Page 64 of Amor Prohibido

“Yeah, yeah, eat it up while you can. Jeez, I feel like a steak in a zoo.” I flapped my shirt, flashing a little taut stomach, then waited until the guests quieted. “We’re all here tonight to celebrate J’s birthday. And I’m sure you’ll all agree that she looks absolutely gorgeous!”

Whoops and whistles rang out as I beckoned her toward me. “Come up here, sweetheart. Tonight’s about you.”

We all waited while she shimmied over and waved to everyone, then unexpectedly grabbed the mic from my hand.

“Everyone, thank you for coming tonight. It means a lot. For those of you who don’t know him—” she pointed at me, “—this is Jace, my…”

“Fiancé!” Lozza and Alice shouted in unison.

The crowd thought they were joking, and more laughter rang out. She grinned cheekily at me, knowing I had to watch what I said or did in front of everyone. So, I did what any good fiancé would do: grabbed her and dipped her shallowly while kissing her deeply.

She came up dazed and gulping for air, and I used that moment to pluck the mic back from her grasp. More snickers were heard from our friends and family, but it was time to get real for a moment.

“On a serious note, I want to thank two people in particular. Steve and Maria, you’ve raised one hell of a woman who can be a complete pain in the a — Ouch!” I flinched when Jax slugged my arm.

Uproarious hoots and laughter egged her on.

Shooting J a dirty look, I then cleared my throat and raised my voice to bring back order.“AsI was saying, not only can she punch like a dude, but she is also kind as a dove and loyal as a—”

“Don’t you dare say dog!” Jax interrupted again.

My laughter rang out through the speakers. “Wolf! I was going to saywolf, dammit!She stands up for what she believes in and doesn’t let anyone push her around. J, you have a heart of gold and a soul that owns my own.”

Tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly, giving everyone a shaky smile. It was the distraction I needed to delve inconspicuously into my pocket.

“Most of you don’t know this; even though J and I haven’t been together for long, we’ve spoken of marriage and got engaged, but there is one very important part of the equation that’s missing.”

I handed off the mic to a band member, then turned to J. I didn’t break eye contact as I sank to one knee. Gasps and murmurs echoed around us, and J pressed her hands to her mouth and chest.

“J, you’re the one who sets my heart on fire. You tilt my world so far that sometimes I have no idea which way is up. You are my home and my happy place and the stunning mother of my children. I’m not only asking you for the blessing of being my wife but also my mate for life. Jax Carmichael, will you marry me, sweetheart? Officially this time?”

I produced her ring, and that’s when tears overflowed down her cheeks. She flapped her hands wildly in front of her face in an attempt to keep her emotions in check, and she was utterly breathtaking while doing so.

“Sí,” she barely whispered.

“Louder!” someone called.

“¡Sí! I saidyes!”she cried and threw her arms around me as I stood.

Her dark plum-coloured lips crashed down onto mine. We kissed for the second time with an audience in as many minutes. The whoops, whistles, and cheers were deafening and continued as I slipped her engagement ring onto her slender finger. The solitaire emerald on a gold band caught the overhead lights and looked more than perfect on her hand. I’d ethically sourced the emerald specifically from Colombia. The gemstone signified so much more than our love—it represented a huge part of her heritage. The ‘emerald belt’ was located close to Maria’s hometown of Yopal. The souls of their Colombian ancestors walked those lands for generations. They were part of the Earth, as was the emerald, and now Jax carried a tiny part of her lineal home on her body.

She held up her hand for everyone to see and did a cute little jig of celebration, still dabbing her eyes with the opposite knuckles.

“I love you, sweetheart. Do you want to announce the surprise, or do you want me to?” I whispered in her ear as we waited to share the rest of our news.

“I love you too. You announce it, I’m too stunned right now,” she choked out.

Accepting the mic again from the bandie, I tapped it. “Before we continue with the celebrations, we need you all to do something for us.”

I pretended not to hear Lozza mumble loudly, “Clear out so you two can shag.”

Jax heard and let out a scandalised laugh while doing the universal neck-slicing gesture forshut your fucking mouth!

“Everyone stand behind an empty chair,” I said through a laugh, and waited until the confused chatter died down and everyone was in place. “Now, reach underneath. There’s a piece of paper taped to the underside of each one. We need you to read it.”

Ten seconds later, the gasps and open-mouthed glances started. I smirked, knowing what everyone was looking at: an A4 copy of our latest scan photo with the words “Why have one, when we can have TWO!”written across the top.

“It’s not a joke. This hot mumma is brewing twins!” I whooped and threw my free hand in the air.

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