“Thanks.” I smiled, tentatively. “I’ve always wanted my very own cabana boy.” I stretched a little and reached to take the drink. As I did, Seth’s gaze flickered down mybody.
And I remembered what I waswearing.
My X-ratedbikini.
I took the mai tai and sank back into my chair, a little embarrassed. My playlist was still rolling, Maroon 5’s “Sugar” playing, and I felt awkwardly like the star of my own sexy swimsuit video. I could hardly blame him for looking; even Dylan checked me out when he once saw me in this thing, and Dylan was the closest thing to a brother I’d everhad.
As much as Seth and I had once been bandmates, tourmates and friends, he had never felt like a brother tome.
This was evidenced by my own gaze, dropping south of his face. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. I’d actually rarely seen Seth without a shirt. Unlike Jesse, who rarely ever wore a shirt onstage, Seth pretty much always did. And come to think of it, he’d never been one to lounge around half-naked like the other guys seemed perfectly comfortable doing. Not because he was uncomfortable with it, but because he’d never been the attention-whore the other guyswere.
Which, in a way, was kind of a shame. For the femalefans.
His shopping trip must’ve been successful because his jeans were gone, and in their place, thin white cotton pants sat low on hiships.
He was slimmer than Jesse and Ash. I wasn’t sure why I made that comparison in my head, but there itwas.
He was tight though, toned, and cut in all the right places. My gaze followed the suggestive V of his groin down, where it disappeared into his pants… then shot up again, quickly… over his tight abs and his hard chest, to his face. His olive-toned skin set off his grayish-green eyes… which seemed to darken as he looked down atme.
“I wasn’t gonna offer to rub lotion on you or anything,” he said slowly. “That’s where I draw theline.”
“Uh… that’s okay,” I said. “Joanie already took care of that.” Then I laughed a little, thinking I was being funny. Though I realized, belatedly, that now he was probably just picturing Joanie rubbing lotion on me, which was not what I’d intended. Joanie was cute, with her strawberry-blonde hair and rampant freckles. And in this bikini, I wasobscene.
That mental image was total spank bankmaterial.
I cleared my throat a little. I’d just woken up; maybe that’s why everything felt a little off. That, and the fact that I was practically naked. In front ofSeth.
“Cheers,” I said, raising my drink. It was cold, the glass already dripping with condensation, and I was definitely in the mood for a coldone.
He raised his coffee mug—which I really hopedwasjust coffee—and we clinked. “Cheers.”
I took a sip of the mai tai. It was delicious, but I hoped he hadn’t taste-tested it. Who knew what a simple sip of fruity cocktail could do to a reformed heroin addict? Notme.
I managed to squeeze out, “Uh… catch up with you later?” as I grew ever more self-conscious in my barely-therebikini.
“Later,” he agreed. His gaze flickered over my bikini again—or my bodyinthe bikini. Then his eyes met mine. His face was carefully blank, and I had no idea what he wasthinking.
Well… I had someidea.
He slid his shades, which had been sitting on top of his head, over hiseyes.
Then I watched him walk away, across the patio and the lawn, out toward the trees and the rocky path that led down to the beach. His back was as impressive as his front, which was saying a lot. Seth’s face was incredibly easy on a girl’s eyes. He had those soulful, smoky eyes and full, kinda pouty Brad Pitt lips. His toned, tanned back and his tight butt in those low white pants were much the same—drool-worthy.
Objectively speaking… Seth Brothers was totally hot. The fangirls had always loved him, and anyone could seewhy.
But in my estimation, he was hotter now than when he was with Dirty. He’d been younger then, still boyish, and a junkie. Out of control and reckless, and the girls had liked that about him,too.
Now he was a man, though, which meant he had more to offer. To the fans. To any band that got involved withhim.
To any woman who got involved withhim.
And what fangirl wouldn’t likethat?
Yeah. If we could only find a guitarist as talented as Seth, who could also sing like Seth, write like Seth, and look likeSeth…
I settled back in my seat with a sigh and took a cooling sip of mycocktail.
If only Seth Brothers had an identical-looking, identically-talented twin brother whohadn’tbroken our hearts… we’d have itmade.
