Big Girls Don’t Spy (Masters and Mercenaries: Global Domination #1)

Chapter One

Vivian McKay’s rules for dating in the modern world:

to his date with his mom in tow—run.

his phone more than he watches you—run.

you he’s a spy and he might die soon so he’s trying to have one last night—he’s

not a spy. They don’t tell you.

4. If he leaves

his wallet at home, send his ass back home.

5. If he cries

after meeting your uncle, he’s probably not going to survive your family.

6. If he has a

girl best friend who he can’t live without—run.

7. If your

dog/cat/pet of any kind doesn’t like him, choose the pet.

8. If he talks

about all his exes and explains that they’re all crazy—run. He’s the one who

needs help.

9. If he’s

jealous on the first or second date…yup—run.

10. But the

cardinal rule, the most important one is this—believe what he says. He will

tell you who he is.

Vivian McKay looked around the space with a huge grin

on her face. She had not expected this. When Sophy had mentioned they would be

attending Club Dominion, she’d expected something like the plush, luxurious

clubs her parents went to and she attended on occasion. When her parents were

on another continent. Now she was thousands of miles away and eager to make

friends in what was going to be her home club. Which was neither plush nor

luxurious. She was pretty sure she’d caught sight of a bucket under one of the

sinks. “It truly is a dump. I like it.”

The club was on the outskirts of the city and it needed

work, but there was something about it that she enjoyed. Like the club her

cousins had built back in Dallas. This place reminded her of The Hideout.

She’d been in clubs owned by billionaires, but there was

something about a group of twenty- and thirty-year olds building their own

club, their own community, that really got to her.

Her best friend, Sophy Weston, laughed. She was in a rose

gold corset that made her skin glow, a tiny skirt around her hips, and

ridiculous heels making her far taller than she actually was. Her gold and

brown hair was up in a neat bun this evening, and that was surprising. She

mostly wore it down and kept it long. Because it hid some scars she would

prefer not to talk about. It told Vivian that Sophy felt comfortable here.

“It is, but don’t tell Oliver,” Sophy replied. “He does not

see its flaws. This club is his baby. He went to his dad for a loan, but his

father told him he wouldn’t pay for his sex club.”

“That seems a bit hypocritical,” Vivian remarked since

Oliver Knight’s father owned his own sex club and had for decades.

Sophy shrugged. “He told his son he’d had to build his own

club and that he wouldn’t take the experience from him. Oliver took it as a

challenge. He’s got big plans for this place. He claims one day it will be more

famous than The Garden. And I’m pretty sure he knows it’s a dump, but I think

he would call it a work in progress. Look at you. Here for three days and

already causing trouble. Did I mention how happy I am you’re here?”

She and Sophy had grown up together in Dallas, Texas. Sophy

had moved to London a year before and Vivian followed her after she finished

her master’s degree in psychology. She’d been in London for three days and

she’d started her new job at McKay-Taggart and Knight. She’d met the team the

day she got in, but the real work started Monday.

Now that she was over the initial jet lag, she was ready to

have some fun.

And maybe some sex. It had been forever since she’d played.

Her life had become a never-ending ritual of classes and symposiums and

sessions. There hadn’t been time to visit local clubs or even date.

“Well, I’m here for a couple of years, at least. I want to

learn everything Dr. Ariel Adisa can teach me.” Vivian also wanted to learn

from Damon Knight, former MI6 operative. Most of the people on Knight’s team

were former military or worked for intelligence. It was precisely why she was

here. It was the place where she could learn about the intelligence field far

from her parents’ eyes. Her mom and dad thought she was here to simply learn

Dr. Adisa’s protocols. They would likely freak out if they knew she wanted to

try something a little wilder. “Also, did I thank you for saving me from a

studio in a crappy part of town?”

When she’d started talking about working in London, Sophy

had immediately declared Vivian would be her roommate. Vivian thought it was

one of the reasons her parents were calm about the change.

Sophy smiled. “Well, Dad decided if I was breaking free, I

should do it in style.”

And for Simon Weston, that meant buying his daughter a

penthouse flat in Mayfair. It was stunning and absolutely nothing Vivian could

ever afford. Her parents were well off, but they didn’t have the kind of money

the Westons had. Sophy’s father was the second son of the Duke of Norsely. Sophy had recently been named her uncle’s heir,

and she’d come to London to work with Clive Weston on royal things. Vivi still

wasn’t sure what Sophy’s real job was. It seemed to be managing her extremely

grumpy uncle for the most part.

“Where is Oliver?” She glanced around. There was a small bar

space. Oliver’s sister, Sami, sat on one of the couches sipping on what looked

like a Cosmo. She was talking to Jenna Hart, the office manager at MTK. A few

of the men who worked with the company were sitting in the lounge, too, having

a pint and watching soccer highlights.

Football. She was in a new country and wanted to learn the

language.

And learn how to spy. From what she could tell the absolute

best way to do that was to fit in. She was good at that. She wasn’t a stunning

beauty like her mother. She was curvy, always wanting to lose twenty pounds and

never quite able to manage it. She sometimes thought she was a bit like

wallpaper. Pretty, but in the background for the most part.

However, she felt sexy in a club. She felt powerful, like

she was in control by deciding to submit.

“He had to fly out to Rome. Said he’s meeting a girl, but

I’m pretty certain it’s a mission,” Sophy replied. “He pretends to be this huge

playboy, but he’s actually kind of a nerd from what I can tell. For a man who

claims to be able to get any woman he wants, he spends an enormous amount of

time playing video games. This seems to be a last-minute thing because he has a

guest coming in tonight. A Special Air Service guy he’s worked with before. But

does he ask his sister to deal with him? No. He texts me.”

“Well, good luck with him. I’m going to have some fun.” She

turned to her bestie. “Tell me I look okay.”

Sophy’s brows rose. “You look gorgeous and you know it. That

corset makes your boobs look huge.”

Vivian took a long breath. Well, a short one since the

corset was tied tight. The club had always been her safe place, but it had been

a hot minute since she donned ye olde fet wear. She’d

been glad it still fit. “I’m a bit nervous. It’s been a year and a half since I

played.”

She’d concentrated on intellectual pursuits. She’d neglected

her body’s needs.

Sophy took her hand. “I know. You’ve been working

constantly. You deserve to have fun tonight. There are a couple of tops I think

you would get along with nicely.”

“Ones who don’t work at MTK?” She didn’t want to play where

she was employed. Oh, she knew it could work, but it hadn’t for her. Playing

where she worked—or in this case studied—had gotten her paper stolen by the guy

who “cared” so much about her.

But that was behind her now, and she’d learned her lesson.

She was here for fun, for stress relief. The last thing she wanted was to start

some tortured love story.

“Galen Perry is a lovely West End actor. He’s not looking

for anything serious. He’s become a friend, and he’s nice and down to earth,”

Sophy explained. “I thought you could play with him tonight and see how it

goes. I have the highest hopes that you’ll get along. He’s a good top. Ariel

approved, though I suppose you’ll take that over now. Ariel’s been kind enough

to vet new members for us, but now you can be our resident shrink.”

Well, she hadn’t gone to school for six years for nothing.

That master’s degree would come in handy. “Sure. It’ll be fun.”

“Ariel is too soft,” a new voice said. “The last Dom she let

in doesn’t believe climate change is real. I think we should only have sane

people in the club.”

Even if she hadn’t known the voice, the words would have

given her away. Vivi turned and Lucy Brooke Flanders stood there with a bag in

hand. She would bet that bag contained a bunch of earth-friendly fet wear. “Lucy, it’s good to see you. It’s been too long.”

She hugged the other woman. They’d known each other since

childhood, too, though Lucy had been more of a vacation friend. Lucy grew up in

a small town in Colorado that her parents visited often.

Lucy hugged her back. “You, too, though it’s going to be a

short visit. I’m about to head to Wales. I’m watching the farm for a while.”

“Is that a spy thing?” Vivi asked.

Lucy grinned at her. “Sort of. It’s a cover my mom found for

me. When Dad and I need to work in Europe, we sometimes hang out at this farm

in Wales with all these rescued animals. I’ve perfected my English accent.

Working on my Welsh, but Dad already sounds like he’s straight out of Cardiff.

You should come sometime. It’s lovely and peaceful out there.”

Lucy was a tree-hugging environmentalist. She was also a

spy. She was with the CIA but often worked with MI6. “That sounds wonderful.”

“I hear you start on Monday,” Lucy said. “I’m so glad to

have you here with us. We need smart people to offset Ollie.”

Oliver Knight was highly intelligent but liked to play the

rich playboy. Sometimes it annoyed people. It absolutely annoyed Lucy. “Well,

I’m excited to start.”

“And I heard what Sophy was saying,” Lucy remarked as she

moved past them, walking toward the sadly decorated locker room. Though they

called it a “lounge.” She was going to work on that. She knew Sophy had offered

to put cash into the club, but Oliver was being stubborn. She rather thought

they could figure out a way to sneak in nice things and Oliver would never