His breath lingered at my ear, every word curling down my spine like a slow and dangerous caress.
“You want to play games in my class?” he murmured. “Then you’ll play by my rules.”
My whole body trembled. The weight of his voice, his closeness, the sheer authority in the way he stood over me, it all pressed down until I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“P-please…” My voice broke, small and desperate.
He stepped around to face me again, his gaze sharp, hungry and unforgiving. “Please what?”
I twisted my fingers in my lap, shame and panic tangled together until the words tumbled out. “I can’t lose my scholarship. I can’t…” My voice cracked. “It’s everything. My future… my only chance.”
“Not my problem,” he said flatly, folding his arms but his eyes gleamed, watching me like a predator wai
