Page 79 of Dating the Boss

“Stop obsessing and get out of this car,” Daniel said, his breath tickling my lips.

“What would you do if I saidmake me?” I taunted him.

Blue eyes gleamed with mischief. “I could always carry you over my shoulder like I did at the bed-and-breakfast. That would be an interesting way for my mother to first meet you, me hauling you over my shoulder and you kicking and whining like the brat you are.”

“Hey!”

He laughed and kissed me again. “Come on.”

Puffing out a breath, I got out of the car and walked with him toward the front porch. Voices came from inside, followed by loud laughter. Daniel opened the door and guided me inside. Instantly, I was hit with the smell of cooked spices and meat, as well as something sweet.

A woman I immediately recognized from the picture on Daniel’s desk hopped up from the couch and rushed over. Her black hair hung to the middle of her back, and her big blue eyes were framed with a faint black liner. She hardly wore any other makeup. A natural beauty.

Just like her brother.

“Hey! I’m Regina,” she said, pulling me in for a hug. “Hope you don’t mind. This family hugs a lot.”

“Not at all,” I responded, my voice laced with nerves. Relief too. I hadn’t expected such a warm welcome. “I love hugs.”

“You are way too cute for my loser brother,” Regina said, releasing me. She smelled like sugar cookies and cinnamon.

Daniel scoffed.

A pretty blonde approached us next. “Hi, I’m Meg.” She seemed a little shy, which matched her petite frame and gentle voice.

“I’m Reed. Nice to meet you.”

“Ma?” Regina called out, turning toward the archway in the living room. “Daniel’s here with his cute little boyfriend.”

Cute little boyfriend.

I smiled. Out of all the things I’d been called in my life, it definitely wasn’t the worst.

“I’m sorry about her,” Daniel whispered in my ear, putting an arm around my waist. “She’s a bit eccentric.”

“I like her,” I said. And I did. I had only just met Regina, but I liked her easygoing vibe. It put me at ease right away.

The nerves rose back up into my chest when an older woman came into the room. She wore a casual green dress that touched her ankles, and her short dark hair curled around her heart-shaped face.

Daniel stepped forward and greeted her before turning to me. “Mom, this is Reed.”

“Lovely to meet you,” she said, grabbing both of my hands and gently squeezing them. “You can call me Beth. I hope you’re hungry.”

“Yeah, Mom overdid it with the food,” Regina said, throwing an arm around Meg’s shoulders. “There’s a buttload of cookies too. I’ve already eaten seven.”

“Those were supposed to wait until after dinner,” Beth said.

Regina shrugged. “I was hungry.”

I liked her.

After the awkwardness of the first meeting passed, I began to relax more. We went into the dining room and sat down at the round table to eat chili. It was the best damn chili I’d ever had too. Hearty and packed full of flavor.

“Would you like another bowl?” Beth asked me.

“No, thank you. The button on my jeans is about to pop. That’s my sign to back off.”

Daniel chuckled.