Page 68 of Beneath the Sapphire Sky

A full-throttle wolf-whistle that could only have come from one mouth jumpstarted his heart.

He shot up in his chair and looked for the only person he wanted to see. Over the heads of the thronging crowd, he spotted her.

She stood facing him. Her hands covered her mouth, her face awash with tears. Her shoulders shook.

He shoved his way through the throng, ignoring those around him, determined to get to her.

Her opinion was the only one that mattered right now.

He finally reached her and stopped a few feet away. Her tremulous smile showed him all he needed to see.

She was happy for him.

Dante threw his arms around her and hugged her tight. He buried his face in her shoulder and breathed deep.

By God, he’d missed her.

Her scent, her voice, her touch.

Whatever happened sexually was beside the point. He neededher. The threat of the loss of her friendship, even for a few pain-filled, torturous days, was too much. He couldn’t let it happen again.

“Dante!” She tightened her grip around his neck. “I’m so happy for you.”

“It’s because of you. You gave me the strength to do this. You made me believe in myself. This is more than I could ever have hoped for.”

Belle pulled back and swiped at her wet, smiling face. “No one deserves it more.”

He lifted her chin and rubbed his thumb over her jaw. “We can’t ever let this happen again. I’m sorry I upset you. I’m sorry I didn’t call back.”

She started to shake her head at his first words. “Don’t even think of apologising. It was all me. I should never had treated you like that. It’s going to take me a long time to make it up to you.”

“A round on the house!! Everyone charge those glasses!” Jonathan called. Waitstaff hurried around the room to fill everyone’s glasses. “To Dante and Jack!”

“Dante and Jack!” the whole room chorused.

Pride at their accomplishments flooded him as he looked around at people he’d known most of his life, interspersed with some ring-ins. Leo grabbed Dante’s arm.

“Come on, dude. We’re gonna celebrate! The local news wants a piece of you.”

Dante looked behind Leo to where Angie Schultz of theBialga Daily Newsstood waiting, not so patiently.

“Looks like you’re a popular boy tonight, Dan.”

He knew his grin wouldn’t fade for weeks. “It’s about time, right?” He winked, making her laugh. He leaned in close to her ear to make sure she heard him over the boisterous racket in the room. Music started up, forcing him to raise his voice.

“I need to talk to you later, okay? If not tonight, then early tomorrow?”

Belle nodded. “Definitely.”

He leaned back. “We’re good?”

She smiled and squeezed his hands. “We’re good.”

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, unsure if she’d object if he did what he really wanted and slow kissed her in front of half the town.

“Later then, brat.”

He pulled his gaze from hers as he let Leo drag him for a victory lap around the room, exasperated reporter in tow.

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