The Girl's Got Secrets (Forbidden Men #7)(78)

“What? How...” She shook her head, gaping at me, trying to figure out how I knew as much as I knew. Then she whirled to Asher. “That did not happen. Not like that.”

Maybe not exactly the way I’d described it, but oh, it had definitely happened.

Asher didn’t seem to care how the conversation had gone down. “Are you really married?” He took a decisive step away from her.

“I...” The guilt spreading across her face told us both she was.

“And you lied about not knowing who I was,” he further accused before lifting his hands. “That’s just…not cool.” Then he turned and walked away.

Tamra’s mouth dropped open. “What the hell?” she cried.

When she glanced my way, I shrugged. “Hey...life’s a bitch and then you die, huh?”

“You...” She narrowed her eyes. “You’re such a f*cking liar. Thanks for ruining my night.”

As she stomped away, I was about to call after her, something about a pot calling a kettle black, but then I stopped myself.

I was a liar, and I was probably a worse liar than she was. She’d only planned on tricking him for one night. I’d been tricking him for weeks, and would keep on for who knew how much longer. There was no end in sight to my deception, because I just didn’t know how to tell him the truth.

Feeling like crap times ten, I scoured the place until I found him at the bar by himself a couple minutes later, nursing some water, probably trying to sober up. His shoulders looked tense as he hunched over the counter, consoling himself.

I slumped down beside him.

For a couple seconds, no one spoke. Finally, I said, “I’m sorry.”

He blurted out a harsh laugh and sent me a weary glance. “What the hell are you sorry for?”

“I just...I cock-blocked you,” I mumbled. Because I was an evil, jealous bitch who hadn’t been able to stand seeing him take another woman home.

“No. You just saved me from f*cking a married woman. I should be thanking you...not you apologizing to me. Idiot.”

“Still...” I blew out a long sigh. “If only I’d kept my big mouth shut, you could’ve found a little relief.”

“Or ruined a marriage,” he argued. Turning to me, he looked me dead in the eye and set his hand on my shoulder. “You saved my ass just now. Thank you, man. You’re a true friend.”

Except I didn’t feel like a friend at all. My deception pierced me to the depths of my soul and I felt like the biggest fraud ever.

A true friend would’ve just wanted him to be happy.

In that moment, I swore to myself I’d help him find a woman before the end of the night if it was the last thing I did. And who cared if I cried myself to sleep afterward. I deserved it.

Asher, on the other hand, deserved the human contact he so craved.





Well, this sucked ass. The evening had started out great and quickly nosedived into crappy. All because I’d been thinking with my stupid dick.

I was practically sober again as I finished off the last of the water I’d ordered. Next to me, Remy was pensive. He hadn’t said much since trying to apologize to me for saving my ass. He sat with his back to the bar so he could watch the crowd. I thought I knew what his mood was about, and I’d just been ignoring it for the past so many minutes. But now, now, it was time for me to do something.

After setting down my empty container, I tapped the bar top next to him to get his attention. I hadn’t seen Holden or Gally for quite some time, but that was fine. Sticks was really the only one I wanted to say goodbye to, anyway.

“I think I’m going to head out.”

He jerked his attention to me, alarmed. “What? No. Where’re you going?”

“Home.” I slipped off my stool, patting my pockets to make sure I had my wallet and keys. “I’m just...I’m going to go home.”

“Why?” Sticks shook his head, confused as he popped off his stool. “You’re not just going to give up after one dead end, are you? What about your…your need?”

I sighed, feeling like an idiot for confessing that to him in the first place. “I’m fine. It’s okay. I have a hand; it knows my cock well.”

That answer seemed to stun him. “Look.” I sighed, deciding to get real. “I just...I have a feeling it’d...bother you if I went home with a woman tonight. And you’re my friend. I don’t want to upset you by flaunting some chick in your face.”

There. I’d said it.

And boy had saying it gotten me a reaction.

Remy jerked backward, his eyes flying open and mouth gaping wide. He shook his head for a second before sputtering. “Excuse me? What do you mean by bother me?”

He sounded so affronted I immediately realized I’d f*cked up. “Shit.” I lifted my hands, trying to restore the peace. “I shouldn’t have said anything. It sounded a lot less arrogant in my own head.”

“Un-f*cking-believable,” he muttered, gawking at me as if I’d called him a liar and a cheat. “You seriously think I want you for myself, don’t you? Well, f*ck you, man. I don’t care if you take home ten women tonight. Fuck whomever you like. I don’t give a shit.”

He started to turn away, but I grabbed his arm. “Hey. Shit. I’m sorry. Seriously, Rem.” I lifted my hands again. “I’m sorry. I don’t...I was being an idiot.”