Leopold: Part Four Read Online Free PDF

second later. “It’s bloody hot out here. I have a car with air conditioning, Elle. Matthias would be happy to drive you to your home—”
    “It’s only a few blocks away. And it’s not as hot as it was in Rio de Campo. There’s almost zero humidity here.” I have to restrain myself to keep from looking over at him. I know I’ll only imagine how he looked the day we met at the clinic when his shirt was clinging to him. It was hard enough to keep myself from staring at him while we were at that party in the clinic a few minutes ago.
    “Yes, but it’s not even summer.” He pulls at the collar of his long-sleeved dress shirt. “Too bloody hot when it is still technically spring.”
    “We’re already almost there.” I motion toward the building in the distance. “It’s walking distance on purpose, so there’s no commute for the employees.”
    “They provided a fine home for you, at least. I had my concerns when I found out where you were hiding—”
    “That isn’t my home—it’s a dorm. Sort of like Owen’s hostel.” I glance over at him. “And I’m not hiding , Leo. This is a pretty common thing—working for a medical agency. There are five doctors here on contract right now and probably a dozen nurses. Paul is the only doctor who actually lives in this town.”
    “Understandably. I can’t imagine why anyone would choose to live in the middle of the desert. I also can’t imagine why you would have chosen to come here when there were short-term positions within driving distance of your home.” He glances at me with a smile. “I know because I checked. You chose to come here.”
    I stop on the sidewalk and turn to him. “Leo, I had my reasons for leaving.”
    He stares at me for a moment. “You were running from our difficulties.”
    I roll my eyes before I turn to start walking for the building again. “You can hardly blame me. The paparazzi never left, even after they knew you had fled. It wasn’t until a basketball player killed someone in a drunk driving accident that they finally decided I wasn’t interesting anymore. I sat in my house alone for five days.”
    “And if you had taken a job in California, then—”
    “Then what ?” I stop and turn to him again. “If I had taken a job in California, then what ? You might have come slinking back to me sooner? Yeah, I really missed the boat on that one, Leo.”
    “Elle, I’ve already said leaving you that day was the biggest mistake of my life. I’ve paid the price—you have no idea how much I’ve regretted my actions of that day.”
    “Hm.” I start walking again. I’d love to throw the tabloids in his face—ask him exactly how much of a price he had to pay considering how many different supermodels he’s slept with in the past three months. But I’m not going to—something about it feels almost stalkerish. Not that his being here at all isn’t completely stalkerish.
    But I’m not about to allow him the satisfaction of knowing I care or that my gut twists with jealousy when I let myself think about how he’s been with other women. How I’ve been unable to stop myself from reading every fucking tabloid in the supermarket, searching for every single passing mention of him. I suppose his use of private investigators on me is basically the same thing—a much more expensive version of the same thing.
    My steps quicken as we walk up to the threshold of the building. I turn to him at the entry. “Wait here. I need to change my clothes—I’ll just be a minute.”
    He grins. “I’m happy to assist if you’d like.”
    “Not a chance, Leo. Not a single chance in hell.” I smile. “I’ll be back in a second.”
    His smile falls, and he gives me a single nod.
    I rush in, tearing down the hall to my room. I still haven’t packed much of anything—I’m supposed to leave tomorrow, but my things are all still scattered around my room. I choose a sundress from my closet—one of the few articles of clothing I have that