Page 24 of A Whole New Trick

I make a mental note to increase the protein in his meals tomorrow and incorporate additional electrolyte powder into his hydration plan.

“I’m fine,” he grits out. “I’ll be done in a minute.”

I shouldn’t care.

I should let him be a stubborn idiot and hurt himself so he learns a lesson.

But this is my job. I’m supposed to support him so he can play at his best. Dr. Gaines took a chance promoting me. I can’t let my first assignment fail. I worked too hard to get to this point in my career.

“Will you just stop for one second so I can talk to you?” My voice comes out harsher than I intend, but it does the trick.

Dane’s eyes flash through the mirror’s reflection. “Fine.”

The weights clatter as they crash to the floor. He turns to face me. A bead of sweat rolls down his temple. “What is it, Morgan? I swear I’m eating all your prepped meals even though it’s not doing shit for my game.”

I rock back on my heels, floored by his anger. No matter how snippy or rude I’ve been to Dane, he’s never once matched my pettiness.

Remorse immediately floods Dane’s features. He groans and drags a hand down his face. “Sorry. That was uncalled for.”

“No, it wasn’t.” I like that he has some fire in him. I’m hopeful we can finally break through the façade he keeps up around me so I can hear his genuine thoughts about his new diet plan. “Tell me more about that. What, specifically, are you worried about in regards to your diet?”

He shakes his head. “It’s nothing. Really. Sorry,” he apologizes again. “I’m just having a bad day.”

“You know what? No. I’m not going to let you do this.” I wave an angry hand over his body. “You’re clearly struggling with thechanges, and you need to talk to me about them. I can’t change anything if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”

“I wasn’t aware the plan could change.”

I cross my arms. “Just because I’ve created the perfect plan for your average professional hockey player doesn’t mean it’s the perfect plan foryou.I need to know what you’re feeling after you eat. How is your hunger level before your next scheduled meal? Do you feel hydrated? Are your bowel movements regular, or are you constipated? These things matter, but I won’t know about them unless you’rehonestwith me.”

Dane’s features tighten as I speak, but he lets out a bark of laughter at the end.

“Bowel movements?” He shakes his head. “You want to know how often I take a shit?”

I ignore the crass phrase, but I take it as a sign he’s overcoming whatever barrier has been holding him back from being real with me.

“Yes, I do,” I reply, undeterred. “I want to help you, Dane. I really do. But I can’t help if you don’t let me. So… please. Let me.”

I hold my breath and watch his crystal blue eyes bounce between mine, gauging my sincerity. I will my expression to convey just how serious I am. His performance tonight was abysmal. If there’s a change we can implement into his dietary plan that could help, I’m open to investigating it.

“I feel weak.” Dane’s jaw clenches.

“Weak, how?” I prompt before he changes his mind about opening up. “Mentally? Physically?”

“Both,” he mutters. “But the mental stuff is more likely caused by my personal life, not the food I eat.”

“You’d be surprised how much food can affect your mental state.” Processed sugars, in fact, are known to have the worst impact.

Dane nods. “Sure. I get that. But the point is I don’t feel like myself. Physically, I mean.”

He may need a higher calorie intake than I thought. As a center, he’s active on the rink so he’s already allotted calories on the higher end of the recommended allowance spectrum. But maybe his metabolism is higher than normal? Or maybe he’s doing additional physical activity I’m not aware of.

“How’s your sex life?” Mortification floods my cheeks the moment the words pass my lips.

What thefuck, Morgan?

I forgot who I was talking to. I got caught up in the standard questions I’d ask a client. I wouldn’t hesitate to ask how they thought their diet affected their intimacy.

But Dane isn’t just any client.

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