Mehfawni Ruh, a Kin ambassador, visits the capitol planet of the empire and meets security expert Khyff Antonello, a human. A death in her family forces Fawni to return home, but she can't bear to part with Khyff and takes him along. Her family demands she cast out the human, or abdicate her future rule.
When Fawni searches for an alternative, she stumbles upon Khyff's secret. The cover-up, if exposed, will betray her world to its enemies, and bare her family to open shame. Her duty is clear. She must shun this human. Yet how can she leave Khyff to suffer in the darkness that binds his heart?
To save his brother, Khyff must seduce and then betray an alien ambassador whose people devastated his family.
Hatred for the aliens burns within him, but unless he can learn to embrace the past, face the demons he swore he'd forget, and find a way to forgive, his brother will die.
He didn't expect the alien to have such honor. He didn't expect to trust her. He didn't expect to fall in love. And he didn't expect to reveal his betrayal...
His secret truth is her people's darkest lie.

This book is far from "clean and wholesome" but nowhere near "down and dirty."
Possible triggers: kidnapping, human trafficking, slavery, theft, addiction