Taken by the Highlander: Falling for Love, #2

By Eliza Phillips

Aileen was just starting to settle into her life in the 1700’s when she was given life altering news.

She could return to her own time.

Suddenly her marriage of convenience has become a prison trapping her in the past. No amount of gorgeous red curls or toe curling interludes will change the fact that she’s a prisoner in her own home. Or will it?

Roderick is struggling to find the balance between being laird and new husband. With the rebellion is escalating around him, he struggles to balance the attention between his wife and his clan. All is fair in love and war.

To keep her secret Aileen must pretend that nothing is wrong. She must keep up her image of perfect wife or risk suspicion. But with the passion between them growing, Aileen finds it difficult to keep her desire for Roderick from overruling her desire for home.

Returning home would mean leaving Roderick forever.

Will she make the jump for home? Or will she be Taken by the Highlander?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mane Untamed Publications
• Release date: Jul 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519994561

Eliza Phillips

Eliza Phillips is a Midwestern gal who's heart belongs abroad. She writes romances that will curl your hair or make your heart sigh with whimsy. She enjoys all things historical, particularly if it wears a kilt. Her heroines are independent thinkers that don't need no man...but wouldn't mind if a man came and swept them off their feet. When she's not writing Eliza spends her time lusting after travel destinations, recipes for bruschetta, and red heads. She keeps her sanity with a cocktail of 80's rock, Caribou Coffee, and...cocktails. Preferably with friends.

Book preview

Chapter One

I could send you back.

Aileen could hear the blood rushing in her ears. She felt dizzy and a little as though all the air had been sucked out of the room. She could go home? This whole time she had assumed she was stuck in this time. To say she was stunned would be an understatement. Her own voice sounded like it was coming from a long way off, How?

Madame Fae shrugged, clearly unimpressed by the magic that could send a person back hundreds of years in the blink of an eye. It’s the same magic that brought you here, she explained. The runes carved into the cliff face have enchanted the area. One jump and you’ll be home again.

Too many questions formed simultaneously in Aileen’s head. She sat in stunned silence, watching Madame Fae chew her bread. She tried to organize her thoughts. But how? the question tumbled out.

I just told you, Madame Fae said sounding slightly annoyed. By magic.

How do you know it won’t just sent me back another hundred years? Aileen retorted. Anger hovered right under the surface of Aileen’s carefully held composure.

Madame Fae merely raised an eyebrow at Aileen, Surely your opinion of magic is not so entirely low. It will send you back to your proper time because that is where you want to go.

"Then why did it send me here? Aileen burst out. Why send me back hundreds of years if I could go home at any point in time?"

That’s for you to figure out, Madame Fae said with a small grin. "Weren’t you just a minute ago telling me how thankful you were for this gift? That you thought you might someday love the laird?"

"That was before I knew I could go home, Aileen wanted to shake Madame Fae. I would never had said that if I knew that I didn’t have to stay trapped here. I want to go home."

Madame Fae looked crestfallen, What about Roderick?

What about him? Aileen bit out. I hardly know him. I told you, I just want to go home.

Madame sighed heavily, Very well. But the magic only works on a full moon. You will have to wait until the next moon or you will only jump to your death.

What am I supposed to do until then? Aileen asked. The news that she would have to wait made her feel all the more trapped.

Pushing back from her seat Madame Fae patted Aileen’s hand, I’m sure you’ll figure something out. I’ll be waiting for you at the cliff’s edge during the full moon. If you do not come, I will assume you have changed your mind.

Madame Fae left without another word, leaving Aileen herself speechless. She watched Madame Fae’s retreating form as she mulled over what the fortune teller had just told her. In a month’s time she would be going home.

There you are, a gruff voice whispered behind her, making her jump.

Whirling around Aileen relaxed when she recognized the intruder on her private moment. Oh, it’s just you Roderick, she said with a sigh. Roderick was standing in the doorway. His curls were tousled from sleep and from Aileen’s greedy fingers pulling it at odd angles. He had pulled on his plain linen shirt, and it hung half way down his thighs. Enough for modesty.

I didn’t mean to startle you, Roderick said with a grin as he closed the distance between them. You look pale. Are you ill?

Aileen looked dumbly at her hands. They felt like ice. She clenched and unclenched them to return some warmth to them. Perhaps she was going into shock. That wouldn’t be unwarranted considering the news she had just received.

Instead of answering his question Aileen asked her own, What are you doing down here?

Roderick rubbed the palms of his hands briskly up and down her shoulders. It was a reassuring gesture but had the added