Claimed by the Warrior by Katie Reus Savannah Stuart Page B

with him.
    “I have work to do in my room.” He turned and was gone before she could think of a response.
    Okay, then. Apparently now wasn’t the time to talk about anything at all. “What the hell was that?” she asked out loud before she could think about reining herself in.
    Cyn lifted a shoulder. “I think he had a rough day at work.”
    Even if he had, he hadn’t needed to be so rude. “Thank you for dinner. I’ll clean up.”
    “That is not necessary.”
    “I know, I want to. You cooked, it’s only fair.” She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but she hoped Con would pull that stick out of his butt and come out of his room before she returned to hers.
    Ten minutes later the kitchen was clean, but no sign of Con. Sighing, she headed to her room. She thought about going to see him, but it seemed pretty evident he had no desire to talk to her. She felt a little silly letting her feelings get hurt, but she’d been thinking about him all day, had been mulling over the idea of actually living here, and he apparently didn’t feel the same.
    * * *
    Leilani’s eyes snapped open at the sound of a sharp knock. She must have dozed, she realized, pushing up from her bed. As she sat, the door opened and Con strode in looking annoyed—at her. What the hell?
    “Didn’t you tell your brother he was supposed to wait for you to tell him to enter before barging in?”
    Con ignored her. “Why are you not in my room?”
    She slid off the bed, annoyance bubbling up inside her. “Excuse me?”
    “You are not in my room.”
    “First of all, you didn’t ask me to join you. You just left the kitchen earlier after barely talking to me or your brother.” And he’d made her feel as if she meant nothing to him. “I’m not a gratta that follows its master around. If you want to see me, you need to ask.”
    “Gratta’s are mangy pets. I would not own one.” His insulted tone would have made her smile under other circumstances.
    She threw up her hands. “That’s not the point. Why were you acting so weird earlier?”
    “I was not weird. I just had a long day.” But his dark expression said otherwise.
    “Well so have I.”
    “You have?” Was that concern in his voice?
    She nodded even though she had no desire to talk about that. She wanted to know what was going on with him. Luminet males could be so confusing. “Why did you walk in that kitchen then walk right back out? Don’t lie to me.”
    His shoulders were tense and he appeared as if he was ready to march into battle as he stood there. “I don’t know. I arrived a little earlier than you first saw me. I…heard you and my brother enjoying yourselves. You seemed very at ease with him. Do you wish to bring someone else into our relationship?”
    She blinked at him. “Are you jealous?” It seemed an impossible concept considering how taken she was with Con, something he had to know. Or apparently not.
    “I think so. I do not like it.” He stood stiffly, the confession seemingly ripped from him.
    Which made her melt like freaking suklaada cake on a warm summer day. “Look, sometimes human females have male friends.” Though not really since coming to live on planet Lumineta. But that wasn’t the point so she tried a different explanation. “Aeron came here because he was worried about me.”
    “Yes, you are his mate’s friend.”
    “Well, yes. But I’m still friendly with both him and his brother Hauk. Not flirty, but friendly.”
    His frown deepened. “I do not like that.”
    Sighing, she crossed over to him and drew his hands into hers. “I don’t want anyone but you,” she murmured, glad he didn’t pull away.
    The tenseness in his shoulders lessened. “I’ve never cared for a female before. Not the way I care for you.” She had no idea what to say to that. Whenever she was around him, and even when she wasn’t around him, he was constantly on her mind. Thankfully he continued, saving her from a response. “I am happy that you and my brother