Page 28 of No More Spies

Was it time to put Cooper out of his misery? She knew shecouldn’t be what he needed. Cooper McKay would want a sweet wife and a picketfence, and she wouldn’t ever fit into that life, but when she’d lain therepraying for death, the only thing she’d wanted more had been to know what itmeant to be with him.

If she did it, offered herself to him again, he could befree, too.

“Kala, are you okay? I have some tissues.”

Damn it. She hated Manny Huisman. And all the stupid couplesaround her who made her freaking long. She didn’t long. It was a dumb word.

Her father had found her mom, had forgiven her and let herlove him. In his less sarcastic moments, he credited therapy for all of it.

She wouldn’t ever have a real life with Cooper, but maybethey could have something, something she could hold on to when he found thelife he’d been born to lead.

But she wouldn’t if she didn’t find a way to change even thesmallest bit.

“I don’t need a freaking tissue.” She stood, wiping thetears. “But I’ll make another appointment. I won’t be happy about it.”

Lena stood, her lips almost curling into a smile, but sheseemed to know that might not be the best move. “I won’t either.”

Kala strode out, wondering if she’d just made the biggestmistake of her life. Or started down a road that might lead her home.

* * * *

Cooper sat in the conference room at McKay-Taggart, histeammates talking all around him. They discussed their plans for the weekend,how hard Big Tag was about to be on them, what they watched on TV the nightbefore.

But Cooper’s whole focus was on the door because Kala waslate.

“She had an appointment with the doc the Agency sent out.”Kenzie gave him a sympathetic look. “She’s been avoiding the psychologicaldebrief, but the bosses told her she has to go and say something beyond fuckyou. Don’t expect her to be in a good mood.”

He didn’t need her in a good mood. He needed her here. “Whydidn’t someone drive her?”

“She didn’t want a lift,” Lou said from her place beside herboyfriend, TJ Taggart.

“I think she said something about needing time to prepare todeal with assholes.” TJ had already raided the downstairs coffee cart. He wason his second muffin. Or maybe his third. Coop had no idea where he put it.“I’m not sure if she was talking about the psychologist or us.”

“Probably both,” Lou acknowledged. Lou was a sweet-lookingwoman with brown hair and intelligent eyes behind the glasses she wore.

“Well, I don’t think any of the women should be on theirown.” Tristan Dean-Miles sat across from Kenzie, his green eyes on Cooper. “Wehave no idea where Huisman is, and he’s proven perfectly capable of hurting thewomen of the team.”

Kenzie snorted. “You try telling my sister she can’t get anyalone time. Guys, she’s still processing what happened in Canada. This is howshe does it. This, and probably going all Mistress Kala on some sub’s asstonight at The Hideout. I already talked to Gabriel about finding someone forher to scene with.”

“For us to scene with,” Cooper corrected. “And we have anappointment tonight, so that wasn’t necessary.”

Kenzie put her hands up as though letting him know he wasbeing over the top. “Sorry, Master C. I was only trying to help.”

It wasn’t easy being a top when the woman you were so sickin love with was a top, too. He and Kala had been raised in families who wereinvested in the D/s lifestyle. But both of their dads were Doms and their momshappy subs.

They had to find their own way, and he’d started by toppingsubs with her.

Never sex. She never had sex in the club. Sometimes hewished she would since then at least he would know if the guy was treating herright.

At least he would know who he might have to kill.

Because maybe that was what it would take. Years. More thana fucking decade and she still hadn’t forgiven him for being a dumbass kid whodidn’t know who he was. Well, he was a man now, and he was done playing around.She’d put him on this team, insisted on him. She could have left him where hewas but she hadn’t, and it was time to show her what that meant.

Fuck, he could still see her in Ben Parker’s arms. He’dwalked out of that burning mansion with her body, and Cooper had been sure shewas dead. He’d known his whole life was over because she was everything.Everything.

When he held her, felt her chest moving and realized she wasalive, he’d known he was done being patient with her.

He’d given her time to heal. Time to deal.