Page 69 of Claimed by an Alien Warrior

“It’s for the best.” She settled her hand on the banister. “Sleep well.”

“Maybe my understanding of the wordbestis incorrect,” she heard him mutter before she climbed the steps.

Once in the safety of the master bedroom, Zoey closed the door and sighed. Her skin was flushed, and she ached between her legs. Torturing Ren had turned out to be self-inflicted punishment.

A cold shower will help.

But even after standing under icy water for several minutes, she discovered that the moment she thought of Ren — which was essentiallyeverymoment — her desire flared back to life.

She wanted him. Needed him. It didn’t matter how many times her brain said no, her pussy was screamingyes!

“Traitor,” Zoey muttered, looking down.

There was only one thing she could do. It wouldn’t be the same, wouldn’t be remotely close, but at least it would take the edge off.

She dried off, turned out the lights, and crawled naked into the bed. Blanketed by a soft, warm comforter, she gave her body one more chance to settle, but it was no use. She sighed.

Closing her eyes, she imagined Ren. She pictured his tall, broad body and his lickable abs, recalled the texture of his scales against her skin, the feel of his strong hands brushing over her.

She kicked off the bedding.

Zoey cupped her breasts and tweaked her nipples. It wasn’t his fingers, nor his mouth. It wasn’t the same and never would be. She bit her lip and pressed her imagination harder. She trailed a hand down her body, over her stomach and toward her pelvis. Parting her thighs, she ran her fingers through the short hair of her sex, hesitating only a moment before sliding her fingers into the folds of her pussy to find her clit.

“Ren,” she whispered in time with her first stroke.

Chapter Fourteen

Rendash was dying.

He knew, through tattered remnants of his rationality, that he wasn’ttrulydying, but that didn’t change how he felt.

The room was dark, the air a comfortable temperature, if a bit too dry, and the only sounds were the muted wailing of the wind — hardly enough to keep him awake — and the creaking of the bed as he shifted restlessly in his search for a position that would allow sleep to finally overtake him.

Believing that he could find the right position was his first mistake. The bed should have been comfortable; though his feet hung off the end, the mattress had a good balance between softness and support. Yet no matter how he lay, comfort remained elusive.

The largest portion of blame fell upon his own arousal; his cock ached, and he’d grasped it through his pants several times in fruitless attempts to alleviate the pressure. He’d left the restraining garment on, fearful of what his instincts would demand if he released his throbbing shaft from its confines. It was nearly impossible to sleep while his blood was ablaze, while his lips tingled with the remembrance of Zoey’s kiss, while her scent lingered upon him.

During the final game of checkers, he’d managed to swing the battle in his favor on multiple fronts. Despite her insistence on putting space between them, despite her deciding not to mate with him, he knew Zoey desired him, and he’d turned her desire into a weapon. He’d won the battle, but her final effort…

She’d won the war. He’d maintained a tenuous control throughout, even with her sitting on his lap and her bottom pressed over his cock, but thatkiss!

Control. Detachment. Control. Detachment.

The words repeated in his mind until they lost all meaning. Neither were currently attainable to him; why should they hold any significance?

The rest of his discomfort couldn’t be attributed to anything physical; it was the same as it had been the night before, when he’d tossed and turned, his fitful sleep ending well before dawn light stained the sky beyond the window.

The reason for his broken sleep had been simple, and even though it affected him now, his pride demanded he not admit it. Better to cast truth aside and carry on without giving it acknowledgment.

Rendash — Aekhora, Blade of the Aligarii, forged by a lifetime of war — had become dependent on a human. A little female human who had become the most important thing in his life, who was perhaps the only reason he hadn’t been recaptured. A human who’d fought him to a stalemate. They warred with desire for each other, but she refused to succumb, and he wouldn’t force her into something against her will no matter how much she seemed to want it.

As foolish and unlikely as it might sound if spoken aloud, heneededher near to sleep soundly. Zoey’s presence seemed to keep his mind at ease, somehow holding back thoughts — some of them memories, some imaginings — of his captivity and the many battles he’d waged. She’d provided his only comfort on this world, his only companionship, his onlyhope. With her, he could be Rendash — or simplyRen, as she affectionately called him. He could be who he was, or who hewantedto be: an aligarii who’d done his duty. An aligarii who could know peace.

Without her, he was simply a fugitive on an alien planet, desperate and alone.

No more of this. No more of this separation, no more of this loneliness.

Even if they didn’t mate, he needed to be with her. He needed to hold her in his arms and have that little taste of hope.

---