Chapter 6: The Only Competition

Theo

I must have lost my mind to have let her out of my sight after almost losing control with her in that dressing room.

Couples usually stuck together during their wedding reception but she fluttered like the most vibrant butterfly in the room. I loved to see her in her element, though she barely stayed by my side. The museum was her oyster, art brought Mirabella joy, a sparkle in those mesmerizing golden orbs and that was the only reason I had to pay off the art ministry for this one day.

She was holding on to a glass of champagne, laughing at something a guest had said. She let down her hair back in the changing room and swept the brown thickness to the side, she didn't keep her hair down, it wasn't practical but today was different, it was to cover the red itch patch on her neck

Her hair cascaded down like warm chocolate with a hint of golden flakes, touching her neck, her back. I preferred her hair down but most of the time it was tied up in a bun, restrained.

That yellow dress she loved so much barely covered her back. And her back tattoo.

I thought I knew her through and through, her likes, dislikes, dreams, aspirations, even access to her P*******t account but nothing prepared me for the delicate flower tattoo with a stem that ran down the curve of her back. Or the crippling fear that gripped me at the sight of her gasping for ait.

Back in that room, I had exercised restraint far more than when I acquired Terris corporation. Terris was my holy Grail, the bane of my existence and it was hard to hold back and be patient for it to become mine. I had restraint, struggling restraint when it had to do with Mirabella.

Her soft gasps behind those doors with just the both of us, the bite of her lips and thick lashes skirting around the most gorgeous eyes looking down at me, my hands underneath her dress putting on that damned garter.

The thought, I hadn't yet kissed my wife after working so hard to get to this day sullied my mood.

There was a shift in her countenance since the ride to the reception, she was compliant, smiling, agreeing, happy. She wasn't really, Mira was just doing as I said. It made my skin crawl.

Her family's entitlement when it came to Mira was a horror to see and they did it unapologetically. I was going to save her from all of it even if I risked her hating me, we'd eventually work that out.

Mirabella looked like the start of all my trouble. She was the matchstick in the midst of hay. She was a magnet pulling me so violently to her even from across the huge room and I was a hopeless needle circling back to her.

I took a much needed sip of wine and tried to hold a conversation with Anthony, the CO of the company.

“I don't know about any couple hosting a reception at a world attraction Museum.” He said with a pat to my back.

I tore my eyes away from Mira but her laughter found its way to me. “I'm a man simply giving my wife her dream wedding.”

Anthony traced my gaze back to her, “best advice, a happy wife equals a happy home”.

Like he would know.

Anthony nearly lost his wife a few weeks ago and we all witnessed his groveling. I was surprised his wife wasn't perched on his arm. Perhaps he had ‘best advice’ which turned out to be what one third of all the married men and few unmarried men told me.

“She is happy. Look at her.”

Anthony threw his head back in laughter. “Look at you!”

I was beaming with uncontainable joy.

“Never thought a bright color would look this good on the iron Man of Manhattan.”

I tipped my glass to him. “Happy wife, happy home.”

“Where's Anna…?” I trailed, my thoughts consumed with my wife.

Harper lurked towards Mirabella.

“Anna should be somewhere laughing…”

His voice trailed.

My eyes were fixed on Mirabella, I threw back the rest of the wine in my glass.

I slapped his back. “Good. Send my love to her”

Anthony grappled with a response but my patience had grown thin as ice.

I was already walking towards my wife.

Harper was the last person I needed around my wife.

Hate to be the one who drove a gap in whatever sham of a relationship they were building but Mira had always been the one. I had seen Mira first, loved her since we were young but Harper? He knew how to sway her and any time he spends with her is enough to plant thoughts in her head.

If I was going to win Mira over I had to do it with Harper at arms length.

He never admitted it each time I asked if he had feelings for her but the way he looks at her, the look in his eyes at the ceremony. Harper was in love with Mirabella, it wasn't an infatuation as I suspected. Harper wasn't a spineless man when it came to her and that was my biggest threat.

“Son, can we talk?” Dad's gruff voice called out to me, stopping me on my track. It took a lot to tear my eyes away from Mirabella.

She gave everyone else smiles, her contagious laughs but the moment her eyes rested on me she froze over.

I turned to my father, looking down at the bald slope of his grayed head.

He patted my shoulder and stirred me to a corner of the room.

“Your mother won't stop nagging me.”

I darted my eyes to Mira. Harper just touched her elbow.

Of course my mother won't stop nagging. It was her wish that I married Selena, she did little to hide her distaste in the change of plans and my decision. Everyone would have to deal with my happiness.

“And your son won't stop nagging at my wife.” I shot back, eyes still fixed on them.