While Nykyrian helped her into the jacket, her gaze drifted over his body. Kiara burned with desire. Nykyrian wore tight leather pants and an oversized leather jacket without a shirt beneath it. His tanned, muscled flesh begged her hand to touch him. If not for Hauk and Darling, she would pull him back up stairs and yield to the burning need inside her.
She licked her dry lips as she met Nykyrian's eyes. Color stained Nykyrian's cheeks at her hungry look.
Hauk's laugh rang out. "That may actually be the first time in my life I've seen that boy blush!" Nykyrian cast him a dark scowl. Hauk took a step back, still laughing.
Muttering a curse about the Andarion, Nykyrian untied Kiara's hair and gently plaited it into three braids, then the three into one. He stood up the collar of her jacket and turned her to face Darling and Hauk.
"Now what do you think?" he asked.
Hauk shook his head. "I still think she's too damned attractive. She's going to get us killed!"
"Relax," Darling said. "Shahara goes there all the time and no one ever bothers her."
Hauk snorted. "That's because she'd kill you for nothing more than asking her the time of day."
Kiara looked at Nykyrian, afraid he would listen to them. After a lifetime spent with restrictions on her freedom, she desperately wanted to see a real smuggler's / crim inal's dive.
Nykyrian shook his head at Hauk. "We'll watch her closely," he said, taking her hand.
*
Time passed quickly for Kiara as they made their way to the large planet known as Touras and the thriving port city called Tondara. They docked outside the grimiest bay Kiara had ever seen. As the hatch raised, she choked on the pungent odor of rotting garbage and body odor. Maybe she should have listened to Hauk and stayed home after all. This place was disgusting!
Nykyrian unstrapped her. "You'll have to jump down unassisted. Act like you know what you're doing and if anyone looks at you, snarl."
"Are you serious?"
"Very."
She definitely wanted to go home. With a long sigh, she got out and did just as he told her. When her feet hit the pavement, pain jarred through her knees.
Kiara shrieked as several unidentifiable species of vermin squeaked past her feet, rushing under a nearby garbage heap. Several beings turned to stare at her with interest.
Kiara gulped, looking up to see Nykyrian jumping down beside her.
He gave the onlookers a fierce scowl, then muttered under his breath, "I hate jumping down on pavement. It kills my knees."
Kiara squelched her laughter. Darling and Hauk joined them.
"Looks crowded," Darling said, perusing the ships crowded inside the bay.
Hauk narrowed his eyes. "I think we should turn back before we get pulverized."
Nykyrian pushed Hauk toward the entrance.
Kiara's limbs trembled at the bedraggled individuals watching them approach the door.
They seemed a little too intent on sizing up her companions.
"Don't meet anyone's gaze," Nykyrian warned, wrapping an arm possessively around her.
Kiara nodded, a lump of fear blocking her words from leaving her throat. When the doors opened, she flinched. Loud m usic blared at a level that pulsed in her body like a second heartbeat.
Her curiosity faded in the wake of panic. After being with Nykyrian and his group, she had mistakenly thought most smugglers were similar to them, but she was wrong. The men, women and aliens moving inside the dark club were the roughest, most intimidating individuals she had ever seen and she had no doubt any of them would kill someone for nothing more than looking at them askance.
Dim lights blinked overhead. The stench of cheap alcohol lodged in her throat. Creatures tumbled over one another, shoving, picking fights. Her legs trembled.
Nykyrian paid their fee. "You won't be hurt as long as you stay with us," he shouted in her ear over the noise, pulling her into the crowd.
Hauk put his hand on her shoulder, letting her know he was behind her. Literally.
"There's a table up ahead!" Darling shouted, bobbing in the crowd to get to it.
Kiara breathed a sigh of relief as she made it to the table unscathed. At least in the table section it didn't appear nearly as crowded. When they were all seated, an unknown species brought them drinks.
"She's new," it lisped between bubbled lips. "What does she favor?"
"Grenna," Nykyrian replied.
The server appeared to smile, but Kiara couldn't quite tell with the strangely shaped lips.
"It's good to see you again, warrior. I had begun to worry if someone had gotten in a lucky shot at you boys."
Nykyrian smirked. "You know better than that, Vrasna."
Vrasna looked up at Kiara in a way that made Kiara want to sink under the table. "Is she yours?"
Nykyrian nodded.
Vrasna squeezed his shoulder. "I'll pass that around."
Kiara watched the creature leave. "What was that?" she asked, studying how graceful Vrasna moved on four legs.
One corner of Nykyrian's mouth lifted. "You can't pronounce it, but she's female."
Nykyrian handed her his drink.
Kiara took a small sip, then gasped as the tart, thick liquid burned a hole in her tongue.
Tears stung her eyes.
"Nasty, isn't it?" Darling asked, handing her his glass of water.
Grateful for his concern, Kiara took a large gulp trying to diminish the fire in her mouth.