Page 121 of Knot That Difficult

“Really?” Ben inquires.

“Sure! With Skylar and April…” she sighs. “Or maybe just a restaurant that sells desserts.” She cocks her head. “Okay, that’s actually a brilliant idea.”

“Like a dessert café?” Ace asks.

“A dessert café, bar and arcade,” Devyn clarifies. “Why not?” Then she looks at me. “We’ll have your coffee there, too.”

She’s smiling so widely that I would say yes to anything she wanted.

She wants to have a dessert café with a bar and arcade? Why not?

“Hell yeah. With zombie games,” Ace adds.

Devyn snorts. “Can you imagine?”

Yes, I can definitely imagine.

I’m suddenly struck by the image of Devyn standing in combat boots, a leather jacket, and camouflage pants, wielding a massive zombie-hunting gun that’s slung over her shoulder.

The lack of sleep and intensity from the mating bond make my brain go to strange places.

The server arrives with our soup, and my Omega’s eyes widen when she sees the bowl.

Her joy is infectious.

Even watching her eat soup is something to behold—the way her expression softens and her eyes close when she has a taste.

“I need to learn to make this,” she adds. “I love cooking, almost as much as I love baking.”

I wish I loved anything the way Devyn enjoys something.

Actually…I love Ace that way.

And now I love Devyn that way, as well.

The realization is startling.

She’s my mate and the most important person in the world to me, but the wordlovedidn’t cross my mind until now.

“I love you,” I blurt, and everyone at the table freezes.

I feel Ace staring at me, and Ben gives me a surprised look.

Devyn puts her spoon down, her eyes wide.

There’s no going back from what I just said. Love confessions are completely out of character for me, especially after Devyn just talked about making soup.

I blame the mating bite.

Everyone is looking at me, including the waiter that’s watching us from the corner of the restaurant.

Fuck it. I might as well own it.

“I love you,” I repeat, this time more confidently. “I love who you are, as a person, and as my Omega. I know this is probably not the best time to say this, and I don’t want to scare you away, but…it just came out of me. And I don’t want to lie to you.”

Devyn continues to stare at me, her mouth open in shock.

“I knew you were special the first time we met,” I continue, refusing to second-guess my words. “I know it’s fast. Iknowthat, and I don’t expect you to feel the same. But it’s impossible not to love you, Devyn.”