The Heart of an Earl by K.J. Jackson

A lady willing to do anything to escape death. A long lost earl determined to stay adrift. Fates meet and a cursed journey begins, sparking to life an attraction that will consume both of them in this newest novel from USA Today Bestseller, K.J. Jackson.

A lady willing to do anything to escape death. Ripped from her family years ago by a pirate captain, Lady Julianna knows a thing or two about surviving. But she’s grasping at the last threads of staying alive after the captain dies and leaves her at the mercy of the pirate crew. She hides his death—as the second the crew of the Red Dragon discovers the captain is dead, survival will be the least of her worries.
But the ruse can only work for so long. Just when her hope is nearly lost, their ship is attacked and she spies a way out. A way out in the form of one tall, strong sailor that just may be her salvation—or her biggest mistake.

A long lost earl determined to stay adrift. Desmond Phillips gave up any hope of living a normal life years ago when his wife and unborn baby died. Losing himself among the crew of a privateering ship, all in England gave him up for dead—just as he and his shattered heart preferred it.

Two lost souls meet. In the midst of a battle at sea, a sprite of a woman drops onto Des, begging for his help. He saves her and inherits the duty to bring her home safely.
As the journey to deliver Lady Julianna home to England unfolds, these two lost souls find unlikely kindred spirits in each other, and the cold, broken shards of Des’s heart begin to heal. But the curse of an ancient box haunts their every move—their very lives. If they manage to break the curse of the Box of Draupnir, they may just be rewarded with an undying love.