"I'm so happy for you, if you both are sure this is what you want." Annie hugged her, just as Parker walked into the kitchen.
"Apparently, the secret is out. Good morning, sweetheart." He kissed Harper on the forehead and helped himself to coffee.
"You're a sly one, Parker Bentley," Annie scolded him good-naturedly.
"What can I say, Annie darling? This sweet young thing came into my life and turned it upside down."
He certainly is playing his part well.
Turning to her, he said, "Honey, after you finish your coffee, we need to get the children up and tell them the good news. After that, I believe you have phone calls to make." Very precise and to the point. She had things to do, and he expected her to do them post haste. What would he do if she didn't? Turn her over those muscular thighs and spank her ass? Maybe she should try it and find out.
Instead, she said, "Yes, Annie, you can call Ellie if you want to. I know you're dying to be the one to tell her." Harper laughed as she took another sip of coffee.
She and Parker went upstairs together after they'd finished their coffee. Harper went into Ava's room and gently woke her as Parker did the same with Aiden.
They all met in Parker's bedroom. With the four of them sitting on his king-sized bed, he began, "Harper and I have something to tell you. I hope you're both going to approve."
"What is it, Daddy?" Ava asked as she looked from her dad to Harper in confusion.
"Well, last night, I asked Harper to marry me, and she said yes. Is that all right with the two of you?"
Ava looked at them both and then looked at Aiden. For once, the little chatterbox was speechless.
Aiden spoke first. "That means you'll be my mommy, for ever and ever."
"Yes, Aiden, she will. Your other mommy will always be in your heart, and she watches over you from Heaven every day, like we've talked about. But Harper will be your new mommy here."
"Harper, can I call you Mommy now?" Ava asked.
"After the wedding, sweetheart, if you want to. If you'd rather call me Harper, that's okay, too."
"Okay, do I get to be the flower girl?" the little girl asked excitedly.
"Yes, if you want to, and Aiden can be the ringbearer."
"What's that?" Aiden asked.
"Well, my little man, that is the person who carries the wedding rings. It's a very important job. Do you think you can handle it?"
"Heck, yes. I'm not a baby."
They all laughed after that and hugged as one big happy family. It was almost too good to be true, and Harper nearly pinched herself to make sure it was. She still wasn't convinced it wasn't all a dream.
After Parker dressed the children and took them down for breakfast, Harper called her mother. "Mom, are you sitting down? I have some exciting news to share with you."
"Harper, what in the world is going on? You sound happier than I've heard you sound in a long while."
"Parker asked me to marry him. And before you say anything, I know it's sudden. And, no, I'm not pregnant. I love him, and we don't want to wait." She blurted it all out in a rush of words.
"Okay, when?" her mom asked calmly, which surprised her even more than everything else that had happened since the night before.
"In about a month; I'll have to get back to you with the details. We're getting married in a church here on Hilton Head Island. It will be very small. Of course, we want you to be here. And, Mom, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to ask Dr. Kellum to walk me down the aisle."
"I don't mind, honey. I think he'll be honored to do that."
"You're okay with this?"
"Harper, if you're okay with this, that's all that matters. You're taking on a lot, marrying a man with two small children. If you truly love him and he makes you happy, then I'm happy."
"Thanks, Mom. I'll call you when I know more."
"Goodbye, Harper Jo, and if there is anything I can do to help, let me know."
"I will. Bye, Mom."
Feeling slightly sentimental after the phone call, she sat for a moment before going back downstairs to join her new family for breakfast.
"Call your mom?" Parker asked as she sat down and helped herself to fruit and toast.
"Yes, she's fine with it."
"Good. When I know the date, I'll send her a plane ticket."
"Have you called your mother?"
"No, not yet; I'll call her after breakfast. She'll probably be on the next plane down here to oversee the whole thing. I thought I'd better warn you."
"Don't be scaring the poor girl, Parker. Harper, Mary is wonderful, and if she offers to help, you should take her up on it." Annie added, "Ellie sends her love, by the way."
"You didn't waste any time calling her, I see." Harper grinned affectionately at the housekeeper.
"No, ma'am, I didn't."
Parker threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Did you and Ellie really think you were being inconspicuous with your matchmaking, Annie?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Harper and I were onto you two from the start."
"You were?"
"Yes, we were, but that's okay. Harper and I thought it was cute, didn't we, sweetheart?" He looked at Harper lovingly. She could almost believe he really did love her.
"Yes, we did. We talked about it the night Parker took me to his restaurant for dinner, Annie," she added.
"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Annie looked at the two of them.
"Yes, I guess it did. Now, I need to call my mother and go see Reverend Key, so we can get this show on the road." Parker walked over to Harper and planted a kiss on the top of her head again. "I'll catch up with you later, baby. We have things to talk about."
"Okay. Finish your breakfast, kids, and I'll take you outside while Daddy is busy." Sweetheart? We may be laying it on a little thick.
She cleaned the children's faces before she took them outside as promised. As she kept a watchful eye on them, she let them play on the big wooden swing set in the yard.
She was joined by Parker after a little while, and he handed her a glass of lemonade.
"Thank you," she said as he sat down in the chair beside her.
"That went well, don't you think?" he asked as he took a long drink of his lemonade.
"Yes, but we may be laying it on a little thick with all the terms of endearment, don't you think?"
"No, baby, I don't think that at all. You'd better get used to it. I intend to spoil you rotten." Okay, no one is around now. Why did he just call me 'baby?'
"But, Parker, you don't have to do that."
"Yes, I do. Just because this isn't a traditional marriage yet doesn't mean we can't be affectionate with each other. You said yourself you're fond of me. And if you don't know by now that the feeling is mutual, you must be blind, Harper. Just because I'm affectionate, however, I meant what I said last night. I won't rush you. When it happens, we'll make up for lost time, and that's a promise."
"What did Mary say when you called her?" Harper asked, changing the subject. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
He seemed to ignore her discomfort. "Just as I thought, she wants to fly down and meet you. She suggested your mother fly down at the same time. The week before the wedding, so they can both help with the arrangements. I guess that means we need to go see Reverend Key. How soon can you be ready?"
"I can be ready as soon as I ask Annie to watch the kids. You want me to go with you?"
"Yes, I think that would be best, don't you?"
"All right, I'll go talk to Annie. Are you finished with your lemonade? I'll take your glass in. You watch the kids."
"See, we sound like an old married couple already. You're giving me orders."
"I'm sorry, Parker, I didn't mean…"
"Baby, I'm playing with you. It's okay. Stop apologizing. Besides, I'll be the one giving you orders before you know it."
"I guess I'll have to get used to this new arrangement—all of it."
"Yes, you wil
l, Harper. You said that you trust me, and you've agreed to be my wife. Now, scoot, we need to get going. I want you to sign some paperwork my attorney drew up after we see the minister—the paperwork adding your name to the company and the Board of Directors that I told you about."
"All right. I'll hurry." She went into the house, cleared it with Annie about the children, and went upstairs to get her purse. She sat on the bed to get her bearings before going back down. It was all happening so fast. I really have to get used to this new way of acting around Parker. I can't give it away that we are anything but a couple in love. I love hearing him call me his baby, though… too bad it's not for real.
That wasn't the only thing worrying her. She had not only agreed to a marriage of convenience but also to an eventual domestic discipline marriage, complete with wifely bedroom duties. How long would Parker wait? And just how demanding was he going to be? These were all things she needed to consider. After all, she had agreed to become a wife, a mother, and a submissive, all things new to her.
On the other hand, Parker Bentley was the man of her dreams. He was hot, sexy, a good father, a successful businessman. What did he see in her? And she would be competing with the memory of his first wife, which in itself made her nervous. Would she be able to satisfy him? She would have to postpone her concerns until later, however. It was time to get this show on the road, as he had said earlier.
Taking a deep breath, she walked back downstairs and informed her new fiancé she was ready to leave.
The meeting with the minister went well. He seemed genuinely excited about the upcoming wedding and told them so immediately. "Parker, you don't know how happy I am you've found someone to share your life with again. I know the last two years can't have been easy for you and the children." He turned to Harper. "And, Harper, I'm delighted to meet you."
"Thank you, Reverend Key. I've heard good things about you from Parker."
"I've known Parker since he was a boy. He and his parents used to come here every summer. Now, Parker says he wants this wedding to happen soon, so let's start looking at dates, shall we?"
They chose August first as their wedding date. That would allow them a week for a wedding trip before they had to get back home in time for Ava to start the new school year. When everything had been arranged, Parker promised to be back in touch with more details as the plans progressed.
"I'll look forward to hearing from you," Reverend Key said as he walked them out.
Having set the date, more phone calls were made to their mothers, and Parker took care of sending both of them plane tickets to arrive the last week in July.
Harper phoned Dr. Kellum, who was happy for her. He didn't seem surprised or concerned, so Harper guessed that her mother had already spoken with him. "I'd be proud to walk you down the aisle, Harper." He and his wife planned to fly down a few days before the ceremony, he told her.
Everything was coming together nicely. The next few weeks continued to be a flurry of activity as they were all busy getting everything in order for the big day. Parker had arranged for Ellie and John to fly down a few days before the wedding as well. They had little time together, but the few nights he'd been able to walk her up to her room at night, he'd kissed her. Just a kiss, nothing passionate or demanding, but it told her that he was ready to start a physical relationship with her any time she said the word. She had control now. Once she made the decision to move forward, she would relinquish that to him. How long should she dare to put him off? Who the hell was she kidding? She was ready to jump into bed with him right now, but she wouldn't. She would wait until the timing was just right. After all, they had the rest of their lives.
One day, in the middle of all the planning, Harper caught a glimpse of a tall, classy redhead dressed in an expensive business suit being escorted into Parker's home office. Not meaning to eavesdrop, she heard Parker call her Lorena as he closed the door behind them.
A short time later, Jim found Harper in the kitchen and informed her that Parker wished to see her in his office.
Steeling herself to meet the woman who was trying to seduce and destroy her fiancé, she walked toward the office. She stopped outside the door as she heard voices coming from within.
"I don't understand, Parker. Why are you marrying your nanny? Did you get caught with your pants down again and knock her up, like you did your first wife?"
Aileen had been pregnant when Parker married her?
"No, Lorena. I'm marrying for love this time around," was Parker's reply.
Did he not love Aileen? She thought he had said they were close. What was going on?
She entered the room, and Parker immediately went to her. Putting his arm around her waist, he said, "Lorena, I'd like you to meet the future Mrs. Parker Bentley. This is Harper Easton, and I'm sorry if you were under the mistaken impression that Harper is the children's nanny. She did accompany me to the island to help care for the children. After all, she's going to be their stepmother soon, but she's not their nanny. She's my fiancée, the love of my life."
Harper looked at him for a moment before turning to Lorena. She smiled and extended her hand. The redhead took her hand in a somewhat weak handshake and shrugged her shoulders.
Parker smiled at Harper and said, "Sweetheart, I'll wrap this meeting up as soon as I can and join you upstairs. I know you said you wanted to go over some last-minute things with me for the ceremony while the children are napping."
There was just a hint of suggestiveness in his tone, as if they really weren't going to be discussing the ceremony at all. It was as if he wanted Lorena to think he was about to indulge in some afternoon delight with his beloved. If only… All she had to do was say the word, and that could be the case. She excused herself and walked sedately out of the office before running up the stairs and into her room, closing the door behind her. She ran to the bed and flopped down on it. Damn! What had she walked in on down there? There was a lot more to Parker's first marriage than he had let on to her.
She was sitting on her bed reading when he entered her bedroom a short time later.
"She's gone, thank God." He sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her close.
"I'm sorry you had to deal with her, Parker, but we knew she'd make an appearance when the news of our engagement made the papers."
"Harper, I'm so proud of you. You handled yourself well down there this afternoon." He kissed the top of her head.
"I heard some things before I came into the room, Parker. Tell me about you and Aileen. If I'm going to share your life, I should know about your past, shouldn't I? I told you about Shawn," she pushed.
"You're right, Harper, and I probably should have told you more about Aileen sooner. What do you want to know?"
"She was pregnant with Ava when you married her?"
"Yes, we met in college and dated off and on. We'd been in one of those on-again periods when she became pregnant. I married her," he replied.
"And did you love her?"
"In a way, yes, I did love her. But I probably would never have married her had she not been carrying my child. We were happy to a degree, but we weren't a passionate, madly-in-love couple. I grew to love her."
"I see. What was all that you said about the domestic discipline bringing you closer? Was that a lie just to get me to agree to it?"
"Absolutely not, Harper. We didn't have that kind of relationship at first. Then she read about it online and approached me with the idea. I agreed, thinking it would bring us closer. And it did, for a while. She was as good a wife as she knew how to be and a wonderful mother. I was never unfaithful to her, and I would have stayed with her, had she not died. But it wasn't a match made in Heaven, by any means. There were problems. She had her own bedroom. There were nights she slept in there, and there were nights she slept with me. When Lorena started her incessant flirting, it placed a strain on our relationship, but I would not have left her. I still had hope of turning things around. I thought the Dom/sub relationship would help."
>
"And yet you want to enter into a marriage-of-convenience with me? You want me to become your wife and your submissive, knowing that it didn't work the first time. Don't you want a real marriage, Parker?"
"Yes, I do, Harper. But I'm willing to wait until the time is right for us. I want a real marriage with you. How can I explain this? With you, it's different. I have much respect for you. You are softer, more grounded than my first wife. I am probably screwing this all up, but you are not Aileen. And, to me, that's a good start."
"You do, really? You want a real marriage, and you think you can have that with me? What about Lorena? She isn't going to stop causing trouble, you know. I know her type."
"Harper, I told you the marriage would come first for us and the courtship later. That's just the way it has to be, for now. We'll have our time, but we can't rush into it. I'm rushing you into marriage to save my company. I refuse to rush you into a relationship just because we're man and wife, D/s or not. Lorena won't come between us unless we let her. Aileen let her."
"You want things to evolve naturally between us? You're willing to wait?"
"Honey, I am willing to let you get used to the idea, first. Ours hasn't been a whirlwind romance. I have… fond… feelings for you. I don't have any intention of rushing you into every aspect of your new life immediately. Exactly how do you feel about that?"
"I'd never have agreed to marry you so readily if I didn't think there was a chance we could fall in love. After all, I agreed to a lifelong commitment. I also agreed to try D/s. I won't go back on my word. I won't hurt the children or your company or any of the people in our lives. Most of all, I won't go back on my promise to you. I trust and respect you. I know that you wouldn't ask this of me lightly. I also think, after what you've just told me, you wouldn't enter into another marriage that you thought wasn't going to work."
"I was hoping you would feel that way. I know I'm asking a lot of you, but let's save our business first. The rest will come."
Her Convenient Dom (Dominant Men Book 2) Page 8