Emma barely had time to take in Daniel's home before she found herself tangled in his sheets, lost in the heat of the night.
And oh, what a night it was.
Daniel had been true to his word, he was wild. The man didn't just make love; he orchestrated a symphony. Emma had never felt anything like it. Her body ached in the best possible way, and as she drifted off to sleep in his arms, she wondered if this was what heaven felt like.
But of course, peace never lasted long in her world.
Morning came abruptly, yanking Emma out of her pleasant exhaustion. At first, she wasn't sure what woke her. Then she heard it.
Clang!
Clatter!
And then, BANG!
Emma's eyes flew open. Someone was in the kitchen, she thought it was just her and Daniel. Was a chef making breakfast? No way. Not with that level of aggression. Daniel was deep asleep, like a sleeping beauty.
Curious, and slightly concerned, Emma dragged herself out of bed. She grabbed Daniel's oversized shirt from the floor and pulled it over herself, its fabric draping down to her thighs.
The sounds continued. A loud cabinet slam. A drawer yanked open. More clattering.
What in the Gordon Ramsay was happening?
Heart pounding, Emma tiptoed out of the bedroom, moving down the sleek hallway toward the kitchen. She peeked inside AND SCREAMED.
The stranger in the kitchen screamed too.
Emma instinctively grabbed a frying pan.
The older woman, who had been rummaging through the fridge, snatched a loaf of bread and held it up like a weapon.
Both women stared at each other, panting.
"Who the hell are you?!" Emma finally blurted.
The woman's eyes narrowed. "Who the hell are you?"
Oh, great. Now they were in a 'who the hell are you' standoff.
Before Emma could reply, Daniel came sprinting into the kitchen, shirtless, hair a mess, eyes wide with panic.
"What the hell is going on?" His gaze bounced between Emma, who was still clutching the frying pan, and the older woman, who was now glaring at him like she was the one who caught him sneaking around.
Daniel groaned. "Mom. Seriously?"
Emma froze. Mom?
Oh. Oh no.
The frying pan slipped from her fingers, hitting the floor with a loud clang.
Mrs. Monroe, still holding the loaf of bread like it was a grenade, suddenly beamed.
"My baby!" She tossed the bread onto the counter and rushed toward Daniel, pinching his cheek like he was a five-year-old. "You didn't tell me you had company!"
Daniel groaned again, rubbing his temple. "Mom, what are you doing here?"
His mother ignored him, turning her delighted gaze to Emma. "And you must be the reason he hasn't answered my calls for two days!"
Emma, still recovering from her near heart attack, gave an awkward smile. "Uhm… hi?"
Daniel sighed, running a hand down his face. "Mom, you can't just show up unannounced."
Mrs. Monroe swatted his arm. "Oh, hush. A mother doesn't need an invitation to visit her son." Then she leaned closer, dropping her voice to a loud whisper. "Especially when she has a feeling he's up to something."
Emma nearly choked.
Daniel closed his eyes like he was begging for patience. "Mom."
Mrs. Monroe waved him off, turning back to Emma with pure glee.
"You're gorgeous," she said, clasping Emma's hands. "Oh, this is wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. You're so much better than that…"
Daniel coughed loudly. "Mother."
Mrs. Monroe smirked. "Fine, fine. I won't say her name. But I will say I'm thrilled that my son has finally moved on from… certain mistakes."
Emma's eyes widened. Oh, this woman was a menace.
Daniel sighed dramatically.
"I'm just saying! She's beautiful, and I can tell she has a sweet soul." She turned back to Emma. "And she survived a Monroe morning surprise attack! That's a strong woman."
Emma let out a nervous laugh. "I… I try."
Mrs. Monroe grinned. "Do you cook?"
Daniel groaned. "Oh my God."
Emma nodded hesitantly. "Uh… yeah?"
"Fantastic!" She clapped her hands. "That means my future grandbabies will eat real food."
Emma nearly died on the spot.
Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mom, stop."
"What? I'm just getting to know my future daughter-in-law!"
Daniel stared at her like he was this close to losing his mind. "You met her three minutes ago."
Mrs. Monroe huffed. "And?"
Daniel ran a hand down his face. "That's it. You're leaving."
Mrs. Monroe pouted. "Oh, come on, Danny…"
"Nope." He grabbed her by the shoulders and physically turned her toward the door.
Mrs. Monroe dug her heels in. "Just five more minutes…"
"No."
"I haven't even asked about the wedding plans…"
"Jesus Christ! Mom!"
Emma, still trying to recover from everything, watched as Daniel escorted his mother toward the exit.
Mrs. Monroe gasped dramatically. "I'm being evicted! My own son is kicking me out!"
Daniel sighed. "I'll call you later."
"Will you really?"
"Yes."
Mrs. Monroe narrowed her eyes. "Pinkie promise."
Daniel exhaled sharply but held out his pinkie. His full-grown, billionaire self actually pinkie-promised his mother.
Satisfied, Mrs. Monroe turned back to Emma with a wink. "Take care of him for me, dear. He pretends to be all tough, but deep down, he's still the boy who cried when his pet turtle ran away."
Daniel groaned. "Mom, why?"
Mrs. Monroe patted his cheek. "Love you, baby." And then, finally, she left.
Daniel shut the door, exhaled, and turned to Emma, who was still trying to process what just happened.
Emma blinked. "So… that was your mom?"
Daniel sighed. "Yep."
"She's… a lot."
Daniel ran a hand through his hair. "You have no idea."
Emma bit her lip to keep from laughing. "She seems nice."
Daniel narrowed his eyes. "Don't encourage her."
Emma burst out laughing.
Daniel smirked. "Glad you're entertained."
Emma grinned up at him. "Admit it, you were too.."
Daniel sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah. She's insane. But she's my mom."
Emma smiled. She liked this. Seeing Daniel not be the smooth, untouchable CEO. Seeing him as just a guy dealing with his overexcited mother.
It was… endearing ad she yearned to see him more in this light.