North of Heartbreak (5 page)

“Willa?” Liam called. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just knocked a box over.” She tried to put the box in her hands down, but it was too big to fit anywhere. She couldn’t even turn around. “I’m stuck.”

“Hang on. I’ll clear the road for you.”

A shadow moved on the wall in front of her accompanied by the shuffle of cardboard dragged across linoleum. Liam stepped around the tower of boxes and surveyed the mess. “Could’ve been worse,” he said, taking the box out of Willa’s hands. His fingers brushed hers causing a jolt of electricity to arc between them.

“Sorry,” he said, putting the box down on the floor outside. He came back, grabbing her hand and rubbing it. “I didn’t mean to shock you.”

Willa fought to swallow away the rush of need that swamped her at his touch. She wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms and beg him to rub her all over.

“It’s okay,” she managed to say, but she couldn’t make herself pull her hand away.

“Are you sure? You’re shaking.”

Her gaze darted from his eyes to their joined hands. “I am?” Her whole arm shook with tremors. Good Lord she’d lost total control. “I don’t know why. I feel fine.”

“Maybe you should sit down.”

Willa glanced around. “Where? There’s barely enough room to stand up in here.”

Liam let go of her hand, reached out and picked her up before she realized his intention. She grabbed at his shoulders, afraid he would drop her, but he smoothly adjusted his hold and backed out of the storeroom with her in his arms.

“Here we go,” he said, placing her on the receptionist’s chair. “How do you feel now?”

She reluctantly let go of his shoulders. His warm body and masculine smell, steeped in pine and cedar, made her want to get closer, not let him move away. Then her brain asserted itself and she dropped her hands to her lap.

“I’m fine. Really.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re not being completely truthful with me?”

“I’m fine.”

Liam examined her face with the intensity of an inquisitor. “When did you last eat?”

She winced. “Breakfast.”

He clucked his tongue and shook his head.

“I was busy.”

“No excuse.”

“But—”

“You have to take better care of yourself, Willa. There’s only one of you.”

She slumped in the chair. “I know. I forget sometimes.”

“Well, don’t,” he said, expression serious. “Because if you keep this up I might have to do something about it.”

He’d been everywhere she looked for the last several days, making her laugh with his silly jokes, making her mouth water just by standing near her, and now this. He was driving her crazy and she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Really?” She stood and put her hands on her hips. “Like what?”

He stepped close, enough to cause a shiver of desire to ripple down her spine. “Like kiss you.”

Hot, she was molten hot. The air she breathed in scorched her lungs, and her body burned.

Very slowly, he cupped her cheek with one hand and rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip then leaned down to whisper, “Or maybe feed you by hand.”

So gentle.

He touched her as if she were fragile, precious, and seduced with a tender voice and words that conjured up images of him on his knees, serving her.

“What will you feed me?” she heard herself ask.

His smile promised sin itself. “Anything you want.”

His words sent a sizzling bolt of desire through her. Willa wanted this man like she’d never wanted before. She wanted Liam’s hands on her skin, his lips on her mouth and his tongue everywhere.

A bad idea. Very bad. She nibbled on her bottom lip.

His gaze followed her tongue for a moment then he wrapped one hand around the back of her head and slanted her face up to meet him. His lips feathered over hers, the fleeting touch making her breath catch as heat licked at her insides.

She put her hands on his chest to push him away, but her fingers curled into his shirt instead. “This isn’t a good idea. I don’t want—”

“A commitment,” he interrupted. “No ties, no pressure, just a whole lot of fun.” He placed a finger over her mouth. “We’re just two people enjoying a moment.”

Willa paused as a shiver of longing swept over her. His scent enticed her. Then his words penetrated. What did that mean? “I don’t do affairs.”

“Neither do I.” Liam kissed her again, lingering as if savoring every instant of contact.
Fun
was an inadequate word to describe what they were doing. This was pleasure, something she’d had precious little of.

Now that she’d had a taste of it, of him, she wanted more.

He pulled away slowly and she followed his retreat. Her lips nibbling, her hands reaching and grabbing at his shoulders. She wanted to feel more, to find out if he tasted as good as he smelled, to feed the flame building in the pit of her belly. But he held back, his lips brushing over her cheeks, nose and eyelids. Everywhere he touched heated her blood.

She tried to inject a sliver of sanity into her system. “I won’t sleep with you.”

“I’m not asking for that. Kisses,” he said, putting action to the word, “are all I want.”

“Just kisses? You don’t want—”

“Kisses,” Liam declared. “No commitment, only fun.”

“Fun,” she breathed, her body relaxing in his hold. Was it possible for two people to enjoy each other without emotional entanglement? “What if—”

“What ifs don’t come into this. Only what’s happening now.”

She tilted her head up, offering her lips. “I’ve never tried a relationship that wasn’t a relationship.”

Liam held himself back, his eyes wary. “This isn’t a relationship. We’re just two friends indulging in a little mutual desire.”

“When did we become friends?”

He lowered his head a fraction, but not quite enough to kiss her. “You don’t trust me, do you?”

“No.” That wasn’t stopping her body from wanting his kiss. She stood on tip-toe to reach him, but he lifted his head.

Arching an eyebrow, she asked, “Do you trust me?”

“I’m trying to learn how.”

She leaned back. “What does that mean?”

He brushed a lock of hair from her cheek and seemed to study her face. “It means you’re so…different from the women I used to think were attractive.”

“I can’t decide if I should take that as a compliment or an insult.”

“He was an idiot, you know.”

Willa frowned and backed off, yet her hands didn’t lessen their grip on his shoulders. “Who?”

“The bastard who hurt you.”

Chapter Five

For a moment Willa forgot to breathe. She should walk away, but she couldn’t make her feet move, frozen in place by the promise of passion in his kiss. She would get nothing from Liam but grief—she’d learned that the hard way.

Liam’s fingers feathered their way down the side of her neck. “I get off on giving a woman pleasure not pain.” His gaze scorched her. “The hotter she gets the more I like it.”

Willa’s heart beat so fast she could barely speak. “I’m burning up.”

“Oh yeah.” He lowered his head and lapped at her mouth with his lips and tongue. “That’s all I’m after, Willa, and you’re in complete control here. If you say stop, we stop. If you say go, we go. Trust me enough to play?”

Did she?

“I think…” she said slowly. “I’d like to try
fun.
”

Liam growled, the sound rumbling low in his chest. “Your wish is my command.”

His mouth fell on hers, devouring her, his tongue surging into her mouth.

She moaned as a wave of need swept her up and carried her away from solid ground.

“I’d like to suggest some rules,” he said, breaking away and nibbling his way across to her ear.

“Rules?” Already he was telling her what to do. Willa stiffened, preparing to push him away.

“Hands have to stay out of dangerous territory.”

She paused. “Define
dangerous.
”

“Below the waist or wandering in front.”

Well, that wasn’t a bad idea. “Okay,” she said cautiously.

Liam moved down to suck on Willa’s pulse point at the base of her neck and she squirmed despite herself.

“Clothes stay on.”

His rules were starting to sound…fair. “Mmm-hmm.”

“No public displays.”

“Definitely not.”

He pulled away. “No regrets.”

Willa opened her eyes and met his gaze. “You promise not to…”

“Not to what?”

“Take this too seriously?”

Liam’s grin turned wicked. “I don’t do serious.”

She stared into his eyes, trying to find the hardness, the razor’s edge of rage always present in her ex-husband’s gaze, but all she saw was sincerity and passion. “You have a deal.”

His smile dissolved into a look of pure need. “Now we eat.”

He pulled her against him and she wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on as his mouth moved on hers slowly, languidly, as if he intended to kiss her for hours. As promised, his hands stayed planted on her back well away from any danger zones.

This was unexplored territory for Willa. Her ex-husband had no patience for foreplay. She had no idea kissing and only kissing could be so enjoyable. There were so many kinds of kisses.

Long, slow kisses, where Liam’s tongue slid by hers, tasting her over and over. Passionate, fast kisses, where he seemed to want to eat her alive, his teeth nipping, his tongue flicking past hers. Lighthearted kisses, where he moved from her lips to her ears to her eyes and back again, licking at every inch of skin in between.

She had no idea how long they stood there, but gradually a loud static-filled noise pulled her out of the haze of euphoria she floated in.

Willa blinked and looked around. Someone was calling on the clinic radio.

She tried to step out of Liam’s embrace, but he pulled her back and kissed her again.

“I have to answer that call.”

“Ignore them,” he said, sliding his lips down her neck.

“I can’t.” She pushed at his shoulders and he finally let her loose. “This is a clinic, remember.”

He frowned. “You’re closed.”

“Not for emergencies.”

“Damn.” He sighed and his gaze flickered over her face. “You might want to fix your hair before you go anywhere.” He ran a hand through his own hair and tucked his shirt back into his jeans. Had she pulled it out?

Willa hurried to the radio. “This is Med-One, over.”

Jason’s voice crackled to life. “Tundra Air here. There’s been a hunting accident north of town. They’re requesting medical assistance on scene, over.”

“Understood, over.”

“You’re going to need a plane with skis. Can Liam get you to our hangar in five minutes?”

Jason knew Liam was here? Willa looked at him and he nodded. “We’ll be there, Tundra Air, Med-One out,” she said into the radio then rushed to gather up her equipment.

Liam took one of the tackle boxes from her. “Let me help.”

She glared at him but handed it over.

He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“How did Jason know you were here?”

“I told him. I’m on call twenty-four hours a day, just like you.”

Willa winced then handed him another box. “I forgot about that.”

He cleared his throat. “Can I ask you something?”

She glanced over her shoulder at him as she plucked two more boxes off a shelf. “Make it quick.”

“Let me help you with the medical stuff today?”

She looked at him with one brow sailing high.

“Just pretend I’m another nurse or something,” he blurted out.

“Huh-uh.” She couldn’t help but look him up and down. “You don’t mind taking orders? From a woman?”

He shrugged. “You’re the one in charge. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

“You argued with me the first time, remember?”

“Only about doing up your seat belt.”

She stared at him for a second longer. “I won’t have time to quarrel with you today.”

“You won’t need to.”

She’d better not. “Fine. Grab some of this and let’s go.”

Willa hurried outside with Liam at her side. They threw everything into the back of an ancient four-wheel-drive ambulance she used on the rare occasion she needed it in town.

Liam drove, with the sirens blaring, the five blocks to Tundra Air’s hangar. Just outside sat a Twin Otter, its skis resting on what remained of the winter snow. Both engines were revved up and running, their roar making it difficult to hear anything else.

Jason met them as they jumped out of the ambulance. “Two more days and we wouldn’t have enough snow for takeoff,” he yelled as he grabbed a box of medical equipment and ran toward the plane.

Willa and Liam followed with the rest. “Where are we going?”

“It’s about fifteen minutes straight north,” Jason answered, turning to holler. “A couple of hunters were attacked by a polar bear.”

“A polar bear?” Liam asked from behind her. “Are you serious?”

“That’s what they said.” Jason secured his two boxes in the back of the plane then stepped aside so Willa and Liam could unload.

She ran around back and got into the passenger seat, belting herself in.

Liam settled into the pilot’s chair and picked up the charts Jason left for him.

Jason stuck his head in the door and pointed at the coordinates written on the map. “Here’s where you’re going. The terrain is pretty flat up there, so you’ll have to keep your eyes open. The radio is set to the frequency they’re using, but keep in touch with me. Have a safe flight.” Jason gave them a thumbs-up then closed the door and removed the blocks from around the skis. He waved the all clear and Liam increased the power until they coasted forward.

Seconds later they were in the sky.

Willa plunked a headset on. “Can we talk to those hunters?”

“I’ll try to raise them.”

Liam called on the radio for several minutes before anyone answered.

“Who are you?” A man’s voice blared over the radio without introduction or preamble.

“This is Med-One responding to a medical mayday. Are you one of the hunters who requested help? Over.”

“Yeah. We’re out of ammo and Pete’s hurt pretty bad.”

“We’ll be there in ten minutes, over.”

“Hurry.” There was only silence after that.

“Out of ammunition?” she asked. That couldn’t be good.

“Maybe the bear is still around.”

Willa rubbed her temple. “If it is, it’s going to make our job a lot harder.”

“Won’t the sound of the plane engine scare it off?”

“If the bear thinks we’re after his supper, no. Polar bears can be very aggressive when provoked.” She swallowed. “I don’t suppose you have a rifle?”

“I don’t think so, but look on the back fuselage.”

She glanced behind them. “There’s a rack there, but nothing’s in it.”

“Great.” He gave her an apologetic grin. “We don’t even have bear spray on board.”

“Polar bears are the largest bears in the world. If it’s close enough to use pepper spray, it’s too late.”

“So what do you do to frighten the bear off?”

“Noise and if that doesn’t work, try to distract it with bait.”

“Like what?”

“Bacon. Hunters take it with them to eat since it’s high in calories, but it also has a strong smell. Most of the time, if you throw some bacon, the bear will go after that instead of the people.”

“I’m afraid I’m all out of bacon too.” Liam’s grin turned serious. “So let’s assume the worst case scenario, and the bear is still hanging around. What’s your plan?”

He was actually
asking
for direction?

“I’ll focus on the injured hunter and do a barebones assessment. I’ll need your help to get him on a backboard and into the plane, then take off as soon as possible.”

“Okay, I’ll handle his buddy and the bear. Yell at me when you’re ready to move the injured guy.”

He sounded way too confident. “Be careful. If they’ve been fighting off a bear, it may be wounded, and a wounded animal might not react the way you expect.”

“Don’t worry, I’m good at watching my back.” Liam checked the map. “We should be coming up on them soon. Have a look out your window and let me know if you see anything.”

Willa scanned the ground beneath them. It was still covered in snow, yet short yellow-and-green grasses peeped out in many places. “Nothing yet,” she reported.

She glanced at Liam. He was dividing his attention between the controls and the window. He seemed to be taking the situation seriously. In fact, she’d never seen him with this particular expression on his face; unsmiling, his eyebrows low, his eyes scanning the controls and the landscape below like a seasoned hunter searching for prey.

But this was a rescue mission. If he didn’t keep his word about following her orders someone could die.

She turned to look out the window and a flash of something reflective caught her eye. “I see something off to the northeast. About two o’clock.”

Liam banked the plane right. “I see it too. That has to be them.”

Just then a flare shot into the air, trailing a red wake of smoke.

He grinned at her, showing his teeth. “There’s the distress signal. Good catch.”

Willa watched him for a moment. His smile was intense, with the air of someone who couldn’t wait to dive into a challenge. He was enjoying this. She opened her mouth to caution him when she caught sight of something on the ground.

She could make out a man wearing a pale gray seal-fur coat, called a
kuletak
by the local people, waving his arms above his head. A few feet away sat a snowmobile, a loaded sled behind it. Someone or something was draped over the steering wheel and a wide trail of blood led away from the machine. A large Husky dog stood in front of it, barking furiously.

Liam piloted the plane down toward them.

“I see the bear,” he yelled. “It’s circling them.”

“They’ve got a dog. It might keep the bear away long enough for us to land and get them out of there.”

Liam banked again and the high-pitched whine of the engine lowered sharply. “I’m going to try and land as close as I can get. Hang on, this might be a bit bumpy.”

Willa grabbed the side of her seat in time for the bottom of her stomach to fall out. She gasped as the ice-covered ground rushed up toward them.

The plane’s nose rose suddenly, pressing her back against the seat. The engine revved higher then with a solid thunk, they were on the ground and sliding toward the hunters. Liam adjusted the massive Twin Otter flaps and the plane turned sharply, skidding to a stop.

She hopped out and yanked open the rear door to grab her scene-assessment kit. She ran around the plane.

Liam had somehow brought them to a stop within five feet of the snowmobile.

He got out and grabbed the backboard while she hurried to the injured man, pulling the hood of his coat away from his face so she could talk to him.

His eyes were closed and blood dripped from several gashes on his head. She looked lower. His right shoulder was soaked with blood and caked with shredded bits of his
kuletak.
“Sir, can you hear me?”

He groaned but didn’t answer.

“His name’s Pete,” the other man called out.

Willa glanced up. Liam had joined the Inuit man, and the two jumped up and down in front of the snowmobile, waving their arms and hollering at the top of their lungs.

“He threw some meat at the bear,” the man yelled over his shoulder to her. “But the bear ignored it and went for Pete instead.”

“How long ago did that happen?”

“I don’t know, maybe an hour.”

“Pete, can you hear me?” Willa yelled into the unconscious man’s ear. She looked at the blood trail. A large puddle of it congealed near the front of the snowmobile. “He’s lost a lot of blood and isn’t responsive.” She quickly donned latex gloves and ran her hands over him, searching for broken bones. One arm appeared fractured near the wrist, but his clothing was keeping it relatively stable. She probed under Pete’s
kuletak
trying to see if he had any internal injuries. His abdomen felt normal.

“I think it’s safe to move him. Liam, I need you to help me get him on the backboard.”

“You got it.” He picked up the backboard from where he’d left it on the ground next to Pete.

“You take his torso, I’ll guide his legs and feet,” she ordered. “We’ll flip him over then put him on the board.”

Liam got into position then nodded.

Willa tensed her shoulders and took hold of one of the man’s legs. “One, two, three…lift!”

As one, they rose, turned Pete over, moved him to the side then smoothly laid him down. She pulled at the straps at the bottom of the board and wrapped them over Pete’s feet, then repeated the process over his knees. Liam did the same with the upper body straps.