Free Nobody's Hero by Kallypso Masters Page A

his doing his
damnedest to keep her away.
    Except at this moment. What were they talking
about again? He noticed her full lips and realized how much he
wanted to kiss her right now. Damn it. She’d done it
again—short-circuited his brain.
    “Adam?”
    He returned his focus to her eyes.
    “What?” he barked.
    “So maybe I am a switch.”
    He needed to put an end to any discussion
about bondage, discipline, domination, or submission with Karla
pretty damn quick. “You’re a singer. That’s your role in the
club—the only one you need to worry about.” Something in her eyes
told him she wasn’t planning to let the matter drop. Damned
stubborn woman. “I think we’d both better try to get some shut-eye,
or we aren’t going to function very well tomorrow.”
    His hands spanned her tiny waist, before he
remembered he couldn’t lift her, so he took her hand and helped her
to her feet. Karla then held out her hand to him, but he ignored it
and stood under his own steam, even though the effort left his back
muscles sore and his legs shaking with the effort. He needed to
wean himself off “Nurse Karla” here and get his life back on an
even keel. The fleeting image of Karla wearing one of those skimpy
nurse’s outfits like the one Marc had wanted Angelina to wear for
the first costume night, right before the cougar attack, sent his
dick bobbing inside his sweats.
    God, would he ever be able to get his life
back under control, given what had happened earlier tonight? Not
fucking likely.
    Karla went to his side of the bed and turned
down the sheets for him.
    “I think I can take it from here, hon. Thank
you for taking such good care of me.” He reached out and stroked
her cheek, until she closed her eyes and leaned her face into his
hand. He pulled his hand away quickly.
    Keep your fucking hands off her, old
man .
    Rather than look hurt, she just smiled and
walked around the foot of the bed. He expected her to continue
toward the door into the hallway. Not Karla. Instead, she surprised
him by walking to the other side of the bed, turning down the sheet
and blanket, and climbing in.
    “Karla, what the f…heck do you think you’re
doing?”
    “Going to bed. I’m exhausted.” She smiled
again, and he could see where she thought this was headed. Well,
not if he had anything left to say about it.
    “Go to your own bed.”
    “I don’t want to be alone tonight. You don’t
mind if I stay here with you? I promise I’ll stay here on my
side.”
    What was this “my side” crap? Now she was saying it?
    Without waiting for a response, she pulled
the covers over her and curled onto her side, presenting her curvy
backside to him. Adam stood and stared a moment. If his strength
hadn’t been so compromised, he’d have picked her up and carried her
to where she belonged. However, the thought of dropping and hurting
her put an end to that plan.
    He glanced at his side of the bed, not
certain what to do. Maybe he should go sleep in her room. That
thought wasn’t very satisfying. Not that he planned to get any
satisfaction—or even sleep—tonight.
    “Turn out the light and come to bed,
sweetheart?”
    Sweetheart?
    If Karla had declared war on his heart
earlier tonight, then she’d just now entered the occupation phase
of her campaign. Not just of his bed, but occupation of that cold
place inside his chest he’d vowed to never let anyone in. They
didn’t make tactical charts to deal with this kind of
battlefield.
    Maybe he could think more clearly after he’d
gotten some sleep. Hell, like he was going to get any sleep with
Karla lying a few feet away.
    Times like these, he wished he hadn’t quit
drinking. Or given up on pain pills. He wouldn’t get any sleep
tonight.
    Fuck .
    But there was no way he’d let his sleeping
body naturally gravitate again toward the warm—and willing—woman
lying in his bed. He took the few steps to the nightstand and
switched off the light, crawled into bed, and turned onto his