He tiptoed down the hall and rounded the corner in time to catch her in the exact location he expected her to be - sitting at “her" island, sipping a glass of cab.

"Someone's home later than usual," she quipped without even turning her head. It wasn’t his steps that betrayed him, it was the way the combination of Creed and bergamot shea butter hit her nose, washing over her a sense of security, letting her know HE was home. 

"Aw...I missed you too,” he replied, setting his keys and bag down. As he stepped into the space between her legs to nuzzle her neck, she leaned back in a fake attempt to avoid his affection. "You didn't try to text or anything”, she pouted. He paused and checked her expression. Noting her geniune concern, he took her face in his hands, looked her in the eyes and said, “I am so very…certain that your phone isn’t even charged, if I had." 

Immediately that contagious laughter he hoped to hear erupted from her gut.

As she threw her head back, he chuckled, knowing full well that he had every intention of hearing a different set of sounds very shortly. 

Her laughter slowed as she took in his now devious grin, coupled with a slight twinkle in his eye.

“Oh…” She said.