The Dean by Cassie Mint
Ten
Charlotte
Three years later
I adjust Truffle’s bow tie, picking bits of fluff off her cushion. The lamplight makes her brown fur extra glossy; brings out the deep hue of her gorgeous blue eyes.
She’s still my star. Even now, when I have a full roster of clients, and there’s a waiting list for my photo shoots. Truffle is the one everyone wants to see—the one who goes viral and makes the whole internet fall in love.
“Smile,” I mumble, pressing the shutter. My camera clicks and whirs, taking photo after photo of my cat as she stares back at me, so freaking smug.
Yeah, she knows she’s gorgeous. Truffle’s kind of a brat. But she’s my brat, and I need to give her all my love at the moment. In a month’s time, she won’t be my only baby anymore. My belly is swollen under my shirt—another one stolen from my husband—the skin hyper-sensitive to every brush of fabric.
“Is she behaving?”
His low voice makes me smile. Makes my insides go all tingly. Even now, he has this effect on me—makes me lose my train of thought. On the cushion, Truffle perks up and starts preening.
I’m not the only one with a crush.
“Minimal destruction so far.” I smile over my shoulder. Truffle is the clumsiest cat in existence. James leans in the living room doorway, his dark shirt unbuttoned at the collar. He looks so good, so crisp and manly, and I bite my lip. His eyes darken.
“Your father called.” He strolls forward, hands in his pockets. “He asked me to tell you he loved yesterday’s shoot. Apparently your mother has already ordered prints.”
I smile down at my camera. It took a while, but when my parents saw my business take off, when they saw how popular it is, they came around.
I’d have kept going either way, but it still feels good. Especially when a hard chest presses against my back, two strong arms winding around my middle.
“Should you be on your feet?” he murmurs against my neck.
I snort. “Why? Should I be on bed rest for the next month?”
“If you like.” His beard tickles my throat, his lips tracing up to my jaw. “I could rub your feet. Bring you breakfast in bed.”
“That does sound pretty good.” I flick through the photos on my camera. “Living the Truffle lifestyle.”
“Soon it’ll be sleepless nights and throw-up on our shirts,” he warns. But he can’t hide the excitement and longing in his voice, and I tip my head back against his shoulder. He’s sturdy and warm behind me. Always my rock.
“You’re excited,” I whisper. “Don’t be a grouch.”
“Very excited.” His hands smooth over my belly. Grip my hips. “You’re stuck with me forever now, sweetheart. You’re mine.”
“I was already yours!” I splutter, but he’s taking my hand. Placing the camera on the coffee table and leading me to the doorway. Our footsteps creak on the stairs and I grin at the back of his shirt as my husband leads me to our bedroom.
Maybe he’ll rub my feet. Maybe he’ll rub other things.
Either way, I’m his. And he’s mine.
* * *Want more from the Teacher’s Pet series?
Check out this bonus epilogue with all four couples! It’s graduation day. An overwhelming time. Sometimes, you just need to sneak off together…
For more possessive alphas who can’t get enough of their loves, check out the Wild Obsession collection—starting with Mountain Captive.
Lastly, if you enjoyed The Dean, please consider leaving a rating or review. It’s a huge help for authors, and a super sweet thing to do. :)
