Prince Pucking Charming Page 7

  “You have to put the marshmallows in,” Max tells Duke.

  He scans the kitchen and shrugs. “Where are they?”

  Max slides off the counter and grabs the bag from the pantry closet. “I get four. Mommy gets three. How many do you want?”

  Duke glances over at me. “Whatever Mommy’s having.”

  After Duke fixes three mugs of hot chocolate, he joins me at the table. Max hops onto his lap, almost knocking the cup from his hand.

  “Calm down, Max. You almost spilled hot chocolate on Duke.”

  Max settles down, taking a few sips from her drink, and then moves over to the chair next to me. “Are you going to stay over?”

  I gasp at Max’s question.

  Duke shakes his head. “No, I have to sleep at my house.”

  “How come? I have a tent in my bedroom. And a sleeping bag. You can stay in my room.”

  Duke laughs, though he looks like he has no idea what to say. Sometimes, she’s too cute to resist. I have a hard time saying no to her.

  “Max,” I say, “Duke has to go home tonight.”

  “Can we have a sleepover another night?”

  “Umm… No, baby. Duke has his own house.”

  Duke finishes his hot chocolate and then gets up from his chair, extending his hand to Max. “How about you show me your ant collection before I go?”

  She beams with delight and takes his hand. I follow behind them down the hallway. The sight of them together is seriously adorable. I can see why Max doesn’t want him to go because I don’t want him to go either. This situation with Duke is only temporary. I have to remind myself of that, prepare myself for when he leaves. They all leave. Max is too young to understand that.

  Duke’s eyes widen as he looks at everything in Max’s bedroom. Pretty much anything you can imagine is packed inside these four walls. She has a cage filled with a family of hamsters on her desk. A self-contained ant farm is on the floor by her closet. Those things freak me out the most. Some nights, I imagine the seals breaking and ants crawling into bed with me. Nagini, her pet snake, is sleeping in a tank on her bookshelf. Nemo, her goldfish, is swimming in his bowl on her desk.

  Ted bought Max a new pet last week. The white rabbit’s cage sits atop her dresser because we’re running out of room for pets. Max loves animals, but she’s allergic to cats and dogs. Leave it Ted to buy her every animal she’s not allergic to instead.

  Duke lifts the top of Nagini’s tank. “Can I hold him?”

  I stare at him in shock. “Are you crazy?”

  “No. Snakes are harmless.”

  I chuckle. “Yeah, until they take a bite out of you.”

  “It’s a garden snake. I’m sure I’ll be okay,” he says with a confident wink.

  Duke handles Nagini like he’s done this before. Surprisingly, Nagini likes him. She slithers up Duke’s forearm that’s the size of a tree trunk. Nagini sticks out her tongue, which always frightens me. I hate snakes. They scare the crap out of me. But Max is so good with her, and we’ve never had any issues.

  “She smells you,” Max tells Duke. “Did you know that snakes smell with their tongues because they don’t have noses?”

  Duke nods.

  “She likes you,” Max says, staring up at Duke with a big grin on her face. “Nagini doesn’t let Mommy hold her. Only Daddy and me. She hisses when she touches her.”

  “I think she prefers men,” I say.

  “She knows you’re afraid,” Duke says, holding Nagini up. “Animals can smell your fear.”

  “Snakes are so gross,” I say with a shiver. “I’m not a fan.”

  “But you like Hammy,” Max says. “And he likes you.”

  Duke laughs, and his eyes fall to the hamster cage. “Which one is Hammy?”

  Max points at the big brown hamster. “That’s Hammy.” She motions toward the light brown one. “And that’s Sammy.”

  “I’m sensing a pattern,” Duke says with laughter in his tone.

  “Those are their babies,” Max says, pointing at the two hamsters left from the litter. “I can’t tell them apart. I think they might be twins.”

  “My younger brothers are identical twins,” Duke says.

  “Cool,” Max beams. “Can you tell them apart?”

  “Yes. But I had a hard time when the twins were younger.”

  “How do you tell them apart now?”

  “By their personalities. Theo is the oldest by two minutes and more serious than Travis. And Travis is the prankster. He likes to mess with everyone.”

  “Can I meet them? I bet I can tell them apart.”

  Duke laughs. “They’re at college in Philadelphia right now. But yeah, maybe someday you’ll get to meet them.” His eyes meet mine as he says this, and a rush of heat travels down my arms.

  “How come you’re not a twin?”

  Duke shrugs. “Beats me.”

  “Do twins run in your family?” I ask.

  “Yeah. My grandmother was a twin.”

  I glance at my watch. “Max, it’s getting late. Time for bed.”

  She groans. “I haven’t shown Duke all of my pets yet.”

  “I’ll come back another day,” he promises, bending down to match her height. He’s so damn tall he looks like a giant next to her. “When I pick you up for hockey practice. How does that sound?”

  She throws her arms around his neck and squeals. “Yay! Thank you, Duke.”

  Duke hugs her back. “You’re welcome, kiddo. Now, how about you get ready for bed? Hockey players need a lot of sleep.”

  “They do?”

  Duke nods and then taps her on the shoulder, slowly rising to his full height. He towers over me, his eyes intense when they flick toward me. I don’t want him to leave. I’m not ready for this night to end, even though I know what I’m doing is so wrong on so many levels.

  “Will you stay for a little bit?” I ask him. “I have to get Max in bed, and then we can have that drink if you want.”

  Duke tips his head. He says goodnight to Max, and then promises to wait for me in the living room before closing the door behind him.

  “Mommy,” Max says as she changes out of her jersey and into her pajamas. “Why does Duke have to go home?”

  “Because he wants to sleep in his bed.”

  I sit at the edge of her mattress and turn off her lamp. The soft green glow from her nightlight fills the room.

  “Duke works with Mommy. He can’t stay the night, okay?”

  “Yes,” she sighs. “I know. But…”

  “Duke will be back soon to teach you hockey. You’ll see him again.”

  She smiles as I brush her hair out of her eyes. “You promise?”

  “Yes,” I say, hoping Duke will keep his word. I press a kiss on her forehead, and she closes her eyes. “Goodnight, baby. Sweet dreams.”

  “Night-night, Mommy,” she yawns.

  Nerves bubble up inside my chest when I see Duke sprawled out on the couch in the living room. He’s watching sports highlights on ESPN with the sound so low I can barely hear the announcer. I slip past him and head into the kitchen. I keep a cold case of beer in the fridge for when Ted shows up to see Max.

  Duke startles when I plop down on the couch next to him. But when our eyes meet, and I hand him a beer, a smile stretches across his lips.

  “I had fun tonight,” he says, clinking his bottle against mine.

  “Me, too. You made Max’s year. All of the signed stuff, and the game, and just you being here… It means a lot to me. To both of us. Thank you.”

  He moves his beer into his left hand, taking a sip as he slides his right arm behind me on the couch. I suck in a deep breath, too aware of our closeness. His mouth is inches from mine. Duke’s lips part and I get the urge to reach out and touch them. I want to feel every inch of him. It’s been far too long since I’ve been with a man. Why do I want the one man I’m not allowed to have?

  Duke inches closer, testing the waters to see if I’ll make him stop. I don’t want
him to. Every nerve ending in my body is on fire, ready to explode if he doesn’t kiss me. I want this. No, I need this.

  His lips lightly brush against mine. A groan rips from his mouth as if he’s in physical pain. My heart slams into my chest, beating so fast it feels like it’s about to escape. Duke is waiting for me to say yes, for me to give in to my every desire. He needs my approval. Because of our relationship, he’s grown to respect me.

  So, I make a move and kiss him.

  When our tongues collide, sparks shoot down my arms. My body feels like it’s on fire, suddenly awakened by the deep need inside me. I’ve put my own needs aside for a long time. And tonight, I need this. I need to feel close to someone. I get lost in Duke and his hands that roam over my arms. He’s careful not to take things too far. I can sense his hesitation. He doesn’t want to ruin this by assuming we can have more.

  Reality finally sets in. What kind of doctor makes out with their patient? I peel my lips from Duke’s, out of breath, and unable to meet his gaze. What am I doing? I could lose my license for my lapse in judgment. There’s something about Duke, something I can’t resist. It’s not just his sex appeal. He has that in spades. It’s what’s hidden beneath the surface that interests me most. The more layers I peel back, the more I want to know the real Duke Baldwin.

  Duke rubs the pad of his thumb along my cheek. “Something wrong?”

  “You’re my patient, Duke.”

  “Not for much longer.”

  “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  His face hardens. “C’mon, Lila. No one will ever know.”

  “This isn’t right.” I look down at my hands and sigh. “And now, Max is involved. Our doctor-patient relationship is far from complicated.”

  “Then, let me uncomplicate it,” he says. “I like you, Lila. I like hanging out with you and Max.”

  “I have to be even more careful because of Max. If this ends badly, we’ll both get hurt. Ted has already caused both of us enough pain.”

  “You asked me why I don’t date,” he says. “But with you, it’s different.”

  “Duke, I’m your doctor. It’s not uncommon for patients to develop a strong bond with their therapist.”

  “You’re helping me,” he admits. “I’m not angry when I’m with you.”

  “And when you’re around other people?”

  He shrugs. “Depends on the day.”

  “I can’t be your cure, Duke.”

  “I can’t lose you,” he whispers. “That much, I do know.”

  “It’s getting late,” I say. “We should talk about this at your next appointment.”

  He looks away, his eyes fixed on the television, and then he nods. I have to tread lightly with Duke. Both of our careers and lives are at stake.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Duke

  Staring down at my cell phone, a hundred different things run through my head. I want to call Lila. Maybe I should text her. What would I even say? I’ve never put much thought into talking to women. It’s always been as easy for me as breathing.

  “Nick,” Marcel says loud enough for me to hear him upstairs. The front door slams, and then I hear my father’s voice, followed by Benji and Lucas, who are probably fanboying all over my dad.

  I shove the phone in my pocket and rush downstairs. My dad is surrounded by my roommates, who are discussing their last game with him. I haven’t seen my dad in months. With our schedules and living in different cities, it’s hard to carve out time for each other.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He shrugs. “I was on my way to Philly. I couldn’t drive through D.C. without seeing you.”

  “You should have called.”

  Why am I acting like a dick? Because it’s in my nature, I guess. My sessions with Lila are stirring up old feelings I have buried for a long time. And I hate it. I hate being mad at my dad for abandoning us. I don’t want to create intentional distance between us, but I have a hard time letting go.

  “Give your old man a hug.” Dad holds out his arms, and I step inside his warm embrace. For his age, he’s still in good shape. His arms constrict around me like a snake. “Duke,” he says, holding the back of my head. “I missed you, son.”

  My dad never shows up unannounced. So, his visit must have a purpose. My teammates are too busy clamoring over him to realize Nick Baldwin doesn’t just show up to say hello.

  “You want a beer, Nick?” Marcel asks.

  My dad waves him off. “No, I can’t stay long. I have to talk to Duke for a second before I get back on the road.”

  “We can talk in my room,” I say, and he follows behind me.

  Once we’re inside my bedroom with the door shut, he sits on the bed next to me. “So, what’s up, Dad?”

  “It’s your sister,” he says with a sigh. “She’s moving to Philly to live with Dean.”

  “I know. Kat told me. I said I’d come home to help her move.”

  “She’s not ready for this.”

  “I think you’re the one who’s not ready,” I challenge. “The last time I talked to Kat, she sounded like she had everything under control.”

  “You never apologized to Dean. She’s still mad at you.”

  “I called him. I left him a voicemail.”

  Dad groans. “Duke, you know that’s not good enough. Dean will be part of this family someday.”

  “If he makes it that long,” I say to annoy him.

  “I can see your anger management sessions aren’t working.”

  “Yes, they are,” I spit back. “Kat isn’t the real reason you’re here.”

  He shakes his head. “I wanted to see how you’re doing. Is that okay? You haven’t returned any of my calls for the past two weeks.”

  “I’ve been busy.”

  “You can’t be that busy,” he shouts. “You’re not even playing!”

  “You’re here now,” I point out. “So, we can either fight until you leave, or you can get out now and leave me alone.”

  “I think I need to have another word with your GM,” he says. “Your treatment obviously isn’t working.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “You were the one who suggested it?”

  He looks away from me. “I thought it would help you.”

  “You’re unbelievable.”

  “They wanted to trade you, Duke! I begged them to give you another chance.”

  I stare at him, unblinking, not knowing what to say in response.

  “Apart from family, your team is the only thing you truly love,” he says with sadness in his tone. “I didn’t want you to lose it.”

  “It’s working,” I admit. “The therapy. But probably not in the way you would have hoped.”

  He turns his head toward me. “What do you mean?”

  “Lila makes me think about things that make me angry.”

  “Lila? She lets you call her by her first name?”

  “It’s complicated, Dad.”

  “You like her.”

  I nod.

  “That’s why you’ll talk to her.”

  I nod again.

  “Why couldn’t you just talk to me, then?”

  “Because you are part of the problem.”

  His head drops, his eyes fixed on the carpet. “I’m sorry, Duke. We’ve gone over this plenty of times.”

  “You left us,” I say, my voice trembling. “You left Mom when she needed you.”

  “I will regret the decisions I made until the day I die.” He reaches for my hand, but I pull away. “I’ve tried to make it up to you. I don’t know what else I can do to make things right.”

  “I’m trying to forgive you,” I admit. “I want to forgive you.”

  They say men forget and never forgive, and women forgive and never forget. I think that’s true. Because I’ve done my best to ignore my father’s mistakes. Maybe, one day, I will eventually forgive him.

  He covers his face with his hands and groans. “Your mother was the love of my life.”


  “I know.”

  “I couldn’t handle seeing her like that,” he chokes out. “I just… I’m sorry. I shutdown. I walked away. I know that makes me a terrible husband and father. If it hadn’t been for you and Austin, I don’t even want to think about how Kat and the twins would have turned out. I put the burden on both of you. That wasn’t fair to either of you when you were only in high school. All of you were my responsibility.”

  I slide my arm across the back of his neck, knowing we both need this hug.

  He pats me on the back. “You gave up so much for me. I couldn’t let them take away your team. I shouldn’t have intervened, but I felt like I had no choice.”

  “I’m not mad, Dad. In this case, I’m happy you got involved.”

  “You think Dr. Devine is helping you?”

  “Yeah,” I say with a smile. “I think so.”

  “Then, please apologize to Dean. It would mean a lot to your sister. You can hate me all you want, but don’t take this out on Kat.”

  “I’ll make more of an effort,” I promise.

  “So, I’ll see you this weekend to help Kat move.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” I say. “I still can’t believe Kat is having a baby with Dean. All of you were so sure he was just her friend.”

  Dad cups my shoulder. “Kat has always been more comfortable around men. I wasn’t that surprised Dean is the father.”

  My sister is a real tomboy. She loves playing hockey and never had a problem getting her hands dirty. I did my best to do girly things with her. I even learned how to do a French braid so Kat could wear her hair like the other girls at school. As much as she tries to fit in with women, she’d much rather be one of the guys.

  “Is there something going on with Lila?”

  “She kissed me,” I confess. “But I think she regrets it.”

  “She’s your doctor,” he points out.

  “Yeah, which is kind of the problem. She has a little girl named Max. You would love her. She reminds me so much of Kat when she was her age.”