Christina touched her lips to this throat, for good measure. He had shaved, which she liked well. He smelled clean, and as a man should. Not perfumed or touched with the scent of another woman. She heard him catch his breath as she let her lips linger against his skin and felt him swallow. When she might have drawn back, he bent and pressed a kiss to her neck below her ear. His lips were warm, his kiss gentle, and Christina was startled that he should be so gentle.
Tender, even.
He pulled back slightly and considered her, his eyes glinting. “Not always Christina and not always a whore,” he said with resolve.
She shook her head. “You mistake my history, sir.”
But Wulfe only smiled and kissed her earlobe, his hands locking around her waist. When he whispered in her ear, Christina shivered, both at his touch and his pledge. “Let us see if I can convince you to confide the truth in me,” he murmured. “I have all the day and all the night to win this challenge. I assure you that I shall make the quest worth your while.”
Before she could protest or reply, Wulfe cupped her nape in one hand, pulled her closer and kissed her fully. It was a sweet potent kiss, one intended to make her lose her reservations and her restraint, and it came very close to succeeding.
Of course, it was only the beginning of Wulfe’s amorous assault.
* * *
The Champions of Saint Euphemia
The Crusader’s Bride • The Crusader’s Heart
The Crusader’s Kiss • The Crusader’s Vow
Upcoming titles are available for pre-order at some portals.
About the Author
Deborah Cooke sold her first book in 1992, a medieval romance called The Romance of the Rose published under her pseudonym Claire Delacroix. Since then, she has published over fifty novels in a wide variety of sub-genres, including historical romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, fantasy romance, time-travel romance, women’s fiction, paranormal young adult and fantasy with romantic elements. She has published under the names Claire Delacroix, Claire Cross, and Deborah Cooke. The Beauty, part of her successful Bride Quest series of historical romances, was her first title to land on the New York Times List of Bestselling Books. Her books routinely appear on other bestseller lists and have won numerous awards. In 2009, she was the writer-in-residence at the Toronto Public Library, the first time the library has hosted a residency focused on the romance genre. In 2012, she was honored to receive the Romance Writers of America’s Mentor of the Year Award.
Currently, she writes paranormal romances featuring dragon shape shifter heroes under the name Deborah Cooke. She also writes medieval romances as Claire Delacroix. Deborah lives in Canada with her husband and family, as well as far too many unfinished knitting projects.
Deborah’s Website and Blog
Deborah’s Newsletter
Books by Deborah Cooke
Paranormal Romances
- The Dragonfire Series -
Kiss of Fire
Kiss of Fury
Kiss of Fate
Winter Kiss
Whisper Kiss
Harmonia’s Kiss
Darkfire Kiss
Flashfire
Ember’s Kiss
Kiss of Danger
Kiss of Darkness
Kiss of Destiny
The Dragon Legion Collection
(including “Kiss of Danger”, “Kiss of Darkness” and “Kiss of Destiny”)
Serpent’s Kiss
Firestorm Forever
Paranormal Young Adult
- The Dragon Diaries -
Flying Blind
Winging It
Blazing the Trail
Contemporary Romance
- The Coxwells -
Third Time Lucky
Double Trouble
One More Time
All or Nothing
* * *
Books by Claire Delacroix
Time Travel Romances
Once Upon a Kiss
The Last Highlander
The Moonstone
Love Potion #9
Medieval Romances
- Harlequin Historicals -
The Romance of the Rose
Honeyed Lies
Unicorn Bride
The Sorceress
Roarke’s Folly
Pearl Beyond Price
The Magician’s Quest
Unicorn Vengeance
My Lady’s Champion
Enchanted
My Lady’s Desire
- The Bride Quest I -
The Princess
The Damsel
The Heiress
- The Bride Quest II -
The Countess
The Beauty
The Temptress
The Rogue
The Scoundrel
The Warrior
- The Jewels of Kinfairlie -
The Beauty Bride
The Rose Red Bride
The Snow White Bride
The Ballad of Rosamunde
- The True Love Brides -
The Renegade’s Heart
The Highlander’s Curse
The Frost Maiden’s Kiss
The Warrior’s Prize
- The Champions of Saint Euphemia -
The Crusader’s Bride
The Crusader’s Heart (October 2015)
The Crusader’s Kiss (January 2016)
The Crusader’s Vow (April 2016)
Urban Fantasy Romance
- The Prometheus Project -
Fallen
Guardian
Rebel
Abyss
Short Stories and Novellas
An Elegy for Melusine
Beguiled
Audio Editions
Table of Contents
Title Page
The Champions of Saint Euphemia
Copyright
Dear Reader
Friday, May 15, 1187
Prologue
Saturday, July 4, 1187
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Sunday, July 5, 1187
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Monday, July 6, 1187
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Tuesday, July 7, 1187
Chapter 11
Wednesday, July 22, 1187
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Thursday, July 23, 1187
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Friday, July 24, 1187
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Monday, July 28, 1187
Chapter 18
Wednesday, August 12, 1187
Chapter 19
Monday, August 24, 1187
Chapter 20
Tuesday, September 1, 1187
Epilogue
Excerpt from THE CRUSADER’S HEART
About the Author
More Books by the Author