Page 19 of Amor Prohibido

With that, I pushed to my feet and went out to greet Maria and Steve, all the while willing Jax’s body from my mind so I could look them both in the eye without thinking about how I corrupted their daughter last night.

Maria’s eyes lit when they fell upon me. “Ah, Jason! Ven aquí y dame un abrazo [come here and give me a hug],” she exclaimed, flapping her arms and ushering me between them.

My chuckle came out semi-strangulated as I bent to hug her. “Hi, Maria.”

Behind her, my eyes met Steve’s right after he rolled them. Maria’s passion and zest were limitless, as was her enthusiasm for her familia. No matter how long it had been since we’d been in Maria’s company, her greeting was always charged with the same vigour.

Colombian born and bred, Maria met Steve while on vacation in New Zealand. Steve used to tell us as young kids that as soon as he saw her, he fell in love with the Latina beauty, even though Maria’s English was poor and his non-existent ability to speak Spanish made it hard to communicate. Unable to face losing her, Steve had married her as soon as he could. However, staying in New Zealand meant that Maria was separated from her family in Colombia by thousands of miles of South Pacific Ocean. That distance had tugged heavily at her soul at times over the years, but hadn’t dulled her connection to her heritage. While raising their children in New Zealand, Maria passed on her family’s traditions and taught them to speak Spanish and made sure Jax and Darren knew where their Latino roots lay—deep in the heart of Yopal.

Footsteps on the front steps announced Darren and Callie’s arrival, and I backed up a few paces once Maria released me. Callie entered first, all pink-cheeked from the cold, then Darren, who immediately sought me out.

I gulped when our eyes locked. Maria briefly severed his attention from me as she gathered him in for a hug, but as soon as her arms fell away, I was reset in his focus.

“Come on through, everyone,” Mum called, waving the sea of family into the kitchen.

I peeled off into the living room, followed closely by Darren. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned out the door until he was sure our parents were out of earshot.

“Where the fuck did you two get to last night?”

“What do you mean?” I said casually while Jax grumbled, “Home.”

“Imeanyou were there one minute, then gone the next. No goodbye. I was worried something had happened.”

“Sorry, dude. Jax started feeling a little sick, so I took her home,” I straight-face lied. “I should have flicked you a text.”

“Yeah, she told me she was leaving, but not with you.” Darren’s eyes cut to his sister. “You look worse for wear today.”

“Jace’s fault,” she hissed.

He smirked. “I see some things never change.”

“You don’t see shit,” Jax snapped, way too forcefully, just as Callie slunk in clutching a coffee as if it were life itself.

I snickered and pointed. “Not so flash this morning either, huh, Cals?”

She lowered herself onto the couch where I’d been sitting and let out a loud sigh. “It’s your fault for buying so many rounds.”

“Oh, come on!” I threw up my hands. “I wasn’t forcing them down your throat.”

A snort came from Jax, which she poorly disguised as a sniffle. I shot her a warning glance, only to see a devilish little smirk tug at one corner of her mouth. The satisfaction from making me squirm shone clear in her eyes.

It amplified when Callie innocently asked, “Have you two danced like that before?”

“Like what?” me and Darren asked at the same time.

“You know…” She waved a hand. “Sexily.”

Jax with her fucking stellar timing, burst into a fit of giggles and left me floundering for a feasible explanation, all while Darren divided a narrow-eyed glare between us.

“It was just for a couple of songs,” I reasoned. “Then we left. I made sure J got home safely before coming back here.”

Callie set her coffee on the arm of the couch. “Well, all I was saying was that it looked hot, okay?”

Jax scoffed obnoxiously and flicked a finger in my direction. “Trust me, Callie, hot is not sexy-dancing withhim.”

I spluttered from her sheer audacity and folded my arms. “Excuse me? It was you who came to me, not the other way around.”

She inspected her fingernails and hummed. “I’m not so sure. That part of the night is kinda hazy.”

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