Page 57 of Claimed by an Alien Warrior

“No need for explanation. Just enjoy it.”

* * *

Zoey ended up making Ren four omelets with powdered eggs and a little cheddar cheese that, despite the expiration date being two days earlier, appeared to be totally fine. When she joked that it was one for each arm, he laughed, and there was something endearing about his appreciation of her humor even at its corniest. More serious was his ability to throw down food; she was grateful the pantry was well-stocked.

Ren excused himself to take a shower after he helped clean up. Zoey stared out the kitchen window for a few minutes, listening to the wind wail over the roof. The snow hadn’t slowed, and the drifts beside the house had already piled up over the base of the first-floor windows.

They were going to be here for a while.

She set to exploring the cabin while he finished. The place was, by far, the nicest she’d ever been in. Everything was so elegant, but it was somehow made accessible by the little, down-to-earth, rustic touches throughout. There were two bedrooms, a media room — complete with a stupid-big television and leather recliners — and a sun room on the lower floor. The garage looked large enough to house an RV, a boat, and three cars all at once.

Upstairs, she found two more guest bedrooms. Each of the guest rooms had a different color scheme, but all were decorated tastefully and coherently. She had no doubt that some of the old objects used as décor in the rooms hadn’t been purchased at thrift stores, like the stuff in her apartment, but inantique shops. She was thoroughly impressed.

She took a moment to breathe as she looked down over the living room from the second-floor walkway. Then she discovered the master bedroom at the end of the walkway and went from impressed to stunned.

The woodwork on the floors, walls, and ceilings here was taken to a new level of simplistic grace, paired with intricate stonework that culminated in a large fireplace directly ahead of the massive bed. A wide bay window stretched across the far wall with a cushioned bench running its length, granting full view of fat snowflakes in their chaotic dances outside.

A pair of leather armchairs with sculpted-wood frames were positioned in front of the fireplace. A cozy oval rug was positioned beneath them. She turned to see a dual vanity sink near the corner, with a stone countertop and gleaming, old-fashioned copper fixtures. Nearby sat a huge, jetted bathtub. It was built into its own nook, surrounded by stonework that would’ve been at home on a New England farm, with wide steps leading up to it.

The bathtub had its own glass-enclosed fireplace and a window looking out toward the snow-laden fir trees that surrounded the cabin. On the opposite side of the tub’s fireplace wall — and with a shared view of the fire — stood a large shower stall with stone on three sides and glass on the fourth. It looked like it had one of those state-of-the-art, multi-headed, multidirectional shower systems.

“If I had a dream home, this would be it,” Zoey said, running her fingers over the rough stone on the wall. She stared at the bathtub. “I am so using this before we leave.”

She turned away and moved to the dresser, pulling open the drawers one by one. There was an even split between men’s and women’s clothing inside. The walk-in closet, on the other hand, was dominated by women’s clothing and shoes. To Zoey’s surprise and excitement, the footwearandthe clothing fit her.

Stealing wasn’t right, but she hadn’t exactly had an abundance of winter clothes to bring with her from Santa Barbara, and Ren had even said this wassurvival. From all she’d seen in this house, she doubted the owners would have a problem replacing a pair of boots, a sweater, and a coat — if they even noticed they were missing to begin with.

I already drank their two-hundred-dollar bottle of wine. Why not add more to the list?

What was that old saying?In for a penny, in for a pound.

Zoey had just stepped out of the bedroom when Rendash emerged from the staircase onto the second-floor walkway.

“Did you finally get your exploring in?” he asked.

“Yes! This place is a-mazing!” She looked over the railing toward the bottom floor. “I’ve never been in a place so beautiful before.”

“I suppose the bad weather has given us something to be thankful for, after all.” That gleam had returned to his eyes, though it was subtler now; she didn’t think he was talking about the cabin.

Zoey cleared her throat. “I know you want to get to your ship, and this is a delay, but it’ll give you time to rest and regain your strength.” Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t quite stop her gaze from roaming over his bare chest. He’d donned a towel instead of pants, but the towel couldn’t cover her clear mental image of his cock. “You, uh, should get some pants on. With it being cold and all.”

“I have already adjusted the temperature inside this building to a comfortable level. Do you need me to increase it?”

“No, I’m good. But you shouldreallyput some pants on.”

Please, for the sake of my lady-bits, put on some pants…

…or take off the towel.

He frowned, and she wasn’t sure if the knowing look in his eyes was real or a product of her imagination. “They are restrictive. I prefer not to wear them without need.”

“Do you walk around naked back home?”

“No. But aligarii clothing favors simplicity and comfort. It is also tailored to the…proper proportions.”

Unable to resist, she dropped her eyes to his groin again. Not surprisingly, he was tenting.

“Okay! Well, um…” She looked anywhere but at him.Boundaries. “Oh! You should see the home theater here.” She squeezed by him, sucking it in to avoid any inadvertent brushes with a certain part of his anatomy, and made her way downstairs. “We can watch a movie!”

---