Page 17 of Through You
“You’re tense,” he informs me as he keeps working.
It feels so good. I start to relax and swallow a soft groan. “The past days have been stressful,” I admit with an exhale.
Apolo’s hands are now on my back and his thumbs are applying pressure. They move alongside my spinal cord, hitting all the main points and making me whimper. Apolo stops and I open my eyes.
“Sorry. It is just too relaxing.”
He leans forward. I can feel his breath close to my ear. “Then relax. When a massage is this good, it’s normal to make those noises.”
His breath tickles, and I have a hard time swallowing. There’s a shift of energy in the room. I feel a weird vibe grow between us, and I can’t explain why. It’s not the first time he’s given me a massage. His hands go up my back and stop midway. My breathing comes to a halt when his hands move under my arms and come to rest on my abdomen. His chest is lightly brushing against my back.
“Inhale deeply. This is an antistress technique.”
Despite the strange proximity, I do as he tells me.
“Close your eyes. And concentrate on your breathing.”
I inhale and exhale. The heat of his chest envelops my back.
My heart races. To be completely honest, at this moment I feel the opposite of relaxed. His lips lightly graze my ear and I hope it was by accident. It must be an accident.
“Apolo, what are you doing?” I say quietly.
His nose brushes against my ear and his breathing gently caresses my skin. My heart keeps beating fast. What if he can tell?
This is embarrassing.Relax, this is just a massage.
“Claudia . . .” Apolo whispers in my ear. And I feel a shiver run down my spine. The sweet scent of his cologne wraps around me.
The strange mood is broken when the door is flung open, and I quickly jump to my feet and away from Apolo. A confused Artemis looks at me first, then turns his gaze to Apolo, who is putting his arms down but still kneeling on the bed.
Artemis folds his arm across his chest. “What are you two up to?”
Apolo looks at me before giving him an answer. “We were just . . .” But he doesn’t finish his sentence. Artemis arches his brow. “What do you need?” Apolo says.
“You haven’t answered my question.”
Apolo looks annoyed. “I don’t have to.”
Artemis wasn’t expecting that reaction from his little brother, and furrows his brow. I don’t want to spoil the peace accord we brokered earlier in the kitchen—we agreed to remain civil, and I don’t want any trouble.
“I was about to leave.” I smile at Apolo, turn to the door, and make my exit without looking back. I should not have come up to see Apolo. I need to be more careful now that Artemis is living here. Not because I care what he thinks of me, but because I don’t want to cause any problems for Apolo.
I’m on my way down the stairs when a shirtless and barefoot Ares runs past me.
“Ares?”
He holds a phone in his hand, and looks completely frantic.
“I’ll explain later!” he shouts as he dashes out the front door.
Back in my room, I text him. I’m worried and know I won’t fall asleep until I receive a message from him, so he lets me know that he won’t be sleeping at home tonight. Shirtless and barefoot?
I have a hunch that this has something to do with our next-door neighbor’s daughter. I believe her name is Raquel. I’ve never seen Ares show this much interest in a girl. Maybe she’s the one who will finally melt that frozen heart of his.
I take a seat next to my mother, who is sitting up and resting her back against the headboard. Her short red hair is peppered with gray. The wrinkles in her face are noticeable when she smiles. She takes my hand. “You’re back.”
I return the smile, and lean over to kiss her forehead. I pull away and caress her cheek.
