THE STUD MAN

PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

Adrian discovered that Amelia Grant was extremely good at ignoring him.

For three days after the charity event, he heard nothing from her.

Not that he was waiting.

He had work.

Meetings.

Deadlines.

An entire company demanding his attention.

Still, every time LinkedIn produced a notification, he checked.

On Thursday afternoon, Marcus walked into his office carrying two coffees.

“I need a favour.”

“No.”

“I haven’t asked yet.”

“Experience.”

Marcus placed a coffee on Adrian’s desk.

“We need someone to review the branding strategy for the new product launch.”

Adrian stopped typing.

“Okay.”

“I’ve shortlisted three consultants.”

“Send them to marketing.”

“I did.”

Marcus smiled.

Adrian didn’t like that smile.

“What?”

“One of them is Amelia Grant.”

Adrian leaned back.

“Absolutely not.”

Marcus blinked.

“Interesting.”

“What?”

“I expected enthusiasm.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ve been pretending not to think about her for four days.”

“I haven’t thought about her.”

Marcus stared at him.

Adrian sighed.

“She’s qualified?”

“Very.”

“Then interview her.”

“We are.”

“Good.”

“Tomorrow.”

“Excellent.”

“At ten.”

Adrian nodded.

Marcus remained standing.

“What?”

“You’re joining us.”

“No.”

“You’re product lead.”

“We have a marketing director.”

“And we have a co-founder who understands the product better than anyone.”

Adrian narrowed his eyes.

“You’re enjoying this.”

“Enormously.”

Marcus walked out.

The following morning, Adrian told himself Amelia’s interview was business.

Nothing more.

At exactly ten, she entered the conference room.

Grey trousers.

White blouse.

Hair tied back.

Professional.

Composed.

Beautiful.

Adrian hated that he noticed.

Her eyes found him.

A tiny smile appeared.

“Mr Cole.”

“Ms Grant.”

Marcus looked between them.

“Do I need to leave?”

“Yes,” they answered simultaneously.

Marcus laughed.

Amelia sat.

“Professional purposes only?”

Adrian asked.

“Strictly.”

“Good.”

“I was worried you might misunderstand.”

“I never misunderstand women.”

Amelia raised an eyebrow.

Marcus coughed to hide a laugh.

Adrian ignored him.

The interview began.

Within ten minutes, Adrian stopped thinking about their previous conversation.

Amelia was brilliant.

She had studied their company, competitors and customers.

She identified weaknesses in their messaging that their internal team had missed.

“You’re selling technology,” she said, standing beside the presentation screen. “Your customers aren’t buying technology.”

Marcus leaned forward.

“What are they buying?”

“Time.”

She changed the slide.

“Efficiency. Reduced mistakes. Control.”

Adrian studied the numbers.

“Our current campaign says that.”

“No.”

Amelia looked directly at him.

“It says what the software does. Not why anyone should care.”

Adrian almost argued.

Then realised she was right.

He smiled.

“What?”

Amelia asked.

“Nothing.”

“You disagree?”

“The opposite.”

That seemed to surprise her.

“You’re taking criticism remarkably well.”

“I’m evolving.”

“Slowly.”

Marcus laughed.

By the end of the meeting, Amelia was the obvious choice.

Marcus shook her hand.

“We’ll send the formal contract this afternoon.”

“Perfect.”

She gathered her things.

Adrian followed her into the corridor.

“Coffee?”

“No.”

“That’s becoming predictable.”

“I have another meeting.”

“Lunch?”

“No.”

“Dinner?”

Amelia stopped walking.

“Adrian.”

“I’m presenting options.”

“You’re presenting the same option at different times of day.”

He laughed.

“Eventually one might work.”

She studied him.

“Do you do this with every woman?”

“Not anymore.”

The answer escaped before he could reconsider it.

Amelia’s expression changed slightly.

Adrian cleared his throat.

“I mean, I’m busy.”

“Of course.”

She continued toward the lift.

“Monday at nine?”

“I’ll be here.”

The doors opened.

Amelia stepped inside.

“Professional purposes only,” she reminded him.

Adrian smiled.

“For now.”

The doors closed.

⸻

Working with Amelia turned out to be a terrible idea.

Not professionally.

Professionally, she was exceptional.

Personally, she was becoming a problem.

She spent three days each week in their office during the launch campaign.

Adrian began learning things about her accidentally.

She drank coffee without sugar.

Hated people who were late.

Loved old soul music.

Used sarcasm whenever she was nervous.

Called her father every Wednesday evening.

And she had an infuriating ability to know when Adrian wasn’t listening.

“You’re staring again.”

Adrian blinked.

They were alone in the conference room.

“I was thinking.”

“About?”

“The campaign.”

“Liar.”

Adrian smiled.

“Do you always accuse clients of dishonesty?”

“Only when they’re dishonest.”

“Dangerous business strategy.”

“Yet you hired me.”

“You’re welcome.”

Amelia rolled her eyes.

It had been six weeks since they met.

Six weeks.

Adrian couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent that long getting to know a woman without sleeping with her.

More troubling, he wasn’t bored.

He looked forward to her coming into the office.

He looked for her reactions during meetings.

Sometimes he found himself thinking of something funny and immediately wondering whether Amelia would laugh.

He disliked what that suggested.

So he dated other women.

There was Evelyn.

Then Nadia.

Then a brief reunion with Camille.

None lasted.

None mattered.

One evening, Adrian and Amelia were working late when his phone vibrated on the table.

Camille: Last night was fun. Repeat soon?

Adrian turned the phone over.

Too late.

Amelia had seen it.

She returned to her laptop.

“Camille?”

“Friend.”

Amelia laughed softly.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“I believe Camille believes she’s more than your friend.”

“She doesn’t.”

“How reassuring.”

Adrian studied her.

“Are you jealous?”

Amelia kept typing.

“No.”

“You hesitated.”

“I was deciding whether throwing your laptop out the window would violate my contract.”

Adrian smiled.

“Definitely jealous.”

She stopped typing.

“Would you like me to be?”

The question caught him.

“Yes.”

The honesty surprised both of them.

Amelia looked at him.

The room suddenly felt smaller.

Adrian leaned back.

“That’s inconvenient.”

“Very.”

“Because you’re not.”

Amelia closed her laptop.

“I didn’t say that.”

Adrian became still.

Their eyes held.

Something changed.

The teasing disappeared.

For weeks, attraction had lived beneath every conversation.

Now it was sitting openly between them.

Adrian stood.

Amelia didn’t move.

He walked around the table slowly.

“Amelia.”

“Don’t.”

He stopped.

“You don’t even know what I was going to do.”

“Yes, I do.”

“What?”

“Kiss me.”

Adrian smiled faintly.

“Was I?”

“Yes.”

“And if I did?”

Amelia looked up at him.

For the first time since they met, he saw uncertainty in her eyes.

“I might let you.”

His heartbeat changed.

“That’s progress.”

“No.”

She stood.

Now they were close.

Too close.

“This is exactly why I said no.”

“Because you’re attracted to me?”

“Because attraction makes people stupid.”

“I can work with stupid.”

She almost smiled.

Then her expression became serious.

“I know you’re still seeing other women.”

Adrian said nothing.

“I’m not judging you,” she continued. “But I won’t become another name on your phone.”

“You wouldn’t be.”

“How do you know?”

Because you’re already different.

The answer appeared instantly.

Adrian couldn’t say it.

Instead, he said, “I know.”

Amelia shook her head.

“No, you don’t.”

She picked up her bag.

“Goodnight, Adrian.”

He caught her wrist gently.

Amelia looked down at his hand.

Adrian released her immediately.

“Sorry.”

She looked at him.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard you apologise.”

“I apologise.”

“Not often.”

“I’m working on humility.”

“Work harder.”

He smiled.

Amelia didn’t leave.

For several seconds, neither moved.

Then she stepped closer.

Adrian stopped breathing.

Her face was inches from his.

He could smell her perfume.

“Do you know what your problem is?” she whispered.

“I suspect you’re about to tell me.”

“You think wanting something means you should have it.”

Adrian’s eyes dropped briefly to her lips.

“And you think wanting something means you should run from it.”

Amelia’s breath caught.

He saw it.

Victory.

Small, but undeniable.

Then she stepped away.

“Goodnight, Stud Man.”

Adrian watched her walk toward the door.

“Don’t call me that.”

She looked back.

“Why? Everyone else does.”

“I don’t like hearing it from you.”

Something in his voice made her pause.

“Why?”

Adrian didn’t know.

Or perhaps he did.

Because when Amelia called him Stud Man, it didn’t sound like admiration.

It sounded like a reminder.

A reminder that she saw the wall between them.

A reminder that he had built it himself.

“I’ll tell you when I figure it out.”

Amelia smiled softly.

Then she left.

⸻

Adrian remained in the conference room.

His phone vibrated.

Camille again.

He stared at the message.

Normally, he would have replied.

Tonight, he deleted it.

Then another conversation.

Nadia.

Deleted.

He opened his contacts.

For a moment, he simply stared.

Women he liked.

Women he desired.

Women who expected nothing.

Everything he had convinced himself he wanted.

Yet the only woman occupying his mind had refused to kiss him.

Adrian put the phone down.

Across the room, Amelia’s coffee cup remained on the table.

He looked at it and laughed quietly.

“This is ridiculous.”

For years, Adrian’s rules had been simple.

Never chase.

Never attach.

Never need.

Then Amelia Grant walked into his life and made him want something far more frightening than another night.

Tomorrow.

For the first time since Vanessa, Adrian wanted to know whether a woman would still be there tomorrow.

And he had absolutely no idea what to do about it.