Page 105 of Beneath the Starlight and Storms

“It’s coffee flavored,” he chuckles.

Coffee…

Hook’s lips dance around a smile as I glance at him and wince remembering my first experience with it. He leans down with laughter in his eyes.

“Don’t worry. This kindisedible.”

Unlike its raw form, I bet it tastes a lot better too.

Hook moves around the table and pulls out my chair. I walk over and thank him before sitting down.

He places a kiss on my shoulder before taking the seat to my left while Cash and Ryland take the seats directly across from us, making me smile.

Hook plates up some food for me—all my new favorites from this Realm by the looks of it—as I glance around at each of them and their relaxed and happy faces.

I never had this. I never had family meals or people that cared about me.

But family didn’t always have to be people related by blood. They were proof of that.

We eat until we’re full and there are tears running down our faces from laughing so much. I learn far more than I need to about what Ryland and Cash used to get up to when they were younger, but I love that they give me a glimpse of their life before I came here. It makes me feel all the closer to them.

As midnight draws nearer, I realize just how perfect the day ended up being. The perfect first birthday.

Hook takes my hand and brings it to his lips. “Come somewhere with me.” The soft look in his eyes makes me want to follow him anywhere without question.

I nod and he helps me up. But before we go, I turn to Ryland and Cash.

“Thank you for tonight. It really was perfect.”

Cash gives me a warm smile before getting up and coming over to me, wrapping me in a hug.

“Happy Birthday, Tink.” He pulls back and gives Hook a smile. “We’ll do it again soon. Maybe we can make it a regular thing.”

I catch Hook shaking his head but there’s a warm smile on his face. “I’ll think about it.”

Poking his side, I watch his smile widen into something else. Something more savage as his eyes darken.

“They might have to wait a while. I want you all to myself and I don’t plan on giving you up anytime soon.” Hook runs his thumb in a little circle on my hand, his eyes dark as they scan my face.

Throats clear loudly behind us, snapping me out of my little Hook daze as I turn toward Cash and Ryland. But their mischievous smirks drop, their eyes widening at Hook before rushing out of the room.

I turn back to Hook to see what look he gave them that had them scramble out of here so quickly but he’s shaking his head with a small, amused smile on his face.

“Come on. I have something I want to show you.” Hook leads me towards the back garden. As soon as I step outside, I gasp at the display in front of me.

Like a mirror image of the night sky above, there are hundreds if not thousands of small lights cast in a huge net over most of the garden blending in with the stars above.

Vibrant sparkling blue flowers line a long path while small white lights float around us. I reach out to touch one and a warm tingle brushes along my fingers.

A small tug on my other hand pulls me forward but my gaze is still enraptured by the display surrounding me. Each small light twinkles above and near me making me want to reach out and capture them.

I’m in awe of their beauty and the sheer mass of them that I don’t notice we’ve stopped until I hear a husky chuckle.

I glance at Hook and the soft smile on his face and the warmth in my chest spreads, growing wings and fluttering drawing me toward him.

It quickly reminds me of what I’ve been wanting to ask him all day.

Before he says anything. I step closer, looking up into his eyes. “Hook…” How do I ask him this? How do I tell him?

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