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Focusing on the road, I narrowed my eyes. “I asked you to clarify why you made it seem like things weren’t all good if my kisses really were the best of your life.”
“No. Not that. The other thing. Did you call me sunshine?”
I had.
Though I’d had the thought over the past few days that Daisy was like a ray of sunshine, I hadn’t really thought so much about it when I said it just now.
Did she not like it?
“I did,” I confirmed. “I’m sorry. Was that not okay?”
“I don’t know. Why did you call me that?”
Now, it was my turn to hesitate. I wasn’t quite sure why she was reacting this way. Unless, of course, an old boyfriend had called her that or something. Fuck, that would have been terrible.
“I… I didn’t mean to upset you by saying it. I just… you were unexpected. I love your personality, and I think you light up any room you’re in. That’s all. If you don’t like it, I?—”
“I love it,” she rasped.
This was becoming stranger by the second. She loved that and enjoyed kissing me, but she seemed to have reservations about something.
When she didn’t elaborate, I pleaded with her. “Daisy, can you please help me out here?”
“I’m scared,” she blurted.
My eyes shot to hers momentarily. “Of me?”
“Not in the way that it seems you took it,” she quickly clarified. “I’m terrified I’m going to regret saying this to you, but it seems I have no choice now. I’m scared of the way I feel around you. I’m scared that I can’t fall asleep without running through the entire day I had with you in my head, sometimes focusing on the best parts of it for longer than I should. I’m scared that I wake up thinking about how great of a man you are.”
“Why does that scare you?” I pressed.
Following a beat of silence, she croaked, “Because it makes me want to do more than just take a trip to a chocolate factory with you. It makes me want to do more than learn how to snowboard with you. It makes me want to do more than just kiss you. Not only have we just met, but there’s an end date for this. Mostly, I think I’m scared about what happens after we go our separate ways.”
The tension that had been coursing through my body started to ease, and I was grateful I’d just gotten us to Westwood’s. Since I thought this warranted more than just casual conversation, I didn’t respond to Daisy immediately. I followed the signs on the roads that snaked through and around the facility. Ultimately, we’d gotten to the parking lot, where I pulled in, put it in park, and left the truck running for the heat while I turned in my seat to look at Daisy.
I could see the terror written all over her face, and it caught me by surprise. She’d been such a bright light on this trip for me, so I hated to think this was causing her such distress.
Sending a sympathetic look in her direction, I took both of her hands in mine. Though it was meant to offer her some comfort, I wasn’t quite sure I’d accomplished that. If anything, Daisy seemed even more nervous.
“Last night, I told you that you were the best surprise I’ve had in a long time. I meant that. I’ve enjoyed every second we’ve spent together. I think you should know I don’t have any expectations about what’s going to happen over the next several days. Nothing, Daisy. Not one single expectation beyond knowing I intend to spend as much time with you as you want to spend with me. If you decide you want us to take things beyond just kissing, I’m certainly not going to be upset or turn you down. If what we have on this trip is what we’ve had for the past few days, spending time together and doing some kissing, this will still be the best trip I’ve ever taken to Scarlet Valley. Hell, it’ll still be that for me, even if you decide you don’t want the kissing. I don’t want you to feel stressed or scared or worried about this, because it’s not necessary.”
Daisy’s eyes roamed frantically over my face, though I was unsure what she was searching for. “Do you really feel that way?”
I smiled at her. “Absolutely, sunshine.”
She returned the smile as her eyes got wet.
Knowing I couldn’t possibly handle it if she cried, even if they were happy tears, I quickly suggested, “Why don’t we get out of this car, head inside to learn everything you could possibly want to know about chocolate, and perhaps buy a bunch of it to take back to the resort with us?”
That did the trick.
Daisy perked up and declared, “That sounds fantastic.”
I gave her a nod of understanding. “Good. Wait until I come around to help you out. I don’t want you slipping, falling, and injuring that ankle again.”
“Okay.”
After releasing the hold I had on Daisy’s hands, I turned off the truck, got out, and made it to her side. She took my outstretched hand and eased herself down from the truck.
