Through You (The Hidalgo Brothers Book 2)

ARTEMIS

I can’t stop looking at her.

I’ve tried to distract myself by discussing business with my father or talking about public relations with my mother. I even tried to start a conversation with Ares. Despite my best efforts, the moment Claudia walks into the room, I can’t peel my eyes off her no matter how hard I try. And I don’t like feeling this way. I can’t stand not being in control of my emotions.

We’re on our traditional family trip to Greece for the Christmas holiday. As customary, Claudia and her mother have come along. However, this time it’s out of necessity, since Claudia is performing the role of caregiver to my grandfather. She seems quite at ease in his company, and they appear to have a close rapport. I’ve never been able to have that kind of relationship with him. I respect him greatly, and he’s a role model I look up to, but we haven’t deepened our bond.

On the hotel terrace, the late-afternoon sun paints the surroundings warm orange. Sitting at a long table, my mother is drinking her favorite wine, my father is occupied drawing graphs on his tablet, and Ares and Apolo are on their phones, chatting about a picture we took earlier that has apparently gone viral on social media.

Our grandfather has gone to take a nap, and Claudia is sitting across from me. She has on a blue bathing suit and a cover-up that doesn’t really cover that much. In any case, I have a clear view of her cleavage. Her skin looks soft, and I can’t help but imagine my tongue gliding along her neck and making its way down to her breasts. I shake my head.

Stop being a pervert, Artemis.

This woman is going to be the death of me. Ever since the night in the kitchen, my mind has become more depraved after having kissed her, tasted her, felt her . . . The sound of her moans has made me want more of her.

But you can’t have her, so you need to stop fantasizing about her.

Claudia wraps her lips around a large piece of watermelon before taking a bite. Her soft lips become slightly redder while she eats the piece of fruit. I have the urge to get up, pull her closer by the neck, kiss her, and suck on lips covered in sweet watermelon juices. I can’t concentrate when she’s around.

Claudia notices the way I’m looking at her. She frowns and whispers, “What?”

I was just fantasizing about the many ways I want to fuck you.

“Nothing.”

Her light tan brings out the freckles on her cheeks and nose.

Claudia looks at me, puzzled, before continuing to eat. I need air, so I get up from my seat before my wild imagination turns into a hard-on right here in plain view of my family.

I take the elevator up to our suite, sticking my hands in the pockets of my shorts. A group of female resort staff get on at the same time. I hear them whispering and giggling after they check me out. I’m used to getting attention from women, but I know the fact that I’m attractive doesn’t make me a better person. It makes it easier when it comes to the opposite sex, that’s all. Still, it hasn’t been much help in my efforts to win the girl who matters most to me.

In the suite, I find my grandfather sitting on the sofa. He’s holding a bowl of popcorn and watching a movie. I greet him with a smile as I walk by, heading to my room. The hotel suite we occupy is immense.

“Artemis.” My grandfather’s voice brings me to a halt, and I turn around.

“Yes? Do you need something?”

He addresses me without making eye contact. “Cowardice is a flaw unbecoming to us Hidalgos.”

“What are you talking about?”

Grandfather lets out a sigh. “I guess everything happens in due time. I just hope it’s not too late by the time you decide to do something about it.”

“About what?”

He looks at me and smiles. “Fighting for what you want.” He pauses. “Or who you love.” I’m about to say something when he raises his hand. “Shush, this is the best part of the movie. We’ll talk later.”

Puzzled, I head to my room, and fall back on the bed, closing my eyes. The images are vivid in my mind: Claudia in her cute swimsuit, her body, her curves, her smile in response to Ares’s jokes, her pretend anger when our grandfather doesn’t follow her orders. Or how she presses her lips together to keep from saying something she shouldn’t, and her habit of wiping her mouth with her hand before she’s about to tell a lie or when she’s nervous.

Claudia, how can I push you out of my mind when you’re everywhere I turn?

I truly would like to leave you in peace. I don’t want to complicate your life or hurt you again. But how can I do that when I’m attracted to you with every fiber of my being and with an intensity I can’t control?

In truth, it’s a struggle to live up to my father. He wasn’t always the calculating and cold man he is now. He was the best father in the world until my mother cheated on him. Though he was working hard building his empire during my childhood, he always found ways to spend time with us whenever he could. I can still recall vividly the night he found out what had happened with my mother, and the aftermath—the devastation evident in the redness of his eyes and the broken whisky glasses that littered the floor of his study.

“Dad?” I called to him as I carefully avoided the shards scattered on the floor.

My father was slumped behind his desk. “Get out of here, Artemis.”

I was a teenager filled with anger and pain. In that moment, I needed my father.

“I’m not leaving you alone.”

He stood and raised his hands. “Your father is a disaster and has failed as a husband.”

“That’s not true.”

He burst out laughing. Probably to keep from crying, the only other way he knew to react.

“It’s clear that even though I can build a million-dollar empire, I’m unable to keep my marriage together.”

“It’s not your fault, Dad. It’s hers, she’s a—”

“Watch it. She’s still your mother, Artemis. Whatever happens between me and her doesn’t change that.”

“You don’t have to stay with her, Dad. We’ll understand if you don’t want to be with her.”

My father pursed his lips, and his eyes were wet.

“I love her, son.” Tears rolled down and he wiped them away.

“I don’t want to be alone.”

“You have us.”

“You boys will grow up, build your lives, and leave me behind,” he explained. “I’ll end up alone in a nursing home.”

“I won’t do that.” I took a step forward. “I will never abandon you, Dad. I promise.”

“You’re just a teenager. You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I do know what I’m saying. I’ll always stay by your side and be there to support you any way I can, at the house or at the company. I promise. All right?”

He offered me a sad smile.

“All right.”

I fall asleep with the fresh memory of the promise I’d made seared in my mind.

It’s after ten at night when I wake up. I take a shower, then speak with Alex, who hasn’t stopped calling me all afternoon.

He’s talking nonstop about a personal issue on the other end of the line, and I give him monosyllabic answers. I can tell he needs to vent, so I let him take over the conversation. All the while, I head down to the first floor and make my way through the sliding doors that lead to the pool. The place looks empty at first glance.

And then I notice someone sitting on the edge with their feet dangling in the water. It’s Claudia. Alex keeps unloading on the phone.

Meanwhile, I can’t keep my eyes off the redhead who has occupied my thoughts ever since she was a smart-mouthed child.

Claudia is wearing a plain floral beach dress in a shade of red that matches her hair, which is gathered in a high bun. A few unruly strands that have come loose lightly touch her skin. The warm tone makes a nice contrast with the suntan from time spent at the beach these past days. She appears absentminded, and is moving her feet back and forth in the water.

What’s going through your head, dummy?

Ever since she was a girl, she’d get so irked if I called her dummy.

I say good-bye to Alex and leave my cell phone on a lounge chair. I make my way in her direction, stopping by her side. She appears a little uneasy when she looks up at me, so I give her a friendly smile.

She turns her gaze back to the water. “Hello.”

“Do you mind if I join you?”

“No.”

I sit down next to her but make sure to leave some space. I’m fully aware there’s still tension between us, maybe even more after my confession that I wasn’t lying when I told her I didn’t have a girlfriend. Unfortunately, what I feared most happened, and I ended up confusing her even more by failing to explain the true nature of the arrangement between me and Cristina.

The pool lighting illuminates the water, which in turn shines brightly in her eyes, giving them a lovely glow. This reminds me of the night that Fourth of July, of how the fireworks reflected in her eyes the same way. A part of me has always wanted to ask her why she rejected me. I’d been sure the attraction and feelings I felt went both ways—until that night. Obviously, I’d misread the signals when I made my move.

I don’t ask her about it. I’d rather not know if she didn’t reciprocate the feelings I had.

But I do need to break the silence lingering between us. “Are you still good at holding your breath underwater?”

She twists her mouth, making an expression that’s hard to read. Annoyance, perhaps? “I’m still better than you.”

I raise an eyebrow. “I’ve improved a lot.”

“Your lungs are weak.”

“Wow. No mercy.”

“You don’t deserve it.”

I nod. “You’re right. But I really have improved.”

She lets out a chuckle, mocking me.

“What? You don’t believe me?”

She folds her arms over her chest. “Prove it.”

“How?”

She tilts her head, indicating the pool.

“Right now?”

“What’s the matter? Afraid you’re going to lose again?”

“Fine.” I pull my shirt over my head, making Claudia blush and look away. My lips turn up in a cocky smirk. I can tell she’s attracted to me, even though she won’t admit it. I get into the water, which comes up to my waist since we’re at the shallow end.

There’s a trace of mischief in her eyes as she watches.

“You have to swim from one end to the other and give me two laps, keeping underwater without coming up for air.”

“What?”

“You can’t? I’ve done it several times since the day we arrived.”

It’s not a small pool. But I think I can pull it off.

“And what’s my prize if I succeed?”

“Maybe I’ll change my perspective about you and go back to believing you’re a human being.”

“Yay.”

She leans in, hands on the edge of the pool. “Good luck, iceberg.”

“Thanks, dummy.”

Claudia shoots me a murderous look. “You’re dumber that I am.”

I grin when I hear the familiar response. I head to the other side of the pool, accepting the challenge. I give her one last glance before I plunge in. I swim underwater as fast as I can, completing my first lap with success. In the middle of my second lap, my lungs start to burn, and I’m desperate for air. But I’m not ready to give up, especially when I have just one more turn left. I emerge from the water just as I reach my goal, taking in huge breaths.

Claudia isn’t on the edge of the pool anymore, and when I look around I see her walking to the doors.

“Hey, Claudia!”

She turns and gives me the finger. Oh no, this is not going to end like this. I leap out of the pool as quickly as I can and run after her. Claudia is through the sliding doors and into the hotel lobby, making her way to the elevator.

“Sir, you’re wet and should . . .” a member of the hotel staff begins, but I ignore him. I keep moving until I reach Claudia and grab her by the arm.

She’s surprised. I take advantage of the moment and bend to lift her up, throwing her over my shoulder. Other guests are staring at us and whispering. I pay no attention as I carry her back to the pool area.

“Artemis Hidalgo! Put me down, now!”

I lower her to the ground near the edge of the pool.

“You throw a challenge at me then take off when you lose, and to top it off, you give me the finger?”

She crosses her arms. “I didn’t think you could make it.”

“But I did. And now you have to admit that my lungs are no longer weak.”

“No.”

God, she’s too damn stubborn! She always brings out my playful side without much effort. I grab hold of her dress with one hand, twisting the top part. I spin her so she’s barely standing on the edge of the pool, hanging over the water.

“Admit it.”

“No.”

I pretend I’m about to let go and she grabs my wrist, letting out a squeal.

“It’s your last chance, Claudia.”

She sticks her tongue out at me. “I’m not afraid of water. I’m not made of sugar.”

At that very moment, I release my grip and let her fall backward into the pool. She emerges from the water, pushing hair that’s come loose from her bun off her face.

“You’re a jerk.”

“And you are a sore loser.”

She stares at me but shows no inclination to get out of the water, nor to admit defeat.

Don’t jump in the pool, Artemis. You won’t be able to resist the temptation if you get near her when she’s wet and no one is around.

I switch off the rational part of my brain and dive in. The splash I make sprinkles her face, and moves her backward. Given our height difference, the water reaches just above my waist but comes to under her chest. My eyes move along the outlines of her exposed skin, traveling from her neck, now covered with tiny drops of water, and down to the rest of her body. Her dress floats and I watch her struggling to cover her legs. This was a bad idea.

“Don’t look, pervert,” she scolds me, holding on to her dress.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

I keep my eyes on her face, displaying chivalry in response.

She sucks in her lower lip, and my mind can’t help but wander off to a very bad place. I need something to distract myself.

“Why are you so bad at losing?”

“Because I don’t like to give you the satisfaction of winning.”

“But I already won.”

“Not until I admit you have.”

I squint at her. “You’re as stubborn as ever.”

“And you’re as needy to claim victory.”

Realizing that we’ll never get anywhere if we keep this going, I change the subject. “Despite all the renovation work, the swimming pool still looks like it did when I taught you to swim right here.”

She quirks one eyebrow. “You taught me? Pretty sure I learned how to swim on my own.”

“Do I have to remind you how you clung to me the first time we ventured to the deep end of the pool? Your nails left marks on my neck.”

She shrugs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I smile, victorious. “Yes, you do.”

“The one thing I remember is you running and screaming because a bee was chasing you all around the pool.” She lets out a hearty laugh.

“I’m allergic! I had good reason to be afraid.”

“Help me!” She imitates my cries of that day. “I’m going to die!” She keeps laughing. “The bee was long gone and you kept running.”

I can’t stop myself from chuckling. Looking back, my reaction was pretty funny. We both stop laughing and stare at each other. The tension that passes between us amplifies.

Do you feel what I feel, Claudia?

I take a step closer to her, and she moves back, clearing her throat. “I should go.”

But I don’t stop. I clench my hands at my sides, staving off the urge to touch her. I keep advancing, and she continues to retreat until her back hits the wall of the pool.

“Artemis.” I don’t listen and continue to corner her. She lets go of her dress and puts her hands on my chest to halt my advance. “Artemis.”

I stare down at her body. Her dress floats, revealing her legs and part of her underwear. I bite my lower lip. Claudia’s breathing is as fractured as mine. Her chest rises and falls unevenly. I raise my hand and gently rub her parted lips. I notice Claudia swallowing. She pushes my hand off her lips.

“I have to go.” She is about to slip away when I grab her by the hand, forcing her to face me.

“I know you feel the same way I do.”

She frees her hand from mine. “I never said I didn’t.” She gives me sad smile. “I’m not the one who needs to decide, Artemis. I know how I feel. I also know what I’m worth. And I won’t belittle myself and play the role of the other woman while you figure out what it is that you want.”

And with that out in the open, she takes her leave. I don’t stop her. I know she’s right. I’m the coward in this situation. I’m the one who won’t fight for what I want. My grandfather’s words replay in my head: Cowardice is a flaw unbecoming to us Hidalgos.

Grandfather, I guess I’m not much of a Hidalgo, after all.