Page 47 of Mask and the Magnolia

Either that, or they want to know if Magnolia is incapacitated so they can murder her quietly.

I snort and scold myself for the thought, which earns me three puzzled looks. Well, two puzzled looks and a slightly less stoic one.

”Ms. Reynolds is fine,” I say as I motion for them to follow me. “She’s resting right now and I anticipate she’ll be feeling better when she wakes.”

”Panic attack?” Desmond asks.

I nod and decide this is going to be a very relaxed, very impromptu group session to get a feel for how the men are adjusting to us. “Unfortunately, yes.”

I doubt Magnolia will mind me saying that. They saw it happen, they’re concerned, and it all validates what we set out to do.

Korvin grunts behind me, something that makes me grin, and once we get to the living room where Ivan and the Rookers are sitting, I turn to find he isdirectlybehind me.

”Uhm,” I choke out, clearing my throat as I slowly look up into those icy gray eyes. “Have… have you gentlemen… have you had lunch yet?”

He shakes his head but Calix speaks. “Couldn’t. Vibes on the ward were heavy. Had to wait and see. Passed on the lunch cart.”

Interesting.

All of these men are large, much larger than me and I’m not some wilting flower at my six-foot-one. I imagined they would have eaten and the fact that they haven’t is interesting.

”None of you have eaten?”

Korvin shakes his head again.

“Well,” I say, clearing my throat again before I finally put some space between us.Why don’t I want to move?“Perhaps now that you know Ms. Reynolds is recovering peacefully, should we rectify that?”

He grunts some sort of acknowledgement, the three of them taking a seat in the living room with the others, who have been watching our exchange with somewhat unsettling grins.

”O’Brien?”

“What’s up, doc?” He comes over to our circle, standing next to me while the men settle.

”I think we should send out for lunch today.”

O’Brien gives me a smile and emphatic nod. “Luigi’s.”

I turn to face the six of them. “I take it you all like pizza?”

”Real pizza?” Calix asks. “Not the cardboard shit from downstairs?”

”Real pizza,” I say with a smile. “Whatever you want, on me.”

”Oh, well then.” Desmond sits back in his recliner, spreading his thighs as he props his hands behind his head. “On you,you say? Does this mean I get to choose how we top?”

A flush races up my neck as his eyes darken, staring at me with a look I can feel on every inch of my body while a few of the men chuckle.

“I mean, we get to choose the toppings.” Desmond arches a brow and waits for me to respond, but I can’t.

That is absolutely not what he means.

Not even close, and the true meaning of his words has me biting my tongue because I’m finding it harder and harder to refrain from responding the way I want to.

Which is something along the lines ofyes, you can top me, and please do so while I have Kovin’s knot in my mouthadditionally adding something likeand perhaps Calix can suck me off while Magnolia rides himbecause I am a disaster.

The more attracted I am to Maggie, the more attracted to my residents I become. Those three, anyway. It’s alarming. It’s concerning, and the frequency in which it happens has me questioning my work here at times.

Seems as though I’ll be masturbating for a good portion of my evening.