Love Me, Love Me Not

Reed kept Saile close during the long days. She pulled away once, whirled out of his hold and ran - snatching at the blindfold - three strides and right into the clammy pads and claws of his damitts. They'd clattered in their off-world babble, but released her at his violent cursing, all but one. She felt the heat of the blaster and the weighted grip as that arm was severed from the body. She guessed, from the interruption of its screech with the second blast, that Reed killed it.


He'd yanked her back to his side, his anger strengthened in the silence. She stumbled, and he dragged her a couple of steps until she managed to catch up.


"If you run, they'll kill you."


The sexy rumble disappeared from his voice; replaced by a hard element she'd prefer not to recognize - a dangerous tone edged with desperation.


Love me?


Saile stayed where Reed sat her, shivering in spite of the warmth of the night. She imagined the weight of his stare in the silence.


She felt a tug and the blindfold slipped off. Reed leaned in and kissed her in way that made her toes tingle.


"You can't do that anymore."


He grinned in a way that meant trouble. Damn his handsome smile. Reed patted his vest pocket, then reached in and pulled out a polished finger-band. He held it up for her inspection.


Love me.


"You," Saile said, "are a cheat, a thief and a liar. I'm not interested in you, or your spaceport and I'm not afraid of a thousand square klics of desert or your llama-killing damitts, may whatever low-life market you bought those genetic disasters from screw up one time too many and be eaten. If you don't get that thing out of my face - "


Reed kissed her again, long and slow. "Marry me Saile." He nibbled her bottom lip.


She took a deep breath of him and touched the tip of her tongue to his lips, she couldn't help herself. "There isn't going to be any sex," she whispered, pulling away.


"It's going to be really good." He winked.


She swung at him; he caught her arm and brought her palm to his lips. Why did that simple touch make her heart ache?


Reed's grinned. "I have a wedding present for you." He drew her blaster from his belt, set it to glow and stood it on the ground between them, then pulled a packet out of an inner pocket. He shifted closer and held the sheaf of papers in the blaster's light so she could read the titles.


"You recognize these?"


A chill swept through her. "No." Dread settled in the pit of her stomach.


"But you know what it is."


"Yes, Reed, I know what it is. A forgery of the paperwork on the land that isn't for sale for your blasted spaceport."


He waggled the papers at her. "You're wrong. The land is for sale, just not to me. Your uncle's been dealing with Teffen, buying company lies. But I bought the mortgage. These papers aren't forged, when your uncle misses a payment, the land's mine."


"What's the difference, Reed? Does your company have a sweeter package of lies?"


He refolded the packet. "I freelance. We wouldn't be locked in to one set of lies." He slid the packet back in his vest and pulled out another bundle.


His smile faded as he opened the pages. "What about these Saile?"


She glanced at the pages, an inventory list, and turned and stared deliberately into the night. The brilliance of the stars blurred and she blinked. Hard. And again. "Let me go Reed."


Reed waited and she finally turned back to him in the silence. He shook his head. "You'll go to the highest bidder, Saile." His breath caught. He cleared his throat and shuffled the paperwork. "Is that what you want? Is that how things work here?"


He shifted the pages again so the blaster's glow fell full on the top page. The listing showed the house and other buildings, detailed the range's boundaries and summarized the stock - the working horses, llama herds and a human female.


"Have I been wrong in asking, Saile? I have the credits to buy you if that's the way you want to do it."


She tried to focus on the paperwork. Reed's voiced faded and she fought the nausea that boiled up her throat. She'd thought he only courted her because the ranch couldn't be bought, but he'd have the ranch. He didn't need her. Did he? Love me?


Memories flooded her mind, unanswered questions of her parent's deaths, her uncle's evasion and his explosive temper. Pain racked her gut. Reed thought he could buy her? Apparently he could. Love me not. Her uncle had listed her for sale with the rest of the stock. She shuddered and lunged for the blaster.


Reed caught her and wrapped her warm against his chest. "How can he do that Saile?"


Reed's strength surrounded her and for a moment she let herself rest, caught up in his solid calm and safety, before she pushed away. "The colonization guidelines allow for indentured servants. He has the right to recoup my upbringing since my parents died. It looks like he's claiming the ranch profits haven't been enough."


"What recourse do you have?"


"Give me my blaster, Reed."