Despite all that, Velvet still found herself floating on cloud nine, and Mykolas appeared the same, with both of them unable to stop smiling and stealing kisses throughout the night.
Mykolas loved her. He hadn’t said it straight out, but he loved her. So yes, that was definitely a good reason to be happy and think her wedding was the most beautiful day ever.
“You’re giggling,” Mykolas told her, his lips curving as he spun his bride around on the dance floor. She looked incredibly beautiful tonight, and he wouldn’t be lying if he described her as the most beautiful woman in the room. That was how she had seemed to him – had always seemed to him. Her wedding dress was an exquisite blend of white and gold, silk and lace, and hand-sewn pearls. It had a strapless corset-styled top and a semi-ballerina skirt that fell a little past her knees. Matched with her sky-high white heels, she was perfection. She was Velvet Sallis, and she was f**king his for eternity.
Velvet looked up at her husband, knowing full well that she had stars in her eyes and didn’t give a damn about it. “You’re staring.”
He brought her close and whispered to her ear, “I can’t stop. You’re so damn beautiful, Mrs. Sallis.” She shivered in his arms, making Mykolas laugh.
She beat him on the shoulder. “Stop trying to turn me on in public.”
He pulled back to give her a wide-eyed look even as he continued to twirl them around. “I’m not doing anything.”
“Shut up! You know you just have to look at me like—”
He gazed at her with lidded eyes.
Velvet’s br**sts became heavy, and she hissed, “Like that!”
Laughing, he lowered his head to kiss her, and around them the guests shouted, Twenty-six! This had both of them laughing even as Mykolas continued to kiss her. This had been their 26th kiss since they had been made man and wife, and Velvet had a feeling it would be a three-digit-figure by the time the night ended.
When he lifted his head, she couldn’t help but mouth, I love you.
Something in his eyes flashed before he mouthed, Sneaky.
This made her laugh because she knew it was in reference of her being good at stealing his heart.
Tenderly, Mykolas pressed a kiss to his bride’s forehead. “Are you thirsty?” They had been dancing and entertaining guests for hours.
At her nod, they moved off the dance floor and headed to the refreshments table. Velvet looked up at her groom and…grinned.
He raised a brow. “What?”
She told him in a confidential whisper, “You look seriously hot.”
He laughed. “Coming from you, I will treasure that compliment.”
“So hot I want you to f**k me right now.” And it was her turn to laugh when Mykolas abruptly cut his off.
“Velvet, dammit. Now, I know you want revenge.” And now he had also gone from partially aroused to about-to-go-crazy-all-11.5-inches-are-out-aroused, his c**k about to rip past the zipper of his pants.
“Not really,” she said honestly. “I just want a quickie.”
Dio. The thought of having a quickie was infinitely appealing. It was better than having to wait for a few more hours before their party officially ended and he could finally have his damn wedding night.
She gave him her best puppy-eyed look. “Please?”
“Behave yourself.”
“No.” He softened his rejection by stroking her cheek. “Tonight, I do not want any one person here mistakenly thinking I do not respect or cherish you, agape mou. For once, we will do it the right way, hmm?”
Even as she thrilled to his words, Velvet pouted. She had never really pouted in her entire life, but now seemed a good time to try and by the arrested look on Mykolas’ face, it seemed to be working. So she pouted some more and the next thing she knew, Mykolas was cupping her face again and kissing her hard.
Twenty-seven, the crowd roared.
But neither of them really heard it.
****
It was about four in the morning when Mykolas and Velvet prepared to leave for his vacation house in Santorini, which was where their month-long honeymoon would start. The party was still full swing, but it was clear to see virtually all of the guests were too drunk to notice their departure. While Velvet made her goodbyes to Mandy, he headed back to his office to ensure that everything was in order before he left. He planned not to work a single minute of his honeymoon since he would be too busy enjoying his wife’s charms.
Mykolas scribbled last-minute instructions for his secretary to go through the next day. As he was about to leave, he caught sight of Velvet’s purse and smirked at his wife’s forgetfulness. It wasn’t normal of her to be forgetful. It was proof that she was so heady in love with him that she forgot all about her purse.
Picking it up from the console table, he realized too late that the bag was unzipped and her iPhone tumbled out. When Mykolas picked the phone up, he saw a new email alert on the screen and clicked it unthinkingly.
The email was from a lawyer named Lester Wilkins.
I’ve sent $100,000 as requested to his lawyer, and he’ll be providing you with a receipt as well as a draft of the contract for your approval.
You are as always too kind by half and stubborn, too. You are also unfortunately blinded by love. Wayne Garfield is a lost cause, and he will never stop ruining your life for as long as you keep hoping for the impossible. He will not and he can never love you the way you want him to and certainly never the way you love him.
Three seconds of absolute silence passed.
Three seconds of the most unbelievable agony.
Three seconds of the most devastating betrayal.
Mykolas threw Velvet’s phone against the wall, and as its screen smashed into pieces, he grimly wished he could destroy his feelings for his duplicitous wife just as easily.
****
“My husband wants me to go to his office?” Velvet was bemused. Mykolas had told her to wait here so they could leave together and now this?
The waiter nodded. “Right away if possible, Mrs. Sallis.”
Oh!
Her lips curved. Mykolas had decided to give in and indulge her need for a quickie then. She smiled and thanked the waiter and hurried to the elevator. Would it be too much if she took off her underwear now?
Imagining the look on his face made her decide on the spot, and she hurriedly stepped out of her lace underwear just before the elevator’s doors swooshed open. Of course, this left her with the evidence in her hands, and she impulsively decided to hide it inside his secretary’s drawer and come back for it later. Or at least she hoped she would remember to take it out later. Most times, Velvet thought fondly as she opened the door to his office, he made her forget everything but his name. He was just that good at—