The Billionaire's Second Chance (48 page)

He saw the moment she noticed the crystal bowl of butterscotch candies sitting in the middle of a low coffee table also covered in magazines. Shannon sat there for the longest time seemingly lost in thought as she considered the beautiful Baccarat crystal and its contents. Nick waited in an agony of silence wondering what she would say next.

He was prepared to explain and would gladly tell her whatever she wanted to know. He’d never really given much thought to his on-going interest and involvement in the little village on another continent where they had first met. It was second nature to him; using his wealth to advance causes and concerns he felt connected to.

Obi was just one of several smart, driven young men
and
women from that area who he had lent a helping hand to. The Children’s Center was one of numerous charitable endeavors he’d been involved in as his thoughts drifted to the training classes and village clinic he’d spearheaded.

He expected Shannon to launch into a full on inquiry but instead she simply sat there, cute as can be with those long legs of hers tucked under her rear end while she thought god only knows what.

He held his breath when one of her small hands reached out and plucked a cellophane wrapped candy from the elegant bowl. Nick thought she meant to unwrap it and pop it into her mouth
,
but she just continued to sit there silently with the candy grasped in her hand. Normally he found it pretty easy to read her thoughts but at the moment his own wildly careening emotions were making that nearly impossible.

When she dropped the tiny candy on the table and leaned toward him
,
Nick’s startled face got even more so when she reached out grabbing the ends of his tie, pulling him towards her.

Shannon couldn’t wrap her mind around everything that had happened in the last hour much less the last week. She was back with the only man she ever loved, he wasn’t the prick she’d been imagining him as and pretty much every thought and regret she’d been nursing for the past eight years had been turned upside down and replaced by a feeling of
peace and happiness.

When she reached for him he pulled her pert bottom onto his lap and let her cover his face and neck with kisses. He hadn’t expected a physical reaction but he’d take it, that’s for sure.

The kisses she gave him were sweet and simple. Expressions of the way she felt because words seemed to be inadequate at the moment.

They stayed like that with her on his lap for a long time. No words were spoken for none were necessary. It was a moment for remembrances and reunions as they used touch and lover’s sighs to communicate what language alone never could.

Some business intruded sometime along the way but Shannon didn’t care. She was happy to be here by his side and even happier to have all the ghosts from the past well and truly dispatched to the ether forever. There was still one lingering memory, the unhappiest and most painful of them all hovering around the edges
,
but now didn’t seem like the time to bring it up.

They ate lunch at a nearby restaurant where they had been swarmed by paparazzi looking for a story. Mr. Allen had stepped up when the camera flashes started going off and blocked most of their shots but Shannon knew by the end of the day the media would be trying to figure out who the woman on Nicholas Barrett’s arm was. Was she ready for that? Well, she’d better be she thought since nothing short of a court order was ever going to separate her from this unbelievably wonderful man ever again.

After lunch, feeling stuffed and slightly exhausted Shannon was shocked when their limo pulled up to the private entrance to a seriously high-end jewelry store.

When Shannon’s curious gaze sought out Nick’s for explanation she was startled to find him looming over her with one of those cowboy pirate rakish grins complete with dimples that rendered her thought process to a melted puddle.

The best she could manage was something which sounded like
,
“
Er
, um…
Ni
..
uh
.” before his smiling eyes bored into her soul
. H
e whispered so close to her mouth that she breathe
d
in his words as he spoke, “This is where I get to throw around the Barrett name along with some serious cash and find you whatever ring you want Shannon.
Anything
.”

The gentle kiss that followed was so sweetly tender and romantic that Shannon closed her eyes and sighed with happiness, so perfect was the moment.

Oddly, she felt that in all honesty, she didn’t need the ring. Didn’t even need the ceremony. All Shannon wanted was Nick. She was an odd bird she supposed with this way of thinking. As long as she had his heart, as long as he wanted her, she was all in. Nothing else mattered next to that. After all, his love was all she’d ever wanted or needed. It was kind of funny and ironic that of the two of them it was Nick who was the most hung up on propriety and appearances.

He clearly wanted it all and had been exquisitely descriptive about what that meant. The ring was important to him, she
thought. It wasn’t a wealthy man,
trophy wife thing at all Shannon acknowledged; it was an expression of the
commitment he was making to her and
to them.

When the long, sweet kiss ended Nick peered deeply into Shannon’s eyes
while
the turquoise and
hazel
combination became charged with emotion. Lifting one of her shaki
ng hands to his chest Nick said,
“I want you to take a piece of my heart and turn it into a diamond that you and I will know means so much more than just the symbol of an engagement. Do you
understand
,
little one? You are my heart; take all of it as it’s yours anyway.”

“Oh Nick.
” Shannon sighed while she ran her fingers over his cheek and along his lips before ending up with her entire hand cupping the side of his face. His words had touched her heart more deeply than anything she’d ever heard before. Could it really get any better than this she wondered?

With a shy smile she told him what she was feeling, holding nothing back. “I’m nervous about this entire thing Nick, it almost seems too good to be true, you know what I mean?” as she nodded in earnest appeal for his agreement.

“In the space of a week our lives have been …
...
” she sighed in frustration. “You know what I’m getting at. This has been a lot for me to take on board.”

“Shannon….” Nick interrupted.

She stopped him by saying “No Nick, let me finish.”
w
hile
moving her hand against his mouth. Nodding in agreement he then pursed those delectable lips and pressed a sweet kiss to her tingling fingers. It took her a moment to gather her thoughts after that.

“I will do all o
f this as you want it. The
ring
, a wedding, even
the house in
the suburbs,” she continued. “
b
ut
all of it comes with one condition.”

Nick’s expression turned to widening eyes and a fleeting heartbeat of fear as he contemplated what her condition would be. He’d do anything he realized, absolutely anything to ensure they stayed together this time. That certainty and inevitability calmed his
emotions
as he turned a half smile at her serious face.

“I will do whatever is necessary for you to be happy Shannon. To me, nothing is more important than that. Whatever it takes; and you will be happy my love. I won’t have it any other way.”

That little touch of arrogant certainty at the end of his declaration of happiness brought an amused overcast to Shannon’s face that she tried to control. Lord
,
but the man was magnificent when he was being so sure of himself she wryly thought.  All of her ‘
I am woman hear me roar’
shtick went right out the window when he took control
,
although she certainly didn’t want him to know that. Besides he was completely adorably awesome and sexy when he was being earnest and bossy so why should she spoil the show?

“Nick, you say you want me to be happy. Well my darling, here’s the thing. I can’t be happy unless
you
are happy so we have a draw. I need to know that you want me, not just love me Nick. I can only do this if you’re with me; by my side every step of the way.”

Nick understood what she was saying and his heart swelled with joy and pride at how brave and straight-forward she was being. She could only do that if she truly trusted him; if she was completely invested.

“Done and done.” h
e answered quickly. “Want, need, love. Done. You will never regret this decision Shannon love. This is my vow to you. It’s forever, you and me.  My first priority from here on out is us.”

She smiled then
because
what else could she possibly do? The idea of actually marrying Nick; of being Mrs. Nicholas Barrett was totally unique and so completely outside the realm of possibilities she had anticipated in her life that Shannon decided to just step back and let the power of the situation sweep her along. After all, how often does a girl get to say that a
billionaire
tycoon fell in love with her and then took her to an exclusive lux jeweler
telling
her to pick out anything?

He picked up on her acquiescence the second all the tension left her body as she relax
ed
into the moment and let him take the reins. Grinning like a demented fool
,
Nick pushed open the car door to an awaiting Mr. Allen who stood by patiently while his passengers got their act together.

“Let’s do this then!” Nick joyfully exclaimed
,
bringing
a broad
smile
to
his trusty driver’s face. Extending a hand to Shannon, Mr. Allen briefly nodded to Nick before carefully guiding his boss’s most precious from the back of the limo.

“Congratulation
,
Ms. Reynolds.” he intoned respectfully as he pulled her gently forward. When Shannon arrived upright and smoothed down in front of the older smiling man she squeezed the driver’s hand briefly before letting go. She wasn’t exactly surprised when he leaned in a bit to whisper something quietly just for her hearing.

Mr. Allen and his wonderful wife were clearly hugely fond and protective of Nick
.
Of course they
ha
d
an opinion about Shannon’s sudden appearance in his life and the quick chain of events which had brought them to this moment in time. She fully expected everyone to have something to say
,
from Jules & Ned to Nick’s mum and the people who make up his everyday world.

To say Shannon was moved and pleased by Mr. Allen’s quiet assessment of her relationship was an understatement when he simply said
,
“He deserves a good woman like you Ms. Shannon. He’s been alone for a long time
.
I’ve never seen him smile or be as relaxed and happy as he has been with you. Don’t you worry about a thing. When it comes to being determined
,
nobody does it better than Nic
holas
Barrett. He’
ll make you a wonderful husband.
”

“Thank you Mr. Allen.” Shannon
said
as Nick rounded the rear of the car to come to her side. “I’ll feel less anxious and nervous knowing you and your lovely wife ar
e there to lend your support.” s
he
smiled gratefully adding
, “That’s a man
,
woman thing, you know. What men call determination women generally see as being bossy!”

Mr. Allen laughed, grinning and said, “Touché Ms. Reynolds. Touché. Now I know why my Anna likes you!”

“Hey, go flirt with your own
lady
Mr. Allen and leave mine alone or I’ll start sending flowers to your wife!” Nick good-naturedly
teased
as he
took Shannon’s hand in his, gently tugging
her along toward the entrance to the exclusive store.

The wink he threw her way was as charming and unforgettable as those damn sexy dimples which seemed to be on full display all the time now. Shannon thought back to th
at
first encounter and their visit to the emergency room. She recalled her assessment of him
at the time
had been that he looked colder, shrewder and not very approachable and most of all that his dimples were a thing of the past. It warmed her to think that as his happiness returned and
that
she was the source of
his
joy. Those dimples were her reward she supposed. Sighing heavily Shannon could only s
mile and think,
life is good
.

The entire experience inside the jewelry store had been surreal. As if the time at Barrett Global hadn’t been an eye-opening introduction to the sort of high-powered life he led, this was something else entirely. Deference of the kind she wasn’t accustomed to
was
on full display immediately upon their arrival
,
with a good deal of bowing and scraping going on as they were led to a private room that screamed high end.