More deep, white scars crisscrossed his tanned well-muscled flesh than she could count.
Her heart twisted at the sight. How much pain had he suffered? Were all of them war wounds?
She crossed the room, aching to touch him, to soothe the skin puckered by the welts. Her hand reached out, but she stopped it before she touched him. He wouldn't like that and he was too old for her to coddle.
"I was thirsty," she whispered in an awkward apology.
Without facing her or a single comment, Nykyrian pulled a glass down and handed it to her over his shoulder.
As she poured her juice, Kiara realized he was missing his glasses. She was so surprised by that fact, she forgot what she was doing. Juice spilled over the rim of her glass, soaking the sleeve of her robe and splashing up against her feet and legs. Gasping, she plopped the glass and juice down on the cabinet and reached for a towel.
"I'll clean it up," he growled.
Kiara's hand trembled as she tossed the towel back to the counter. She tried to see his face, but he turned away.
She took the hint. Despite the overwhelming curiosity, she grabbed her juice and left.
Kiara raced to her room where she shook with emotions she couldn't quite name and wasn't even sure if she wanted to know what they were or what they signified.
Nykyrian wiped up the sticky juice, his thoughts and emotions churning. He wished for the strength it would take to trust Kiara. But experience had taught him that no one could be trusted.
He would have her assassins tracked down soon and hand them over to her father. With Bredeh and Pitala out of action, no one else would dare accept a contract on her life knowing the OMG protected her. Then he would be free to return to his life. Alone.
An ache twisted through him worse than any physical pain he had ever experienced.
Clenching his teeth, he vowed to himself to see Bredeh and Pitala caught soon.
Five
Kiara paced the floor of her bedroom, completely stir-crazy and it wasn't even noon yet!
What was she supposed to do? Spend the next however m any days, weeks, months it took before the Probekeins recalled their dogs wearing a trail in her carpet?
"I mean face it," she said aloud. "This is asking too much of a person!"
There was nothing on the viewer worth watching, her friends were either working or busy, she was tired of her disks, Nykyrian ignored her, yet what else was there for her to do?
Even prisoners were treated better! At least they were assigned jobs to make the day go faster. This kind of restriction was what had forced her from her father's home. And frankly, she just couldn't stand not having anything to do.
In a huff, she went to find Nykyrian and vent some of her frustration. Just as she expected, he sat there on her couch, hammering at the keys of his terminal in perfect harmony with his isolation. She wanted to throw something at him.
"I've had it!"
He stopped typing and looked up from the screen, his face impassive.
If he weren't wearing his glasses, she bet he'd be cocking his eyebrow at her. "I told you yesterday, I can't just stay here without something to do. I'm bored."
He looked back at his screen. "While you're standing there hands on hips, why don't you stomp your foot and pout like a good little spoiled girl."
Kiara narrowed her eyes and dropped her arms to her sides. His words infuriated her. "I don't pout!"
The snort that answered her really made her want to bounce something off his head.
Piqued at him , her confinement, and life in general, Kiara sat stiffly in her chair. "Can't we please do something? If I stay here any longer, I'll go bended."
He sighed and closed his terminal. "What would mu Tara like to do, go shopping again?"
Despite the deadpan voice, she caught the sarcasm. "Not hardly."
"Then what?"
Kiara thought for a minute. There had to be something they could do that wouldn't endanger their lives, or where people wouldn't gawk at her guard.
Tiyana's party!
Kiara smiled, remembering why they had gone shopping yesterday. "My best friend's birthday party is this afternoon. We could go to it!"
"A birthday party?"
Dread was obvious in his voice. Kiara stared at him, wondering why such a simple occasion would wring an emotional response from him. "Well, why not? It's in a housing building, the only people invited are friends and business associates. Tiyana said it would be just a small gathering."
He growled.
Kiara smiled the sm ile that always bent her father to her will. "Please?"
He growled again and for a moment, Kiara thought he'd deny her. "If it will keep you from going bended, all right. But," he said, interrupting her beaming sm ile. "We are only going to stay for one hour. No longer."
She pursed her lips. "Well it beats staying here the whole day," she said with a sigh.
Rising from her chair, she watched him return to his work. "It's at four-thirty."
This time, he didn't even bother to growl, he just ignored her.
Sighing wearily, Kiara made her way to her room where she decided she could spend the next few hours catching up on her reading.