Page 23 of Hooked

“He’s right, Liv.” Emma nodded encouragingly. “He often took you to family and office functions rather than a date, never forgot your birthday, and sent you flowers more times than I can count just to say thank you.”

“I thought he was being nice.”

“Honey,” Emma said with a small laugh. “My boss has never sent me flowers.”

“And he better not,” David growled. She stroked his forearm as though gentling him, which Livia thought was sweet.

“How did you leave it with him?” she asked. “You being here can’t be a good sign.”

“He had to go out of town for work, but before he left, he gave me a choice. Rewind and go back to yesterday—status quo—or submit to him when he gets back.”

“You’re not seriously considering saying no!” Emma cried in outrage. “Olivia Suzanne Wright, don’t you dare! You’ve been gaga over that man since the first day you met him.”

“That isn’t true. Vaughn had just dumped me. When I met Joseph, I had sworn off men, if you recall.”

“Is that what’s making you hesitant?” David asked, clearly wearing his PhD hat.

They had been there for her after the breakup and knew all the gory details. She’d been a mess for a while afterward, and David had helped her get back on track, or so she thought, until her insecurities reemerged yesterday morning.

“I thought Vaughn was the one. What if I’m wrong again? I have more to lose now than the last time.” Her eyes got misty as she thought of losing both her job and Joseph. “I don’t know why I even bother looking for love. I always screw it up. A cat is looking better by the minute.”

“That’s a rather defeatist attitude, honey,” Emma observed gently.

“I don’t mean to sound flippant, or rude, but that’s easily said when you’re sitting with your husband’s arm around you.”

“Consider this,” David offered. “You talk about wanting to find someone, to settle down and start a family, but down deep, because of that bastard Steros, you are afraid of loving and losing again. Therefore, you’ve turned down good men for dates, found minute flaws, and rejected the ones that you deigned to go out with, and instead, clung to the one consistent relationship you had with a man that was safe—me.”

When she and Emma shared a look, her friend nodded. Wow, how pathetic did that make her sound?

“Yet, your need to submit is so great, because that is who you are, you went to a club hoping to find a safe dom to fill the emptiness. Instead, you found Joseph, the man you want the most. Bonus, he’s a dom. But he threatened your safe place, and you ran, preferring not to take the risk at all rather than trying and failing at love again.”

Astonished by his laser accuracy, she stared at him in awe then gaped at Emma with wide eyes.

“Imagine living with him,” she drawled. “He’s a dom and an expert in human behavior. I don’t stand a chance of putting anything over on him.”

David’s arm tightened as he pulled her in close. “I don’t recommend that you try, baby.” From Emma’s high-pitched yelp, Livia guessed he’d given her a precautionary pinch.

“So, doc, what is your recommendation?”

“What do you want, Olivia?”

“I want Joseph.”

“Then you don’t need me to tell you the answer. Do you, honey?”

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