Prince Pucking Charming

“That does seem to be your forte,” she says with an attitude.

I won’t argue with her, not when I know she’s right about everything.

“We have to leave soon. Tom called. He wants to see both of us in his office in an hour.”

She pushes herself up from the floor with a groan and then slams the bathroom door behind her.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Delilah

We drive to the Capital One Arena in silence. Duke seemed to take the hint that I don’t want to talk after I slammed the bathroom door. This is the first time I’ve shut him out. But after hearing the pain in Max’s voice, I can’t think straight. She was so upset about the horrible things people are saying about me.

I knew my relationship with Duke could end badly for me. I knew it was unethical to date a patient, and I did it anyway. I set a bad example for my daughter.

A local radio host mentions Duke. I turn up the volume, and Duke turns it down from his steering wheel. Our eyes meet, and I glare at him. I don’t hate him. In fact, I think I love him. Unfortunately, I’ve learned over the years that love hurts. It especially hurts to love Duke Baldwin. My heart aches when I look into his sad, blue eyes. I know he’s sorry, even though this is not all his fault. We both entered into this relationship, understanding the possibilities. I, more than him, knew the risks we were taking.

“I want to hear it,” I say.

“No, you don’t,” Duke growls. “Trust me. It’s never good.”

Once we’re inside the building, we’re ushered to Tom’s office. He sits behind a long mahogany desk, his jaw set like stone. Tom throws out his hand, motioning for us to sit. My legs tremble as I enter the room with Duke. I consider grabbing his arm to keep me from crashing to the floor and stop myself. I’ve gone through worse in my life. From my mother’s death to the end of my marriage, I have endured plenty of pain over the years. But this feels different. Everything with Duke is different from before.

“Care to explain the nature of your relationship?” Tom crosses his arms over his chest, his lip curved up into a snarl. “I’ve read dozens of articles today, but I’d rather get the story from both of you.”

“This is my fault,” Duke says.

“No, it’s mine,” I interject. “I should have put an end to it.”

Duke looks at me, his eyes wide and glassy, like a little boy who just found out there’s no Santa. “Lila, c’mon…”

“Duke, no. Don’t try to defend me. I’m your doctor, and as my patient, I had a responsibility to you.”

“You did,” Tom says in a firm tone, “and as of today, you no longer work for the team. Your actions have violated the ethics clause in your contract.”

I bite back the wave of nausea sweeping over me, and the tears that I’m desperately fighting to keep at bay.

“Tom, don’t do this to her,” Duke growls. “It’s my fault. I pushed things too far. Blame me. Trade me. But don’t take Lila’s job away from her.”

Tom folds his hands on his desk, studying Duke’s face with an unreadable expression. “You have a habit of screwing things up, Baldwin. You had a good thing going here. This little arrangement your dad suggested was your last chance. I warned you what would happen if you screwed this up.”

“Can you afford to lose me?” Duke glares across the desk at him. “Can the team? They’ve been playing like shit since my suspension.”

“We’ll make the playoffs,” he challenges.

“We will,” Duke agrees, pressing his palms to his thighs as he leans forward, his eyes fixed on the team manager. “But they won’t get far without me. You need me. The team needs me.”

“Your attitude has been a problem for years,” he says with a nasty look crossing his face. “I don’t want to see you go. But don’t you dare fucking tell me what this

team needs.” His voice raises several octaves, sending a shiver down my arms.

I grip Duke’s arm, though his biceps are far too thick for me to wrap my fingers around. Duke’s head snaps in my direction. When our eyes meet, I issue a silent warning. He can fly off the handle and prove he’s the same person, or he can make a choice and show Tom that he’s changed. I yelled at him earlier, because I was upset about my family heirloom.

I was angry that he broke his phone, falling back into his old ways. It only made me feel worse. Like nothing I’ve said or done over the past few months has helped him. But deep down inside, I know I have gotten through to him.

But what happens to Duke when I’m not around? Will he go back to his old ways? I don’t want to think about the impact it will have on his life, on both of our lives.

“You have three weeks left on your suspension,” Tom says to Duke. “Coach Marshall wants you back on the ice with the team for practice.”