Limit connection to one post?

Two questions really:
1) Can the connection be setup to limit the connection to a single post?

2) Is there an efficient way to query a singular connected post and return it rather than a full $query.

FWIW, I’m connecting a CPT to a post and pages to be used as a featured/hero image.

Currently I’m using this, but thinking there might be a better way:

<?php
function jb_feature_area() {

	// Find connected pages
	$connected = new WP_Query( array(
	  'connected_type' => 'posts_to_whitepaper',
	  'connected_items' => get_queried_object(),
	  'nopaging' => true,
	) );

	// Display connected pages
	if ( $connected->have_posts() ) {
#		while ( $connected->have_posts() ) : $connected->the_post();
			$connected->the_post();
			$post_thumbnail_id = get_post_thumbnail_id();
			$post_thumbnail_url = wp_get_attachment_url( $post_thumbnail_id );

			echo '<div id="page-feature" class="page-feature" style="background-image: url(' . $post_thumbnail_url . ')">';
			echo '<div class="feature-excerpt-wrap">';
			echo '<h2>' . get_the_title() . '</h2>';
			echo '<p>' . get_the_excerpt() . '</p>';
			echo '</div> <!-- end .feature-excerpt-wrap -->';
			echo '</div> <!-- end .home-feature -->';
#		endwhile;
	}

	// Prevent weirdness
	wp_reset_postdata();
}

http://ww.wp.xz.cn/extend/plugins/posts-to-posts/