Page 29 of Surprise Me Tonight

Today, she’s steel.

This is her line in the sand, isn’t it?

The moment the screen goes black, the air in the room feels twice as thick.

Stella closes her laptop with quiet efficiency. She straightens, glances at me, and hesitates. Then she speaks, voice low.

“Thank you. For last night. For stepping in.”

I nod, trying to keep my voice even. “That…. wanker. Who was he?”

There’s a pause.

“My ex-husband.”

“Has he always been such a prick?”

She snorts. It’s soft, half-bitter. “More or less. He always made it clear I was lucky to have him. That I should lower my expectations. That I wasn’t much of a catch.”

I clench my jaw. The taste in my mouth turns metallic.

She shrugs, like it doesn’t matter. “He might’ve had a point about the dress, though. Bit much for someone my age. Would you like a cuppa?” She heads towards the door.

I move before I can stop myself. I step forward, hand rising instinctively. I press my palm, gently, to the front of her stomach. Just enough to stop her from walking past me.

She stiffens.

But she doesn’t move away.

My voice is quiet. “He was wrong. About the dress. About all of it.”

Her eyes meet mine. Something in them flickers — doubt, hope, maybe a challenge.

“Cardigans, dresses… none of it matters. You’ve got a beauty that isn’t simple, it’s deeper. The sort that pulls me in and won’t let me go. And if your ex couldn’t see that, it’s only because he never looked close enough.”

She swallows. Breath shaky.

“You probably shouldn’t say things like that to me,” she whispers.

But there’s no bite in it. No retreat.

Only heat.

I lean in, just close enough that she feels it, hears it.

“What Ishouldn’ttell you is that I can’t stop thinking about bending you over my desk and having you.”

Her lips part.

Her breath catches.

And then, just as she starts to walk past, she leans in — close to my ear, soft as sin.

“Maybe you’re not the only one with those thoughts.”

And then she’s gone.

I just stand there.