I’ve been dating a girl for < 1 year but a while now. Both of us know we’re not in the “I love you” state yet. We’re close, but we don’t spend enough time together to be able to say so yet.
If you know it, tell her. There’s nothing special to saying so, unless she starts laughing at you.
Oh, and if she says “What!?!” say “To blathe Sue, you know, to owe Sue money!”
Let me tell you about scared. I started an online relationship by saying hello out of the blue. We talked online for a month and online and by telephone for another month. I felt strongly enough for her by then to say I love you. But I was afraid if I did, she would bolt. Way too soon, right? Well, we were talking about love in general and I blurted it out. Her response? “I love you too!” She was as afraid to cross the line as I was. Fast forward. We’ve been married for two and a half years and have two children.
Cite? (Cosmo is unacceptable 
)
I once asked a woman friend how she would feel if I told her that I love her & she said it would freak her out. Usually I ask them what love means to them first cause no one defines it the same way.