Page 37 of No More Spies

Why had she been hurt by his words? She often boasted thatshe was the toughest top in Dallas. Far better than any of the guys, and ifthey wanted, she would put it to the test. Of every aspect of her life, being atop was something she seemed most proud of. As if finding a way to serve herneeds while helping others was her chief accomplishment.

What she didn’t seem to understand was she did that everysingle day.

He watched as she took Mattie through his punishment, thesub calling out the number of strikes. Loud at first, and then with tearsdripping from his eyes. Finally in a soft voice that let Cooper know he was insubspace.

She finished with one last strike of the paddle and thenstepped back. “You’re to go to Gabriel for aftercare. I’m in town for a fewweeks, so expect that I’ll show up for an inspection of your apartment, and ifit’s not clean in the way you have told me you expect from yourself, I’llrevoke your rights to The Hideout for a week.”

Mattie had rolled over on his back, a big grin on his face.“It will be clean, Mistress. And I’ll be more careful about being at work ontime.”

Kala’s lips tugged up as though she couldn’t help herself.She genuinely cared about the subs they disciplined. “No, you won’t.”

Mattie laughed. “No, I won’t. I like this too much.It’s…it’s the only time I relax. Thank you, Mistress. I think I’ll forego theaftercare and find a hot Dom who thinks my pink ass is pretty.”

Mattie got up and strode out of the room with far moreconfidence than he’d walked in with.

Kala frowned. “It’s not pink. It’s red. When I beat an ass,it’s red. I get no credit.”

It had been a light red. Which was pink. But he wasn’t aboutto argue with her. He glanced down at his watch. Almost one. The Hideout hadclosing hours, but almost no one paid attention to them. They weren’t asprofessional a club as Sanctum or The Club. People would still be hanging outat four a.m. most nights. Though by then they would be up in the loungedrinking beer and playing board games or in the locker rooms watching movies orsports.

Kala always left early. Even when her twin and best friendhung behind, she would head home with the excuse of her dog needing a walkbefore bed. At two in the morning.

“I think he was perfectly pleased. Is that our last of thenight?” They’d run two scenes and had private sessions with two others. It hadbeen a full night. He’d taken the lead on one of the scenes, but the privatesubs had both wanted her. He was feeling anxious. He hadn’t helped her enoughtonight.

She nodded and walked over to the table where her kit waslaid out, carefully cleaning the paddle before storing it away. “Yes. So Iguess there’s not a lot more I can procrastinate over.”

He didn’t like the sound of that. “Why would youprocrastinate?”

“Because I think we have to do something I hate doing.”

Now hewasanxious. Like moving firmly into theangst direction. “What do we need to talk about?”

There were several things Kala Taggart didn’t like to do.Whites. She didn’t mind any other laundry with the exception of whites andfolding fitted sheets. She tended to get pissed at them and ended up needing anew sheet. She wasn’t fond of cooking, but she could clean a kitchen and nevercomplain. The only thing she really hated doing was talking.

If she thought they needed to talk, it was bad.

She took a long breath and turned, leaning against the tableand looking at him across the room. “It doesn’t have to be a long talk.”

Such a remote goddess. “It doesn’t have to be an awkwardtalk. Want to come sit with me?” He scooted over, offering her half of thebench. “Come here, Kala. Is your knee bugging you? Let’s get you out of thoseheels. Sometimes the top needs aftercare, too.”

She frowned his way. “How did you know? Damn it. I have tofix it. If I show everyone I’m hurting, they’ll know exactly where to hit me.”

She wasn’t coming to him, so he stood and ate the distancebetween them. He got into her space. She was more willing to be open with himin this setting. When they were alone and in their element, she would let himcloser. The partnership he’d begun with her had at least done one thing right.“Hey, I was watching you closely. You favored your right side. That’s all. I’msure you were in awful pain and didn’t blink an eye. No one else would notice.”

Her jaw firmed as she turned her head up. “I’ll get better.I’m doing PT.”

He reached up and wanted to run his hands through all thosepink cotton candy curls, but that might be a bit much. He was being patient. Hesettled for clasping her shoulders. “Of course you will. You’re alreadybouncing back. This whole benching us thing isn’t about you. It’s aboutHuisman. It’s about Zach. Come on. Let’s get you out of the boots. Youshouldn’t wear them while you’re in PT. They’re sexy as hell, but I’m way moreworried about your ACL.”

“You know heels are part of the uniform.”

He had to handle her carefully. Despite what most peoplebelieved, Kala was actually pretty easy to deal with. She rarely got offended.She didn’t care what most people thought. Often people mistook her deep core ofhonesty for arrogance. If she was wearing the wrong jacket for some party theywere going to, she would shrug and ask advice and change. But this wasdifferent. This was about her ability to do her job—both as an operative and asa top. He could address one of those issues. “I think you take excellent careof your submissives, and they would likely be horrified if they thought youwere in pain, Mistress. Let them have their compassion. Sometimes it’s good tolet them take care of you.”

She was a one hundred percent service top. She didn’t sleepwith her subs. Oh, she would allow them to serve her at a party if they enjoyedshowing off, but she wasn’t the kind of Mistress who had her subs wash her caror come over to do the dishes. She was the type of Mistress who would bring asick sub soup and order them to eat it and get well and ensure they had whatthey needed.

He wanted her to feel that way about him, too.

“It does hurt.” She started to lean over. “I ganked itcoming down the stairs. I swear if I step the slightest bit wrong…”

He stopped her, offering his leg. “Let me.”

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