"Your daddy said it might be late when he got home. You want to get a good night's sleep before the flight tomorrow afternoon, don't you? Tomorrow is the day we go on our big trip to the beach."
"Oh boy, let's go, sissy. I want to ride in the plane," Aiden urged his sister to follow Harper's orders.
Ava agreed finally, and Harper whisked them upstairs and into the bath. They were just getting ready to turn in, and Harper was listening to their prayers, when Parker walked into Ava's room. He looked at Harper and smiled. How handsome he is. His green eyes sparkled. And that endearing smile, as before, lit up his whole face. She tried not to stare.
"How's the packing coming along? Anything I can do to help?" he asked.
"Actually, Ellie and I finished. John took the kids out for the day, and it went pretty smoothly."
"Were you able to squeeze in a trip to the mall?" he asked.
"Yes, I was, while they were napping. Thank you, for thinking we might need last-minute things." She noticed he looked tired and stressed. He was doing a good job of not showing it in front of the kids, though.
"Good. I'll get the rest of my things together, tonight, and we'll be all set. Are you ready?"
"I got my things organized yesterday, when I unpacked, so, yes, I'm ready. I could help you pack, if you want."
He looked at her for a moment and replied, "No, Harper, I can do it. After that, I'm going to jump in the shower and hit the sack. It's been a long day, and I have a few things to attend to in the morning, before we leave."
"Have you eaten?"
"I did. Why don't you take some time for yourself this evening?"
"Thanks, I'll read in my room, if you don't need anything else. I'll let you tuck the children in and take care of your packing. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Harper, I'll see you tomorrow."
She fled to her room after that. Soaking in a hot bath seemed like a good idea. Maybe it would relax her, and she wouldn't have the problems getting to sleep that she'd experienced the night before.
She ended up soaking until the water was cold. After drying off with a thick, luxurious towel, she wrapped it around herself and ran to her room to throw on her nightshirt. After finishing her evening ritual of cleansing her face, brushing and flossing her teeth and brushing her long, blonde tresses, she hurried to bed and read for a while. That wasn't a very good idea, because the book was an erotic romance. The hero was dominant and handsome. Damn, why had she even picked up the thing? Well, there was only one thing to do, and she set about doing it, quickly bringing herself to another heart-stopping climax, with Parker Bentley as the star of the show.
Chapter 3
Harper awoke to the alarm clock playing her favorite love song. Grinning, she took a hot, steaming shower and dressed for the plane ride. She was probably as excited as Ava and Aiden about spending the summer at the beach. As she started downstairs to find the children, they'd just finished their breakfast. They were heading up the stairs to finish getting ready.
"Do you guys need help?" Harper asked. She scooped both of them up in her arms and gave them a good-morning kiss.
"Someone's in a good mood this morning," Ellie said from the foyer as she witnessed the display of affection.
"Good morning, Ellie. I'm just anxious to see the Hilton Head house. I've never been in that area before." She smiled at the older woman.
"I can dress myself," Aiden proudly said as he wiggled out of her arms and headed up the stairs.
"I'll help him, Harper. You can go eat," Ava said in a very grown up voice.
"Okay, Ava, thanks. Let me know if you need help." Harper and Ellie exchanged a grin.
"They are wonderful, aren't they? And they're so well-behaved," Harper said as she helped herself to coffee in the kitchen.
"To be as spoiled as they are, yes, they're great kids."
"Ellie, you should have told me to set my alarm earlier. I should get the kids up and feed them. That's part of my job."
"No, honey, it gives my day a great start to take care of those babies first thing in the morning. If you did everything for them, you'd be exhausted at the end of the day. We all help each other out here."
"I'll miss our little chats for the next two months. Are you and John going to be able to get away while we're gone?"
"Yes, we usually take a road trip during the summer. After that, we just spend the rest of the time relaxing. There's still work to be done here, but not a lot, so it gives us some alone time."
"That's wonderful. Where's Parker this morning?" she asked as she looked around for him.
"He said something about an errand to attend to at the office. He said he'd be back in about an hour or so. That man is so busy at the office right now. Oh, I've talked with Annie, and she can't wait to meet you."
"I can't wait to meet her, either."
About that time, Parker came in the kitchen door, whistling. He stopped as the two women stared at him.
"What are you two staring at? Can't a man whistle the morning he's about to leave for his summer home at the beach?"
Harper was glad to see some of the strain that had shown on his face the night before had disappeared.
"Did you get your packing done, Parker? It was late when you got in," Ellie asked, handing him a cup of coffee.
"Yes, Ellie, I did. I'm ready for a week of sun and relaxation," he told his housekeeper cheerily. He had told Harper that he'd be going back and forth all summer between Chicago and Hilton Head. He kept an apartment at his office, so he wouldn't have to drive all the way out to the suburbs. That way, he could get more work done and head back to the kids sooner.
"I'd better go see if the munchkins are dressed yet. It's hard to tell what they chose to wear." Harper got up and headed for the stairs. "Ava wanted to help Aiden, and I bravely allowed it."
"I'll help you, Harper." Parker followed her as Ellie watched, smiling.
They walked up the steps together. As they reached the top, Ava came bouncing out of Aiden's room.
"You look very nice, Miss Ava," Harper told the little girl.
"But you haven't seen Aiden. He wants to wear a red shirt with green shorts. I keep telling him it's not Christmas." The little girl gave an exasperated sigh and held her arms up in the air in disgust.
Harper and Parker both laughed. Parker looked at her and said, "I'll handle this one. You and Ava go on downstairs."
"Okay, good luck, Daddy." Harper took Ava by the hand, and they headed back downstairs, where John was preparing to take the luggage to the car for them.
"Let me help you, John," Harper said. "Parker is busy trying to convince Aiden that he really doesn't want to wear Christmas colors in June."
"Oh, boy, this oughta be good." John grinned as he started up the steps.
"Ava, why don't you go see what Ellie is up to, and I'll help John."
"Okay, Harper." The little girl went skipping into the kitchen as Harper headed back up the stairs. She went into Ava's room and grabbed her luggage, then walked back downstairs with it.
"Harper, what in the world do you think you're doing?" Parker called to her from the landing.
"You were occupied, so I thought I'd lend John a hand." She turned around and looked up at him.
"Aiden is under control now, so let me do that. I don't want you throwing your back out or anything." He joined her on the stairs and whispered so only she could hear, "We can't have that, now can we? It might put a crimp in our summer plans with the kids."
"Parker, I think I can handle it." She laughed as she handed the larger bag to him.
"I'll take care of it. I'd better get this luggage out there before John comes back in for the next load. Now, don't argue. I was serious when I said I didn't want you to hurt yourself." He picked up another, smaller bag before she could say another word.
As if on cue, John came back into the house and was heading up the stairs. Parker went on down and out to the car while Harper went in search of Aiden.
The little bo
y was walking out of his room, and thankfully, Parker had convinced him to wear khaki shorts with his red shirt, and he looked adorable.
"Who is this handsome little man walking down the hallway?" Harper asked as she took the little boy's chubby hand and walked with him. She would have loved to have just hugged and squeezed him. He so needed a mother's love. Even though he had the best daddy in the world and plenty of people to love him, she knew he had to miss his mommy.
"It's Aiden!" He giggled as he looked up at Harper. The look he gave her melted her heart.
"I think I may just have to claim you as my new boyfriend, because you're so handsome," Harper teased as he giggled again.
"You're too old to be my girlfriend. You need to be my daddy's girlfriend."
At that exact moment, Parker came up the stairs. He looked from Harper to Aiden, and seeing the blush on his nanny's face, he asked, "What did I just miss here?"
"Harper wants to be my girlfriend, but she's too old. I told her she could be your girlfriend, Daddy."
Parker laughed as he scooped the little boy up in his arms. "Out of the mouths of babes," he said.
She blushed again as Parker set Aiden down and went to get another load of luggage. The little boy ran down the stairs, unaware of the impact of his statement. As Parker passed by her, he said softly, "I hope that remark didn't make you uncomfortable, Harper."
Harper smiled. "No, it's okay, Parker. He's just a little boy. He can't begin to understand how these things work." She quickly turned to go downstairs to check on the children. After all, that was her job.
Both children were in the kitchen with Ellie, and the three of them were laughing together over a secret. They all got very quiet when Harper walked in.
"What's going on in here?"
"Not a thing, Harper." Ellie looked at the children, and the three of them shared a secretive smile.
Harper thought the whole household must be going mad. She poured herself another cup of coffee and sat down to wait for the rest of the luggage to be loaded.
A short time later, Parker came into the kitchen. "Are we all ready to go? The car's loaded, and John is waiting to drive us to the airport."
Harper grabbed her purse and hugged Ellie goodbye after Parker and the children had gone ahead outside.
"I'll see you in a few months; have a good vacation with John," she said.
"And you work your magic on that man. From what I've seen, it won't take much, Harper. I expect you two to come back here with some good news at the end of the summer."
"Ellie!" Harper was shocked by her words at first. It dawned on her suddenly that Aiden must have told Ellie he wanted her to be his daddy's girlfriend.
"I call it like I see it."
Harper shook her head, hugged her again, and ran out the door to join the Bentley family.
The flight was uneventful. They arrived at the airport, where Jim, Annie's husband, was waiting for them. He and Annie filled the same roles at the beach house that John and Ellie did in Chicago. After loading the luggage into the SUV, he drove straight to the house.
Harper was in awe when they pulled into the driveway. It looked just like they'd described it to her, the perfect beach house, only it was about three times the size she'd expected it to be. The creamy stucco structure with the tiled roof looked perfect for a summer in paradise. It was in a gated community with other similar houses around. All of the lawns were perfectly manicured, and it looked very impressive indeed.
Once inside, she was greeted warmly by Annie, who offered to give her a tour of the house. When she was shown to her room, it was like stepping into an island resort. She quickly learned that her room and Parker's had an adjoining bathroom and they would be sharing. The children's rooms were down the hall. Ellie and Annie must have put their heads together on this plan, she thought with a smile. Giving her and Parker discreet access to each other if they had wanted it was quite obvious—to her, anyway. She'd never met so many matchmakers in her life, from the housekeepers to the children. Too bad there isn't a snowball's chance in hell it will work.
"We're so glad to have you here, Harper. I've heard good things about you from everyone. Mr. Bentley speaks very highly of you, as does Ellie."
"Thank you, Annie. Everyone has been very welcoming."
The woman took her to the back of the house, and Harper was amazed at the beauty. They were right on the ocean. There was a screened in porch in the back of the house and a huge yard for the children to play in. The beach was gorgeous and welcoming, accessible by way of a boardwalk sort of structure that led to the sand.
"Here's Jim now, with your luggage. I'll leave you alone to unpack, and we'll see you downstairs when you've finished."
Just as she was about to head back down a little later, Parker walked through the open door from the adjoining bathroom and said, "I hope it doesn't make you uncomfortable having to share a bathroom with me. It's just the most logical way, with the way the house is set up."
"I'm sure we can manage to stay out of each other's way. It's no problem at all, Parker."
"You're an amazing girl; you know that, don't you? Not all women are so accommodating." He turned to walk back into his own bedroom.
She had promised to call her mother and let her know they'd arrived safely, and she'd almost forgotten, so she picked up her cell and dialed the number. Her mother answered on the third ring.
"Mom, it's me. We just got to Hilton Head a few hours ago. I've been unpacking."
"I'm so glad you called. Is it beautiful there?"
"It's gorgeous, and everyone has been so warm and welcoming."
"You're getting along with the kids?"
"Wonderfully, this is probably going to be the most fun job I've ever had."
"And Mr. Bentley, what's he like?"
"Mom, he's so sweet. He helps with the kids when he can and has been very nice so far."
"Sweetie, are you falling for him already?" her mother asked hesitantly.
"Why would you ask that, Mom?"
"Something in your voice when you talk about him, Harper. Just be careful; he's your boss."
"I'll be fine, Mom. I know how to handle myself."
"You're a smart girl. I'll trust your judgment. You know him better than I do. I just don't want you to get hurt again. After what Shawn—"
"I'll be careful, Mom. I love you," she interrupted, not wishing to rehash the whole Shawn story again. "I have to go now."
"I love you, too, Harper. Call me soon."
"I will. Bye." She hung up the phone, realizing she needed to be more careful when speaking about Parker to others. If her mother had noticed something in her voice, others might, as well. She went downstairs to join the family.
Parker and Annie were at the bar, talking over tall glasses of iced tea.
"And the children adore her," Parker said, smiling as Harper walked into the room.
"Any more of that iced tea in the fridge?" she asked, ignoring the fact they'd been talking about her when she came into the room.
"Yes, there is. Have a nice nap?" Parker smiled at her and winked.
"I called my mom to let her know we arrived safely, I wasn't napping," she replied. She laughed, remembering her first day when he'd caught her napping. She was sure that was the reason for the wicked wink.
"That's a good idea. Mothers tend to worry, even about their grown children," Annie said, showing her approval of the call.
"And your mom is doing okay?" Parker asked.
"She's fine. She keeps busy with her friends."
"I was just telling Parker that the two of you should go out tonight. I'd love to have my babies all to myself their first night here. What do you think, Harper?"
"Well, that's up to Parker. I'll do whatever he thinks is best."
"I say we take Annie up on her offer. You'll be ready for a break after a few days with the Bentley kids, so take advantage of the time away and Annie's offer."
"Okay, I'll go change." She took a swallow of
tea and carried her glass to the sink.
"Thank you, Annie. I'd better get changed, too," Parker said.
Harper watched as he leaned over and kissed his long-time housekeeper on the cheek before he went whistling up the stairs to get ready for his night out.
"Well, don't you look spiffy, Parker Bentley?" Annie said a little while later, hanging up the phone as Parker came back into the kitchen.
"So, I pass inspection, then?"
"Definitely, definitely, I'd say Miss Harper is going to be the envy of Hilton Head Island tonight. Where are you taking her?" she answered, straightening his collar.
"To my restaurant, since she admitted she's never eaten at one of them."
"Good choice."
Harper came down the stairs a few minutes later, wearing a white sundress. Parker grinned appreciatively as he watched her enter the room. Anyone who didn't know he was only her employer would think he was a man in the beginning stages of falling in love with his date. He couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Harper, you look wonderful. You two make a very handsome couple. You'll be the envy of everyone around you," Annie said, bringing Parker back to reality.
"Thank you, Annie," Harper said quietly.
Slightly embarrassed at having been caught staring by Annie, Parker said, "Let's find the kiddos and tell them goodbye before we leave."
He went outside, with Harper following him into the beautiful garden. Jim certainly did a good job of maintaining it.
The kids ran up to Parker and hugged him. "Where are you going all dressed up, Daddy?" Ava asked.
"I'm going to take Harper to our restaurant and show her around town. Is that all right with you, Princess Ava?"
"Yes, we're going to have a popcorn and movie party with Annie and Jim, so we won't have time for you anyway."
"Oh, I see. Okay, you have fun. Aiden, got a hug for your old man?"
"I hug Harper, first. She very pretty," the little guy said. Harper made a mental note to work with him on his speech.
"Careful, son; don't get her white dress dirty."
"He's okay. I've got a hold of his little hands." Harper smiled at Parker.
Her Convenient Dom (Dominant Men Book 2) Page 4