Page 7 of Hooked

“Did you just say you wanted a baby? Since when? Is that what this is about?”

Livia rolled her eyes. “Not that clock. My countdown to forty.” While she explained, she laid her wallet and all the other stuff from her purse on the hood of her car to make her search easier. “Once I hit the big 4-0, my odds of finding a husband and getting that white picket fence are a pathetic 2.6 percent. My pool of candidates is dwindling as we speak.”

She didn’t want a baby. She wanted two, a boy and a girl, a husband, the house in suburbia, a dog, and yes, the proverbial white picket fence. And when she married, she also wanted her husband to be her dom. Was that too much to ask?

At your age, probably.

The unfortunate truth rattled around in her brain, as it always did when she went down this path. She’d done the research and the math on this extensively. Statistically speaking, if she reached forty without finding her man, her chances were a dismal slim to none.

“Only 2.6 percent, Em,” she repeated in a whisper. “Can you believe that?”

Her friend wrapped her arm around her waist in a side hug and squeezed her tight. “Don’t give up hope, honey. You’re a yummy snack and a half. Besides, what do statisticians know about love and romance?”

“Numbers don’t lie. Eliminating all the vanilla men reduces my already minuscule odds of finding Mr. Right by another two-thirds. And that’s being generous, considering only a third of that pool has only fantasized about BDSM but never actually took part in it. Since I want someone experienced, it’s more like a tenth, which makes my odds of finding a good dom, marrying, and having the family I want before my eggs turn to dust much, much worse. Less than half of one percent by my calculations, which is pathetic.”

After her long-winded speech, she leaned on her Toyota and dropped her head on the hood in defeat. There were tears in her eyes when she looked at her friend a moment later.

“How the hell am I supposed to find Master Less-Than-One-In-A-Hundred, Em? And if I do, how do I know he won’t turn out to be another Vaughn Steros?”

“Oh, honey.”

“Maybe I should forget about love altogether and get a cat—or ten.”

“You’re upset. Don’t go to San Antonio tonight. Come have dinner with David and me instead.”

Sorely tempted, Livia actually considered ditching her plans. But if she didn’t go, she’d always wonder what might have been. Perhaps tonight was the night she was supposed to meet the dom of her dreams. Joseph’s handsome face appeared in her mind’s eye as if to remind her that her dream dom for the past few years was him.

But wishes and dreams, were just that, and for her rarely came true.

“I’m going,” she said determinedly. “And now I have to really hurry because I have a million things to do.” She held up her finger with the damaged nail. “Correction, a million and one.”

“Olivia Wright,” Emma exclaimed with her hands on her hips. “Flipping me off is uncalled for. I’m just trying to help.”

Despite her blue mood, she laughed. “Inadvertent bird, Em. Sorry,” she said, hitting the auto locks on the key fob she finally located. “I have to add nail repair to my long list of things to do before I hit the road.”

After she threw everything back in her bag and climbed behind the wheel, she forced a smile as she looked up at Emma standing beside her door.

“Wish me luck. If I make it by nine, it will be a miracle.”

“Be careful,” Emma urged as she reached in and squeezed her shoulder. “Both on the road and at the club. You have a safeword, don’t forget. And don’t take any shit from any of those drill sergeant dominants. You have the real power, not them.” She winked when she added, “Unless they’re as hot as they say, and you really want them to drill you, that is.”

“Emma!” she exclaimed, letting out a little laugh. “You know, I have a feeling about tonight. Something is going to happen. I’m not exactly sure what, but I’ll be in a new city, a new club, and with new people. This may be my last shot, so I’m going for it.”

“Babe, as gorgeous as you are, you’re going to rock their world.”

She stepped back to let Livia shut her door. Obviously needing to say more, she tapped on her window. As soon as it unrolled, she started in again.

“Call me for a safety check when you get there and when you’re ready to head home.”

“Yes, Mom,” she replied with a wave then started the ignition.

Despite her bluster with Emma just now, she was a nervous wreck. Her hands trembled visibly when she shifted into reverse. As she pulled out of the lot, she started planning contingencies if things didn’t go as planned, like where she would get her new cat–or ten.

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