Page 14 of My Ex-Best Men (Ex Marks the Spot #4)

***Claire***

I tiptoed through the house Anthony rented, unsure of where I was supposed to be staying.

It was late. I’d avoided every male on the island for as long as possible, until I was burned and just past drunk.

It was after dinner, I knew, but I wasn’t sure what time it really was.

It was dark out and that was adding to my difficulty in finding a bed to sleep in.

I didn’t want to face Anthony while drunk, still in shock at seeing him, and in another one of Sophia’s tiny bathing suits.

“Claire?” Anthony’s voice called down from upstairs and I froze.

I’d been thinking about him all day long and I didn’t want to come face to face with the man and have to be mature about everything.

In my panic I shook myself out of my stupor and slipped into the closest room.

Thankfully, it was a guest room with a lock on the door.

I silently turned that lock and backed away.

I just wasn’t ready to face Anthony. I wasn’t sure I ever would be.

“Claire? Where’d you go?”

My thighs hit the bed behind me and I tumbled back onto it gracelessly. It was luckily a silent fall and I was just drunk and tired enough to roll the rest of the way into the bed and tuck myself in under a throw blanket. Even with the panic at the idea of facing Anthony, I passed out in seconds.

I wasn’t sure how long I’d been asleep but I woke up shivering and clutching the thin blanket to my chest. I thought the cold air conditioning had woken me up until I heard a commotion coming from outside the bedroom door.

Sitting up, I strained to make out the voices and when I couldn’t, I climbed out of bed and walked over to pull the door open.

I was still a little tipsy and I wanted the noise to stop so I could go back to sleep.

Someone had turned the lights on in the house and I realized I was in a guest room just off the main living room. Across the room, standing just inside the front door, were my three exes. They’d all stopped talking and had turned to stare at me.

I clutched the throw tighter with one hand and rubbed at my eye with the other. Surely, I was dreaming. Then I noticed the luggage sitting at the feet of the three men. “What’s happening?”

“My room had to be given to Jake’s uncle who showed up last minute.” Will shrugged like it was nothing.

“And my room is flooding. Weird, huh?” Zane ran his eyes over my body and even from across the massive room, I felt the heat of his gaze. “We came by to see if Anthony was still feeling generous about letting people stay with him.”

Anthony was still in his suit, with just the jacket missing. He’d rolled his shirt sleeves up to his elbows and when he crossed his arms, the veins in his hands and forearms stood out. I’d always been a sucker for a sexy pair of veiny forearms. “Stay wherever you want.”

Zane slapped him on the back and went to move past him, towards me.

“As long as it’s on the first floor.” Anthony crossed the room and swung me into his arms bridal style.

I gasped and clung to him and it seemed to please him.

He shot me a burning look before moving towards the stairs.

“Your room is upstairs. Your stuff’s waiting for you, along with a few things your uncle sent over. ”

“She has legs. She can walk.” Will had managed to cross the room in the blink of an eye. He stared moodily at Anthony. “Maybe she should stay down here on the first floor.”

“Not going to happen.” Without waiting for an answer Anthony climbed the stairs two at a time and carried me to a room with double doors. “This is your room. There’s a door connecting it to mine if you need anything.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off of the man who’d once been a little dorky in the most endearing way. There was no sign of that dorky guy. Not even a single crooked grin. I wanted to know what’d happened to him to turn into the hard looking man holding me.

He put me down next to a massive four-poster bed and held me with his arm around my waist while he turned down the plush bedding. “You need pajamas.”

I sank down on the side of the bed as he stepped back and swiftly unbuttoned his shirt.

Button by button, he revealed more and more muscular chest. My mouth watered and my liquor soggy brain shut off as he shrugged out of the shirt and pulled me to my feet to wrap it around me.

I realized quickly that Anthony was the kind of rich that allowed him to wear professional, button-down shirts that were softer than anything I owned.

“Arms out, Claire.” He wasn’t shy about looking at my body when the throw dropped to my feet.

He didn’t hesitate for too long before helping me into the shirt and buttoning it, though.

Just when I thought the feel of his knuckles brushing against my stomach would kill me, he took it a step farther and reached inside to tug the strings loose at my back.

I gasped. “Anthony?”

That earned me my first slightly crooked smile. “I’m just making sure you’re comfortable, Claire.”

He pulled the small bikini top the rest of the way off, keeping his hands away from my most private spots. I was still a heavily panting mess by the time he finished, though. I licked my lips and sank heavily onto the bed when he let me go.

“We’ll talk tomorrow when you’re sober and rested.

I want you clear-headed for the conversation I want to have.

” He waited for me to settle fully in the bed and then he tucked me in.

He stared down at me for a few seconds, his eyes flicking between my mouth and eyes.

“You’re even prettier now. I didn’t think it’d be possible, but you are. ”

Anthony leaned down and lightly pressed his lips to my forehead before walking through the door that connected our rooms. I noticed he left it slightly parted before he shut out the lights.

I was in big trouble.