Page 30 of My Ex-Best Men (Ex Marks the Spot #4)

***Claire***

T he moment my eyes opened the next morning I was struck with a wave of anxiety over what we’d done.

I couldn’t regret it because it’d been the most amazing experience of my life but I just…

I wasn’t sure what came next. I knew that most likely nothing came next but I would’ve been lying if I said I didn’t have feelings for all three of my exes.

I couldn’t deny it after sleeping with them.

I wasn’t sure how they’d react to me after the things we’d done the night before and I was too scared to face them. So I snuck out. Again. All three of them were dead asleep as I crawled out of bed and rushed to my room.

I took the world’s fastest shower, skipping my hair, and didn’t bother looking through the outfits from Uncle Sal.

I just grabbed the one on top and pulled it on.

It was surprisingly loose around my body and even though it stopped just above my mid-thigh, it felt a lot more conservative than his other picks.

I pulled on a pair of borrowed flip flops and only stopped downstairs to find my phone.

As I silently shut the front door behind me, I admitted to myself that I was being a coward. After the things I’d done the night before I should’ve been able to stay and face them. I just couldn’t. The what-ifs were too many and too dangerous. My delicate feelings couldn’t take a bad response.

When I got to the breakfast buffet in the hotel and saw Jordan standing at the waffle maker, I figured it was my karma for running out on the guys. I still tried to stay away from him as I waited for my turn. I hung out by the eggs until a staff member came over and asked me if I was okay.

Jordan had noticed me by then and motioned me over. His eyes widened as I got closer. “Wow.”

I scowled at him and crossed my arms. “What?”

He stared at me until I was shifting in discomfort. “You look different.”

I let out a high-pitched laugh. “Me? Different? Nah.”

“No, there’s definitely something different about you.” He stepped closer and inspected me. “Did you change your hair?”

I fanned him away and glared at his waffle in the machine. “That has to be burning by now.”

“Come on, Claire. Don’t leave me hanging. There’s something besides the clothes that’s different about you.”

“There’s nothing!”

He cupped my upper arm and smiled. “Fine. Don’t tell me. I don’t care, I guess. Not as long as you come by the room after breakfast. I have something I want to run by you.”

I suddenly wanted to strangle him. “Are you serious?”

He flashed another smile that had originally drawn me to him. “Yeah, of course. I want to talk about your manuscript.”

His waffle was definitely burning but I didn’t care because I no longer wanted one.

I stepped closer to him and lowered my voice, not wanting anyone to overhear me ripping into him.

“You gross pig. You don’t remember that’s how you tricked me into dating you in the first place, do you?

You asked me to come by your office so we could talk about my book and then you spent the entire meeting flirting with me and undressing me with your eyes.

You were in a higher position than me then!

I thought you were going to give me a chance. God! How disgusting are you?!”

Jordan grabbed both of my shoulders and pulled me closer, despite the way I dug my fingers into his side to force him to let me go. “You’re being a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

I heard people coming in and forced a smile.

I wasn’t going to cause a scene in front of the rest of the bridal party.

“You’re gross. I’m going to talk to Jane and Terry when I get back about ensuring that you no longer have access to an unlimited number of young women who are gullible enough to believe you have any power in the company. Asshole.”

I pulled away from him and saw Sophia standing across the room with a mug of coffee in her hand. I hurried across to her and smiled. There were so many things flashing through my head. What I’d done the night before. How scummy Jordan was. How I wanted to crawl back in the bed I’d run from.

“What was that?” She pointed with her mug at where Jordan was removing a blackened waffle under the disapproving gaze of a staff member.

I scowled at his back and shook my head. “He asked me to come by his room so he could run something by me.”

She gasped. “No!”

Of course, she knew the whole story. “Yeah. The prick.”

“I can see why he decided to shoot his shot, though.” She motioned at my body. “This is a look, babe.”

“It was on top of the pile.”

“Did you look in the mirror before you left?”

A chill went down my back. “No. I was in a hurry. Why?”

She threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, boy.”

“What?!”

“I’m just saying it’s no surprise that Jordan was practically grinding his dick all over you. The dress is see-through in the light, C.” Sophia looked over my shoulder and grinned. “Men, you let your roommate out of the house looking like a whole snack and she was already propositioned.”

Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. I stood perfectly still, hoping Sophia was just messing with me. I knew better, though. Especially when the smell of the ocean hit me just before a big, warm hand cupped the back of my neck. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Will’s scowling face.

“I wasn’t propositioned.” I let out a pained laugh and had to clear my throat. Seeing them standing there, looking like avenging gods, had my body reacting in big ways. The dull ache between my thighs turned into a throbbing need.

Anthony looked down at my dress and his eyes narrowed. “Who propositioned you?”

“Jordan. He’s missing what he walked out on right about now.” Sophia bumped my hip with hers and then looked over at where Jake had just come in. “I’ll be back. I have to tell Jake he can’t look at you right now or I’ll have to poke his eyeballs out.”

I looked down at my dress for what felt like the hundredth time and whined. “It doesn’t look see-through from up here!”

Zane shrugged out of the worn t-shirt he had on and pulled it over my head.

I was shocked to see the deep frown on his face.

He gripped my waist and tugged me close.

“You snuck out on us. You went prancing around in what might as well have been your birthday suit. And that asshole came onto you. Did he touch you?”

“Of course, he touched her.” Anthony growled. “Would you have been able to look at her in that dress and not touch her?”

Will looked around the room and then his gaze zeroed in on Jordan. “I’m just going to have a little chat with him.”

I tried to make myself big enough to block all three of them. “Stop it! What is wrong with y’all? This is your sister’s wedding week, Will. You can’t start a fight and ruin things. And you!”

Zane grunted when I turned on him. “What about me?”

“Since when do you go all caveman and beat your chest over a woman?”

“Not over a woman, Claire.” He flashed me a dark smirk. “Over you. ”