Page 2 of The Billionaire's Second Chance
“All right, I’ll see you when you get here.”
With an exchange of goodbyes, Link ended the call just as the pilot notified him that the plane would be landing in a few moments.
Two hours. One hundred twenty minutes. Yep, he could do this. He could hang out with Pierce and Hadley and act completely normal.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, holding in a groan as he pictured himself crashing and burning. Where Hadley was concerned, his brain and his heart were out to get him. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself, but he certainly wasn’t betting on it.
Chapter 2
Solid ground.
Flying was great, but the amount of turbulence they’d flown through had Hadley grateful they made it in one piece. Now, if she could claim her luggage and get on the road, maybe she’d make it to Luck Lake in time to decompress before her vacation really started.
“Still rocking the Rainbow Brite? Or did you upgrade?”
That voice. Her heart skidded to a stop, stuttered, and then hit the speed of light. There went her two-hour pep talk on how to handle seeing Link.
Nervous energy pooled in her stomach and made her lightheaded. She may as well have been showing her first house. Taking a quick breath, she plastered on a smile and faced Link.
Geez. Five years had only made her heart grow fonder, and the attraction was still just as strong. He’d always been gorgeous with his black wavy hair combed back with his superman curl—one that he hated and tried to kill but she totally loved—with his equally dark eyes and olive skin. Her hand came to her face as memories surfaced of his five o’clock shadow brushing her skin as they kissed.
She’d never seen him in anything but casual clothing. His dress shirt, slacks, and sports coat threw her. Five years suddenly felt like a decade. What else could have changed about her reliable Link?
“Hadley? Are you okay?” Worry coated the words.
She shook her head. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. It’s so good to see you.” Just as she went to hug him, he stuck his hand out to shake hers. It was that awkward hug, shake, hug dance she’d seen when people greeted each other and didn’t know what boundaries were in place yet.
Link chuckled and pulled her into a hug. “It’s good to see you, Hadley.” His voice lowered, sending an army of goosebumps down her body. Oh, and if he smelled any better, she’d swoon.
“It’s…it’s good to see you too.” Her heart and her body were both out to get her as she relaxed in his arms. She’d been a one-woman show for so long, and she’d forgotten how good it felt to have his essence covering her. Bad days were no match for Link Novak.
Long before she ever wanted it to end, he released her and stepped back. “So, the luggage?”
Hadley rolled her eyes. “Yes, it’s still Rainbow Brite. I know it’s not professional, but I’ve yet to lose my luggage or get it mixed up with anyone else’s.”
Link held his hands up in defense. “I’m not knocking them, just wanted to know what I’m looking for.”
“Right.” She smiled. “Sure you’re not.”
“No way.” He chuckled, looking away and then back to her. “So, how have you been?”
Lonely, overworked, and stressed. “Great. Uh, real estate is booming just as much as ever.” The practiced answer felt forced, but it was the one she gave everyone when they asked.
The thought made her pause. When had she started thinking that way? She’d worked hard for her success, and she didn’t want to come across as ungrateful for it, even if it wasn’t as satisfying as she wanted it to be. “I saw the write-up inForbes.” She chewed her bottom lip, poking his stomach. “Pretty great.”
The smile on his lips disappeared and returned so fast she almost missed it. Shrugging, he said, “Yeah, I guess. It was weird. They made me wear a tie. I nearly choked to death.”
Not surprising. Link was the king of t-shirts and jeans, or in the summer, shorts. Her gaze dipped to his feet. “Loafers?”
“My Birks don’t go with the dress pants and shirt.” With the somber tone of his voice, she lifted her gaze back to his to find a level of sadness in them that she’d never seen before.
Worse, she didn’t doubt the same was reflected in her own eyes. Somewhere between their split and the airport, she’d lost something. The nagging little voice in the back of her mind attributed the feeling to Link, but they’d made their choices. Second chances were fairy tales, and Hadley wasn’t a princess.
* * *
Link’s hope tokeep himself together died the second Hadley faced him. Every nerve he had was set ablaze. His mouth went dry, and the only thing he wanted was to take her in his arms and kiss her. The ensuing rejection guaranteed to follow such a reckless act was the only thing that had rooted his loafers to the airport tile.
Man, she looked good. Great was a better word. Her hair was shorter than he remembered but hung almost to the top of her shoulders. Her skin was creamy, and her jade-colored eyes were as easy to drown in now as they were when they were together.
