Melting - Sean Ashcroft Page 0,12

as he looked over me, a little shiver of warmth rolling down my spine. “Those are sexy forearms.”

Sexy forearms.

That was a new one.

I wasn’t sure what to do with that, either, so I just tucked it away to think about later.

“Am I acceptable for dinner?” I asked.

“Oh, you look outright edible.”

“I can’t believe Daddy let you out of the house in that,” Andre said.

I looked up to see a thin man with dark hair and striking green eyes coming toward us, picking his way through the surprisingly crowded, low-lit bar.

Wearing a hot pink crop top.

He threw himself down onto the well-worn couch Wes and I were sharing, throwing his legs over Wes’s lap without so much as saying hello.

I’d gotten the impression Wes and his friends were physical people when Andre had hugged me hello and kissed Wes on the cheek, so I wasn’t as surprised as I might have been. On a scale of one to ten, maybe a seven.

They weren’t like anyone I’d ever known before, but I already kind of liked them. Even this newcomer in his nineties revival crop top practically sitting on top of Wes.

“Daddy gave me this,” the new arrival said, tugging on the short hem.

“Surprised his name isn’t on it,” Wes said, which was my first clue that when they said Daddy, they didn’t mean this guy’s actual father.

I was still too busy thinking about Wes calling me edible to think about much else. Part of me knew it was a completely normal compliment and just evidence that Wes was an outgoing kind of person who treated everyone like they were his friend. I could even see how my dad would’ve been drawn to him—they weren’t exactly alike, but they were kindred spirits in that way.

But edible was one hell of an upgrade from walking out on a date ten minutes in and not so much as texting to apologize.

“He’s promised to join us for dessert, so you can ask him why it’s not in person,” he said. “Introduce me to Mr. Tall, Dark, and Fuckable.”

What felt like all the blood in my body rushed directly to my face.

Edible was one thing.

Fuckable was… another.

“Stop that,” Andre said. “You’re embarrassing him.”

“It’s fine,” I responded, grabbing my water and taking a long draught, hoping the coolness of it would do something about the way my face was glowing hot.

“That’s Hayden, as you know,” Wes said. “Don’t tease him, he’s new. And this is Seth, by the way.”

“I’d apologize, but I speak only the truth,” Seth said, grinning with a wicked gleam in his eye.

By the time I put my glass down, it was empty.

Before I could even think about refilling it, Wes grabbed the carafe and topped up all of our glasses, grabbing a new one for Seth.

“It’s fine,” I repeated, clinging to my glass for comfort as Wes passed it back to me.

“I’m an acquired taste,” Seth said, his expression changing from predatory to something kinder. “But I’ll be gentle with you. For tonight. As a favor to Wes.”

“What about me makes you think I’d want you to be gentle?” I said, swallowing down the sudden surge of regret as soon as the words escaped me.

It wasn’t what I normally would have said, but being who I normally was wasn’t getting me anywhere. I had the chance to be different in front of these people who didn’t know me yet. I had the chance to be playful and flirty and not serious and mature for my age.

The way Seth’s face lit up made it all worth it.

“We’re keeping him,” he announced, voice dripping with approval. “He’ll play with me.”

Andre mumbled something I didn’t catch under his breath, Seth poked his tongue out at him in response.

“It’s your round,” Wes said, poking Seth in the side, touching the bare skin of his stomach like it was nothing.

Because to him, it was nothing. It didn’t mean anything that he hadn’t minded touching me. He was just like that.

It didn’t mean anything.

And it wasn’t as though I wanted it to. That was ridiculous.

“Why do I feel like you’re trying to get rid of me so you can apologize for my behavior behind my back?”

“Because that’s exactly what he’s doing,” Andre said. “I’ll have another Jack and coke, light on the coke.”

“What does our new best friend drink?” Seth asked.

“Uh. Would I sound pretentious if I asked for whatever local beer you think is good?”

Wes chuckled next to me. “Get him a bottle of Friendly Otter,” he said.