Heart of Ice by Rebecca Ruger

Once a prisoner of the English, Nicholas MacRory has no desire to return. But then, he cannot refuse so lucrative an offer: rescue the daughter of the powerful John de Graham and in return, the baron will invest his faithfulness, coin, and his considerable army in the Scottish cause. Nicholas doesn’t count on resistance, or that the strong-willed lass will challenge the veracity of his claims, that he is there to take her home. And he certainly doesn’t plan on being bitten by an outrageous fascination with the brave and breathtaking Alice. Alice de Graham has spent a year in England under house arrest, taken by Edward I to ensure her father’s continued loyalty. When a handsome and mighty warrior climbs into the window of her prison, she does what any maid would do: she puts a knife to his throat. However, she has little choice but to escape with him, and it seems only a matter of time before her heart is claimed by her daring Highland rescuer. Upon being reunited with her family, her father reneges on his promise to Nicholas, leaving him with no other option but to kidnap the lass himself to have the army promised him. Alice is stunned and outraged, and then powerless to prevent her heart from being enslaved. Nicholas is sure he’s got nothing to offer her, neither kindness nor security in this challenging time of war, and certainly not love. Alice is sure that he is wrong and is determined to thaw his icy heart. Heart of Ice is the sixth book in the HEART OF A HIGHLANDER series. Each book is a stand-alone tale; the books can be read in any order.