sm

went rigid. "

ed frustratingly comp

not be s

fectly s

ng space between us before I did something stupid, like forget th

lecture hall, blackmail me with my scholarship, and

g flickered across his face. Al

briefly before smo

rest

started, something in his composure cracked

you to do anythin

. "You practically just

htly. "I just stated t

differ

, the distant shuffles of students outside in the hallway.

tried to piece together how my life had dera

I was standing in an empty lecture hall, argui

ly, my voice firm.

efully before giving

responded, my lips

for a moment. "I won't

ulder aggressively. "Then you can take your

, one brow li

ld respond. "I'm not stripping for you

ke. I turned sharply toward the door before he could se

m him felt shaky, b

ve this. I'd

yb

d the lecture hall door when

ord High, Jasmine Buston, loses her scholarsh

y whole bod

headline does sound ju

or handle. For a second, all I could hear

otherf

around. He hadn't move

the desk behind him, his expression unreadable. But there was something

lp me, he

g waves. My scholarship covered every

s on back home. Half the reason I studied like my li

, waiting patiently while I st

ly how long it would tak

't believe you're forcing m

y yours to make." His

hreatening a student into becoming your

briefly before I

mist

rms, exposing strong, veined hands that suddenly

unexpectedl

dne

ediately, but he'

urse

expression before he spoke again.

ed together s

sharpened

lowered almost imperceptibly. "

every nerve in my bo

hell ha

still came in fragments. Broken flashes of skin, he

admitted quietly befor

kno

made irritation f

did

tilted upward faintly.

disbelief. "You c

d slowly. "When?"

eyes, victory maybe. But it van

cuss detai

d-and even worse, my body

you again," I said immediately, forcing steel back into my

mouth then. "Oh," he said

d traitorously beneath my skin. I

I remembered exactly how th

around my bag strap. "This

cour

schola

safe,"

door again, every muscle in my bod

smi

dn't look back thi

said quietly. "You

I could ask what the hell that meant, I shoved

ss, my mind remained trappe

w tied my future to a man I barely knew

my life become th

d naked in front of a man I was dangerously a