Page 44 of Claimed by an Alien Warrior

After handing him one of the brushes, she withdrew a small tube from the bag, removed the cap, and held the opening over bristles of his brush. A white substance oozed out when she squeezed, and she left a bit of it on each brush.

He raised the brush and sniffed at the pasty goo. “What is this for?”

“For cleaning your teeth.”

“I see. We perform similar activities on my planet.”

“To clean teeth!” she said, raising her brush high before slipping it into her mouth. She grinned at him as she scrubbed.

Rendash couldn’t help but smile back at her as he cleaned his teeth.

Though it was unlike anything he’d ever encountered — or, perhaps,becauseit was unlike anything he’d ever encountered — he found her lively spirit endearing. He’d meant what he said; Josh was a blind fool. Zoey was more than any one man deserved.

But Rendash was no man. He was an aekhora who’d earned the right to choose a mate.

I want Zoey.

The thought was startling, despite how fast his feelings for her had been evolving. It didn’t seem like the sort of choice that could be made in so short a time, but it was the truth of his heart. He wanted her.

He told himself it was merely lust. His attraction to her was an attraction to the exotic, no more than an overextension of his curiosity. He’d seen only humans during his long captivity, and it was natural that he’d developed a fascination with them, regardless of how he’d been treated.

Perhaps I am not any better at lying than Zoey is.

When they finished brushing their teeth, they returned to the main room. Zoey moved to the bed farthest from the window, pulled back the covers, and climbed in. Rendash swallowed his desire and stopped at the empty bed. There was no excuse to sleep with her tonight, and he wasn’t sure if he could trust himself this time.

He eased down and covered himself with the bedding. Zoey reached for the light on the stand between the two beds and clicked it off, plunging the room into darkness.

“Goodnight, Ren,” she said.

“Goodnight, Zoey.”

Rendash shifted, causing the bed’s supports to creak as he sought a more comfortable position. Time passed, and he moved again and again; no matter how he lay, something seemed to be missing.

In the back of his mind, he knew Zoey was the missing piece. His dependence upon her had grown dangerous in their short time together. When he’d slept with her in his arms the night before, he’d rested more fully than he had since crashing on this planet. She provided peace. Comfort. Security. All without conscious effort on her part.

“Ren?” Zoey called quietly.

His heart skipped a beat. “Yes?”

“Could I…sleep with you?”

Ren opened his mouth to reply, but she continued before he found any words.

“I know there are two beds, but I just really don’t want to be alone. Not like wearealone and all, but I mean… What I want is… I want to…to…”

“Come, Zoey. Come lie with me.”

There was a rustle of covers, a squeak from her bed, and then she was there. She lifted the blankets and hesitated briefly before sliding in and laying on her side, facing him.

“Thank you,” She said, scooting close.

Her scent filled his nose, and warmth radiated from her body. Rendash tensed; the urge to draw her closer, to strip her of her clothing and feel her bare softness beneath him, was powerful. His cock throbbed. It was torture; it was divine.

Control.

“Goodnight, Zoey.”

“Goodnight, Ren.”

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