Page 6 of The Potter

As much as I would like to help Ms. Belle, I can’t.

“The stakes are high, Dr. Potter. I advise that you get this mess behind you.”

My gaze tracks back to the sleazy man in a designer suit, making his way to the door with less confidence than when he walked in here an hour ago. “I believe my name is on the outside of this door, Dick. I will put this ‘mess’ behind me when the mood fucking strikes me.”

Unfortunately, Richard has some self-preservation and doesn’t give me time to throw him out of my office like Ms. Belle did.

When the door clicks shut, I finally take a deep, soothing breath, but it doesn’t last long.

“Five more minutes and Richard would have cried.” Duke snaps his fingers. “It would have been a new record. Two in one day.”

My gaze whips to Duke’s. “I didn’t mean to make Ms. Belle cry.”

His brows arch. “Didn’t you?”

“No.” It’s never my intention to make a woman cry. “But she wasn’t taking no for an answer.”

“Good women usually don’t.”

I scoff, reminiscing on Duke’s many conquests, which never lasted past the third date. “What do you know about a good woman? You date women in seasons.”

“At least I date. When was the last timeyou’vebeen with a woman?”

It’s been a long while, but I’d never admit it to my brother. He’d think it was a sin.

“Having sex with the employees violates policy,” I remind him.

“Says the grouch who implemented such a travesty.”

I take another sip of bourbon, enjoying the warmth coating my insides, drowning the demons. “We’re never going to keep the front-office staff if you keep breaking their hearts, Duke.”

“We don’t keep staff becauseyouscare them off.”

What the utter fuck is wrong with the people in this office? “I haven’t even been out of my office to scare anyone.”

Duke shrugs, pouring himself a drink and taking a seat on the edge of the desk. “I don’t mind giving the staff my undivided attention for satisfactory marks on this year’s employee satisfaction survey, if that’s what it takes.”

“We don’t administer employee satisfaction surveys,” I add dryly.

“But we could. Think of all the things we could do to improve morale around here.”

Morale will be the least of our worries if this lawsuit goes bad. But I don’t mention that to Duke. The less he knows the better. “And I’d have eight lawsuits to deal with instead of one.”

Standing, Duke turns serious. “What did Richard recommend you do?”

“He thinks I should take Calista to trial.” A deep, heavy sigh claws out of my throat.

“Calista’s been through enough.”

“Agreed.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

That is the dilemma. “I have no idea.”

Duke seems to understand, taking another sip of bourbon. “Is that why you turned down Ms. Belle’s case today?”

When you’re a reconstructive plastic surgeon, you get used to seeing the worst cases, but sometimes the stakes are too high.… “Ms. Belle’s case was too risky, not that it’s any of your fucking business.”

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