What a shame, she mused as she eyed his positively delectable retreating form. Absently, Carly began to moisten her lips with her tongue. If Nikolas Cassadine were a lollipop, surely he'd have been licked to within an inch of his life by now. Oh, what Carly wouldn't have given to know the dirt behind his breakup with Gia! But that, like the former Face of Deception model's sudden departure from town (and Nikolas' life), was old news. The 'new' news, from the looks of it, seemed to be one Sarah Webber. Word around town was since her return she and Nikolas were once again pretty tight.

      Ooh! And speaking of tight…

      Never one to miss a beat when it came to studying folks, Carly let loose with a bark of laughter as she watched the slim young blonde all but wrap herself around Nikolas' arm at the mere sight of anyone of the opposite sex entering his orbit.

      'That's right, Miss Goody Two Shoes. You'd best hold on to him tight. But none of these ditzy heifers are who you should be worried about turning his head…'

      As if on cue, Carly looked on as Nikolas' gaze casually swept the room. She knew the moment he'd found the person he'd been seeking, for just as it had before, his body tensed ever so slightly. Briefly, Carly studied the mocha-complexioned young beauty who it seemed had held Nikolas rapt all during the evening. Carly would wager the club that there was without a doubt some sort of history between Nikolas and the young woman! Alas, she had no time to ponder ways to find out just why every passion-filled stare Nikolas leveled the young woman's way was met with a gaze of pure, unadulterated anger. According to Jax the fiery beauty, named Dawn, was not only a new transfer to General's legal staff but the younger sister of Dara Jensen.

      Correction, Carly reminded herself. She was now Dara Jensen Corleone.

      How the former Assistant D.A. had managed to snag Michael Corleone, one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world, only caused Carly's thoughts to drift back to Keesha. It seemed Dara, like Keesha, had an effortless knack for attracting just the type of man Carly had to pull out all the stops (and a few dirty tricks along the way, as well) to get…but, unfortunately, could never keep.

      Pushing aside those thoughts, she disappeared into the crowd once again and continued to work the room.