The Man Ban - Nicola Marsh Page 0,72
closet romantic, and he didn’t mind me bringing you here for a surprise.”
He’d ringed the long rectangular table in tea lights, the flames flickering gently in the barest of breezes. The surprise he’d arranged lay under white napkins, and as they neared the table, he almost balked.
This was crazy. The worst impulse he’d ever had, when he never had any usually.
But the image of Izzy’s expression taut with worry flickered into his mind, and he knew he had to do this.
They stopped in front of the table and he clasped her hands, turning to face her.
“What I’m about to do may seem crazy, and in a way it is. But I’m a decisive man. I’ve made smart choices my entire life. And falling for you is definitely one of them.”
Her eyes shone in the candlelight, and the corners of her mouth curved up. “Eloquent and gorgeous. No wonder I fell for you too.”
“I want you to know I don’t do this lightly either. It means something. It’s scary but exciting, and I couldn’t imagine changing my life this much with anyone but you.”
Her eyes widened in surprise as he released her hands so he could remove the napkins.
“I’m hoping you’ll think this is romantic rather than corny.”
He whipped off the napkins one by one, revealing one word at a time.
will. you. marry. me?
Spelled out in slices of kiwi fruit.
Harper stared at the table in openmouthed shock, before looking back at him.
“I . . . what . . . wow.”
He smiled and tipped up her chin. “I wanted to do a bit of food styling of my own. And of course I chose kiwi fruit to do it, considering we got together in New Zealand. So what do you think?”
She gave a little shake of her head as if coming out of a trance. “You’re asking me to marry you?”
“Yeah. And I know it doesn’t make any sense because we haven’t known each other long and we’ve been dating for less, but I know this is right. In here.” He thumped a fist to his heart. “If I don’t know what I want by forty, I’ll never know, so this is definitely right.”
He clasped her face in his hands. “You’re the one for me, Harper. What do you say?”
She kissed him in response, but she didn’t speak, and considering the indecision in her eyes, he braced for an answer he wouldn’t like.
51
Those four words kept shimmering before Harper’s eyes.
Will you marry me?
She’d alternated between shock and elation when she’d first read them, soon followed by Are you freaking serious?
In what crazy world would she accept a proposal from a guy she barely knew? A guy she’d fallen for way too quickly, but . . . marriage?
Ironic, she’d always craved the fairy tale—wedding, kids, the works—but with someone she’d known for more than five seconds. Though that was harsh. She may not have known Manny for long in terms of months, but in her heart she knew him better than Colin, and she’d been with him for over a year.
“It’s the kiwi fruit, isn’t it? Too much?”
She laughed, something she’d been doing a lot of since this wonderful man had swept her off her feet. Even now, when he must be feeling gauche and uncomfortable because of her prolonged hesitation, he was trying to make this easier on her.
“The kiwi fruit is a cute touch. I’m more shocked by the proposal.”
“It’s crazy and spontaneous and out of the blue and too soon, but I had to ask.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve fallen for you.” His beautiful gray gaze bored into her, making her a believer. “It defies logic, I know, and I’m all about logic. Facts based in science are what I believe. My whole life revolves around it. But you and me?”
He released her hands to run his up and down her bare arms, pebbling her skin. “We’re not logical or well-thought-out or planned. This is you and me. We’re whipped cream and banter and fun.”
His caresses slowed, almost hypnotic. “But we’re also tenderness and strength and serenity. We fit, and it’s easy and comfortable, with a constant undercurrent that blows my mind.”
Manny’s honesty broke her.
He spoke from the heart, stripping back her defenses, laying her bare.
His declaration wasn’t eloquent, but it was real, and that’s what she’d always wanted. A real relationship, stability, for the long haul. And here was this incredible guy offering it to her.
What was she waiting for?
“Yes,” she murmured, waiting for the dread and regret and worry to fill