A couple of minutes later, James pulled the Lexus LS500 smoothly into the curb in front of Ralph's house.
He stepped out, laptop bag slung over one shoulder, and made his way up the short steps to the front door.
Before he could even knock a second time, the door opened — and standing there was Natasha.
She looked radiant, her hair was slightly messy like she'd been relaxing, but her face lit up the moment she saw him.
A soft blush crept across her cheeks, and her voice was low, almost shy.
"Hey…"
James smiled immediately, the tension in his shoulders melting.
"Hey, beautiful. How are you?"
He closed the gap between them and wrapped her in a warm embrace. She melted into him, her arms slipping around his waist as she buried her face into his chest.
"I missed you," she whispered into his shirt, her voice barely audible.
James tightened his arms around her and kissed her forehead.
"Me too."
