Page 30 of And the Best Man Ran Away With the Groom

Before I can really get into it, though, Xav breaks the kiss and rolls off me, breathing hard.

“What? No—” I reach for him but he wards me off, casting me a regretful smile.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t gone off you or anything. But I’m fucking starving, and if we don’t get a move on we’ll miss brekky.”

I let out a resigned sigh; in my current state of horniness, I’m not exactly eager to venture out of this room. But I can’t deny I’m feeling pretty peckish after last night’s activities, so grabbing some breakfast definitely isn’t the worst idea.

“Alright. I should probably get some fresh clothes from my place,” I say. “Did you want to wait, or should we just meet at the restaurant?”

He considers this for a moment. “Let’s just meet there. I need a shower, and I should probably give Mum a call—it’s been a couple of days since I spoke to her so she’ll probably have the Thai police out looking for me if I don’t get in touch soon.”

I let out a soft breath of laughter. “Sounds like she’d get along well with my mum.” I pull myself up off the bed and start dressing in the clothes I was wearing last night. Then I bend down to give Xav a quick kiss on the cheek. “See you in a bit.”

Once I’m back in my bungalow, I strip down again and head for the bathroom. I still have some of Xavier’s cum on me from last night, so not showering really isn’t an option. I’m anticipating just having a quick rinse off, but it turns out dried cum is a lot harder to clean off than I’d expected. That’s something I’ll have to keep in mind for the future…

When I’m finally done with my shower, my chest scrubbed red-raw, I sling a towel around my waist and head back to the main room to grab some clothes. My phone buzzes from the pocket of the denim shorts I’d been wearing last night and I stride across the room to retrieve it, assuming it’s Xav letting me know he’s on his way to breakfast.

But when I see the text, I can’t help feeling a nervous little flip flop in my gut.

Jack Macey:Hey mate, how’s the trip going?

I shake my head, banishing the awkward feeling that’s just come over me. There’s no need to feel guilty right now. The relationship between Jack and Xav is well and truly over—Jack made sure of that himself when he ran out on the wedding. Even so, the thought crosses my mind that maybe I’ve stepped over some kind of line by hooking up with my best mate’s ex. Jack and I have never had the same romantic tastes so the whole bro code thing has never applied to us. This is all completely new territory for me.

I quickly get dressed and pocket my phone, deciding I can wait to reply to Jack’s text. Then I leave my bungalow and head for the restaurant.

When I arrive, I see that Xavier is already there, making his way along the buffet line. I let out a soft chuckle as I observe him; clearly he was hungrier than he let on earlier.

I bypass the food for the moment and make a beeline for the bar, where Rupert is busy making breakfast shakes, coffees, and even the odd cocktail.

“Here’s a question for you, Trent,” Rupert says as he slides two pineapple shakes in front of me. “Why do you keep staring at Xavier’s arse?”

“What? Huh?” I snap my gaze to his, feeling my face heat furiously. I had indeed been watching Xavier at the breakfast spread, my eyes following his arse as he moves along the selection of food.

“They had sex last night,” Oliver states in a matter-of-fact tone. I’m not sure how long he’s been standing there but it feels like he’s appeared out of nowhere.

My jaw practically falls to the floor at his statement. “What?— how?—what?”

He shrugs. “I can just tell. Whenever someone engages in any kind of gay activity they develop this kind of aura about them and we can just sense it.”

I didn’t think I could get any more horrified, but that’s done it.

Rupert gives a wry shake of his head. “Don’t tease, Olly.”

“So…there’s no aura?” I ask warily.

Oliver rolls his eyes. “Do I look like Professor Trelawney?”

“Then how—”

He shrugs. “I heard you going at it when I was showing a guest to a bungalow last night. Either you were bumping uglies, or you were practicing your crocodile wrestling and really,reallyenjoying it.”

My face flames hotter and I take a sip of my shake as a means of distraction; the fresh, icy drink provides some relief and I find the embarrassment passing. I don’t know why I should be embarrassed in the first place; there’s definitely nothing wrong with what Xav and I got up to last night. I guess it’s just the surprise of learning that our private business isn’t actually all that private.

I see Xav finally making his way to a table, carrying a plate piled high with food. I smile at the guys behind the bar and grab our drinks before heading over to the table Xavier’s claimed for us.

“Here you go,” I say, setting his shake down in front of him.

He smiles brightly and takes a long sip. “Thanks.”

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