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
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