Free Sweeter Than Sin by Andrea Pickens

counseled Rafael as they made their way along narrow cobbled passageway leading up from the Strand. "There are a great many substances underfoot that I don't care to identify."
    "Ah." An ominous squish emanated from beneath Kyra's halfboot. "I believe that was a rotten cabbage."
    "I didn't realize your botanical expertise extended to vegetables." He grinned, happy to see she was taking the adventure in stride. "I would have guessed it was a turnip."
    "No, there were definitely leaves involved."
    Shadows flitted overhead. Only a dappling of sunlight penetrated the overhanging eaves, making the space seem even more pinched. Sounds were funneling down from the market, an ever-loudening cacophony of shouts and thumps amplified by the soot-dark brick of the buildings pressing in around them.
    Rafael slanted a surreptitious look at Kyra, but saw only curiosity rather than trepidation shading her profile. A good sign, but she had yet to be swept up in the helter-pelter jostling of the crowds.
    "It's best if we stay close together," he counseled, shifting the wicker basket from one a hand to the other in order to take her arm. "The market is quite large and with all the rows of stalls, it's easy to lose one's way."
    A last turn took them through a low archway, and then, in a flash, they emerged from the gloom and into the bright sunlight.
    "Oh." A sudden exhale escaped her lips as Kyra blinked, her eyes adjusting to the blaze of colors and whirlwind of activity.
    "It's a bit chaotic," said Rafael, trying to gauge her reaction. "But cheerfully so." Or so he hoped, suddenly worried that he might have misjudged just how overwhelming the experience would seem to someone who had chosen to retreat into the shadows of solitude.
    She didn't answer right away, which was further cause for concern. Inwardly cursing himself for a fool, he fumbled for something to say that might sooth her fears...
    When all of a sudden, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "There is so much to see—I hardly know which way to look."
    "Let's begin here," answered Rafael quickly. Taking her arm, he guided her to a row of fruit stalls. "They have oranges from Valencia here. Their sun-kissed sweetness reminds me of home."
    A woman clad in brightly mismatched calico hefted a sack of the pump fruits. "Aye—a handsome treat fer a handsome gent!" She winked at Kyra. "Ain't you a lucky gel."
    Rafael promptly handed over some coins. "The luck is all mine, milady."
    The fruit seller chortled. "Oh, sure enough, I be the Countess of Lemons and Limes." She raised several more sacks and winked. "Or would ye prefer some tasty English apples?"
    "Just the oranges for now." He began peeling one of the fruits as he nudged Kyra to continue along the line of stalls. Their progress was greeted by good-natured jests and urgings to try more of the treats. Rafael purchased some almonds and sultanas, then led them down an aisle featuring pots and pans.
    "Here, you must taste this." He handed Kyra a segment of peeled orange. "Close your eyes, and you can feel the warmth of the Spanish sun."
    She hesitated, but only for an instant. "Mmmm. Why, that's quite delicious!"
    "Have another morsel."
    It disappeared even more quickly.
    He peeled two more oranges and handed one of them to her. "I'm glad you like them. My grandmother had several trees in her garden and when I was a small child, it was always a special treat when she allowed me to chose one of the fruits."
    "What lovely memories."
    "Indeed." He hoped that she would soon let her own sunny memories of the past chase away the gloom of the recent events.
    She looked thoughtful as she ate—slowly at first, then with increasing gusto. Her fingers were soon sticky and juice was dribbling down her chin. He reached out to flick a drop off her lower lip.
    "Oh, Lud." A laugh burbled in her throat. "I must look like an absolute fright."
    With her loosened curls dancing in the breeze, her cheeks flushed with mirth and her eyes sparkling with