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steady. Grimly satisfied that at just over six feet tall in her four-inch heels she didn’t have to look up to meet the arrogant you-know-what eye to eye. “Mr. Lutz’s son, Rudy, is in my second period science class.” Remedial science, she added mentally, then aloud, “When he chooses to come to class, that is. He is currently failing.”
    Lutz’s dark eyes flashed and his nostrils flared. “My son has been suspended from the team.”
    “As dictated by school policy,” Jenna supplied smoothly. And waited for Blackman to back her.
    And waited. The silence became stifling as she and Lutz continued to lock glares.
    “Perhaps young Rudy’s test could be given another look,” Blackman suggested from behind her, his tone artificially mild. “Perhaps his answers might have been ...misinterpreted.”
    Jenna slowly turned her head and stared at Blackman, for a moment too appalled for words. “It was a multiple choice and true-false test,” she said coldly. “You know,
true
or
false
. A, B, C, or none of the above. Misinterpretation would be difficult especially since Rudy wrote nothing but his name on the paper. He didn’t even try to guess. Rudy failed the test, Dr. Blackman. Just like he failed the one before it. He failed because he never comes to class and when he does he sits in the back and flirts.” With any girl whose self-esteem is low enough to be impressed, she added to herself, then drew a careful breath. “His grade stands.”
    Dr. Blackman’s thin face became beet red. She noted his trembling hands just before he shoved them in his pockets. “Dr. Marshall, I don’t think you fully appreciate the severity of this suspension, to both Rudy and the team.”
    Oh, for God’s sake,
she thought, feeling the surface of her skin begin to tingle. “What I appreciate is my responsibility to ensure Mr. Lutz’s son gets an education.” She turned to Lutz, then felt a spurt of alarm at the cold expression in his eyes. She pushed the alarm away, focusing on the boy, on his future. “I hope you agree that your son’s education is more important at this stage of his life than his extracurricular activities.”
    Lutz’s square jaw tightened. He deliberately removed his hat, revealing well-tended dark hair, with the hint of silver at his temples.
A distinguished thug,
Jenna thought, fighting the shrill warning bells going off in her head. His eyes ran the length of her. His expression was one of cultured disdain, of blatant sexual disrespect. It made Jenna feel as if she were wearing a thong bikini instead of the tailored suit that came modestly to her knees. Again she waited for Blackman to intervene. Again she waited in vain.
    Lutz took a step forward and smiled. Chills ran up and down Jenna’s arms. It was not a pleasant smile. This was intimidation, in its purest form.
    Jenna cleared her throat. “You do agree, don’t you, Mr. Lutz?” she asked pleasantly.
    Lutz smiled again, a mere baring of teeth. “Miss Marshall—”
    “
Dr.
Marshall,” Jenna corrected with a brittle smile. A muscle quivered in his cheek.
    “
Miss
Marshall,” he repeated from behind gritted teeth and Jenna lifted one shoulder in a halfhearted shrug.
    “Now I see where your son has learned such impressive disrespect,” she murmured, not breaking her gaze. Mr. Thug would look away first, because she sure as hell wasn’t going to.
    Lutz took a step closer, the toes of his black wing tips even with her open-toed sandals. Now she was looking straight up as Lutz had a good five inches on her, even in her heels. “You don’t seem to understand who I am,
Miss
Marshall. I could buy and sell the school like this.” He snapped his fingers next to her ear and Jenna managed not to flinch. “I could have you fired like this.” He snapped his fingers again, his hand closer this time. “You have caused me a great deal of inconvenience,
Miss
Marshall. I was conducting an important business meeting in Boston when my son called to tell