Kyoto, 1866. For a foreigner, being found inside the old capital means death. Capitaine Etienne Aubry is there anyway, hidden in a merchant's storehouse, sent to answer one question: is the shogun worth French guns?

Kotoha of Pontocho is the most listened-to geiko in the flower and willow world, an artist whose true instrument is information. Her house is drowning in debt, and a magistrate she despises is buying his way toward owning her future.

She is hired to teach a guest who must never see daylight. He needs her voice to survive the city. She needs his secret to buy her freedom. Neither plans on the treaty they sign skin to skin, article by article, in two languages.

One hidden winter. Patrol lanterns in the lane. A love that cannot exist, negotiated between two people who both know exactly what everything costs, except this.

A scorching, sweeping historical romance with a hard-won happy ending. Contains explicit sensual adult content. Adults only, 18+.