Alienus

Chapter Twenty Nine

When I came to stand in front of his door, his identity screen popped out. Rafe came to stand behind me. Right behind me. I could feel the heat of him spreading over my back. I squeezed my eyes closed, my hands fisting at my sides and I tried to take in deep breaths and not think of him.

Hot breath against my ear, tickling the strands of my hair there.

"Place your bracelet against the identity screen," he whispered.

I sucked in a breath.

I knew what he was doing. He was giving me unrestricted access to his room.

"No," I said.

"Do it, Hills." He said.

I shook my head, strands of my hair whipping my face.

I wouldn't do it. If I did, I would be tempted to-

He caught my wrist in his hand, albeit over my long sleeved shirt, and tugged it to the screen. He pulled my sleeve back and placed the bracelet against the identity screen. When he let go of my hand, I pulled it away, crossing my arms against my chest in silent mutiny. He placed his own bracelet against the screen and the screen blinked once and the door slid open. I thought I caught a smile ghosting his lips in my periphery, but I didn't turn to confirm it because...well, I was rebelling.

I stood still, trying to not acknowledge the fact that he had just trusted me with something so...intimate.

"Are we going to stay out here the whole night or go in?" He asked.

"I'm thinking about it," I said to him.

A small puff of air brushing against my temple let me know that he was chuckling silently.

But he waited.

He waited until I decided to step in, without a single word to encourage me or any sign of annoyance. I realised that if I had said that I hadn't wanted to enter he would've stayed out with me until I wanted to...or he would've let me go back to my room...Or dragged me-kicking and screaming-back to the Health Centre.

As I entered, I looked around for Ryx, when I didn't spot him anywhere, I turned around to give Rafe a concerned look.

"Where's Ryx?" I asked.

"Before that.." He said and in a move so quick I didn't feel it, he had my communication device in his hand.

Had he just taken that out my pocket?

"What are you doing?" I asked, reaching out to grab my device back.

He held one finger up, telling me to wait.

Ignoring him, I reached for my device again, locking my fingers around his forearm. Whatever Ace had given was in that, if he found it, then whatever help Ace had done for me would be..undone.

"Rafe, I'm serious. Give it back." I said, standing on my toes to get it from him.

But Rafe had my device in pieces in four seconds. My heart thudded in shock as I watched him remove a small black chip out of the larger black piece that Ace had put it into.

I had frozen.

Rafe's eyes slid to mine, they looked dark and assessing as I swallowed, settling back against my heels and crossing my hands. He looked at the small black chip in his hand, holding it in between his index and thumb and running his thumb over it.

I licked my lips.

"You better fix my device back." I told him, acting like the fact that he'd found the chip wasn't a big deal at all.