The Girl's Got Secrets (Forbidden Men #7)(76)

As Heath and Gally continued on ahead of us, I leaned in, wincing when I made Asher sneeze. But I still had to mutter into his ear, “Thought you said you didn’t like one-night stands.”

Though my voice had been discreet enough, he hissed, “Shh,” and slapped his finger to his lips. “I don’t. But I’m horny and desperate and just drunk enough not to care about how shitty and more alone I’ll feel afterward.”

I wrinkled my brow and opened my mouth to argue, but the look he sent me was full of an aching craving I knew I couldn’t fill with a couple rounds of Call of Duty.

“I need this, Sticks,” he confessed. “I need…something.”

I knew exactly what he needed. He needed to be touched.

Then, as if to wipe away all the misery in himself, he grinned and bumped his body into mine. “And who knows. Maybe I’ll actually meet my soul mate out there.”

Good Lord, I hoped not. Watching him take home a one-night stand would be bad enough; watching him fall into a committed relationship with some other woman...yeah, just kill me now.

I swear, all the females in the building could smell his need, too. As soon as we cleared the back hall and entered the main portion of the bar, they flocked to him, touching him, praising him, smiling their evil, witchy skank smiles at him.

I was torn away from him as they crowded in, and while the space between us grew from one foot to ten, I knew he was lost to me. I wanted to drown myself in more alcohol, but then...I just couldn’t. I went to the bar and ordered a water before returning to the fringes of his crowd of fans, watching helplessly.

After a couple sips, I started to think luck would be on my side. Asher was politely turning them all away. And as the disappointed, rejected flock slunk away one by one, my spirits lifted. If this kept up, his own pickiness would save my entire night.

Asher slumped down next to me, scowling. “What’re the odds that some woman in the place doesn’t know I’m in a band?”

“Oh, about zero to nothing,” I assured him, feeling better by the second.

He scowled at me. “Thank, *,” he hissed. “That makes me feel so much better.”

I laughed and slapped his arm. “Just being honest, my friend.”

“Well, I could use a good lie right now. So if you could be so kind—umph.” He went sprawling toward me as someone bumped into him from behind.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there,” A girl gushed, her eyes wide and hand covering her mouth. “Are you okay, sir? Did you spill your drink?”

“No, it’s fine. We’re good.” Asher glanced at me to make sure I was good, then turned back to the woman. “Are you okay?”

She preened and held out a hand. “Well, I am now. The name’s Tamra.”

“Asher,” he greeted, shaking with her.

She scrunched her eyebrows before leaning forward and saying, “Archer?”

“No. It’s Asher,” he called a little louder.

“Oh, okay.” She smiled and kept her hand in his. “Did you come to watch the bands play, Asher?”

His eyebrows lifted. Then he sent me a smug little smile, as if to say zero to none, huh? And he turned back to Tamra...the whore.

“Something like that,” he answered. “Did you get to hear them?”

As they started a conversation about the bands from tonight and music in general, I rolled my eyes and turned away, sick and disgusted and freaking hurt.

He was going to pick this one. I just knew it.

I hated it, and yet there was nothing I could do about it.

I should’ve left then. I knew I should have. But I just had to torture myself. I had to watch it all play out.

They were totally hitting it off. Asher was laid-back, but I could tell he was into her. I mean, he didn’t flirt with her or look at her the way he had me when he’d caught me in the shower—a small consolation I played up in my mind—but it was enough. He was drunk and desperate enough to take her home.

When she announced she had to go the ladies’ room and would be right back, he spun to me and flashed me a thumbs-up as well as a grin that seemed to say we have a winner.

I didn’t smile back. Instead I hopped off my barstool. “I gotta take a piss too.”

His grin died. “Uh...okay.”

Turning away from him and unable to keep looking at the hopeful, excited expression on his face, I hurried toward the bathrooms. There was a little alcove before it separated into the men’s and ladies’ rooms. As I entered it, I completely ignored the men’s side. Instead, I bent down and peeled off my mask.

When I straightened and shook out my hair, some guy had just entered the alcove and had stopped frozen, gaping at me. “Dude,” he said, raising his hands and circling around me before he could escape into the lavatory.

I didn’t even care that I’d been caught. I was too drunk, or jealous, or something, to think it through. I hurried into the women’s room and pulled to a stop when I saw Tamra with a few friends, fluffing their hair in the wall of mirrors above the sinks.

“You lucky bitch,” one said, slapping Tamra’s arm. “I can’t believe you’re about to score Asher Fucking Hart.”

“I know, right?” Tamra giggled and bit at her lips to plump them

I drew in a breath and pressed my back to the wall just inside the doorway.