Rise by Claire Kent

For almost a year, Talia has lived as a sex worker for the High Director of the Coalition Council, providing recreational sex and sensual pleasure for some of the most important and influential people in the explored universe. After a difficult and joyless childhood, she now has comfort and security, living and working in the center of power in Coalition space. She has everything she needs, and she doesn’t know she has anything else to hope for–until she meets Desh.

Sex with Desh is better than she’s ever known sex could be, but they have no future together. Desh is a rising champion in a combat tournament, but she knows he’s hiding secrets. He’s on a doomed mission that will likely kill him in the end. And even if it doesn’t, Talia will always be a sex worker. Her job is to have sex with other men. She can offer her body to Desh for now, but offering her heart to him would mean giving up her hope of a future–and probably risking her life.

Falling in love is the most dangerous thing she can do.