Chapter 68 Have I Passed the Probation Period?
Leopold heard the elevator doors slide open. He crushed out his cigarette and turned to see Caroline stepping out.
They both froze for a split second. Leopold recovered first and moved toward her.
As the motion-sensor lights in the hallway illuminated with his footsteps, Caroline caught sight of his face clearly.
"You're back," she said, quickening her pace, her heart taking flight.
Leopold wrapped his arms around Caroline as she rushed into his embrace. He held her soft body tight and kissed the top of her head. "Miss me?"
Caroline deflected with her own question, "Did you miss me?"
"I reached Seaside City at seven. Came straight to your place the moment I got off the highway. What do you think?"
Leopold lifted her up, causing Caroline to clutch at his shirt. Looking down at his face in the soft glow of the hallway lights, she noticed the faint stubble covering his sharp jawline.
"Put me down," Caroline protested.
Leopold carried her to her front door before setting her down. Caroline pressed her finger against the biometric lock, and the electronic door swung open.
They entered without turning on the lights.
In the darkness, Leopold embraced Caroline from behind, burying his face in her hair and inhaling the familiar scent of her perfume. "You have no idea how desperate I was to get here," he murmured. "Drove straight from my last inspection in Oakridge back to Seaside City. Only stopped once at a rest area to use the bathroom. Even ate dinner on the road—just a sad bag of chips. And you're asking if I missed you? What do you think?"
In the quiet sanctuary of her apartment, his deep, husky confession stirred something inside her. Her body began responding with signals of its own.
Leopold tightened his arms around her. "Have I passed your probation period yet?"
Caroline's heart pounded wildly, her cheeks and ears burning hot. "You must be starving. Let me cook something for you."
She deliberately tried to defuse the heated atmosphere, unsure if she could trust herself not to cross boundaries in the moment.
Leopold clarified, "Don't worry, I'm not suggesting anything. I just want to know if I've passed your test."
Caroline struggled to breathe. "You're holding me too tight. I can't breathe."
Leopold hadn't completely lost his senses. He gradually loosened his grip. "I am hungry, actually. Got any pasta?"
Caroline shrugged off her jacket and walked toward the kitchen. "No pasta left. Mom dropped off a bunch of frozen pancakes and pizza last time she visited. What would you prefer?"
Leopold followed, washing his hands before joining her by the fridge. Looking at the overstuffed refrigerator, his lips curved into a smile. "Mrs. Tudor really takes care of you."
Caroline turned to face him. "Pizza or pancakes?"
Leopold hadn't lied about being hungry. A full day of driving with nothing but a bag of chips had left him famished.
"Two pizzas should do it."
Caroline pulled out two individually wrapped pizzas from the freezer compartment. She unwrapped one and placed it in the microwave.
Leopold leaned against the wall behind her, watching her intently. Aware of his eyes on her, Caroline felt self-conscious, occasionally rubbing the back of her neck as if trying to wipe away his lingering gaze.
She turned around, meeting Leopold's stare head-on. His gaze was so intense it was impossible to ignore.
"Stop hovering. Go wait in the dining room."
Noticing her discomfort, Leopold smiled and placed his hand on the back of her neck. "As you wish."
As he left, his fingertips brushed against the skin at the nape of her neck. Caroline shivered as if electrified.
Leopold walked out of the kitchen, fighting back a smile.
Once he was gone, Caroline pressed her hand to her chest and took a deep breath.
At the doorway earlier, she'd nearly thought Leopold was going to do something more, but thankfully, he'd only hugged her.
The first pizza finished heating. Caroline unwrapped the second one and placed it in the microwave, glancing toward the living room where Leopold appeared to be watching TV.
When both pizzas were ready, Caroline carried them out. "Pizza's ready. Come eat."
Leopold didn't respond. Caroline set the table with utensils and went to the living room, calling for him again.
"I said the pizza's ready, you—" Her words died in her throat. Leopold had fallen asleep on the couch.
The drive from Oakridge to Seaside City would exhaust anyone—over ten hours behind the wheel.
Caroline didn't wake him. Instead, she fetched a blanket from her bedroom and draped it over him before turning off the TV. After showering, she returned to find him still asleep.
It was nearly ten o'clock. Caroline gently shook his arm, calling softly, "Wake up, Leopold. Wake up, don't sleep here."
Leopold opened his eyes groggily, glanced down at the blanket covering him, and rubbed his face. "Did I fall asleep? What time is it?"
"Nine fifty-six," Caroline answered.
"What?" He rolled his shoulders and stood up. "It's so late. I should get going."
Caroline said, "The pizza's cold. Let me reheat it for you."
Leopold walked to the dining table, saw the cold pizza, pulled out a chair, and sat down, picking up a slice. "It's fine like this."
Before Caroline could stop him, he'd already taken a bite. "Mrs. Tudor makes amazing pizza," he mumbled while chewing.
Caroline tried to take the plate away to reheat it, but Leopold stopped her. "Really, it's fine this way."
He finished both cold pizzas, then got up to put on his jacket. "I should head home. I'll see you tomorrow."
Caroline didn't try to make him stay. She walked him to the door, and as he put on his shoes, he said, "Don't come out. It's cold outside."
With that, Leopold closed the door behind him.
He strode quickly to the elevator and, much like Caroline had done in the kitchen, took several deep breaths to suppress the desire burning inside him.
If he'd stayed even ten more minutes, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't have done something to Caroline.
About fifteen minutes later, Caroline received a text from Leopold.
North: [Made it home.]
Caroline: [I have time tomorrow afternoon. Got a meeting downtown in the morning.]
North: [Don't worry about it. I need to head back to Solstice Mountain to check on things. Been away for over a month, not sure what state things are in. I'll try to make it back by evening, and we can go out to dinner.]
Caroline: [Sounds good. You pick the place.]
North: [Ms. Tudor, did you miss me at all?]
Seeing his message, Caroline buried her face in her pillow and rolled around several times before replying with tousled hair.
Caroline: [Yes.]
Reading Caroline's response, Leopold leaned back in his bathtub. Through the steam, his handsome, chiseled features looked almost ethereal, his smile curving like a crescent moon in the night sky.
Caroline stared at her own message, realizing she was actually being cutesy. That wasn't like her at all.
Apparently, talking to someone you like makes you act differently without even trying.
Leopold wiped water from his face and pushed his hair back, revealing a smooth, broad forehead that accentuated his striking features. His eyes held tenderness, small droplets clung to his curled lashes, and his muscular chest rose above the waterline. He pressed the voice message button and asked, "Have I passed your probation period yet?"