Page 81 of Forbidden Professor

His words are like fire, igniting something already smoldering inside of me.

“Well, glad to know I’m not the only one experiencing such excruciating torture,” I quip, kissing him quickly before turning away. I need a little space to breath. He seems to suck all the air out of my lungs, just by simply existing in the same space with me.

“You’re not,” he assures me. “Shall we go?”

“We shall,” I say, as he offers me his arm. I take it, and we walk out of my house together and out into the world as a couple for the first time.

Pride fills my heart to be at Carter’s side.

I look over at him, pleased to see the happiness I feel reflected on his face.

He helps me into the car like a gentleman, and as I wait for him to run around and slide behind the wheel, I take a moment to say a silent little prayer of gratitude to the universe.

Everything is working out so much better than I ever thought it would.

Half an hour later, as we pull up to the imposing glass and metal facade of the exterior of the Seattle Opera, my heart skips a beat with excitement. Carter and I can finally live our life out in the open, and this is the first of what I’m sure will be a lifetime of exciting dates. We still have so much to learn about each other.

His hand grasps mine after we park and head towards the entrance.

“I’m so excited!” Carter says.

“Me, too,” I reply.

His hand feels warm and comforting and we head in together, settling in our seats like a couple of excited teens. The auditorium is already packed and as the crowd streams in, we sit and people watch, pointing out eccentric old ladies and dapper old men to each other.

“I love getting dressed up and looking at other people dressed up,” I say to Carter.

He laughs and nods his head. “It’s fun.”

I look over at him, drinking him in, still in partial disbelief that someone so handsome is my boyfriend. “You’re fun,” I wink. He leans over and kisses my cheek and I lean into his warmth. He puts an arm around me just as the lights dim, and for the next few hours, he keeps it firmly planted there.

We laugh. And cry. And gasp. And laugh some more, the performance completely absent of a dull moment.

By the time it’s over, when Pamina and Tamino come back together and stare at the water and fire down while being protected by the magic flute, we are clinging to each other with the thrill of the drama. When Papegeno is saved by the three flutes at the end from hanging himself, reminded that true happiness is achieved by using his magic bells, we’re both crying.

The performers receive a standing ovation after it’s over and we stand together, joyfully clapping and whistling.

“That was incredible,” I gush on the way out. Carter’s eyes are shining with pleasure, and I feel even closer to him now that we’ve enjoyed such a dramatic retelling together.

“The costumes were stunning,” he says. “But their voices, my god! It was like listening to angels sing.”

“I loved it so much,” I say, as we hit the sidewalk. I stop and turn towards him, the crowd streaming past us. I reach up and touch his face, peering deeply into his beautiful eyes. “Thank you for bringing me here, Carter.”

“I loved it, too, and I wouldn’t have wanted to see that with anyone else.”

He leans down and kisses me, his warm lips delicious on mine. He grabs my hand and we walk down the streets of downtown Seattle, the sun setting over the Puget Sound, the Space Needle glittering in the distance.

Carter pulls me into a dark restaurant and we grab a small table near the bar. The tiny Italian bistro is intimate and quiet, the light flickering off the candle on our table bathing his handsome face in a warm glow. He smiles over at me, the light shining in his eyes.

“You look so beautiful tonight, princess,” he whispers. He’s never called me that out of bed and it gives me a thrill that shoots straight to my pussy. “I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

Heat rises to my cheeks as I drink in his words. “Thank you, baby,” I whisper.

He orders a bottle of wine and we share spaghetti and meatballs, laughing at our failed attempts to avoid splashing the sauce. Towards the end of the meal, he turns serious.

“I’m meeting up with Aiden tomorrow,” he says. “I’m coming clean about everything.”

“Oh,” I say, nodding. “How do you feel about that?”

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