Brown Siblings - 01 Laid Bare by Lauren Dane

nice diversion.”
    “Just a diversion?”
    “Good lord, it’s been a week! I don’t want to marry him or anything.”
    “You were gonzo for him back then. He rang your bell in a major way. You sulked for months.
    Then again, I suppose I have him to thank for pretty much every song on our first CD, huh?” She shrugged. “He listens to country music. He has no idea.” It amused her that he didn’t know how big they’d made it. At least she knew he wasn’t a starfucker. He liked her for Erin, not because Mud Bay had dominated MTV for four years nonstop and Adrian still did.
    Adrian snorted. “Like, good country or . . .”
    “Or, I think. I’m going to his house day after tomorrow to help him paint. He’s promised me Thai food and good beer as payment. Oh, and Drumsticks. Chocolate and vanilla. I’ll check his CDs then. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

    “This guy totally has your number with the Drumsticks. Lemme know about whether he needs a beat-down. Don’t let him get too fresh.”
    “Ha!”
    They went back to work, noodling around on the last two songs until way past midnight.
    “Why don’t you stay over?” He walked with her back upstairs from his basement studio.
    “I’m past panic attacks, Adrian,” she lied. “My building is totally on lockdown and I’m just a regular citizen these days.”
    For a solid year after she’d come back to Seattle she found herself having panic attacks. Anyone looking at her funny, any sudden, loud noises and she was transported back to that day. Back to that day when she’d been lying in a doorway, dying, helplessly watching as her baby was shredded to ribbons in the cross fire as he tried to escape, using Adele as a human shield.
    “God, Erin, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you think about it.” He’d held her hand often enough since that day—hell, since the letters and calls had started. He and Brody sat on either side of her all through the trial, had helped her pick up the pieces and had supported her when she wanted to come back home to Seattle.
    She shook her head. “Stop feeling guilty. I’m fine. You’re fine. I’m going home. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Erin kissed his cheek when they got to her car door.
    She looked inside before getting in because that was something she did. The drive back to her building was quiet. The streets were pretty much empty by that hour.
    Once the gate slid closed behind her in the parking garage, she sighed, feeling very tired. Her spot was very near the elevators, which was a lovely favor done because the building manager’s daughter had been a huge fan and Adrian had even shown up and introduced himself. After the manager’s wife had heard what had driven Erin back to Seattle, she got a spot even closer, right beneath a light and in full view of the surveillance cameras.
    Her place was quiet but for the noise from the fish tank where the jellyfish undulated, ghostly white in the pale light coming from the partially shrouded moon.
    Once she’d changed into a cami and some sleep shorts, she pulled a bottle of juice out and headed to her bedroom. Sleep would come fast, as it often did after she spent so much time in the studio.
    Big brown eyes flecked with amber were the only things she thought of before drifting off.
    9
    Todd grinned when she pulled her Outback into his driveway. He wasn’t surprised by her choice of vehicle, or that it had purple metallic paint. He ambled out to meet her, pleased to see she’d pulled her hair into twin braids and wore faded, low-slung jeans with a thin, snug vintage T-shirt.
    “This is a great neighborhood,” she said as she got out.
    “I like it. I like you in it.” He swept her into a hug, burying his face in her neck.
    She laughed, wrapping herself around him. “Hi there.”
    “Come inside.” He took her hand and she followed him, looking around.
    “Decent front yard. You should plant some flowers and stuff to add color.”
    “That’s on the list.