Page 64 of Claimed by an Alien Warrior

He lifted his hands and covered her cheeks, stroking them gently with his thumbs. “It seems to me that he had the heart of a warrior,” he said, “just like his daughter. He deserves every honor you give him. Thank you for sharing this with me.”

Fresh tears flooded her eyes as she felt that pain, that loss, all over again. She knew it would never go away…but that was okay, wasn’t it? That was part of loving someone.

Zoey slipped her arms around Ren and silently cried. He embraced her, sliding one hand up and down her back soothingly, and said nothing.

“Thank you, Ren,” she whispered when her tears slowed. She turned her face toward him and rested her head on his shoulder, inhaling deeply. His scent reminded her of sandalwood, with a rich, earthy undertone. “Thank you for listening. For caring.”

Without thinking, she pressed a kiss to the side of his neck.

His hand stilled, and his muscles tensed, but his only move was to lay his cheek on her hair. “Thank you for trusting me enough to share him.”

They remained like that for a while, and she let herself melt into his embrace, relishing the comfort he provided. He didn’t push her away, didn’t take anything for himself.

Finally, she placed her hands on his shoulders and drew back with a soft smile. “I’m going to go wash up, and then we can make some dinner.”

* * *

“King me!” Zoey plopped her piece down on a black square at Rendash’s edge of the board.

He frowned, staring down for several seconds before finally picking up one of the discarded red checkers and crowning her new king. “How do you consistently penetrate my defenses?”

“Guess I just have that effect on you.”

After they’d eaten and cleaned up, their exploration had led Zoey to a stash of board and card games in one of the closets. Her excited shout had brought Rendash running. She hadn’t played such games since she was a little girl.

Because Ren couldn’t read English, their choices had been limited, but they enjoyed the simple games as much as they would have anything else — it had taken several hands of poker before he was able to remember which card combinations were the most valuable, but he’d understood dominoes and checkers almost immediately.

This was their fifth round of checkers. Zoey had won the first four, and each time she’d jumped his final piece, Rendash demanded a rematch.

“The game is so simple, and yet I am unable to overcome you.”

“I’m just that good.” Zoey grinned. “Maybe you need the right incentive.”

He lifted his gaze to meet hers and tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

Zoey toyed with the small stack of checker chips she’d captured from Ren, lips pursed. “What if…every time you capture one of my pieces, you can ask me a question, and I’ll answer truthfully. If you get kinged, you can ask me to do something. Anything.”

A mischievous gleam sparked in his eyes. “Anything?”

“Anything at all.” She leaned forward. “But the same applies to you.”

He rested his upper arms on the table and grasped the edge with his lower hands. As he held her gaze, a faint smile touched his lips. “Very well, little human.”

Zoey shifted in her seat, a bit unnerved by his sudden confidence. But there was no way he was going to beat her. She’d already won four times, and she was well on her way to another victory. “Let’s do this, then.”

There was a new intensity in the air as he made his move, and excitement danced low in Zoey’s belly. She couldn’t have realized that upping the stakes could turn the game into something so much more exciting.

They each took another turn before Zoey jumped one of his chips. “Ha!” She added the checker to her pile and looked at Ren. “How many relationships have you been in?”

“Based on my understanding of the term, according to humans, none.”

Zoey furrowed her brow. “None?”

“None.” Without breaking eye contact with her, he settled a finger on one of his pieces and slid it forward.

She mulled over his answer as they played. How had he never been in a relationship? She knew he’d been raised as a warrior, but shouldn’t he have hadsomethingalong the way? Did his answer mean he’d had sexual relations without emotional attachment?

Two more turns passed before he jumped one of her chips. He claimed the red checker slowly, staring down at it as though in deep consideration. “How many males have you had sex with?”

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