Claimed by the Warrior by Katie Reus Savannah Stuart

ever seen such unguarded pleasure from him. “Not that kind of fun. We have hover boards. You can glide down hills at rapid speeds. It’s like you’re flying.”
    “I’ve seen that on screen before.” It looked incredibly fun. “You’re sure you can take time away?”
    “For you, yes.” His eyes darkened as they flicked to her mouth, the hunger there undeniable.
    Just like that she melted a little more for this male. Without trying Con had shoved past all her defenses. She hadn’t been looking for anything serious but the longer she was around him, the more she wondered if they might have a future past this moon cycle. He hadn’t indicated he wanted more, though, and she was too chicken to ask. Not yet anyway.
    Instead she leaned forward and kissed him. Dessert might be a little delayed after all.

Chapter 9

    “So, what do you think?” Leilani resisted the urge to fidget as she looked for any giveaway expressions on her supervisor’s face.
    Marlena was impossible to read. It was a Luminet thing, they were so good at hiding their emotions when they wanted to. Almost six feet tall with bobbed jet black hair a shade darker than her skin, Marlena’s green eyes were piercing over the holo-call. Her image was projected in front of Leilani as if they were in the same room. “I think you need to tell me where you got those boots.”
    “I’ll tell you if you give me a hint what you’re thinking. Come on! Am I off-base with this idea?” She’d analyzed the architectural layout of the entire compound and realized there were so many places to add new additions, both residential and commercial. In some cases they could combine both. If Con and his tribunal changed the law, they had more than enough space for females to open businesses and live here. So Leilani had designed a mockup of potential uses for the spaces, showcasing what various sectors would look like with shops. In the 3D hologram, it looked amazing to her, but she needed her supervisor’s approval to move forward with a proposal.
    “No. Definitely not off-base. This is potentially a huge project. I’m impressed, but we can only do it if they change that stupid freaking law. How are you doing, anyway?”
    Leilani felt her cheeks warm up but shrugged. “Good.”
    Marlena didn’t miss anything though. Her gaze narrowed a fraction. “Just good? For a captive you seem to be enjoying yourself.”
    “Everyone here’s pretty nice and this could bring in a lot of potential work for us.” That answer would have to do.
    “True. I’ve never considered expanding our business with Con’s people because the travel to and from would be a hassle if our females constantly had to be chaperoned by their mates. Not to mention single females can’t even travel freely. If you can convince them to change things, this could be lucrative for everyone.”
    “I’m trying.” And she would try harder.
    “I’m getting ahead of myself but if this happens, we could potentially open a branch on site, which means you could live there if you want.”
    “I…” Well, that was interesting. Con hadn’t mentioned anything about a future with her after the moon cycle was over. To be fair, neither had she. If they didn’t change the law she likely wouldn’t come back, not when she could be held for another moon cycle. “That is something to think about.”
    Marlena’s gaze narrowed again. “Are you getting mated?”
    “No.” Though she had been thinking about it more and more. Con filled something inside her she hadn’t realized had been missing. He made her feel safe and treasured and she adored everything about him. She might still be falling for him, but the male had gotten a hold on her heart. She felt…at home whenever she was with him. After being displaced from her own planet, she’d wondered if she would ever feel truly at home anywhere. The more time she spent with Con, the more she realized that it wasn’t really about a structure making her feel