Read Rane Online Free by Arcadia Shield

Nell had been coming to Rane every night for the last three weeks, ever since he’d used his ability to get her past the trauma of her weird therapy. Ever since she’d gotten free with her hands and that sexy mouth while they were in the back of the shuttle, it was a memory that haunted him in a painfully pleasant way.

“Please, just a little more. I’m so tired. I need that extra push to get to sleep.” Nell’s fingers on his skin felt like exquisite torture.

Rane never initiated the touching. That was always Nell. She was in charge here. He just calmed her down. The rest was all her.

The first night she’d arrived at his door, Nell had barely been able to look Rane in the eyes as she’d asked for help to sooth her frantic thoughts.

The second night, she’d remained bolt upright in a chair, until she was so tired he’d walked her to her living quarters and left her there. There had been tears in her eyes when he’d walked away, but he wasn’t pushing her into doing anything. Rane could influence anyone he wanted but would never take advantage of Nell.

The third night, she’d been slightly calmer and had fallen asleep on the couch in his room. Rane had left her covered in a blanket before going to bed. When he’d woken the next morning, she was gone, and only the scent of her almond shampoo tinted the air.

Nell returned again and again. Each time, she became bolder. By the second week, she was using his bed. Then she invited him to join her.

Rane figured it wasn’t anything sexual, at least not for her. The closer he was to his subject, the more effective his ability was. It was nothing more than that. Not that he didn’t want it to be. He often found himself uncomfortably hard as they lounged together but was careful to hide his desire for her.

Then Nell’s fingers had begun to explore, touching and teasing, as if she tested her own boundaries to see how far she could go before freaking out and remembering Rane was a whole lot of alien.

She didn’t try to kiss him again or undo his zipper. A part of him wished she would, the part that rested in his pants and kept reminding him how close this sweet, gorgeous human was and how great she smelt. He spent his nights solidly turned on and longing for Nell’s touch every time they spent the night together.

He was an idiot for thinking anything could come of this. Nell was using him to numb her pain, nothing more.

Rane almost didn’t care. It helped her, and if he had to deal with his adolescent boner issues, that was his problem. He was into Nell and would take whatever she offered him. She was clever and adorable when she wasn’t hating on him and accusing him of abducting her.

Rane’s stomach flipped and his top lip curled at the thought of anyone mistreating Nell. Every alien knew about the underhanded tactics that went on before the official treaties were established with Earth.

The thought of Nell being taken by some dodgy bastard and experimented on made him sick. If this was the only way she could get relief and feel her old self again, then he’d help her and ask for nothing in return.

Well, he’d asked for one thing, and that was for her to pose for him, so he could draw her, something she had yet to do.

Nell’s hand settled on Rane’s stomach as he hummed softly to her, giving out the softest of sounds to keep her calm.

Her fingers danced across the flat plane of his abs. She sighed as she moved her body unconsciously in time to his sound, grinding herself just a little against his thigh.

Rane let out a breath and stared at the ceiling. He’d need therapy of his own at this rate. It was getting harder for him every time he did this. He wanted to wrap Nell in his arms and feel those lips on his again and have that urgent probing tongue explore his mouth and those eager hands undoing him.

If she tried again, Rane wouldn’t have the willpower to stop her. She could strip him and explore every inch of him. He wouldn’t say no this time.

He gritted his teeth. Holy stars, he would. If that happened after he’d been manipulating her, it could backfire, and he’d be seen as just another scummy, probing alien who took her against her will.