Through You (The Hidalgo Brothers Book 2)

CLAUDIA

“This is dangerous.”

I feel the heat radiating off Artemis’s body and onto mine. He has one arm snaked around my waist, stirring up feelings that I shouldn’t be having for him. His proximity allows me to have a clear view of his masculine features and his perfectly kept scruff.

Part of me can’t help but wonder how his stubble would feel rubbing against my bare skin.

One thing is certain, it’s not my wanton thoughts that are pushing this moment into dangerous territory but the determination in his eyes.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

For the first time he is totally in control of the situation and his single-minded expression is making it clear that he’s made a decision. There are many possible outcomes, to be determined by how I handle this moment. I try to push him away. This makes him tighten the grip he has on my waist and press himself harder against me.

“Why are you always running away from me?”

The intensity of his gaze makes it difficult to swallow.

“I’m not running away from you.”

His lips curve into a naughty grin I’ve never seen on him. It makes him look incredibly confident and sensuous.

Get away from him, Claudia.

My brain is warning me, yet I can’t deny how good it feels to be in his arms. His strong, hard body makes me feel safe. I need to get a handle on this situation. I don’t want to give up control, and I feel vulnerable when I’m with him. I don’t like feeling this way. Artemis is used to having control over those around him.

Except for me. Never me. And so I let myself relax and give in to his embrace. And he takes notice. I can read his look of surprise.

I bring my hands up and wrap them around his neck.

“Do you think you can handle this?” I ask.

Artemis is visibly taken aback. “What do you mean?”

I give him a trusting smile. “If you had me, could you handle it?”

Artemis raises a brow. “Oh yes, I certainly could.”

“Are you sure?” I bite my lower lip and inch my face closer to his.

I watch him swallow. He doesn’t pull away. His nose grazes mine.

“Let me prove it to you.”

There is hardly any space between our lips. A small move on his part or mine could close the distance. He’s slightly taller so I stand on tiptoe and move in. Our breathing mingles. We’re looking into each other’s eyes, which project the unspoken emotions taking up room in the space between us.

I want to kiss him.

I’m startled by this admission. I didn’t mean to start something; my intention was purely to take control of the situation.

But his body, his scent, his breathing, his heat, and the desire radiating from his eyes, all these are limiting my ability to think rationally.

“Are you going to tease me all night?” he whispers against my lips.

“Maybe.”

He licks his lips. “Claudia.”

I get lost in his eyes for a brief second.

“Artemis . . .”

Before it’s too late and I end up giving into my desires, I use his confidence to my advantage and catch him by surprise when I free myself and push away.

“I should go.”

He strokes his beard, and doesn’t seem surprised by my actions.

“Running away won’t help. Some things are inevitable, Claudia.”

I fold my arms over my chest. “Which things?”

“You and me.”

I ignore his answer.

“To be honest, it’s late and I do have to go,” I tell him.

“I’ll take you.”

I don’t know why his reply makes me laugh. His persistence is formidable.

“No thanks.”

“I won’t take a no for an answer,” he says. “After all, we’re both going to the same house.”

He doesn’t give me a chance to decline, only grabs my hand and drags me along. We come down from the VIP area and walk by the side of the bar where all the bartenders and the staff have gathered to chat. They quickly disperse when they see us coming.

It’s obvious from their faces that we were the subject of their conversation. Artemis looks directly at the one employee I suspect is in charge of the rest of the staff. “I’m leaving. You can reopen, or leave it closed. Check with Victor and let him decide.”

“Yes, sir. I hope you have a very nice evening.”

I smile and hold Artemis’s hand while tagging along. Once we’re outside, we walk to a dark-blue classic car. He’s not one to drive sports cars or anything extravagant; his taste is classy and elegant. He lets go of my hand to open the passenger’s door. The trip home is quiet and charged with tension. I discreetly take a few glances at the man next to me while he’s focused on the road. He has one hand on the wheel and the other on the shifter to switch gears. I can’t put into words how, but he looks so sexy when he’s driving.

“How’s university going?” I wasn’t expecting this question but I’m glad he’s the one breaking the silence.

“Good. I have one more year to go.”

“Are you still terrible at reading?”

I purse my lips, mortified. “I do my best.”

He’s grinning. And I realize that I’m short of breath.

“Still prone to falling asleep after a reading a few pages?”

Yes.

“Of course not.”

He keeps quiet. I stop staring at him like a fool and look out the window at the houses, buildings, and trees whizzing by.

The motion makes the alcohol still in my system act up, making me feel dizzy. So I turn to look at Artemis instead. The watch he has on the arm resting on the wheel reflects the light of every streetlamp we pass. Every aspect of his appearance is immaculate.

Anyone meeting him for the first time could easily feel intimidated by his presence, which surely comes across as detached and unapproachable.

They, of course, have not seen his softer side. The side he showed while standing up for his brothers when they were mocked for what happened with his mother. Or that time when he stood up to his dad, who was about to give Ares a beating. And many other instances that no one knows about.

Why is it so easy for me to see through him? Is that the reason he still wants me? I’m not stupid. True, he’s no longer the teenager who declared his love underneath a sky illuminated with fireworks, yet the tenderness is still there in his eyes. I can see it when he looks at me.

What do you want, Artemis? Sex? Or something more? Has the fact that you couldn’t have me prevented you from moving forward?

A part of me is terrified at the possibility that once he has me he’ll move on, simply because he’ll no longer be chasing something he can’t have. And that’s not even the main reason I keep myself at a safe distance from him—it’s one of many.

Artemis shoots me a quick glance. “What are you thinking about?”

I keep my eyes on the road ahead of us and refrain from speaking.

“I thought I was a man of few words but you’ve always bested me at that.”

When we arrive at the house, I quickly get out of the car and run to my room to check on my mother, who is sleeping peace-fully. I let out a deep sigh of relief. I gently massage my shoulder as I make my way to the kitchen. To my surprise, I find Artemis there, standing at the opposite end, hands resting on the edge of the table behind him. He has removed his jacket and loosened his tie.

“How’s your mother?”

I walk past him to get a bottle of water from the fridge.

“She’s fine.” I don’t know why I feel edgy or why my heart is once again beating madly.

You’re just horny, Claudia. That’s all. He’s very desirable. It’s normal to be attracted to him.

The tension between us is heavy and thick. It’s as if it’s been slowly mounting as the night progresses.

Just seeing him here, his hard body covered in those elegant clothes, and the intense gaze promising a host of delicious indecent things.

What are you afraid of, Claudia?

Developing deeper feelings . . . becoming vulnerable . . . not measuring up to someone like him. Being used and discarded, like my mother. Losing the emotional independence I have worked long and hard to build. And being distracted from achieving the goals I’ve set for myself. I’m afraid of too many things.

I wish he was like other guys—just someone I could enjoy an uncomplicated and purely physical fling with. But there’s too much history between us. We share too many memories. After taking a sip of water, I turn around and look him directly in the eyes. I need to dispel this tension between us. So I soften my tone.

“Rough day at work?”

He crosses his arms over his chest.

“Every day at my work is rough.”

“It must be hard to manage a big company.”

He lets out a deep breath. “I’m used to it.”

I’m not sure why I want to keep having a conversation with him. I think it’s the alcohol. I should be in bed already.

“Do you still sketch?”

His lips turn into a halfhearted smile. “Yes.”

“Did you move past the stage of drawing Pokémons?” I tease, recalling the phase in his childhood when he was obsessed with sketching game characters.

He shoots me a forlorn glance. “That was a different time, so long ago.”

I can’t stop myself from giggling. I’ve annoyed him, and it’s a refreshing change. “Sure, sure.”

“I can show you my most recent drawings whenever you like.

I’ve improved a lot.” He sounds confident.

“I bet you have. You’ve always been clever, picking things up pretty quick.”

He arches a brow. “Is that compliment?”

“Why are you shocked? I always loved your sketches. In fact, you—” I stop myself. I don’t know if I should finish I was about to say.

“You, what?”

“I thought you could have become an artist.”

The look of amusement on his face vanishes, replaced by deep sadness that I’m pained to see.

“We can’t always become who we wish to be.”

“Sorry, I—”

“You don’t need to apologize.” He smiles at me reassuringly but the look of sadness stays. “I’m fine with who I am and what I do now.”

Even though he sounds convinced, I know this is the opposite of the truth. As a kid, not once did he ever mention wanting to become head of Hidalgo Enterprises one day. This makes me see him in a different light. He appears so alone, so unhappy.

It never crossed my mind that the power passed down to him was an unwanted burden placed on his shoulders. I remember his passion and excitement when he talked about his drawings.

Fast-forward to now, when he looks so vulnerable and deprived of affection. Before I can rethink or regret what I am about to do, I place my glass on the table and walk over to him. He unfolds his arms and looks at me, astounded. I wrap my arms around him in a hug, and rest my face on his chest.

“You’ve done a great job.” Although it takes him a few seconds to react, he reciprocates and encircles me in his arms. The sweet scent of his cologne is soothing. I can hear and feel the rapid beats of his heart against my ear. This feels right, even though it likely isn’t. This hug feels wonderful, and I lose track of time. I am enjoying every second of it. When we come apart, my hands linger on his sides and we stay very close. Our eyes communicate the intense emotions surfacing and wrestling between us.

Artemis leans forward, and his lips brush against mine. I pull my face back as quickly as I can. I take a step backward and attempt to leave. He reacts fast, grabbing hold of my wrist and pulling me toward him. Then, with his free hand, he grabs my face and plasters his mouth on mine.

A sudden burst of emotion rushes through me and clouds my reason. I kiss him back with an urgency that astounds me. It’s not a gentle kiss. It’s a fierce kiss loaded with years of longing. Our lips are in sync, moving furiously and passionately. My fingers are tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, while he grips me tightly by the waist. Our breathing becomes heavy and our movements are clumsy as we struggle to keep our passion under control. His scruff rubs against my face every so often, and it feels great. No one has ever kissed me like this. And I have never felt this way before.

Artemis presses his body closer, and my breasts rub against him. Though we are still fully clothed, I can feel the hardness of his body, and the intensity of the sensation is disorienting. His soft, wet lips are sealed to mine. He tastes like whisky. His tongue moves lightly over my lips, teasing, before he continues to kiss me with abandon.

I can’t make myself stop.

He lowers his hands from my waist to my ass, and gives it a squeeze that elicits a moan from me. I feel him getting hard against my stomach. It frightens me how much I want him.

Without breaking our kiss, he lifts and places me on the edge of the kitchen table, positioning himself between my legs. I am drunk with overwhelming desire. Every part of my body feels like a live wire. Artemis has put his hands inside my sweater and caresses my back and the sides of my waist. His fingers leave a delicious warm trail, marking everywhere they touch.

We pull apart by an inch and try to catch our breath. And then we resume our kiss with the same need and intensity. His hands move inside my sweater until they reach my breasts, and squeeze gently. His thumbs slide inside my bra and graze my nipples, triggering another moan. Instinctively, I’ve been rocking my body against his, rubbing myself against his hardness. I’m fully aware that I’m playing with fire, but how could I stop myself at this point?

Artemis unbuttons my pants and before I can react he slides one of his hands inside. I gasp in his mouth the very instant his fingers make intimate contact.

“Fuck, you’re wet,” he grunts against my lips. “Shit. You’re so sexy!”

I am way too aroused and it won’t take his fingers long to make me climax. His tongue is plundering my mouth while his finger is penetrating me. It’s driving me crazy. I hold on to his shoulders. He halts our kiss and intensifies his skillful ministrations deep inside me.

“Open your eyes, Claudia.”

I hadn’t realized that they were closed, so I obey, and our gazes meet.

“I need your eyes on me when you come. I want you to moan against my lips, and tremble in my arms. I want all of you.”

These words give me the final push and I reach my climax.

I bite my lips in an effort to suppress my moans, but it’s hard to contain them. Those intense brown eyes are staring at me with a passion that intensifies the incredible orgasm rippling through my body. I whisper a host of curse words while waves of pleasure wash over me—one after the other they batter my body, leaving me completely spent. Immediately after my orgasm, without hesitation, I quickly remove his tie and unbutton his shirt, revealing the bare chest that has been tormenting my thoughts since the morning when I saw him after his workout.

The sound of the main door opening and footsteps approaching brings us to a halt. I shove Artemis away from me. Still, there is not enough time for me to button my pants or for him to do up his shirt. Artemis places himself strategically with his back to the door so he can tuck his shirt in. My breathing is labored. Who could it be at this time? It’s past midnight.

Ares enters the kitchen. He’s running his hand through his hair, and wobbling. Is he drunk? When he sees us, he grimaces in confusion.

“Huh. What are you both doing awake?”

I’m having a hard time swallowing. My chest rises and falls at a fast pace.

“We were . . . talking.”

Artemis faces us both. His shirt is buttoned up but his tie is a disaster.

“You’ve been drinking again.” His voice has regained its familiar cool and composed tone.

Ares shoots us a silly grin. “Just a little.” His gaze falls on me.

“You’re blushing. Are you hot?”

I exchange looks with Artemis, who conceals a smile.

“Yes. The heat is set too high.”

Ares clumsily sits down at the table. “I must be plastered, because I don’t feel hot or cold.”

I get off the table and use the opportunity to button up my jeans. “I think it’s time for bed,” I state.

Ares covers his mouth as he lets out a long yawn.

I turn to look at Artemis, which is a big mistake. He sticks out his tongue and slowly licks his fingers before addressing me in a whisper. “I like the way you taste.”

I look over at Ares in a panic. But he still has his hands covering his face.

“Ares, let’s go. Let’s get you to bed.”

Ares uncovers his face to reveal a pout.

“I’m not a child.”

I ignore his protest, and start to lead him out of the kitchen.

Artemis waves at me with that one hand, looking cocky and pleased with himself.

“Good night, sexy.”

I break into an impish smile as I walk out.