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“It was fate.” She planted a kiss on his chest and tucked in close to him. “So, one eye is different from the other. How common is that?”
“It’s called heterochromia iridium. Having two completely different eye colors is rare. Most cases are like mine, where only a wedge of the iris is affected. Do you think it’s weird?” he asked.
Always so confident, it was unusual for Leo to express any sort of uncertainty.
“No. It makes you more mysterious.” She gave him a quick kiss. “Did kids give you a hard time about it growing up?”
“No, it happened later.”
“How?”
“An injury,” he said, his tone clipped. He didn’t want to talk about it.
She snuggled in closer. She would bring it up again another time, but there was a subject they needed to deal with now.
“What happened the night of your grandfather’s birthday party?” she asked against his chest.
He lifted her to a sitting position and looked at her with an intensity she’d never seen before. “I’m going to tell you everything.”
“Okay.” A tendril of unease threaded up her spine waiting to hear what he had to say.
“Ben and I have been gathering information on Malcolm. He’s been embezzling for years, and it increased after my father died. We have the proof, and now we’re ready to expose him.”
“That’s a serious accusation.”
“It is, but it has to be done. That time I spoke with Malcolm on the phone, he’d called me. His contacts told him about the Crete property, and he accused me of using it to persuade the board to install me as chairman and CEO. I was being sarcastic when I said I was using you. I would never use you or take your property.”
“I believe you.” Some of the stress relaxed in her muscles. “So you have proof to expose him, and are planning a takeover?”
“Yes, on both counts. Ben and I have lots of evidence against Malcolm, and an informer from within the company has even more.”
“There’s a mole in Sutton Properties?”
“Yeah. He’s the reason I left the party. He sent me a couple of texts and was getting nervous. I had to call to reassure him.”
If the informer had second thoughts, that would explain Leo’s urgency to leave to make the call.
“Why didn’t you tell me about your plan?” she asked.
“I couldn’t take any chances. I promised Ben I wouldn’t tell anyone, and the informer was specific about no one else knowing. If anything leaked, he would stop cooperating.”
“But you’re telling me now.”
“I wanted to tell you, but I’d given my word.” Leo took her hand in his with a squeeze. “But I was ready to break my promise and tell you everything.” He tilted his head, studying her. “I did try to tell you, but you left before I got the chance.”
She’d been angry and confused that night and wanted to get away as quickly as possible.
She blew out a big exhale. “I was really mad. Now it’s my turn to apologize. I took my experience with Owen and dumped it on you. I should have stayed to listen. I’ll never do that again.”
“And I was frustrated because I hated keeping a secret from you. I was ready to give all of it up for you.”
She pulled away to look at him. “You would have walked away from a chance to take over Sutton Properties for me?”
“Yes,” he said with an emphatic nod.
“I don’t know what to say.” She was shocked he’d been prepared to do such an honorable thing for her.
“It was a big misunderstanding, but it’s over now.” He tucked a curl behind her ear.
