The Billionaire's Second Chance (60 page)

A pair of elegant diamond drop earrings, each with a dazzling sapphire on top, twinkled back at her from the nest of black velvet. Her look of pure adoration bespoke of her love for him as well as her delight in the gift. She could barely sit still as he lifted each beautiful earring from the case and gently placed them at her ears.

She jumped up when he was finished and padded to the nearest mirror where she laughed and clapped her hands like a kid on
in a toy store
.  Turning her head this way and that she delighted in the perfect diamond and sapphire accessory to her designer dress.

When she slid her feet into an outrageously high pair of black peep toe pumps he
snarled
at her “And what the hell are those young lady?” with concern and displeasure accenting each word.

“You’re joking, right?” she trilled. Striking a deliberately provocative pose she told him exactly what ‘those’ were.

“
These
my
darling
,
are a women’s secret weapon surpassed only by lingerie or the occasional foot-long sub and a sporting event.”

When she danced
around to make the point, he followed her every move, giving Shannon the opportunity to laugh
at him. “See?” she asked smugly.

Frowning, Nick said, “I thought your ankle was sore.”

“Yes, I did say that
and
just to make you happy I wore those crappy sneakers all day just so I could break out these baby’s for tonight. Deal with it, sir!”

“Okay, okay. Point taken. Your legs look fantastic in those shoes by the way but I want your promise that if that ankle starts acting up you’ll find the good sense to either sit down or take them off!”

Grabbing a soft cashmere wrap and the tiny satin bag with the same embellishment
s
from
the belt on her dress
,
she smiled sweetly
then
gave him one of those m
ock salutes that says, ‘yes sir, M
r
. High and Mighty sir!’
He couldn’t do anything but laugh as he took her arm and guided her to the door of their suite.

“Don’t look so sm
ug woman.
When I finally get you back here tonight
,
you’ll be wearin
g those heels and nothing else,
except perhaps the diamonds
,
and
then
I’ll show you who the boss around here is.”
She giggled, he smiled and off they went into the night.

CHAPTER
THIRTY-ONE

The
Reynolds A
nniversary event was being held at a South End location along a cobblestone street in the heart of Boston. The
small,
elegant boutique hotel was the perfect setting for her parents and their mixed bag of friends and business
associates
. The classic feel and semi-formal ambiance which greeted them was a huge relief for Shannon who
had feared some Grateful Dead f
lashback
might be planned
for
a couple who wed in the 60’s. While h
er folks might be older and definitely wrapped kind of tight, they were also from the generation of doctors and professors who had been on the front lines of the
Cultural Revolution
.

Because these types of events were what Shannon did for a living her sharp eye took in the gorgeous floral arrangements and the white glove service that gave this party a decidedly top drawer air.
She couldn’t have been more pleased if she’d arranged all the details herself.

“Shannon Reynolds! As I live and breathe!” came a booming voice and before she quite knew what to do a pair of burly arms grabbed her up and swung her in a jubilant hug.

“Uncle Robbie!” Shannon squeaked with delight when the huge man dropped her back at Nick’s side. “I
haven’t seen you in forever.” s
he laughed
while gracing
him with a wide smile.

“Uncle Rob, I’d like you t
o meet Nicholas Barrett.” s
he sa
id using his formal name. Nick’s easy manner and quick friendly handshake
happened
with uncomplicated ease
,
bringing a feeling of relief to Shannon. If her Uncle wasn’t going to ask a million questions maybe nobody else would.

Cocktails were being passed around but Shannon could only think of locating her parents and giving them her love. Nick held tight to her hand as they drifted through the crowded room in search of the guests of honor.

They found one of them backed into a corner where her dad was telling one of his
,
‘Oh my god can you believe how wrong they were’ stories to a gathering of friends. Shannon smiled. Dad always did enjoy rattling on about experiments gone wrong or the occasional ill-conceived hypothesis.

“Dad!” Shannon cried as she threw herself at him.

Peals of delighted laughter ensued while the two hugged and talked all at once resulting in them tripping over each other’s conversation. Nick stood to the side
observing
the father daughter reunion.

Before Shannon could reach for him to do an introduction her mot
her appeared
in an excited huff crying out when she saw her only daughter.

“Shannon, darling! You look amazing as always.” Her mom exclaimed.

“Oh Mom!” she replied with a look of wonder on her face. “That dress ….”

Shannon was stunned by her mother’s transformation. Gone was the plain white lab coat and sensible shoes,
along with the usual pencil st
uck in her hair or the pair of glasses hanging on a beaded lanyard around her neck.

In their place was a beautifully elegant sheath of a dress with a modest b
oat neckline that hung in
a straight line to the floor. The feminine pumps she wore, while not nearly as
modern or outrageous as
Shannon
’s
,
and were
perfect for the look of an anniversary celebration. Shannon was delighted and said so.

Nick must have been hovering nearby because her mother’s quizzical look at the big man so obviously sticking close to her daughter’s side earned Shannon a raised ey
e
brow and a questioning expression.

Forgetting all about her earlier anxiety Shannon instantly grabbed Nick’s hand and pulled him toward her parents. She was filled with happiness at seeing her Mom and Dad again and truly delight
ed
in their joy at being recognized for their
fifty
years
together.

“Mom, Dad. This is Nicholas Barrett.” she beamed. “Nick, these are my parents Doctor and Doctor Joanne and Michael Reynolds.”

The way her face lit up as she smiled back and forth between the parents that she loved and Nick made his heart thump with happiness.

Putting all of his impeccable manners on display, Nick went with a straightforward charm offensive that managed to make Shannon’s smile even broader.

“Doctor Reynolds.” he smiled as he held out his hand to Shannon’s mother. When she took it he swiftly turned her wrist to place a gentlemanly kiss against her knuckles.

“I can see where Shannon gets her beautiful
hair.” he said as he glanced me
aningfully at Joanne Reynolds ful
l mane of salt & pepper curls.
The woman was obviously charmed because she let loose an abbreviated giggle which reminded Nick of Shannon’s delightful laugh.

“Oh my!” she chortled. “Michael,
pay attention
!” she cried excitedly. “Your daughter has brought a beau with her and he’s a charming devil if ever there was one!”

Nick’s appreciative grin found its way into Shannon’s heart along with the wink he shot at her.

Turning to her Dad
,
Nick down shifted the charm a tad and shook the man’s hand with a firm grip as he nodded
in
greeting saying
,
“Doctor Reynolds.” with all the gravitas he could muster.

Having gotten both of their attentions he tossed a huge dollop of
,
butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth charisma
,
on top and slotted in a smooth
,
“It certainly will be easy to remember your names!” followed by a hearty laugh.

Throwing his arm possessively around Shannon’
s shoulder Nick told her parents
how pleased he was to meet them at last
,
while congratulating them on fifty years of togetherness.

Shannon basked in the joy radiating from her parents’ faces and the love for her she saw shining in Nick’s.

Clutching at Nick’s arm in his elegantly smart Armani suit, Shannon squeezed a fraction in silent signal of her delight when that movement, slight as it was, caught her eagle-eyed Mom’s attention.

Nudging her husband she looked right at Shannon when she said “Michael, I think these two may have something to tell us.”

Her pointed glance as the dazzling bauble on Shannon’s ring finger was mak
ing a statement that the Doctor
s Reynold
s
needed clarified.

Not missing a bea
t Nick stepped up and said proudly, “You are c
orrect there Doctor Reynolds.” s
miling in her mother’s direction.

Coverin
g
Sh
annon’s
’ hand with his own where it slotted through the crook of his arm
,
he looked adoringly into her smiling face and went for broke.

“Sir,” he sa
id turning to the other Doctor Reynolds. “I’ve asked your daughter to marry me and to my great good luck she has said yes.”

The startled gasps of ‘What?’ ‘Are you kidding’ and ‘Shannon, this is such a surprise’ filled the air as hands were grabbed and shaken yet again and hugs were exchanged
in earnest
. It was a satisfying moment for Nick and one which he hoped would help to settle his anxious bride-to-be.

Shannon assured her folks that she didn’t want any sort of big announcement to be made because this evening was meant to be their celebration
,
but she did promise they’d make a formal declaration in the days to come.

Feeling like he was ten feet tall Nick eventually pried Shannon away for a trip to the intimate dance floor where he coul
d gather her close at last and
let the music wrap around them.

She felt so right in his arms that they stayed
together
on the dance floor for a very long time. There was something so perfect about the way they fit together, swaying gently to the music. He had to admit that the sexy heels added to the enjoyment
for they allowed
her to nestle against him in all the right spots and ma
de
that perfect
backside
of hers shift back and forth in flawless rhythm.

The moment he found the opportunity
,
he swept her onto a terrace awash with twinkling lights and flickering candles set in tall, deep glass vases. He found a secluded corner where he could pull her against him and kiss her soundly.

Is this what bliss felt like Shannon wondered? She’d never felt so complete and happy in all her life as she did right
then,
standing with her arms around Nick’s neck, leaning into him as he kissed her with a thoroughness that left nothing on the table.

Everything was going so well that Shannon wasn’t prepared
when a dramatic shift
opened up like a violent summer storm that comes out of nowhere.

Once minute they were standing there wrapped in each other
’
s arms
, whispering as lover’s do,
punctuating their words with tiny kisses
.
In
the next
,
a simple, straight forward introduction turned into a dramatic scene that threatened to change everything.

Through the open doors of the terrace Shannon had heard the booming voice of yet another Doctor Reynolds a second before her older brother Ted burst into her line of sight.

“Where’s that sister of mine?” he shouted as Shannon quickly stepped from the shadows to say hello.

“Hi Ted. What’s up big brother?” she said as he hurried toward her.

“What in the bloody hell are you doing hiding alone in the dark out here, sis?” he asked as s
he leaned in for an awkward two-
cheek kiss.

God, she hated some of his fussy pretentiousness Shannon thought
,
while he went through the motions of the ridiculous European custom and tried not to cringe.