after that. She was a shell of herself while with him, something he seemed to prefer. Once she’d become entirely dependent on him and isolated from her support system, he’d broken things off leaving her devastated. What a prick! It had taken a while for her to see the truth and realize that dumping her was the best thing that Vaughn had ever done for her.
“Livvy?”
Startled out of her musings by his voice, she looked away from the window.
“Where did you go just now? You were so far away, you didn’t hear me call you twice.”
“Lost in the past for a bit, is all.” That wasn’t a lie, not completely, more like a half-truth. She pressed on. “You asked about Emma. We clicked right off. I was involved with someone at the time, and she never saw me as a threat. Now my brother’s wife is my best friend.”
“So I should be prepared for the Inquisition from them both?”
“It won’t be as bad as that. David’s a tough Dom but he only tops Emma now. Ten years ago, he may very well have put you on his rack to get the truth out of you, mwah ha ha.” She giggled, her earlier somberness dispelled. “Truly though, Joseph, they’re my only family. They love me and want to see me happy. I think once they meet you, they’ll love you as much as I do.”
Realizing immediately that she’d let the L-word slip out, she cringed inwardly, waiting stiffly for a response. Holy crap! Had she screwed up and let it out too soon? It had only been a month.
“Livvy,” he said softly, his hand finding hers and lifting it to his lips. After a gentle brush, he held it clenched on his hard thigh. “Although a declaration while driving wasn’t my intention, since it’s out there… I love you, too. If you’re worried that it’s too fast, consider that although we’ve only been intimately together as a couple, as Dom and sub for a few short weeks, the feelings were there long before that night at Club Decadence. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, I’ve loved you forever, it seems.”
He grinned at her obvious exaggeration, but didn’t discount her fervent declaration. “I’d prefer you turn that around a bit.”
She thought for a moment and restated. “I will love you forever, Joseph.”
“Sweet music to my ears, love.”
*****
Dinner that night was pleasant, filled with good food, great company, lots of wine and laughter. Joseph and David hit it off right away, both having so much in common. The only uncomfortable moment came during after-dinner coffee. She and Joseph were sitting closely on the love seat adjacent to their hosts who were sharing an oversized chair-and-a-half, the petite Emma ensconced comfortably in her husband’s lap. Somehow, the conversation turned to Livvy’s extremely poor taste in men.
“Hopefully, Joseph, you will break that pattern.” David said this only half-jokingly, going on to threaten him with dismemberment of a certain appendage should he treat Livvy the way that bastard Vaughn had.
Her Dom stiffened beside her, his full attention shifting to her. She glanced up then frowned over at David.
“I don’t believe she’s mentioned anything about ‘Vaughn the bastard’, have you, Olivia?”
“We haven’t discussed past relationships at all, not in detail.”
The glint in his eyes, told her he wasn’t happy with her avoidant response.
“He was an abusive prick,” David supplied, turning a dark glower on Livvy. “And you, missy, should know better than withholding something so pivotal in your past from your Dom.”
Two on one, so not fair. She looked to Emma for assistance, but she was frowning at her too. Definitely outnumbered and out gunned. She shifted to get up, but Joseph’s arm held her close.
“It was a long time ago, Joseph.”
“Obviously, she’s not going to be forthcoming,” he commented, addressing David now. “Was it physical?”
“No.” Livvy interjected, but got a silencing squeeze. Joseph had evidently chosen to move on to another
“Livvy?”
Startled out of her musings by his voice, she looked away from the window.
“Where did you go just now? You were so far away, you didn’t hear me call you twice.”
“Lost in the past for a bit, is all.” That wasn’t a lie, not completely, more like a half-truth. She pressed on. “You asked about Emma. We clicked right off. I was involved with someone at the time, and she never saw me as a threat. Now my brother’s wife is my best friend.”
“So I should be prepared for the Inquisition from them both?”
“It won’t be as bad as that. David’s a tough Dom but he only tops Emma now. Ten years ago, he may very well have put you on his rack to get the truth out of you, mwah ha ha.” She giggled, her earlier somberness dispelled. “Truly though, Joseph, they’re my only family. They love me and want to see me happy. I think once they meet you, they’ll love you as much as I do.”
Realizing immediately that she’d let the L-word slip out, she cringed inwardly, waiting stiffly for a response. Holy crap! Had she screwed up and let it out too soon? It had only been a month.
“Livvy,” he said softly, his hand finding hers and lifting it to his lips. After a gentle brush, he held it clenched on his hard thigh. “Although a declaration while driving wasn’t my intention, since it’s out there… I love you, too. If you’re worried that it’s too fast, consider that although we’ve only been intimately together as a couple, as Dom and sub for a few short weeks, the feelings were there long before that night at Club Decadence. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, I’ve loved you forever, it seems.”
He grinned at her obvious exaggeration, but didn’t discount her fervent declaration. “I’d prefer you turn that around a bit.”
She thought for a moment and restated. “I will love you forever, Joseph.”
“Sweet music to my ears, love.”
*****
Dinner that night was pleasant, filled with good food, great company, lots of wine and laughter. Joseph and David hit it off right away, both having so much in common. The only uncomfortable moment came during after-dinner coffee. She and Joseph were sitting closely on the love seat adjacent to their hosts who were sharing an oversized chair-and-a-half, the petite Emma ensconced comfortably in her husband’s lap. Somehow, the conversation turned to Livvy’s extremely poor taste in men.
“Hopefully, Joseph, you will break that pattern.” David said this only half-jokingly, going on to threaten him with dismemberment of a certain appendage should he treat Livvy the way that bastard Vaughn had.
Her Dom stiffened beside her, his full attention shifting to her. She glanced up then frowned over at David.
“I don’t believe she’s mentioned anything about ‘Vaughn the bastard’, have you, Olivia?”
“We haven’t discussed past relationships at all, not in detail.”
The glint in his eyes, told her he wasn’t happy with her avoidant response.
“He was an abusive prick,” David supplied, turning a dark glower on Livvy. “And you, missy, should know better than withholding something so pivotal in your past from your Dom.”
Two on one, so not fair. She looked to Emma for assistance, but she was frowning at her too. Definitely outnumbered and out gunned. She shifted to get up, but Joseph’s arm held her close.
“It was a long time ago, Joseph.”
“Obviously, she’s not going to be forthcoming,” he commented, addressing David now. “Was it physical?”
“No.” Livvy interjected, but got a silencing squeeze. Joseph had evidently chosen to move on to another
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