JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<a class="button">
    <i class="fa fa-times"></i>Some button label
</a>
<a class="button">
    <i class="fa fa-times"></i>
</a>
<a class="button">
    Some button label
</a>

CSS

.fa {
  display: inline;
}
.fa-times::before {
  content: "ICON";
}
a {
  display: inline-block;
  border: 1px solid red;
  margin: 0 20px;
}
i::after {
  content: ' ';
  font-size: 0px;
  word-spacing: 50px;
}