Savoy, 1202 The daughter of a lowly merchant, Celia Lyndon has no business falling in love with a nobleman-especially not the very nobleman who has taken her father captive. But when she offers herself up to gain her father's freedom, she learns that some bargains aren't as simple as trading goods and coins. The winter months she must spend at the castle show her that Nicolas of Savoy is far more than a fierce knight. He is a powerful ruler, a fair judge, and, most intriguing, he is lonely. Every day her heart betrays her a bit more-but can Nicolas see past their circumstances and let his feisty prisoner breach the walls that guard his heart? Nicolas of Savoy has trained for knighthood his entire life-a good thing, because the lands he inherited upon his brother's death are under constant attack. Nicolas usually makes an example of anyone who would do him harm. He has no way to distinguish marauder from merchant-that is, until a brave maiden steps forward to offer herself in place of one of the men lined up for execution. Intrigued by Celia's proposition, he agrees, only to discover his new prisoner is even more dangerous-how can he desire someone so much, when he isn't even certain she can be trusted?