Page 31 of My Ex-Best Men (Ex Marks the Spot #4)

***Will***

C laire had no idea what she’d done to us.

We wanted her so desperately that we were willing to share her to make it happen.

I was starting to understand that once a man was pushed that far, he just had to accept that he was all in.

She’d opened Pandora's box, whether she realized it, or not. Judging by the confused look on her face, she didn’t realize it.

Waking up and finding her gone was unacceptable. First of all, I didn’t appreciate waking up in a bed alone with two other men. Second of all, I didn’t appreciate not being able to check on her to make sure she was okay.

“You shouldn’t have snuck out.” I crossed my arms and stared down at her. Even with Zane’s t-shirt over it, her dress was still distracting as hell.

She blushed and deflated in front of us. Her shoulders slumped and she stared down at her feet. “I was scared…”

“Scared of what?” Anthony pressed in closer to her so we were forming a human shield around her.

“What would happen this morning. I didn’t know if you’d still feel the same way or if it would be awkward and I just… I was scared.” She looked up at each of us and blew out a long breath. “I was so nervous that I ran out of the house in a see-through dress. I’m going to murder Uncle Sal.”

Zane kissed her shoulder. “Come back and let us show you how we feel.”

My dick hardened at the idea. “That sounds good. I can beat the shit out of Jordan later.”

“It wasn’t just a one-time thing?” Claire tugged at the hem of her shirt. “You want more?”

Anthony slid his hand under her dress where no one else would see. “I want everything, Claire. Feels like you do, too.”

Her eyes fluttered and her cheeks went rosy but then she snapped out of it and removed herself from our little bubble.

Standing a safe, unreachable, distance away from us, she licked her lips and straightened her shoulders.

“I have to make sure the wedding week is perfect for Sophia. Today is a big day. I need to make sure everything is set up and that everyone gets on the van on time. I… I like this. God help me, I do. But not today.”

The three of us watched her stride away, hips swaying, until she reached the front door of the hotel and paused. She looked back at us, pushed up her glasses, and tugged Zane’s shirt down before making a run for it.

“She’s going back to the house to change. We could just ambush her.” Anthony looked like he was already halfway buried inside her.

I groaned. “No. It’s for Sophia. If it wasn’t for my sister, I’d say fuck, yeah, but I can’t mess up shit for Soph.”

Zane raised his eyebrows. “More than sleeping with her best friend might?”

I rubbed my temples and shook my head. “I was just starting to find you tolerable.”

“Hey, Will! I was hoping you were already here.” Madeline hurried over in a cloud of perfume and hugged me. “I’m so glad you’re going today. I just don’t know the rest of the girls all that well, besides Soph, of course.”

Madeline had been a friend for so long that I could overlook most of her flaws normally.

She’d been putting me in a bad spot with Claire, though, and I had a bad feeling I was going to have to talk to her about it.

I knew she wasn’t interested in me, even if she did hang on a little too tight, but Claire didn’t.

I wasn’t going to chance hurting Claire, not when it felt like things could go good for us.

“You should try to get to know them. You’re always talking about not having girlfriends.” I eased myself out of her hold and nodded to Anthony and Zane. “Breakfast?”

Anthony looked contemplative as he stared at Madeline, a cold edge to his gaze. I didn’t know a lot about the man but I’d heard the rumors of him being a ruthless businessman. Everyone in Florida heard those rumors. “You should try being nicer to Claire.”

Zane grunted. “That’d be a good place to start.”

Madeline looked at me and pouted. “Do you think I’ve been mean to Claire? I would never try to be mean to her. She’s Sophia’s best friend and I love Soph. Maybe she just took something I said wrong?”

I had Anthony and Zane on one side, drawing a line in the sand, and Madeline on the other, pleading her case. I knew Madeline better than I knew the guys. It felt wrong to join the guys and leave her feeling shitty. Even if I did think she spoke to Claire more harshly than she did anyone else.

“Jesus, man.” Anthony shook his head and walked away.

I opened my mouth to say something when the front door opened again and Claire was back.

In an even shorter dress that flowed around her thighs in a pretty pink color, she was just as tempting as she’d been in the see-through dress.

She’d even put her hair in a higher ponytail that popped behind her like a vintage Barbie Sophia had worshipped as a kid.

Her glasses made her look like a sexy librarian barbie who was getting ready for bed.

Anthony changed directions and went straight at her. She saw him coming, though, and rushed across the room to talk to Jake and Soph.

Zane whistled under his breath and slapped my chest. “Remind me to send Sal the biggest fucking gift basket ever. I love that old bastard.”

I felt like a teenager again as I slapped him back and grinned. “I’ll chip-”

Madeline cleared her throat and when I looked back at her she was frowning up at me with tears in her eyes. “You do think I’m mean, don’t you?”

I inwardly cringed, especially when I looked at Zane for help and found him darting away. Not knowing what else to do, I put my arm around her and patted her shoulder. She molded herself to my chest and let out a few weak sounding sobs. “I don’t think you’re mean, Madeline.”

She gripped my shirt and leaned back to meet my gaze. “It’s just so hard, Will. I’m here for you and Soph all the time but I still feel like you’d both dump me in a second if Claire said so.”

I sighed. “Madeline, that’s not true. You’re a friend and I don’t just dump friends. What’s going on with you today? You doing okay?”

She sniffed and nodded. “I’m okay. I just feel lonely. Do you think you could hang out with me a bit today? It’s just one of those days, ya know?”

I pulled away and smiled. “Sure. We’re friends, Madeline. You don’t ever have to ask me if I’ll hang out with you.”

I blew out a breath of relief when she said she needed to powder her nose before we left for the spa.

That relief turned to dust when I turned and saw that Claire was watching with a deep frown on her pretty face.

I swore and started over to her, prepared to tell her something, anything, to get that frown off her face, but before I got a chance, more of the bridal party came in and then it was pure chaos as Claire did her best to round everyone up for the van.