"I found her," Nykyrian shouted to Hauk. "Guard Kiara with your life!"
Kiara looked up as Nykyrian left them, her heart pounding in fear and worry. She didn't know who he was after, she just hoped Nykyrian wasn't running into danger.
She watched him cross the room and meet up with an extremely attractive blond woman.
Her eyes narrowed. Jealousy gnawed at her so fiercely, she was tempted to push her way through the crowd to claim him. Then, when Nykyrian led the wench off to the back, she burned even more.
Hauk's rumbling laugh filled her ears. "Relax," he said. "Nykyrian needs information, nothing more."
He better, Kiara thought, still not satisfied.
After a few minutes, Hauk excused himself to chase after an old friend. Darling moved to sit beside her. He covered her shaking hands with his own and gave a tender squeeze for encouragement.
"Darling!"
Kiara jumped at the sound in her ear. A tall, handsome man sat down in the chair on the other side of Darling.
"You look like hell, buddy."
Kiara studied the man's gorgeous face. Ebony eyebrows slashed above merry, hazel eyes, parallel to his cheeks. His dark hair was shoulder length and worn in a small ponytail.
He whispered something in Darling's ear, then looked over at her. A seductive smile curved his lips and Kiara wondered how many women had swooned to it. "Greetings, beautiful." He extended his hand to her.
Glancing at Darling, Kiara waited for him to verify the man's friendship.
"Kiara, this is my best friend, Caillen Dagan, sm uggler extraordinaire and lady-killer extreme," Darling shouted.
Gingerly, she shook Caillen's hand. He raised her hand to his lips and placed a warm kiss across her knuckles. Releasing her hand, he met her eyes, one corner of his mouth lifting in a way Kiara was sure would have set most wom en off into giggles.
"Kiara Biardi?" Caillen asked in surprise.
At her nod, his sm ile widened. "Whoa. It's an even greater privilege to swap drinks with you!"
Darling shoved Caillen's shoulder. "Don't start on her," he warned. Darling turned to face Kiara. "Caillen's harmless enough, he just thinks every woman breathing is dying to crawl into his bed."
"Most are," Caillen answered with an infectious laugh.
"Hi Caillen!" an attractive red head said, leaning over Caillen's shoulder to kiss his cheek.
Caillen wrinkled his nose and sent the woman away. Kiara looked at Darling who was giving Caillen a disbelieving stare.
"I think that may be the first time since you hit puberty you've let a beautiful woman get away unmolested!"
Caillen snorted. "Yeah well, Lila's a ubiquitous slut. Someone should paint an x on her back and mark it this side down."
Kiara's eyes widened at his crude response.
Caillen shrugged, that irresistible smile back in place. "Sorry about that," he said to Kiara before taking a gulp of Darling's water. "I tend to let my manners slip at the damnedest times."
Suddenly, Caillen leaned across the table and gave her a seductive grin. "I hope you're not Darling's date."
"She's Nykyrian's," Darling answered for her.
Caillen's face blanched. "I'm out of here," he said, bolting to his feet. He turned around and glared at Darling. "Why didn't you tell me he was here, that I was making passes at his female. Geez Darling, what're you trying to do, get me disemboweled?"
Darling shrugged, a smile splitting his face. "Actually, I enjoyed watching you embarrass yourself."
"Hah, hah," Caillen said, casting Kiara a sheepish look. His face turned serious. "Arturo came by Kasen's a little while ago asking about you. I told him you were visiting Ryn. I don't think he believed me so watch your back."
"I will."
With a nod to them, Caillen drifted off into the crowd.
Kiara looked at Darling a smile on her face. "That was an interesting human."
Darling nodded. "Worth his weight in comic relief."
Kiara twisted the straw in Nykyrian's glass with her fingers. "I thought Nykyrian was your best-friend."
Darling leaned back in his chair and studied her face. "Nykyrian protects me and I love him for it, but he's too serious. Caillen on the other hand takes life in stride, always with a joke about it." He shrugged and reached for his water. "I don't know, he just makes me laugh."
Kiara nodded, understanding all too well the importance of laughter. "Are you and Caillen lovers?"
Darling shook his head and laughed. "No, Caillen is strictly heterosexual." He glanced around the crowd. "Are you still nervous?"
Kiara took a deep breath. "A little," she said, but inside she knew it was a lot more.
Darling picked her hand up off the table and traced the line of her fingers.
"Touching," a malevolent voice snarled between them .
Darling released her hand and rose to his feet. "What are you doing here?" he snapped.