Page 2 of Spy With Me
Except it would have been better with a brother.
He shook that off. Cooper loved his parents. He loved hislife here in Dallas, and the Agency team that took him around the world. Iftheir mom hadn’t given him up, Cooper likely wouldn’t have learned to fly,wouldn’t have had the big found family he’d grown up in. Wouldn’t have fallenin love with the most complicated woman in the world.
And that would be a shame because Kala Taggart was a hell ofa woman. Zach genuinely loved her like a sister.
“Well, that sounds more fun than…” Dare began.
Zach snorted and stopped him since he knew what was comingnext. “Rich boy, I know your dad was a massive ass, but really, let’s notcompare childhoods. I would totally win.”
Even if he didn’t tell them about his mom who was in and outof jail, and his aunt who loved him but also had some mental health issues. Hehad plenty of stories about growing up poor and being called white trash. DareNash had a nasty dad who was now doing time in jail—though it was Canadianjail, so there was that—but otherwise the world had been his oyster. And he’dgotten Tasha. And Ian Taggart kind of loved him.
Dare pretty much had everything Zach wanted. He was now thehead of sales for McKay-Taggart. He would be part of the family, and no onewould ever threaten to take it from him. His place was set.
Cooper glanced down at his watch. “I should get out there.We’ve got a couple of scenes to run tonight. Julian sent over one of hisproblem children. Not a real problem. He just hasn’t gotten what he needs, andI don’t think he’s going to find it at The Club. I already set up the space,but I want to walk Kala through it and make sure it’s everything she needs.”
His brother might not be sleeping with the woman he loved,but he knew how to take care of her.
“I wasn’t trying to…” Dare began as Cooper walked toward thedoor that would lead them out.
It was awkward to be around the guy who ended up with thegirl, but Zach had no regrets. Tash was happy. That was all that mattered.“It’s okay, man. We all have shitty childhoods. We probably shouldn’t turn itinto a competition. How’s the wedding prep going?”
Dare seemed relieved to have something to talk about. It wasprobably weird to hang out with a dude who used to have a crush on yourfiancée. Dare was a good guy. They followed Cooper as Dare talked about venuesand how he mostly sat back and nodded and let Tash and her mom pick everything.
He was also a smart man.
“You can totally get Aidan killed,” Kala was saying as hewalked into the hall. “Like go for it, buddy. But if you think I’ll let youhurt my cousin, you haven’t met me. Would you like to meet me, Tristan?”
So this was going well. He was here for the drama. He usedto be the dude who would say he wanted peace and calm, but he was prettyaddicted to the scenes they ran at The Hideout, and he wasn’t talking about allthe public spankings.
Aidan frowned. The doctor was dressed for play and curled anarm around his fiancée’s waist. “So says the woman who punched her in the gutnot three hours ago.”
The hall was crowded. The ladies had emerged from theirlocker room as well, and they seemed to be facing off with the guys. Well,except for Carys, who was huddling close to Aidan. Tristan Dean-Miles, however,was staring Kala Taggart’s way. She stood there with her sisters, Tasha andtwin Kenzie.
And her cousin.
Damn, her cousin looked good. Devi. He was pretty sure itwas short for Devon. Devon Taggart. He stared at her for a moment. She hadnatural red hair and the cutest smattering of freckles across the bridge of hernose. So much hair, and it was curly and wound down to brush the tops of perkybreasts. She wore a pair of boy shorts that barely covered her and an emeraldgreen corset that made her skin practically glow. She always wore such prettyfetwear. There were roses embroidered on the corset, likethey bound her up in beauty.
How had he never really looked at her before?
Oh, yeah, because she was his teammate TJ’s sister, and TJmight smack him.
It might be worth it. Besides, TJ was totally wrapped up inhis girlfriend, Louisa Ward, right now. He probably wouldn’t even notice.
He shouldn’t do this. It was a bad idea. He was a bad bet,and little Devi shouldn’t be in his line of fire.
And yet he wasn’t walking away.
“She’ll back off,” Tristan was saying. “Or she’ll meet me.”
Kala had been in the middle of the Tristan/Carys/Aidandrama. It was precisely how she’d gotten kicked in the cootch earlier today.Naturally Kala had taken it like a champ. It looked like Coop’swell-planned-out evening might be in jeopardy.
Cooper groaned. “She’s wound up enough as it is. Could wenotch down the testosterone, please?”
“He’s talking to you, sis,” Kenzie said to her twin.
He rarely got them mixed up, despite the fact that they wereperfectly identical. They worked hard to stay that way. When Kala got a scar,Kenzie made sure she had one, too.
It was a bit disturbing, but he understood. The twins werededicated to the mission.
