Prince Pucking Charming

“And women?” He stares at me so hard it sends a shiver down my arms. “If you want to know if I’m single, Doc, just ask. You don’t have to beat around the bush.”

“I’m not asking if you’re single. I noticed that you don’t have any personal relationships with anyone outside of your team or family.”

“What’s wrong with that? I have all of the relationships I need.”

“What about women?”

“What about them?”

“You don’t date.”

“That’s a statement, not a question, Doc.”

We stare at each other for a long, hard minute. My breath catches in my throat when Duke runs his thumb along his bottom lip. Does he know how much this is turning me on? Probably. Ted and Duke have a lot in common. Men like Duke and Ted wear their confidence on their sleeves. They practically radiate it. And

they don’t miss a beat, especially not when it comes to women.

“You want to know if I fuck women?”

I gasp at his question. He’s still playing with his bottom lip, driving me completely insane. You’re the doctor, Delilah! Get a handle on the situation. You have to control the conversation.

Men like Duke will manipulate the conversation if given a chance. He thinks he’s winning, getting under my skin. Well, I guess he is to some extent. But that can’t happen.

“What you do in the bedroom is your business,” I say, trying to regain control. “I’m more interested in your relationships with women.”

“You mean sex?”

“No, Duke. Sex is part of a relationship, but that’s not what creates the bond between two people.”

“I don’t date,” he shoots back.

“How come?”

“Because I don’t want to,” he says, somewhat annoyed. “What difference does it make?”

“It makes a lot of difference.”

“I don’t have time,” he says in his defense, which I know is just to get me off his back. “Hockey is my life.”

“Plenty of your teammates are married with kids. If they can find the time to have a family, you could do the same… if that’s what you want.”

“What is your problem, Doc?” He glares at me. “Why do you care what I do with women?”

“Because it’s the one part of your life that seems to be lacking, and I’m curious if your anger has anything to do with it.”

He rolls his eyes. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Just because I don’t parade the women I fuck around town doesn’t mean anything.”

“They’re not meaningful relationships,” I point out.

“Some people prefer to have meaningless relationships with the opposite sex.”

“In my professional experience, it’s because the person is guarded and closing themselves off from the world. It’s a defense mechanism.”

“If you say so, Doc,” he deadpans.

“You’re close to your sister, Kat.”

“I raised her,” he snaps.