Page 87 of Rami

“Give her a hug for me.” Gigi’s words trembled, and he wished she were here to hug Ivy herself.

“I will. Have a safe flight.” He disconnected then poured another glass of water and downed the whole thing. He also grabbed a full glass for Ivy to leave by her bed with the bottle of ibuprofen in case she woke up still hurting.

Switching off the lights as he went, he returned to his bedroom. He placed Ivy’s glass of water on her nightstand and walked around to the other side of the bed.

He lifted the covers and slid into the cool sheets. Ivy moaned and scooted closer. He wrapped his arm around her and she pillowed her head on his shoulder. One slim bare leg slid up his thigh and he held her close, brushing his lips over her forehead.

***

The scent of bacon and eggs wafted to Ivy’s nose, drawing her from the sleepy cocoon surrounding her. She dragged open her eyes and stared at the blank spot in the bed where Rami had been the last time she’d stirred.

She’d never tire of sleeping next to him.

Rubbing her eyes, she slowly sat up. A tall glass of water stood on her nightstand with pills next to it. Although her head still drummed with the intensity of a nightclub, she avoided the drugs. If the pain didn’t let up she’d take one, but for now she wanted to function and let her body heal without impairment.

Hearing the hiss of a coffeemaker, she peeled back the covers and placed the balls of her feet on the cool wood floor. The room spun a little but not as violently as it had last night. She sipped some of the water and stood. Carefully she made her way to the bathroom and did her business before wandering into the hallway, following the clink-clank of dishes.

Rami stood at the stove, light-gray sweatpants low on his hips and a white T-shirt wrapped around his bulging biceps.

Hubba-hubba.

He glanced over his shoulder. His blue eyes were bright and rested. “Morning. How you feeling?”

She forced a smile. “Much better.” Okay, that was a stretch. But seeing him all delicious and enticingly masculine sure eased some of her discomfort.

“Coffee?”

She took one of the black leather stools at the island and sat. The kitchen featured white cabinets and black-and-brown-flecked granite countertops. Exposed beams stretched from the ceiling in the kitchen to the living room, giving the open-concept area a homey feel. “Sure, thanks.”

He filled a large white mug with the hot brew then set it on the counter in front of her with cream and sugar.

She fixed her coffee while sliding her gaze up his body. “What time did you get up?”

“A couple hours ago.” He pressed his palms to the counter. “Figured you’d be hungry.”

“Starving.”

“I bet you are. Let’s eat. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

He went back to the stove and removed the pan of bacon from the burner then spilled some eggs onto two plates and added the strips of meat. Coming around the island again, he took the seat next to her and placed her food in front of her.

She picked up her fork and stabbed a clump of scrambled eggs. The taste of butter and salt filled her mouth and she groaned. “Ohmigod, this is so good.”

Rami grinned and chomped into one of his six strips of bacon.

“What’s the surprise?” she asked, between mouthfuls. It was a good thing she’d already had sex with Rami because she was anything but seductive and attractive right now.

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

She made a face. “I’d rather you tell me.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Don’t like being caught off guard?”

“Nope.”

“Okay,” he said, after chewing a forkful of eggs. “This one you’ll like, but I’ll tell you anyway. Gigi’s on her way home.” He flicked his gaze to the clock on the stove. It read 12:07p.m. “Should be landing in an hour or so.”

Ivy blinked. A flood of emotion ran through her. She wanted nothing more than to see her sister, but Gigi would surely be a wreck if she knew what’d gone on in the last day. “Oh my gosh. She knew...?”

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