Page 65 of Off the Grid
“You were at the ceremony?” he asked. “I didn’t see you.”
And trust me, I was looking.
“You didn’t?” McKenzie turned toward him and lifted a single brow. “I sawyou.”
He frowned at her teasing tone. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” McKenzie said, unable to quite hide the humor in her voice. “I just didn’t expect a Fed and former marine to turn into a blubbering baby at the first sight of true love.”
He nudged her with his elbow. “Hey, that ceremony was beautiful.”
“Sure, sure.”
“Maybe I have allergies.”
“That run on a forty-eight-hour delay? We were in the woods for days.”
“Maybe I’m allergic to polyester.”
“Well, then”—she paused to fake cough—“I guess it’s time you know I’m allergic to bullshit.”
Damn, that was a good line.He bit his lips together to keep from laughing, then countered, “I know that’s not true.”
“Why?” She couldn’t help but take the bait.
“Because you would’ve killed yourself a long time ago.”
She pursed her lips to hide a smile.
Ha. I got her.
“Well, I walked right into that one.” McKenzie shook her head and sighed, gaze slipping back toward the dance floor.
Leo’s followed. The music shifted to something slow. “You want to dance?”
Where the hell did that come from?
McKenzie must’ve thought the same thing. She snapped her gaze back to his, a slight panic in her eyes. “I thought you only danced to Michael Jackson songs?”
It was a lame attempt to cover up her fear. He wasn’t sure why she was afraid, but the very idea of her nerves made his resolve stronger.
“Come on.” Leo grabbed her hand and tugged.
“Leo, no.” McKenzie dug her heels in. “I—I mean, I look ridiculous in a bloody, dirt-covered T-shirt. There’s probably flour in my hair. I don’t want to ruin her photos—the photographer is the only person who managed to show up. They don’t want us two slobs lurking in the background.”
McKenzie was right—she did have flour in her hair, but he found it painfully endearing. Compared to everyone dressed in cocktail attire, the two of them did look like slobs, but she didn’t look ridiculous. Even with the bruise on her forehead, the drop of blood on her shirt, and the white powder dusting her cheeks, McKenzie was the most beautiful woman at the party. Hell, she might’ve been the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and the more he got to know her, to see beyond her looks, the lovelier and lovelier she seemed.
Of course, he didn’t admit to any of that.
Instead, he lifted her hand around his neck and put his palm against her waist, gently pulling her close. “Okay, then we’ll dance right here.”
“Leo…”
Her tone was chiding, but he ignored it. He didn’t know why she’d decided to freeze him out, but he’d grown too used to the warmth in her eyes to let her turn icy now. And he still hadn’t been able to shake that image of her walking away in the arms of another man. The only arms he wanted her wrapped in were his.
“I spoke to my partner again,” he said, changing the subject. “They found your friend Addison.”
“Really?” McKenzie asked, gripping his fingers tighter. Beneath his palm, her pulse raced in a flurry of excitement. He took a step and she idly followed, holding his gaze. She was too focused on his words to be aware of the dance he was subtly leading her into, which was exactly what he’d been hoping. The stiffness in her body oozed away and she stepped closer, stubbornness subsiding as her curiosity took over. “Is she all right? What happened?”
