One Weekend with the Billionaire novel Chapter 41

Julia looks divine in a beautiful white bathing suit. It is a one piece, but the center is cut out, so I can still see all of her beautiful curves. I’ve had the pool heated to ninety-seven degrees so that it is plenty warm enough, even though the spring air is a little cool. While the pool is large, we choose to stay in one area where it is only about five feet deep, sitting on a ledge I had built into the design for just this purpose. The waterfalls are on and add to the ambience of paradise. They cascade over carved rock, making a slight splash as they enter the pool. Julia watches them, smiling, likely remembering the natural waterfall we saw the day before. She smells of coconuts and vanilla, and I want to kiss her, to take her here in the pool, but I don’t think she will like that, even though I could assure her of our privacy. The servants wouldn’t dare snoop or try to watch us. I keep myself in check, though, only holding her hand beneath the water’s surface, letting her come to me.

She’s been distracted today. Earlier, at the stables, she hardly enjoyed the horses at all. I thought she was beginning to come around at the gardens, but now, every once in a while, I see that far off expression in her eyes, like she is letting her deeper thoughts invade her happiness. I want to take all of that away from her, to assure her everything is going to be all right, but I can’t do that. As she reminded me earlier, she is still a married woman. And she is not married to me.

"How old were you when you learned to swim?" she asks me, the water splashing slightly as she turns toward me.

"Oh, probably four or five," I tell her. "We had private lessons in the pool at my parents’ house. We were around so much water, my mom wanted to make sure we were safe."

"We?" she asks.

I nod. "My brother, sister, and I." I haven’t talked too much about my family. "They’re both younger than me and probably started lessons a little later. It’s hard for me to remember exactly."

She nods. "I have an older brother. Sheldon."

I smile and also nod, even though I already know this. I know practically everything about her, but not because I have asked. "How is he?"

"He’s good," she says, forcing a smile. "Well, actually, that’s probably not exactly true. He didn’t go to college. Most folks in our town don’t go to college. He works at the chicken factory outside of town."

"Oh." I am not sure what else to say. Even though I know Sheldon is married but doesn’t have any kids, I ask her anyway, so it doesn’t seem that I have been prying in her business. "Does he have a family?"

"He has a wife. Arleen," she says. "She’s nice enough. She also works at the factory. That’s where they met."

"That’s… nice," I say, not sure what else I can tell her. If she were my wife, of course, I’d be willing to pay for her brother and his wife to go to college, if they’d like. "And your parents own a farm?" I already know this to be true, not from her mentioning it earlier but because I have done my research on Julia the way I would any company I was considering acquiring. She is obviously not a company, but I do wish to acquire her.

"They do," she says with a nod. "Daddy has been a farmer his whole life. Mama’s parents owned a bakery in town, but she’s taken to being a farmer’s wife." I see that look in her eyes again. She wishes she had taken to being Jeff’s wife as readily as her mother has taken to her father’s way of living. I want to remind her that it is not that simple, but I keep my mouth closed on the subject. "They’re so happy together."

"That’s wonderful," I tell her, meaning it. Hoping it’s true.