Page 12 of The Billionaire's Second Chance

With that, he touched his lips to her again, and the world melted away. She was in his arms, giving all of herself to him, and it was better than he’d ever imagined.

Before the kiss could get too carried away, he broke it and set his forehead against hers as people slowly began to applaud.

“It’s about time.” Pierce laughed.

Link grinned. “Yeah, it is.”

Nodding, Hadley said, “Way past time. I love you, Link.”

“I love you.”

It had taken five years and countless prayers, but she’d been totally worth it. Whoever brought her back to him, he was going to be eternally grateful.

Epilogue

Three days later…

Hadley snuggled closer to Link as they sat outside on a blanket, gazing up at the stars in a cloudless sky. “The wedding was beautiful, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was. I don’t think Pierce would have cared where or how as long as it happened.” He chuckled.

Since their scene at the rehearsal, Hadley and Link had spent nearly every moment together, making up for lost time and the kisses they’d missed out on. He’d told her she didn’t need to sell her company, but ultimately, she’d decided to do it anyway. She was proud of what she’d built, but it wasn’t satisfying.

She’d left California tired, overworked, and burnt-out. It had become a chore to get up of a morning and go to work. She’d had a dream, fought to make it a reality, and then come to the conclusion that the only reason she’d done it was to validate her existence. She was a foster kid. No one had wanted her. That had been the force behind all of it, and it had left her empty.

Hadley rubbed her thumb across Link’s palm, more content than she’d been since they broke up. “I don’t think Bethany would have either. They looked so happy.”

“They did.” The words came out softly, and he kissed her nose. “There’s something I want to do,” he said, untangling himself from her and pushing off the ground, bringing her with him. “Come on.”

“What are you doing?”

He took her by the hand and positioned her on the top step of the porch before flipping on the light. “Stay right there.”

“Okay.” She drew the word out. They’d had a little wine, but not enough to affect his behavior.

“I would have done this sooner, but first, I didn’t want to take any of the focus off Pierce and Bethany, and second…” He paused, digging in his pocket and pulling out a velvet box. As he went to one knee, Hadley’s jaw dropped and she inhaled sharply. “I had to pick this up from the post office earlier today. I’ve had it for about six years. I picked it because it was the one you loved, but we were a little poorer then.”

“Link,” she whispered. If it was the ring she was thinking of, it had been so pricey at the time, and now it would be considered a trinket. But she’d loved it then, and funny enough, she’d often wondered what it would have been like to have it on her finger.

He looked up at her and smiled, opening the box. “We have spent entirely too much time apart. I love you. I have never stopped loving you, and I will never stop loving you. Please—”

“YES!”

Laughing, he rolled his eyes. “Marry me.”

“Yes, yes. Absolutely.”

Taking her finger, he slipped the ring on as he straightened. Before he could say another word, she flung her arms around him and kissed him. “I love you.”

His lips touched hers, sending a fire through her body that the chilly air couldn’t put out. They’d shared many kisses the past three days, but this kiss had to be the sweetest.

He was hers. This was what she’d wanted all along. To love and be loved by Link.

* * *