North of Heartbreak Read Online Free Page A

eighty-five different people telling me what to do.”
    “Yeah, that I get. The work is different and interesting.”
    “Yes.”
    “So…no boyfriend either then?”
    His question jerked her head around. “Are you hitting on me?”
    “No.” He winced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to ask that out loud.”
    “But you were thinking it.”
    “Yes…no. Look, Jason told me a little about you.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “Why would Jason tell you anything about me?”
    “He’s my uncle. He knows what kind of a joker I am. I’m harmless, really, but he was afraid I’d upset you.”
    Well, this was news.
    “What does that have to do with having or not having a boyfriend?”
    “Um, nothing.”
    Willa stared at him then shook her head. “I’m not looking for a relationship or anything else for that matter. Just in case you were wondering.”
    “Message received.” Liam smiled. Again. “I’m a good guy. You’ll see.”
    “I’m sure you are,” she said, barely glancing at him.
    “I promised Jason I’d be good, and I keep my promises.”
    “You can start by not flirting with me. It’s unprofessional.”
    “I’m not flirting.”
    “Yes, you are and what’s worse, you don’t mean it.”
    Liam looked at her, both his brows riding high on his forehead, but Willa avoided his gaze, her cheeks burning.
    “What if you’re wrong?” he asked in a careful tone. “Maybe I do mean it.”
    “That’ll be the day. Guys like you don’t like women like me.”
    He stared at her with wide eyes. “Wow, that’s a heck of a generalization. What kind of guy am I?”
    His question surprised her into looking up, and for one long moment Willa considered throwing herself out of the plane.
    No. No backing down. She’d finished with that long ago.
    “Have you seen yourself in a mirror recently? You’re hot. I, on the other hand, am as ordinary as they come.”
    “And?”
    Liam’s challenging stare seemed designed to goad her into speaking too soon, but Willa took a second to compose a reasonable response anyway. “All I want to do is go home and get the hours of work waiting for me, done,” she finally said.
    “You’re very natural,” he said after a few moments.
    Willa burst out laughing. “Natural?” She laughed some more. “You’re hilarious.”
    “What’s so funny? The thought that you’re attractive, or that I might like you?”
    She shook her head.
    “I’m just trying to be nice.”
    “Maybe you shouldn’t try so hard.”
    An over-the-top look of horror flashed across his features. “You don’t mean…have a normal conversation do you? Where we discuss current events and, God forbid, the weather? ”
    Willa had to stifle a laugh. At least he had a sense of humor. “Is that so difficult?”
    He grinned. “I’ve never tried it before.”
    “You’ve just never come across a woman who didn’t swoon at your outrageous flattery.” She had no wish to be the woman to educate him.
    “True. This will be a whole new experience for me.” He gave her a sidelong glance full of mirth. “Where do I start?”
    Willa shook her head and bit her lip. “Oh no, you’re a big boy, you figure it out.”
    He didn’t answer, but his hands shifted on the controls and he twisted in his seat. The smile disappeared from his face, replaced by a small frown.
    How could a man go through thirty odd years of life without learning how to have a real conversation?
    She rolled her eyes and turned toward him. “Start by thinking of me as a man.”
    The sexiest grin Willa had ever seen slid across Liam’s face and he looked at her chest. “There’s no way I could ever think of you as a man.”
    Sucker. She might as well wear a T-shirt announcing it.
    “Very funny. I give you advice and you turn it into a joke.” She turned away and stared resolutely out the window. What had she expected? He was probably used to getting whatever he wanted with a crook of his eyebrow.
    Well, not her. She knew better.
    After another minute of