If you love the person, use 'love'. If it is less than that, you can 'be very fond of' (him)' or 'like (him) very much'. No doubt other members will have other expressions to offer.
How about the expression "to grow attach to someone/each other"? Don't you use such expression to say that they are loving each other. (The process of falling love, but not exactly love. For example the love between two friends)
I believe that I have already expressed my feeling that this did not mean that. It does not have sufficient passion, to my mind. Others may have a different opinion.