No good deed goes unpunished... When Neeve returns to the kingdom of Maelgwn to help a friend, she finds herself face to face with the man she ran from nine months ago. Before she fled, she'd promised a year of service to the Guardians of the Temple, and now that she's back, Asher, the Chancellor of Maelgwn intends to claim the remainder of that time. For almost a year, Asher has been searching for his consort, Neeve, who vanished without a trace. He wants her back where she belongs. In his bed. And a year won't be nearly long enough. When the pair ends up on a diplomatic mission, with another guardian accompanying, Asher finds his plan to claim her sidetracked by duty and torn by the obligation to share her with the other man for the duration of their task. With hearts and the future at stake, Asher and Neeve must find the power to believe, trust and love one another, not just for the moment but forever. But that might be more than either is able to give.