Page 37 of Forever Mine

Oscar had already informed me that we had to wear shirts and shoes while walking through the hotel, and that towels were provided down there. I wasn’t sure if they were actual hotel rules or Mimi and Papi rules, but I obeyed just the same.

We headed downstairs as I let Oscar lead the way to the pool. That’s when it hit me.

“Hey, kid, can you even swim?”

He laughed. “Yes, can you?”

I’d never seen such a young person with such witty comebacks. Without answering I kicked off my shoes and tossed my shirt aside before cannonballing into the pool.

“Cool! Did you see the size of that splash!” he squealed with delight, quickly following me in, with a less-than-stellar cannonball attempt.

We spent a little time working on his form till he had perfected it. I watched as he doggie paddled across to the wall to jump each time.

“So no one taught you to swim?” I had never seen a pup who didn’t naturally doggie paddle, so I assumed.

“What do you mean? I’m a good swimmer.”

“You definitely are,” I agreed. “But have you ever seen swimmers in the Olympics or on TV?”

“Mommy doesn’t let me watch much TV, but we did a study on the Olympics last year and watched some events online.”

“Okay, so you know what I’m talking about? Freestyle, backstroke, breast, fly, that sorta thing.”

“I can’t do that,” he confessed.

“Of course you can. Come here.” I lay him on his back. This was always the hardest stroke for a wolf shifter to conquer as it made our wolves feel vulnerable, but he only wiggled a little before settling in. He was a quick one. Before long I had him backstroking like a pro all over the pool. We celebrated with synchronized cannonballs before I had to cry mercy and take a break. I sat up on the side of the pool, watching him swim around as my mind drifted off to his mother and wondering what she and Lily were up to.

“Mommy!” Oscar yelled, echoing throughout the indoor pool area. “Whoa, you look beautiful.”

I hadn’t heard them come in, but my jaw hit the floor when I looked up and saw Maddie from across the pool. She looked different. I mean, she was always pretty, beautiful even, but right now, she was a complete bombshell. My heart started racing as I checked her out slowly from head to toe. The tight jeans, the tank top that fit just snugly enough to highlight her breasts, gave me pause to stop. I had to close my mouth to keep from literally drooling. She’d gotten her hair cut and she was wearing makeup.

She was checking me out too, not as obviously as I was gawking at her, but even from across the room I could smell her arousal and I was having a very hard time hiding mine.

“Ew, what’s that smell?” Oscar announced, breaking us out of our mutual lust-induced trance. If I’d had any doubts of her wanting me physically, after all she’d been through, they’d just been laid to rest.

“Hey, champ, why don’t we get out of here and let your mom and Liam talk for a minute? You can tell me all about your day.”

“Mommy, is that okay? I’m really hungry. Can Lily take me up to the room to get changed so we can go eat?”

“Um, yeah, sure.” Maddie said it like she was coming out of a fog. I tried to keep the smirk off my face. She handed Lily the card, and Lily left with Oscar in tow.

“Why does it stink so bad in there?” I heard him ask as the door shut behind him.

I laughed and jumped up, heading for my gorgeous mate.

“We may just scar that poor kid for life at this rate,” I joked.

She looked a little uncomfortable, like she wasn’t sure what to say or do. I didn’t hesitate or give her a chance to argue, just walked up and took her in my arms, stifling the small gasp that escaped her as I crushed my lips to hers. It took very little prodding to get her to open up to me as I set about learning every inch of her mouth. It didn’t’ take her long to begin her own exploration. I was thankful the windows were already fogged from the heated pool, ?cause I was pretty certain we would have fogged them up just from that kiss alone.

“Hi,” she said breathlessly when I finally pulled back, unsure how long I could control things and keep them PG-rated.

“Hi.” I smiled down at her, resting my forehead against hers and breathing in her scent. “You look amazing.”

She blushed under my compliment. “Um, did, uh, did Oscar behave himself today?” she asked, struggling to find the words and attempting to change the subject.

“He did. He’s a great kid, but I have to admit, I don’t know how you do it. Do all seven-year-olds have that much energy all the time? I’m not going to lie, he wore me out.”

She laughed and the discomfort she seemed to feel after our kiss disappeared. “I know he’s a bit over-the-top sometimes. I hope he didn’t drive you too crazy.”

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