Free Leopold: Part Four by Ember Casey, Renna Peak Page B

pulls my hand into his again, and his touch sends a thrill of electricity up my arm. He seems to sense it—or maybe he feels it, too—and he takes another step toward me until he’s standing right in front of me.
    “Elle…” He lifts my hand to his lips again, placing a kiss on each of my fingers. “I’ve longed for this day for what seems an eternity.”
    My eyes flutter closed for a moment. His words—it’s almost unfair what he’s able to do to me with what he says.
    But I snap myself out of whatever the hell this is, opening my eyes and pulling my hand away. “Leo, I can’t do this again. I just…can’t. I know it’s really cliché to say, but in this case, it’s true. It’s not you—it’s me.”
    He shrugs. “I refuse to believe that.”
    “You don’t understand.”
    “I understand your hesitations perfectly, Elle. I hurt you badly—and I can promise you I’ll never make that mistake again.”
    I shake my head. “You can’t make a promise like that. You have no idea whether or not that’s true.”
    “Perhaps not. But will you at least allow me the honor of trying?” He lets out a short breath. “For today, Elle. That was all I asked of you. One more day together.”
    “Leo…” I try to hide the exasperation I can hear creeping into my voice again. “My original terms were two hours and a conversation about closure. And forgiveness. That was it. And I’ve already agreed to way more than that.” I motion with my arm around the cabin. “I never agreed to some ridiculous, overly extravagant display of the life of excess you seem to enjoy.”
    He frowns. “You would enjoy it, too.”
    “You don’t know that, though, Leo. Because you don’t know me . And for you to just assume things—”
    “I know. I remember your little American saying—it makes an ass of me.” He frowns before he tears his gaze from mine and turns away.
    “Leo, that silver dress in the closet probably cost more than I make in a week—”
    He runs a hand through his hair. “If your current salary is commensurate with the salary my family paid you, it actually cost more than you make in several months.” He turns back to me, anger flashing in his eyes. “And what of it? Why shouldn’t you have the finest luxuries money can buy? And why shouldn’t I be allowed to give them to you if that is my choosing?”
    “Because I didn’t earn it, Leo. And because I don’t…” I take in a breath instead of finishing the sentence. Because I don’t deserve it.
    His jaw tightens and it seems like he can read my mind. “Elle, I can think of no one who deserves anything more.” He looks into my eyes for a moment, his expression softening. “One more night. Can you give me one more night to show you?”
    Something about the way he looks at me makes my heart speed up in my chest. It almost makes me want him to pull me into his arms again. Want him to do whatever he pleases with me…
    That . That is the problem with this relationship. I have no control over anything—including my brain—when I’m around him. Something about what goes on between the two of us always seems to melt into more . And it’s the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever felt.
    I’m not ready to admit anything to him yet—that there might be more here than lust. I’m not sure I even like him. But there’s something about what he does to me that I know I can’t be without. There’s something more here that I think we might need to explore. Tonight was not supposed to be the night to do any of this. And maybe it’s wrong and something is still telling me that I’m going to regret it. But I think I can set all those doubts aside, at least for a little while and just see. See where it takes me. See what happens.
    I gaze into his eyes for another few moments, hoping—almost willing myself to see something in them to make me change my mind. But I don’t. All I see is what he’s told me—his regret. His hope. And something else—something