The Girl's Got Secrets (Forbidden Men #7)(128)

Wincing over my own lameness, I was kind of tempted to chicken out, start my Triumph and head back home. I had no experience in love. What if I freaking failed? What if giving her—us—a chance ended up slaying me?

And what if I was so scared of the pain that I missed out on the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me? Clenching my teeth, I leapt off the seat and strode to her building. I had until the second story to boost my resolve, and I spent most of that time breathing like some kind of fighter ready to hop into a ring for his first round of blows.

Things had ended up good between Pick and me. Things could end up good here, too. And strangely, it felt as if I were once again risking everything important in my life just to build a relationship with someone. But this girl was worth it.

When I reached her door, I shook my hands out at my sides before lifting one to knock. Before my knuckles could meet wood, however, the door flew open, inward, making me jump back in surprise.

I expected Remy to be there, so I blinked in confusion when Gally stepped into the hall. He was so busy buckling his belt together, he was almost upon me before he realized I was in his path. Pulling up short, he yanked his head up.

“Oh, hey, man.” A smug, just-got-laid grin spread across his face. “Finally decide to end your dry spell? Right on!” He lifted his fist to bump with me in congratulations just as another band member—Holden—stepped from Remy’s apartment behind him, tugging on his shirt.

My mouth fell open as I gaped between the two. “What...?”

But seriously...what?

Gally laughed while Holden turned a bright red. Finally, my bass guitarist shrugged. “What can I say? The girl can’t get enough cock. She likes it best when every hole is filled.”

Snickering, he slugged the side of his arm against mine as if sharing some kind of inside joke. But all I could taste was acid, and all I could see was a blurry mass of light.

“Don’t worry, Hart,” Gally’s voice irritated my ears. “We got her nice and hollowed out for you. Have fun.”

I didn’t stop to think it through. I don’t think it was possible to even contemplate thinking at the moment. I just wanted to hurt the idiot bastard. Make him bleed and scream and ache deep inside...the way I ached.

With a savage roar, I dove at him, shoving him against the wall. “You’re dead, *. I can’t believe you touched her. She f*cking hates you.”

I popped him in one eye and would’ve gone for the other, but Holden yanked me backward off him.

That only pissed me off more. I tried to hit him too, but he used my own tactic against me and pinned me to the wall and pressed his forearm to my throat to subdue me.

I struggled, shoving and pushing at him to get off me, but the bastard was bigger, which made me growl in frustrated rage. If I could just have the size of Knox or Quinn, or even Noel, I so would’ve taken him down right then.

Calling forth some inner-adrenaline booster, I heaved at him again, making him stumble backward, away from me. About to leap after him, I jarred to a halt when I heard a voice—Remy’s voice—cry, “What the hell?”

But it wasn’t coming from the direction of her apartment. Whipping my head up, I gaped at her where she stood poised and frozen at the top of the stairwell, still wearing the dress she’d been in last night and clutching a steaming Styrofoam cup to her chest. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, but her hair was pleasantly mussed—from me having my hands in it the night before—and she was so f*cking beautiful, I took a second just to catch my breath.

Behind us, the door to her apartment opened. When I glanced over and saw Jodi peek curiously into the hall, wearing nothing but a short, silky wrap that was tied loosely enough to reveal she wasn’t wearing much underneath, I closed my eyes and cursed under my breath.

“What the f*ck is going on out here?” the girls demanded, nearly simultaneously.

“Ask that f*cker,” Gally answered, and I could tell he was pointing at me, but I was still too busy bowing my head in shame and berating myself for my stupidity to actually see it. “He’s the douche who attacked us for no reason as soon as we stepped into the hall.”

A second’s worth of silence followed, letting me know everyone was now looking at me, waiting for my explanation.

Then Remy had to go and murmur, “Asher?” as if she were actually concerned about me.

“Damn it,” I hissed and lifted my face, meeting her gaze, and wincing as soon as I did. “I...” Fuck, I couldn’t confess it. But her big brown eyes were so wide and worried. I blew out a breath and admitted, “I...misread the situation.”

She blinked, crinkled her brow, then glanced between Gally, Holden, and Jodi before her eyes flared with surprise. Then she whirled back to me, scowling. “Are you f*cking serious?”

I winced and pressed my hand to my aching head. Shit, I’d forgotten to take painkillers for my hangover. “I don’t know what I was thinking,” I immediately started, pushing all the guilt and apology into my expression that I could manage. “I wasn’t thinking. Shit. They came out of there still dragging their clothes on.”

Eyebrows arching, she set her hands on her hips. “So you just assumed they were in there visiting me? Really? Wow, that must’ve been a two-minute threesome since I just saw you, what, twenty minutes ago.”

I opened my mouth to deny my kneejerk assumption, but damn...she was right.