Page 16 of Harvest of Love
“Oof.” I laugh, kissing the top of her head.
“Can I ask you something?” she says, those doe eyes nearly knocking me flat.
“Of course. I want you to know every single detail about me.”
“You’ve called me something twice now, and I don’t know what it means. I think I need some Spanish lessons.”
I smile. “Very observant, Ms. Hart. I’ll be sure to reward you accordingly later.” I wink as we reach the coffee truck.
Daisy practically melts, and I feel like a fucking king.
I’ve still got it.
“Gosh, Manny. You say the hottest things,” she murmurs against my ear. “I love this little role-playing you’re doing. I can’t wait to be alone with you.”
I kiss her cheek, as close as I can to her lips. But I don’t push it. Because if I do, there’s no way I’ll keep it kid-friendly.
“First, I called you bebé,” I say with a grin. “It means baby in Spanish. The second time I called you bebecita. It’s like saying little baby. For some reason we use a lot of ‘little’ in terms of endearment.”
She studies me like I’m a puzzle —like there’s so much more to me than meets the eye.
“That’s cute,” she finally says, grinning back. “Does that mean I’m your babe?”
There’s so much hope in her gaze, my adrenaline spikes.
This is it, Manny—the moment of truth.
“Do you want to be? Because Daisy… once I claim you as mine, there’s no going back.” I practically growl it against her ear, and a shiver runs through her.
Before she can answer, it’s our turn to order. Conversation stalls, and I’m hanging by a thread. Desire is obvious—there’s no denying that—but what I’m asking is bigger.Do you want a life with me?
Wait—did I just say that out loud? Hell, what if she thought I meant for the night?
I have to fix this. Make my intentions crystal clear.
I push my glasses up the bridge of my nose—my telltale sign I’m trying to remember something important.
Daisy orders a chai latte, and I get a pumpkin spice latte. I pay quickly. She places a kiss on my neck andmurmurs thanks. It’s surreal how easy it feels with her. No mocking, no making me feel “less of a man” for liking pumpkin spice. Just a small, grateful kiss.
With our drinks in hand, we stroll toward the row of little shops along the riverwalk. There are more tourists here since it’s closer to the ski slopes.
“I think you were about to give me a very important answer,” I say, unable to wait any longer. “But first, I need to be very clear about what I meant when I said I’d claim you.”
Daisy stops in front of an antiques store. I stand beside and slide my arm around her back. She closes her eyes as she sips her drink. I wait until she’s ready to give me her full attention.
“Sorry,” she says softly. “I just feel like this moment is going to mark the beginning of something special, and I wanted to acknowledge it.”
Her adoring eyes meet mine, and a bright smile transforms her face.
“Yeah, you’re right. This is not only special, but extremely important.” I pause, making sure we’re on the same wavelength. “What I meant by ‘claiming you’ is that I’m not here for a fling or a hookup. I’m in this for the long haul.”
Her eyes shine with emotion, and I pull her closer to me.
“Yes, it’s only been a little over twenty-four hours since we finally broke the nanny/employer barrier, but we’ve been friends for a long time. And I’ve felt this way for longer than I’d like to admit.”
She chuckles at my confession.
I let out a long breath. “I’m not making this decision lightly. I’ve thought about this,” I say, tapping the space between us with my coffee cup. “And it’s not only the best decision I’ve made in years—if you agree—it’s the only decision that will make me a happy, lucky man.”
