The Crusader's Heart - Claire Delacroix

Wulfe knew his place—until Christina taught him to hope for more...

An orphan and a man who has fought for his own survival, Wulfe is a Templar knight sworn to the order for life. He will defend the order and his brethren to his last, but protests when he is included in a mission to deliver a package to Paris on the cusp of an attack on Jerusalem. The assignment so vexes him so that he seeks distraction in a Venetian brothel. Wulfe does not expect to encounter a courtesan of beauty and wit, her appeal for his assistance—much less his own desire to fulfill her request...

Christina recognizes immediately that the grim knight offers the chance to escape a despised life and reclaim her legacy. All she has to do is convince Wulfe to accompany her out of the city, a challenge that demands more than the power of her touch—when Wulfe is attacked, she seizes the opportunity to prove her value to him and his quest, uncertain whether her wits will be sufficient.

As attacks mount and danger engulfs the small company, Christina is the one who guesses the contents of the Templar package—and holds the key to its successful delivery. Wulfe is shocked to realize that she has awakened the heart he forgot he possessed—and when she risks herself to see his mission completed, he must choose between his duty and his newfound love...