“Get in, and we’ll negotiate out of the rain.”

She hesitated, then shrugged and climbed inside. If the price was too low, or he proved to be troublesome, she could easily use her Gifts to break free. All she would risk was a walk in the rain and, as she settled onto the soft cushions piled upon the seat beside him and noted the gold rings that graced her customer’s fingers, she knew that was a risk worth taking.

The man called out and the platten jerked into motion. It travelled slowly. Emerahl eyed her customer. He stared back at her.

“Thirty ren,” he said. She felt her heart skip. Generous. Perhaps he could be pushed further. She feigned disdain.

“Fifty.”

He pursed his lips. She began undoing the ties on the front of her tunic. His eyes followed every movement of her fingers.

“Thirty-five,” he offered.

She snorted softly. “Forty-five.”

He smiled as she spread open the cloth of her tunic, revealing the length of her body. She lay back on the cushions and saw the desire in his eyes intensify as she ran her hands down her body, from her small breasts to the fine triangle of red hairs at her groin.

He breathed deeply, then met her eyes.

“Heybrin will not protect you from disease.”

So he had noticed the smell of the herb. She smiled thinly. “I know, but men don’t believe me when I tell them my Gifts can.”

The corner of his lip twitched. “I do. How does forty sound?”

“Forty it is, then,” she agreed, sliding across the seat and reaching for the fastening of his finely tailored pants.

He leaned forward and ran the tip of his tongue down her neck to her nipples, and his fingers slid down into her pubic hair, caressing. She smiled and pretended to be aroused by this, hoping he wasn’t thinking she would forgo the fee if he gave a little pleasure in return.

She turned her attention to his body, and soon he was more interested in his own pleasure. Once he was inside her, she let the instincts of her body keep time with his movements and focused her mind on his. Emotion, mostly lust, came to her like drifts of smoke. She was getting better at sensing it.

His movements became more urgent, then he sighed into a climax. Like most men, he drew away after only a moment’s pause. She sighed and relaxed against the cushions. This is definitely better than a hard brick wall against my back.

When she looked up at him, he was regarding her curiously.

“Why is a beautiful young woman like yourself working the streets, Emmea?”

She managed to stop herself looking at him as if he was an idiot.

“Money.”

“Yes, of course. But what of your parents?”

“They threw me out.”

His eyebrows rose. “What did you do?”