Page 6 of The Mafia Husband's Loveless Marriage

Maika could hardly believe her ears. "W-Why?"

"It's not for you to know right now."

"W-Will any woman do—"

"No."

He said it so easily, but also coldly, and she just didn't know what to make of that.

"And if I...if I refuse?"

"Then you'll lose what little you have."

This was her life on the line, but it was just so, so hard to think straight with Maika still seated on his lap, his arm around her waist, and—

"But if you say yes to becoming mine..."

Mykos didn't give her a chance to speak, not with him stealing her first ever first kiss as his mouth covered hers.

Oh. My. Gosh.

She could only clutch his shoulders as the kiss deepened, and by the time he pulled her close, she had given up trying to think, and she found herself slowly...clumsily...and actually kissing him back.

Because this kiss, oh this kiss...

My lips, two blushing pilgrims—

It was all her brain could offer. She always reached for Shakespeare when the world stopped making sense, but the rest of the line wouldn't come, because the rest of her mind had simply...surrendered.

Maika had never even let herself dream of what it would be like to be kissed. If she had to dream, she simply imagined herself living in that nice little midsummer world of magic that Shakespeare had created. That was the only dream she considered safe.

But not this.

Never this.

And so when Mykos finally lifted his head...

Her cheeks were on fire, her senses were reeling, and worst of all, she couldn't make herself run away, couldn't make herself look away or even say a thing when Mykos slowly traced her lips.

"I think I already have my answer. Don't I...matia mou?"

The Wedding Night

the wedding night (n.): the first night of a marriage, traditionally involving romance, or in Maika's case, a cream dress that fit too well, a growing suspicion that her new husband had memorized her body from across a parking lot, plus a midterm on Friday.

MAIKA STARED AT HERSELFin the bathroom mirror of the private courthouse.Pinch. PINCH. PINCH.Each one hurt more and more, which meant...this was real.

Just one hour ago, she had been an ordinary college student.

Now, though?

The dress he had chosen for her was perfect. Cream silk, cap sleeves, a hem that hit just below her knee. It fit perfectly, but that only made things worse because it meant someone had gotten her measurements without her knowing.

And her groom, looks-wise? He was perfect, too. And...and hehadpromised to take care of all those loans she hadn't taken out. And she was...well...she was attracted to him, too, but that was something she was NOT going to examine too closely right now.

If she thought about it, there were a lot of things working in favor of this wedding.Whythey married might not be the usual reason, but how they went on from here, well...

They could still make things work like a normal couple.