Page 51 of Off the Grid
“Do-do-do-do-do.”Clap!
“Give it a rest.”
“Do-do-do-do-do.”Clap!
The next thing she knew, right on cue, Leo jumped off the kitchen counter and belted out the opening lyrics. “It’s close to midnight…”
McKenzie gasped and put her hands on her lips to hide her smile. He ruefully shook his head and leaned close in challenge, raising his brows as if to say,You asked for this. Still singing, he placed his whiskey on the counter next to her and gripped the stone edge on either side of her thighs, holding her gaze for a moment. Their faces were close enough for the tips of their noses to graze as he wobbled his head back and forth in a ghoulish manner along with the song. Her heart raced. She kept her hands clasped around her mouth, if only to stop her wayward lips from leaning forward and sealing those few barren inches between them. McKenzie couldn’t remember the last time her cheeks had hurt from smiling, but right now they ached. She was sure her eyes must’ve sparkled just as bright as the irises staring back at her.
Suddenly, Leo pushed against the countertop, hitting an unheard beat in the song he clearly knew from heart, and spun on his heels. He snapped his fingers and shifted his feet into a dancing sort of skip as he traversed the length of the kitchen, making it to a wide-open space just in time for the chorus. That was when McKenzie really started laughing. He was Michael Jackson reincarnated, first twitching his head like a zombie, then shaking his hips side to side with his arms out, then adding some dramatic hand movements, then some dips and spins while he shifted his head back and forth as though it were disconnected from the rest of his body. Leo managed to keep a straight face for about the first half of the dance, and then he completely broke down. He fought through the rest of the chorus, but as soon as he hit the classic Michael Jackson tippy-toe pose near the end, he collapsed to the floor and held his forearms over his eyes to block out the sight of her.
“I cannot believe you made me do that.”
“I don’t know,” she teased, struggling to find her voice between the laughter spilling through her lips. “The agent doth protest too much, if you ask me.”
“Those were smiles of mortification.”
“They looked pretty self-satisfied.”
He let his arms drop over his head and turned his face in her direction as the edge of his lip quirked up. “Okay, maybe it was alittlefun. I haven’t done that in years.”
“I’m pretty sure you do it all the time when you’re alone in your apartment. You probably have a red leather jacket hidden the back of your closet for just the occasion.”
He barked out a laugh. “You caught me. I’m a secret Michael Jackson impersonator.”
“It’s almost criminal that you’re keeping this talent from the rest of the world. You need to take this show on the road. I’m sure your partner—” McKenzie broke off when all the color drained from his face.
Leo groaned and rolled to his feet. “No one from the bureau can ever know about this, McKenzie Kathleen Harper. They’d never let it go. This is a secret you will take to your grave.”
“Scout’s honor.” She held her hand over her heart.Though I can’t promise I’ll let you live it down.
“Clearly, you were never a Boy Scout,” he drawled and stepped closer to the kitchen island to peel her hand from its spot against her chest and hold it aloft. He repositioned her fingers gently, until her thumb and pinky were pressed together and her other three fingers were raised—the official salute. He didn’t let her hand go as he shifted his gaze to hers, a glance that smoldered. “A promise between friends?”
“A promise,” she whispered, voice coming out breathier than she’d intended.Why did I use that damned wordfriendsearlier?She could kick herself.Friendswas just about the last thing on her mind.
“Okay,” Leo said loudly and shook his head, stepping back. He snatched his drink from the other side of the island and jumped up next to McKenzie before gesturing toward the open space in front of them. “Your turn.”
“I thought I was on injured reserve?”
“Nuh-uh. Not after you made me do that, you aren’t. Do some spins, hop on one foot, anything. I don’t care, just entertain me.”
McKenzie took another sip, questioning for a moment what it meant that the alcohol had stopped burning on its way down, then slid off the counter.Spin. Hop on one foot. Spin.She had it. McKenzie tried to stifle her satisfied grin, but she’d never been very good at hiding her swagger. Turning back to Leo, she shrugged off her robe and tossed it onto his head like a human coat rack. When he pulled the cotton off, a curious grin lit his face. McKenzie sauntered back, testing her bad foot, but it took her weight okay, and she’d hardly need to use it. She assumed fifth position and extended her hands to the side. Transitioning to second then to fourth for some force, she spun, and spun, and spun, extending her leg for extra momentum. Pirouettes had always been her favorite. After seven spins—her personal best was double that—she landed gracefully in an extended fourth position and raised her arms above her head, flicking her wrists with a bit of flair.
Leo gaped.
Then he reeled back as his entire face twisted in a scowl. “That’s not even fair.”
“I took ballet for nearly a decade,” she said with a shrug, suppressing the grin threatening to break forth in order to maintain her aura of nonchalance.
“Well, you could’ve mentioned that.”
“And miss that look on your face?” She lost her battle with her lips. “Not a chance.”
“Do something else.”
“Something else?”
He took another sip and nodded.
