Page 106 of Illicit Education

I swallowed hard and hurried to sit down.

Mina breathed deeply as she paced the small room, arms crossed over her chest. Every few seconds, she’d shake her head, as if in conversation with herself.

With tense shoulders and a racing pulse, I waited, chewing on my thumbnail as I looked back and forth between these two intensely powerful people.

It occurred to me then why I’d been so drawn to Mina. She held the same animal magnetism that Cabot did. The same predatory power. She commanded respect without saying a word. It was in her stance, the set of her shoulders, the tilt of her chin.

She was a woman people were drawn to, respected.

But now, the sheer power coming off these two people was nearly stifling in this small space.

Finally, Mina paused her pacing, then practically sank into a chair behind the desk. “I don’t honestly know how to handle this.”

“Mistress–”

“Fuck the titles, Cabot,” she growled. “We’ve been friends for a long time. I’m not your Mistress.” She shook her head. “Not right now.”

I leaned forward, trying to figure out where this was going.

“What were youthinking?”

Cabot’s shoulders slumped. His head drooped.

I tried to see the look on his face but he was turned away from me just enough that I couldn’t see his expression.

“How long has this been going on?”

I looked at Mina, but her eyes were focused on Reed. She wasn’t asking me, thank God.

“Two weeks.”

Her eyebrows crept up her forehead. “Two weeks?” She looked at me and I nodded. “Goddammit, Cabot,” she murmured. “I warned you to stay away from her.”

I’m sorry, what?I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest and raising one eyebrow.

“I couldn’t.”

She barked out a laugh. “Couldn’t? You’re the most self-composed man I’ve ever known. You’ve never fallen victim to your own whims. What changed?”

She glanced at me for an answer, but I was just as curious as she was. She’d warned him to stay away from me?Why?And what had changed? Why couldn’t he stay away?

“She’s too young,” Mina whispered.

“Okay,” I said, raising my hands. “I have to stop you there.”

Mina’s jaw tightened as she turned her attention toward me once more. “Rylan, you need to understand something.”

“I understand plenty.”

She shook her head. “We have rules here, guidelines. We have strict policies, especially for those of us in charge–”

“Mina–”

She whipped her head toward Cabot. “You’re my fuckingOmbudsman, for God’s sake, Cabot! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

He rocked from the force of her voice. “I didn’t break any rules.”

Mina’s nostrils flared as her eyes widened. “You broke the most important one.”

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