Page 41 of No More Spies

Rent wasn’t cheap, and it was good to multitask.

He huffed and then did something completely unexpected. Kalathought she was pretty good at tactical maneuvers, including figuring out whather opponent’s next move was in any fight. She knew Cooper’s style, and he waslaid back and patient.

This man was anything but patient. He leaned over and shovedhis big, stupid strong arms under her knees and lifted her against his chest.

She hadn’t been picked up since she was a kid and her dadcarried her around. Well, not when she was conscious anyway. “What are youdoing?”

“Saving myself time. You’re right. I’m incredibly horny, andnow I have a fuck buddy. Also, there are a bunch of stairs between us and theprivacy rooms. I’m thinking of your knee.”

Good. She could go with his reasoning. It also felt nice.

He managed to get the door open, and immediately theindustrial thump of music was all around her. And sex. She could hear thesounds of sex and pleasure, and was she about to find out what that reallymeant?

She needed this. She would be a better operative for doingthis, and no one ever had to know how afraid she’d been all these years.

She heard someone gasp as Cooper strode by the main stageand then felt every damn eye on her. He stopped when he found Mattie at theedge of the crowd, looking up at a big guy with wide eyes. Flirting. He was alot more flirty after a good thwacking. If he got some tonight, she’d done herjob.

Mattie turned and stopped, staring at them.

“When you get a chance, deliver the Mistress’s kit and bootsto the locker room. Her sister is in there, and she’ll store them for her,”Cooper commanded. “They’re in the red room.”

Mattie nodded. “Yes, I know which room and yes, I will.” Heput a hand over his heart. “Are Mommy and Daddy actually going to do it thistime?”

“Hey,” Kala began. She’d known this would happen. The subsliked to gossip. Despite the fact that it was discouraged. Sort of. In theory.In practice, the club ran on it. “I can still spank you.”

She shouldn’t have let Cooper pick her up. It made her lookweak. It made her feel so good.

It was expedient since she had an injury and there were manystairs that could exacerbate the injury.

Cooper started walking toward those dangerous stairs. Sheglanced up at him, allowing her arm to float around his broad shoulders. Hewore his leathers, no shirt beneath the black vest on his chest so she couldfeel warm skin. His jaw was tight and with the barest hint of stubble.

“Kala.” Lou ran across the dungeon floor, TJ following afterher. “What happened? Should I get one of the doctors?”

Oh, bestie. She’d kind of hoped they would get by her. Loumight be a sub, but she could be super stubborn if she thought someone couldhurt a friend. “I’m fine.”

Cooper kept walking.

Lou followed. “What is going on? Did your knee give out? Wasit the spanking bench in the red room, because I told Gabe I thought we shouldget another.”

“Lou, baby, I don’t think this is about a bad knee.” TJ puta hand on his girlfriend’s elbow. “We should give them some space.”

“Space for what?” Lou asked as though she couldn’t wrap herhead around why Coop would be carrying her upstairs and toward the privacyrooms.

Cooper didn’t say a word.

TJ whispered something to Lou and then her eyes went wideand she watched them. Her best friend sent her a look of pure surprise. Andmaybe a little hurt.

She told Lou everything. Almost everything. Since theincident in Canada, she’d held a lot back. Or maybe it started when Lou and TJgot together and Kala realized how she could fuck things up for her friend andher cousin.

Cooper blew right past the bar where everyone was not payingany attention at all. Nope. They were all staring. Every single one of them.Daisy’s jaw had dropped, and she pulled her cell out of her boobs and startedtexting. So her sister would know in seconds.

It didn’t matter. This was what she wanted. What she needed.When they broke off whatever they were starting, everyone would think she wasthe heartless bitch who walked away from perfect Cooper.

“Three is open,” a deep voice called out. She glanced behindCooper and his brother, Hunter, was standing at the entry desk to the privacyrooms, dressed in his leathers and a big old grin. He gave her a thumbs-up asCooper simply walked on.

He got them inside the privacy room labeled three and closedthe door behind them and stopped. For the first time since he picked her up, helooked at her, staring right into her eyes. A long moment passed.

“You can put me down,” she said quietly, the intimacyhitting her like a kick in the gut. She was in a room with Cooper and they weresupposed to have sex. He was probably thinking she was incredibly experienced.Since that was kind of the vibe she put out.