Free Night Walker by Lisa Kessler

head with a smile. “Not a problem. I’m expecting the founder any minute, and I’m starting to worry he might have lost the address or something. He’s not usually late.”
    “Calisto’s coming here?” When she saw Betty’s perfectly plucked eyebrow arch, Kate struggled to rein in her excitement. “My mom mentioned him to me before…. He’s Spanish, right?”
    “Yes.” Betty’s smile brightened as she watched the door open.
    “And it looks like he just got here.”
    Night Walker 57
    §
    Calisto followed the hostess back to the table Betty reserved, surprised to find she wasn’t alone. Another woman sat with her back to him.
    “Calisto!” Betty rose from the table to greet him, the picture of sophisticated beauty, dressed in a simple black cocktail dress that accentuated her long, shapely legs. She usually kept her blonde hair pulled into a tight French twist, but tonight it fell loosely down her back.
    He smiled, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
    “Good evening, Bettina. I apologize for my tardiness.” He turned to acknowledge the other woman at the table. “I didn’t realize you invited anyone else to our—”
    His words caught in his throat the instant he saw the other woman. Her large eyes were dark as midnight, except for the tiny crescent, and the sight of her smile as she stood to offer her hand felt like a summer breeze warming his cold heart.
    He took the chance encounter as a sign. Destiny had crossed their paths again, offering their souls another chance at love. He prayed fate would be kinder to them in this lifetime.
    Betty gestured to Kate with a curt, businesslike smile. “Calisto, this is Kate Bradley. Martha Bradley’s daughter.” He fought to keep from pulling her into his arms. Instead, he managed a nod. “I am sorry for your loss. Martha was a wonderful woman. She will be missed by all.”
    Martha Bradley. In his excitement over seeing Kate at the Mission, he hadn’t recognized her last name. Martha was one of Foundation Arts’ longtime donors, yet in all those years he’d never met her beautiful daughter.
    Tala had been close to him all this time, yet just out of his reach.
    The thought caused his chest to tighten.
    He watched her mouth, waiting to hear her voice again. He ached to touch her. It was the sweetest torture he’d ever known to see her alive once more, and not be able to hold her in his arms, to kiss her soft lips. Fire licked at his heart, awakening passion he had long ago 58 LISA KESSLER
    forgotten.
    “Thank you.” Kate offered her hand in greeting. “I’ve heard a lot about you. I didn’t realize who you were when we met at the mission the other night.”
    He was unprepared for the electricity that shot through him when he took her hand. Touching her again after lifetimes apart made him feel both weak with gratitude and selfish. He never wanted to let her go.
    Her skin felt warm against his lips as he pressed a lingering kiss to her knuckles. “The pleasure is mine, Kate Bradley.” Clearing her throat, Betty stepped closer to Calisto and took his arm, her smile growing when he finally forced himself to relinquish Kate’s hand.
    “This coat looks wonderful on you. Isn’t it the one I gave you for Christmas?” Betty stood nearer to him than she ever had before.
    Calisto raised a brow. “I believe it is.” For the first time, Calisto wished he’d not used her infatuation to keep her pliant and unsuspecting. He’d waited so long to see Tala again, and the last thing he wanted to stand in his way were petty jealousies.
    He forced himself to shake off his irritation as Kate glanced at Betty with a momentary look of concern. Kate flashed a smile and stepped back, and Calisto casually removed Betty’s hand from his arm.
    “Kate signed the documents for Martha’s piano so we can pick it up for her,” Betty said, turning to face him more fully, using the movement to move close to him again.
    Calisto nodded, putting some space