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Ugh. He sounds like everyone else in my life.

Everyone else that cares for us,my inner Omega supplies.

“I stick to decaf at night. You smell like coffee anyway, so it’s fine,” I blurt. “You smell like beans.”

He blinks, and then I blink, sharing an uncomfortable silence.

What thehelldid I just say?

I’m screwing up our date before it’s even started.

I need to work on not blurting out everything that goes on in my head.

But Tammy says it’s endearing, and Ben says he appreciates it.

Maybe if Connor doesn’t like it, we’re not compatible.

But he cocks his head and chuckles. “Okay, well, since we’re being honest”—he crosses his arms, and I try not to ogle his sculpted forearms that the fitted sweater does nothing to hide—“you smell like cookies. Sometimes snickerdoodles, sometimes like those vanilla macarons your café has. It’s ridiculous. And tempting.”

My core clenches, and I let out awhooshof air.

“How tempting?” I squeak, my face flaming.

He looks amused, even though a slight flush is on his handsome face. “Are we still being honest?”

I nod, biting my lip.

His eyes darken. “Okay, then. Ridiculously tempting. Beyond comprehension.”

I open and close my mouth. “That sounds good,” I manage to say.

“I wouldn’t use the wordgood. I would say it’s…torturous.”

He’s still standing in front of the picture of Skylar and April, and I look to the photo of my friends for help.

He’s flirting, and I’m flustered, and…

My stomach growls loudly enough that he hears it.

Oh, my god. Way to let your stomach kill the mood.

“We should probably get going,” he says, his gaze softening and the amused smile returning to his face. “Before you fill your stomach with more coffee.”

“I’ll have you know coffee can be a fine substitute for food,” I grumble, embarrassment threatening to eat me alive.

“Not tonight, it’s not,” he says firmly, extending his hand. “And hopefully, it won’t ever be again in the future, if I have any say in it.”

I quirk my lip. “I don’t like being told what to do.” I take his outstretched hand, and a surge of electricity pulses through me. Goosebumps pebble on my skin, and my pulse picks up.

I want to touch more of him, immediately.

I want to tell him to cancel the reservation and let me have him for dinner instead.

But he doesn’t sense my plight and sighs fondly instead. “You and Ace have that in common,” he murmurs. “I can’t wait to see the two of you in the same room together.”

“So does that mean you plan on there being more dates?” I can’t stop grinning, and hope blossoms in my chest as he leads me out the front door.

“If I have it my way, Devyn, this is the first of many.”