Chapter 37

Truthfully, her heart was still beating wildly in her chest after the earlier incident with their bitchy guest. She remembered having a few experiences with bullying.

However, she usually shrugged it off, ignoring her aggressors. Or she occasionally fought back when they went too far. But she never liked instigating a conflict, preferring to be left alone in peace.

"Careful, Oliver. You know we both don't know how to swim." Jules warned her son not to jump into the pool, afraid that he would drown and she would not be able to save him.

She still wanted to test the pool's depth before they submerged into the water. But from her assessment, it looked deep but manageable.

Admittedly, she was not confident with her swimming skills since she did not have access to a pool, and they seldom went on a swimming trip.

"Mom, but I want to learn how to swim," Oliver complained as he splashed his feet on the cool water, letting large droplets splatter around him.

She could see her son's frustration since he always wanted to learn to swim. But with a limited budget, she could not afford to send him into a formal swimming class.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Damon's voice spoke behind her, startling her and making her heart skip a beat.

But she quickly recovered, and with her hand across her chest, she turned around to look at the man who joined her and her son.

"Dad, do you know how to swim?" Oliver shouted over her shoulder when he noticed the man who looked mouthwatering in his swimwear.

Damn!

She had to quickly close her mouth before saliva started drooping down her mouth. And she guessed she also had to look away before her husband noticed she was gaping at him. But it was easier said than done as her eyes had remained glued to the superbly looking man.

Of course, she remembered how fit Damon was, but it was more or less in her dreams. It had been a long time, but she concluded that her dreams might not have done him justice.

"How could a busy man like him have time to look like that?" Jules wanted to ask, but, of course, she kept it to herself.

She had avoided looking at him whenever they were together, afraid he would accuse her of checking him out.

Now, he stood before her with no option but to stare at the Greek God with his bare, firm chest and bulging biceps in full display.

"Of course I do." The man stopped before her as his eyes freely checked her out, seemingly having no shame if she saw him ogling her.

She suddenly felt embarrassed, wanting to cover her body, most especially when his eyes lowered, appearing to be directing his stare at the exposed cleavage of her chest.

Compared to most women younger or her age, she wore a decent two-piece suit, covering her private parts modestly. But under this man's stare, she could not help but feel indecently exposed in his eyes.

"Would you keep your eyes up here?" She irritatedly whispered to him, using her fingers to point to her face.

But as she had expected, her arrogant husband did not heed her warning. Instead, a smug smile covered his lips, appearing more entertained with her reaction than anything else.

"Why? The agreement said no touch, but it never said I can't look." He teasingly said as his eyes glistened with amusement. "Besides, I only followed your lead."

Then, he walked past her, moving closer to her son, who was waiting impatiently by the side of the pool, looking like he was ready to jump into the pool.

She wanted to lash out at him, but unfortunately, she knew he had a point. She was the one who checked him first. So, how could she be mad at him when she did the same?

Eventually, she turned and watched the father and son interaction, having nothing else to do. She could not stop Damon from spending time with their son, but she could not leave her son either.

"Will you teach me?" Oliver asked excitedly as his father sat beside him on the poolside.

"If you want me to," Damon answered the boy. Then, he jumped into the water, where a small splash created a ripple and mild wave on the flat surface.

"Really?" She listened to her boy's eager response as his little hands started clapping, showing how much he looked forward to it.

"Come on. Jump on my arms." Damon extended his arms above the water and let their child hold onto his hands.

As if Oliver trusted him completely, he leaped out of the platform and into his waiting arms. Then, the young child's skinny arms wrapped around his shoulder for support.

"Now, what?" She listened to her son's demand as if he was not content to be carried around, floating in the water.

But instead of getting pissed as she presumed would be his reaction, she heard his loud laughter to his son's impatience. It was like he was enjoying every minute of it.

Honestly, this was not what she wanted. She had hoped that Damon would get tired and irritated by their son's relentless curiosity and tireless energy that he would not want anything to do with Oliver after this agreement was over and done with.

"Trust me. And you will learn to swim in record time." Damon confidently said to their child as he guided him to the deeper side of the water.

Trust me was not the word she liked to hear. She had trusted many people in her life, and in the end, they just left her down and disappointed.

"Please be careful. Remember, Oliver is still recovering from his injury." She could not help but worry about her son's safety and health, reminding the man that he should not be careless with the young boy's frail condition.

"Don't worry. The doctor said that swimming is a good therapy for him." Damon shouted over her son's shoulder, making eye contact with her.

She did not know what she saw in them, but somehow, it had calmed her down. Maybe she was starting to believe this man would not let anything harm their boy.