Leo's phone buzzed. He looked at the screen. A text from Chloe.
Come to this address. Got a surprise for you.
A surprise? He didn't do surprises. His life was about plans and control. But… it was Chloe. So he just got in his car and went.
The house was nice. Really nice. Modern, with big windows, sitting on a quiet street. Way better than his boring hotel room. He was about to double-check the address when the front door swung open.
And wow.
There stood Chloe. But not the Chloe he knew. The CEO was gone. This Chloe wore tiny denim shorts and a big, slouchy polo shirt that fell off one shoulder. Her hair was down, messy and free. No makeup. She looked… incredible. So different. So beautiful he just stared, his feet glued to the driveway.
A slow smile spread over her face. She'd caught him looking. He quickly tried to look cool and unbothered.
"You planning on coming inside?" she called out, her voice playful.
He finally made his legs work. "Yeah. Sorry. You just look… really different."
"I clean up alright," she laughed, stepping back to let him in.
The inside was all open space and sunlight. It smelled like new carpet and fresh paint. It felt like a new start.
"So, what's this big surprise?" he asked, looking around.
"This is it," she said, waving her arm around the room. "It's for you."
He blinked. "What's for me?"
"The house, Leo. You can't live in a hotel forever. It's not a home. This… this could be."
His jaw almost dropped. "Chloe, no. This is way too much. I can't take this."
"Please," she said, her smile turning soft. "Let me do this. You saved my company. You saved me. Those investors who were screaming at me are now calling to say sorry. This is my thank you."
"You don't need to thank me," he said, his voice low. "I told your dad I'd help. That's it."
"Maybe that's how it started," she said, stepping closer. "But it's more now, and you know it. Let me do this. Please."
He looked into her eyes and felt his arguments melt away. He gave a slow nod. "Okay. Thank you."
Her whole face lit up. "Good! So, you want the grand tour?"
He found himself smiling back. "Sure. Lead the way."
She showed him the living room, the fancy kitchen, then pushed open a door. "This will be the office… oh, they're not quite finished in here."
The room had one blue wall. The others were still white. A plastic sheet was on the floor with a paint can and roller.
"I like the color," Leo said, walking in.
"Right? I chose it," Chloe said, following. She waved a hand as she talked and accidentally smacked the paint tray.
The can wobbled.
"Hey, careful!" Leo moved to catch it, but he was too slow. The can tipped over. A big splash of dark blue paint washed over the front of his white t-shirt.
He looked down. His shirt was a mess. Soaked and sticky.
"Oh my god, Leo! I am so sorry!" Chloe's hands flew to her mouth.
He just laughed a little. "It's fine. Just a shirt." It was clinging to his skin, totally ruined. "No saving this thing."
He didn't think about it. He just grabbed the bottom of the shirt and pulled it off over his head. He tossed the wet, paint-covered ball onto the drop cloth.
When he turned back, Chloe had frozen. Her mouth was slightly open. She wasn't looking at his face. She was staring at his chest.
And he had a lot of chest to stare at. Prison and training had made him hard and muscular. His shoulders were wide, his stomach flat and cut. He was all tan skin and solid strength. For a long second, she didn't say a word.
Then her eyes fixed on one spot. Right over his heart, there was a tattoo. It wasn't big or loud. It was a simple, elegant bird, its wings open, surrounded by old-looking writing.
A weird shiver went down her spine.
She knew that mark.
She had seen it before. Not in real life. It was like a memory from a dream, fuzzy but powerful. It made her feel a deep, strange pull. A longing. Where did she know it from?
Leo saw her staring. He thought she was just checking him out. A slow, confident grin spread across his face.
"Like what you see?" he asked, his voice a low tease.
She snapped out of it, her cheeks turning bright pink. "What? No! I mean… it's just your… your tattoo…"
He didn't let her finish. He took a step forward. The room suddenly felt very small. She took a step back. Then another. Her back hit the cool, white wall.
He put one hand on the wall next to her head, trapping her. He leaned in close. So close she could feel the heat coming off his skin. She could smell his soap and the sharp paint. Their lips were almost touching.
His eyes were dark and locked on hers. He leaned in until his whisper brushed her mouth. "You don't have to lie to me, Chloe. I can see it in your eyes."
You don't have to lie. I see it in your eyes.
The second he said those words, everything changed.
It was like a movie started playing in her head. A flood of pictures and feelings. She wasn't in the room anymore.
She was in a giant stone hall. Torches lit the walls. She wore a heavy blue dress, her hair full of jewels. And he was there. He had Leo's face, but his hair was long. He was dressed like a king, with armor and a cloak. That same tattoo was on his chest. He had her pinned against a cold stone wall, a loving smirk on his face.
"You don't have to lie, my love," he whispered. "I see it in your eyes."
And in that memory, she didn't wait. She grabbed his clothes, pulled him close, and kissed him like her life depended on it.
The vision vanished. She was back, gasping for air. Her heart was beating so fast. The feeling from the memory—the love, the need—was so strong it took over.
She saw the question in his eyes.
She didn't explain. She couldn't.
Acting on pure instinct, she reached up, her hands tangling in his hair, and she yanked his mouth down to hers.
The kiss wasn't soft or shy. It was a fire. It was hungry and deep, like two people finding each other after being lost for a hundred years. Leo was surprised for half a second, then he kissed her back just as hard. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her tight against his bare skin. Her hands felt the hard muscles of his back.
It was messy and perfect. His hands moved down her back, over her hips. Her fingers traced his shoulders, finding the familiar tattoo. It felt like home.
They stumbled away from the wall, still kissing. He used his arm to sweep everything off a worktable. Tools clattered to the floor. In one easy move, he lifted her and put her sitting on the empty table, stepping between her legs. The kiss got deeper, more intense. His hands slid under her big shirt, touching her bare skin. She let out a small sound and pressed against him, completely lost in him.
Then, a noise ruined everything.
His phone, ringing loudly from his pants pocket on the floor.
They froze, their breathing loud in the sudden quiet. The moment was broken.
Leo rested his head against hers, eyes closed. He let out a frustrated groan.
The phone kept ringing.
He slowly pulled away, his hands leaving her skin. She felt cold without him. He walked over, dug the phone out of his pants, and looked at the screen. All the heat in his eyes was gone, replaced by cool focus.
"Yeah?" he answered.
He listened, his eyes flicking to her for a second. "Got it. I'm on my way."
He hung up and looked at her. She was still sitting on the table, her lips sore, her clothes a mess, her mind spinning.
"I have to go," he said, his voice rough. "Business."
She just nodded, words failing her.
He pulled his dirty shirt back on, not caring about the paint. He gave her one last, long look. His eyes were full of questions and the leftover heat from their kiss. Then he turned and walked out.
She heard the front door click shut. Silence filled the big, empty house. She touched her lips. They still felt warm from his.
The memory of the king and the stone room was fading, but the feeling it left behind was a deep, aching echo in her chest.
What in the world was that?