The Ballad of Decker Crane Ch. 09

"You like it here," she observed.

Decker grunted, his version of agreement. She thought that had exhausted the topic, but Decker always seemed to give her almost nothing or everything he had.

"Josie, the man who had the land before me, he used to go on about it in our cell," he said. "The trees and plants, the rivers and rocks. Wildflowers and the hills. It used to piss me off because I thought he was lying and that no place like that could really exist on the frontier. But when I came and looked at it and ran off the squatters who were ruining it, I stayed. It gives me a peace to be out here. It's why I stopped that other stuff. We'll take a rest here."

Sometimes she was so surprised by him. She was sitting on a rock, which was very hard under her, and he was sitting on the ground with his back against another one, his arm on his knee and his hand hanging

"I never realized how rare it was to have a terraformed environment," she said. "I guess I took it for granted."

"I was born where people live their whole lives underground inside the mines they work. There's no surface they could survive. They put lights down there that are supposed to be the same as sunlight, but it's not. I never did like close places. I couldn't wait to get out of there."

"It sounds awful. And then you made a name for yourself. Do you have any idea the kind of stories they tell about you in Prime?"

He sighed. "I hear them sometimes. People want those stories because their reality is dismal out here and dull in Prime. Half the shit they tell didn't have anything to do with me. It was somebody else and it got pinned on me or it was manufactured from nothing."

She smiled at him, his eyes going to her face, his eyes sharpening on her. There went that small thrill. "The tales of your exploits are popular in-system," she said, teasing him. "So you didn't rob a Prime caberdium transport and bluff your way through a checkpoint and then fly it into a shaft with the jewels and disappear into thin air?"

Decker snorted, looking away. "They really say that?"

"Yes. That was how the story always ended: 'And nobody will ever know how he disappeared into thin air.' So, how did you?"

"They told it wrong," Decker said, looking at her and waving his hand. "It wasn't a shaft. Darrel and me, we bribed our way past the checkpoint and only got away with some of the jewels because the transport got blown up when that son-of-a bitch cowardly bastard double-crossing scum Joe Flit sold us out when the Prime officers showed up, the pussy. After I got away, the first thing I did was to hunt that son of a bitch down and get retribution. He knew I was coming for him, too, bolting across three planets before I got hold of him. We barely got away and the profits for that job only just cleared expenses. I got arrested a few months later. It was a mess."

"But you did do it."

"Almost to my ruin. It wasn't ever like they made it out to be. If I did those things like that, why would I be living in a scratch cabin working a ranch on Sur? I'd be living rich in-system surrounded by women."

She blinked, her smile fading. "That's what you'd rather be doing?"

"I'm not saying now, stubborn. You're not listening. Yes, that was my ambition at one time. It is not an unusual one for a man on the frontier planets. It makes sense, if you think about it. I didn't know you were going to come here to me."

Her eyes swept him. "So one woman will do?"

"Surrounded by women in general, Persya, like we don't have here, was what I was saying."

She broke her gaze, still frowning lightly, glancing at him. "Would you like to be with more than one woman?'

His brows went up. "Is that what you want? I could arrange it at the Red Door."

"Don't you dare," she said.

"It sounded like you were proposing it."

"It only sounded that way to you, Decker."

He shook his head, sighing. "I know you're smart, but I still don't understand you sometimes. Let's just put all of that aside. Listen carefully. I'd rather be here with you than there with them."

She couldn't help it, laughing. "All right."

"I don't know why that's funny," he said, leaning back and putting his hat over his face, his hand going to his chest and his leg coming up. "You're lucky I'm not rolling you right now. Let me know if any brikens come so I can cower in your shadow, beautiful."

#

By late afternoon, they'd covered the distance he wanted and set up camp. He'd already taught her to clear an area to make a fire.

"Stay here," he said, pulling out his pistol and handing it to her. "I'm going to hunt. Start a fire, if you would."

"Don't you need your pistol? What about brikens?"

"A pistol isn't any good against a briken. That big fucker can't sneak up on me here. I'll come back if he shows up." He grinned. "Don't fall in the river and drown or get that plant between your legs while I'm gone."

"I hope Bane finds you and eats you," she shot back.

He laughed, walking away. She made a fire and gathered more fuel for it. It gave her something to do, alone in the wilderness.

He wasn't gone as long as she thought he would be, back before dusk with things dangling from his hand.

"Are those fish?" Persya said. "They are."

"I stock the streams and brought a line and hook. Have you had it?"

She gave an incredulous laugh. "No, I haven't had it."

"I haven't either. It never did look appealing to me, honestly. I filter the water at the river when it comes into the enclosure. Before that, it's thick with toxic slurry from the mining they did. The people who buy my meat don't want any fish that are poisoned or that have been raised in a tank. They want healthy fish that have been naturally breeding and that have been caught in the wild. I asked Dawine what herbs to use with it and how to cook it and she got access to find out. I also brought some of the wine that Tag makes."

Staring, she laughed. "You brought fish and wine?" It was from tales of rich couples, decadent luxury. It occurred to her that Decker had brought her here to court her a little. It made sense he would choose this place. It was where he was happy. She felt a small wave, glancing at him, smiling a little. He really could be charming.

"I did surprise you," he noted, looking pleased, going down on one knee and beginning to pull the hook out of a fish's mouth. "I can't stand the wine, to be honest. Don't tell Tag. Frontier whiskey tastes good to me because I've been drinking it so long, but the wine just tastes spoiled."

He was uncivilized, completely, and a bit of a romantic, she'd found. Her eyes shifted down and Persya swallowed.

"You don't like to see it cut up?" he said, watching her face.

"Not if I'm going to eat it," she said, looking somewhere else. "You want something, don't you?"

"I do."

She glanced just as he brought his knife in, beheading it. Grimacing, she looked away. "Don't you think I should know what you're talking about first?"

"I want you to let me do what I want to you. Anything I want, and also you'll do what I say. I've resisted you all day. I have plans. Do you agree? It'd be a frontier bargain. You can't break it."

Persya's mouth had fallen open a little and she closed it, a tingling going through her. Decker could get inventive. She wasn't sure it was a good idea to just let him do anything he wanted.

He looked up, reading her mind. "I'm going to do those things anyway, stubborn," he told her, holding her eyes. "But I want you willing."

Now it was a wave, thick, through her belly and then a small cramp in her sex, her nipples responding. He had that look in his eyes. She didn't answer, waiting.

"Always so stubborn," he muttered. "Do this with your fingers if you don't like it." He crossed the first and second finger on his hand. "I'll notice. Eventually." He looked down.

Fish and wine. It was bribery, was what it was. She thought about it and then decided. "All right. I agree." She looked down as he slit the fish in half with a practiced gesture and reached in and pulled out its guts.

Persya made a noise. "You're not going to eat that, are you?" She certainly wasn't.

"I'm going to bury it so it doesn't attract the brikens. Take off your clothes."

She rose. It wasn't too cold. When she was naked, she waited. He came back and washed his hands, looking at her all over. It was a familiar glance and she realized he looked at desserts the same way, her eyes narrowing. He had such a sweet tooth.

"Sit down," he said.

Sitting, her legs to the side, she watched as he cooked the fish. It had been so disgusting while he was preparing it that she wasn't sure she could eat it.

But once it was cooked and out of the fire, the fish fell apart into white chunks that clung to the skin, herbs flavoring the meat. It was the most delicious thing she'd ever tasted. She made another noise, licking her fingers. It was so good.

"It's good," he agreed, reading her mind again. "Have some more wine." He held out the bottle.

She made her cup available and he poured too much. It wasn't bad, and it got better the more she drank it. Just like the more he looked at her, the more anxious she got, and the more sensitive between her legs. His eyes dropped to her breasts, her nipples hard. Now she was pleasantly warmed by the wine as well, feeling euphoric, a little, and not quite sober.

She drank more, setting the cup aside. He hadn't stopped watching her. He held out the wine bottle and she grabbed her glass, letting him pour more in.

"Show me your pussy," he said.

"What?"

"Show me your pussy, pretty baby. I've been thinking about you all the day long."

A bargain was a bargain. She bit her lip and then sat on her butt, leaning back on her hands and opening her legs. She felt her cheeks get warmer because she knew she was wet and swollen.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered, his eyes on her sex as he rose and grabbed rope.

"What are you going to do?" she said as he walked to her, the rope in his hand. Closing her legs, she scrambled away.

"I'll tell you when I'm done," he grunted, grabbing her ankle.

Her protests lasted until he got his handkerchief and tied it in her mouth, gagging her. She fought him, his hands all over her while he tied her, touching her nipples and butt. Sometimes, he would suck them, holding her down, before he went on to the next thing he would tie. Turning her over onto her belly, he did the last thing, her arms behind her. She couldn't move. But her fingers were free and he could see them.

He was breathing fast. "I don't imagine you're going to like what I'm going to do at first. If I've ever pleasured you, you trust me and let it go on. I want it. I have hogtied you, but a little different, so I can do this."

He reached and spread her legs wide, her heels to her butt. She could feel cool air on her sex that made her realize she was wet to her thighs. He rose and grabbed his duster and came and lifted her, shoving it under her so her bottom was in the air.

She couldn't move. The more she struggled, the tighter everything got. Stilling, she panted. Her sex was terribly exposed. Her fingers were relaxed.

"I don't carry a whip, baby," he said, squatting, his breathing deep and his face a little cold, making her shiver. "But I have my belt, and that'll do."

Rising, still in her line of sight, he planted his feet. Looking down at her, he tugged his belt buckle, opening it and pulling it through in one motion. He looped it in his fist, a deep wave going through her body. "I have wanted to strap your stubborn little ass for so long. Don't worry. I'll make sure I don't hit your wet cunt. You can't be too sore tomorrow."

She yelled behind the gag as his arm rose and it came down on the flat of the belt, across her cheeks, hurting. That hurt. It came down again, her shrieks muffled as she squirmed. He didn't stop. It got worse, more pain and a heat growing in her lower belly. It was outrageous to be outside, in the open, her bottom in the air, tied with a large man beating her with a belt while looking at her sex. She was furious and crying, tears on her face, and aroused, she realized. Her fingers remained relaxed.

And then it began to feel good in all the pain, like a switch had been turned. She went quiet, panting around the gag as it fell again, and again. She was straining toward it, her sex contracting.

"I see that, baby," he grunted, giving her more.

She whimpered at a bad one and he dropped to his knees behind her. He ran his fingers up her thigh toward her sex, which felt so swollen, her whole body hot, and she began to come before he even got to her, straining.

"Fuck," he muttered, grunting, touching her butthole, his finger slipping in, a terrible invasion.

She wasn't sure she liked what was happening at all, whimpering, and then she did. The pleasure was strange, an ongoing constant, but when his fingers left her bottom and he reached to tug her clitoris, she made a sharp noise and it got worse. She cried out when he spanked her between her legs, several hard swats that were so bad, so good.

"You are the sexiest bitch alive," he hissed. "I'd kill anybody tried to take you from me." His huge sex was there, penetrating her.

Still coming, she went rigid under him, his thrusts deep and hard. She didn't know what was going on, making an unsure noise when she drew a breath. She felt his hand on her hair and upper back as he thrust, soothing.

"Don't be scared, baby," he panted, his thrusts making her body move rhythmically, every one better than the last. "It's a thing that your body likes, that's all. I can feel you coming. I knew you would, from how much you liked a spanking. Fuck, you are swollen and hot. I'm so turned on from doing that, it won't be long."

It wasn't going to stop, her body jerking. He was right, the pleasure cresting. He cried out through his teeth, pinning her, trying to get deeper. Somewhere in her, he flexed, making a deep sound of need, grunting, and then he was panting hard.

"Son of a fucking bitch," he got out.

She was floating, aware he'd taken out her gag and was untying her and that it hurt in that way of sore joints, her bottom hot. Making a noise when she was turned over, she reached for him, startling. It was like she was going to fall.

He picked her up, sitting with her on top of him. His hold was tight so she could feel it and her body relaxed and then she was crying a little for no reason.

"Did I hurt you too much, baby?" he said, tipping her chin, looking into her eyes.

She shook her head and sniffed. Leaning her head on his chest, her hand went there. She was tired as his hand stroked her hair.

"You're sweet, stubborn," he rumbled.

After a time, she felt him put her on her belly on the bedroll and something cool was on her bottom, his hand gentle. He cleaned between her legs, and then he gathered her up facing him, huge in front of her. He was naked like she was. She buried her face in his chest, his hand on her hair again, stroking. She exhaled, shaky.