The Billionaire's Second Chance

by Peyton Reeser

  She was being ridiculously critical she admitted, for she could take care of herself and if truth be told would admit to a tidy savings which was nothing to sneeze at, and a hefty retirement plan. Shannon’s personal financial portfolio included well thought out and low risk investments and even a top drawer medical plan which, having been gifted with good health, she rarely made us of. Was she judging him and the advantages having money could bring when she herself wasn’t exactly living paycheck to paycheck? Well, probably but he damn well-deserved that discrimination and her harsh judgment.

  Feeling like she was being a shrew for no good reason, Shannon tried to straighten slightly in the deeply lush leather seat that she found herself in. She barely managed to squash a slight gasp before it made its traitorous way out of her throat when her scraped palms pushed against the arm rest reminding Shannon that at least for now she was all but helpless.

  Between the bump on her head and the way the migraine which had been hovering nearby had descended, making her even more uncomfortable, the throbbing, swelling foot which felt ten times its normal size, the scraped and bruised hands, a painfully scraped knee which she had yet to bring to his attention and the bleeding gash at her shoulder, Shannon was at his mercy and completely overwhelmed.

  At the first stop light Nick looked over at his passenger to find her staring intently at him with a less than friendly expression; reminding him in an instant that while he was all but jumping up and down with joy at her very presence by his side, injured or not, she was clearly shooting daggers at him with those vivid turquoise eyes of hers.

  Needing to say something, anything, Nick cleared his throat and told her in as calm a tone as he could choke out that they’d be at their destination in just a few more minutes.

  Pursing her lips together in a clear frown, Shannon shook her head in acknowledgment and then deciding that the headache was getting the better of her she gently lay back on the head rest and closed her eyes.

  “Are you alright, Shannon?” he pressed when she seemed to close him out only to feel a wave of relief when her tiny voice answered “Yes, my head just hurts a bit. Thank you for driving me to the doctor Nick." she added in perfect politeness, almost as an afterthought, giving Nick the opening to growl out “Of course, Shannon. You’re hurt. My fault. Just let me get you taken care of and then we’ll talk.”

  She wanted to argue with him that her being injured wasn’t his fault, mostly just for the obvious cause of wanting to argue with him, but her own good sense stepped in when he’d said my fault with such gravity as though he meant far more than just having bumped into her on a path.

  The entire car trip to the clinic, although realistically only about 15 minutes long, was like fingernails on a chalkboard for Nick. He got things done; it was what came naturally to him. Nicholas Barrett, the man who could make almost anything he desired happen; he who could solve anything, but right now he was feeling completely powerless.

  In the confines of the luxury car he had rented for the duration of his stay in Southern California, the realistically ample space seemed exceedingly small due in large part to the helpless, injured female in his passenger seat.

  Navigating the Los Angeles roadways was frustrating enough at the best of times, so congested was this area with traffic, but add to that the distraction of the alluring smell of the subtle perfume she wore, something which had haunted him lo’ these past eight years plus the palpable force field which their combined energies seem to be creating and it was all he could do to keep his mind on the road.

  He supposed the man of action persona that he identified with was a direct result of having been thrust into a position of absolute power over a global enterprise when he was in his mid-twenties. Well-educated and seriously capable, he was definitely old enough to assume that role, but also young enough that every old, business- hardened division head, desperate sycophant, and hungry newbie, had challenged his every word and thought that first year after he’d been thrust by the whims of fate into a leadership role. In his mind having personally paid quite heavily for the dubious honor of being one of the business world’s wealthiest and most influential CEOs, he had license to be laser like in his focus and determination to have his will met without question, without comment, without censure.

  And yet here he was, clammy hands gripping the leather wrapped steering wheel of a vehicle which quite frankly practically drove itself, finding himself barely able to contain his frustration and anxiety at not being able to simply snap his fingers, demand everything be all right from this point forward and expect that it would be so.

  The feisty female grimacing in the passenger seat next to him, her foot swelling by the second, a large bump on her head and God only knows what else, had the formula to render him blank apparently. He almost laughed out loud because he realized that she was his very own, personal kryptonite.

  Struggling to maintain his business like grasp on things, he realized that this woman seemed to shift everything in his world into neutral. He didn’t want to use the word impotent, as that would make any guy cringe, but the way he was feeling right now, yeah, impotent, helpless, naked in the wild, pretty much summed where he was coming from.

  Glancing at the GPS and navigating the vehicle through a series of turns, getting them closer to their destination and some help for Shannon, he saw on the display that they were almost at the clinic destination.

  “We’ll be there in a minute or two so you might want to prepare yourself to be moved.” Nick gritted out from between clenched teeth. He sounded like a stern principal scolding a naughty student.

  He realized then that clammy hands, grinding teeth, enough adrenaline running through him to supercharge an entire football team, and an ever increasing and insistent warming around his heart and in his groin, that these things were going to be his companions in whatever came next.

  “Ned will have called ahead and alerted the clinic staff that we are en route. Try to hang in there a little while longer little one and we’ll get you comfortable little one.” he murmured with an edge of tendresse which cut its way through the discomfort and anxiety, touching her emotions in a way she wished she could ignore.

  This was the second time he had called her by that, old affectionate nickname, something which on the one hand seemed so natural to hear and yet was also completely surprising. The man who had ruthlessly turned away from their relationship because it meant nothing to him, or so he said, would not be using that term. It seemed so out of context in light of all that had transpired between them at the end. And yet he spoke it to her as if he’d been saying it every single day of the eight years they’d been apart. Shannon just didn’t know what to make of this. Between the throbbing ankle and an ever-increasing headache she was feeling decidedly vulnerable to her own thoughts.

  Not really being able to do anything more than just sit there she mentally prepared herself for their arrival at the clinic and tried gathering her thoughts so she could contribute information rather than just being weak and incapable of doing anything more than moan and fight back tears.

  The injured foot was killing her; looking down she saw her two scraped hands, palms up, laying feebly in her lap while her hair which had escaped the cowboy hat she’d had it tucked into at the moment she’d collided with the wall that ended up being Nick Barrett, was hanging in wild bunches of unruly curls all around her shoulders.

  Feeling a mess and frustrated that she couldn’t even smooth her hair into some sort of semblance of order because of her mangled hands, Shannon was not overjoyed to realize she was feeling like a typical female in the presence of this particular man, a very sexy and desirable man at that. The fact that she was sitting there in a cowgirl outfit just seemed to give a surreal air to what was already an extraordinary turn of events.

  Of course the fact that he looked like a damn movie star in his bright white cowboy styled shirt, wide leather belt complete with a silver Western themed buckle and a pair of black jeans which fit him
probably a little too well along with a pair of intricately stitched cowboy boots didn’t help the situation. She felt like the quirky girl from down the street who showed up to a costume party in a thrift shop hand-me-down making her look ridiculous next to his heart-throb good looks and brain melting masculinity. Okay, where had that thought come from?

  God, they couldn’t get to the clinic fast enough. She needed to put some distance between herself and him. Never in her wildest dreams had she believed she’d ever really see him again and yet here she was sitting in his car after a chance encounter which affected her as if a bomb detonated in her life.

  Okay, maybe in her wildest dreams she did indeed entertain deep, dark, secret thoughts about him riding in on his white horse to rescue her from a life of loneliness and isolation once he damn well came to his senses and realized she was the one for him. Oh, shit, did she actually think that in conscious terms? Was she really romanticizing this situation? She needed to get out of his car fast. Nick’s very presence had opened a can of worms that was now seriously rattling her cage. Enough!

  Thankfully that was the moment he flipped on the turn signal and in the next heartbeat whipped the steering wheel to the right so they could pull smoothly into the driveway and up to the clinic entrance.

  As they pulled up to the wide front entrance to the clinic and Nick eased the large SUV to the curb, the business man inside him was also carefully assessing the people who stood by ready to attend them. It was no different than evaluating a rival, a business situation, or any one of a number of challenges which came regularly in his role as the Barrett tycoon. Nick rationalized that in the absence of being able to do anything else he was just making sure that only the best of the best would be attending to Shannon.

  As he exited the car and stepped around to the other side to help Shannon into the wheelchair being pushed up to her door, Nick was relieved when he did a cursory inspection of how she was doing at the moment she swung her legs in an effort to assist her removal to the wheelchair and was glad to see that some color had returned to her cheeks. He hoped this meant that her injuries, specifically the head injury, were not more serious because he felt sure that she might’ve been in shock. The color burst in her cheeks and her clear eyed glance his way did much to a assuage some of his anxiety.

  The medical personnel were greeting him and letting him know that Mr. Stewart had indeed called ahead and that they were ready for Ms. Reynolds in an examining room. Stepping forward without any hesitation Nick reached into the car and scooped Shannon up as gently as he could and swung her towards the wheelchair before ever so slowly lowering her down. Once she put down her injured leg however, even placing it hesitantly against the foot rests made pain shoot up her limb, causing her to grimace and grip the chair arms of the wheelchair

  Oh hell no, he thought. There was no way she was sitting in that chair if it was going to cause her to moan in pain. Without a second thought he swooped in, scooped her up, barking at what he assumed was the lead nurse sent to check them in saying, “Show me to the examining room right now!” as he marched forward his long, determined strides tapping out against the sidewalk entering the clinic when the wide door swished open at his approach.

  The team of medical personnel looking slightly shocked at his take charge manner, but understanding they were in the presence of serious authority, immediately recovered and scurried along behind him facilitating his entrance into the clinic. The lead nurse gently guided him down the hallway to an examining room where she opened the door and instructed him to put Shannon on the bed

  Still shocked at having been so unceremoniously scooped up out of the wheelchair and marched off down the hallway as if the whole world was coming to an end if he didn’t get her help in the next 10 seconds, Shannon was overwhelmed and frankly a bit bemused. When her painful grimace had split the air she couldn’t help but see how that had affected him.

  He’d looked like someone had just shot his dog and if she hadn’t known better, because after all he was a heartless bastard, she would’ve thought he actually cared. That each time he cuddled her close she wanted to surrender to her baser instincts and simply melt against him instead of demanding he step away and leave her alone shook her to the bitter core of eight years of pain.

  Her mind kept telling her she should be telling him off instead of seeking his comfort. That her instincts seemed to ignore the painful past and abandon any semblance of attachment to what Shannon believed was best for her, made her inwardly cringe. Surely the fact that she was injured accounted for this uncharacteristic vulnerability. If not, well, she would have to think about that later.

  “Ms. Reynolds, my name is Nancy and I’ll be taking your vitals now so we can prepare an injury assessment for the doctor.” said a serious-minded nurse as she efficiently moved around the room gathering equipment and an electronic tablet on which to record Shannon’s information.

  After having very carefully laid Shannon on the exam bed Nurse Ratchet had completely taken over and all but elbowed him out of the way, causing Nick to step back allowing them to get on with their assessment. Okay, maybe he was being a little ungracious by calling a medical professional Nurse Ratchet but he was feeling especially peevish at the moment and was experiencing an uncharacteristic flash of jealousy for everyone and anyone who interacted with Shannon in his presence. He was being ridiculous and could not believe that the rich and powerful Nicholas Barrett was behaving like a twelve year-old boy who couldn’t get the attention of the girl who sat in front of him in class.

  Having no choice but to get out of the way, Nick removed himself to the other side of the room where a hi-tech tinted window looked out over what appeared to be a small outdoor patio. It looked to be a pleasant space where patients and their visitors could go for a little fresh air, something Nick felt he desperately needed as the confines of the exam room started squeezing in on him.

  Looking around to distract himself he noticed the beautifully appointed private exam room with original artwork on the walls, muted colors and soft furnishings which spoke to the wealth of its clients. No expense had been spared to make this room seem less like a hospital setting and more like a luxury hotel. Shoving a hand in his pocket as he surveyed the impressive array of medical equipment which blended in effortlessly around the room, Nick felt something with his fingers and pulled out the ankle bracelet he had so carefully removed from her swelling foot. He’d forgotten in the kerfuffle of their accidental meeting that had pocketed it. Staring at the delicate silver chain with the Goddess charm, he was hit yet again by the discomforting feeling that she was involved with someone, hell, maybe even married for all he knew. The very notion that she was anybody’s Goddess except his made him physically sick.

  Sounds from the bed where Shannon reclined during this initial examination brought Nick back to the present. She was answering questions about her personal information to an attendant while the nurse continued taking her vital signs.

  “Ms. Reynolds, may I call you Shannon?” Nancy asked. At Shannon’s nod of consent Nancy economically rolled back the sleeve of her patient’s blouse and fixed a blood pressure cuff around her arm before pressing a stethoscope to her skin as she checked Shannon’s pressure. Talking in soothing terms to her the entire time, letting her know what she was doing and what was coming next, Shannon, though still in pain and wracked with anxiety, tried to relax just a bit.

  It didn’t take long for the intake assessment to be completed, the pertinent information recorded, and Shannon helped to be comfortable on the bed. One by one the medical personnel wrapped up their tasks and exited the room. The last person remaining was Nurse Nancy who, while her fingers were pressed gently to Shannon’s wrist as she continued to assess her pulse, informed her that the doctor would be in momentarily.

  With that Nancy’s duties were completed and after a brief nod in Nick’s direction and taking a moment to assure Shannon’s comfort she too left the room. As the exam room door soundlessly swished shut
Nick and Shannon were alone again in a bubble of swirling energy marked by an umbrella of silence.

  To say they were both agitated was an understatement. All they could do now was wait in tense silence for the doctor to arrive, neither fully aware of how unhinged and staggeringly confused the other was. In this instance, ignorance probably was best for ready or not, they would have to face the past and the present in due course.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  After the flurry of talk when Jules and Ned had come upon them in those initial moments after the shocking collision of her soft, woman’s body into his hard-as-steel form, Shannon had retreated in confusion, partially due to the excruciating pain she was experiencing but certainly more due to the fact that she was in deep shock at having the object of a life’s worth of regret suddenly and unexpectedly in her face. With no time to prepare or chance to adopt a ‘don’t mess with me’ game face, Shannon was at the mercy of her careening emotions and struggling to maintain some semblance of calm.

  The fact that her shock was deeply rooted in a thrumming awareness of him on a primal level scared off whatever was left of rational speech. That an organic awareness was growing, broadening and evolving with every minute she spent in his company unnerved Shannon even more. She could feel him damnit; could feel his presence as though he was a magnet pulling her closer with every passing second.

  Daring to spare a glance at the object of this discomfiture she shifted her eyes under a hooded gaze to his ramrod straight silhouette as he stood at the window of the hospital room as they waited for the next round of poking and prodding at her hideously swelled ankle.

  As a young man just past his college days she’d thought of him as beautiful. He had been poster boy perfection; tall, lean, ripped and possessing of a keen wit and fast smile. That impression had been frozen in time from a past long thought buried but right here right and now nothing could have prepared her for the reality of the man he had become.