Free Dancing With the Dangerous Prince by Elizabeth Lennox Page B

important issue was that the war was over and she would be safe.  Safe with him. 
    Callie stopped cold, her amber eyes sweeping up to his with hope and yearning.  “Over?” she whispered.  She couldn’t believe it.  The war had been going on for ten, long, ghastly years!  How could it just be over?  The trembling that she’d felt initially rushed back with volcanic force, making her fingers shake so badly she had to hide them behind her back, not wanting him to see how intensely that news, as well as his presence, affected her. 
    He moved a step closer and Callie was stunned anew at how tall he was.  And how muscular!  And handsome!  Goodness, he was so tall and both his height as well as all of those packed muscles on his body never failed to make her feel small and feminine.  She’d fought that sensation when they’d first met, thinking she needed to be strong in order to be a woman.  But she’d quickly discovered that it was pointless when he was close.  Every part of her knew that she was soft and feminine when he was close.  Every part of her trembled in anticipation of how he would make all of her femininity scream out with joy and excitement when he was close. 
    Zahir nodded his dark head, his chestnut brown eyes searching hers and she could see those eyes even in the shadows cast by the descending sun.  “Over.” He affirmed firmly.  “There has been a dramatic change in the leadership of the other three countries over the past few years, which allowed the negotiations to begin.  A peace treaty was signed by all four countries last week.  It is over.”
    That news was like a song bursting for joy in her heart, but she mercilessly tamped down that delight.  She couldn’t believe in the peace, she told herself firmly.  She’d naively followed him to his home the last time, thinking that everything would be roses and sunshine. That innocent dream had been shattered when those two disgusting thugs had simply lifted her up as she’d examined the spices in the marketplace, dumping her into the trunk of a car and driving off with her.  The guards that had been assigned to protect her hadn’t been able to do a thing to stop the abductors, and Callie had been too weak to do anything.  Too weak and too scared!  But never again!  She was stronger now.  She was not going to be weak ever again!
    Pushing those paralyzing thoughts out of her mind, she confronted him, not even trying to hide the emotions in her body or her tone.  “How long?” she asked, her body trembling at the idea of being in his arms again, of being free to love this man.  If the war was over then…. “No!  It doesn’t matter,” she said firmly, squinching up her eyes in an effort to get her mind back on the right track.  “Wars have stopped and started again.  Besides, it is over between us.”
    Zahir moved closer, his eyes darkening even more as he recognized both her fears and her desires.  “The war is over, Callie.  And we’re going to be together again.”
    She shook her head, unaware of how that caused her hair to shimmer in the overhead light.  “It’s never over.  You have been at war with your enemies for far too long.  Your people don’t know how to live with peace.  They’ll come up with some reason to start fighting again.  And I won’t go back.  I don’t want you and I will not endure that life ever again.”
    He moved closer, hearing her gasp as he put a hand on either side of her head against the wall behind her.  He wasn’t holding back now.  Every fiber of his enormous body emanated the innate authority that had been such a powerful aphrodisiac five years ago.  But she fought that feeling, fought against the melting desire to throw herself into his arms and feel his strong muscles hold her gently against his massive chest. 
    Zahir watched those beguiling amber eyes, seeing everything in them as well as in the subtle movement of her lips and the speeding heartrate on her