Read Online This Thing Called Love by Miranda Liasson - Free Book Online

terms with events that had pitched her whole world into a careening tilt. But he preferred the Evil Editor version. Less complicated, less hard on his libido. Not to mention his heart.
    The way he saw it, he had a few choices. He could get her into bed and do certain things that would drain the fight right out of any normal woman and reduce her to a whimpering, sated heap of jelly. The sexual currents certainly still buzzed strong between them.
    But knowing all the kick and fight in Olivia, she’d brawl with him to her last gasp.
    No, with a sassy chick like her, he’d have to approach it more cerebrally. She’d admitted her soft spot, the one part that wasn’t protected by that sarcastic coat of armor. So he’d use it, all right—and find a way to get her to realize on her own she wasn’t the right person to raise Annabelle. He might have helped with her headache, but he was not going to help her become Annabelle’s mom.

CHAPTER 5
    Later that afternoon, migraine tamed, Olivia stepped into the sunny lobby of Mirror Lake Assisted Living, expecting to find Brad’s grandmother patiently waiting on one of the sprawling, comfy couches in the theater-style reception area. What she hadn’t expected was to see Brad’s image, supersized, on the giant television screen.
    She set down Annabelle’s baby carrier to stare. The bright green eyes that haunted most of her waking moments crinkled as his lips curved into a smile. He full-out laughed, taking him from handsome to off-the-charts dangerous and shooting an electric frizzle clear down to her toes. Normal-size Brad was mesmerizing enough, but this was flat-out ridiculous.
    The ring of Olivia’s cell phone forced her attention away. The name Sylvia appeared on the screen. Her boss again.
    “Ryan Connor’s upset you’re gone,” Sylvia said.
    Their biggest client. America’s self-help guru, who was writing a sequel to his book on being assertive that was certain to be another blockbuster.
    Olivia straightened one of Annabelle’s socks, which were perpetually on the verge of falling off. “I e-mailed him I’d be back in two weeks. Helen can handle things until then.”
    “He’s not used to working with Helen. He wants you. And you know how obsessive he is. He’s insisting on face-to-face meetings.”
    “Tell Helen to forward me any e-mails she’s concerned about. And tell Ryan I’ll meet with him all he wants when I get back. There will still be plenty of time to go through the whole book again.”
    “And how’re the relationship book edits coming? I know you’re dealing with some tough shit but I was wondering if you’d had a chance to get to any of that?”
    Ah, Sylvia. Always such a soft heart.
    The answer to her question was, yes, Olivia had. For the ten free minutes she’d had last night before she passed out at the kitchen table. At midnight, she awakened to Annabelle’s cries, only to find her cheek had been pressed to the keyboard and the screen was full of hundreds of ZZZZZs .
    “I’m working on it,” Olivia said. “I promise to deliver everything by deadline. You know I always do.”
    “You’re a talented editor and a hard worker. But Ryan Connor is a major, major player and I simply can’t risk his unhappiness.”
    “I’ve never let you down before, Sylvia. I won’t now.”
    Olivia rubbed the right side of her forehead. Was that her migraine returning? She had to have a real discussion with her boss. One that involved the issue of cutting back her hours, because how else could she make this work? But instinct told her now was not the time.
    She finished the call and slipped her phone back into her purse just as a snow-white cap of hair appeared over the back of one of the reception area couches, followed by the bespectacled face of Brad’s grandmother, who waved her over. “Olivia, there you are. Yoo-hoo, dear, come sit and get settled while the show is on commercial.”
    “Effie,” Olivia said with relief, picking up Annabelle’s