Page 9 of They Love Me Knot (Starsfalls Omegaverse #2)

Sterling

S hould I use elderberries to flavor the frosting or pineapple sage? Will that pair well with the coconut caramel flavor of the sponge cake?

I could mix orange blossom water with the pineapple sage instead, which is reminiscent of their pack scents, but will taste better together. I need to decide soon so I can start infusing the sugar and making the extracts.

I resist the urge to bite my fingernail, since that’s unsanitary while I’m working.

I run through my next steps while I bring out the fresh cookies and restock the cake display. Oskar, my usual manager for Flourist, is out for a few days, and Minta called out sick this morning. Arlo took an early lunch to meet his sister, so I’m currently running the store alone.

Usually we have at least two workers running the front.

I do most of the baking, so I don’t have time to help with the customer-facing side.

Today is a rare slow day, which I’m grateful for.

In fact, after the last big group trickled out, there’s no one else here.

The only time this happens is when I first get here in the morning to start baking, or the few times I stay extra late to prep.

I’m just placing the last few slices of raspberry and nasturtium genoise cake when the front door flings open and a rush of warm, creamy, comforting vanilla-scented air fills the bakery.

I look up as an omega steps through, like a goddess just blown to shore, chocolaty brown hair swirling around her.

I have a moment to stare before she notices me, so I see the way the wind pulls her brown cardigan against her soft curves. I follow the line of her body down to her tight pants, ending at her tiny shoes peeking out of the slightly too long cuffs.

As her hair falls away from her face, the omega finally sees me. I’m frozen as her dark leafy green eyes wash over me, pulling me under her spell. I can’t move, but I want to go to her, drop to my knees before her.

I’ve always been a romantic. How could I not be, when I’m constantly making desserts for happy couples and packs.

But I’m rational enough to know I’m not going to find an all-consuming love like you read about in romantic ballads.

I’ve never even had a long-term relationship, much less found someone compatible with our whole pack.

But one glance from this omega, and suddenly I’m a believer.

I’m still held immobile by her stare, waiting for her to come closer or release me from her enchantment and allow me to move again.

I’m freed when the slice of cake I was putting in the display can’t fight gravity any longer, and slides off the end of my server. The sound of the cake landing, icing splatting on the ground, gets the omega to release me. She looks down to where it disappeared behind the counter and gasps.

“Don’t throw your food away. I’ll eat it even if it’s a few days old!” she says, rushing to peer over the display.

At least she assumes I dropped it in a trash can, rather than accidentally and embarrassingly dropping it on the floor. She’s too short to see over the counter, even though she’s on her tiptoes.

The omega slips, fingers sliding down the curved glass, throwing off her precarious footing. I drop the server and grab her arms before she tips over.

My hands tingle where they gently grip her soft skin. I’m almost afraid to touch her because she feels even smaller than she looks with my hands encompassing her wrists.

From this close though, I finally catch more of her scent under the descenters. It’s almost a physical sensation, caressing me, her cozy vanilla scent is floral, like the orchid itself, but also creamy and fruity, like the bean from the sweetest Tahitian vanilla.

It’s true, love at first sight is real.

I don’t want to scare her off by asking her out immediately, when I haven’t even said hello. I’ll be professional and wait to see if she shows interest in me since she’s only been concerned about the desserts so far.

Cake squelches under my shoes as I set the omega back on her feet.

I nervously clear my throat and wipe my hands on my apron, hoping to return normal feeling to them. It doesn’t work, my hands still feel like she’s branded me, even though I was the one to touch her.

I clear my throat again and finally reply, “I’m just restocking, don’t worry, no food is being thrown out. There are plenty of desserts left, take a look around. I have to clean up a spill, and then I’ll be right with you.” I say the last part quietly, hoping she didn’t notice my clumsiness.

“Oh.” She glances down again like she’s trying to see what I have hidden back here.

My body seems to think she’s trying to look at me, but my mind knows she’s not.

At least, I don’t think she is. I glance down quickly to make sure my apron is in place. I’ve never had this issue before. I’ve never had a problem controlling myself in public. Or in private. I’m always a perfect gentleman.

“Feel free to look around,” I say again.

I step back in the hopes that she’ll turn her attention to the desserts. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten that my feet are surrounded by cake. I slip as soon as I put my foot down, immediately falling backward.

I catch myself on the shelves behind me, preventing me from fracturing my tailbone or skull. I slowly lower myself the rest of the way to the ground so I have a moment to tend to my bruised self-esteem before facing my omega again.

At least Ciro will be happy to hear that the triceps dips he made me add to my workout routine came in handy. That’s if I tell my packmates about this embarrassing moment. I want to tell them all about this omega, but surely I can leave out part of the story.

I’ve just consoled myself with the thought that no one else has to know about my fall, when the omega rushes around the counter.

I recall hearing a squeak as I fell, and thought it was my shoe on the floor, but now I think it must have been the omega reacting to me abruptly launching myself out of sight .

I’d somehow kind of hoped she didn’t notice me fall, or if she did, she would ignore it. Before I have time to warn her about the mess, she also slips in the cake, eyes widening in alarm.

I reach out to steady her, but as she continues sliding toward me, it ends up with me hugging her as she falls on top of me.

I curl around her, making sure no part of her hits the floor. The breath is knocked out of me as she lands. She’s so small her weight is negligible, it’s the feel of her body on mine and her vanilla scent in my nose that leaves me breathless. I’m afraid that if I move, she’ll disappear.

I stay frozen, reluctant to let her go, but my grip is loose enough that she could pull away.

I suck in a few shallow breaths, and she still hasn’t moved. I worry she injured herself, even though I didn’t see her knock into anything. I gently pat around her head and neck to check for injuries before I move her. She gasps when I reach the side of her neck, and I quickly move my hand away.

You’re not supposed to move someone with a neck injury without bracing them properly, but I don’t know how to brace her in this position.

I don’t have my phone on me. Maybe she has her phone on her so I can call for help. I pat the side of her pants, but don’t feel it in her pockets. Was she carrying a purse with her? I don’t remember seeing one, but I was too focused on her.

I waver between checking her back pockets or trying to gently slide her off me so I can go for help. In this case, isn’t it the right decision to touch an unconscious woman’s butt to check for a phone rather than risk injuring her spine?

The thoughts spiral and snarl in my head. Maybe I should try to wake her up to ask, but I don’t want her to move without realizing she shouldn’t and accidentally hurt herself.

“Um,” she says, startling me into freeze mode again. I hold still, my hands on her hips, and wait to see what she’ll say. “Are you okay?”

I blink a few times.

“Am I okay?” I ask.

She was knocked unconscious, but this omega is asking me if I’m ok?

“I’m—I’m fine,” I stutter out. “How do you feel? I don’t think you should move until I call someone to help. Do you have your phone on you?”

“Oh, um, that’s nice of you, but I don’t do things like this with someone I’ve just met. Or in public. I just wanted to make sure you’re not hurt. You disappeared so suddenly, I wasn’t sure what happened.” She pats my chest gingerly.

I crane my head to look down at her in confusion. She’s avoiding eye contact, but her pupils are the same size, so that’s good news at least.

I’m still trying to make sense of her words. What doesn’t she do in public?

“I’m not hurt. I wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt when you fell. I’m sorry about that. I didn’t realize you would come back here, otherwise I would have warned you to stay away. You’re sure you didn’t hit your head or anything?” I say.

“I didn’t bump into anything, you grabbed me before I fell,” the omega says.

“Oh.”

Did I? It happened so quickly, now I’m not sure. I thought she slipped in the cake and was going to fall, so I reached for her. Maybe she wasn’t actually falling, and I just pulled her on top of me?

Well, either way, it’s good news that she’s not hurt. That was my goal.

I guess I don’t need to keep holding her then.

I slowly sit up, bringing her with me so she’s on my lap. Since she’s shorter than I am, that makes it easier to check for head injuries. I look her over again, just in case she hurt herself without realizing it, but I don’t see any bumps or bruises.

Maybe my anxiety is acting up again. I finally find the perfect omega and immediately think she might die.

“May I help you up? Be careful standing, there’s cake on your shoes. I don’t want you to slip again,” I say.

“If you want. I’m sure I’ll be fine though,” she says.

I put my hands on her waist and lift her up, setting her on her feet. I would’ve cleaned her shoes off first, but I don’t have anything to wipe them with. I wait until she’s steady, and slowly release her.