Chapter 265 Sexual Arousal
Ambrose's heart was doing a victory dance, though he kept his expression cool. After days of her cold shoulder treatment, just one kiss had his body responding with embarrassing enthusiasm.
Scarlett's focus stayed laser-locked on the game, completely oblivious to his predicament. All she wanted was to bite that stupid apple, complete this challenge, and escape before her face caught fire.
Except the apple kept dodging her like it had a personal vendetta.
The two kids, having witnessed their parents' kisses plenty of times before, saw nothing scandalous about it. They bounced on their toes, chanting encouragement like tiny cheerleaders.
At last, Ambrose gave in. A single sharp glance at the man holding the apple conveyed the message, and he lowered it just slightly.
Scarlett finally snagged a bite, ending the torture of round one.
But they'd only completed one kid's turn. Yara still needed her shot, and Ambrose was in no condition to continue. He quickly bumped Yara's activity down the lineup, waving other families ahead.
Scarlett was equally relieved. Kissing in front of a group of kindergarteners? Her embarrassment had reached its peak.
The family of four retreated to a quieter corner. Ambrose leaned close, his breath warm against her ear as he murmured, "I'm having a situation here. My pants are about two seconds from splitting at the seams."
Her ears flamed instantly. Could he not pick his moments?
She was speechless, glaring at him fiercely. Then he had the audacity to say, "You've been ignoring me for days. Don’t put the blame on me."
Scarlett shot to her feet, grabbing both kids' hands to make her escape.
"Where are you going? Just give me a few minutes to... calm down, then we'll finish Yara's game," Ambrose called after her.
"Ambrose, are you tired? Want me to give you a leg massage?" Yara, thinking he was truly tired, Yara lifted her small fists and began tapping his thigh with the focus of a tiny masseuse.
"That's my girl—always looking out for me." Ambrose scooped Yara up, settling her on a nearby chair with a grin.
"I just need a quick breather. Then we'll knock out your challenge and claim that prize."
The mention of prizes lit Yara up like a Christmas tree.
Meanwhile, Hayden was having the time of his life. He tugged Scarlett's hand, saying earnestly, "Scarlett, Dad's a little worn out. Don't be upset—just wait a bit, okay?"
Before she could respond, he pulled her back to their original spot.
Scarlett's irritation spiked as both kids sided with Ambrose. She shot him a look that could melt steel.
His manipulation game was next-level—engineering situations where she couldn't stay mad while simultaneously winning the kids over to his team.
"Dad, there's a horseback riding activity coming up. Can I do that one?" Hayden asked hopefully, once he'd successfully corralled Scarlett back.
Ambrose caught the eager gleam in Hayden's eyes but decided to play his cards strategically. "Dad's pretty beat today, buddy. Maybe we'll save that for next time."
"But there won't be a next time for this event," Hayden protested, disappointment creeping into his voice. His gaze shifted to Scarlett, those puppy-dog eyes impossible to ignore.
Scarlett couldn't stand seeing him upset. She glared at Ambrose. "You've barely done anything, and you're claiming exhaustion? Since when is your stamina this pathetic?"
Ambrose played the sympathy card with Oscar-worthy delivery. "I haven't been sleeping well. Too much on my mind lately. It's affecting my energy levels."
Scarlett heard the subtext loud and clear. She scoffed. "Stop making excuses. You're doing the horseback riding activity, period."
Yara, who'd never tried horseback riding either, grabbed his arm with both hands. "Ambrose, I want to try it too!"
He would never say no to her, yet he didn’t give in right away. Instead, he met Scarlett’s eyes, his gaze conveying the message perfectly.
Scarlett read his intentions perfectly but decided to play dumb. "The kids finally get a parent activity day and you're going to bail? What's even the point of you being here?"
"You know exactly what I want," he said, his stare unwavering.
Scarlett kept up the innocent act. "What do you want?"
Ambrose recognized her deflection for what it was. Knowing his bigger ask would get shot down, he pivoted to something smaller. "Have lunch with me. That's all."
The request was reasonable enough. Scarlett nodded her agreement.
Ambrose promised the kids their horseback riding adventure, and both children erupted in celebration.
Once Ambrose had wrestled his body back under control, he led his family of three back into the crowd. The moment they appeared, they became the center of attention again.
The other parents tracked their every move.
The moms simmered with jealousy toward Scarlett. Why did a divorced single mother get to land someone of Ambrose's caliber? And why did he shower her with attention so openly while she pretended not to care at all?
'Talk about not appreciating what you've got.'
Or perhaps that’s just how men are—when a woman appears disinterested, they only grow more fixated?
Meanwhile, the fathers couldn’t look away from Scarlett’s gorgeous face, secretly wishing they could charm such beauty as easily as Ambrose did.
The family of four threw themselves into the activities with abandon. The two little ones basked in the rare gift of having both parents present, happier than they'd ever been.
By the time the games wrapped up, both kids were drenched in sweat. Thankfully, Scarlett had packed backup clothes and changed them in the classroom.
Ambrose was sweating heavily as well. After getting the kids settled in the classroom, he guided Scarlett toward the restroom—he had to change.
Ambrose kept spare clothes in his car. His bodyguard delivered them, and Ambrose insisted that Scarlett accompany him.
She tried to brush him off, but he wouldn't let it go. Reluctantly, she grabbed his clothes and followed.
"You're heading into the men's room. I'm not going in there," she said, thrusting the clothes at him.
Ambrose accepted them and disappeared inside, only to emerge ten seconds later.
"Why didn't you change?"
"There's nowhere to change in there. I'll use the car. Come on."
Scarlett thought that since they were heading to the car, they might as well take the kids along. However, Ambrose reminded her that the kids had afternoon classes.
After considering it, Scarlett decided to say goodbye to the children first.
"I'm heading out now. Be good at school, okay? I'll pick you up this afternoon." She planted a kiss on each child's cheek.
"Come early, okay?" Hayden said.
He was realizing more and more that he couldn't imagine life without Scarlett anymore. He'd never been this happy—not until she came into his world.
"I will. I promise."
"Mommy, Ambrose is really tired. When you get back, give him a leg massage, okay?" Yara's thoughts circled back to Ambrose, especially after he'd made her game dream come true.
Having Ambrose around felt so right.
Scarlett didn't know what to say. Yara was increasingly Team Ambrose.
She walked out of the classroom to find Ambrose waiting by the door. She had no idea if he'd overheard Yara's comment, but she kept her expression neutral as they left.
Once they were back in the car, Ambrose quickly took off his shirt. Scarlett turned her head sharply to look away.
"It's not like you haven't seen it before. What's there to be embarrassed about?"