My skin prickled under his gaze.
Haru remained perfectly still, completely relaxed.
“Come closer,” Haru said finally, lifting one hand to motion me toward them. His voice was neither kind nor cruel. It was simply commanding, the words of a prince.
I forced my legs to move, crossing halfway to the bed and then stopping.
Esumi stepped forward and circled around me. I felt him behind me, sensed his presence at my back. Every instinct screamed to turn, to keep him in sight, but I dared not move.
“Do you know who I am?” Haru asked.
“Yes, my lord. Prince Haru of—”
“No.” He cut me off. “Do youknowme? Have we met before?”
My heart stuttered as my head fell.
Didheremember?
Was I supposed to acknowledge our meeting in Tooi?
Or would that make things worse?
“I . . . I am uncertain, my lord.”
“Uncertain?” Haru’s tone was flat. “How . . . diplomatic. I do not recall you parsing words so skillfully when last we spoke.”
Esumi’s hand touched my shoulder. It was only his fingertips, light but unmistakable.
I flinched.
“He is terrified,” Esumi observed, speaking to Haru as if I were not there, as if I could not hear.
A kernel of anger sparked within me.
“Yes,” Haru agreed. “He is poorly trained, then.”
“Perhaps not. He remains new,” Esumi said. “You are his first customer.”
They were talking about me like I was an object, property to be weighed or cataloged or . . . My blood began to boil. Then my training kicked in.
This was going wrong, and I needed to recover, to perform, to become what they wanted.
I forced a smile onto my face, let my shoulders relax, and made my voice softer. “Forgive me, my lord, my prince. I am . . . I confess I am nervous. Who wouldn’t be with such distinguished guests, especially for this one’s first time?” I let my eyes fall from Haru’s face to his openkimono. “Tell me what you desire, my prince. Let me please you.”
The words felt like ash in my mouth, but I had been trained for this, trained to seduce, to invite, to offer myself.
Esumi’s hand withdrew from my shoulder. “That’s better,” he said, but something in his tone was off. “More what I expected.”
“Show us,” Haru said. “What did they teach you?”
I looked up, uncertain.
“Your training,” Haru clarified. “Demonstrate.”
This was a test. They wanted to see if I was worth the twentyryothey had paid, so I moved toward the bed, stood at its edge, and reached for the collar of my new sailor’s coat. It slid from my shoulders, revealing the sheer silk beneath.
“Is this what pleases you, my prince?” I kept my voice low. Inviting. “Or would you prefer—”
