"Strolling the beach over the Christmas holiday with a hot guy; what more could a girl ask for?"
"There you go with the hot thing again. You just want to butter me up for a good Christmas gift; I get it now." He threw his head back in hearty laughter.
"Oh, gee, you figured me out." Harper put her arms around his waist and stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him.
"You just go right on thinking I'm hot, baby. I like where that thought takes us." He kissed her again and added, "You're not so bad yourself, you know."
"We'd best stop this line of conversation. The kids will be home in about five minutes. John went to pick them up."
"To be continued." He released her. "I have some work to do in the other room, anyway." He retreated into his home office, leaving his wife to her special after school time with Ava and Aiden.
Harper had begun a tradition of trying to be home when the kids came in from school most days. The three of them liked to have a snack and share their day together. Harper often thought, while watching the faces of her children when they were deep into a story about what they'd done that day, their little family would be complete if she and Parker added a baby to the mix. They hadn't discussed it at any length, just in passing. Harper had put the thought in the back of her mind, where it would stay until Parker was ready.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the boisterous entrance of Princess Ava and Master Aiden, as Harper liked to call them.
"Mama Harper, are you here? I got an A on my paper today. We had to write our name and some of the ABCs." Ava ran into the kitchen, waving a paper in her little hand.
"Let me see," Harper said as she placed a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on the bar. "That's wonderful, Princess Ava. I'm so proud of my little girl."
The little girl beamed with pride as she reached for a cookie. "You make good cookies, Mama."
"Why, thank you. Would you like a glass of milk with that cookie?" Turning to Aiden, she asked, "And how about you, Master Aiden, any big news on the preschool home front today?" She lifted him onto a barstool and handed him a cookie. Ava called me Mama, just Mama, she thought as she waited to hear what he had to say.
"Two boys got in a fight today," he replied as his chubby little hand reached for the cup of milk she'd just poured for him.
"And one of them wasn't Aiden Bentley, was it?"
"No, it was Cody and Lucas. It wasn't me."
"I'm glad to hear that, little man. I don't want you to get into any fights at school." She leaned across the bar to kiss his little forehead and ruffle his hair affectionately.
"What did you do today, Mama Harper?" Ava asked as she reached for another cookie. And we're back to Mama Harper.
"That's your last cookie until after dinner, little one. What did I do today? Well, I worked with your daddy this morning. And a little while ago, we called Annie at the beach house. We told her we'll be there for Christmas. Guess what?"
"What?" both children asked in unison.
"Annie and Jim will be having Christmas with us, too." She watched their faces light up as they heard the news.
"Everybody is going to be there. Grandma Mary and Grandma Grace and Ellie and Annie and John and Jim," Aiden informed his sister.
"And don't forget Mama and Daddy," Ava reminded him, dropping the Harper and referring to her simply as Mama again. It warmed Harper's heart.
"And Mama Harper says Santa Claus knows where we'll be, and he'll come down the chimney at the beach house instead of here."
"I know that." Ava finished her milk and looked at Harper. "Is Daddy home yet?"
"He's working, but I'll poke my head in the door and see if it's okay for you to go in. If he's on the phone, you might have to wait just a few minutes, sweetie."
Walking down the hallway, she quietly opened the door to the office. Parker was on the phone, and he beckoned her to come into the room. She sat down and listened to the call.
"That's right, Ross. Laramie must want it bad. Greed, that's all it is. He can't stand the thought that someone else is doing well. He wants it all. I'll speak to Harper about the offer, but I really think she'll agree with me. I'll get back to you in a few days."
"What's Mr. Laramie done now, Parker?" Harper could see the lines of stress beginning to show on her handsome husband's face.
He ran his hand through his perfectly cut hair and replied, "He's made another offer to buy our company, Harper. But this one is extremely generous. We'll be living like royalty for the rest of our lives if we accept it."
"You aren't seriously considering selling to him now, are you?" She couldn't believe that, after all he'd done to save his company from the vile Mr. Laramie, he'd give in now.
"I don't want to, but it bears discussing, Harper. You're a partner in this business, not just a name on paper. Your opinion matters."
"Can we discuss it tonight, after the kids go to bed? They really want to see you, and I need to wrap my head around this new development."
"I'll fill you in on all the details later. We'll need to call a special meeting with the board members." He looked across the desk and smiled wearily. "I'll come out and spend some time with Princess Ava and Master Aiden before dinner. Why don't you take some time for yourself and go for a walk to think about things?"
"I think I will; thanks, hon." She leaned up to kiss him as they walked hand-in-hand to join the children.
"Hey, guys, Mama Harper's going to go out for a bit. How would you two like to play some Wii games with the old man?" he asked as his children ran to him.
"Yes, yes, let's play." Ava looked at Aiden, who nodded.
"I'll see all of you at dinner. Have fun, you three." Harper blew kisses to her family and went to get her coat.
The air was brisk, but Harper loved to take walks in the afternoon. There was a wooded area behind the house, and it was the perfect place to walk and clear her head. She often went there. Parker had even put a bench in a cleared area for her when she'd told him about walking there. As she neared the clearing, she thought she heard something, like a rustling or scampering sound, then the sound of a twig snapping. She looked around but, not seeing anything, decided it must have been a small animal. She reached her bench, which Parker had engraved with the words Harper's Solitude Bench and sat down. What a sweetheart he is, she thought as she lightly traced the words with her hand.
She sat for over an hour on her beloved bench, contemplating the fact that Laramie had made such a generous offer as Parker had indicated. He hadn't told her how much money the man offered, but he'd certainly made it sound as if it was much more than had been discussed previously. Looking around at the setting sun, she knew that she would have to hurry. They would be holding dinner because of her if she didn't. She got up from the bench and walked briskly back through the woods and to the house.
"I'm back, and I'm starving," she called out as she stepped into the foyer.
"You look like you're freezing, Harper." Parker took her coat and hung it in the closet. "And you're late. Ellie has had to hold dinner for us." He frowned down at her.
"It's nippy, but you know how I love my walks. I went to my bench. I-I'm sorry, I guess I lost track of the time." Parker hated tardiness. Uh oh, had she just earned her first punishment? Damn! And she'd done so well up until now.
He interrupted her train of thoughts. "I figured that's where you'd go. Come on into the dining room. Ellie made her chili soup with cornbread. You'll be amazed. I think she might even have baked some chocolate pies for the chocoholic I'm married to." He was back to his cheerful self after making his displeasure known to her.
"Chili soup sounds good, right now, as cold as I am."
Parker pulled her chair out, and after Harper was seated, Ava said grace.
There was a salad to go along with the chili, and indeed there were two chocolate pies. The soup warmed Harper, but she was still a little worried about later. Would Parker mention her lateness again? As she ate, she listened as the children told her ab
out the games they played while she was out. She and Parker exchanged smiles as the children spoke. Well, he seemed to have forgotten it.
A few hours later, the kids had been put to bed and the time had come for Harper and Parker to discuss Laramie's offer. In the sanctuary of their bedroom, she prepared for bed. As she was applying lotion to her legs, her husband finally joined her.
"Got them all tucked in?" she asked as he entered the room.
"Yes, read to them, listened to their prayers, and tucked them in."
"You look tired, Parker." She traced his face with her finger.
"I am a bit tired. I think I'll grab a shower, and then we can talk." He leaned down and kissed her.
A few minutes later, he joined her on the bed. "Did you have time to think, while you were walking?"
"I did."
"They've offered a lot of money, Harper."
"I don't want to hear the amount, Parker. No amount of money is enough for The Heavenly Gourmet. You've built the company, and you've taken extreme measures to hold on to it. I've grown to love it, too, in the months since I began working with you there. My vote is no, don't sell."
"Then we'll call a board meeting and tell them we don't want to sell."
"Is that what you want, Parker?"
"I do. But I would have sold, if that was what you really wanted."
"But, Parker, why would you do that? You even went to the extreme of marrying me in order to save it. Why, now, would you give it up? Surely, not for the money, that's not who you are."
"I married you to save the company, yes. But we've come a long way, Harper. I value your opinion, and you're an equal partner in the business. I told you I wanted you to be involved. I told you this venture is for life. If you had thought it best to sell, then I would have ended this madness with Laramie and taken his money. We could have started a new business. But as long as you're okay with continuing the fight to keep this company, that's what we'll do."
"I'm touched, Parker."
"Harper, you're an equal partner in all aspects of my life, from the boardroom to the bedroom. Any and all decisions I make involve you."
"In that case, I say you need to make an executive decision, right now, and forget about business for the rest of the night. I think I want to try out some of this equal partnership you were speaking of in the bedroom." She smiled seductively as she caressed his chest.
"You are something else, do you know that? Every day with you is more interesting and amazing than the last. But, first, there is another matter we need to discuss."
Uh oh, here it comes. She braced herself for what was coming next.
"Sweetie, you know I haven't had any reason to discipline you so far in our marriage. We've been married for four months, and you've followed all my rules. Right?"
She nodded, unable to form any words. Her voice seemed to have suddenly left her. Was this really going to happen?
"No nodding, Harper. When we are talking about discipline, I expect you to reply with a 'yes, Sir' or a 'no, Sir'."
This was serious. Where had her gentle, fun-loving husband gone? Parker, in Dom mode, was quite formidable. He didn't frighten her, though. No, it wasn't like that. She could just tell that he meant business.
"Harper, don't keep me waiting."
She snapped her attention back to him. "Yes, Sir. I mean, no, Sir, you haven't had to, er, punish me."
"Do you trust me, still?" he asked.
"Of course… Sir."
"And do you know why we are having this discussion right now?"
"Uh, because I lost track of time and made everyone wait for me to start dinner, Sir?"
"Exactly right. That really wasn't fair to Ellie, who had worked hard to prepare a nice dinner for us. It wasn't fair to Ava and Aiden, to make them wait, although they could have gone ahead and eaten. I prefer we eat as a family when we can, though, so I made them wait. It also wasn't fair to me. I was concerned that something might have happened to you. You could have fallen or lost your way in the dark. It's very cold outside, too. So, it really wasn't a good idea to stay out so long, was it, baby?"
"No, Sir, but I said I was sorry. It was unintentional, and I won't do it again. Can we just forget about it, just this once?"
He shook his head and pulled her to stand in front of him. "No, baby, we can't just forget about it. What about the next time? Or the time after that? What if something really had happened to you because you waited until after the sun went down to come in? Safety and respect. Two rules broken tonight."
Harper hung her head.
He kissed her and, pulling her over his knees, moved his hands expertly down her back. When they came to rest on her jean-clad bottom, he stopped. "These have got to go. How can I get my point across to you if you can only half-feel it?"
"Parker, please!"
Ignoring her plea, he reached around and unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, then tugged them down to her knees. They were tight fitting, so it took him a few minutes. Then he quickly pulled her panties down, leaving her bottom naked and exposed. She shivered, partly from the cold air hitting her bare skin, but more from the anticipation of what she knew was coming next. A pleasure spanking had been one thing, but she didn't know what to expect now.
And she didn't have to wait long to find out, either. One crisp, hard smack hit her left cheek, followed closely by one to the right. Without giving her time to catch her breath, he rained down several more, his hand making smacking noises as it came in contact with her creamy white skin. There was no rubbing the sting out after each one or probing her private area to check for wetness, this time. It was real. A real, honest-to-goodness, old-fashioned spanking. One she had hoped never to have to endure.
Her skin was no longer lily-white but a shade of pink that was quickly turning to cherry red as he continued to pepper her bottom and the tops of her thighs with his hand. Her skin was on fire now, and she reached around with her hand to try to protect it from the pain.
Parker caught the hand and held it with his free one as soon as she tried, so that was no help to her poor, sizzling cheeks. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it ended. The next thing she knew, Parker was lifting her up and turning her so that she was cuddled against his chest. The tears were flowing freely now as she hid her face in his shirt.
"It's all over now, baby. You did fine. All is forgiven, the lesson has been given, and all will be forgotten. Fresh slate."
"I-I'm sorry, Parker," she sobbed.
"Shh, no more talk of it. Why don't I run you a bath?"
She nodded, and he stood up with her in his arms. He carried her through to their bathroom and put her down so he could start the water. Once he had her settled in the tub full of warm, sudsy water, he kissed her on top of the head and said, "Take as long as you want, angel. I'll come back to check on you in a bit."
Left alone with her thoughts, she relaxed in the tub, careful not to put pressure on her butt. The burn was already gone, but the memory of her first discipline session with Parker would remain, telling her that she didn't want to be late to dinner ever again. And the thing was, she wasn't angry with him, nor was she upset. He hadn't hurt her terribly. Her pride, a little, her bottom, a little, but afterward, he'd been her sweet Parker, carrying her to the tub and taking care of her.
He came in a few minutes later and told her she should probably get out before she got chilled. He helped her, dried her, and carried her to bed.
Once he had joined her, she asked a question, " You and your first wife…you spanked her, too, right?"
"I think I told you, before we were married, that she initiated it, but then, like everything else she became interested in, it didn't last long. I, on the other hand, thought that it might help our marriage. It did, while we were engaging in the lifestyle, but once Aileen decided she was bored with it, that was it. Things just kept going downhill from there."
"And then she passed away. How sad that you never got things back on track before that happened. I know she was
in a terrible accident; was it a car? You've never said."
He looked at her with a sorrowful look on his handsome face. "She was at the office. She had stopped by to tell me she was going out of town with some friends for a few days. There was an accident in one of the elevators as she was leaving. Somehow, she fell. I don't know if she tripped or what, but she hit her head hard. Someone came to get me while someone else called 911. The ambulance took her to the hospital, but she died shortly after they arrived in the ER. Massive brain bleed."
"Oh, Parker, I'm so sorry. That must have been terrible for you and the children."
"It was, and the worst part was never knowing just how, exactly, it happened."
She rubbed his arm with her hand. "What about her family? Why have they never been to see the children or asked to have them visit?"
"She was estranged from her family for many years. They came to the funeral but have shown no interest in their grandchildren. Her mother asked me to take good care of them, after the service, but that was all. I haven't heard from them since. Of course, Ava and Aiden didn't really know them, so they didn't notice."
"Wow, I just can't imagine."
"Of course, Lorena saw this as her golden opportunity."
"Of course." She leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek.
Parker turned his face so that he could taste her sweet mouth. As his tongue probed her mouth, currents of electricity pulsed through her veins, creating sparks of desire.
It didn't take long for her desire to deepen. Had the spanking done that, or was it the sadness in his tone as they discussed his first wife's death? Whatever it was, she couldn't wait. She had to feel his closeness now.
"I want you now, Parker," she murmured as he gently caressed her tender buttocks.
"Already?" he asked as he rolled her over.
"Yes." She reached down and slid her hands between the elastic of his silk pants and his skin, pulling the soft black silk past his hips. "Now, Parker."
He entered her with one swift thrust, throwing her senses into overdrive. Matching his movements, her hands caressed his back. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist as he firmly lifted her bottom, pushing himself further inside. His actions sent both of them spiraling into a world of hot, sweet, exquisite delight.
Her Convenient Dom (Dominant Men Book 2) Page 15
