She did not need to turn back to see who it was. The familiar scent, the shadow that loomed over her. Laina would never mistake him for anyone else.
"Did you miss me?" she asked as she looked up at him.
"More than you will ever know," he whispered by her ear as he leaned in close, sending tingles throughout her entire body.
Laina smiled as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. As she tried to make her way towards the table to take a seat, Dante held her back. He pulled her back into his embrace while shaking his head.
She knew immediately why he had done so.
"Was that kiss not enough?" she asked, pretending to be innocent.
Dante pinched the tip of her nose, "It's nowhere near enough, that's for sure. I need more."
"More?"
"Much more," Dante declared boldly, "For all the sleepless nights, and worry."
"Sleepless nights?" I wasn't away for that long, you know," Laina grinned.