An older couple walked by and remarked about what a lovely family they were. Harper and Parker looked at each other and both burst out laughing. "Well, you have to admit, we do look the part, Harper." He teased her with one of his sexy grins.
"Daddy, come and see my castle," Aiden yelled excitedly.
"You'd better go. Your son needs you, and you're getting a little carried away over here," she teased.
"Oh, you think so?" He laughed again as he got up to join his children.
Harper lay enjoying the sun for a few minutes before she went to help Ava with her sandcastle. As she walked over to join the others, two teenage boys walked by, and they both gave her a loud wolf whistle.
"See what you're doing, you're disrupting the whole beach," Parker whispered in her ear as she knelt down in the sand. "Maybe I should have said no to the bikini." He grinned when he saw the shocked look on her face. "I'm joking, Harper."
"Harper, look, my castle is falling down," Ava said, nearly in tears.
"Oh, sweetie, we can fix that. Let me help you." Glad of the distraction, she started to help the little girl rebuild her castle.
The next few hours were spent playing with Ava and Aiden, the four of them laughing together and having a wonderful time. Harper realized how much she really loved the time she spent with the Bentley children—and their daddy.
All too soon, it was time to get washed up for dinner. The tired but happy foursome gathered their belongings and trudged back to the beach house. When they arrived in the garden, Parker sprayed the sand off both children with the garden hose, while Harper toweled them dry.
"Your turn, Harper," Parker said as he pointed the hose at her. She shivered as the freezing cold water stung her body.
"Turnabout's fair play; hand over the hose." She sprayed the sand off him, and after everyone was reasonably dry enough not to drip water on Annie's floors, they went into the house giggling and laughing together happily, just like a family.
Annie grinned when she saw them. "Dinner will be ready by the time you all get changed and back down here. We're having Ava's favorite."
"Pasgetti, yippee." Ava jumped up and down, clapping her hands.
They all walked up the stairs to dress. Parker helped Aiden, while Harper helped Ava. Harper sent Ava down to see how the spaghetti was coming along, while she dressed for dinner.
"That was a great afternoon," Parker said as he met her in the hallway.
"Yes, I enjoyed it. They're great kids," she replied as she went back into her room. And Daddy's not bad, either, she thought as she remembered how his touch had burned her skin, earlier.
When Harper got to the dining room, the children were already seated. Parker walked in right behind her. A large bowl of steaming spaghetti and meatballs sat in the middle of the table, along with individual salads and breadsticks. No wonder it was Ava's favorite meal. It looked and smelled delicious.
"Heavenly spaghetti, Harper; we actually use Annie's recipe at the restaurants."
"Parker, that's great. Do you use Ellie's recipes, too?"
"Yes, a few of them," he answered with a smile in Annie's direction.
"Harper, a little bird told me you are somewhat of a chocoholic." Annie glanced at Parker as he winked at Harper.
"Yes, sorry to say, I am."
"Well, we have chocolate mousse for dessert, just for you. This was ladies' night, spaghetti for Ava, and chocolate for you. Tomorrow night, I'll fix the boys of the family their favorites."
"You're a sweetheart."
She'd grown fond of Annie and Ellie both in the short time she'd known them. And they spoiled her so, always having her coffee ready for her, and now the chocolate. She felt special being around this family.
The meal tasted as delicious as it had looked and smelled. When the coffee and dessert were brought out, Harper was truly in Heaven.
"Annie, you spoil us all so much," Harper said as she accepted a cup of coffee.
"I spoil those I care about, Harper, and that includes you. You've charmed your way into this family, and it's a joy to have you with us."
"Oh, thank you so much. You all mean so much to me, too. I really don't have any family, except my mom, now that my dad is gone. I'm an only child."
"So, you're used to being spoiled, then," Parker commented with a grin. "Your parents indulged you, and you've never so much as had a spanking."
She looked at him a moment before coming back with, "Not really. I mean, I had a great childhood, with two loving parents. But I was never overly spoiled. My mom and I are very close, though."
"She probably hates it that you're away all summer, then."
"Oh, she keeps very busy. She has a group of friends she goes out with, and she's involved in all kinds of things. She even occasionally has a date now and then, but no one special. She has a widower friend she goes out with sometimes."
"I think that's great that she stays active."
"I do too. She's a wonderful person, even if she is my mother."
"Daddy, will you read to us again?" Ava asked, looking at Parker beseechingly with her big, baby-blue eyes.
"I sure will. Take your plate to the kitchen, then go on into the den. I'll be in there in a minute. Aiden, go with your sister."
"They adore you, Parker," Harper remarked.
"They're pretty fond of you, too, you know."
"I'm going to clear the rest of the table for Annie while you read to them. I want to give them some time alone with Daddy."
"Thank you, Harper. Why don't you go relax after that?"
"I think I'll take a bubble bath and read for a while. Will you need my help putting the kiddos to bed?"
"You just relax; I can handle it." He flashed that wonderful smile of his as he left her to join his favorite little boy and girl in the den.
Harper began carrying plates into the kitchen where Annie was already cleaning up.
"Thank you, Harper. Did you have a good time down at the beach?"
"Yes, we did. We built sand castles with the kids."
"I heard from Ellie. They left on their road trip, yesterday. They're driving to a place called the Amana Colonies, in Iowa."
"It's a wonderful place; my mom and I went one year. Are they having a good time?"
"They seemed to be. She asked about all of you, of course. She's very fond of you, Harper. You know Parker is like a son to her."
"I know; she told me she and John have no children of their own. How about you? Do you and Jim have children?"
"Yes, we do, two sons who both live near Orlando. We see them quite a bit when the Bentleys are in Illinois. We fly down or sometimes drive. They come up here, too. But we devote all our time to Parker when he and the kids are here. He's been so good to us."
"He's a good man, Annie. I see it more and more every day."
"You won't find one any better, Harper."
"Thank you for this little chat. I'm going to go upstairs now, if you're okay here."
"I'm almost finished. You go on up."
"Goodnight, Annie."
"I'll see you in the morning, sweetie."
As she eased herself into the hot, bubbly water, she thought about all that had taken place since she'd come to work with Parker and his children. She was growing closer to all of them, she realized as she sank back and relaxed in the water.
She stepped out of the tub a short time later. Wrapping a large towel around herself, she walked over to the sink to brush her teeth.
That's how Parker found her a few minutes later. He opened the bathroom door, apparently forgetting to knock first, which had been their habit since they were sharing.
"Whoops, sorry, Harper." He seemed slightly embarrassed. His shirt was unbuttoned to the waist, and she guessed he'd been planning to take a shower.
"Uh, it's okay, Parker, I'll be finished in a minute." She rinsed her mouth with water, spit it into the sink and, clutching the towel tightly around herself, started to walk into her bedroom. "See, I'm all finished."
"Goodnight, Harper."
Chapter 4
The alarm clock went off much too soon the next morning. Harper would have loved to have lingered in bed a while longer but knew she had to get up and see to her babies. She stretched leisurely before going into the bathroom to get ready for her day.
She pulled on a pair of denim shorts and grabbed a pink T-shirt from the drawer. Then, after slipping her feet into a pair of pink flip-flops, she headed downstairs.
No one was about yet except Annie. She poured a cup of coffee for Harper and set the cream pitcher in front of her.
"The kids not up yet?"
"They're outside already with Jim. I got both of them up, a little while ago. Parker told me last night, he had plans for the day, so I wanted them to be up early. He told me to let you sleep."
"He didn't say anything to me about plans."
"I believe he's planning to take all of us to Orlando before he goes back home. He invited Jim and me to go so we could visit our sons and their families. He had to take care of some things first, though. We'll fly down later today."
Harper took her coffee out to the garden and sat relaxing in one of the chaise loungers while she watched the children helping Jim. It was a wonderful, sunshiny day, and Harper was thoroughly enjoying it. She closed her eyes and lay quietly, soaking up the warm rays and loving her life. This was how Parker found her when he walked onto the garden patio.
"Harper," he said softly. "Are you awake?"
She opened her eyes. "Yes, just relaxing. Jim has the kids helping him, so I decided to soak up some rays."
"I have a surprise for you and the kids. I've just come from the airport, and I have tickets for all of us to fly down to Orlando this afternoon. I thought we could spend the next few days at Disneyworld before I have to go back home."
Not letting on that Annie had spilled the beans earlier, she looked at him and said, "That sounds wonderful. I'll be just like one of the kids. I've never been to Disneyworld."
"You haven't? Then you're in for a real treat. I'll enjoy showing it to you. The kids went last summer, so it won't be a new experience for them."
"What time is our flight?"
"Not until three. Just relax. We'll get the kiddos cleaned up and ready before lunch. It won't take long to pack a few things for all of us. I'll help you."
"Are you sure? I feel like I'm not earning my keep here." She laughed as he pulled up a chair and sat beside her.
"Harper, I don't expect you to work around the clock. Taking care of kids is a demanding job, and any time you can steal some time for yourself is well deserved. I told you when I offered you this position that I would be very flexible. You're more than an employee. You're like one of the family, just like Ellie, John, Annie, and Jim. I don't think of any of you as less than that."
"Thank you, Parker."
"Let's take advantage of the fact that Jim has the kids occupied for a while this morning, and just sit here and enjoy it together."
"Whatever you say, boss." She looked over at him and smiled affectionately, but she quickly looked away before he could fully discover how she felt about him. They stayed like that for another hour, sipping hot coffee and talking. When Parker looked at his Rolex, he decided it was time to get the children cleaned up. They looked like they had been rolling around in the dirt instead of working in the garden.
"Kids, come here a minute."
Two very dirty children came running.
"Oh, my goodness, you two are a mess," he teased them as they looked up at him. "Let's clean you guys up, and after lunch, I'm going to take us all on an adventure."
"Where are we going?"
"It's a big surprise, and I'll tell you after you've both had a bath and gotten some lunch in your bellies. Now, scoot, because Harper and I have some work to do."
"I'll start packing," Harper said.
"I'll help you after I make sure those two aren't destroying their bathroom. See you in a few minutes." He smiled as he helped her out of her lounge chair.
The next few hours passed by quickly, and soon, they were in the SUV Parker used for family outings. Jim was driving them to the airport, and everyone was talking at once, excited about the trip.
The trip to Orlando was perfect. Jim and Annie visited with their family while Parker, Harper, and the two children enjoyed two wonderful days taking in everything they could fit into the schedule at Disneyworld.
There were even a few stolen moments when she thought he might be going to kiss her again, but it had never happened. Was he having feelings for her? Could she be that lucky?
All too soon, it ended, however, and it was time for Parker to be off for Chicago.
On the morning Parker was leaving for Illinois, he knocked softly on Harper's door that adjoined the bathroom between them. "Harper, are you awake? I need to talk to you."
She'd been sitting on the edge of the bed brushing her hair when he knocked. She got up and answered the door, puzzled as to why he wouldn't use the main door to her room. He'd never come through the adjoining bath before.
"I apologize for coming in this way, but I wanted to talk to you privately before I leave, and I didn't want to take a chance on anyone seeing me from the hallway."
"It's all right. What's up?"
"While I'm away this week, I'll be finalizing everything for the solution to my problem I told you about. And while I can't tell you what it is yet that I need you to do, I want you to know, this will affect the rest of your life. If you agree to help me, that is. This week, will you please take some time to think about what I've just said? I want you to think about any future plans you may have. They'll play a part in the answer you give me, when I tell you what I need from you."
"This is all so mysterious, Parker."
"It won't be for much longer. It will all be crystal clear next week, when I can present it to you properly."
"Okay, I'll trust you on that."
Parker leaned down and kissed her. Harper was shaken to the core, heat swiftly spreading through her veins. She responded to his kiss in a way that surprised the both of them.
"I'm sorry. It seems I keep kissing you and apologizing afterward. It's just that when you said you trust me…" he said as he broke away from her. "Trust is very important to me."
"Stop apologizing. I don't think I was exactly fighting that kiss."
He had a thoughtful look on his face. "Just maybe—" He abruptly interrupted his own sentence, and instead of finishing, he said, "Goodbye, Harper. Think about what I've said. It's very important."
She nodded, still under his spell.
"I'm going to tell the kids goodbye, and then I'm off. I'll call you midweek to check in. Think about what I said," he repeated.
"I will, Parker."
He left her room the same way he'd come in, leaving her standing there touching the lips that he'd just kissed.
She finished her morning routine and went to Ava's room to see if she was awake. The little girl was already dressed when she entered the room. "Daddy just left. I miss him already." She looked so sad, Harper went to her and hugged her.
"It'll be okay, sweetie; we'll find ways to stay busy. Daddy will be back before you know it."
Aiden came running into the room and wanted to join in the hugging. Harper welcomed him into her arms.
"Did Daddy tell you bye too?" Ava asked her brother.
"Yep, he did. He said when he gets back, he might have a surprise for us. But he wouldn't tell me what it was."
"Well, little man, it wouldn't be a surprise now if he told you, would it?" Harper laughed as she placed a kiss on the top of his head.
"I'm hungry. Let's go see if Annie made waffles today." Ava took her brother's hand.
"But if she didn't, remember, sissy, be polite."
Harper had to laugh as Aiden reminded his sister of what their father had told them when they'd first gotten to the beach house.
They were happy to discover that Annie had indeed made waff
les. After they'd eaten, Harper took them to the patio, and together, they made plans for the week. She needed to stay occupied as much as she needed to keep them immersed in activities. The mysterious plan Parker kept referring to had her curious as to how it could possibly affect her future.
The week went slowly, at first, but Harper stayed busy—so busy, in fact, by Wednesday night when Parker called, she was exhausted.
"Harper, how's it going?" he asked cheerily.
"We've been reading, playing games, hiking, swimming, and playing in the sand. I'm actually exhausted tonight. I don't know where those two munchkins get all their energy."
"Why don't you take tomorrow off? I'll speak to Annie about watching them."
"You don't have to do that."
"I know I don't have to, but I want to. Have you had time to think about what we discussed before I left?"
"Yes, I did, a little."
"Good, I'll be home on Friday. You get some rest, tomorrow. And on Friday, after I spend some time with the kids, you and I are going to go somewhere where we can talk undisturbed."
"All right, Parker, I look forward to hearing what you have to say."
"Harper, I… Get some much-deserved rest. Goodnight, pleasant dreams. Can you put Annie on the phone now?" That hesitation again, as if he wanted to say more but stopped himself.
"Goodnight. Here's Annie." She handed the phone to Annie and walked into the kitchen, leaving her alone to talk to Parker. She poured a cup of herbal tea from the pot Annie had brewed and sat down at the bar.
I wonder what this is all about. How in the world can I help save his company?
When Annie returned, she smiled affectionately at Harper and said, "I have strict orders from Mr. Parker that you are not to be disturbed tomorrow. I'm to let you sleep as late as you wish, and the children are to be kept out of your way. I believe the man wants you rested when he returns. He said you and he are going out."
"We are, Annie, but don't go getting all starry-eyed on my behalf. I don't think it's a date. We have some business to discuss, that's all."
"Whatever you say, Harper. All I know is, Mr. Parker said he wanted everything to be perfect."
Her Convenient Dom (Dominant Men Book 2) Page 6