27. Daisy
DAISY
“This pool is the best thing ever,” I whispered as I looked up at the sun. The doorbell was ringing in the distance. I got out of the pool quickly and grabbed the towel, drying myself before heading inside the house.
I’d moved in with Anthony shortly before Christmas, and now that it was warm outside, it was time to use the pool again.
Samantha finally sent me an offer for a senior marketing position a few months ago for a job here in New Orleans for TheGuide, an online platform that does restaurant bookings.
It was a match made in heaven, so I accepted it.
And I couldn’t be happier. I worked remotely three times a week and went into the office twice.
On the days I worked from this gorgeous place, I started my day by swimming.
I opened the door and instantly smiled at my sexy man. “Hello, you. Did you forget something?”
“No,” Anthony said. He was holding a drink carrier with several to-go cups. “I figured I’d surprise you.”
I instantly grinned. “With hot chocolate?”
“Actually, it’s coffee.”
“Why did you bring so many cups? ”
“They’ve got new flavors. Figured it would give you a chance to try them out and see if you have a new favorite.”
This was so thoughtful of him. I already knew he was going to woo me tonight as well because he’d asked me to block time for a dinner date. But he planned to make me swoon all day long, apparently. He’d gone to the Quarter and back just to surprise me with coffee. It was extra cute.
I loved living with him. I’d always thought living with a man would feel strange, but Anthony and I were in sync with absolutely everything.
We went to the living room, and he set the cups on the table. Then he unexpectedly put an arm around my waist, tugging me against his chest.
“I love seeing you walk around the house in your bathing suit.”
“Hmm…”
“I just love watching you walk around no matter what, even naked. Especially naked, actually.”
I smirked. “Someone wants some early anniversary sex.”
“I always want that, Daisy. But right now, I just want to enjoy the way you feel in my arms.” His voice was full of emotion, which took me by surprise. He wasn’t joking.
Being in his arms was the most sublime feeling. I felt loved and safe and protected. Like nothing could possibly go wrong while I had this man by my side, hugging me.
He kissed the side of my neck and said, “I’ll be working from home today too.”
“Oh, you definitely want anniversary sex,” I joked.
“Maybe later,” he whispered in my ear. My skin immediately broke out in goose bumps. “Why don’t you drink the coffee while it’s still hot?”
“Good thinking.” I looked at the four cups, rubbing my hands.
“I suggest you start with this one,” he said, pointing to the one in the middle .
I cocked a brow. “Of course not.”
He laughed. “As you wish.”
I started from the left side, taking off the lid, smelling it lightly. “Coconut. That’s a surprise.” I took a sip. “Yep, this is a new favorite. You want to taste it?”
“No, it’s all for you, babe.”
“Oh, I love you even more.”
Turns out, I didn’t mind sharing food, but coffee was a no-go. I immediately downed it since it was just a short shot. There wasn’t much to share anyway.
The second one had bourbon in it. “Wow. You want to get me drunk?”
“No. Keep going.”
I specifically avoided the one he’d pointed to and grabbed the last one.
“I knew you’d do that,” Anthony said, but he seemed very happy that I’d gone that route. This one surprised me the most. “Apple. I never thought that would work so well with coffee.”
“Told you she’s good at coming up with stuff.”
“Maria really is. How did you manage to keep it so hot until you got here?”
He winked. “I have my ways.”
“Right, and now to the last one,” I said theatrically, moving my hand in slow-motion as I grabbed the last cup. “It’s empty,” I exclaimed as I lifted it. It was much lighter. “No, hang on.” It wasn’t totally empty. It didn’t have coffee, but there was something in it. It rattled.
Anthony took the cup from me. “I’ll open it for you.” He took off the lid and then turned the cup upside down in his palm. As he moved the cup, I gasped. He was holding the most gorgeous and beautiful ring I’d ever seen. It had a huge rhombus-shaped diamond and a platinum band.
“Anthony,” I whispered. He smiled. Oh, he was so full of himself. Then again, why shouldn’t he be? “You did that on purpose. You pointed to this cup knowing I’d taste every other first.”
“Exactly. I know my woman well.”
I grinned as he lowered himself to one knee on the hardwood floor.
“Daisy, I can’t tell you how grateful I am that we’re celebrating our one-year anniversary.
I can still remember the day we met. I saw you and thought, ‘She’s going to be mine.
’ Something about you just pulled me in from the get-go.
Of course, I didn’t imagine that I’d end up on one knee, asking you to be my wife. ”
I put one hand on my stomach and the other one over my mouth as emotion overwhelmed me.
“But I love our journey,” he continued. “I love where it brought us, what it taught us about each other and life. I love you, Daisy. Life with you will always be a wild ride. I always thought life was supposed to be lived to the fullest, and it would be my honor to live it next to you. Will you be my wife, Daisy?”
“Yes. God, yes. I’d love to marry you, Anthony, and go through this crazy adventure of life together.”
He put the ring on my finger and then kissed the back of my hand before rising to his full height. Then he cupped my face with both hands. “I can’t wait to fill this house with kids. Hopefully we’ll have little girls who look like you and give you as much headache as they can.”
I chuckled. “Big plans, huh?”
“Hell yes. And besides, there are a million LeBlancs waiting to hover over them. And I bet your parents will do the same.”
My parents had already been to NOLA three times this past year.
They rarely visited me when I lived anywhere else, but they liked it here.
And they adored Anthony. Dad finally accepted getting more help around the farm.
Even though he’d made a full recovery, he was moving slower than before.
He’d hired the two extra employees full-time for good, which made my heart happy .
Anthony kissed me slow but oh so dirty. I put my arms on his shoulders, clasping my hands behind his neck so I could feel my ring. I never thought I’d be in love like this. Now that I had this amazing man, I couldn’t imagine life without him.
When we paused to breathe, I noticed that his eyes were hooded, and he was smiling. I knew exactly where this was going.
“I was right, wasn’t I? That you want that sexy time.”
“I will never—not ever—say no to that.”
“This was a lot of effort to seduce me,” I whispered.
“I’d gladly do this every day for the rest of our lives, fiancée. You’re mine to spoil and surprise and seduce forever.”