Chapter Four

Ursin Miller

I'm a dick. I know it. Everyone in the class witnessed it firsthand. Anya just made me impulsive, and it showed. She made me want to take her down, and I still wasn't sure why. And as I unlocked my office door with her standing behind me, I had to contain myself. Me—a guy who was always in control. I made a career out of it.

"Come in." I stepped aside for her to walk in, her sugary fragrance wafting off her.

She passed me, her gaze forward, but for a flicker of a second, she looked at me, those dark eyes rife with confusion. And fear. I knew why. Anya needed this class to graduate at the end of the summer session. She needed me to pass her.

I wanted to fail her so she could take this class again and think of me. Hate me for it.

Anya sat on the only empty seat in my office across my desk. She set her backpack on her lap and clasped her hands over the top, fingers tightening against each other.

I slung my bag over the mismatched filing cabinet, noting the university still hadn't replaced the used furniture to what I had requested. I gritted my teeth. I didn't like waiting for what I wanted.

"Do you know why I asked you to come to my office?" I sat in the executive chair and leaned back against the worn foam back.

Her jaw clenched. "I guess it's because I spoke without being called on."

"You guess?" I scoffed. God, she was cute when she wanted to lose her temper. I could see it just under the surface.

Her face was red. "I thought this was a discussion. Why do I have to ask permission to speak?"

My face warmed. "Because without order, there is chaos. And I am the director of that order."

Anya's pulse beat rapidly at her neck. I could see it through her olive-tan skin. The delicate flesh just under her mass of dark waves and down to her chest rising with her sharp breaths.

"No one else knew the answer, Mr. Miller. I did." Her eyes lifted to meet mine, and there was the defiance I wanted to see.

"I wanted someone else to answer. You can't carry this class. Students can't rely on someone else to have the answers. They need to participate."

"So, I'm being punished because I know the answers?"

She had no idea what punishment was. Clearly. "Is that what you think? That you're being punished for knowing the answers?"

She lifted her hands, and waved them in frustration. "Yes. I do, Mr. Miller. And by the way, I've noticed how you've actively been cold to me. You've been harder on me than other students. Is it because I parked in your spot on the first day of class? I apologized, sir. I think you're being extremely unfair to me. Not to mention you've given me C-pluses on the pop quizzes when I know I should have gotten As."

"That's quite entitled of you, Anya. Do you think you deserve anything better than what the other students receive from me?"

She bit her lip, dropping her gaze to her backpack. "No. But I don't deserve worse."

"And you forgot to mention your bribe." I lifted my eyebrow the moment her eyes snapped up to me again.

"What?"

I stood. I thought I was clear enough. She needed to fall in line with my way of teaching. Period.

Walking to the door, I stopped just before I reached the knob. "You attempted to bribe a faculty member—me."

She stood too, holding her sad backpack by the strap, the hem of her stupid tie-dyed bohemian dress fell nearly over her chunky sandaled feet. I didn't like the casual, unstructured style.

"You mean when I offered to buy you coffee as an apology?" Her mouth stayed open, shocked even. "That wasn't a bribe, sir. I swear it wasn't."

"Sure." I rested my hand on the doorknob and turned, but didn't pull it open.

Anya rushed to the door, her eyes pleading. "I swear it wasn't, Mr. Miller."

"Swearing isn't good unless you're under oath." There it was, her saccharine perfume in my personal space, tingling the insides of my nostrils.

"And exercising your power to a student for your own entertainment isn't good either." The words fell from her mouth, and I think she was just as surprised as I was.

I was impressed. Truly. I didn't think she had it in her to stand up for herself because, yes, I was purposely being an asshole to her. I was totally going out of my way to show her who was in charge.

But she called my bluff. Wow. Bravo, Anya Sanchez.