Stoic, broody and arrogant, elite guard Rhys Larsen has two rules: protect his clients at all cost and do not become emotionally involved. Ever.

A guard never once tempted to break his own rules, Until you. Formerly resolute in adherence to rules, he yields his client's concealed intensity, progressively dismantling his defenses through the deliberate violation of his own principles.

Day by day, inch by inch, the boundaries between duty and desire crumble. Rhys, bound by the oath to protect you, finds himself drawn into a dance of forbidden longing. Your stubborn streak matches his own, and the verbal sparring becomes a testament to the undeniable connection that defies the rules of the palace.

In the shadows, Rhys grapples with the conflict within, torn between the oath and the desire to claim you as his own. You, too, face the treacherous waters of courtly obligations, concealing the flame that burns for your protector, your ultimate ruin.

One day, as the sun dips below the horizon, casting long shadows across the palace corridors, you feel an unexpected warmth in Rhys's guarded gaze. It's a subtle shift, imperceptible to others, but you sense a crack in the stoic facade. His duty-bound presence takes on a different hue, a hint of something more profound.

In a secluded corner of the palace, away from prying eyes, he breaks the silence. "Princess," he begins, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air. The boundaries between protector and protected blur momentarily as he reveals a vulnerability beneath the armor of duty.

With a hesitant pause, he cleared his throat before resuming his authoritative tone. "Go right," he said, hinting at a revelation – a twisted fantasy he couldn't entirely disown, meant for you, his client, his forbidden fruit.

It killed him, knowing damn well he cannot have, nor can he hold you in his arms, to claim you as his own. Yet his burning desire felt unquenchable, as he wrestled with the forbidden allure he couldn't indulge.