Page 217 of Rebellious Royals

"Shit," he said around a laugh. "That boy's pretty, but my boyfriend and best friend have a crush on him, and I'm not about to ruin that. I'll flirt with him, but only because he takes it so well and it makes Tor realize it's ok."

"Oh, is that what this is?" I asked. "You're flirting with me to make sure..." I looked around us, making it clear we were alone. "Who are you trying to convince again?"

Those chestnut-and-golden eyes of his jumped over to meet mine. "Me, I think. I'm trying to convince myself the most amazing woman isn't trying to give me the brush-off."

"No brush-off," I said, stepping in to grab the front of his shirt. "But itismy birthday, so that means I get a present, right?"

He nodded, almost like he didn't know what else to do.

So I lifted my face. "Kiss me, Hawke. I think that's the gift I deserve."

"Oh, you deserve a lot more," he breathed before bending down to brush his lips across mine.

The first kiss was so soft and almost timid. The second? His hand found the back of my head. The other pulled my hips up against his, and his lips parted. Then, finally, Hawke kissed me the way I'd been hoping for.

He leaned in, making my back bend, and his tongue took control. He kissed me hard, and I did nothing at all to scare him off. I was starting to realize he was a wild creature - and more than I'd realized. Timid, flighty, and aggressive when he had no other option. Hawke was also safe, but not the way Keir was.

No, this man was a wonderful mix of all the things I'd never expected, but the best part was how he made it easy to be around him. He made me feel like I really did belong here. Like I wasn't the odd one out. More than all of that, he touched me like I was something he very much wanted to possess.

"This time," he whispered, "I'm sure I'm not messing it up."

"No," I agreed, pulling back to see his eyes had turned to slits again. "And I think I might like your eyes more than your wings."

The smile that earned me? It turned his sharp features into something beautiful. Hawke was fire and ice, or maybe steel and sunlight? I didn't know what description to use, but I knew I wanted a lot more of it.

But just as I leaned in for another kiss, my tablet vibrated. A split-second later, Hawke's chimed, his notifications no longer silenced. We paused, bracing for the worst, and then I remembered what that was.

"Grades!" I gasped, scrambling to open the screen.

"Shit," Hawke muttered, doing the same.

There, under the beautiful summer sun, we both swiped and scrolled until my eyes landed on what I wanted. First, I wentto the far side, checking the important bit. Using my finger, I quickly scrolled, seeing the same thing over and over.

Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass.

And then I moved to the grades. When I saw those, my entire body forgot to work. A, B, A, A, A, A, A.

"I did it," I breathed.

"Hmm?" he asked, looking up.

"I made a B in math and an A in everything else!"

"As and Bs," he told me, showing me his own grades.

"Hawke." I quickly put my tablet away. "Do you know what this means? We're graduating!"

"And now we need to celebrate," he said, flashing me a devious little smile as he turned me toward the school again. "I happen to know where our friends - and pretty much everyone else - will be heading."

"The cafeteria," I realized, stretching my legs a little more.

When we reached the doors, Hawke pulled them open. I lifted my arm, catching Jack so I could move him to my shoulder. Together, the three of us merged into a massive flow of bodies. People around us were laughing, and yep, everyone was going to the cafeteria.

"This is the part I've been waiting for," Hawke whispered into my ear just as we stepped through the doors. Then he stopped right inside and called out, "She's here!"

And the entire room roared back, "Happy birthday!"

Something popped, and glitter fell from the ceiling. Balloons began to waft up, colored in mostly silver and green - but there were a few iridescent ones as well. Oh, and some black too!