Page 126 of Illicit Education

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“I am now.”

His intake of breath was audible, then he turned on the radio and a low, deep bass filled the car. Provocative, sexy music like I’d heard in the Rabbit Hole so many times before. It shook the seat and brought my blood to life, my veins thrumming with the rhythm. A little while later, we pulled into a gated and guarded parking garage beneath a high-rise on the Upper East Side.

Just as I suspected.

I looked over at him, smiling to myself.

“What?”

I shrugged. “Nothing.”

“Come.” He climbed out of the car and hurried to my side, then opened the door and extended his hand to help me out.

When we walked into the lobby, the doorman did a double take, looking at me with wide eyes. “Mr. Reed, good evening. And, um… Miss…?”

“Blake. Rylan Blake.” I shook the man’s hand, then stood beside Reed as we waited for the elevator.

By the time we’d nearly reached the top floor, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “He seemed really surprised to see me.”

Cabot remained stoic, giving me nothing in his expression.

“If you’re uncomfortable having me here, we can leave–”

He swiveled toward me quickly, then pressed the emergency stop button. His eyes searched mine, then his lips quirked up to one side. “I’ve wanted to do that since the day we met.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Stop the elevator?”

He nodded slowly, not taking his eyes from mine.

“And then what happens?”

“Well, that first day, I imagined very creative ways to shut you up.” He reached up and ran his thumb across my bottom lip. “You really do have quite the mouth on you.”

I licked my lips, pulling the bottom one into my teeth, then said, “I believe I had a similar idea about how to get rid of that cocky smirk.”

Cabot’s eyebrows rose. “Since that day,” he continued, his gaze growing darker as he held me in his stare, “I’ve imagined fucking you in the elevator of Reed Tower a million different ways.”

I sucked in a breath. “And now?”

He frowned. “Well, as much as I’d like to give the security team the shock of their lives… in reality…” He looked up at the cameras. “I don’t feel like the timing is all that great. With what’s going on…”

I nodded. “Good point.”

He hit the button again and the elevator finished its ascent, opening up to the penthouse.

“Of course it’s the penthouse.”

He made an annoyed noise. “Are you going to comment on the decor here, too?”

“Is it traumatizing like Gram-gram’s?” I looked around as we stepped inside, taking it all in. The decor matched the master bedroom at his grandmother’s house, all sleek and modern. Dark walls with slate and hardwood accents, and then, in complete juxtaposition, fluffy white pillows sat atop cognac leather sofas.

I turned to face him and unzipped my hoodie, then let it fall to the floor.

Cabot’s face went slack.

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