Page 11 of Zar

Chapter Four

Callie stepped inside the bathroom. Soft lights came on. Not an overhead fixture that blinded her, but discreet lighting in the corners of the room. They illuminated everything without making her feel she was in the spotlight.

Okay, she’d been born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She could admit that. She’d never known poverty. Never known a day when she’d gone hungry or had to sacrifice a single comfort. Still, even with her father’s wealth, Callie hadn’t expected a bathroom to be so opulent. Yes, that word fit well.

The room was the size of her entire living room and kitchen. There was a square shower directly in the center of the large space. The center? That was odd, right? She looked up and saw the ceiling above the shower was made of glass. It was nighttime so she couldn’t see what lay beyond the glass, but she suspected there would be trees. They were in the mountains, so that made sense.

She closed the door behind her and noticed there was no lock. As she glanced around, Callie found a wooden, ornately carved, high back chair sitting in one corner of the room. It looked heavy, but if she could only scoot it in front of the door she’d feel a little safer. She crossed the room and took hold of the back and pushed. “Damn, is it made of stone?” It looked like walnut, but it sure as hell felt like granite to her. It took all her strength, but eventually she got it in front of the door.

That done, Callie turned around and took a moment to soak up the beauty of her surroundings. The walls were white and grey marble to match the shower floor. There was a large jacuzzi style tub in one corner made of the same white and grey marble. It would easily fit two. Along one wall was a pair of square white sinks with gorgeous black fixtures. She saw a large, tufted grey bench along one wall. Big enough for two. An image of her and Zar sitting there together in the morning, teasing and playing together sprang to mind.

“God, I’m losing it,” she groaned. “I must be if I’m imagining myself in a relationship with a winged creature.”

Okay get back on task, Callie. Zar. Kidnapper. Escape. So, he clearly had money. Then again, they weren’t human. Did non-humans use money? Or was it more like a barter system. She had no idea and her brain was too fried to figure it out.

She started to take off her blouse but hesitated. Okay, if he’d wanted to do something nefarious, he could’ve already. Plus, she’d blocked the door. “Shower, then eat,” she muttered. Once she felt more like herself, she could get some answers to the bizarre situation she found herself in.

Callie walked over to the mirrors above the sinks and stared at her reflection. Jesus, she looked like a vagrant. Seriously. She stepped out of her shoes and kicked them to the corner of the room. Heels were great for work, but when attempting to run for one’s life, not so much. She unzipped her skirt and slid it down her legs, letting it pool to the floor. She went to the buttons littering the front of her blouse next. One by one, she very carefully released each one. As soon as the blouse hung loose, she let it drift off her shoulders. She carefully placed it on the tufted bench. She bent and picked up her skirt and folded it. She put it on top of the blouse next. Why was she concerned with the state of her clothes? It was like anything else in her life when she felt out of control. Order made her feel centered. Neatness and routine. She had a way of doing things and if she could just have a modicum of that right now then maybe she could fool herself into believing she wasn’t in fact in the bathroom of a man who had wings. A man they called king. A man others bowed before and pledged their allegiance to.

Callie tried to shove those crazy thoughts aside while she took off her bra and panties. She stepped towards the shower and turned on the water. When the temperature was right, she got inside. There were no doors. It was just a large tiled area with a rain-like shower head that streamed down on her. She sighed as the hot, steaming water hit her. God, that felt good. Okay, the man knew how to relax. Good to know.

She closed her eyes and let the water cascade over her body. Time went by as she stood there soaking up the wet heat, her body coming back to life. Callie opened her eyes and searched for soap or something to wash her hair and body with. She found a brown bar sitting on a shelf. She picked it up, then held it to her nose and inhaled. It smelled like him. Like Zar. That same masculine scent mixed with a hint of spice. She rubbed it between her palms and was pleased to see bubbles appear. She soaped herself up, then used it on her hair as well. It wasn’t her expensive forty-dollar shampoo and conditioner, but when in Rome.

After she was clean, Callie turned off the water and stepped out. She saw a towel hanging on a rack near the sinks and grabbed it. Crap, she didn’t have clothes. That meant going downstairs in the towel to find out if any had arrived. Didn’t think that through, did you? She carefully dried off, then noticed a bruise on her hip. It was about two inches wide and already turning colors. She must have gotten that when she’d tried to flee from Flare. She wrapped the towel around her and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair hung to the middle of her back in long wet ringlets. She finger-combed it out, looking around for a brush but came up empty. “Did the man not brush his hair?” He had gorgeous, shiny black hair that hung to his shoulders. Surely that took a degree of effort. Callie let her gaze roam around the room, searing for a cabinet or something that might house a hairdryer and other things. Nothing could be seen. She was just going to have to let it air dry. It would be curly without her straightening iron, but she figured that was the least of her concerns.

She leaned closer to the mirror about the sink and noticed a slight cut and bruise where she’d smacked into the dash during her first failed attempt at escape. Yeah, smooth move there. She touched the area gently and realized it was tender, but nothing to whine about. It could’ve been so much worse. She thought of Fred, the doorman at her apartment. Flare had been deadly serious when he’d said the elderly man would be hurt if Callie allowed him to come to her aid. She’d made the right choice in coming along quietly. What was she supposed to do now though? God only knew where they were and how far they’d traveled. Callie suspected they were in the middle of nowhere. Even if she managed to escape, how far would she have to walk before she reached another person? It could be several miles. There were parts of the Smoky Mountains that were very isolated. Heading out on foot could prove more dangerous than simply staying put and finding out what these creatures wanted with her. Maybe after her meeting with Zar, he’d release her. She’d be escorted home. Flare had sworn she’d come to no harm, and while it might be foolish to take him at his word, Callie did. He had seemed genuinely concerned for her when he’d covered her eyes and she’d had a panic attack. He’d allowed her to see when he took her through the barrier. And he’d been punished for his compassion. He must have known there would be consequences and yet he’d risked it in order to make her more comfortable. Crazy as it was, she sort of liked Flare. Maybe that was the Stockholm Syndrome rearing its ugly head. Great.

Callie stored thoughts of escape away for now. First, she would find out what Zar wanted. She tucked the towel into her cleavage to make sure it was secure then went back to the large chair and scooted it out of the way enough to open the door.

The cool air hit her the instant her bare feet stepped onto the stairs. She quickly descended and glanced around the large room. She found Zar in the kitchen area with Dyre. Great, Mr. Cranky was back. Callie cleared her throat and both men turned her way. Dyre’s eyes widened as he looked her over. Zar said something under his breath, which caused Dyre to bow at the waist. Within seconds he was gone, leaving Callie alone once more with Zar.

He came towards her, his eyes darkening. She didn’t know what that expression meant, but she could guess by the way he looked at her from head to toe. Attraction. Oh, boy. He has wings, you idiot. And he just happens to be a kidnapper.Surely you have better options as far as date material. Then again, it wasn’t like men were beating down her door. When was the last time she’d even dated? God, at least eight months ago. She’d gone out with a man her father knew. She’d practically been ordered to go out with Roger. Her father had wanted the man to come and work for him and he’d figured he’d use his only daughter to sweeten the pot. Unfortunately, Roger was gay. He just hadn’t wanted her father to know, or anyone else for that matter. So, they’d pretended to have a good time, but the sparks just weren’t there. Roger had gotten the job and she’d felt like she’d been used by both parties. Who had she gone out with before him? Damn, Jimmy Beloni. Yeah, now she remembered. Mr. Handsy. A total dick. So, that means she hadn’t had a decent date in at least a year. Great, track record there, girl. Now, as she stood nearly naked in front of Zar, letting him caress her with his dark, mysterious gaze, she felt a rush of heat between her thighs. Not good. Getting turned on by a man with wings couldn’t possibly end well for her. Right? Although, in that moment, she was having a hard time remembering that.

“I need clothes,” she blurted out. Stay on task, dumbass.

Zar quirked a brow and smiled at her. “Do you?”

The deep timbre of his voice did things to Callie. Wicked things. Like imagining what it would be like if he slid the towel off and made love to her. Wild and passionate and soul shattering. That’s what it would be like if Zar stepped closer and took her into his arms. Callie knew beyond a doubt that the man would take her to the heavens and beyond. She glanced down his solid, muscular body, beyond the expanse of his massive chest, past those hard-as-rock abs, to the area between his wide thighs. The outline of his cock in the black slacks was easy to see. He was aroused. Zar was far larger and thicker than any man she’d been with. Callie could see that with ease. But did he even have the same parts as a human? And just like that her desire dried up. She was fantasizing about him and he wasn’t even human!

Callie clutched the towel tighter. “You said you’d have clothes for me. If you don’t have anything for me to wear I’ll just put my blouse and skirt back on. It’s not a big deal.”

He frowned. “I do not break my word.” Zar turned around, and Callie quickly stepped backward to avoid being hit by his wings. They were huge and if he swatted her with them, she’d be on the ground. When he came back, he was carrying a pile of cloth. “You may choose whatever suits you.”

“Thank you.” Callie quickly took the load in one hand, but kept the other hand firmly plastered against the towel. She really didn’t want to give Zar a free show accidently.

He inclined his head. “You are welcome, Callie. When you are finished, I’ll have food ready.”

Her stomach rumbled, and she knew he could hear it. Her cheeks heated. “It’s, uh, been awhile since I ate.”

His lips kicked up sideways. “I apologize for that. Flare should have—”

His words cut off abruptly as he suddenly caught sight of something on her forehead. He stepped forward and reached out a hand. Callie went still as his fingertip touched her hairline, then stroked downward over her bruise. He opened his mouth and a hissing sound came out a second before he said something in a different language.

He looked absolutely pissed and Callie was suddenly very afraid. “W-what?”

His gaze came back to hers. “You are injured. How did this occur?”

Callie breathed a sigh of relief; glad he hadn’t decided to simply kill her. For a few seconds there she wasn’t sure. When he continued to stroke her bruise, Callie swatted his hand away. “I got it when I tried to escape.” A really lame attempt, but she’d keep that bit to herself.

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