Page 48 of Illicit Education

I pictured those shoulders bare, the way they moved as he whipped his assistant last night–

Noooooope. I couldn’t allow myself to entertainthosethoughts about Cabot Reed. He was my boss.

And he was a jerk, tailored suits or otherwise.

A true control freak through and through.

I mean, during his free time he had people calling himMaster, for God’s sake.

I swallowed past the thickness in my throat and offered the man a tight smile. “Mr. Reed. Good morning.”

He raised one eyebrow, as if the simple greeting was somehow amusing, then glanced down at his watch and motioned toward the elevator. “Come.”

The command sent a gentle shiver down my spine.

Shit.

I looked back at Marisa over my shoulder, whose eyes were even wider than before, then the elevator doors opened and I stepped inside.

Reed entered behind me, then stood too close for comfort as the doors closed. I sidestepped, giving the man some space.

“We’ll begin by reviewing some of the items on my desk. I have a few manuscripts that need my attention before offers of publication are made. I’d like to see what you think of them before I sign off.”

I met his gaze in the reflection of the doors… safer than meeting it head on. “I thought you were busy this week.”

“I am always busy, Ms. Blake.”

I rubbed my lips together as irritation prickled the back of my neck. “I was under the impression that I’d be shadowing Mrs. Arroyo this week, while you and your father prepared for the transition of power.”

He turned to face me. “I was under the impression that you wanted to shadow the head of Reed Publishing.”

I breathed deeply through my nose, immediately regretting it as the delicious scent of him threatened to knock me senseless. And now, thanks to one night spent at the Rabbit Hole with the man, I’d forever link the smell to… other things.

Sexy things.

I squeezed my eyes shut until the image of Reed spinning his arms in those slow circles passed.

“Something wrong, Ms. Blake?”

I nearly snorted.Was something wrong?

Oh, so many things.

Lines.

Were.

Blurred.

“No, sir.”

I needed to get my shit together. I worked my ass off to get into this position, and, until I’d met him, I’d been thoroughly looking forward to working beneath him.

Oh, sweet baby Jesus.I nearly groaned as my brain paired those words with an image of this domineering man above me.

Whipping me.

One night at a fetish club and suddenlyreadingBDSM romance wasn’t enough; I now wanted to star in my own.