Page 18 of Professor Next Door

11. Galen

This might be a bad idea, I thought as I stared into a mirror a week later. The school wasn’t happy about it but I’d told them we were getting married and planning to keep it all quiet. I’d show up Monday with a shiny new wedding band on my finger and hope in my heart. Maybe it would be better if she transferred. I decided to talk with Tara later, when we weren’t about to pledge our fake love and eternal devotion.

I could remember the last time, and the doubts I’d had then. Doubts about myself, about what I could provide to Kayla. They’d all melted away as soon as she walked down the aisle and I stopped caring. I promised myself to find a way to make the world hers.

Now, my doubts were about how smart I was being. Bill, my lawyer, had called it a ‘hare-brained’ idea. He might be right but I was willing to give it a try. I shot the wrists of my dress shirt beneath my new tux and walked the area under the oak-lined alley designated as our wedding venue.

Rikki was there, adorable in her white lace gown with a pink ribbon in her blond hair, John and the other fellows stood with me. They all gave me a reassuring handshake and we waited as the music started.

Tara walked out with only Amanda at her side, their elbows linked together as they walked up the aisle. I couldn’t take my eyes off Tara. The makeup artist had put very little on her, but what they’d done drew attention to eyes that I already knew were beautiful. Amanda had done Tara’s hair up in a twist of some kind, curls trailing around her face softly. And that dress! Worth every single penny!

I felt too many things at once to take notice of them all, but the blood surging in my veins, straight down to my groin was uncomfortable. Tara was breathtakingly beautiful and the murmur my friends behind me told me I wasn’t the only one that had noticed.

“Fuck yeah, I’d take that in a heartbeat.” I heard Steven whisper too loudly and glared over at him to shut up. “Sorry man. Your wife, sorry.”

“Shut the fuck up Steve!” I ground out between clenched teeth before going back to staring Tara down. I hadn’t known she had such a tiny waist, or that she had those…fucking hell that was some beautiful cleavage! It drew my eyes as she came closer and I felt my heart beat faster. Fucking gorgeous!

I looked into her eyes as she drew near, her bright, expectant eyes and I gave her my most charming of grins. “You chose well, princess.”

I saw her pulse flutter in her throat and reminded myself to call her that more often. At least today. We could go back to our lives later, for now, I wanted to pretend that this beautiful woman was really going to be my wife in every way. That I’d soon be making love to her. Not just fucking her, but loving her. Just for a little while.