Page 107 of Through You
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.
