THE STUD MAN

MORE THAN DESIRE

Adrian did something unusual the following morning.

He cancelled a date.

Not postponed.

Cancelled.

Nadia replied within minutes.

Someone else?

Adrian stared at the question.

Technically, no.

Nothing had happened with Amelia.

No kiss.

No date.

No promises.

Yet writing no felt dishonest.

He typed:

I think I need to stop doing this for a while.

Her response came quickly.

Doing what?

Adrian almost laughed.

He didn’t know how to answer without making himself sound ridiculous.

Dating without knowing what I actually want.

There was a long pause.

Then:

Wow. Stud Man is retiring?

Adrian groaned.

Don’t call me that.

Nadia sent a laughing emoji.

Then:

Take care of yourself, Adrian.

You too.

He put the phone down.

It should have felt insignificant.

Instead, it felt like closing a door.

He wasn’t doing it for Amelia.

At least, that was what he told himself.

⸻

Amelia arrived at the office shortly after nine.

She walked into Adrian’s office and placed a folder on his desk.

“Campaign revisions.”

“Good morning to you too.”

“Good morning.”

“You look cheerful.”

“I was.”

“Until?”

“I walked in here.”

Adrian smiled.

There it was.

The usual rhythm.

Except something had changed after last night.

He could feel it.

So could she.

Amelia stepped toward the door.

“Coffee?”

Adrian asked.

“I already have one.”

“Lunch?”

She turned.

“Are we doing this again?”

“No.”

He stood.

“I’m actually asking you to have lunch with me.”

“That sounds remarkably similar.”

“Professionally.”

Amelia narrowed her eyes.

“You’re learning.”

“Slowly.”

She considered him.

“Fine.”

Adrian blinked.

“Fine?”

“Lunch.”

He smiled.

“Careful. I’ll think you’re starting to like me.”

“I tolerate you.”

“I’ll take it.”

⸻

They ate at a small restaurant near the office.

No candles.

No champagne.

No expensive performance.

Just lunch.

For the first twenty minutes, they discussed work.

Then Amelia asked, “Why software?”

Adrian looked up.

“What?”

“Why did you become a software engineer?”

“Nobody asks me that.”

“I’m asking.”

He thought about it.

“Because code makes sense.”

“That sounds romantic.”

“It is.”

She laughed.

Adrian continued.

“You build something. If it doesn’t work, there’s a reason. You find the problem and fix it.”

“People aren’t like that.”

“No.”

“Is that why you prefer computers?”

Adrian smiled.

“Possibly.”

Amelia watched him.

“Were you always like this?”

“Brilliant?”

“Impossible.”

“Mostly.”

She shook her head.

Then asked, “Were you always against relationships?”

Adrian’s smile disappeared.

There it was.

The question he’d expected eventually.

“No.”

Amelia waited.

Adrian looked toward the window.

“I used to be the opposite.”

“How opposite?”

“Embarrassingly.”

“Now I’m interested.”

He laughed quietly.

“I wanted marriage. Children. The whole thing.”

Amelia looked genuinely surprised.

“You?”

“Yes, me.”

“What happened?”

Adrian’s instinct was immediate.

Deflect.

Joke.

Change the subject.

Then he remembered Lauren.

The locked door.

He looked at Amelia.

“I loved someone.”

She became quiet.

“She didn’t love me the same way.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“What happened?”

“She found someone she thought was better.”

Amelia’s expression softened.

“Better?”

“More successful. Wealthier. More exciting.”

“Her words?”

“Some of them.”

Adrian looked down at his glass.

“I was going to propose.”

Amelia didn’t speak.

“She was already seeing someone else.”

“Adrian…”

“I survived.”

“I know.”

He looked at her.

“How?”

“Because you’re sitting here.”

A faint smile appeared.

“Very observant.”

“But surviving something doesn’t mean it stopped hurting.”

The smile disappeared.

Adrian leaned back.

“This is why I don’t talk about these things.”

“Because people notice you’re human?”

“Exactly.”

Amelia smiled.

Then she said, “She was an idiot.”

Adrian laughed.

“You don’t know her.”

“I know enough.”

Something warm moved through him.

He didn’t like how much he enjoyed hearing Amelia defend the man he used to be.

“So The Stud Man was born from heartbreak?” she asked.

Adrian groaned.

“You’ve ruined the moment.”

“I’m serious.”

“No.”

“No?”

“He was born because Ollie has a terrible sense of humour.”

Amelia laughed.

Then her expression softened again.

“You know what I mean.”

Adrian did.

“I decided relationships weren’t worth the risk.”

“And women?”

“I never stopped liking women.”

“Clearly.”

He smiled.

“I’ve always been honest.”

“I believe you.”

That surprised him.

“You do?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because dishonesty isn’t your problem.”

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

“What is?”

“You leave before honesty becomes difficult.”

He stared at her.

Amelia calmly continued eating.

“You enjoy doing that, don’t you?”

“Doing what?”

“Finding uncomfortable things about me.”

“It’s becoming a hobby.”

Adrian laughed.

⸻

After lunch, something between them shifted.

Not dramatically.

Amelia still challenged him.

Still refused his flirting when it became too obvious.

But she stopped holding him entirely outside her life.

Adrian learned that she had grown up in Manchester.

That her parents were still married.

That she had one older brother who treated her like she was sixteen.

That she had once been engaged.

That last detail caught him.

They were working late one evening when she mentioned it casually.

“You were engaged?”

Amelia froze.

“I thought you knew.”

“How would I know?”

“Apparently everyone knows everything about everyone in your social circles.”

“Not this.”

She closed her laptop.

“It was years ago.”

“What happened?”

Amelia smiled faintly.

“Now who’s asking personal questions?”

“You started it.”

“Fair.”

She sighed.

“His name was James.”

Adrian immediately disliked James.

“We were together four years.”

“What happened?”

“He loved the idea of marrying me.”

Adrian frowned.

“But?”

“He didn’t particularly enjoy being my partner.”

“That makes no sense.”

“It did eventually.”

She looked toward the windows.

“He wanted someone who would fit into his life. His plans. His schedule.”

“And you didn’t?”

“I tried.”

Adrian recognised something in that word.

Tried.

“How did it end?”

“I ended it.”

“Was there someone else?”

“No.”

“Did he cheat?”

“Not that I know.”

“Then why?”

Amelia looked at him.

“Because love shouldn’t require you to disappear.”

Adrian went quiet.

The sentence struck somewhere uncomfortable.

For years, he had believed Vanessa hurt him because he hadn’t been enough.

Amelia seemed to believe losing yourself for someone was the failure.

Not being left.

“I haven’t seriously dated anyone since,” she said.

“How long?”

“Two years.”

Adrian smiled.

“So you have commitment issues too.”

“I have standards.”

“Same thing.”

She threw a pen at him.

He caught it.

They laughed.

Then silence settled.

Not awkward.

Comfortable.

Adrian realised they were alone.

The office had emptied hours earlier.

Rain streaked the windows.

Amelia stood.

“I should go.”

Adrian looked at the time.

“It’s nearly eleven.”

“I noticed.”

“I’ll drive you.”

“I can get a taxi.”

“I’m driving you.”

“That sounded bossy.”

“It’s raining.”

“London survives rain.”

“Amelia.”

She sighed.

“Fine.”

⸻

The drive was quieter than usual.

Soft music played.

London blurred beyond rain-covered windows.

When Adrian stopped outside Amelia’s building, neither moved immediately.

“Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome.”

She reached for the door.

“Amelia.”

She turned.

Adrian didn’t know what he intended to say.

Then he looked at her.

Really looked.

And for once, there was no game.

“I cancelled a date today.”

Her eyebrows rose.

“Congratulations?”

He laughed nervously.

“And another one yesterday.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I’m not sure.”

Amelia studied him.

“Are you expecting something from me?”

“No.”

“Good.”

She reached for the door again.

“I’m not seeing anyone else.”

That stopped her.

She slowly turned back.

Adrian swallowed.

He couldn’t remember the last time a conversation with a woman made him nervous.

“I didn’t ask you to do that.”

“I know.”

“Then why?”

Because I want you.

Too easy.

Because I can’t stop thinking about you.

Too vulnerable.

Adrian looked forward through the windscreen.

“Because I don’t want to anymore.”

Amelia remained silent.

Then her hand touched his.

Small.

Warm.

Unexpected.

Adrian looked down.

Then at her.

She leaned toward him.

His heartbeat accelerated.

This time, he didn’t move first.

Amelia did.

Her lips touched his.

Softly.

Briefly.

Nothing like the hungry, careless kisses Adrian had grown accustomed to.

She pulled away.

Adrian stared at her.

“That was…”

“Don’t.”

He smiled.

“I was going to say nice.”

“You were not.”

“No.”

Amelia laughed.

Then she became serious.

“One kiss doesn’t change everything.”

“I know.”

“I’m still careful.”

“I know.”

“And if I discover you’re playing games—”

“You’ll murder me?”

“Something professional and legal.”

Adrian laughed.

Amelia opened the door.

“Goodnight, Adrian.”

“Goodnight.”

She stepped out.

Then leaned back toward the car.

“And Adrian?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t make me regret that.”

The door closed.

Adrian watched her enter the building.

He remained parked for nearly a minute.

Then he touched his lips and smiled.

Ridiculous.

He had kissed countless women.

Some beautiful enough to turn heads across rooms.

Some whose names he barely remembered now.

Yet one brief kiss from Amelia Grant had left him sitting alone in a parked car smiling like the man he had spent years trying to bury.

And that frightened him far more than rejection ever had.