Page 85 of Mercy (The Sins Trilogy 3)
Chapter Thirty
Ivy
Sunlight slants in between the curtains. A hand over my mouth, I yawn, twist and roll over in bed.
And discover I’m alone.
What time is it?The bedside clock says eight thirty-two. I slept in. It feels glorious, extra indulgent to just lie around. I stretch my arms above my head, then hug Tony’s pillow. I should probably get up. We’re hosting a brunch for Julie and Yuna.
Although I’m feeling rested and happy, my knee’s still slightly tender. I run my hand over the sheet. It’s brand new, like the rest of the bedding.
If only my reaction to the mugging and burglary could be so easily swapped with something more practical, like indifference. Still, I’m not going to dwell on them. Nothing is going to ruin a day as beautiful as today. I’m going to have fun with Tony and my friends.
Just then, Tony comes out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel around his waist and a few stray drops of water from his shower.
“Morning,” he says with a smile.
“Sure is.” I eye the bare torso, the lean muscles rippling over his wide, powerful frame. “You don’t have to cover up for my benefit.” I rest my cheek in my palm so I can see him better.
His smile widens. “You only want me for my body.”
“Well…not only.”
He slowly undoes the towel and lets it fall. “Better?”
“Much.”
“I feel so…so objectified.”
I laugh and hop out of bed. “I only objectify beautiful bodies.” I kiss his shoulder, give his ass a quick squeeze and then go into the bathroom to get ready for the day.
After a hot shower, I put on a cream-colored shirt with a glitter unicorn on the chest and plain jeans and pad downstairs for coffee and a light breakfast. Tony’s already started coffee and bacon, and Bobbi’s reading something on her phone. I steal a couple of strips from his plate and munch on a bowl of fresh berries.
“Where’s Yuna?” I ask.
“Left already. Shopping,” Bobbi says. “Said something about picking up a strawberry cheesecake on her way.”
“That works.” It’ll go well with the Thai and Chinese I plan to get for brunch. I want more variety than sandwiches, and I want to get in some piano practice this morning. I haven’t done enough of that recently.
I grab my phone and text orders to both places, including the time for delivery. I see a message from Julie, saying she’s dropping by her parents’ for coffee and pancakes, so she might be a little late.
That taken care of, I practice on the Steinway for a couple of hours, focusing on dexterity and speed. A good session is meditative, and it never fails to make me feel alive.
Yuna gets back around eleven. She sets a cheesecake big enough to feed a village on the kitchen counter, then comes into the living room. “What do you think? New stuff,” she says, circling slowly. The loose gray T-shirt is nice on her, showing off the graceful line of one bare shoulder, and the skinny jeans accentuate her slim legs.
“Perfect. Where did you grab them?”
“Dunno. One of the stores I hit today.”
“Aren’t you almost done shopping?” She’s been shopping since Tuesday, saying she has to refill her empty closet. She offered to get out of our hair by moving to a hotel, but Tony and I decided we don’t mind her crashing with us. Our place is big enough, and this way, I’ll know she’s safe, especially since Mr. Kim isn’t around to keep an eye on her.
“No. I need a new bag. A pink one. Every woman needs a good pink calf leather bag.”
I raise an eyebrow. “I’ve never seen you with a pink bag. And that cheesecake is big enough to kill an elephant.”
“It was the smallest they had. We can always save the extra for later. Or dump it. I don’t know why everything’s so big in this country, but what can you do?”
“We like our food big and delicious,” Tony says, somehow managing to fit the thing into the refrigerator. Bobbi is staring as he does so. Bet she’s trying to decide if her recipe can produce a better cake than the baker’s.
