep naked.  I will
never be able to fall asleep.”

“You will.”

She ignored him and slipped in beneath
the sheet and turned her back on him.  He chuckled and pulled the towel from his
waist and threw it to the bottom of the bed.  He too got under the sheet and
immediately pulled her towards the center of the bed.  She struggled at first,
but realized the futility of it and flipped on her back to glare at him.  He
slipped his hand below her top’s edge and pushed it upwards.  Her hands
immediately clamped down on her stomach.

“Mackenzie, these are coming off. 
Either I take them off or I tear them off.  You decide.”

She remembered how easily he tore her
sundress in two at her aunt’s house and sighed in annoyance.

“You are such a Neanderthal. This is
the twentieth century!  Not the medieval era where females only bowed and did
as ordered! Okay fine!  Take them off!”

She refused to.  If he wanted her
naked.  He could remove her clothes himself. Tonight, because it was the first
and only time she was sleeping with him in this room!

He made short work of the top and
shorts and drew her against his side with his arm around her back.  She sighed
and wiggled to find her comfort spot.  Chase ground on his teeth.  Her soft
curves pressed against him driving him slowly to an aching need. 

Needing to put a stop to her wiggling
he grabbed her leg and pulled it over his hips. Mackenzie gasped when his hard
arousal grazed her thigh.

“Yes, better you settle down and keep
still, woman!”

He took her hand that rested on her
hip, placed it on his chest and covered it with his own.  He leaned down and
kissed her on her temple.

“Tomorrow, we can talk and you … you
my little hotcakes, will tell me all about … Ralph!”

Chase
awoke feeling refreshed and rested for the first time in weeks.  Mackenzie was
not in the bed and he frowned.  Then he heard her hurling in the bathroom.  He
rose and pulled on a pair of boxer shorts and walked into the bathroom.

Mackenzie was on her knees and hugged
the toilet seat.  She moaned as her stomach heaved again.  Chase went down on
his knees with hers between his.  He pulled her hair back from her face and she
moaned irritably.

“Go away! I don’t ne … argh!”

Chase stroked her back and leaned down
to kiss her on her shoulder.  She scowled at him.

“Keep your damn lips to yourself!  It
is because of them that I am … ooh … argh!”

He stood behind her holding and
stroking her until she sighed tiredly and sat back on her heels.  He stood up,
got a warm wet wash cloth and a glass of water and handed her the glass.  She
took a few sips and gave the glass back. When he leaned down to wipe her face,
she whipped the cloth from his hand and angrily wiped her face.

“I am not an invalid and stay away
from me! Haven’t you done enough?”

He chuckled, bent over and picked her
up from the floor and carried her back to the bed, ignoring her struggles.

“It’s too late, hotcakes.  I can’t get
you pregnant again!  Why don’t you take another nap?  I am going for a jog.”

She watched him disappear into the
walk-in cupboard.  She pretended to be asleep when he came back and kissed her
softly on her cheek.  The moment he was gone she jumped up from the bed and
took a quick shower, relieved that her nausea seemed to have settled already. 
She dressed in a short and tee-shirt with sneakers and immediately packed her
clothes.

Chase was not going to force her to
share his bed purely because she was pregnant.  The baby might be his, but she
and her body was not!  She needed to put distance between him and her. There
was no chance that she would be able to keep her hands from his body if she had
to sleep in his arms again.  The previous night was absolute torture.  He fell
asleep almost immediately, but not her!  She lay next to him, her skin tingling
everywhere it touched his, her nipples were pebbled into hard nubs and her core
throbbed.  She had to curl her hands into fists to prevent them from stroking
over his oh so yummy chest and torso … not to talk about her intense desire to
wrap her hand around his semi-hard shaft.  She groaned. Just thinking about it
had her salivating.

She went downstairs and found one of
the grounds men to assist her with her luggage.  He loaded it willingly and a
wide smile on the beach buggy.  Mackenzie went to find Essie and smiled when
she handed her a bowl with fresh fruit and a plate with dried toast. 

“I am moving back to the beach
cottage, Essie.  I’ll eat this there.  I am quite hungry.  Please inform Chase
I have moved back and that …”

“He does not know?”

“No, but …”

“Oh, he is going to be very angry.”

“I’ll see you at dinner tonight,
Essie.”

She rushed outside, wanting to be away
before Chase returned.  Once settled in the cottage she sat outside on the
patio eating the fruit and toast.  She picked up her cell and dialed Frasier’s
number.  He answered almost immediately.

“Hi Mack, I hear you are back.  When
will you fall in again?”

“As soon as you pick me up.  I’m at
the beach cottage.”

“I’ll be there in ten.  Look out for
the small speed boat.”

They had just pulled away from the
jetty.  Mackenzie looked back and started when she noticed Chase standing on
the beach, staring after them.  Frasier noticed the slight movement and asked
tongue in cheek.

“Are you sure you want to tickle the
bear with a sore tooth, Macks?”

“I can’t just sit around for months. 
I’ll go crazy!  Besides, there is a lot of work still to be done here.  If you
don’t mind, I’ll only work from the research center at basecamp on the island. 
I don’t want to spend days on the vessel.  I know there is no danger, but I
also don’t want to dive at this stage either.”

“Why are you asking me?  You’re the
one in charge and besides, I prefer to be on the vessel so it would be ideal if
you take over the base research.”

“Oh, no.  The Director and I agreed
that you will remain in charge.  I might not be able to be involved till the
resolution is found, so it is better you manage it till the end.”

“How long will you be off work?”

“Probably four months or so.  I’m not
sure though if I am going to stay in Florida.”

Frasier brought her up to date with
their progress and Mackenzie immediately started working through the analysis
reports.

Her cell phone rang and she answered
it absently.

“Mackenzie speaking.”

“I see you are adamant to make me
angry.  Where are you?”

She closed her eyes and she could only
imagine the anger on his face from the coldness in his voice.

“At the research base on the Island.”

“Without telling me?”

Mackenzie sighed and leaned back in
the chair.  She took a deep calming breath, deciding a quiet approach might be
better received.

“Chase, I am very healthy.  The doctor
did a thorough check-up.  I can’t sit around doing nothing for the next seven
months!  Besides, I need the money.  I can’t afford to lose my job.”

“You can prepare the baby room.  That
will keep you busy for a few weeks. You don’t need the money, I am responsible
for you now.”

Mackenzie bit her lip and prepared
herself for his blow up.

“No, Chase.  I am not your
responsibility.  It took both of us to get to this point!  I’ll assist you with
the baby room for as long as we are still busy here, but once done I will be
leaving t …”

“I am going to pretend I misunderstood
what you just said, Mackenzie.  I made it very clear that I will not be a
weekend father. Nor will I allow you to endanger my child’s life by working on
that vessel!”

“I am not an idiot!  I will only be
working at the base camp.”

“What time will you be back?”

“Four.”

“I’ll be at the cottage. We have to
talk.  And don’t even think to disappear on me again.”

Mackenzie just shook her head and
ended the call.  She would not be steamrollered in following his directive.
Whatever direction he thought they were heading in … was about to go on a
detour!

She
has been preparing herself for this altercation since the previous night … she
was ready for him!

Chase
stood on the jetty with his hands in his cargo short pockets. Of course …
shirtless.  Noticing the look on his face, she was not so sure she was ready
for this as much as she thought earlier!

Frasier brought the boat closer
carefully and kept it at a low idle. Chase came closer.  He leaned over the
side, grabbed her around her waist and lifted her out of the boat.  He lowered
her slowly down his body, sliding her all the way against his naked chest until
her feet touched the jetty.

Oh Lord, this man was wickedly
tempting!  No wonder there were so many women after him.  

 Mackenzie’s hands itched to run
through his hair and yank his lips down to hers.  She bit her lips and rather
yanked herself from his grasp.  He grinned and followed her lazily into the
cottage.

“Would you mind if I took a shower
first?”

“Mind if I join you?”

She stiffened and looked at him over
her shoulder.

“You, big boy, can wait for me on that
chair right there at the end of the jetty!  I won’t be long.”

She appeared to ignore his blatant
perusal down her body, his eyes glittering sensually. He could not be more
wrong.  Every nerve ending in her body was standing to attention, screaming for
his touch.

Mackenzie felt more relaxed when she
walked down the jetty where Chase was waiting patiently.  He was talking on his
phone and she sat down on the chair across from him.  He glanced her way and
chuckled.  His voice was husky and oozed sensuality.

 “Now darling, that is a promise I
will keep you to! In the meantime I will think of all the different ways we
could …. Ah, you have? Do tell, darling.”

Mackenzie rolled her eyes and got up. 
She walked to the edge of the jetty and sat down with her feet hanging over the
edge.  She was steaming.  How dared he blatantly sit and seduce a woman on the
phone in her presence? Her fingers were white from gripping the edge of the
jetty.

When he laughed huskily again and
whispered another ‘darling’, Mackenzie was ready to commit murder.  She rose
and walked back down the jetty.  The four wheeler was still parked at the back
of the cottage.  If he thought she was waiting around while he had phone sex,
he had another thing coming!

Chase cursed when he heard the roar of
the four wheeler and started running towards the cottage still talking to …
hell, he did not even remember her name!  He was irritated when the call came
through and was about to end it when Mackenzie walked up.  He deliberately
turned his voice and words into seduction mode to draw a reaction from her.  He
cursed again when the four wheeler nearly ran him over.

He abruptly ended the call and jumped
in the beach buggy and followed her up the hill towards his house.  She cut
through the trees and took a shortcut and he smiled.  She was quite
resourceful, this little hotcakes of his.

By the time he arrived he found her
next to the pool with a soda in her hand chatting to Billy and Aiden.  Essie
rushed over with a plate laden with slices of apple, onion, chocolate ice cream
and salty crackers.  She smiled as Mackenzie groaned in ecstasy when she took
the plate from her.

All three men pulled their faces when
she started to stack a salty cracker with apple and onion slices and topped it
with ice cream.  She took a bite and closed her eyes.

“Hmmm … heaven!”

“Holy crap, sis!  How can you eat
that?   I want to hurl just looking at you!”

“You should try it!  It is really
nice!  What are we having for dinner, Essie?”

“Nothing as … exciting as what you’re
eating now, I pray!”  Billy said tongue in cheek.

Mackenzie giggled and looked at Essie
expectantly.  She has always been a big eater, but never picked up weight.  Not
eating a big breakfast because of the nausea meant she was famished by the end
of the day.

“Prawn Scampi for starters, Indonesian
grilled swordfish with American style chips and salad for main, peach and
raspberry custard tart for desert.”

“Oh, lord!  I am going to roll down
the hill tonight!  I am drooling already!”

“Wow, Essie.  I did not know you could
cook like that!”

Essie snorted and glowered at Billy. 
He looked at Mackenzie, then at Chase who still had to utter a word since he
arrived.  His mouth had tightened when she spoke about rolling down the hill. 
Little Mack was not such a pushover after all!

“We still have to talk, Mackenzie. 
Let’s go to my study.”

Mackenzie took another bite of her
pre-starter starter and chewed and swallowed before she speared a glance in his
direction.

“I was ready to talk at the beach
cottage ... darling.  You’re the one that elected to rather spend the time having
phone sex with one of your … floozies.”

“Jealous, hotcakes?”

Mackenzie looked at him, her eyes
shimmering with heated passion and he drew a deep breath.

“Of your darling?  Hardly, big boy.  I
imagine there are hundreds of those lurking around every corner in the city. I
wonder … you are getting on in years … do you have your little blue pills on a
repeat script?”

Aiden tried to hide his laugh, but
Billy burst out laughing and even Chase’s lips twitched.

“Now, honey.  Don’t be nasty.  I still
have a lot of energy left for you.”

“Oh no, thank you very much.  If I
needed any reminder about why sane, intelligent women stayed away from gigolos
like you, I got it listening to that sickening phone call.  No, big boy, I can
safely say, been there, done that and moved on. Now I’ll even have proof!  A
badge of honor, so to speak!”

  Billy could not stop laughing and
clamped his stomach when Chase punched him.

“Stop laughing, you idiot!  It’s not
that funny!”

Essie and her kitchen assistant
carried the starters over and placed them in front of each of them.  She took
the empty plate from Mackenzie and shook her head when she breathed delightedly
at the flavor of the food.  Aiden shook his head.

“I don’t know how you manage to stay
so thin, sis!  I have never seen any girl eat as much as you.”

“Are you saying she’s always eaten
like this?”

“Always.  She’s a very good cook too.
Ralph used to joke that he would have to get a second job once they’re married
… sorry sis!”