Page 48 of Off the Grid
“Yeah, I like that one.” She nodded. “Bring it on.”
And she knows her whiskey… Another one to add to the frigging list.
He grabbed two glasses from the shelves and closed the cabinet before returning to the kitchen. He poured the drinks and handed one to McKenzie, who had retaken her spot on top of the island. Then he promptly jumped onto the opposite countertop to keep a mandatory three feet between them.
“To what?” McKenzie asked as the edge of her lip pulled into a grin and she lifted her glass. “To not dying?”
“To surviving,” Leo said instead.To surviving this. To surviving our pasts. To pushing through and fighting.
Her face softened with understanding, and then a wicked gleam fired to life deep in her eyes. “To survivingeach other.”
Ain’t that the truth.“Cheers.”
He dropped his head back and downed the entire pour in one sip, savoring the burn as it charged down his throat, taking the edge off.
“You do know it’s meant to be a sipping drink, right?”
Leo eyed her and raised a brow.
“On second thought,” she said, as though having a realization. “You might be right.”
“Me? Right?”
“Don’t let it go to your head.”
Before he could respond, McKenzie arched her head back and finished her glass. As the alcohol hit, she squeezed her eyes tight, fighting the fire.
“Ooh,” she exhaled heavily, then looked back at Leo. “Fill me up! And grab me some chili too, while you’re at it.”
“Please.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes.Please.”
He shook his head as he filled her glass and handed her a bowl of food, then retook his place on the opposite counter.
“This is really good.”
He flicked his gaze toward her, watching as she pulled her feet up on the counter and crossed her legs, body disappearing beneath the oversized robe draped over her frame. McKenzie lowered her face to the bowl and breathed deep, drawing in the spicy scent of the chili. She took another bite and a subtle smile passed over her lips while she chewed, comfort personified.
He returned his attention to his bowl. “Thanks.”
“You know what would make this even better?”
There it is.“What?” He eyed her pointedly. “More cumin?”
“No, no.” She shook her head. “Not the food, that’s great, just the moment. I want to laugh, Leo. I feel like it’s been ages since I had a good laugh. Tell me something funny…please. Anything. I don’t know, something embarrassing. Something you did as a kid.”
“Something embarrassing…” He trailed off, thinking, and leaned back, pressing his shoulders to the cabinets. “I don’t know. When I was a kid, I thought Michael Jackson was a god, so one year for Halloween I learned the whole ‘Thriller’ dance and performed it in random spurts while I was trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. That was pretty embarrassing.”
“Oh my God, that’s brilliant!” McKenzie leaned in, eyes wide with intrigue. “Can you still do it?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know… Maybe?”
“Do it.” Her voice edged on possessed.
“Right now? Hell, no.”
“Oh, come on!”
