Through You (The Hidalgo Brothers Book 2)

ARTEMIS

I didn’t want to wake you up. You were sleeping so soundly. Sorry I had to leave like this, but I have to go help my mother get her day started. I’ll see you later, iceberg.

—Clau.

I smile at the note left on the nightstand and stretch as I get up, still fully naked. My gaze falls back on the bed and its dis-array. The memory of Claudia gripping the sheets while I was fucking her raises the temperature of my body. How I love that woman! She drives me crazy. Sleeping with her has far exceeded my expectations.

I’ve never experienced such intense feelings while having sex. The emotions, the looks, the warmth in my heart when I kissed her . . . everything made it the best sex I’ve had in my life.

I shower, then get ready for work. I put on a suit and notice a red mark on the lower side of my neck when I fix my tie. I get closer to the mirror and tug the collar of my shirt open to inspect the spot. It hurts a little when I touch it. I try to recall the moment when this could have happened. Claudia on top of me. She’s moaning, moving up and down. She leans forward to kiss me on the mouth first, then moves to my neck where she sucks hard while she amps the speed of her movements. I let out a groan in pain because she was sucking too hard, then she pulled away to look at me.

“Sorry, I got carried away.”

“Never apologize for moving like that, ever.”

It was worth it. I head downstairs, ready to leave for work.

I’m in a good mood and have a big smile plastered on my face simply because. When was the last time I woke up feeling this great? I can’t recall. I enter the kitchen, and try to hide my smile when I spot Claudia preparing my morning coffee. I move closer and hug her from behind, which makes her jump as I catch her by surprise.

“Hey,” she complains, turning in my arms.

“Hi, fire,” I say before giving her a quick kiss. Her soft lips greet mine momentarily. Now that I’m finally able to kiss her and hold her in my arms, it’s all I want to do.

“Good morning, iceberg.”

“I thought you’d already melted me.”

Her lips curve up, forming a smile. “I was under the impression it was the opposite: I made you hard.”

Her reply causes me to arch an eyebrow. “I think we need to confirm that.”

She feigns innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“By the way”—I caress her face gently—“do you think you could wear your uniform when we’re alone?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“You have no idea how many times I’ve fantasized about screwing you in that uniform.”

“Oh, I might.”

I rub my nose against hers. “Was I that obvious?”

She nods and I pull her in closer for a kiss packed with emotions, feeling every inch of her lips against mine. The kiss picks up tempo and she brings her hands around my neck while our lips deepen their contact. The beating of my heart increases. She was the first girl I liked, the first girl who made me feel nervous and awkward, the first one I declared my feelings to, the one I showed my vulnerable side, and the one I cared for on so many occasions.

So I’m not shocked by the intensity of my feelings when I hold her in my arms. For me, it has always been her.

Claudia ends the kiss. She reaches past me, searching for cups to serve the coffee. “Your parents or Apolo could come down at any time,” she reminds me. “And your grandfather and his nurse are living here now, so we have to be careful.”

I let out a sigh and step aside, watching her pour coffee into two cups. She hands me one.

“Don’t you have to go to work today?” I ask her, and when Claudia frowns, I almost slap myself. She still doesn’t know that I’m aware she works at my company. Shit! “I mean, do you have plans today?” I hide my face behind the coffee cup as I take a sip.

“Not until much later.”

I glance at the clock on the wall. I need to go now; I have a meeting in half an hour, and I slept longer than usual.

“I have to go.” I give her another quick kiss and put the cup down on the table.

She hands me a container. “Fruit salad. It’s important to have breakfast.”

That makes me smile like an idiot.

“Are you worried about me?”

“Why are you so surprised?”

“I’m not surprised.”

“Then?”

I look her straight in the eyes. “I like it.”

She blushes and looks away. I’m trying hard to resist the urge to kiss her again, and so I ask her another question instead.

“Should we do something tonight?”

“I have plans. I’ll see you later when you come home.”

“What kind of plans?” I ask, and she raises an eyebrow. “I’m just curious.”

“Relax. They’re not plans to meet a man.”

“I’m relaxed.” I give her a wide smile. “Can’t you tell?”

“All right, Mr. Relaxed. Get out of here or you’re going to be late.” She pushes me in the direction of the door.

“Is it a girls’ night out? To a club? You could go to my club. I promise I won’t bother you if—”

“Good-bye, Artemis.”

I reluctantly make my exit.

After a rather long two-hour meeting, I’m dying to eat and grateful to Claudia for the fruit salad waiting for me in my office.

To my great misfortune, when I walk into my office I find it occupied by Alex, who is lying on my couch, holding two ice packs to his head. His eyes are closed, and he grimaces in pain.

“Don’t you have your own office?” I ask.

“Can you please have mercy, I’m on my deathbed,” he replies in a low whisper. Perhaps if I ignore him, he’ll go away of his own accord. At my desk, I uncover the fruit cup and begin to eat. The sight of Alex stretched out on my couch looking like a rag doll is not the best view, but maybe he won’t be his usual chatty self since he’s not feeling well.

Alex turns his head in my direction and opens his eyes. He watches me for a few seconds. “I’m not seeing the moody aura that’s often around you.”

“Alex.”

He squints while studying me from afar. “Where has the tension in your posture gone? Or on your face? I’m not getting the icy chills when I’m near you.” He sits up and puts the ice packs down. “So what happened? How did you manage to turn back into a human?”

“Very funny, Alex.”

He smiles at me, but winces in pain. “Ow, this headache is going to kill me.”

“Should I be concerned about your alcohol intake?”

“Nah. I only drink once a week, so I’m fine. But thanks for worrying about me.” He makes eyes at me.

I give him a tired look.

“Alex, don’t you have an office of your own? Where you have a couch that’s identical to mine simply because you’ve always been a jealous guy?”

“But I’m alone in my office and don’t have you by my side.”

I’m not even going to acknowledge his comment with one of my own, so I keep eating. Alex stands up and tilts his head to one side, looking at me as if I have three heads.

“What?” I say.

“I made a joke and you didn’t growl once. What—” He comes to a full stop when his eyes land on my neck, and I quickly pull my shirt up to cover it. “Artemis! Is that a hickey?”

I clear my throat. “No, it’s a mosquito bite.”

“Sure, a very sensual mosquito.” He stands in front of me.

“What are you not telling me? If you broke up with Cristina . . .” He walks to one side, holding his chin and looking deep in thought.

“Was it Claudia?”

I look away, pretending I’m not interested.

“Bingo!” he exclaims. “Wow, if I had known that Claudia would change your eternal bad mood, I would’ve played Cupid a long time ago.”

“Didn’t you have a headache?”

“Yes, but it’s not every day that your best friend finally gets together with the girl he loves. You were never able to get over your first love, huh? It’s because you’re a hopeless romantic.”

“Alex, I’m going to punch you.”

He pats me on the shoulder. His voice loses its playful tone, and he gives me a genuine smile. “I’m happy for you, Artemis.”

“Thank you,” I reply. “Now get back to work.”

“Your wish is my command, Mr. Chief Executive Officer. By the way, try to stay inside your office as much as possible. The mosquito bite will attract too much attention.”

He winks at me, picks up his ice packs, and leaves.

At this moment, I wish my face didn’t appear in so many of the company’s ads. It’s nearly impossible for me to go unnoticed among my employees—everyone knows that I’m the CEO. They either scurry away in fear or they try hard to impress me with the most perfect version of themselves by giving one hundred percent to their jobs. I even suspect they hold their breath the moment they spot me. I had the intention of paying a visit this afternoon to the marketing department, where Claudia’s doing her internship, hoping to watch her from a distance for a little while. And now I know it won’t be possible—I have yet to reach the floor where her department is located, and I’ve already passed several members of staff who fell silent or looked petrified.

I don’t look that terrifying, do I? I’m younger than most of the staff. Why would they be afraid of me? I understand that I hold the highest position of authority in the company, but I’ve decreased the rate of layoffs since my father appointed me to the role. Job security is the most stable it’s ever been. So what is it, then? Do they see me as an iceberg?

I think back to that word Claudia uses, which doesn’t make much sense since she’s one of the very few people who knows I can be warm and kind. I give up. Since I’m near the finance department, I decide to pay Alex a visit. Maybe he can come up with an answer.

However, I stop when I spot his secretary, a young woman with a cherubic face, wavy hair, and a voluptuous figure. She’s applying lipstick and adjusting her hair before going into Alex’s office. I think that my best friend’s secretary has a crush on him.

Alex, you’re such a cliché. I go back to my office in defeat.

The sound of my cell phone ringing wakes me up. I squeeze and rub my eyes with my thumb and forefinger before opening them. My office is cloaked in darkness. How long was I asleep?

I stretch out my hand and reach for my phone, which keeps ringing insistently. I become fully awake when I notice Claudia’s name lighting up the screen. This is the first time she’s called me on this line.

“Hello?”

“Iceberrrrrrrg!” she shouts in my ear, forcing me to peel my head off the receiver, ever so slightly.

“Claudia?”

I hear female laughter, chatter, and music playing in the background.

“Iceberg, I think . . .” she whispers, as if divulging a state secret. “I’m drunk.” She giggles.

“Claudia, where are you?”

“Relax a little. Loosen up, Artemis. Aren’t you exhausted being tense aaaal l l the time?”

“Claudia.” I say her name in a harsh tone. “Where are you?”

“At . . .” She is slow to complete the sentence. “The street.”

“Which street?”

“The street where all the bars and clubs are.” A girl makes a comment about the lights in the background, and Claudia laughs.

“I tried to get into your club but I was told only VIPs are allowed.

I hate you. Why do you have a club if you don’t let people inside?

Bad Artemis.”

I stand up and collect my suit jacket from the side of my desk.

“I’m on my way. Don’t leave.”

She gives me an exaggerated snort. “Even when I stand still, everything keeps moving.”

I’ve never heard or seen her that drunk. She’s always in control.

“Stay there. Claudia. I’ll—” She hangs up on me. I have never in my life left the building in such a hurry.

I immediately call my club’s head of security. “Put tonight’s doorman on the phone.”

“Peter speaking, sir,” the doorman answers a few seconds later.

“Peter, a red-haired girl tried to get in the bar with her friends a few minutes ago. Did you see her?”

I get into the car.

“Yes, sir. But they didn’t have a pass; that’s why I—”

“I know. Do you see her right now? She’s still out there somewhere on the strip. Could you go look for her and bring her to the club, please? I’m on my way.”

“I’ll try, sir. There are a lot of people on the street now.”

“All right, thank you.”

I drive as fast as I can within the speed limit. The club district is not far, but there’s a lot of traffic at this hour. I know I may be overreacting, and that Claudia is a woman capable of looking after herself, but I can’t help it. How can I not worry when she means so much to me? I park in front of the bar and immediately spot Peter, who anticipates the question I’m about to ask.

“They’re inside, sir. In the VIP section.”

I let out a sigh of relief and enter the club, which is packed as usual. I climb the stairs and head to the VIP section. My shoulders relax, and I’m overcome by an immense sense of relief when I see her. Claudia is sitting between two guys who look familiar, and there’s a girl next to them. Where have I seen them before?

“Iceberg!” Claudia shouts when she sees me. I move closer to them. They attempt to appear serious. “You came.”

“Always, dummy.”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

There’s a glimmer in Claudia’s eyes, and she gives me the most adorable smile, making me want to kidnap her and take her away from everyone. The girl sitting with them stands up and wobbles over to me.

“I think Claudia has had a little too much to drink.”

“Is that what you think?”

The guys also stand up.

“Well, well, here’s the ice-cold prince you’ve been talking about the entire night. Time for us to leave.” They grab the girl by the hand. “Let’s go, Gin. Claudia will be fine.”

“Will you take care of her?” Gin asks me, and I nod. She pats me on the back. “Good boy.”

They leave, and I turn my attention to the drunken redhead seated a few steps away from me. Claudia is covering her mouth and giggling. “Am I in trouble?”

I sit next to her. “You have no idea.”

“Do I deserve a spanking?” she asks, blushing.

“Do you want a spanking?”

“From you, I want it all.”

Heat spreads over my neck and travels down my chest and abdomen. I shake my head. She’s drunk.

“Let’s go home.”

She cups my face with her hands. “You’re so handsome.”

I’m unable to hold back a smile.

She pulls her hands away and runs her index finger along the contour of my face, my lips, and nose. “You being here, close to me, is enough to turn me on.” She leans in to kiss me and I stand up, pulling her up with me.

“Let’s go,” I tell her, needing to get out before she gives me an erection right here in the middle of the lounge.

I grab her by the waist and walk her down the stairs. She stumbles several times, but I have a tight grip on her and keep her steady.

As soon as we’re in the car, I put on her seat belt and drive away. She lets out a sigh. “I’m happy.”

I shoot her a quick glance. Hearing her say that fills me with joy.

She gestures broadly in the air as she speaks. “I always keep everything organized, and in control. I don’t drink that often. But today . . . I said . . . fuck everything. Today I woke up next to the man I have loved my entire life, and I had a good day at work. My boss even congratulated me in front of everyone. So why not get a little drunk? I’m entitled to lose control.”

“I suppose you are,” I tell her.

“It’s exhausting,” she admits, whispering. “Keeping everything under control, it’s so . . . exhausting. I’m twenty years old, not forty. I’ve always lived my life with caution, but I’m”—her voice breaks—“so tired.” She lets out a sad laugh. “So today I got drunk and didn’t care if I acted like a fool. I’ve never acted foolishly, so what’s one time in my life. Right?”

“It’s nothing,” I say and reach out to hold her hand. “You can do whatever you want, and I’ll take care of you. You’re no longer alone, Claudia. I’m here. You can lean on me and let me carry some of the burden for you.”

“You’re so adorable.” She grabs my cheeks, giving them a squeeze before she straightens in her seat.

Upon our arrival, I realize she won’t be able to walk in without making a racket. She could wake up everyone, including my mother. And that’s a terrible idea. So I carry her in my arms while she keeps laughing quietly.

“What a true gentleman.” She buries her face in my chest.

“You smell so good.”

I make it across the living room and head down the hallway leading to the guest room, because I don’t think she’d like to go to bed next to her mother in this condition.

“No.” She grabs my shirt. “I want to sleep with you, please. I want to wake up next to you.”

Shit. This woman is going to melt my heart.

“I won’t seduce you, I promise,” she murmurs, and I can’t help but smile.

I take her up to my room and lay her down on my bed, covering her with the sheets. She sits up, fidgeting. I can see it won’t be easy to get her to settle down and fall asleep. I take off my jacket, shirt, and pants, but leave my boxers on. I walk around the bed and sit next to her. Claudia stares at my abs shamelessly.

“Claudia, my eyes are up here.”

She bites her lower lip. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Of course.”

“I love your penis.”

I choke and beat my chest. I’m at a loss for words, and Claudia covers her face with the pillow. I take the pillow off her face.

“Tell me more.”

She shakes her head. This is more fun than I thought it would be. It appears the alcohol has removed all her filters and the self-restraint she exercises diligently. She moves closer to me, and gives me a side-hug, resting her face on my neck.

“It’s always been you, Artemis. Always,” she whispers. Her voice tickles against my skin. “If it wasn’t for her, we would have been together a long time ago.”

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. Who is ‘her’? Cristina?

“I was so happy that Fourth of July by your side. I wanted it to be the first of many Fourth of July celebrations that we would spend together.”

She’s bringing up something that has always puzzled me.

“You still have the small stuffed pig we won at the fair that day,” I tell her, recalling what I discovered on her bedside table.

“Why?”

“Because I wanted to be with you, idiot. I’ve always wanted to be with you.”

“But you rejected me that day.” It still pains me to say it.

She yawns as I wait for an explanation.

“Claudia?”

“I didn’t turn you down because I wanted to. I had to.”

I lean forward, and sit up straight. I cup her face with both hands and force her to look at me. “What are you talking about?”

Her eyes are half-closed. “Your mother . . .” she begins in a whisper, “she threatened me. She told me that if I didn’t reject you and push you away she would kick me and my mom out of the house.”

The blood boils in my veins, and I clench my jaw.

“I couldn’t let that happen, Artemis. My mom and I couldn’t land on the street again. You understand, don’t you?”

I pull her close. Of course I understand. Her mother means everything to her, and I would never be angry that she chose her over me. I’m furious, but not with Claudia. I’m mad that she was forced to choose. The fact that my mother put her in that position turns my stomach. And now everything makes sense. I always felt that Claudia reciprocated my feelings. It was why her rejection rattled me. I didn’t understand how I could be so wrong when it was blatantly obvious that she liked me. But my mother’s intrusion ruined everything.

How much more are you going to destroy for us, Mother? Do you even care in the slightest about us? Tomorrow, I will make you listen to me.

Claudia sighs as she falls asleep in my arms, and I kiss the side of her head. I guess we’re destined to be together, because in spite of all these obstacles, she’s here in my arms, just as it was meant to be.