Page 44 of Forbidden Virgin Mate

The crowd goes wild, chanting his name as his team edges ahead of Mason's team in points. With only one more win needed to claim victory in this round, Zack and Mason go head to head in the final heat of a relay.

Zack pushes forward in a remarkable display of strength and power that almost takes my breath away. He storms across the finish line, and the crowd goes wild. Diego runs onto the pitch and, along with the whole team, lifts Zack in the air to celebrate. Saffy cheers beside me, and then we embrace.

Zack's eyes seem to home in on mine as the team puts him back down. Instead of waiting on the pitch, he jogs over to me, climbing over the barrier and making his way through the crowd. I grin as he approaches, thinking he's going to kiss me. Instead, he pauses directly in front of me.

Saffy steps away, smiling knowingly as Zack gets down on one knee. My heart thunders in my chest as the crowd around us starts to clap and whistle.

Zack's out of breath, but he doesn't let that stop him. "I was going to do this tonight, but I saw you standing here, and I couldn't wait a moment longer. Tanya, you're already my mate. Now would you be my wife?"

My tears are already falling as I collapse into his arms. "Yes, yes, yes. Of course I will."

I distantly hear whoops and cheers around us, but all I can focus on is the man in my arms.

Hours later, happy and exhausted, we leave Saffy with some friends and head home. Zack insists on carrying me over the threshold of the house, making me laugh.

"I think we're supposed to do that after the wedding," I point out.

"I'm just practicing," he says. "I want everything to be perfect."

"I'm so happy," I gush, turning in his arms to kiss him.

"Me too," he says against my lips. "Do you know what would make me even happier? A Christmas wedding. What do you think?"

I tense in his arms. "Uh, well..."

"Is something wrong?" he asks, searching my face for answers.

I laugh, burying my face against his chest as I try to find the words. "No, nothing’s wrong. Though it might be easier to show you."

I reach into my bag and pull out the little brown envelope the clinic gave me this morning. I hand it to him, and he pulls out the ultrasound picture of our baby.

"We're having a baby at Christmas, so we might be a bit too busy for a wedding then,” I say.

A range of emotions flickers across Zack’s face all at once: shock, confusion, trepidation, and joy.

"I can't believe it!” he finally shouts. “This is the best news ever." He kisses me deeply, tears of happiness in his eyes. "I love you so much, Tanya."

"I love you, too, Zack. You are so much more than I ever imagined," I say, my voice choking with emotion as we stand there looking at the picture, all our love reflected in that one little image.

Epilogue - Tanya

"Stunning," my mom whispers to me as she scoops up the last tendrils of my hair.

With a final flourish of the curling wand, she releases the soft waves now framing my face. The finishing touches complete, we stand and check my reflection in the mirror. The soft, sweeping eyeshadow and simple pink palette make my eyes pop. Lots of concealer masks my recent lack of sleep, and a hint of blush makes me feel as beautiful as a princess.

We laugh as I twirl in my dress, the soft tulle dancing around me. I check my hair again in wonder. "How did I not know you used to be a hairdresser?” I ask my mom, taking her hand. “You're incredible. Thank you."

My mom sniffles slightly, reaching for a tissue she's keeping up her sleeve. "I guess I haven't lost my touch," she laughs, taming one of my curls affectionately.

"I'm so glad you're here, Mom," I say, getting emotional, too. She gently pulls me into her arms, trying not to smudge my makeup.

"We can't stand here crying, love,” she says. “I haven't worn makeup in years; I can't ruin it now. And you certainly can't today." Despite her words, I think she’s saying it more for her benefit than mine.

We hear a commotion downstairs and turn to listen. "I'll go see what that’s about," she says. "You stay here, and don't fiddle with your hair. We need to get pictures first!"

"Okay, okay," I laugh as she dashes out.

I can hear more voices, and I think I can just make out Zack giving out instructions. He's taken wedding planning very seriously, wanting everything to be perfect. I've told him a thousand times that it’s already perfect, but he insisted on installing a new pergola outside for today.

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