I gripped Mia’s chin in my fingers, tipping her head up to look at me. “He was more than happy to give us his blessing, not just so Bella could be legitimate. But because he wanted his baby girl to be happy.”
A sob echoed through Mia’s chest before she really let loose with the tears. “Oh AJ,” she murmured.
I took the ring from the box before taking her hand in mine. “Emiliana Sofia Martinelli, you are the most stubborn and infuriating woman I’ve ever met. Even though you drive me crazy and sometimes I want to bang my head against a fucking wall when you’re being difficult, there’s no one else in the world I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
She laughed at my words. “Thank you…I think.” As I knelt down before her, she stroked my cheek with her hand. “Alejandro Joaquin Resendiz, they broke the mold after they made you. Every stereotype I had about men, you managed to break, and I thank God for that. I’ve given you such an uphill battle, but you always came back for more. I never thought I could love again or be loved, but you proved me so very wrong.” She stooped over to bring her lips to mine. “Thank you for loving me.”
“It’s my pleasure, amorcito mio. To me, you’re perfect.” I kissed her again before I slid the ring on her finger. She held it up to examine it against the twinkling lights.
“This is so beautiful.”
“A beautiful ring for my beautiful girl.”
“Thank you, AJ. Thank you for everything.” She smiled down at me. Grabbing me by the lapels of my tux, she pulled me up off my knees. “Remember our first day in the carriage when I said we needed to get a hotel room?”
A smirk slunk on my face. “Yeah, I remember.”
“Tonight I want to make love to my fiancé, and we know it isn’t happening at your abuela’s.”
“I couldn’t agree more. No sneaking around tonight or rooftop quickies for my future wife.” I ran my thumb over her lips. “I want to spread you out on the bed beneath me, so I can make love to you nice and slow.”
A shiver rippled through her. “Let’s go now.”
I chuckled. “Okay, come on.”
On aching, swollen feet, I tagged along behind AJ to our third Grammys after party of the evening. Even though I was dead tired and wanted nothing more to crawl into bed, I didn’t dare go back to the hotel room to crash. AJ was on such an adrenaline high since it had been a huge day for Runaway Train, and I wanted to be along for the ride as his supportive fiancée.
Earlier in the afternoon, I’d felt like I was Cinderella in a fantasy land. Outfitted in a glittering red maternity gown that AJ proclaimed to be sexy as hell, I’d sat in the third row of the Staples Center surrounded by A-list musicians. We’d started off flying high when Abby and the boys of Jacob’s Ladder had won the Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group. Then later I shed tears of elation and pride when Jake and Abby won Song of the Year, especially knowing how it had been written about Jake’s late mother. When it came time to announce the Best Pop Duo/Group performance, I held AJ’s hand as he nervously tapped his leg. He’d been on edge all afternoon, but he could barely contain himself in his seat now.
When they had announced Runaway Train as the winner, I thought he would keel over with a heart attack from the excitement. Watching him take the stage with the guys had me grinning until my cheeks hurt and clapping until my palms were red and stinging. Brayden had been shoved in front of the mic to do the thank yous, and he did an amazing job. In the end, the guys racked up Best Pop Album as well.
Once the ceremony had ended, we’d been shuffled back into the limo we’d arrived in to start making our way to the after parties. I became immediately star struck at the label party when I saw who all was milling around. Even as the fiancée of a famous musician, it was still hard to believe this was now my life. Bella got in to the festivities as well as the later it got, the more she kicked the crap out of me.
After dancing for hours, we’d just left the Chateau Marmont hotel for a smaller party when AJ eyed me in the limo. “Do you think you need to go back to the hotel?”