Page 30 of Three Bossy Boyfriends
Everyone stops and looks around.
First of all, no one who comes to family dinner rings the doorbell. Second, everyone’s here.
At least everyone they’re expecting.
I push up from the table and head for the door. “That’s for me,” I say as I pass my dad and Bill.
“Who is it?” Dad asks.
“My boyfriend.”
As I leave the kitchen, it’s dead silent behind me. But before I reach the door, noise explodes as they all start talking at once.
I pull the door open and give Evan a huge, relieved, genuine smile. “Hi.”
“Hi.” His smile is big and sweet in return.
“I’m going to need you to actreallycrazy about me,” I tell him.
He steps forward and hands me the bouquet of flowers he’s holding. “Can do.”
Impulsively, I grab the front of his shirt, pull him in, and kiss him.
He doesn’t even hesitate. He cups my cheek and kisses me back.
It’s sweet, but I feel it all the way to my toes.
When I step back, he says, “I’m having areallygood time.”
I laugh and link our hands. “Brace yourself.” I pull him into the house.
Thank God this is fake, and hehasto be here.
CHAPTER 9
Evan
“It was sonice to meet you, Evan,” Finley’s mother says, squeezing my hand as we make our way to the door. “I hope we see you again soon.”
“I hope so too,” I answer honestly.
Dinner with the Anderson family and friends was chaotic and loud and fun. Not just because they’re funny and unfiltered and clearly all love each other dearly and unconditionally, but because they truly treated me like I was one of them.
I’m not used to that at all. My family consists of several lawyers. They’re quiet, sophisticated, and “proper.” Tonight was a little overwhelming, but I loved almost all of it.
I didn’t like that Finley seemed tense throughout some of it.
She sat back and watched, didn’t say much, and rolled her eyes a lot.
The eye-rolling isn’t new. I’ve seen a lot of it around the office, and it always makes me grin. The woman should never play poker. It’s always very easy to read exactly what she’s thinking. But tonight, with her family, something felt off. Like she wasn’t fully comfortable.
Until I put my hand on her leg under the table and squeezed.
She’d looked up at me, smiled, then threaded her fingers with mine. And I’d literally felt some of the tension flow out of her.
Fuck, that had felt good to be able to do that for her.
It had been like the other night at the charity event, except she’d been the one making me feel less tense. Being there with her had made a stuffy social event fun, and I’dreallyenjoyed our talk with Christopher out on the balcony.
