Page 67 of Claimed by an Alien Warrior

Rendash patted his thigh with one hand and smiled. “Come sit with me, Zoey.”

“Like, on your lap?”

“Yes.”

“No way!”

His smile fell. “But you saidanything. Are you breaking your word to me?”

“Oh, you are so…so…” Zoey pushed her chair back and rounded the table, stopping next to Ren. He had his head turned to watch her and wore such a smug smile on his face that she wondered if he’d been playing her all along.

“Well? Sit, human. The game will not complete itself.”

Zoey glared at him — she felt like she’d be a pro at that, before long — and turned. She eased her bottom onto his thigh, leaning most of her weight on her feet.

Rendash encircled her with his arms, brushing the underside of her breast with a forearm. She yelped as he pulled her fully onto his lap with her legs hanging to the side. He settled his left arms over her lap and placed a hand on the outside of her thigh.

“I believe it’s your turn,” he said.

Zoey went still. She’d always been self-conscious about her weight. Girls like her didn’t get to sit on men’s laps. It didn’t matter how big Ren was, she was too heavy to sit on him.

He slipped a hand between her thighs, jarring her from her thoughts. “Ren!”

“You haven’t lost. Yet. Make your move.”

She looked back at the board. Despite the relatively small number of chips remaining for either of them, it was difficult to concentrate. All she could focus on was the heat radiating from his body, the hand between her thighs, fiery as a brand, and the prominent erection beneath her backside.

As she leaned forward to reach for a checker, her nipple scraped against Ren’s arm, and the material of her sweater only enhanced the friction to send a thrill through her. She inhaled sharply.

“Something wrong?” he asked. His nose brushed against the side of her neck, and his breath was warm against her skin.

“You arenotplaying fair,” Zoey said, making her move in a hurry.

“I am simply making use of the tools you provided to me.” He extended his arm and slid one of his pieces. Zoey scanned the board. His checkers were closing in on hers like a net; one of his kings had two of hers blocked in. “What do I get when I win?”

“I don’t know.” She took her turn. “What do you want?”

Rendash moved another king into place. She’d lose a piece after her next turn, no matter what she did. She was running out of moves.

“A kiss,” he said.

“Okay,” she replied; a peck on his cheek would be quick, simple, and at least somewhat innocent, and it’d be his fault for not being more specific.

“Like the one we shared the night before last.”

Suddenly, her heart was pounding.

He made another casual move, and the circle grew tighter.

They continued their turns; one by one, Zoey’s final pieces were jumped or trapped against the edges of the board. Ren didn’t bother with questions, saying he was more interested in the prize at the end.

Zoey stared woefully at her final checker. It was over, but Rendash hadn’t claimed his victory. She knew he wanted her to make her move, as futile as it would be; he had a piece waiting to pounce no matter which direction she chose.

With a sigh, she placed her finger on the piece and slid it up to meet its doom.

Rendash moved with nonchalance, taking one of his kings between two fingers and a thumb and lifting it in a little arc over her last piece. It came down like a meteor in slow motion to smash her winning streak to pieces.

“This battle has its victor,” he said.

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