The Girl's Got Secrets (Forbidden Men #7)(53)

Behind me, Gally and Heath began to unload their luggage while Asher headed for the front desk to secure our rooms. I stole another moment for myself, glad I didn’t have to listen to Gally degrade women anymore while he bragged about how much * he got, or smell any more of Heath’s dirty sock farts.

But Gally just had to go and holler, “Sticks, get your shit already. I’m not hauling your gay-ass luggage around for you.”

I spun to glare at him; my luggage was a plain, boring black. Dios, he was such an ass. But I tromped back to the van, anyway, because I didn’t want his disgusting hands anywhere near my things.

“Sorry, guys,” Asher announced as he rejoined us, flashing two key cards. “Looks like we’re doubling up tonight.”

My stomach immediately began to swirl. “Say what?”

I’d made it explicitly clear I’d wanted my own room; I didn’t care how much extra it cost me.

But holy shit, this couldn’t seriously be happening. How the hell was I supposed to take my mask off to sleep? Panic clawed at my throat.

“Wha...wha...why are we doing that?”

Asher sent me a small cringe of apology. “We’re too close to Soldier Field, and apparently the Bears have a home football game tomorrow. I got us the last two rooms available.”

I scowled. Stupid Bears. Stupid football. Why, why, why would they do this to me? I was counting on having my own damn room.

Asher tossed a piece of plastic at Gally. “You and Sticks can take 5B. Holden and I will be in—”

“Oh, f*ck, no,” Gally exploded. “You’re not bunking me with the queer. What if he crawls into bed with me in the middle of the night and tries to get kinky?”

I snorted. “As if that would ever happen.”

“He’ll see me change,” Gally whined to Asher, completely ignoring me. “And I sleep naked. I don’t want Sticks seeing me naked.”

Him and me both. Now, I was turning toward Asher, my eyes begging. “Please, God, do not stick me with him.”

“Fine.” Asher rolled his eyes big enough to encompass Gally and me together. “You take Heath then. Sticks can room with me.”

Oh, Dios, what?

Me room with Asher Hart?

No! In its own way, that was worse.

I actually wanted to see him naked. Crap, what if I saw him naked? Then I probably would try to crawl into bed with him in the middle of the night to get kinky.

I felt a little sick to my stomach with worry.

But seriously, how the hell was I going to hide the fact I was a girl from someone sharing a room with me?

Oh, f*ck. How was I supposed to take off my mask at all during this trip?

“There’s two beds, right?”

Asher sent me a dry look. “Yeah.”

I almost passed out from the relief of that answer, but I managed a much more contained nod. “Cool.”

So we unloaded our overnight bags from the van, left the instruments inside, and while Heath and Gally wandered off to find 5B, Asher and I stayed on the ground level, looking for 1D. I trudged along after him, rolling my suitcase behind me while he only toted a small duffle bag over his shoulder.

My mind raced as I kept thinking up ways my identity could possibly be revealed. Thank Dios it wasn’t that time of the month; I wouldn’t have any feminine hygiene products lying around. I’d even gone out and bought all new manly toiletries so I could play the part. But still, it’d take only one peek inside my luggage to see my girly thong or spare mask Jodi had made me, in case this one had a costume malfunction.

I wasn’t sure how Asher or the other two would react when they found out, but I was pretty sure I didn’t want to risk it happening while I was trapped with them in Chicago.

Trying not to worry or think about that, I said, “I’m sorry you got stuck with the gay guy.”

Asher’s back was to me as he unlocked the door to our room. Holy shit, I couldn’t believe I was going to share a hotel room with Asher Hart.

“Don’t worry about it.” He glanced over his shoulder to grin at me. “What Gally doesn’t know is I’ve seen Heath fall asleep on breaks when we used to work together. He snores like a freaking freight train.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “Burn.”

He flung the door open and entered ahead of me. “Do you have a preference of beds?”

And now I was talking about beds with Asher Hart.

Unreal.

“Uh...no. Whatever.” I’d be totally fine with just sharing, I didn’t say aloud.

He flung his bag onto the bed nearest the door and immediate toed off his shoes. I rolled my case to the end of the bed closest to the bathroom and ducked my head inside to see how much room was in there, because apparently, this might be the only space I’d get to peel off Sticks for a couple minutes and actually breathe.

It was small but clean, so I guessed it’d have to do.

When I exited, Asher was shedding his shirt and flinging it onto his bed.

My mouth went dry. Seriously, for such a slim guy, he knew how to pack a few awesome muscles into his lean frame. Then he reached for his fly, and my eyes almost bugged from my head.

“Wha...wha...whatcha doing?” I managed to ask.

He shimmied his jeans down his legs until he was in nothing but boxer shorts. “I’d rather not smell like Holden’s ass for the rest of the night so I’m taking a quick shower.”