Page 31 of Zar

He bobbed his eyebrows. “Ah, but it landed you in my bed, did it not?”

She rolled her eyes. “Be serious.”

He cupped her jaw. “We will have proper clothing for you this time. Pants to keep your pretty body from caressing my wings. Will that make you happy?”

She shrugged. “Works for me.”

Half an hour later they were both dressed. Dyre had brought Callie something to wear and she was only too glad it wasn’t more dresses. There were several pairs of slacks, a few jeans, some short-sleeved t-shirts, and a few expensive looking blouses. He’d even managed an array of undergarments. She didn’t know how they’d managed to figure out her size and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. The jeans she chose fit her like a glove. She’d pulled on a white V-neck t-shirt and watched as Zar slid his sword into the sheath at his side. The whip he’d wielded against Flare yesterday wrapped around his waist. There were daggers strapped to his thighs as well. She smiled. “You look like you’re ready for battle.”

Zar glanced up, his gaze roaming down her body. His lips kicked up sideways in that naughty grin that told Callie he wasn’t thinking pure thoughts. “I like you in those clothes, little dove. Very sexy.”

She looked down at herself and frowned. “Jeans and a t-shirt are sexy?”

He moved closer to her, one hand moved to wrap around her hip and squeeze. “Our women do not wear pants. It’s not a sight I’m accustomed to.”

Callie shook her head and stepped out of Zar’s grasp. “You need to get up with the times then. Women should be able to wear what they choose.”

Zar crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head up just enough to give him that lord of the manner air. Callie knew that the next words out of the man’s mouth was bound to piss her off. “Our women do have a choice and they choose dresses. They are modest that way.”

Modest? Seriously? “Did you just call me a tramp?”

His head tilted to one side. “What’s a tramp?”

“Maybe tramp isn’t the right word,” she mumbled. “You know, vulgar. Shameless.”

He flinched as if she’d slapped him. Tempted as she was to follow through on that, she hadn’t. “That’s insulting,” he grumbled as he closed the space between them and took hold of her upper arms. “I would never call you those things, Callie.”

Maybe he hadn’t intended it to sound offensive, but that’s sure how it came out. “Uh-huh. You sure as heck implied it when you said your women are modest. In other words, I’m not modest. Therefore, insulting.”

“No, Callie. It’s just that earth-born do not live by the same rules as Zenarians. Our women would be shocked if I asked them to wear clothing like yours. Our ways have been ingrained in us for thousands of years.”

Okay, wow. “Thousands?” Zar nodded. Callie let out a low whistle. “And there hasn’t been any change to your way of life in all that time?”

Zar released her and finished dressing, as if living the same way for a millennium was no biggie. “I think the earth-born saying is, why fix it if it isn’t broken?”

Broken. It had been broken, at least once in all the time. They’d had a civil war because of it, after all. “But isn’t that precisely what Queen Lyria wanted? Change?”

Zar sighed and pushed a hand through the thick mass of his hair. “I understand your point. Queen Lyria did seek change, but her views on the matter were not that of the majority.”

“But some did agree with her. I mean, they followed her into battle because of it.”

Zar nodded. “True, but King Arlias was the voice of the people, not Queen Lyria.”

“And my father is the voice of HealthTec, but that doesn’t make him right all the time. It’s my job as his daughter and CEO to point out when he’s taking the company in the wrong direction. Or if he’s just plain wrong.”

His gaze hardened and several seconds passed before he said, “You’re saying I should’ve stood up to my father when Lyria wanted an audience with him.”

“No, not exactly,” she replied. “Wait, I think we’re getting way off topic here.”

Zar’s features softened and he started to speak, but suddenly the door to his bedroom slammed open and Kade was standing there. Callie somehow found herself pressed against Zar’s back, one powerful arm holding her in place. “Get out!”

Kade flinched, but Callie quickly noticed the dagger in his hand. And he no longer wore the black t-shirt and slacks from the night before. Now he was covered head to toe in body armor. Like knights-of-the-roundtable body armor. Jesus, the man was a scary sight to behold.

“Sorry, my king, but I can’t. It’s Naxon. He’s been spotted at the north side of the mountain, near the Darcous Valley. You wished to be informed if he was ever spotted.”

Callie didn’t know who they were talking about but the instant stiffening of Zar’s muscles and the way his wings flexed and stretched out across the room told Callie all she needed to know. Naxon was an unwelcome visitor and Zar was pissed.

He turned towards her and took hold of her arms in a tight grip. “You will stay here in my bed chamber until I return,” he softly ordered. “No one comes in or out.” He pulled a dagger from his thigh and placed it in the palm of her right hand. “You will keep this with you at all times.”

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