Page 38 of Pack Scratch Fever
I still can’t believe I’m even sitting with Piper. It’s just the two of us, surrounded by happy cats, and I have her all to myself.
Even though my back aches a little from my sitting position.
“Oh, my god,” Piper breathes, and I look at her curiously.
“What?”
“I was a student while you were teaching there,” she admits. “At LLC.”
I groan. “Now you’re really making me feel old.”
She giggles, the first true carefree laugh I’ve heard from her, and my breath catches. “You wouldn’t have liked me. Ihatedcollege. I forced myself to get two years of business done, just so I could have some type of education certificate. I was a little brat.”
“Brats can be fun,” I say too quickly, unable to stop myself.
Oops.
I can’t help but have a flash of an image in my head.
Piper sitting on top of the desk at my office while I kneel in front of her…
Embarrassed by my outburst and subsequent thoughts, I look to her, ready to apologize, but her answering smirk tells me there’s nothing to forgive.
“I was an insufferable little shit,” she says. “What’s your idea of afunbrat, Avery?”
So, she has no problem flirting, but when I truly compliment her, she blushes and looks away?
Interesting.
I want to answer her question. I do.
But I also don’t want to scare her away.
Especially if she knew the horrid, impure thoughts I’ve been thinking since I met her.
So, I simply shrug and smile.
I want to flirt with her badly.
But I also don’t want to be like that Alpha from earlier that obviously made her uncomfortable.
A sudden growl makes me turn my head, and Piper lets out a groan.
“Good luck photographing that one,” she says, leaning her head dramatically against the wall. “I doubt he’ll even let you get near him.”
My gaze follows hers to the cat that’s glaring at us, its pupils turned to slits.
“Hey,” I say. “That’s Mister Whiskers, isn’t it?”
She turns to me, her eyes bright and her smile blinding. “You recognize him?”
I chuckle. “Yeah. He was on your website.” I lean slightly closer to the cat, and he lets out a warning growl. “Relax, buddy,” I say. “I’m just trying to get your glamour shots.”
The cat doesn’t relax, though. Instead, I catch him mid hiss, dramatic fangs and all. When I show the photo to Piper, she laughs so hard it startles the other cats.
“He’s a terror,” she says. “I’m not sure that’s the best photo of him.”
“It catches his spirit,” I reply, snapping a few more. I can feel Piper watching me as I do my best to capture the cat’s good side.
