Elevator Pitch (Hapless In Love #1)

45. The Morning After

45

the morning after

Selah

Manhattan | January 20, 2024

I wake up in Greyson’s bed, surrounded by his scent and missing his warmth. However, Clifford is snuggled up against me. For such a large dog, he’s a big baby. I listen closely and hear the sizzling of pans in the distance. I smell breakfast cooking and smile to myself. I roll over to see a small yellow note resting on his pillow. It reads:

Sunflower,

- I took your keys and entered your apartment, BUT I didn’t want to wake you & had a reason.

- I fed Peach

- I grabbed what I thought you’d need & locked up

- Everything is on the bathroom counter

- I wanted you to feel at home

There’s an arrow on the bottom of the page instructing me to flip the note over. It reads :

Would you accept my tongue as a proper apology?

Yes, or no?

Circle one

This man is truly something else. My laughter wakes up Clifford, who stretches beside me.

“Your dad is silly.” His tail flops around in response.

I head to the bathroom to check the bag, and he did a good job. Greyson himself has a great skincare routine, so he knew exactly what to look for. With hair and body products, he seemed to have panicked and picked up many different things, but the basics are all here.

There are pajamas and a change of clothes so I wouldn’t have to do the walk of shame from his place in my ripped dress from last night. He even set out a new toothbrush for me. I’m surprised to see my shower cap and bonnet, too. He must be hoping to get another night out of me.

I wanted you to feel at home.

I freshen up and grab a pen off the nightstand, remembering to circle an answer on the note he left me before I follow the smell of bacon, hoping to find him at the source. When I enter the kitchen, his back is to me—he’s shirtless, and I try not to drool as I admire the muscles in his back. I’m certain I stand there gawking like a creep for who knows how long when he looks over his shoulder and winks at me.

He turns to face me with a wide smile, and I make note of how happy he is every time he sees me. His eyes rake over me, and he bites his lip before he speaks.

“Good morning, Sunflower.”

“Breaking and entering with a side of breakfast? You’re so good to me.”

He places his hand over his heart like I wounded him.

“I had my reasons. Peach was at the top of that list,” he reminds me .

“You’re right. Thanks for taking care of her.”

“Anytime.”

He wraps me up in a hug, and I nuzzle into his chest, sighing in contentment, breathing in his scent. He rests his chin on my head for a moment, kissing the top of my head as we pull apart. I glance over at the spread and he perks up.

He clears his throat and gestures toward the counter. “Uh, I made bacon, egg and cheese croissants, kimchi jeon ???? 1 and kongnamul guk ????? 2 . I have cereal and donuts too, if none of this sounds good to you.”

He seems nervous, and I’m not used to this side of him. It’s cute.

“Are you kidding? I appreciate that you cooked, and I’m going to try it all.”

“Really?”

His face lights up, and we’re just cheesing at each other. After a moment, he breaks the spell with a shake of his head.

“Sorry. Let me get your food.”

“That’s okay. I can get it.”

He tuts, blocking me from entering the kitchen further. He wears a worried expression. “There’s a bug going around that prevents you from lifting a finger. It’s serious, and I’m afraid there’s no cure.” He shakes his head in concern. “You’ve been showing symptoms, so I’m just going to have to take care of you.”

I throw my head back in laughter.

This man.

I sit at the island and look around the kitchen as my body heats with memories of last night. He unleashed something in me that I never knew existed, and I am already counting down the minutes until I can experience it again. The woman I became was unlike me in every way. I was led by pleasure, attuned to my body’s needs and desires. Hell, I even felt safe enough to submit to him. He was so encouraging and open. Even when he gave up control, he obeyed my every word. I need to be careful because I could get addicted to that kind of freedom. I’m not sure what we’re even doing, but last night shifted things. I, for one, am not interested in any more SoulBlend dates—not when Grey is right here and is so skilled at making me feel like that.

He releases me from my thoughts when he asks, “So, you remember when we discussed that arrangement and I gave you a taste of my qualifications?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, it’s been two weeks and I wanted to know if you’re any closer to making an offer.”

Without giving it any further thought, I say, “If you are still interested, the offer still stands for us to have a neighbors-with-benefits arrangement.”

“Really?”

The sigh of relief he lets out is adorable.

“Yes, really,” I assure him with a locked gaze.

“You’ve made an excellent choice, Ms. Bailey. I knew you were a good businesswoman.”

Once I’ve finished my meal, I get up to put my dishes in the sink, and he takes them out of my hand.

“You forgot about the bug that fast? Forgetfulness is a symptom, you know,” he adds, his tone laced with concern.

I can’t help but laugh as I let him take over the dishes, too. I don’t think it’s fair, but I won’t argue about it in his house. He walks over to me with a soft smile.

“I wanted to talk more about our arrangement. Why don’t we take a seat?”

He gestures to the couch that I rode his thigh on hours ago. He takes a seat, and I sit beside him nervously.

As if he can read my mind, he says, “You can sit here,” and guides me to straddle his lap. Being in this position with him fully clothed still sends liquid heat to my core, and the grip on my hips doesn’t help my excitement either.

“I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a possessive asshole, but I’m going to try. I like the time we spend together, and I didn’t like seeing you on that date. Let me know if I’m being ridiculous, but I feel like we understand each other, and the sex is…phenomenal.” His cheeks heat. “I’m not saying commit to me, but I’d like to know if you’d be okay with us exclusively doing whatever this is. No dates and no sleepovers with anyone else.”

That doesn’t require much thought from me because it’s been in my mind since I woke up in his bed.

“I don’t need to go on more dates if you’re willing to provide what I need.”

“Selah, I’ve shown you just how willing I am to cater to your needs and anything else on that list.” He nips at my neck, and I giggle in response. I sit back on his lap and stare down at him playfully. He grips my waist possessively, and I bite my lip to fight the urge to moan under his touch.

“You know what I think? I think you like me. Might even be obsessed with me,” I tease.

His eyes carry the hunger of a man starved and I can’t look away.

“I thought that was obvious. What are you going to do about it?”

He asks, following with a smack to my ass that makes me cry out in pleasure.

He chuckles darkly. “You know what I think? I think you like me too. And if I took off your panties right now, your pussy would be dripping for me.”

Oh my god.

His brows raise as if he thought of something. “What was your answer to that note? Yes, or no?”

He stares up at me expectantly as I reach in my pocket to retrieve the tiny yellow sheet of paper and place it in his hands .

He looks it over, and the hunger in his eyes intensifies.

“Well, allow me to apologize properly.”

And in case you’re wondering, Greyson is excellent at apologizing.

1 ? Kimchi pancake

2 ? Soybean sprouts