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“Yes,” Bianca said, jumping to attention. “Good idea.”
I got to my feet and offered her a hand. She took it and I helped her up.
She lost her footing and I caught her. I felt her body against mine.
“Careful,” I said, my voice thick with desire.
“I always am,” she said, peering up at me through her eyelashes.
With her in my arms, that instinct buried deep inside every Titan reared its head and caught the scent of this incredible female in my arms.
And unless I missed my guess, I thought I spied the human version in her eyes staring right back at me.
Judging by that look, my daydream last night had been far too tame.
Too tame by half.
We pulled to a stop on a hilltop overlooking a broad field. A quiet road marked the boundary of where my land ended. Local townsfolk worked the field, where they grew crops of popular Titan fruit and vegetables. They were in the process of weeding the newly planted crops and harvesting that which was now ripe. They piled it in floating wicker baskets they would lead back into town.
“Who are those people?” Bianca said.
“Some of the locals from town,” I said. “Now and then, skirmishes take place across the empire with an alien race called the Changelings. They’ve been attacking us for years but have never been so direct before. I think they might be gearing up for a larger attack soon.”
“Is there anything you can do to stop them?” Bianca said.
“No one can. Except for the emperor.”
“The emperor?”
It was easy to forget she knew little about our culture. If there was one thing to know about Titan heritage, it was the importance of the emperor in our lives. His portrait hung on the wall of every home in the empire. We were taught from a young age to respect and revere him above all others.
“He’s the Titan supreme leader,” I said. “He alone can bring the most powerful Titan families together and unite us against the Changelings. But many don’t believe the Changelings are dangerous. I think it’s a mistake to underestimate them.”
“So why are those people planting crops on your land?”
“Times are hard,” I said. “Sometimes there’s a food shortage or the people lose their jobs and struggle to find enough food. So, I gave them permission to use my land. They can farm as much as they like and keep whatever they grow or sell it on at a profit. I only ask they give me five percent of their harvest.”
“Why five percent? You could charge a lot more than that.”
“I don’t need more,” I said. “Five percent is more than we need. I give whatever we don’t use to my staff. They share it with their friends and family. And because five percent isn’t much, those who farm the crops don’t feel it’s too much of a burden to share. I don’t need to hire anyone to make sure they pay it. They keep an eye on each other and do it for me. None of them want to bring a good thing like this to an end.”
When I glanced over at Bianca, she was staring at me. She was slow to realize I noticed her and hastily looked away.
There had been a look in her eye. Respect? Surprise? Perhaps a bit of both.
“You didn’t think I’m capable of charity?” I said.
“No, it’s not that,” Bianca said. “It’s just… People rarely surprise me. I’m pretty good at reading them and I thought… Well, I didn’t think you would ever do something like this. You’re a good Titan.”
I would have been embarrassed to hear those words from someone else, but coming from her, it made me sit a little taller in the saddle.
“It’s nothing,” I said. “They’re the ones who have to do the hard work. I respect those willing to help themselves. Sometimes we need a helping hand now and then.”
Bianca grinned.
“That’s more like it,” she said. “That sounds more like the hard-nosed businessman I know.”
“You don’t know me.”
