Page 28 of Cherished By the Sinners
Magnus nodded and strode off at a much more rapid pace than they’d just been walking.
They stepped over the threshold of the restaurant onto a burnished gold carpet that seemed to suck all the sound into it like a black hole.
Mason didn’t wait for a hostess to seat them, guiding her to a secluded booth at the back.The seats were a dark brown soft leather.So comfortable.
Mason handed her one of the menus resting on the table top.“I recommend the steak.”
She nodded absently as she skimmed over the list of dishes, and nearly choked on her tongue at the prices.“Mason, this is too expensive.I can’t possibly—”
“Darlene,” he said, his voice that soft, deep, dark tone that she just wanted to roll around in.“Stop looking at the prices.They’re irrelevant.I have more money than I can possibly spend in a normal lifetime.”
He looked at her with eyes that saw too much, saw how uncomfortable she was.He smiled, but it was a soft, subtle thing, not the smile he used with difficult customers.This one was real.He meant it.
What the heck was this conversation supposed to be about?Why was she important enough to even have it?Mason fit in the restaurant perfectly, with his expensive suit and perfectly groomed hair.She, on the other hand, looked like she was one step away from being homeless.
A waitress appeared beside their table.She looked at Mason, then Darlene.“Can I start you off with some drinks?”
“My usual, please, Susan,” Mason said.“Magnus will be joining us shortly, so bring his usual as well.”
“Of course, sir.”Susan turned to Darlene, her expression engaged and interested.
“I’d like a pot of chamomile tea, please.”There that came out sounding normal even though her insides were quivering from the anxiety of not knowing what Mason and Magnus wanted to talk about.
The waitress smiled brightly.“I’ll be right back to take your order.”
“Is tea your preferred drink?”Mason asked, sounding genuinely curious.
“I’ll drink coffee if that’s all that’s available, but I prefer tea.English Breakfast tea in the mornings, chamomile in the evening.”
Mason shifted in his seat.“What do you take in your morning tea?”
“Cream and sugar.”She tilted her head to one side.“Why would you want to know that?”
“Because,” he said, lowering the volume of his voice enough that she had to lean forward to hear his answer.“I like to know how to take care of people who are important to me.”
For a moment the whole world came to a stop.When reality restarted, her body and the air around her was saturated with endorphins.Every breath she took in added to the high.
“I...how did I become important to you?”
He lifted one huge shoulder and glanced away as if he were a tiny bit embarrassed.“You were just...you.”
She burst out in a laugh at the absurdity of his answer.“I am nothing special.In fact, I think I can say with some authority that I’m probably the least special person you’ve ever met.”
“Oh?”he asked with one eyebrow raised.“Would you like me to listallof your admirable qualities?”
She sighed.“How about I start with yours?Kind, generous, forgiving, strong, courageous, tactful, and polite.”
“Who are you describing?”Magnus said as he slid into the booth next to her.“Sounds like a patron saint or a pansy ass.”
His body radiated so much heat, there was a marked difference in the air temperature in the booth.She’d slid over to give him space, but his warmth was addicting.She inched over until she was nearly touching him.“I was describing your brother—and you.”
Magnus stared at her like she had spaghetti for hair.“You think my brother and I aretactfulandpolite?”
“Yes.Maybe not all the time, but when it’s needed, you are.”
“Did she trip on her way into the restaurant?”Magnus asked Mason.“Somehow gave herself a concussion?”
Mason grunted.“No.I don’t mind if Darlene thinks all these things, as long as she’s the only one.”
