After they'd both made themselves look presentable, which didn't take a lot of effort, they went in search of food.
He was always distinguished-looking. The slight hints of gray at his temples only made him look sexier. He was young for the gray, thirty-nine, but he was fit and well groomed. The dark hair and flashing green eyes made women take a second look wherever he went. He literally oozed sex appeal. Harper's blonde hair and blue eyes, set off by the tan she'd achieved over the summer, made her an attractive companion. She was only twenty-eight, but she was a perfect match for the successful, charming man she'd just entered into marriage with. They made a striking couple as they walked into a local café.
After enjoying a light lunch, they spent the afternoon shopping for gifts. After they'd purchased a gift for everyone back home, Parker led her into a boutique.
"What are we doing in here?" Harper asked as he grinned.
"I want you to pick out something pretty for the cruise, a dinner dress."
A saleslady addressed them with a smile. "May I help you find something?"
"We're looking for something spectacular for my wife to wear on a cruise."
"Right over here." The woman led them to a rack and offered several selections. They chose three, and while Harper went into the dressing room, Parker made himself comfortable in a chair, waiting for her to model the dresses for him.
Harper noticed Parker getting more and more uncomfortable with each selection she modeled, and by the third and final dress, he handed his credit card to the sales clerk and said, "We'll take them all." Turning to Harper, he said, "I'll meet you outside."
Harper looked at him and nodded. As she went back into the dressing room to change, she wondered what was wrong with her husband.
She met him outside with her packages, handed his credit card back to him, and asked, "What in the world is wrong with you?"
He took the packages from her and said, "Start walking, I'll show you exactly what's wrong with me when we get back to the hotel."
He took her arm and hurriedly walked with her. When they reached the room, he kicked the door shut, threw down the packages he'd been carrying, and took a surprised Harper in his arms. He kissed her and immediately began removing her clothes.
"Parker—"
"Do you have any idea what you do to me, Mrs. Bentley?"
"I think I'm about to find out."
She returned his kiss with one of her own, and they made their way to the bed, falling onto it. He removed his clothes and immediately resumed roaming his hands over her luscious, tanned body. She felt the now-familiar beginnings of a fire building deep inside, the flames burning her insides, running rampant with her senses. By the time he entered her, she was consumed by an intense and raging need, one that screamed to be released. Release came quickly for both of them again. Even with no prelude and very little foreplay, he had played her body like a fine instrument.
As she kissed his neck and moaned, he whispered, "Only you, Harper, only you."
When they had both recovered, she looked into his eyes and asked, "What brought that on? Not that I'm complaining, but one minute we're shopping, and the next, you're practically making me run back here."
"It wasn't obvious to you how affected I was by your modeling act? You were parading the goods in front of me and didn't realize what it would do to me?"
"Well, no, I really didn't think about it."
"You're such a little innocent. Now that I've had a taste of you, I'll never be able to get enough. You see what you caused when you told me you were ready to come into my bed."
Harper giggled and said, "I believe I'm glad we had that little talk, too. Surely, you aren't disappointed?"
"Vixen…" He pulled her to him again and held her close.
Chapter 7
They returned to the beach house on Hilton Head Island and were met in the driveway by two very rambunctious children who'd obviously missed their parents very much.
"You look radiant, Harper," Parker's mother said as they walked inside.
"I'm very happy, Mary. Your son is the most wonderful man on the face of the earth."
Mary laughed and said, "Second most wonderful; his father was the first."
Parker followed, with Ava in one arm and Aiden in the other.
"Looks like the munchkins missed Daddy," Harper said as she walked over and kissed both of them, giving Daddy a kiss for good measure.
"We missed you, too, Mama Harper," Ava told her.
"So, you've decided what to call Harper, I see." Parker looked at his daughter and smiled.
"Yes, Aiden and I talked about it."
"Oh, you did. Well, that's good." He winked at his wife and his mother.
He set the children down and said, "Mama Harper and I brought presents."
"You did? Can we see them now?"
"Of course you can, sweetie, as soon as I can find them." Harper looked around at the luggage and packages in the foyer.
"Ah, here we go. This one is for Aiden, and here is Ava's." She handed them both their gifts. Finding the gifts for Mary, Jim, and Annie, she handed them out, as well.
After Annie, Harper, and the children had gone upstairs to begin the task of moving Harper's things into the master suite, Mary took her son aside. "I take it things are good between you and your new bride, then?" Mary was the one person who knew the facts of how the marriage had come about.
"Mother, I couldn't be happier. Asking Harper to be my wife was a good decision."
"I'm so glad, Parker. I so worried this wouldn't be the case."
"She's everything I could ask for in a wife."
"After the rocky marriage you had with Aileen, followed by her untimely death, you deserve this, my boy. It hurt me so to watch you raising those precious babies alone."
"Now, let's just hope the original reason for this marriage works. I'm anxious to get back to work and check on things."
"The last time I spoke with Ross, things were all right."
"I hope they stay that way. I'll need to bring Harper up to speed on things. She's going to be a part of this business, Mother, and not just on paper."
"That's wonderful news, Parker, and if there is anything I can do to help, just let me know. I'll be returning to Chicago, tomorrow afternoon."
"All right. Thanks, Mom, for staying with the kids this week," he added.
"It was my pleasure. I've missed them this summer."
He went in search of his wife to see how the moving was progressing. She'd pleasantly surprised him when she had spoken up and told Annie she'd be moving all her things to his room. He hadn't discussed it with her and wasn't sure if she'd want to keep her own room as well as sharing his. She'd taken charge and made her choices known, and he liked that. Harper was proving more and more each day that she was going to be a valuable partner, both in the boardroom and the bedroom. He had already known she'd be a good partner in the home from the way she cared for his children.
By the time he walked into his bedroom, most of the moving was finished. Harper was putting a few things in a drawer.
"Have any trouble making room for your things?"
"No, I moved things around a little. If you can't find your socks, you'll have to ask me where they are." She smiled up at him and, unable to resist her charm, he kissed her.
Ava rolled her eyes.
Aiden said, "Yuck."
Harper and Parker both laughed and scooped them up, showering them with kisses.
The children giggled until their parents finally set them back down.
"I'll bet Grandma Mary and Annie have dinner about ready. Why don't you guys go check it out?" Parker encouraged.
"Okay, let's go, sissy." Both children ran out of the room and down the stairs.
"Alone at last." He took his wife in his arms once more to steal another kiss before they made their way downstairs to join the family for dinner.
"To be continued," she said, smiling.
"You can bet on that, baby." Arm in arm, the coup
le went to dinner.
When the children were tucked in for the night, Harper and Parker lay in bed talking.
"When you've had a chance to get settled into a routine in Chicago and get Ava settled in school and Aiden in preschool, I'll call a board meeting to introduce you."
"I should be ready in just a few weeks; is that all right?"
"That should be fine. You need to be brought up to speed on everything. Mother agreed to help you with that. She's on the board, too."
"The sooner I get in the swing of things, the better."
"I won't expect you to be at the office all the time. You can work your schedule around the kids and other things you want to do. You need to make an appearance at the board meetings and show up a few days a week to stay up to speed."
"I'm ready to dig my heels in and get started. That is the reason we got married, after all," she reminded him. It suddenly hit her again that this was a marriage of convenience. She'd gotten so caught up in the wedding and honeymoon, she'd managed to put it out of her mind for a few days.
"About that, Harper, I want you to know, I no longer think of this marriage in that way. As far as I'm concerned, this is a real marriage. I hope you feel that way, too."
She heaved a sigh of relief at his declaration. "I do feel that way. Otherwise, I wouldn't have moved into your bedroom."
"And, baby, I'm so glad you did. So glad, in fact, I'm going to show you, right about now."
The kiss was hot as his hands found their way under her nightgown. "Why do you always wear these damn things?" he asked.
"To leave a little to the imagination, of course," she answered with a giggle.
"Well, all right, but just know, it's coming off real soon."
He made love to her in their bed that night, and this time, it was different. It was their first night at home in their own bedroom. It was passionate and it was hot, like before, but there was a sweet quality to it. Afterward, he held her in his arms until they fell asleep. Harper liked it. She liked it a lot.
They made the trip back to Illinois the following week. Harper was kept busy with moving into the master bedroom in the house there and getting settled back in, as well as with getting the children ready for the new school year.
She and Ellie had worked out a schedule, since Ellie would have to help with Aiden when Harper was at the office with Parker. They'd decided against hiring a nanny because Aiden would be in preschool three mornings a week and Ava in school full-time. Harper wanted to be a hands-on-mom, and Ellie was more than willing to help her with that. And, of course, Parker was always willing to help with the kids when he wasn't working.
"Harper, it's so good to see how you've settled into the mommy role," Ellie told her one morning over coffee.
"Well, I had practice all summer, Ellie. Seriously, though, I love those two like they were my own already."
"That's evident in the way you always put them first, no matter what else is going on with your life."
"I learned from the best, Ellie. When I met Parker, I was amazed at the way he could always work in time with the kids as busy as he is."
"With the two of you raising them together, they'll do all right. And who knows? Maybe a new baby will be added to the mix," Ellie hinted.
"Maybe, but not any time soon, Ellie. We have much to do before we add a baby to this busy family. But I'm sure it'll happen, sooner or later. Parker and I have talked about it."
"Give yourself time to be a newlywed. You need to settle in with those two and the company first. I understand that."
"Well, I need to get going. I'm meeting Parker at the office. Thanks for watching Aiden, this afternoon."
"No problem, I'll pick him up at preschool, feed him lunch, and he'll be ready for a nap."
Harper ran upstairs to change and was on her way to meet her husband at their corporate headquarters.
He greeted her with a smile when she walked into his plush office. Walking over to her, he kissed her and said, "Hi, baby, how's your morning going?"
"Great, so far. Ellie and I have worked out a schedule. She's picking Aiden up, so I'm yours for the afternoon."
"Better not say it that way, or I'll be tempted to take the afternoon off." He treated her to one of his ever-sexy grins.
"Don't tempt me, or I might take you up on that. We have too much to do for any afternoon delight, my dear."
"Damn the luck, the slave driver side of my wife has shown up."
"Let's get started. I'm ready to learn all there is to learn about The Heavenly Gourmet."
"Well, now, Harper, I thought I'd shown you a little taste of heavenly gourmet already, in the hotel, on the ship, at home in our bedroom."
"Parker, stop it… get serious." She laughed as she gently tried to coax him into work mode.
"The honeymoon's over, already?" He pretended to look hurt.
"Never over, just on hold for a few hours."
"Okay, Harper, I'll settle down. The sooner we can get to work, the sooner I can take you home." He smiled as he offered her a chair. Sitting across from her, he handed her some folders.
He was patient as he explained things to her, giving her an overview of the entire chain. He gave her a listing of locations, went over a profit-and-loss statement, and let her read the minutes of the last board meeting, before he finally said, "I don't want to overwhelm you the first day, so let's break for lunch. We'll have to get you settled into your own office within the next few days, too."
He took her to one of his restaurants near the corporate office. After they'd ordered, he asked, "Is your head swimming?"
"Not too much yet, but I'm sure as we get deeper into the inner workings, it will." She laughed as she took a sip of iced tea with lime, a favorite of hers.
"You'll do fine, Harper. And you don't have to jump in all at once. As long as you know the basics, I'll be satisfied for now. I don't expect you to work full-time, just know enough about the business to make sensible decisions."
About that time, Lorena walked by and, seeing the two of them, stopped at their table. She looked at Parker, ignoring Harper completely, and said, "I see the newlyweds are back from their honeymoon. Taking the trophy wife out for lunch so she doesn't get bored at home, Parker?"
Parker was obviously fuming but calmly answered, "Harper is not a trophy wife, Lorena. In fact, we've been working together all morning at the office, and we decided to break for lunch."
Lorena didn't look happy to hear that Harper had been at the office. "Did you say working? Your wife is working at the office?"
"Harper is my partner in every way, Lorena. Of course, she's at the office, catching up on work when the children are in school."
Lorena was quite obviously not pleased. She looked at Harper and said in a scathing tone, "You may have tricked him into marrying you, but you'll never truly have him or his company, so remember that when you're history, my dear."
Harper glared at the woman. She replied in a gentle but firm voice. "First of all, I didn't trick my husband into marrying me. Secondly, not that it's any business of yours, but we have made a lifelong commitment to each other, and we both intend to honor that. Thirdly, as Parker pointed out, I'm his partner in every way, so I will be at the office from time to time. I think it's time you realize that and move on. My husband is not available. He went off the market the minute he said I do, and I don't share."
Parker watched his wife take Lorena down a peg with a proud look on his face. Lorena flounced out the door angrily.
"Bravo, Mrs. Bentley, bravo."
"That woman infuriates me."
"I can see that. Remind me never to make you angry. You're a little spitfire."
"She doesn't need to think she's going to seduce you away from the 'little woman.' You're mine, Parker Bentley. And I don't play well with others when they try to take what's mine."
"You're so hot right now, do you know that?"
"Parker!"
He chuckled. "Seriously, you're right, she's a bitch.
You have nothing to worry about as far as I'm concerned. I'm yours, and you never have to doubt that or worry about it. On the other hand, Lorena doesn't play nice when she's angry, either, so you need to be careful."
"What do you think she'll do?" Harper was more than a little frightened now that the full impact of what she'd done soaked in.
"I don't know. I just know you need to be careful. Her father may want my company, but I've never been quite sure of her true motives. I don't know if she wants me so she can hand over the business to Daddy Dearest or if she is really interested. It's hard to say with her. But she views you as the enemy now, just like she did Aileen."
"She must have read the blurb in the society pages about our wedding," Harper commented as she took another sip of her cool drink.
"I'm sure she did. That, in itself, would be enough to make her angry."
Lunch was served then, and the conversation ended as they enjoyed the food. When they finished, the newlyweds went back to the office and resumed their work for another hour, when Parker looked at his watch and said, "Let's get out of here, baby. We can go for a drive."
"Are you sure?"
"You've worked hard enough for one day. I don't want to put your brain on overload. The kids are fine with Ellie. Let's just take some time for ourselves."
"You've twisted my arm. Let's go."
They drove to a spot in the country where Parker found a secluded area and parked the car. After he helped her out of the car, he suggested, "Let's walk a bit, Harper."
They strolled along the grassy area, enjoying the quiet time together. On the way back to the car, he stopped and turned to her. "Harper—"
"Yes?"
"Harper, I'm so glad I asked you to be my wife. Let's go home."
"Okay, Parker." Inside, she was dancing with happiness, but the thought of the evil Lorena and her equally cunning father lurked in the back of her mind.
Chapter 8
Things progressed smoothly over the next few weeks. Ava had settled into first grade, and Aiden loved his preschool class. The schedule Ellie and Harper had created was working, and Harper was grasping the basics of the business. They hadn't seen or heard from Lorena or her father since the day they'd run into Lorena at the restaurant. Parker was a bit concerned about what the two of them were planning next, but he told Harper he was trying not to dwell on it too much.
Her Convenient Dom (Dominant Men Book 2) Page 11
