hugged while the other man pounded him on the back. “Damn, man. You finally crawled out of that hole you fell into. Glad to see you back out in the light of day.” Dash pulled back and caught Sebastien’s face in his hands, staring at him hard. Then he shook his head. “You look like hell. What are you doing, drinking yourself to death and lifting weights and nothing else? Your complexion is shit and your eyes are all bloodshot.”
“One of them is bloodshot. The other is fucked up to hell and back,” Sebastien pointed out. He shoved Dash back, knowing the man wouldn’t take offense. “And pardon me if I don’t go and bathe in mud every other week the way you do, pretty boy.”
“I’ll have you know I’m naturally this gorgeous.” Dash laughed at him. “You used to be. You should go see the people at my spa. A day under their hands and you’ll be back to your beautiful self.”
Sebastien rolled his eyes. “A few days of eating right and getting some decent sleep and I’ll be fine. See, I really
am
naturally gorgeous.” He scowled. “Well, I was. I didn’t need people at a spa. I could live at a spa now and it wouldn’t do shit.”
Marin spoke up before an awkward silence could settle in. “Sebastien, a spa wouldn’t do shit for you because you don’t need it. You’re
not
a pretty boy and never were. Leave the mud baths to those who enjoy them . . . like Dash.” She gave them both a cool smile.
“Ouch.” Dash grabbed Sebastien again and hugged him. “I’ve missed you, Seb. Lots of people do. Tell me you’re coming back.”
“Coming . . . What? No. Hell, no.” He shook his head and eased away, focusing on Marin. She met his gaze with an arched brow. “Hey.”
“Sebastien.” Her smile was steady. Her voice was easy.
But there was a warning in his head. It screamed at him.
When he took a step toward her, even though she didn’t
do
anything, there was . . . something else. It was almost as if she wanted to back away, but wouldn’t let herself.
And when he dipped his head to kiss her cheek, like he’d done a hundred times before, she held herself stiffly.
Just a few days before, she would have hugged him. Kissed him back. Said something about how he needed a haircut or if he didn’t shave soon,
she
would do it while he slept.
The scent of her rushed up and clouded his head as he slowly pulled back.
“I . . .” Words dried up in his throat. Sebastien was rarely at a loss for words, but as he stood there holding her eyes, he couldn’t think of a damn thing to say to her. “I called you a couple of times.”
“I know. I was going to give you a call tomorrow. I’ve just been busy.” The polite response, her voice, everything about her was perfectly . . .
polite
. The same way it would be if she was talking to a stranger.
She glanced past him to smile at Dash and
that
was a real smile. He had the insane urge to grab her and haul her close, force her to look at
him
, to see
him
.
I’ve lost my mind
.
“We were going to head up to a place I know on the coast, get some dinner.” Dash’s lips quirked. “I’ve been wanting to ask Marin out for a while, finally worked up the nerve and she took pity on me. And here I am . . . going to show how much I value our friendship, Sebastien. You’re not really dressed for the place I had in mind, but we can try something else if you want to come along. Marin said yes once. I can always try again.”
It was pathetic, how close he came to saying yes.
“Nah, man. Playing third wheel isn’t my thing.”
Dash protested while Marin averted her eyes. “It’s not third wheel, Seb. It’s three friends going out for a meal.” Dash wagged his brows and added a lascivious smile. “You know I’m all about those threesomes.”
“Yeah, and you know how I’m . . . not.” Sebastien snorted, shoving Dash’s shoulder as the man leered at him playfully.
Tabloids had made Dash out to be something of a sexual
“One of them is bloodshot. The other is fucked up to hell and back,” Sebastien pointed out. He shoved Dash back, knowing the man wouldn’t take offense. “And pardon me if I don’t go and bathe in mud every other week the way you do, pretty boy.”
“I’ll have you know I’m naturally this gorgeous.” Dash laughed at him. “You used to be. You should go see the people at my spa. A day under their hands and you’ll be back to your beautiful self.”
Sebastien rolled his eyes. “A few days of eating right and getting some decent sleep and I’ll be fine. See, I really
am
naturally gorgeous.” He scowled. “Well, I was. I didn’t need people at a spa. I could live at a spa now and it wouldn’t do shit.”
Marin spoke up before an awkward silence could settle in. “Sebastien, a spa wouldn’t do shit for you because you don’t need it. You’re
not
a pretty boy and never were. Leave the mud baths to those who enjoy them . . . like Dash.” She gave them both a cool smile.
“Ouch.” Dash grabbed Sebastien again and hugged him. “I’ve missed you, Seb. Lots of people do. Tell me you’re coming back.”
“Coming . . . What? No. Hell, no.” He shook his head and eased away, focusing on Marin. She met his gaze with an arched brow. “Hey.”
“Sebastien.” Her smile was steady. Her voice was easy.
But there was a warning in his head. It screamed at him.
When he took a step toward her, even though she didn’t
do
anything, there was . . . something else. It was almost as if she wanted to back away, but wouldn’t let herself.
And when he dipped his head to kiss her cheek, like he’d done a hundred times before, she held herself stiffly.
Just a few days before, she would have hugged him. Kissed him back. Said something about how he needed a haircut or if he didn’t shave soon,
she
would do it while he slept.
The scent of her rushed up and clouded his head as he slowly pulled back.
“I . . .” Words dried up in his throat. Sebastien was rarely at a loss for words, but as he stood there holding her eyes, he couldn’t think of a damn thing to say to her. “I called you a couple of times.”
“I know. I was going to give you a call tomorrow. I’ve just been busy.” The polite response, her voice, everything about her was perfectly . . .
polite
. The same way it would be if she was talking to a stranger.
She glanced past him to smile at Dash and
that
was a real smile. He had the insane urge to grab her and haul her close, force her to look at
him
, to see
him
.
I’ve lost my mind
.
“We were going to head up to a place I know on the coast, get some dinner.” Dash’s lips quirked. “I’ve been wanting to ask Marin out for a while, finally worked up the nerve and she took pity on me. And here I am . . . going to show how much I value our friendship, Sebastien. You’re not really dressed for the place I had in mind, but we can try something else if you want to come along. Marin said yes once. I can always try again.”
It was pathetic, how close he came to saying yes.
“Nah, man. Playing third wheel isn’t my thing.”
Dash protested while Marin averted her eyes. “It’s not third wheel, Seb. It’s three friends going out for a meal.” Dash wagged his brows and added a lascivious smile. “You know I’m all about those threesomes.”
“Yeah, and you know how I’m . . . not.” Sebastien snorted, shoving Dash’s shoulder as the man leered at him playfully.
Tabloids had made Dash out to be something of a sexual
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