Her Convenient Dom (Dominant Men Book 2)

by Isabella Kole

  As he tenderly kissed her, he whispered, "Only you, Harper."

  "Parker, I lo…" She kissed him deeply to stop herself from telling him how much she loved him.

  "We'd better get some sleep, baby. We have a busy day ahead of us. I'll call the board members, first thing in the morning."

  She snuggled close to him as he pulled the covers over them. Her first punishment from her new, dominant husband had only made her feel that much closer to him. They were going to be a team in the boardroom, tomorrow, just as they had been a team in the bedroom, tonight. And one of these days, she was going to get up the courage to admit her true feelings to her convenient Dom.

  "And so, ladies and gentlemen, after much thought and deliberation, my wife and I have decided to decline the latest offer made to us by the Laramie Corporation for the purchase of our company. May we take a vote on that?" Parker looked around the table, the next morning.

  The board voted unanimously with Parker and Harper. Ross was sent to take care of letting Laramie's people know.

  "Will there be fallout from this decision?" Mary asked her son after the meeting.

  "I hope not. I hope they'll back off now, for good."

  "Harper, we need to have lunch one day before the trip," Mary said to her daughter-in- law. "We need to make some plans."

  "That would be great. I think everything's pretty well in place, though."

  "I'll treat you to lunch, anyway. How does that sound?"

  "Tomorrow is good for me."

  "Tomorrow, it is. I'll just meet you here." Mary kissed both of them and waved goodbye as she walked out the door.

  "She likes you, you know," Parker said after his mother had gone.

  "I like her, too, and I'm glad she approves of our little arrangement."

  "Harper, about that… surely you understand, as I've told you before, this is no longer a marriage of convenience for me. I hope it isn't for you, either."

  "I absolutely adore being Mrs. Parker Bentley. And quite frankly, I've never thought of this as anything other than a real marriage. Not since our wedding night, when we made the decision to become lovers."

  "A decision I'm certainly glad we made."

  "I'm sure you are." She leaned up and kissed him. "You know, your desk is still virgin territory for us," she said bravely.

  "Baby, you know I'd love to try that, but there is way too much buzz in this building today for us to be that brazen."

  "Now, who's saying no?" she teased.

  "Well, I'd certainly hate for Ross to burst in here after he talks to Laramie's people and find us doing the deed on my desk, wouldn't you?"

  "Might be fun, but I'm joking, Parker. You know that I would never—"

  "I know, you're a tiger in my bed, but only behind closed doors. And that's fine, Harper." He kissed her just as his secretary, Linda, announced on the intercom that Ross was waiting to see him. He and Harper exchanged a look as he told Linda to send him in.

  Ross entered the office, taking the chair he was offered. Facing the two of them, he said, "I've talked with Laramie's people, and I've had the paperwork refusing the offer delivered to their office. It should be there this afternoon."

  "What did his man say?"

  "Not much, really. He thanked me for getting back to him so quickly. He said he'd be in touch after he spoke with Mr. Laramie."

  "Well done, as usual, Ross." Parker stood up and shook his trusted attorney's hand.

  "Thank you, Ross," Harper said as she also shook his hand.

  "I knew when Parker told me about you, you were going to be an asset, Harper, and you've proven yourself to be a worthy partner. This company can do big things with the two of you at the helm."

  "Thank you so much. That means a lot coming from you." Harper blushed as she replied to his kind words of praise.

  "Best decision I ever made was not letting this one get away." Parker smiled as he put his arm around his wife.

  "I'm happy it's worked out. Now, if I may be excused, I'm going to return to my office."

  "Thanks again. We'll talk soon."

  After Ross left, Parker turned to Harper. "It seems, my dear wife, that you've made a hit with everyone in my life. My children, my mother, my staff, my friends, and now my attorney, all adore you."

  And what about you, my dear husband, do you adore me?

  They were interrupted by a phone call, so Harper went into her own office to get some work done before it was time to pick up the children.

  She looked at the family photo on her desk and smiled. It had been taken on her wedding day. The day that changed my life forever, she thought. Drifting back to the evening last spring when Parker Bentley had entered her life, it registered with her that she'd fallen in love with him that very night, at dinner. Wow, she thought, I've loved him from the start.

  Forcing herself to concentrate on the new menu selections that needed her attention, she finished her work quickly, emailing the managers of each store with her choices. When she was ready to leave, she went in search of her husband to let him know. As she was about to enter the office, she heard his voice.

  "Lorena, you and your father need to accept our decision and move on. Goodbye." He slammed down the phone as Harper entered.

  "She's not happy, I take it," Harper remarked.

  "Of course she's not. I didn't figure she'd take the news well. And, as I've said before, an angry Lorena is not a good thing," he said, frowning.

  "Maybe it's a good thing we'll be at the beach house for several days. It'll give everyone a chance to cool off."

  "That's probably true. Are you leaving now, baby?"

  "Yes, I'll see you at dinner. Don't stay late. You need to get some rest."

  "Yes, ma'am," he agreed as she leaned over to kiss him goodbye.

  The night before their flight to Hilton Head, an exhausted Harper fell into bed.

  "Tired, baby?" Parker asked as he joined her.

  "Just a little. I can't wait to get to the beach house. I want to walk on the beach, first thing."

  "We probably can do that. There will be plenty of people there willing to spoil our kids, while we take some time for ourselves, I'm sure." Looking at her weary face, he added, "Come here; I'll give you a massage. No strings attached. It'll make you sleep better."

  She rolled over on her stomach, and he poured cool lotion in his hand, gently massaging it into her skin. "Your shoulders are really tight," he remarked as he concentrated on loosening them. He massaged her back for several minutes before moving to her legs.

  "Ah, are you sure you weren't a masseur in a former life?" Harper asked.

  He chuckled. "Feel good, does it? No, I was never a masseur, just thought you could use some attention."

  "You're too good to me," she murmured drowsily.

  He finished the massage, kissed her and said, "Sleep now, baby, I'm right here." He pulled her into his arms and gently rubbed her brow until she fell asleep. She slept soundly until the next morning, when she was awakened by Ava, Aiden, and Parker entering her room with a breakfast tray.

  "Breakfast in bed for my lady," Parker informed her as he set the tray on the bedside table.

  "We helped," Aiden chimed in as Ava handed her the morning paper.

  "Why, thank you. Why are you all being so sweet this morning?" She took the paper from Ava and reached for a glass of orange juice.

  "It's the first day of our adventure, Mama," Ava told her.

  "We love you, Mama." Aiden said as he climbed up on her lap and gave her a wet smooch.

  Tears sprang to her eyes as she looked over the little boy's head at Parker. He smiled and said, "You've worked hard this week getting everything ready, so these two can have the holiday of a lifetime. You deserve to be pampered. Now, eat up, we have a plane to catch. I've fed them, already." Looking at the two youngsters, he said, "You two leave your mama alone, so she can enjoy her breakfast. Come with me, and we'll load the car." He looked back at his wife and said, "Enjoy."

  Wha
t a sweetheart, she thought, as she sipped the coffee he had laced with her favorite flavor of creamer, white chocolate. He'd also made waffles, and they were heavenly. Well, he does own a chain of restaurants, so I shouldn't be surprised that the man cooks. She finished her meal and set the tray back on the nightstand. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she noticed as she stood up that the stiffness was gone from her shoulders. The massage must have worked. After she'd showered and dressed, she took the tray to the kitchen and put her dishes in the dishwasher.

  She saw that her mother-in-law had arrived. "Mary, you're here. Are you as excited as we are?"

  "Harper, dear, you have no idea what this holiday means to me. Just to see Parker, Ava, and Aiden so happy and to be able to share all of it with your mom, Ellie and John, Annie and Jim, and most of all, with you. You're the one who's put the smiles on those three faces."

  "They've put a smile or two on my face, as well. My life was no bed of roses when I met them. I had gone through a rough patch, myself."

  "Grace told me about your dad's death and then about your fiancé. I know you've had your share of troubles, too. But that's all in the past now. You and Parker are a family."

  "Yes, I really believe we are." She was hugging her mother-in-law as Parker entered the room.

  "Are you two getting all mushy and sentimental already? We haven't even gotten to the beach house and seen the Christmas tree yet."

  "Oh, you, just go about your business." Mary shooed him away, wiping tears from her eyes.

  "We're ready to roll whenever you two stop the waterworks. Geez, women," he muttered good-naturedly as he walked toward the door. "The kids are already buckled in."

  Mary looked at Harper and smiled. Linking arms, the two women strolled happily to the car to begin their first family vacation together.

  Chapter 11

  "Oh, the house is gorgeous, Annie. You're amazing." Harper looked around at the tree and decorations in the beach house and decided the woman had outdone herself.

  Mary agreed, "I think it looks very festive and cozy."

  "Here go the waterworks again." Parker laughed. Everyone looked at him.

  "Mom and Harper started tearing up right before we left. You know, the old sentimental Christmas mood thing."

  "Parker Bentley, you hush your mouth right now. If we want to be sentimental, we will. It's a woman's prerogative," Mary said as she hugged her son.

  "That's right, hubby dear. If you know what's good for you, you'll behave."

  "Uh-oh, Parker, I think I'd hush if I were you. The wife has spoken. Take it from us old married men, you don't want to make them mad at Christmastime." John laughed as Jim shook his head in agreement.

  "Okay, I know when I'm licked. You women cry and carry on all you want to this week. I promise not to say another word."

  "When's Grace getting in, Harper?" Annie asked as she set freshly baked pumpkin bread and sugar cookies on the table. She soon added milk for the kids and coffee for the adults.

  "Tomorrow morning. She had a holiday party she wanted to attend, tonight, so she's taking an early flight. One of us will need to pick her up."

  "You and I can do that if you want," Parker offered.

  "Okay, she'll like that. I think I'll go up and unpack now. Maybe we can take that stroll on the beach that we planned."

  "I'll bring the bags up. John or Jim, would one of you mind helping?"

  "Harper, let me help you with the kids' things," Mary offered.

  "And Annie and I will keep the munchkins entertained," Ellie told them as she smiled at the two children who had been her pride and joy since the day they were born.

  With Parker and Mary helping, the bags were unpacked and the clothes put away in no time.

  When the last of it was done, Mary said to her son, "Get out of here. Take your beautiful wife for a romantic stroll on the beach. Dinner won't be until later, since we snacked on Annie's goodies."

  "Can't argue with that, can we, baby?" Parker grinned at Harper.

  "No, I guess not. Let me change into more appropriate beach clothes, first."

  "I think that's my cue to leave. Take your time, you two. The kids are well occupied," Mary said with a grin.

  Parker looked at his wife incredulously after his mother walked out. "I think my mother was actually encouraging us to have sex, just now."

  "I think your mother wants another grandchild."

  "Well, she may have to wait just a little while longer for that. I have enough trouble getting my wife alone, the way it is." On that note, he took her in his arms and kissed her thoroughly. When he released her, he said, "Knowing you as I do, precious, I don't expect you to have sex with me in the middle of the afternoon, with the entire staff and family in the house, wide awake and roaming about."

  "Thank you, I would be a little embarrassed to go back downstairs, knowing they all knew what was going on up here."

  He playfully smacked her bottom and said, "Get changed, and we'll get out of here for a bit."

  It didn't take long for Harper to change into a pair of capri pants and a casual shirt, slinging a sweater around her shoulders to ward off the chill from the ocean. They left the house, telling the others they'd be back before dinner.

  "Free at last, Harper. No work, no kids, no distractions, just me and my beautiful lady strolling on the beach." He took her hand and led her to the sand.

  "Just like our own little piece of Heaven." She glanced at him and saw that he looked more relaxed than he had in weeks.

  "Yes, I guess it is. I remember walking with you on this very beach, a little farther down, in the public area, last summer. A lot has happened since then, Harper. Who would ever have thought we'd be like this, that night I took you to dinner and brought you to the beach afterward?"

  "It did all happen very quickly, didn't it?"

  He stopped and took her in his arms, kissing her passionately. "I remember two lovers walking in front of us that night, doing what we just did."

  She giggled. "I remember that, too. I remember being very jealous of them. I wanted you to take me to bed that night. Of course, I never would have told you that back then."

  "You did? Way back then? It's a damn good thing you didn't let on."

  They strolled quietly for the next hour, stopping to pick up seashells and listening to the waves. They stopped to kiss several times, and he wrapped his strong arms around her.

  "Are you happy, Harper?"

  She looked at him with a confused look. "What sort of question is that? Do I seem unhappy to you?"

  "No, not at all. It's just, well, I've introduced the discipline now, and I wasn't sure how you felt about it."

  She thought long and hard before she replied. Finally, she said, "I will admit, it's not something I have been used to. My parents never spanked me. I got punished, just not in that way."

  "And? Tell me your thoughts. I want to know."

  "The playful spanking was erotic to me. I think you gathered that. The one you gave me for being late was… interesting."

  "How so?"

  "Well, I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it, either. And afterward, when you said all was forgotten and forgiven, I felt this sort of big relief, like you weren't mad at me or didn't hate me."

  "Oh, Harper, I could never hate you. I doubt I would ever be truly mad at you, either. I do have rules, though, and punctuality is very important to me. Also, I felt you were disrespectful to the rest of the family, not taking into consideration that they might be hungry. And Ellie, who had cooked our meal for us, you weren't respecting the hard work she had put into the meal, either."

  "I get that now. And, even though I didn't lose track of time intentionally, looking back, it was disrespectful, to all of you."

  "So, the spanking made an impression, which was its intent."

  She hesitated for a moment. "Yes, I guess it did," she answered finally.

  "And if there is ever a time when you break a rule again, you understand what will happe
n?"

  "Yes, Sir."

  He smiled at the title. "You don't have to refer to me as 'Sir' in public. In private, whenever you want to, or during a punishment. I am sort of your Dom, and you are sort of my submissive, but domestic discipline is as far as I am willing to take it."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "There are all sorts of D/s relationships; some couples like kink in their sex lives. For example, bondage. I'm not into that, and I don't think you are, either. I'm not opposed to exploring, but I don't want to take it that far. Do you?"

  She laughed. "I won't even screw you on your desk. Do you really think I want you to tie me up?"

  He chuckled, too, at that. "And as for exploring?"

  She looked at him and saw a twinkle in his eye. "I have no complaints in the bedroom, but I, too, am not opposed to trying new things."

  He stopped and pulled her into his arms, planting a kiss on her cute little button nose before assaulting her mouth with his tongue. Her toes actually curled, the kiss was so erotic. When he finally ended it and let go of her, he said, "You are perfect for me, Harper."

  "You aren't bad, either, Mr. Bentley, Sir."

  They both laughed, and when it was time to go back to the house to join the others for dinner, she told him, "Thank you so much for being you, Parker. You're everything I could have hoped for in a husband."

  "Oh, Harper." He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close again. "I'm so glad to hear you say that." He kissed her again, a sweet, yet passionate kiss that should have told her exactly how he felt about her, if she'd had her wits about her enough to realize it. "You sure you don't want to skip dinner with the family and find a hotel?" he joked.

  "I think we'd better go back. We have our nights alone together. But what I wouldn't have given last summer, to hear you say that." She grinned mischievously as she looked into his green eyes.

  "The part about the hotel, Harper, you wouldn't have gone to a hotel with me, even if I'd asked that night, and you know it. No matter how much you say you wanted to, you wouldn't have."