Page 7 of The Mafia Husband's Loveless Marriage

Right?

She stepped out of the bathroom, and Orion was still standing outside her door. She couldn't make up her mind if he was acting more like her warden than her bodyguard, but since she was about to marry his boss...

Warden, for sure,Maika thought to herself. People in the world they belonged to were the distrustful type, after all.

"Shall we, Ms. Nolan?"

She nodded, and as he escorted her to where the judge was waiting, it was almost like he was walking her down the aisle, and the thought made her eyes smart.

Who knew she'd be this emotional?

She turned her gaze to where her groom was waiting, and...gulp.He really was beautiful. And dangerous. Like the most gorgeous predator in a tux, especially with the way he was staring at her. Those golden eyes tracked her from the moment she appeared, and they didn't waver. Not once.

Maika's throat tightened as she finally came to stand by his side. His nearness made her tremble, and she also started having difficulties understanding what the judge was saying. It was a good thing that Mykos was always the first one to answer, and so she simply had to echo what he said.

But while his voice was low and strong, Maika couldn't quite keep her voice from shaking every so often.

The wedding felt like it had lasted for eternity. But at the same time, it also felt like the wedding was over in a blink because the next thing she knew, they had already exchangedI dos,and he was now taking her hand in his. The possessive heat of his touchhad her swallowing hard, and when he slowly slid a ring down her finger...

His.

And when she slid a ring down his...

Hers.

"You may kiss the bride," the judge called out.

Maika couldn't help holding her breath as he slowly cupped her face. Her eyes closed, her heart pounded. She was trying to convince herself that he would only brush his lips over hers, but no, of course that was impossible.

This was Mykos Ravensworth, after all, and so he simply claimed her lips in the deepest, hottest, and most possessive way a man could claim his wife, and it lasted so, so long that by the time he lifted his head—it was as if she had run a mile. She couldn't catch her breath, and every cell of her body felt as if it was burning and melting at the same time.

He cupped her cheek, his touch somehow terrifying in its gentleness.

"You asked me before," he said, his voice low, "why I wanted you to be my wife."

Her heart slammed against her chest. Was he saying that because—

"It's because..."

Maika held her breath.

"I need you..."

Here it comes, here it comes!

Was he going to say he had taken one look at her and fallen in love?

Or that she was his long lost fiancée?

Or that—

"To keep me from becoming a monster."

Because she was so...sohideousthat even monsters were scared of her?

MYKOS COULD NOT REMEMBERwhen was the last time he had found himself sharing the backseat of his limo...with a girl who just kept on talking and talking and talking.

"I really can't believe that's your reason for marrying me."