Page 29 of Cherished By the Sinners

Magnus sat back and nodded at his brother.“A valid point.”He turned his gaze on her.“You may, indeed, hold the opinion that my brother and I are tactful and polite.”

“Thank you for your permission,” she said, then lowered her voice and added, “Not that I asked you for it.”

The waitress returned with their drinks, setting Darlene’s tea pot, cup, a pitcher of cream, and a crystal container of sugar packets.In front of Mason and Magnus, she set down large mugs of black coffee.“Have you decided on your meals?”

Mason and Magnus looked at Darlene.

She cleared her throat.“I’ll have the...steak with a baked potato and whatever the house vegetables are today.”

“Make it a fillet Mignon,” Mason said.“And add some shrimp.”

“Do you like shrimp?”Magnus asked.

“Yes, I do, but—”

“Definitely the shrimp,” Mason said.

“How would you like your steak cooked?”The waitress asked Darlene.

“Medium, please.”

“For you, gentlemen?”

“Nothing for me,” Magnus said.

“Same,” Mason added.

The waitress smiled at them and headed toward the kitchen.

“You’re not eating?”Darlene asked.“After giving me shit for suggesting noodles?”She looked at the two men, who both seemed to be working hard to keep their mouths shut.“Oh, this is so unfair.”

“We have...very peculiar diets,” Magnus said.

“A lot of food allergies and intolerances,” Mason said quickly.Too quickly.What on earth was going on?

“So, you don’t eat out?Well, why didn’t you say something?We could have gotten some ingredients and made dinner in your suite.”

“Because,” Magnus said, leaning closer so he could speak into her ear.“If we took you back to our place, the only thing getting eaten would have been you.”

She was looking at Mason when Magnus spoke, so she saw the lust bloom on his face before he could shut it down.

Something inside her froze over.Where Magnus had been a source of warmth and comfort, he wasn’t any more.She’d thought he and Mason were safe, but they’d just lumped themselves in the same category as most men.With sex in the number one spot on their priority list.

They were two of the best looking men she’d ever met.Everything about them was sexy, and yet, they usually made her feel safe.In the safety of her imagination, she could picture having sex with one or both of them.It was always perfect.

Real life was never perfect.Frequently, it was dangerous and painful.

Had she been fooling herself, thinking that they were different?That they might want more from her?What did she really know about them?

A table full of well-dressed women nearby erupted in loud laughter, pulling the attention of everyone in the restaurant to them.

She used the distraction to carefully inch away from Magnus.

“Darlene?”Mason asked, his attention back on her.“Are you all right?”A frown pulled his eyebrows low over his eyes.

“I’m fine,” she said, flashing him a bright smile.“So, do you think it’s okay for me to continue cleaning the suites?I won’t have any more trouble with any of the guests?”

Magnus was frowning at her, too, but he didn’t answer her questions.He looked at his brother.“I shouldn’t have said anything.”