During their kiss, Dante's busy hand continued to occupy itself to the copious amount of flesh he held in his palm and fingers, resigning to the way it felt to him. Tender. Careful. Not too overbearing. Relaxed. Legitimate. Then, when she let him go long enough to look down into those beautiful irises of hers... There was her smile again. Infectious as always, Dante thought as a smile was now on his face while his unoccupied hand reached up for her face, holding her cheek in his hand. Yes. That look right there, he thought once more as he continued to gaze to her. That look she gave him seemed to tell him everything he needed to hear. That she was needed. Wanted. Hell, if by some sheer stroke of genius, it seemed as though she was genuinely happy to stay with him, regardless of the trouble he would get himself into. It was that look alone that would bring any tough guy worth their weight in salt to their knees and bawl their eyes out like a baby if they ever saw this look she had given him just now. But no. Dante was on the receiving end of that oh so lovely smile of hers, that in reply, Dante once again leaned forward just enough to place another set of kisses first on her forehead, both cheeks then to her lips once more in a slow, gentle manner before gazing down to her once more with her cheek in hand with perhaps the most pleasant smile he could ever offer anyone. One that spoke of genuine sincerity as well as a hidden promise that he wouldn't let her down. Not for a moment. If he did, that would be the day that he would rather jump from the tallest building in the world with a noose wrapped tight around his neck and hang himself from the railing.
What was the best word he could use to describe what he was feeling towards her? Enamored felt too simplistic. Infatuated seemed too objectifying, perhaps even borderline stalker-ish. Incensed was hardly saying much, even if it could remotely apply. What was the word he was thinking of that he just couldn't say? The one word that spoke of just how much he cared for her here and now?
Rather odd, Dante wondered to himself for a moment. This felt as though it had been done before in that old Humphrey Bogart classic from the 1940's, where the only similarity was he was now playing as the male lead and she the female lead. Only thing of it that was different at this moment in time was that Dante was willing to get on that plane with her and fly to Paris or to anywhere in the world she wanted to go. Money was no object. As far as he knew, his credit was good anywhere.