The Billionaire's Second Chance (32 page)

These were feelings Nick could understand and he was glad now that he’d been openly supportive when
Zahir
had publically declared the three a family just four years
ago. That Amelia was turning sixteen
already surprised him true
,
but what really set him back a few paces was that Shannon was doing the party and that the event itself was in England. Shannon’s reputation had apparently gotten her the attention of the world’s power elite.

Nick
knew he
would be invited to the gathering and it struck him between the eyes with the force of a moving train that even without the interference of his meddling sister he and Shannon had been on a collision course one way or the other. The universe had apparently put in motion several opportunities when it would be likely that their paths would cross.

“Kismet.” he said out loud to no one but himself and that was the thought he took with him as he silently returned to Shannon’s sleeping bedside so he could leave her the note he’d written.  He’d tell her about
Zahir
of course when the opportunity presented itself
.
Nick didn’t necessarily want to elaborate on having been in her office
or having seen
th
e
gigantic glass jar filled with what could only be regarded as yet another direct tie to their past
,
in case knowing that would make her uncomfortable.

As he let himself out the front door after pocketing her keys so he could get back in
,
Nick knew that turnabout would be fair play when he got her on a plane and flew her to his home back east where, like he had seen here, she would find plenty of evidence that he had never truly cut the cord with their past. He thought of the tell-tale candies which would be everywhere; on the plane, in his limo, at the office and he thought about a couple of other things which would show his currently sleeping woman that she’d never been far from his thoughts.

When Shannon awoke to the sounds of birds twittering on the patio she was astonished to realize she’d slept well beyond her usual early morning habit. Truthfully she couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept that soundly and chalked it up to the delicious male body that had spooned her throughout the long night.

She’d been dimly aware of him wrapped around her earlier and had drifted in and out of a sound sleep while her senses savored the feeling of his huge strong presence next to her. When he had shifted and ground his clearly engorged staff against her derriere she had been sorely tempted to wiggle in response but good sense and the fact that she wasn’t nearly awake kept her still enough to fall back into a deep sleep that included some rather risqué dreams where she did way more than let him rub against her bottom. When she finally did wake up he wasn’t there
,
making Shannon clear her head in a big hurry.

As soon as her eyes popped open and she sat up she saw the sticky note on the headboard featuring Nick’s elegant scrawl explaining that he’d gone for a run. Satisfied but refusing to analyze why she’d been so quickly fearful by his absence, Shannon settled back under the covers and turned toward his pillow which she snuggled in his absence.

Mmmmm
, she thought. He smelled so good evidenced by the lingering scent his body had left in her bed. She smiled at the thought that they’d slept together and knew a sense of
deep
contentment
.
It was something so simple, sharing a bed, but the story that scenario told was way more than simple.

It was probably a good thing that he wasn’t around right then because Shannon’s mind suddenly flooded with images from the erotically charged dreams she’d been having as she came awake.

In her dreams she had been the one to wake first and it was she who had initiated a slow motion exploration of Nick’s naked chest while he slumbered on. He had felt so wonderful under her questing fingers
that
Shannon had lost herself in sensual awareness. Such is the way of dreams for they let the dreamer weave whatever they want into the moment.

In Shannon’s dream moment she had indulged in his maleness, searching out and then running her fingers back and forth against the nipples peeking through soft hair covering his chest which lead like a road sign to delights hidden lower.

She’d
kissed his skin and licked her way south until reaching the barrier of the unbelievably sexy underwear he preferred which were skin tight and nothing more than a mouthwatering pouch for his impressive manhood.

In her dream she woke him up in the most erotic and exciting way she could with a slow tortuous blow job that
found
her moaning and sucking on his impressive
hardness
with unrestrained enthusiasm. Apparently
, in her dream world,
this was the perfect way to say good-morning for in the next heartbeat her suddenly awake and rampantly aroused cowboy pirate was pushing down his shorts as he ripped off her knickers so he could lift her up in one fast, smooth move
,
lowering
her rather forcefully onto his throbbing
staff
.

From there her dreams had smoldered and burned as she had imagined taking him on
a wild
ride until her grinding and writhing on his sensitive staff as she whimpered in a total loss of control had forced him to take over.  Shannon held on for dear life while he bucked up into her aching core, impaling her on each upward
stroke;
filling her so deeply she cried out in the throes of unbearable arousal. It was just a dream but mesmerizing in its sensual imagery
. S
o much so that when he exploded inside her and she throbbed around him in a blinding climax
,
her
dream se
duced body shook in response.

No wonder she didn’t want to get up and only wanted to snuggle against his pillow. Shannon had known desire before but nothing quite like this. When she finally found the courage to accept what Nick was offering she was worried that the intense passion they had awakened might consume them both. In the next heart beat that worry changed to female satisfaction and thoughts of what was yet to come.

She was also nervous as hell and didn’t quite know what to do with
an excess of
swirling energy. Looking into her heart Shannon stayed still for quite some time as she gave herself over to the wishes she was forming and also the fears which weren’t quite ready to disappear.

Getting up
,
she tested her foot against the floor and was relived to find that she’d be able to start walking around on her own
,
if only just a bit. The ankle didn’t hurt at all when she stood; it just felt a bit funny from all the swelling which had gone down and the bruising which unfortunately was still evident.

Sometime later she hobbled cautiously out of the bathroo
m, dressed in jeans and a Boho C
hic top with fluttery half sleeves that made her feel a little like a gypsy.
With her tresses finally managed properly following a good blowout and the use of some old school combs holding back either side of her hair, she looked and felt more together and normal than she had for days. Hell, she’d even applied a quick swish of mascara on her naturally blonde lashes giving her unusual eyes a sweet, sexy highlight that helped her self-confidence.

Nick was certainly back from his run because she’d
smelled
another round of awesomeness coming her way from the kitchen for the last half hour as she got ready for the day. She was guessing bacon, coffee and something with a hint of ci
nnamon that she couldn’t quite p
ut her finger on. She loved how domestic he was and wondered with an irritating flash of red hot jealousy whether he’d ever been this casual and at home with anyone else.

Eight years was a long time and she didn’t imagine for a second that a man with Nick’s potent sexuality had been living the life of a monk. Her pragmatic side shouted that he was a man after all and what should she expect? The romantic side of her brain though was shaken by the thought. She’d never allowed any other man to touch her the way he had. Thinking of him with anyone else was too painful to
dwell on
.

She
calmed a bit because she sincerely
doubted that he had ever been this comfortable or as laid back with any other woman.  Thinking of their easy camaraderie and the way he had always focused on her and her alone
,
helped ease the green eyed monster back into hiding.  Worrying about things she couldn’t change would only lead to unnecessary anxiety.

Hobbling cautiously into the kitchen, s
he
saw that she
had been right about the bacon when she spied a huge pile of perfectly crispy strips on a platter next to an equally large bowl of sliced fruit on the kitchen island. She laughed at the sight of what the typical man would imagine was a healthy breakfast. Snitching a plump strawberry from the beautiful fruit bowl she made her way gingerly, careful
ly
protect
ing
the injured ankle, to the oven
where she found Nick bent over,
peering into it. The heavenly aroma of cinnamon mixed with vanilla permeated the air, making Shannon’s mouth water.

“Something smells wonderful.” she cooed as she blatantly considered his fabulous rear end
while thinking,
an
d something looks wonderful too
.

Nick straightened on her approach as he pulle
d at hot pan out from the oven.
Grinning ear to ear he showed her what he’d made proudly proclaiming, “I make the best cinnamon coffee cakes you’d ever imagine!”

Dropping the pan onto a cooling rack Nick immediately returned to Shannon’s side to offer her his arm as she made her way to one of the tall, upholstered bar chairs at the end of the island. “Hey lady, looks like you’re making real progress with the ankle. How does it feel? You’re not overdoing it are you?” he scolded before she could answer the first question.
All Shannon could do was smile.

CHAPTER
NINETEEN

             
Having found an island of calm, Nick and Shannon
eased through the day making arrangements and plans for their trip east and Shannon’s family event.
Because of the time change, they’d be taking off on a flight scheduled to depart at dawn. There was a lot to do before they traveled.

             
Shannon had spent a good deal of time on the phone and computer in her office turning over work duties to her assistant while Nick
handled
the endless details involved with getting them from Los Angeles to New York to Connecticut to Boston.

             
He
laughed when she ransacked her closet searching for something suitable to wear. The woman had enough clothes to stock a showroom judging by the pi
le of outfits flung on the bed.
It was an odd moment when she asked what color suit he’d be wearing. Knowing she was making her decision based on how they would look as a couple made him the happiest son-of-a-bitch on the planet.

             
“Formal or informal?” he
asked
before responding
with deci
siveness.
“Black.
Definitely
Armani. Two button. White shirt. Silver cufflinks and
tie color of your choice.”
That something so simple could be so enjoyable was a pleasant surprise.

             
Shannon smiled at his answer. So, her cowboy pirate preferr
ed black Armani. Why was she not surprised?

             
Choosing what to wear became much simpler after that with Shannon taking enormous delight in knowing that she was coordinating their outfits just like any other couple.  It was the simple things that affected her the most.

             
After p
utting her outfit into an old garment bag Shannon had been surprised when
Nick had interrupted by gifting her with a new set of
luggage that had just been deli
vered.
He looked ….. hesitant.

He’d given her a beautiful set of
matching
luggage
that
she couldn’t help but run her fingers over
in appreciation
. It was exactly what she would have chosen if she’d se
en the gorgeous set in a store.
There was
a
carry-all bag
with a soft leather strap
perched on top of two rolling suitcases, a garment bag and a vanity case. She was astonished to realize that he had chosen
all of it
himself or at least if not actually chosen, certainly described in great detail to someone
tasked with getting him
precisely what he wanted. That he could read her so effortlessly was
oddly thrilling.