‘BACHELOR’ SEAN’S MIAMI HEAT

NationalEnquirer.com

Hunky beefcake SEAN LOWE chasing ‘CSI’ beauty after EMILY MAYNARD snub!

New “Bachelor” Sean Lowe still carries a torch for his high school sweetheart, a sexy actress who appeared on the CBS hit “CSI: Miami”!

The 28-year-old Dallas insurance agent dated Taylor Cole – who played lab technician-field agent Samantha Owens on the popular show – when they attended Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas.

Friends of Sean, whose heart was broken by Emily Maynard on the last season of ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” say that even now the never-mar­ried, never-engaged stud compares prospective girlfriends to the brunette beauty that got away.

“Sean and Taylor dated for a while and were really tight throughout high school,” a close pal and former class­mate of Lowe told The ENQUIRER.

“They were known as the Ken and Barbie of high school. They had model good looks and both were extremely athletic and super-pop­ular. They looked like the perfect couple and they got along great. Everyone assumed they would get serious after graduation.”

The romance fizzled when Sean went to Kan­sas State to play football and Taylor headed west to pursue her Hollywood dreams. But pals say Sean still considers Taylor the ideal woman.

Lowe, who came in third place dur­ing Maynard’s season of ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” will be looking for true love when the 17th season of “The Bachelor” returns in January. Sean’s pals say Emily, who eventu­ally chose entrepreneur Jeff Holm and got engaged to him, came really close to measuring up to Taylor.

“Sean and Taylor went their separate ways after high school, but he still thinks of her often,” added the source. “He believes he came really close to finding love with Emily last season, but he says it ultimately wasn’t God’s plan.”

Meanwhile, Cole, 28, starred on NBC’s now defunct “The Event” and had a recurring role on “CSI: Miami.” She was ro­mantically linked to “Glee” actor Mark Salling in 2010.

“Sean has faith that he’ll land the woman of his dreams on ‘The Bachelor,’” said the source. “But if he doesn’t find romance on the show, he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of reunit­ing with Taylor.”